Synopsis
Time traveler Ross Murdoch faces his ultimate challenge when he must change the course of a war in an alien world, or doom an entire planetary system and perhaps Earth itself.
Reviews
In a satisfying return to Norton's Time Trader world, a young man finds himself as he teaches guerrilla warfare to a feudal, nonterrestrial offshoot of humanity in order to prepare them properly for a future in which space- and time-traveling humans are battling for survival against murderous aliens. Ross Murdock, a young criminal recruited as a Time Agent for his survival skills, is sent to the Dominion of Virgin, which had abruptly turned from a populous planet to a burned cinder as a result of time-travel by the Baldies, as the aliens are known. The key development that would have saved the planet was the evolution of mental powers that were delayed because of the turmoil following a warlord's conquests 700 years previously. Murdoch, scientist Gordon Ashe and arms expert Eveleen Riordan are sent back in time to Dominion to develop a resistance movement without revealing the existence of Earth or drawing the attention of the Baldies. The authors, who collaborated on Redline the Stars and several Witch World books, have developed an attractive world and likable characters. This coming-of-age novel may be better suited for the young-adult market, however.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Norton revives her 30-year-old Time Trader series with the help of Griffin, her collaborator on Redline the Stars (1993) and various Witchworld stories. The Time Traders--who travel in time, by what amounts to magical means, but don't trade--are epitomized by brash ex-criminal Ross Murdock, whose function is to thwart the invasion of human-occupied space by the alien Baldies. Often a disaster in the present can be averted by prompt, appropriate action in the past. So Ross, with weapons expert Eveleen Riordan and archeologist-turned-medic Gordon Ashe, must travel into the past of the planet Dominion and win a war the history books say was lost, in order to prevent destruction by the Baldies in the present. The authors offer no coherent structure or rationale for dealing with time travel and its effects. The characters and plot are stereotyped (with a predictable and drippy romance thrown in); the aliens are nasty and bald. The action involves considerable galloping about on deer-back. Wretched twaddle. Far better the Time Traders had been left to molder in peace. -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Having revived Norton's Solar Queen universe with Redline the Stars , its creator and Griffin now reopen the universe of Norton's Time Traders series with even greater success. Ross Murdoch, criminal turned reluctant hero, has finished disposing of one planetary menace only to discover that the same enemy menaces another planet and has to be fought all over again, and even more is at stake this time. A fairly direct sequel to Key out of Time (1978), Firehand is so well-crafted that it stands independent of not only its predecessor but the rest of the Time Traders saga. Its classic plot can be appreciated for its own sake, both by veteran Norton readers and newcomers to well-done sf action. Roland Green
Time Agent Ross Murdock and his companions travel to the past of a distant planet to defeat an alien invasion and prevent a future disaster. Veteran collaborators Norton and Griffin cloak a medieval fantasy in sf trappings in this latest adventure in the "Time Traders" series. Smooth narration and appealing protagonists rescue an otherwise ordinary story. Large sf and YA collections may want to consider purchase.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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