Interesting sci fi book.. plagues, conspiracies.. secret organizations.. Loved it.. Offered on Book Relay

From B&N's site:Two species lived in peaceful coexistence on the planet Demoth until a deadly plague wiped out millions of the winged Ooloms while leaving humans untouched. Faye Smallwood saw the horror firsthand, caring for the plague victims in her father's hospital. She was there when he discovered the cure that made him famous. She was also there when a freak accident killed him.

Desperate to escape her past, Faye joins the Vigil, a band of fiercly independent monitors charged with rooting out government corruption. To help in this struggle, her mind is linked to the powerful datasphere that regulates the planet. While on her first Vigil assignment, however, Faye discovers she is the target of unknown assassins in a sinister conspiracy.

For humans and Ooloms were not the first species to inhabit Demoth. Somewhere in the ruins of long-abandoned stettlements, something was left behind: an alien technology of unimaginable potential to build -- or destroy. Enemy agents will stop at nothing to find it. Some of Faye's own people will kill to uncover its secret. With no one else to trust, she turns to the one person who can help unravel the mystery: Festina Ramos -- Explorer, outcast, ever-vigilant champion of those whom society deems expendable.

Released on Wednesday, February 25, 2004 at Mailed to a fellow Bookcrosser in n/a, n/a Controlled Releases.

relayed to Ealisaid.

Enjoy it!

Received in the mail today. I plan to start reading this right away. Thanks so much Kaija!

James Alan Gardner is one of the few male authors I've read who does an OK job when it comes to telling a story from a woman's point-of-view. I loved his first novel "Expendable", and was pleased to see the protagonist, Festina Ramos, show up in "Vigilant". Festina is more of a supporting character here; the first-person narrative is told by Faye Smallwood, a 40-something woman living on the planet Demoth in the 25th century. Faye becomes a member of "The Vigil", a watchdog organization that ferrets out government corruption, and the story takes off when Faye becomes a target of assassins who are killing off members of The Vigil.

I had a few minor problems with "Vigilant". Faye's first person narrative annoyed me in a few places. I found it odd that a 40ish-year-old woman living in the 25th century kept using 20th century slang, like "dipshit" and "bitch-slap". In several places, I felt the story was underdeveloped, particularly when it came to Faye's relationships with her family. It was interesting that Gardner didn't take the easy way out here and have Faye's "group marriage/commune" life-style fade away as she got older, but Faye's spouses were barely mentioned and when they were, I could never remember which one was which. I would have liked to have gotten to know them better.

I also would have liked more background on the how the human/alien Oolom relationship developed on Demoth. The Oolom settled on Demoth first and far outnumbered humans, and yet the Oolom had adapted many human mannerisms instead of the other way around.

Overall though, "Vigilant" was a fun read and quite a page-turner. I enjoyed it.

Note: Hardcover edition

Sending this off to Kitten 22 for the M-bag to Iran, and from there on to BXer Airyaa.

Released on Thursday, July 29, 2004 at Kitten22's M-Bag to Iran 3 in Postal release, Postal Release Controlled Releases.

Placing in M-Bag to Iran for airyaa.

Got it today.
Thanks Ealisaid. :)
Thanks Kitten22. :)

On the way to terminal A. Sitting in a phone booth.