Drowning World

November 11, 2002
Bestseller Foster's latest Commonwealth novel (Diuturnity's Dawn, etc.) offers the kind of sure-fire entertainment that keeps his fans coming back for more. On the distant planet Fluva, torrential rains that leave it barely habitable also make it a treasure trove of rare botanical specimens. When the human prospector Shadrach Hasselemoga crashes in a remote area, the only crew available to search for him is the warrior Jemunu-jah, one of the native Sakuntala, and the immigrant Deyzara trader, Masurathoo. This exceedingly odd couple—culturally different and physically repulsive to each other—promptly crash also. While the rescuers and the rescued are all slogging it out of the ultimate rain forest, the reptilian AAn empire is fomenting bloody trouble between the Sakuntula and the Deyzara. This leaves Commonwealth administrator Lauren Matthias in the hot seat, with refugees swarming in to her limited facilities and the bodies of the innocent piling up, with few resources to help. But it's the survivors of the rain forest who bring new knowledge that helps save Fluva, along with quick work by Matthias. The human characters are notably less developed than the aliens, and the AAn Empire is something of a straw foe these days, but the author's mastery of his exotic setting cannot be denied.

October 1, 2002
This "world" is actually a rain-drenched planet at the edge of the Commonwealth that is loaded with valuable botanicalsDand ravenous plants and animals.

Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2002
The drowning world is a planet whose natives, the Sakuntala, want admission into the commonwealth. But their long-standing conflicts with generations of imported Deyzara are a stumbling block. Lauren Matthias, human governor of Fluva, is charged with maintaining balance as well as rescuing human botanist Hasselmoga, who crashed while seeking some of the oddities of the jungle of the Viisiiviisii. She dispatches a Sakuntala, Jemunu-jah, and a Deyzara pilot, Masurathoo, but their flyers have been sabotaged, and as soon as they find Hasselmoga, they crash. All three must shelve their differences and trek across the Viisiiviisii. Meanwhile, matters between the Deyzara and hard-line Sakuntala, who want complete removal of the Deyzara, come to a head. Lauren has her hands full and forgets the stranded threesome. The three reach a village and send a message including information about their extraordinary discovery in the jungle's depths, which promises an elegant solution to the overall conflict. Driven by political intrigue and wilderness adventure, this is sf of noble vintage.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)

February 15, 2003
The water-logged planet of Fluvia, home to the indigenous Sakuntala and the immigrant Deyzara, has finally achieved provisional membership in the Commonwealth-yet tensions between the two races produces constant problems for the Commonwealth's Chief Administrator, Lauren Matthias. When an eccentric human bioprospector goes missing in the planet's interior, Matthias sends a rescue team consisting of Jamunu-jah, a Sakuntala guide, and Masurathoo, a Deyzaran pilot, to bring the errant jungle explorer back to safety-provided they don't kill each other first. The latest addition to Foster's popular Commonwealth series provides another rousing sf adventure packed with action, intriguing human and alien characters, and a message of strength through diversity. A good addition for most sf collections, particularly where the series has a following.

Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.