To Journey in the Year of the Tiger

Occasional SF elements seem out of place, almost intrusive, in this otherwise solid fantasy quest. Five thousand years after an apocalyptic war, genetically altered, anthropomorphic large felines dominate a medieval-esque civilization in Asia, with Seers advising the Empress based on their visions. Something is killing the Seers and leaving no trace; their faces and bodies are twisted in terror. To protect the last Seer, Sireth benAramis, and to find the mysterious murderer, the Empress summons a disparate group that includes Kirin, the meditative captain of her personal guard; hot-tempered warrior Ursa; and naive young scholar Fallon. Their quest will take them beyond the known world, into distant lands where they cross paths with almost-mythical beings called humans. The fantasy tale takes diverse and colorful characters across a wild landscape that’s all at once familiar, rich, and unsettling, so it’s peculiar to see personal names and terms like computer thrown around as if nothing has changed in millennia. Fantasy adventure fans will enjoy this while hoping that the SF elements will be better integrated in future volumes. [em]Agent: Jennifer Udden, Donald Maass Literary Agency. (BookLife) [/em]