Plague Of Memory [Mass Market Paperback]

After Rebel Ice, I swore I wasn't going to buy the next StarDoc novel. I hated it so much- I actually felt a little betrayed, as a loyal reader, that Viehl would ruin one of my favorite series of all time. My feelings toward Rebel Ice haven't changed, but . . . I loved Plague of Memory. In fact, I consider this the best one since Shockball.

In this latest StarDoc novel, Viehl is thankfully back to writing in the first person. There are no surprises, unlike last time, as to which character we're reading about. Cherijo, however, isn't really present in this book. She was basically reborn on Akkabarr with a new personality named Jarn that seems as opposite from Cherijo as she can possibly get. For the first fifty pages or so, I wasn't so sure if I liked the change in personality. I still had some residual anger and I was positive that Jarn was a terrible idea. Pretty quickly, I changed my mind.

In Plague of Memory, Jarn is slowly learning to adjust to a new world with vastly different customs and where she knows no one and everyone knows her. They expect her to act and react in the ways they are used to and hardly listen when she tells them- repeatedly- that Cherijo no longer exists. Meanwhile, the Jorenians receive word that a mysterious plague has stricken a Hskskt planet and that Jarn's help is required. She and her namesake, ChoVa, spent most of the book struggling to find a cure for this plague that utimately causes its victims to be extrememly violent and suicidal.

The other part of the book and, for me because I'm such a romantic, the more interesting part was Jarn's and Duncan's romance and their struggle to come to terms with their marriage. We have the opportunity to see their relationship from Duncan's point of view and we learn that their marriage may not have been as great as it seemed. Ultimately, I ended up hoping Jarn would not get Cherijo's memories back because I didn't want her to revert back to treating Duncan like she had before. In Plague of Memory, S.L. Viehl once again manages to surprise us several times, but thankfully they're all enjoyable surprises. As for the ending, I found it to be a much more satisfying conclusion without the obvious sequel cliffhanger like the last. I truly enjoyed this latest addition to the StarDoc series and I definitely recommend it.

Cherijo is back with husband Duncan and daughter Marel on the Jorenian spacecraft Sunlace, but she's not Cherijo anymore. Her name, she insists, is Jarn, born on the ice world Akkabarr. Traveling on the Sunlace, the Joren must visit the Hsktskt homeworld to cure a plague spreading amongst the barbaric reptilian species that once enslaved her.

The Hsktskt are dying, many at their own hands, as they slowly go crazy from an unknown source. It's up to Cherijo/Jarn to find the cure before time runs out. Complicating her drive to help the Hsktskt are the discriminations against their species, which Jarn doesn't remember.

I still like Viehl's writing, but I don't see any way possible for her to bring Cherijo out of the hole she's dug for one of the most interesting heroine's ever. Cherijo is gone. Viehl destroyed her in the previous StarDoc novel 'Rebel Ice', and rather than bringing her back in 'Plague Of Memories' she's tried to meld the new persona 'Jarn' with the old Cherijo. It didn't work.

In my humble opinion, the only way out of this fiasco is a "Dallas" move, making Rebel Ice and Plague Of Memories a dream and bringing back the heroine we left in book five, 'Eternity Row'. Cherijo was feisty and likable, Jarn is close-minded, combative, subservient, and ... well ... stupid. With the unexpected return of Maggie's presence, plus a plot-weak partial regeneration of both Kao Torin and SrrokVar, this novel felt like it was grasping at the straws of the past to fulfill its future.

The book did flesh out Squilyp's haughty mate, Garphawayn, making me like the female Omorr even more. And, it returned much of Cherijo/Jarn's medical investigations. But overall, there's not much to recommend here. Once again, I find myself waiting for the true return of Cherijo Grey-Veil Torin Reever, and wondering if she can ever be resurrected.

I was very disappointed in this book. Unlike many others, I gave its predecessor - Rebel Ice - a decent review. I felt the story was a good one. I considered it a set-up for major character development of Cherijo Grey Veil. I was looking forward to its sequel and the re-establishment of the original character, with all the dramatic shenanigans that would entail.

Imagine my bafflement - and my rising frustration - to realize this novel was more about establishing the new character of Jarn instead of the slow re-emergence of Cherijo.

Jarn is an obvious set up to foil Cherijo Grey Veil in every possible way. She's unemotional, rigid, simple, cold, predatorial and considers herself to be inferior to the male gender. In short, if you liked the character of Cherijo Grey Veil - which if you've stuck by the series this far, you obviously do - then everything about this character should set your teeth on edge. And it does. She has exactly zero percent of the sympathy, guts, humor,intelligence and dedication of her predecessor. And she is exactly that much fun to read about.

It was horribly disheartening, therefore, that the author is writing as if this character is here to stay. To read characters being forced to acknowledge Cherijo is no more; to call this new person "Jarn" and to regard her completely differently.

Most disturbing is the re-establishment of the relationship with Duncan Reever. The man has always been portrayed as psychologically damaged, part of which manifests as an unhealty attachament to his wife. Now Duncan Reever declares himself loved and in love, at last and fully, with Jarn - no longer Cherijo. And Jarn declares herself full willing to discard other commitments and devote herself to him.

The entire dynamic is what I can only desribe as anti-feminist. The reader can only infer that Duncan Reever was all along more "in love" with controlling his wife than anything else. Given a new mate eager to supplant her desires to his, he is finally content, his "needs" fulfilled now that someone gives him the "attention" he thinks he should have gotten all along.

It's a truly horrifying twist to what was formerly a strong female character. To see this character supplant the old, and for Duncan Reever to fall in love with her is just a slap in the face.

I will also say that I am noticing a common theme in all this author's novels: a very strong romantic component, which has the lead male being controlling and obsessive and the lead female becoming subservient. If you read, for instance, Blade Dancer and BioRescue, it is essentially the same characters under different circumstances. They have all the hallmarks of bad romance novels. It seems S.L. Viehl is turning into the Linda Howard of sci-fi.

Whatever plot was left over in the wake of this, I barely registered. It was very soap-operatic; the clone of an old lover, the reunion with old enemies and the threat of a plaque.

The plot is certainly not what drove this series. It was the characters. So with the old character apparently on the outs and this new distressing doppelganger taking her place, I can't see myself maintaing much more interest.

I will concede, however, among my overwhelming disappointment, there was a bright spot. With the use of a predicatable plot device, some memories of Cherijo Grey Veil did surface, along with some tiny bits of old habits.

So perhaps there is hope.

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