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From Booklist, August 2002 It is 2099, and Earth has been coping fairly
well with the discovery of an intelligent species on Aldebaran.
That species, the Negami, has set up a small outpost in the U.S
and requested that larger research teams be allowed to visit.
The UN, reluctant and suspicious, decides to honor the seemingly
least important request, for a lone linguist to study ancient
temples and inscriptions in Greece. A canny UN consultant convinces
Aisha--a sharp-tongued, blind, female expert on ancient writing
under whom he studied--to partner the amiable male Negami, Titek.
Aisha rambles the Greek islands with the delighted Titek, and
gradually, an unlikely but appealing romance develops. Unfortunately,
Aisha discovers her underhanded former student's secret motivation
at the same time that Titek reveals the grave importance of his
mission, and the fate of the lovers is cast in doubt. Only by
combining their talents can they achieve a reasonably happy ending.
Studded with clever double entendres and puns, this makes an
engaging weekend read for language lovers. Roberta Johnson |