Double Solitaire

I am a long-time, HARDCORE fan of this old-but-still-good series. I've loved them since a friend first introduced the series to me waaaaay back in 1988 (OMG...was that really 17 years ago?!). I was absolutely thrilled to learn that the series was being reissued, so a whole new generation of readers could enjoy it. And now I don't have to risk loaning out my own treasured out of print editions! I hate to be a party pooper, but this book is actually my favorite of the entire old and new series. Part of the reason I loved this one so much is because it focuses almost entirely on my favorite character, Dr. Tachyon. And I really enjoyed the fact that it's a novel written by a single author (Melinda Snodgrass), rather than the usual anthology format of the rest of the series. For me, it was really refreshing to be able to follow a single storyline for an extended time, rather than a short story. One of my (very tiny) complaints about the series was usually that my attention span was longer than the stories; they usually ended right when I was getting really into them! I was always eager to spend more time developing and expanding a single character or plotline, so this was a nice break. Yes, some of the more violent scenes (like Tachyon's unwilling body swap and subsequent rape at the hands of his jumper grandson, Blaise) I could have done without, but honestly, they were no more violent or graphic than other Wild Cards stories in the series. The whole Mark-Meadows-in-Vietnam thing from Wild Cards XII was worse, if you ask me. Anyway, as one of only two single-author volumes in the series (the other is Wild Cards XII: Turn of the Cards, by Victor Milan), it's a nice change of pace. I highly recommend it, and all of the others in this still-engaging series.

I was almost scared off from reading this by other reviews. However, I did read it and enjoyed it. Finally, we see Takisian society and that other great space-faring society of which Jubal is a member. The character depictions were heartfelt and sincere. Dr. T is treated well this outing compared with the higher-rated previous novel. Everything wraps up nicely and we actually have a happy ending for one of my favorite characters-- Popinjay. This was a nice break from the bleak and depressing storyline that is developing back on Earth. I recommend this book.

I think this book was one of the Best in the series. For once we get to actually see some of the characters work together and go through a whole book together.The Book holds to much information to understand the rest of the series to skip and is very good>>