The Green and the Gray

(Amy) This was a remainder-pile find, and almost certainly something I wouldn't have bought if I hadn't seen it on the B&N bargain table when I was using up a gift certificate (for one thing, I almost never go to bookstores at all; for another, when I do, it's usually Borders, for the Rewards). I'd never read any non-Star-Wars Zahn, and rarely even have seen any. Well, I'll be looking for it now.

This book was fast-paced, full of "huh"? moments, and just generally captivating. I haven't been reading at my usual pace of late (I blame the 17-hour workdays, at a guess), but this weekend I tore through this one at quite a clip. I kept thinking I should put it down and do something else, but somehow it didn't happen all that often.

The story show more opens with a brief POV from a twelve-year-old girl who is, we quickly learn, en route to her death. This death, it is obvious, is meant to save her people, but the how of that is far from clear. At the very last of moments, however, she is snatched away from the choking hands of an incredibly sinister character and whisked away to . . . well, to the apartment of a couple of bystanding New Yorkers, who are really quite baffled by the whole thing.

As becomes apparent, there are quite a few things going on in the city of which most people are entirely unaware (which is probably true, though I doubt many of them are like these), and there are a couple of mysterious groups of people who want this girl back - and, she says, want her dead. The whys behind this and many other mysteries are really quite a joy to watch unfold, and I loved every minute of it.

I really am going to have to seek out more Zahn.
( http://weblog.siliconcerebrate.com/zenos-library/2007/11/the-green-and-the-gray-... )

(Alistair) Well, now, I haven't (yet) read much Zahn, outside his Star Wars books and - quite some time ago - Conqueror's Pride; although having said that, I think his Star Wars books are about the best written in that particular framework, and given that, I'm not sure as to why it took me quite so long to get around to reading this. As you can tell from the date on Amy's review, we've had it for quite some time.

For it is, indeed, a very good book. The Green and the Gray is the story of two alien - although remarkably humanesque - cultures hiding in New York, having fled their fairly bitter war only to end up in the same place, an arrangement (gone wrong) involving the death of the 12-year-old Melantha Green that is supposed to head off a renewal of their war that might kill thousands of New York bystanders, and the human couple who get caught up in the middle of this whole mess.

It is; or was to me, a delicious blend of good old pulpish SF with much better cultural development and character writing/character-driven elements than you generally found in good old pulpish SF; fast-paced; and gripping enough that I didn't sleep nearly as many hours as I should have while I was reading it. Several elements may be identified as formulaic, perhaps, but he does very good things with the formula.

Decidedly recommended.
( http://weblog.siliconcerebrate.com/cerebrate/2008/04/the-green-and-the-gray-timo... ) show less

aliens[who turn out not to be aliens, just from the past] are fighting a clandestine war. One human couple gets caught up in it, and tries to make peace. Succeeds. Zahn really knows how to write about humanalien interaction and focus on character and not just a flashbang action plot. The twists were visible a mile away, but still enjoyable.

Interesting fantasy story - I especially liked the twist on the origins of the two groups. Familiar storyline (for good or bad) of two warring groups who misunderstand each other and don't even remember why.

This is a book I thought about buying when the paperback was published, but I couldn't justify the cost. So I was very pleased to see it in the library while browsing one day.

I certainly wouldn't have thought I'd wasted my money if I had paid for it. There are three phases to the story here, and the first and third appealed to me most.

The story starts as Roger and Caroline, New Yorkers with a stumbling marriage, are walking home from a night at the theatre. They suddenly find themselves guarding a young girl whole has marks on her throat to suggest someone has just tried to strangle her.

As they try to find out what has happened to Melantha and what they should do next, the questions get more and more puzzling until they find themselves show more unravelling a strange mystery with an answer they can't quite believe - that two factions from a war on another planet have settled in Manhattan and having recently discovered each other's presence, are about to renew their war. With Melantha as a bargaining chip in between.

Roger and Caroline become futher embroiled in the building danger and are forced to rediscover each other and their own personal strengths as they attempt to find a way to prevent extra-terrestrial war from exploding in the middle of New York.

The book has a copyright date of 2004 and there is a clear resonance here to the attacks of 911 and the hold that day has left in the New York skyline and psyche. It's is laboured, just touched upon, but the link is there and I feel it strengthens the book rather than making light of such real life tragedy. (Although, I accept that as a non-American I may read that differently than some other readers would.)

I thorougly enjoyed the first half of the book, as Roger and Caroline, along with a New York detective working on an initially seperate track of investigation, slowly unravel the mystery of Melantha and the Greens and the Grays. However, I found myself feeling rather bogged down in the third quarter as that time was spent mostly of figuring out everyone's motives, tactics and lies. Once that was fairly much sorted and the action got underway again to try to stop the brewing war, I felt the story picked up again and I was soon enjoying the ride again.

This isn't a world shattering novel, nor does it break a lot of new ground (although the final revelation of the origins of the Greens and Grays was a clever twist). Instead it is an entertaining read with a solid plot and an interesting set of characters. Pick it up, sit yourself down and enjoy the read. show less

More brain candy from Zahn; not a bad book, but there's a lot of unrealistic actions by characters: "there are aliens among us, they're fighting a hidden war, and they have Powers? Okay."

Not really recommended, but better than average scifi brain candy.

Pre09:

Okay, it wasn't that bad.

Characters: Romeo and Juliet were cute. As was the wayward Mom. And the cop. Basically they were all cute. Not deep, just cute.
Plot: Best part of the book. Written basically like a detective story. Revelations as you go and comfortable twists and turns.
Style: Typical Zahn. Comfortable. No edge. Nothing tough to follow. Just enough to pull you in. Nothing to give it that spark either.

Hahhah, Tim, you suck. His Star Wars books were great fun, but his original fantasy is so lackluster and banal that I gave up half way through. I almost never give up on books, but this one was really boring.