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A New Clan
by
David Weber, Jane Lindskold
fantasy, science fiction in a Kindle edition that was published by Baen Books on June 7, 2022 and has 420 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Mission of Honor, Insurrection, Worlds of Honor, Empire from the Ashes, Changer of Worlds, Torch of Freedom, Hell’s Gate, Hell Hath No Fury, In Fire Forged, In Fury Born, Off Armageddon Reef, By Schism Rent Asunder, Mission of Honor, By Heresies Distressed, A Rising Thunder, A Mighty Fortress, How Firm a Foundation, Fire Season, Midst Toil and Tribulation, Shadow of Freedom, House of Steel, Worlds of Weber: Ms. Midshipwoman Harrington and Other Stories, Beginnings, Like a Mighty Army, Cauldron of Ghosts, Treecat Wars, A Call to Duty, Hell's Foundations Quiver, At the Sign of Triumph, A Call to Vengeance, Uncompromising Honor, Through Fiery Trials, The Shadow of Saganami, A Call to Arms
Fourth in the Stephanie Harrington (a.k.a. Star Kingdom) science fiction fantasy subseries for Young Adult readers and fourth within the Honorverse and revolving around the first Sphinxian to bond with a treecat. The focus is on Cordelia and Heart Stone. If you’re interested, there is a chronological listing of the Honorverse books on my website.
My Take
I gotta say this is rather confusing with all the names — including those that the disabled Stone Shaper / Stone / Heart Stone comes up with.
Weber/Lindskold use third person global subjective point-of-view from a number of perspectives, starting with Stone Shaper, Danette, Mark and Zack, Cordelia, Stephanie, and more.
That said, these kids are strong and responsible, demonstrating their character arc over the series, even as Weber/Lindskold explore the growing up they still have to do. The human population is sparse and spread out with homesteads far between, relying heavily on the Internet for classes and socialization. Young adults will be quite jealous of their being able to get their driving license so early!
It is fascinating how descriptive Weber/Lindskold are of this world. Including the treecat perspective provides a balance with the human perspective. They bring home Sphinx’s alienness in a number of ways through Marjorie Harrington’s plant adjustments, the changes necessary for off-world animals to survive, creating tasteful recipes of native plants. The need for counter-grav to counter the extra gravity of the planet. The romantic collisions and ‘cat interpretations.
The contrast between people’s high tech and the frontier conditions of Sphinx would totally bewilder our world’s pioneers. Skateboarders will probably be fascinated by Jake’s descriptions of the various levels of track.
Sphinx is a dangerous planet, and its inhabitants all know they need to be careful, so there is plenty of action, from predators of both the animal and human variety. Consider Stephanie’s explaining to her fellow bonded humans the Extreme Violence: the official Stephanie Harrington Treecat Recruitment Method. Mm-hmm, the characters are fascinating, on both sides.
Protecting the ‘cats. Investigating the “stupidness” pattern Nosey uncovers.
The conflict humans and ‘cats experience in trying to understand how each other communicates. The treecats noting the various mind glows of humans. The insight we get into what law enforcement can and can’t do. There’s a bit of background on journalism from Nosey. Family dynamics.
It’s a conflict of “pets” and people. Are treecats intelligent enough to be considered the owners of Sphinx or are they merely smart animals. Can anyone adopt a treecat for a pet or should it be restricted. It’s a conundrum made worse by Stephanie and her adherents refusing to let on how intelligent the tree cats are.
Those picnics the Harringtons throw sound amazing.
Oh, man. I sure wish our scientists could find such amazing fungi that could eat garbage!
I do wish Weber/Lindskold had been more obvious about how long ago Stone Shaper had left Bright Water.
Stephanie has come a long way since Treecat Wars, 3.
Now I need to continue on into the rest of the Honorverse. I need to know when humans and treecats were finally able to speak mind-to-mind.
The Story
Freshly home from a forestry training course on Manticore, teenaged Stephanie Harrington is up to her eyebrows in trouble.
There’s the new treecat adoptee who needs to be kept from becoming a risk to the carefully guarded secret of just how smart the arboreal inhabitants of Sphinx really are.
