Ganwold's Child

In her first novel, which begins a series set among the Unified Worlds, Thornley melds diplomatic intrigue, anthropological speculation and military derring-do into an effective yarn. Pursued by political enemies and alien slavers, a mother and her son, Tristan, escape to the planet Ganwold, where the boy is raised among the humanoid natives. Later, when Tristan, now a young man, seeks help for his ailing mother, his quest leads him into the complexities of interplanetary politics and to the realization of his paternal heritage as a soldier and pilot. Thornley's elaborate plot is bolstered by vivid descriptions of unusually compelling characters--though a few succumb to generic stereotypes. And while the military episodes often prove exciting, it is with the quieter, more textured presentation of Ganwold culture that Thornley excels. She presents a richly imagined world that is truly alien while at the same time still understandable. ((May)