Book Review
Copyright (c) 1995, Tommy Van Hook
All rights reserved



The Rose Sea by S.M. Stirling and Holly Lisle
Copyright 1994, Baen Books
ISBN 0-671-87620-1
1st Printing, September 1994
Pages:  412


While I have never heard of S.M. Stirling before, Holly Lisle is
a well-known writer to me.  With her introduction to readers
through the infamous Mercedes Lackey, Miss Lisle has lived up to
all expectations.  Her previous three novels, along with a
combined effort with Miss Lackey, have shown a steady progress of
in-depth character creation.  "The Rose Sea" is no exception to
this rule.

Stirling and Lisle bring us to a world that is ruled in two
halves.  The northern half is controlled by a race of peoples
known as Tykissians.  They resemble Roman legionnaires within the
Army, while the common citizens are not much different than most
Americans.  The southern half is controlled by the Tseldenes, who
are ruled by a centuries-old wizard named Darkist.  This society
seems to be modeled after a tyrannical theocracy.  The two halves
are at war with one another, both vying for control of the known
world.  Our main characters enter into the story within the
Tykissian realm.  They are "pressed" into the service of the
army, where they learn to get along with one another, and how to
be a soldier.  After their training is semi-completed, they are
sent south across the sea to help invade the Tseldene empire. 
And thus the adventure begins.

The characters are given identities that are set in stone from
the first word on the page.  However, they are allowed to grow
and change as most individuals do throughout their lives.  In
this manner, the reader develops a very strong bond to the
characters as the story continues.  The story's twists and turns
are handled magnificently, while some really strong political
intrigue is thrown in for a very ironic twist.  The shipwreck
scenes are written in a very realistic manner, as is the
"pressing" of the characters into the military and the training
that they receive.  In short, the story-telling for this novel is
nothing short of magnificent.

If you have been reading most of my book reviews, you already
know that I don't like to give away plots or endings to the
novels I review.  This is because I want you the reader to judge
the quality of it for yourself.  After all, this is only my
opinion.  This review will be no different.  But the ending to
"The Rose Sea" is so stirring and emotional, if you don't feel
the pull at your heart-strings, you are already dead.

Grade:  A+

