Omega Games [Paperback]

(The first paragraph is an update for new readers and a memory refresher for those who have kept up with the series.)

Dr. Cherijo (Grey) Torin is a bioengineered clone. She is also a member of HouseClan Torin, the Savior of Varallan, the chief physician in charge of rebel forces during the Akkabarran Insurrection, the named blood kin of TssVar, the new Hsktskt Hanar, and serves as a member of the Ruling Council of Joren. (And since the book titled REBEL ICE) she is also an amnesiac, considers "Cherijo Torin of Terra" to be dead, considers herself to be "Jarn of Akkabarr", and dearly loves her daughter (Marel) and husband (Duncan Reever).

While following a lead about the mysterious black crystal that is spreading throughout space, Cherijo and Duncan find themselves shot down by Duncan's friend, Alek Davidov, and forced to crash land on a quarantined planet name Trellus. Alek gives them thirty days to locate and capture a shape shifter before he eradicates all life from the planet.

Cherijo and Duncan quickly learn that it is Alek who placed Trellus under quarantine. No one may come or go and the colonists do not fully understand what is going on. They are currently scared, angry, frustrated, and paranoid. Someone or something is killing two or three people every week, leaving only their skin behind. (The skins are whole, not stripped or in sections.)

***** The author, S. L. Viehl, I knew and loved has returned - with a vengeance! The story pulls readers in immediately as Cherijo discovers a patient who, unable to communicate, has had a pulse grenade with a modified contact trigger inserted within her. Even though Jarn does not have Cherijo's memories, she hears words flavored with Cherijo's humor and quirkiness often popping out of her mouth at the oddest times. (Such as telling Squilyp that they should name the above surgery "gastric grenade bypass".) Cherijo's unique personality in the series is what mainly keeps me coming back for more.

The character of Jarn in REBEL ICE was not favorable to me at all. Yet since then, Jarn's character has been slowly reverting back to the Cherijo I enjoyed so much. I still cannot tell if the author will keep the new Jarn, bring back the original Cherijo, or somehow combine the two into a whole new persona with unlimited possibilities.

The story briefly touches on the chameleon cells that Dr. Joseph Grey Veil used while creating Cherijo. It will be very interesting to see what this author's devious imagination will come up with next. Out-freaking-standing! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

As in all the other Stardoc stories,the universe is rich and the storyline and guest characters compelling. This one was a bit weaker than the others overall, and the 2nd half of the book seemed rather rushed. I truly enjoy Viehl's Stardoc series and give most 4 stars. This one, though, I only gave 3 stars because of these points and, mostly, because of the altered main character.

SPOILERS Ahead

Compared to Cherijo, Jarn is at best 2-dimensional character with little life to her. Her constant comparisons to Isleg life and implausible nonrecognition of common life quickly become tiresome by this book. With both main characters (Jarn and Reever) so lacking in expression or passion for anything other than each other, the reader can only focus on the guest characters and story. Fortunately, OG and the previous Plauge of Memory have strong guests and interesting settings. Yet I found myself reading each book with the hope that her memories would return by the end.

While so much of Viehl's world and characters are easy to believe, I find it implausible that Cherijo/Jarn could so easily become an Isleg (i.e so ingrained with their customs and deference to men), when her brief 18 month stay on the ice planet was spent as an outcast in the company of women. Also, the way the secondary characters (the Joren and her friends) handle her change and the way she just stays with them with no friendship are not well handled and mostly ignored.

I truly miss the original character and the spice she adds to each story. I reread Beyond Vallaran and found the difference startling--a real absence of spark. One can only hope that Cherijo regains her memory very early in the next book to provide the wit and passion we had come to know but which is lacking in this story.

Genetically engineered Terran surgeon Cherijo Gray Veil-Reever now has a bounty of four million standard credits on her head. Cherijo, who now goes by the name Jarn of Akkabarr, her husband Duncan Reever, and their child Marel have taken shelter with Jarn's Joranian HouseClan for the time being, but Jarn worries that she's put her Jorenian family in jeopardy.

After betrayal by Duncan Reever's old friend Aleksei Davidov, Jarn and Duncan, are stranded outside the domed colony of Trellus, situated on an uninhabitable rock of a planet. They have thirty days to find the whereabouts of the Odnallak shape-shifter or Alek will destroy the entire colony, Jarn and Duncan with it. The Odnallak are hunted throughout the galaxies because their bone dust is a deadly poison; the reason every being wants the race destroyed.

Jarn takes residence with Mercy, who's claimed her as salvage and taken her to her residence which is Trellus's only House Of Ill Repute. Mercy's business manager and lover is an Omorr named Cataced (who goes by Cat). Duncan was claimed by Drefan, who runs the Games dome and simulates battles for entertainment.

Aside from having only thirty days to find the Odnallak, the inseparable couple discover another deadly threat to the quarantined colony of Trellus: a Sovant is loose among them, disguising itself as a colonist until it sheds its dead skin to move to the next host. Mercy and Drefan, along with a remarkable being named Swap, take up with Jarn and Duncan's cause, helping them complete their mission in return for their help to rid the planet of the Sovant and Davidov's unnecessary quarentine.

'Omega Games' is the eighth book in the StarDoc series. I can never wait until the release of the next book, then tear through the book so fast I'm left breathless and again waiting for the next release. S.L. Viehl has created the perfect sci-fi series (especially for women), combining Science fiction, medical mystery, superbly imagined aliens, unique planet environments, snappy dialogue, descriptive prose, high action, romance, and comedy, turning it all into a fantastically entertaining reading adventure. She still has a tendency to use slaves a lot in relation to Jarn and brutal game arenas in relation to Duncan, but in 'Omega Games' she has lightened up on this repetitive trend. In 'Rebel Ice', the sixth book, Cherijo was in a fatal accident and regenerated as Jarn of Akkabarr. I was very disappointed in that book because I liked Cherijo much better than the reincarnated Jarn. I still do. In 'Plague Of Memory', Viehl began combining the two personalities and in 'Omega Games' she continues to do so, much to my satisfaction bringing more and more of the original Cherijo back into Jarn's memory and personality.

'Omega Games' introduces a new society of aliens and Terrans living in a tightly-woven colony, like Jarn and Duncan arriving in a small town, and is a unique addition to the series. You'll greet old friends and meet new ones. I can't say enough about StarDoc and Viehl's distinctive contribution to the world of Space Opera novels. I highly recommend this book, as well as the prior seven novels of the series. Enjoy!!

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