Snare (Paperback)

So regime change is indicated--there are secret plans to lure a forgotten Khan heir out of exile. This means long travel over grasslands dominated by horse-riding tribes whose female shamans practise magic--a magic which, underpinned by ancient technology and bioengineering, really works. One tribe is infiltrated by a member of the Khan's dread secret police the Chosen, who have strange, shameful talents of their own. Hazards en route include the ChaMeech, feared lizard-folk who are this world's original natives, with ecological and political crises of their own. Above circle light-points in the sky known as the Riders--certain forms of magical location and communication function only after the Riders have risen and before they set. One fanatical "sorcerer" wants to get back up there again, into orbit.

Who is the voice in the shaman's crystal, calling herself Water Woman? How is it that the sorcerer is remembered by some as greyly middle-aged, seen by others as young? What's the significance of countless tribal taboos or Banes, such as the rule against disturbing the glistening "spirit pearls" found in rivers? Are the splendid legends of the human First Settlers all lies, invented for excellent reasons which may no longer apply?

Kerr's characters are believable and likeable--they clash, change and grow as layers of mystery are peeled away. All ends satisfyingly. --David Langford

Review
Praise for Katharine Kerr: 'Kerr is a master of her trade... She has created a world that might very well go on for ever, and this one reader sincerely hopes it does' Vector 'One of the top fantasists of her generation' Interzone 'An unusually scholarly writer of fantasy.' Telegraph 'Much as I dislike comparing anything to The Lord of the Rings, I have to admit that on this occasion it's justified.' Interzone

On the war-torn planet of Snare, discontent with the despotic ruling regime is rising, and two men are central players in the turmoil that ensues. Spy and would-be assassin Zayn Hassan infiltrates a nomadic, matriarchal tribe of horse traders. At first he seeks only to travel safely to his destination, but he becomes part of the Comnee people and soon subterfuge is impossible as he falls in love with the spirit leader of the tribe. Meanwhile, Captain Idres Warkannan is leading a small group of allies to Jezro Khan, the king's brother, hoping that he can persuade him to lead a rebel army. With them is the sorcerer Soutan, who seems to have other matters on his mind while guiding them on their journey. Their culture is apparently primitive, yet it has many 'magical' tools and devices, handed down from the people's ancestors. Later, we find that, as with many things, the 'magic' is based on a more prosaic technology, now lost. As the human inhabitants of the world pursue their various goals, the natural residents, the ChaMeech, are divided themselves. Hated and misunderstood by humankind, they are reaching a turning point in their history. In the end, all will join to uncover the incredible truth behind the original colonization of their world. As the story unfolds and more is revealed of the origins of the diverse population, we realize that there are striking similarities between these people and our own civilization. Katharine Kerr has created an original and believable environment and peopled it with lifelike and distinctive characters. Let's hope there is more where this came from. (Kirkus UK)

In this hefty tome, Kerr (The Shimmering Door, 1996) turns from Celtic-tinged fantasy to sweepingly far-future adventure on an alien world. The plot is built around Jezro Khan, the exiled brother of the corrupt ruler of Kazrajistan, an Islamic society. A former Kazrak cavalry officer named Warkannan and a "sorcerer" named Soutan, a native of the Cantons, where Jezro is in exile, lead an expedition to convince Jezro to overthrow the regime. At the same time, the Chosen (a fanatical Muslim sect whose members act as the ruler's secret police) have sent an assassin, Zayn, to prevent Jezro's return. To reach him, both groups must cross the grasslands, a wilderness inhabited by the alien Cha'Meech and by human nomads whose low-tech society centers on horses. Along the way, Zayn attaches himself to Ammadin, a woman who serves as Spirit Rider to a nomadic company headed into the Cantons; as a result of his experience with the nomads, he finds himself beginning to question his mission. Meanwhile, Soutan makes use of high-tech "magic" to become aware of Zayn's mission, and Jezro's followers make several attempts to kill the assassin. When Ammadin makes contact with a Cha'Meech woman who convinces her to meet her in the wilderness beyond the Cantons, representatives of all four main societies come into a conflict that's eventually resolved by a literal deus ex machina who brings about a major reorganization of the planet's complex political makeup. The various societies are interestingly contrasted, and the world-building is generally convincing if not especially original. While the plot sometimes moves slowly, Kerr keeps the reader guessing at the moral alignment of several major characters and provides a conclusion worth the convoluted path. Solid SF adventure with a reasonable quota of interesting ideas for readers to chew on. (Kirkus Reviews)

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