There’s the overeager journalist whose campaign to protect the treecats from exploitation as the newest, coolest pet on any planet could threaten the very creatures he seeks to defend.
And there’s the mysterious rash of weird accidents that are plaguing Sphinx’s younger inhabitants—including some of those nearest and dearest to Stephanie.
In trying to get enough proof to get the understaffed authorities of her pioneer planet to act, Stephanie is eager to plunge into undercover work, including the wilds of the late-night club scene, a realm where her faithful treecat guardian, Lionheart, cannot follow . . .
The Characters
The Treecats, the People
Treecats are a sentient species found only on the planet Sphinx. They are similar in appearance to housecats, but are longer, have six legs, and communicate empathically. The babies are called kittens and each clan of treecats is ruled by a memory singer, one who holds all the knowledge of the past.
The Bright Water Clan
Climbs Quickly had been a scout until he bonded with Stephanie. Sings Truly, Climbs Quickly’s littermate, is a strong Memory singer. The sour Stone Biter, Clay Spinner, and Frolics Merrily are some of Stone Shaper’s children. Song Spinner, a Memory singer, had been of Stone’s generation. Fleet Wind is one of the head scouts.
Stone Shaper, a toolmaker, desperately wanted to die when his mate, Golden Eye, was dying of the gray death. Now, he’s Stone, incapable of feeling life. Then he becomes Heart Stone.
The Trees Enfolding Clan had pushed in the Treecat Wars.
The almost-sixteen Stephanie Harrington “Death Fang’s Bane” (“Fierce Fighter“), a probationary ranger, is a two-legs, who firmly believes in the intelligence of treecats — she’s part of the Great Treecat Conspiracy. Lionheart, a.k.a. Climbs Quickly, of the Bright Water Clan, has bonded with Stephanie. Dr Richard Harrington “Healer” is a veterinarian and Stephanie’s father. Her mother is Dr Marjorie “Plant Minder”, a plant biologist, geneticist, and artist.
Jessica Pheriss “Windswept” (“Feels Strongly“) is one of a number of children in the Pheriss family and has bonded with Valiant “Dirt Grubber of the Damp Water Clan” (“Plant Fancier“). She’s currently “interning” at the SRW Hospital — she wants to be a doctor. Her mother, Naomi, is fascinated by plants and does some work with Marjorie Harrington. Her dad, Buddy, is footloose. Jessica’s siblings include Nathan.
Ranger Karl Zivonik “Shining Sunlight” (“Determined Defender“) has bonded with Survivor “Keen Eyes” (“Sharp Sight“) formerly of the Swaying Fronds Clan, for they are both survivors (Treecat Wars). Karl’s siblings include Anastasia “Staysa”, Nadia “Dia”, and Lev is their youngest brother. Sumiko had been the girl who had intended to marry Karl.
Anders Whittaker “Bleached Fur” had been dating Stephanie, but is now interested in Jessica. He normally lives on Urako where his mother is a politician. His father, Dr Brad Whittaker, is the head of a xeno-anthropolgy research mission.
The Barony of Schardt-Cordova
Lady Danette Schardt-Cordova is the baroness with an extended family. She has three daughters: Dana; the youngest, Natalie (“Air Dancer“); and, the shy Cordelia “Awakening Joy” and “Cordy” (Stone’s name for her is “Life Shaper“). She has bonded with Athos “Heart Stone”. The mischievous Mack (“Mends Things“) is the family tinkerer and the artistic Zack Kemper (“Colorful Splotches“) are brothers, who were taken in by Danette when their parents were taken by the Plague. Barnaby “Needle Biter” is their Meyerdahl Rottweiler. Second Nest is what Shaper calls the Kempers’ house. Brad Abrazo is Mack’s boyfriend and installs security systems. The boys’ parents Bart Kemper had been one of the first-generation Sphinxians and had died in the Plague along with his wife.
Twin Forks is . . .
