Child of the River
   Paul J. McAuley
   (Associate Reviewer-D. H. BROWN)
  1998 Avon - EOS Books Inc. NY USA
   ISBN: 0380975157


Yama is on the journey of his young life from the city of the dead to a metropolis of living wonders on a world that stands apart. Thru this savage, secret & war torn land, Yama must survive to discover the truth about who he is & his purpose in life.

It is a saga of Mixed Life. Way up the time-line from Earth. Where humans have become gods, have gone away & been long forgotten. There is no one left behind who remembers what they were like.

This boy Yama has appeared as a child upon the River in a mysterious & magical way. Being of a totally unknown blood line, he listens & learns about who he might be. & we, the readers, also begin to learn that he's human in a world peopled by intelligent, everyday beings.

Yet there are none who are like him. Even if this bag of Mixed Life around him doesn't recognize him for what he is, the Machines of the gods do.

So after Yama makes it to the metropolis, with all due adventure & exploring, he considers himself as just another created being like everyone else, although he looks different.

It is in the metropolis Yama begins to realize this difference is because he is one of the heirs of the gods. In a huge mind shift, Yama sees that the Mixed Bag of Life he's so familiar with, is the uplifted creations of humans, everything from the Seal People to the descendants of the Wart hogs & Coyotes & they don't know what the gods looked like, the Machines do.

A story of the reach of consequences, the old Newtonian law that all actions have reactions.

Child of The River: The First Book of Confluence is a Space Opera of the Grandest Design, I'm looking forward to Books Two & Three.

Others by Paul J. McAuley: Eternal Light; Four Hundred Billion Stars; Of the Fall; Pasquale's Angel; Red Dust; Fairyland & the other books of Confluence
(06/20/99)

David
A RebeccasReads.com Reviewer

Reviewer's Bio:
D. H. BROWN is the author of the critically acclaimed HONOR DUE and the Citizens Warrior Series. The son of missionary parents and with the help his Uncle Sam, he has touched base in more than 40 countries.  In 1986 he produced the independent children's film Lessie's Rainbow.  During the late 80s and early 90s, he wrote the book Common Sense and delivered the seminars of the same name for the Community Action Network of Seattle (CAN).  While doing his early Vietnam recovery work, he counseled Veterans and spoke widely to men's groups in Washington state, and was a founder of The Lodge of the Wolf.

D. H. BROWN has worked as a Logistics and Weapons Specialist in Viet Nam; day laborer; Director of Security; Armored Car Driver; Police Officer; Professional Hunting Guide; Trapper; Dog Sledder; Homesteader; Truck Driver; General Contractor; Minister; Editor; Writer; Speaker; Restaurateur; Movie Producer; Antique Restoration Specialist; Personal Care Worker; PC Repair Specialist; Computer Instructor; Webmaster and Web Designer. "I write about what I know."

He lives deep in the Pacific Northwest rainforest with his wife, author and editor Rebecca and Buddy Dog, working on his next book.
Visit him at: www.dhbrownbooks.com