Angel with the Sword: Merovingen Nights, Book 1
by C. J. Cherryh
(Click here)
Book Summary Information
Author: C. J. CherryhEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1987-04-07
ISBN: 0886771439
Number of pages: 304
Publisher: DAW
Book Reviews of Angel with the Sword: Merovingen Nights, Book 1
Book Review: Worth seeking out. Great SF, great world, great storytelling
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is CJ Cherryh at her best. Six hundred years ago, an alien race declared that a human colony was in *their* space and the humans needed to leave. But not all of them were willing to be evicted, and they endured the "Scouring" when the Sharrh came to finish the job. The planet itself added to the survivors' problems, with earthquakes and floods, so the cities -- particularly Merovingen, where the action takes place -- began to sink into the sea. The descendents cursed their ancestors for fools, ever since.
The story itself -- about a 17 year old "canal rat" who saves the life of a rich and gorgeous guy -- is one of her best love stories, and the action is non-stop. But it's her ability to create a believeable universe that awes me about the author. The world Cherryh created is absolutely real, and she brings it to life with its grittiness, poverty, and refusal to embrace despair. This is definitely SF, not simply a love story with space aliens on a blue screen in the background; Cherryh extrapolates the religions and economics that would result from the abandonment of the human colony.
Sometimes, an author will have a very clear picture of the world but deftly keep most of the details in her head, revealing them only as the need arises. In this case, the world-building details are clearly described, complete with appendices at the back of the book -- because Merovingen became the setting for one of the better Shared Worlds book series. (This is a whole, standalone novel, which you could read without feeling that you're committed to a lifestyle; the others in the series are short stories tied together with a Cherryh-written frame.)
I've had this book since it first came out, and I've re-read it several times. The spine is almost worn through, and my name is scribbled inside the front cover because I've loaned it out so often. It's truly a great SF novel: not in a life-changing Dune sort of way, but just a "Darnit, that's a good story!" sense. With so many Amazon sellers having inexpensive copies of this out-of-print title, it's silly *not* to get a copy.
Contemporary Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Audiobooks on Cassette
- Audiobooks on CD
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- e-Books
- Engineering
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Medicine
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Start A Series #3 (Authors whose surnames begin with "C") Pt. 2
Prom Dates from Hell (Maggie Quinn: Girl vs Evil)by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Delacorte Books for Young Readers; Published: 2008-04-22; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.65
Price in other shops:
The Priest of Blood (Vampyricon)by Douglas Clegg
Ace; Published: 2006-08-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.87
Price in other shops:
City of Bones (Mortal Instruments)by Cassandra Clare
Simon Pulse; Published: 2008-02-19; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.60
Price in other shops:
Witch Hunt: Haunted (Book 1)by Lisa Childs
Silhouette Nocturne; Published: 2006-12-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $18.00
Guardians: Eternally (Book 1) (Silhouette Nocturne)by Maureen Child
Silhouette Nocturne; Published: 2006-11-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.40
Price in other shops:
More Than Fiendsby Maureen Child
NAL Trade; Published: 2007-06-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $0.09
Price in other shops:
Angel with the Sword: Merovingen Nights, Book 1by C. J. Cherryh
DAW; Published: 1987-04-07; Paperback; Book
Price in other shops:
Foreigner: (10th Anniversary Edition) (Foreigner Universe Books)by C. J. Cherryh
DAW; Published: 2004-12-07; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.65
Price in other shops:
Fortress in the Eye of Timeby C. J. Cherryh
Eos; Published: 1996-06-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $0.43
Price in other shops:
Cyteenby C.J. Cherryh
Aspect; Published: 1995-09-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.34
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
The Deep Beyond: Cuckoo's Egg / Serpent's Reachby C. J. Cherryh
DAW; Published: 2005-08-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.55
Price in other shops:
Port Eternity (Alliance-Union Universe)by C. J. Cherryh
DAW; Published: 1987-05-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.50
Price in other shops:
Pretender (Foreigner Universe)by C. J. Cherryh
DAW; Published: 2007-02-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.86
Price in other shops:
Cyteenby C.J. Cherryh
Aspect; Published: 1995-09-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.38
Price in other shops:
The Collected Short Fiction of C.J. Cherryhby C. J. Cherryh
Published: 2004-02-03; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $6.55
Price in other shops:
Deliverer (Foreigner Universe)by C. J. Cherryh
DAW Hardcover; Published: 2007-02-06; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $4.76
Price in other shops:
Flood Tide (Merovingen Nights, No 6)by C. J. Cherryh
DAW; Published: 1990-11-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $32.47
Divine Right (Merovingen Nights, No 5)DAW; Published: 1989-10-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $21.91
Smuggler's Gold (Merovingen Nights, No 4)DAW; Published: 1988-10-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $53.98
Fever Season (Merovingen Nights, No 2)DAW; Published: 1987-10-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $34.94