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Book Review By Harriet Klausner
The Shadow Runners by Liz Maverick



Love Spell, Jun 2004, 6.99
ISBN: 0505525895

In 2176, the Empire arrests Jenny Red's dad on the charge of treason and murder. His family, including Jenny, is kicked into the servant's quarters of the royal palace. Jenny makes do as best she can before being unceremoniously dumped in the penal colony in Newgate, Australia.

She finds her new home city rather different from her previous abode. The Parliament runs Newgate as a personal playground to do whatever hedonistic pleasures they chose regardless of the impact on the people. Drug use is rampant among the elite.

Shadow Runner D'ekker Han Valoreen, half-brother to Prince Kuber, hopes to change the decadent order so that the masses can improve their lot. He needs help to bring a communication tower inside Newgate so he asks Jenny, whose father allegedly destroyed his sire, the emperor. She wants to refuse, but cannot. As they work together, the duo falls in love, but between the danger of their actions and that she is the daughter of a traitor, a long-term relationship between them is doubtful.


Plot & Themes
Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Romance Yes
Romance plotlets: - two lovers coping with tough mission
Repressive society story Yes
Repressive because:
Descript. of chases or violence - 10 %
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40 %
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10 %
Who's a slave/repressed? - humans are slaves of other humans

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status:
Age: - 20's-30's

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 20's-30's
Profession/status:
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 - Smarter than most other characters

Setting
Earth setting: - near future (later in 21st century)
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death
scientific jargon? (SF only) - none/very little science jargon needed
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript
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