TIES OF POWER (1999)
You know that feeling you get when its been ages since you read a book and then you discover again why you’ve kept it in your library. Julie E. Czerneda has been such a discovery. What a delight. Czerneda has the flowing ability. It’s like listening to good music reading her books.
In a sense the plot is pretty basic. Someone gets screwed and they set out to right the wrong. In Julie’s Trade Pact Cycle books this happens in a universe where the different races of intelligent life have joined in a Trade Pact. There are outsiders. One of these is the Clan – a group of people (look pretty much like humans) who have the ability to travel the M’hir (a place outside of regular space) and telepathic abilities. Some of the members of the Clan are extremely powerful and one of these is Sira – our female protagonist.
The Clan oppose her attraction to Jason Morgan, and Sira herself is afraid of what her power might do to this telepathic human. She is right to fear her own power. When Sira is attacked by the Clan, Sira sends Morgan off to recover what was stolen. Unfortunately a lot of her fury with the Clan is sent along and Morgan is having to fight the urge to express this anger through the book.
As Jason is sent off, Sira transports herself to the only place she feels she will be safe – the Drapsk space ship. She is correct. She is indeed safe on the Drapsk vessel, but that safety also brings a new set of problems Sira’s way. The Drapsk are very good at getting things their own way, and that way includes Sira’s time.
TO 
TRADE THE STARS (2002)
To Trade The Stars continues a few months from where Ties of Power left off. Sira and Jason continue to trade but discover that somehow Jason’s telepathic abilities have become known. This is making it difficult to get good jobs. One does turn up for Morgan at Kimmicle (miner’s world), leaving Sira free to go to Plexis and Huido by M’hir. When she gets there, she ends up being kidnapped. We all know that Jason will turn the universe inside out to find her. He is not going to be alone in this search.
In the meantime Rael and Barac from the previous are stuck on Drapskii continuing what Sira began. They are both understandably frustrated with the Drapsk as the Drapsk are of a different species. When Barac gets a call for help from Huido, he leaps at the chance.
Once again I liked the prose of Julie. She writes seamlessly. Once again, I’ve found an author that has the gift of flow. Her books are just shy of 500 pages and that might hinder some from reading her books. Don’t worry, they are available as audiobooks at audible.com.
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