Stratification #1 Reap The Wild Wind [Mass Market Paperback]

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
on 09/05/2007

Cersi is a world divided by three sentient species. The Om'ray, a people almost indistinguishable from humans, are the most restricted. They must keep to their clans or face death, the only exception being Om'ray males who are called on Passage to distant females.

Among the Om'ray, the Yena is a forest clan whose people live far above the ground. Aryl Sarc is a young woman, not yet mature, but not quite a child. She is young, enthusiastic, and tends to act before thinking, especially where her considerable Talents are concerned. When tragedy strikes in the form of an incomprehensible device that flies with no discernable wings or motor, Aryl starts down a path that will change her life in unimaginable ways.

Cersi's other two species, the Tikitik and Oud, suddenly play larger roles in Aryl's life than she has ever known, and when she meets strangers who claim to be from another world, all her beliefs and knowledge will come into question. As an Om'ray, questioning the way things are can be deadly.

REAP THE WILD WIND is a prequel to Czerneda's "Trade Pact Universe." While I have not had the pleasure of reading the trilogy, I had no trouble following the action in this compelling science fiction adventure. In fact, RTWW was thoroughly enjoyable. Drama, action, all ranges of emotion, and the story itself will touch sci-fi fans, as well as many fantasy lovers.

Whether it's Ms. Czerneda's considerable background in biology, her sheer knack for storytelling, or something more ethereal, she has the ability to deliver to readers a gift of reading wonder worthy of a good night with a bowl of your favorite snack and drink. Enjoy!

Julie Czerneda is one of my favorite science fiction writers - and I have been reading scifi since the 1960s. In part this is because I am a biologist by profession and she is also trained in that specialty, but her skill at writing and in weaving a riveting tale is certainly a major factor. In the start of her new series, "Reap the Wild Wind" ("Stratification #1"), she has not disappointed me.

Her setting is one of the humanoid Om'ray clan colonies on the planet Cersi,- colonies which are barely tolerated by the "owners" of the planet, the powerful slug-like Oud and the tall, spindly, Tikitik. The young Om'ray, Aryl, of the Yena clan, surreptitiously observes the harvest of dresel, the food that her clan collects from the upper canopy at the time of the fierce wind, known as the M'hir. A mysterious spying device appears and inadvertently causes the death of most of the harvesters, as well as her older brother Costa, who has accompanied her on her illicit visit to the upper canopy (she had not been chosen to help the harvest). The only survivors are Aryl and the young Yena she hopes to join with - Bern. She had accidentally used a forbidden power that might very well end the fragile peace between the "races" on the planet and bring the lives of the entire "tolerated" Om'ray to a halt!

The tale weaves on involving a Tuana Om'ray male, Enris, and Aryl's Speaker mother Taisal di Sarc, the strangers, the fierce predators of the planet, and many other well-drawn characterizations. In the Yena, Czerneda has created a fascinating study of a humanoid clan tied to a vertical world of the tree canopy (other Om'ray are surface-dwellers) who have to make do with and adapt to the world above the water (and many predators) below. Their night time lights are the only protection between them and the swamp-emerging predatory swarm.

This is the start of another great series for hard core scifi readers. I am very much looking forward to the rest of the series! It goes almost without saying that I recommend this book highly!

Reap the Wild Wind (2007) is the first SF novel in the Stratification series. This series is a precursor to The Trade Pact Universe series. It is set on the world Cersi far in the future.

The Om'ray are the third -- and least -- sentient species on Cersi. They have mental talents such as the ability to mindspeak with other Om'ray and to sense their direction. Yet their children are being born with new and more powerful talents.

The Om'bay try to live by their Agreement with the Tikitik and the Oud -- which forbids any changes -- but the new talents directly violate this concord. They could eliminate those with such talents, but that would lead to much grief and internal strife. So most just hide these talents from the Tikitik and Oud and other Om'bay.

In this novel, Taisal di Sarc is an Adept and Speaker to the Tikitik for the Yena Clan. She also has the hidden talent of moving small objects with her mind. She is a widow, but did not become Lost as have so many others who lose their Chosen ones.

Aryl Sarc is Taisal's daughter. She has the extraordinary ability to identify individuals by their mind touch. She is also one of the best climbers in her village.

Costa sud Teerac is Aryl's older brother. He collects plants and makes them thrive. He is the Chosen of Leri Teerac.

Bern Teerac is Aryl's Heart-kin. He spends much of his time with Aryl. They wish to be each other's Chosen, but neither is quite ready.

Enris Mendolar is an unChosen of the Tuana Clan. He is a metalworker like his father. He is hiding his talent of moving heavy objects from the Oud and others within his clan.

In this story, the M'hir wind blows and the Yena harvesters are out in the canopy ready to bring in the dresel pods. Aryl expected to be selected for the Harvest this year, but she was not chosen. So Aryl has convinced Costa to climb up a rastis tree to observe the Harvest.

Reaching the canopy, they see the harvesters hooking the wings out of the air. Bern is out there among the harvesters flailing away at the dresel's wings flying before the wind. Aryl knows that she could do much better than Bern. Then the siblings see a shiny object floating toward them.

The Wastryl birds also have come to harvest the dresel pods. Seeing the floating object, the Wastryls fly toward it with outstretched claws. Thunder and lightening shatter the sky and a burst of hot air shakes the canopy. The Yena harvesters fall toward the dark waters of the Lay.

Aryl is terrified and frantic about Bern. She reaches through darkness with her mind, catches him in mid-air, and drops him on the bridge below. But the others fall into the Lay and are torn apart by the predators in the water.

Now Aryl is grief-stricken by the loss of her brother. Worse yet, the Adepts -- including her mother -- believe that Bern saved himself. They suspect a new and terrible talent. Taisal asks Aryl about her memories of the event and finally strips the memories from her mind. Then she strictly warns Aryl to never access the Dark again.

The Yena Council try to explain the reduced Harvest to the Tikitik during the next conference, but the aliens blame the Yena for the shortage. They insist on half of the pods collected during the Harvest. The Yena may well starve before the M'hir comes again.

The council decides to send all the unChosen males out to find their Chosen. Bern is one of those selected for Passage and is given a token to allow trespass on Tikitik and Oud land. Aryl is devastated.

This tale tells of the coming of the Humans and other species of the Trade Pact to Cersi. Both Aryl and Enris encounter Marcus Bowman, a Seeker of ancient sentients. He looks just like an Om'bay, but his mind is inaccessible to their mindsearch.

The Seekers have found the remains of an ancient culture. Excavation of these alien artifacts are their main concern. But their curiosity has resulted in the death of the Yena harvesters and caused frictions with the Tikitik. Aryl just wants them to leave her alone.

This volume only hints at the continuing story within the sequel: Riders of the Storm. Will Aryl learn to fly like a Wastryl? Will the Trade Pact aliens return? Will the Om'bay prove to be related to the Humans? Enjoy!

Highly recommended for Czerneda fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of xenopsychology, alien cultures, and strange mating drives.

-Arthur W. Jordin

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