. . . the town closest to the Harringtons and where Stephanie’s dad has a vet clinic. Sapristos is the mayor. The Red Letter Café is owned by Eric Flint and is one of the few restaurants that allow treecats. Toby Mednick is one of the kids’ friends and is still with the hang-glider club as captain of the Blue Flight and one of their ace flyers. Chet and Christine are still dating and are friends from the hang gliding club. Frank Câmara (“Stench“) works for his dad at his company, Câmara’s Comestibles and Produce. He’s been friends with Stan for years. Rodrigo Gállego is a friend of Frank’s.
Balloon “Loon” Villaroy is dating Dia. The Franchittis are first-gen settlers; Jordan is the jerk of a family patriarch. Trudy, his daughter, shows growth! She’s still dating Stan Chang, a doper. Dr Thomas Flambeau is with the hospital. Wild and Free is a new organization that rehabilitates injured animals.
José “Nosey” Jones is a courier and journalist with a column in the Sphinxian Oracle, who really rubs Stephanie the wrong way. Paschel Trendane is from a family of new settlers; Maisha is Paschel’s mother. Jake Simpson is an incredible young athlete. His eight-year-old brother, Vernon, is trying out a cookie recipe. Eldora Yazzie is a dancer. Oliffe is Eldora’s mother. Her father, Pirney, is a bio-mechanical engineer.
The Thunder Region
Dr Scott MacDallan “Darkness Foe” is a human doctor and married to Irina Kisaevna, a potter and Karl’s aunt. Scott has bonded with Fisher “Swift Striker”.
Yawata Crossing is . . .
. . . the capital of Sphinx and is the main headquarters for the Sphinxian Forestry Service (SFS) with Chief Ranger Shelton who really knows Stephanie — and approves. Carla Jensen is the duty dispatcher. Frank Lethbridge and Ainsley Jedrusinski are Senior Rangers and friends with Stephanie and Karl. Olivera Chuchkova is the police chief. Yawata Bay Baskets is a seafood restaurant. Lighter Than Here is one of the possible nightclubs. Enigmatic Riddle is a nightclub attached to a hotel. Xadrian is a hierophant at the Riddle. “Stevie Bitts” is a tourist from Manticore.
Dr. Sonura Hobbard, the “official head of the official Crown inquiry into treecat intelligence” for Manticore, is a xeno-anthropolist who is on Stephanie and company’s side. Dr Glynis Bonaventure has money and can afford to import domes for her research into fungi. Renting from the Kemper boys, she establishes the Glynis Bonaventure Mycological Research and Analysis Center (GBMRAC or MRAC) (Rich Dirt Grove). Herman Maye (“Musty“) is Glynis’ gullible assistant. His laboratory is nicknamed Mr Ack’s.
Dr Lyric Orgeson (“Little“) leads a private R&D group with her own thugs Underwood, Willinski (“Kicker“), and Quesk.
The Star Kingdom is still young and consists of Manticore, Sphinx, and Grayson. Manticore is the seat of government with easier temperatures. Dr Mordecai Flouret, the head of the Forensics Department at Landing University, was one of Stephanie’s and Karl’s teachers on Manticore. Sphinx has sixteen-month-seasons with really heavy snowfall in the winter. The T-year is to acknowledge the timing of a “normal” year. The gray death is almost always fatal amongst treecats. The Amphors were the native species on Barstool and their extinction is a standard example of how humans put their own interests forward. Genies are humans genetically modified to survive the planet they’re colonizing. Baka bakari is a new drug.
Each treecat has two names: the one by which s/he is known among the People (the treecats) and the human name given by his/her partner. The treecats also give humans a treecat name. In the parentheses are the names that Stone gives.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a black faded border all around the cover, framing a collage of scenarios with Stone, in the forefront yet lurking behind a rock formation, looking on at a couple of air cars, one parked in a field with Karl and Stephanie walking forward and one hovering. There are a couple of winged beasties flying in the sky, backed by a luminous planet. At the very top are the author’s names in orange with a black outline. The title is at the bottom in a gradient of orange to yellow to orange with a black outline. Just above the title to the left is the series information in a black-backed white. Crossing Stone’s lower haunch a testimonial in white with a black outline.
The title refers to the bonded treecats, for they’re A New Clan.
