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Book Review By Debbie
Crystal Dreams by Astrid Cooper

Connal MacArren is one of the first of his world to leave the planet and travel through space. He would never have ventured out at all if it weren't for his dratted kinsman, Garris, who left without telling anyone goodbye. All he left was a cryptic note saying that he was going to see the Dreamweaver Liandra Tavor. Liandra is an Asarian, one of a small race who can walk the dreamscape and find answers for people in dreams. She is sure that this Garris never made it to see her, though it is true that he may have been traveling to see her, but she cannot persuade Connal that she knows nothing of Garris' whereabouts. Connal quickly tires of Liandra's game of pretending not to know anything and kidnaps her to return to his home planet of Caledonia. If Liandra will not tell Connal where Garris is, perhaps a little imprisonment might change her mind...

Liandra is determined to hate Caledonia. They are so primitive there. They eat animals and plants, pick flowers, do their own cleaning and seem to not use machines hardly at all! How have they escaped the notice of the League for so long? Even though she gradually comes to care for Caledonia and its people, she is determined to escape for there is something terribly wrong in the dreamscape. Whenever she tries to search for Garris in her dreams, she feels an alien presence that is trapping other Asarians so they can never leave. She fears for her people and wants desperately to contact her father with this information, but Connal does not want anyone else to of Caledonia's existence. However, he finds himself softening as he spends more time with Liandra. Maybe aliens are not as bad as he has always thought? Still, he is positive that Liandra is nothing but a glorified prostitute who is willing to have anyone into her mind and into her bed. With Connal determined to think the worst of Liandra and Liandra trying to escape to free her people at every opportunity, will these two ever get around to admitting their feelings for one another?

This book was interesting because it is basically a historical romance set in space. Connal MacArran is a typical clan chieftain of Scotland with Liandra an outsider who finds herself falling in love with a new way of life. I love Highland romances and so was excited to read this book and I was not disappointed. The author deftly blends the traditional Highland setting with the idea of aliens and mind powers. If you enjoy either Highland or Futuristic romance, give this book a shot - I think that you will like it!



Plot & Themes
Tone of book - very upbeat
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Romance Yes
Romance plotlets: - falling in love with captor
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 20 %
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30 %
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20 %
Human/magical couple? Yes
Type of couple: - Both human, she has magical powers

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status:
Age: - 20's-30's
If magical mental powers: - mind reading - clairvoyant - can see into the future - can read emotions - healing
Really unusual traits?

Main Adversary
Identity: - an entire race
Age: - long-lived adults
Profession/status:
Has magical powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist: - mind reading - mind control - can cast all sorts of spells
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters

Setting
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body: - humans in a futuristic society - unfriendly aliens - primitive aliens
Planet outside solar system? Yes

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
scientific jargon? (SF only) - a moderate amount of scientific explanation
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - descript of kissing - descript of touching personal anatomy - actual description of sex
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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