Shanji

ISBN: 0-671-57789-1 Order from: Amazon.com

This sword-and-spaceship science fiction boasts unusual ethnic roots, but despite several combat scenes, the relatively straightforward plot lacks suspense and technical plausibility.

Reviewed by David on January 10, 1999

Genre: Science Fiction (ESP, Swordfighting)

Synopsis: The planet Shanji has been founded two millenia ago by a splinter of traditionalist Hansui. Ruled by a powerful Emperor, the bulk of the population labors to maintain the court and the aristocracy while shunning most of the space-age technology that brought their ancestors to the planet. An even more anachronistic society, the persecuted horse nomads of Tumatsin, dream of a legendary immortal empress who will return triumphantly and overthrow the Hansui and their Emperor.

The young Tumatsin girl Kati is torn from her simple but happy childhood when a tragedy strikes her village. Born with the rare genetic gifts of both of the peoples of Shanji, Kati grows up to carry a heavy burden of duty, not just to her people, but to her planet.

Full Review: The language and names, and partly the cultures of the Hansui and the Tumatsin are based on the Chinese and the Mongols, respectively. This lends a relatively fresh feel to the world: the Mongol culture has rarely been explored in modern science fiction or fantasy. The novel follows Kati from her conception to a position of leadership at twenty. There is significant amount of prophecy and foreshadowing, and the girl's destiny is largely evident early in the book, which doesn't allow much suspense in the plot. Most characters are surprisingly straightforward. While enmity is not uncommon, most people seem open about their motives. There are no hidden vendettas and few plots in the Imperial court. The love affairs, political struggles and even military alliances are treated very much matter of fact. Even Kati's unusual gifts and shapeshifting abilities are respected rather than prosecuted. This common sense on nearly everyone's part is refreshing (in contrast to the many soap-opera fantasies popular today), but again, allows for few uncertainties in the plot.

The gaps in technology are extremely wide: horses and swords, as well as lasers and interstellar flight. This incongruity is quite explicitly part of the plot, but the cultural explanation seems rather thin for such drastic contrasts. A significant role is played by the paranormal talents of the two genetically-enhanced races on Shanji, especially the gifted Kati. The resultant abilities are rather vaguely justified, but are well-integrated into the plot.

All in all, Shanji is a mildly pleasant book, remarkable for the ethnic background of its world, but little else.

Overall: 5.5; Plot: 4.5; Characters: 5.5; Style: 4.5; World-building: 6; Originality: 6;

ISBN: 0-671-57789-1 Order from: Amazon.com