Dance of Knives

By Donna McMahon

Book Overview

Vancouver in the twenty-second century is a city of stark contrasts, divided between its prospering Guild citizens and the starving descendants of American refugees who fled ecological catastrophe and political chaos decades ago. Newcomer Klale Renhardt is struggling to survive on the half drowned, ungoverned island of Downtown, where every type of trade is controlled by tongs or gangs. When she finds a job through Toni, the tough, beautiful American bartender at the famous KlonDyke nightclub, Klale finally allows herself to feel safe - until she hears that Toni may have been a torturer for the tongs. Even more disturbing is Toni's strange connection with Blade, the giant, bio-altered slave of Downtown's most feared blackmailer. Klale fears the rage that simmers behind the giant's eyes, but when she attracts the vengeful attention of a hidden enemy, Blade may be the only person who can save her. Blade's psyche has been so profoundly twisted by neural implants that he doesn't even realize he's human. If Klale can't find a way to help him discover his own soul, she may not survive either her murderous enemy or the looming tong war.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312874316
• ISBN13: 9780312874315
• Release Date: May 2001
• Publisher: Tor Books
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 1.3" x 5.8"

Customer Reviews

Near Perfect

Contrary to what another reviewer has said, I don't think Toni created "tools" in her past life; she studied existing tools at the University (rescued from the world at large, I gathered) and couldn't handle even that. She escaped into the worst kind of prostitution because she couldn't bear to be associated with it in any way. As for how Klale could decide she loved Blade, love is mysterious in any case. She saw through Blade to Simon, that's all. And he changed her. If I have a criticism, it's just that even a post-apocalyptic society can't allow "tools" to exist; not in the presence of education, law enforcement, and all the trappings of local democracy. Choi would be a criminal of the worst sort to these people, and they would have dug him out and dealt with him. That said, the book is nearly perfect. I hope to see more from this author.

Science fiction thriller filled with compassion & intrigue.

It is a pleasure to see such talent in a writer such as Donna McMahon. In DANCE OF KNIVES, the characters are wonderfully constructed, the plotline is imaginative and the readers interest is kept by building suspense and mystery. Being set in a lesbian bar of 22nd century Vancouver is truly fresh and exciting. Recommended.

Dance of Knives, An Amazing First Novel

I'll save time on the plot summary since you can read it above and just say that McMahon's story is one of the best I've read this year. Set in a futuristic Vancouver, Dance of Knives gives long time Vancouverites a look at what may become of some of their favourite landmarks and even those who have never visited the west coast city will be able to picture its future based on McMahon's descriptions. While some of McMahon's characters may seem unusual, their interactions and emotions are so realistic that readers will find themselves growing ever more attached to them as they turn the pages. If I have any criticism of this book at all it would be that I found the story took a while to get moving, but once it did I found I couldn't put it down. As the story unfolded I found characters doing the unexpected and events resolving in ways I hadn't predicted. For a new author to surprise me this much with a first novel is quite a triumph. If you're looking for a great read this summer pick up Dance of Knives, it's well worth your time.

LocalView by JD

A good read ! West-coasters around the world will see a piece of their town somewhere in this very readable, well crafted novel. The characters, with notable exceptions, come alive with a few sentences. Donna McMahon makes character development appear effortless, no simple task in itself. She avoids sterotypes and plot formulas like the plague, no pun intended. Yes, you could say,"No stereotypes were harmed by the making of this book". The mix of easily recognizing the feeling of the characters first, then realistic dialogue, and then... detailed descriptions of a shattered environment (that many living on geological fault lines can uncomfortably imagine), works well.Once you turn the pages, you'll be in a not-so-impossible-after-all future, reminiscent of too many places and lives that have been destroyed and forgotten in our own world. Blade is a warrior that scares the hell out of me! If he doesn't scare you, I'm moving out of your neighbourhood! ;=)

A winner

In 2108, twenty something Klale Renhardt flees the Fishers Guild seeking fame and fortune in Vancouver because she cannot stand the rigorous rules of her group. In Vancouver, she heads to the island Downtown so she can avoid staying at one her former guild's hostels. However, her first night in town is not a serene scenario as the street punks accost her and the Harbor Patrol nearly busts her. Looking for a place to stay, Klale enters the KlonDyke Bar where she immediately becomes involved in a brawl. This leads to her befriending the bartender Toni and obtaining a job there. Soon she meets the dangerous genetically enhanced freak Blade, who has already interceded in one of Klale's early run-ins. As the three becomes friends, the action becomes hot with them in the middle. DANCE OF KNIVES is an exciting science fiction thriller that works so well because the audience observes twenty-second century Vancouver through the amazed eyes of Klale. This technique allows the reader a chance to feel the changes, some very nasty, caused by technology, economics, and major climatic impact. Blade is a weird but exciting character and Toni with her past helps bring to life her two compatriots. However, what makes this novel so good is Klale, one of the better protagonists to grace a genre book in a long time. Donna McMahon has written a powerful tale that belies the fact that this is her debut novel.Harriet Klausner