Synopsis
A telepathic horse, a woman who remembers only the future, and two would-be lovers run from the evil Emperor Ddwng and, during their travels, encounter interesting characters facing deep human issues
Reviews
In the world created by the veteran SF author for his Mode series, of which this is the second volume, five people are needed as anchor points to define a stable skew path across parallel universes. When Colone, Darius, Sequiro and Provos are cast adrift by the loss of their fifth, Nona hears their calls and becomes their new anchor, bringing them into her universe. Now they must help Nona fulfill the prophecy that says she will overthrow her world's rulers--"despots"--by switching control of the magic (which is the basis of their power) from men-only to women-only. If they fail, the despots will block their exit point. Anthony displays his usual fondness for mathematical games (in this case the fractal Mandelbrot set) and utter abhorrence of anyone who hurts a child, weaving these concerns into the narrative without detracting from the plot's excitement, the continuing development of the original four characters, and the introduction of Nona and her intriguing universe. Only the villains fail to come to life in an otherwise well-written tale.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Anthony's latest series (beginning with Virtual Mode, 1990) started life as a fantasy involving parental neglect and child abuse, but here it meanders off into standard reality-hopping adventure. Our heroes--abused 14-year-old Colene from Earth; Darius of the sympathetic magic; Seqiro the telepathic horse; and Provos, who remembers only the future--fall across the ``modes'' (realities) to magic-world Oria, where the highly magical Nona, the ninth child of a ninth child, hopes to overthrow the ``despots'' by transforming their male ``animus'' magic into female ``anima'' magic. To achieve this, Nona must journey to Earth (where Colene will save a friend from special abuse and torture) to learn about fractals--Oria, you see, is part of a fractal universe, and Nona must be able to orient herself in order to effectively wield her magic. Not too much more than a fantasy Time Tunnel--our heroes fall away into a new adventure at the end of each episode--displaying the usual Anthony rewards and drawbacks. -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
As Colene, the teenage heroine of Virtual Mode ( LJ 2/15/91), and her traveling companions continue their trek across the dimensions of reality, they encounter a fractal world where a young woman struggles to change her oppressive society. This second in Anthony's "Mode" books serves as a painless introduction to one of science's most intriguing concepts as well as a story of adventure and romance. The author's protagonists are as ingenuous as ever, infusing his story with an innocence that wavers between charming and cloying. His enthusiasm for new ideas, however, is infectious, and his imagination shows no signs of wear. Expected patron demand warrants purchase by most libraries.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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