[net.books] review, Steve Perry's Matadora

ctj@msudoc.UUCP (Chris T. Johnson {msucl Systems}) (02/12/86)

================ Food for the Line Eater ==================

"Matadora" by Steve Perry
Score: Begining: 7, Middle: 6, End: 8, Overall: 7

Blurb:On some worlds, the name of Khadaji is a prayer for resistance
fighters...
     Khadaji, master warrior, martyr, legend.  The one-man resistance to the
Confed on Greaves.  Known as "The Man Who Never Missed," he only let
himself be taken when he'd done what set out to do.  With his death,
Khadaji became the inspiration and idol of students of martial arts
everywhere.
     Matador villa, the training center for the best fighters in the
galaxy, disciples of the great Khadaji.  A rigorous program of political
tactics and psychological warfare, physical discipline and martial force.
A mysterious school on the planet Renault ... Its ultimate motives
unknown.
     Dirisha Zuri, a dangerous drifter, a dark-skinned beauty, Khadaji's
colleague.  A ronin, whose expertise in body control and knowledge of
the fighting arts drew the attention of Matador Villa.  The school
wanted her talents ... and the galaxy desperately needed her deadly
skills.

Opinion:READ "The Man Who Never Missed" FIRST.  As a sequal, "Matadora"
is well written with the flow being well defined from the start.  No
great surprises in plot but some nice twists.  Though the book is
complete as written, it is very much an introduction (bridge) into the
next book, as yet unwritten.

I enjoyed the book but then again I like most "future-combat" books.
The training, combat, and peaple interactions move very fast and are fun
to read.  Some of the "whys" and "wherefores" which are presented as
"history" moves very slowly.  

All in all, a fun book that leads cleanly from "The Man Who Never
Missed" to the rest of the story.

/eom ctj			..!ihnp4!msudoc!ctj (Chris Johnson)
"Hey man, want to take a cool trip?"  "Sure!" "Read a book"