An Exchange of Hostages

Nigel Price · 04 Sep 2001, 13:22 · from urth-v0030.mbox · original

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From: "Nigel Price" <nigel.a.price at virgin.net>
Subject: (urth) An Exchange of Hostages
Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2001 14:22:04 +0100
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Going through some back copies of Locus, I found a review in the July 1997
issue for a book entitled "An Exchange of Hostages", by Susan R Matthews.
According to the review, the book follows the career of a sympathetic
torturer in a decadent future galactic empire where judicial torture is the
norm. Similarities with "Dune" are mentioned, as well as a stylistic
similarity to C J Cherryh, but there is no reference to Wolfe or Severian.
Has anyone on the list read this book? Is it any good, and does it show any
evidence of Lupine influence? On the face of it, "An Exchange of Hostages"
sounds perfectly horrid, but then, that's what I thought "The Shadow of the
Torturer" was going to be like - before I read it.

Nigel, mildly curious in Minety

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