John B. Rosenman

The Turtan Trilogy is a multi-layered work of Science Fiction. Although it is presented as three novels, it really is one long novel divided into three sections – with a possible fourth or even more follow-on pieces yet to come. From one perspective, The Turtan Trilogy is a Boris Vallejo/Frank Frazetta painting brought to life within the pages of a classic space opera yarn. Turtan is the epitome of a Frazetta or Vallejo hero, a man’s man, a warrior full of derring-do and wild adventure. The women in his life, human or otherwise, are as eye-filling and lethal as anything Vallejo and Frazetta ever imagined. Step aside, Barbarella – you ain’t got nuthin’ on Yaneta (or Kit)! Rosenman doesn’t worry about the niceties of biology or physics as he spins this delightful yarn, and he totally blows away any concept of political correctness. You might not want your pre-teen to read this, but any red-blooded young man or emancipated young woman will love this far-future adventure. And this is not to exclude those of us a bit beyond the young man/woman stage. At approaching three-quarters of a century, I had no trouble becoming one with Turtan, participating in his adventures, understanding his sense of duty, and yearning for his women. This aspect rates 5 stars. From another perspective, The Turtan Trilogy is a complex study of religious and cultural differences. Rosenman imagines a far future where two dramatically different cultures are waging war over a span of many light years distance and many centuries of time. Turtan’s objective life-span is nearly 4,000 years, although his subjective life is in the mid-forties, with most of his 4,000 years spent in cryonic sleep with a dash of time dilation cast into the equation because of the speed of his starship. He is an “Inspector of the Cross,” representing the Empire of the Cross – what Rosenman imagines the Holy Roman Empire might become as the ruling element in his far-future human race. Opposed to the humans are the Cen, a cruel, logical, bipedal race that is slowly winning this extended war. No one has developed FTL drives, resulting in communications times measured in decades or centuries, with Turtan and other Inspectors popping in and out of the normal time stream as they travel in frozen sleep over interstellar distances between their assignment destinations. The Cen are sufficiently similar to humans biologically, that they can interbreed, and they each are attracted to their sexual opposites in the other race. The Cen have no religious belief, and are not inhibited by the moral and ethical constraints most humans naturally apply to themselves. Despite this imbalance, that will inevitably lead to a Cen victory over Humanity, Turtan continues his quest for a weapon that will level the playing field and allow Humans to overcome. Anyone who has read the Christian religious classic, The Pilgrim’s Progress, cannot help but see the parallel between Turtan and the Pilgrim. I do not know whether or not Rosenman intended this parallel, but while Turtan is significantly more lusty and warrior-like than the Pilgrim, what they accomplish and why is remarkably parallel. Furthermore, Rosenman introduces the Jax, a ubiquitous race of small sentient beings who act as underlings and servants to both Humans and Cen. As the story progresses, the reader becomes aware that the Jax are more than they seem, taking on a role haunting similar to that of the angels that help the Pilgrim from time to time. Even the person of the one-who-controls-everything is addressed in this tale, albeit from a female perspective. This aspect of The Turtan Trilogy rates more than 5 stars, were this possible! Now for a couple of negatives. I write hard science fiction. I make a real effort in my writing to conform to what we know, or to what we can reasonably infer from what we know, even far into the future. From my perspective, interbreeding species from different evolutionary paths are unlikely. Rosenman describes Cen females as much like human females – so much so that a human male can become aroused by, and have sexual relations with a female Cen. It’s a stretch, but I can suspend my disbelief to accept this within the Vallejo/Frezetta story framework. But then he describes how Cen females give birth to very small infants from their brains, through their heads, I can buy this as well, but not in conjunction with their sexual organs located as they are in humans. It just doesn’t make sense. I can accept Rosenman’s concept of cryonic sleep during long transits, and even his introduction of shortening these transits by jumping through black holes, although he simply waves his hands and produces a bit of smoke and several mirrors to accomplish this. My big hang-up is, however, that during the nearly 4,000 year objective life of Turtan, there is virtually no technological advancement. Okay, Rosenman does introduce some advances here and there, but when I think about what we humans have accomplished in just 150 years, I simply cannot accept Rosenman’s stagnant universe. From the time the Wright brothers first flew across the sands of Kitty Hawk until Neil Armstrong stepped on the Moon was only 66 years – and look at what we have accomplished since then! Where will we be in 4,000 years? Even assuming the limits of light-speed, I think technological advancement will be mind-boggling in 100 years, yet alone 4,000. This is an aw-sh…t that trumps ten attaboys – lose a star: 4 stars. Technically, from one writer to another, Rosenman’s writing is very good. I found a couple of point-of-view glitches that bothered me, but that probably would not be noticed by a general reader, and especially not by the red-blooded young man or woman I mentioned earlier. Occasionally, Rosenman misses inserting a new paragraph when beginning a dialog, but like my previous objection, most readers probably will not notice this. Finally, from time to time Rosenman’s dialog becomes a bit stilted, so that Turtan and some of the other characters seem to be talking from outside their normal personas. This is a bit disconcerting, and I suspect even my red-blooded young man and woman will notice it. In the overall scheme of this swashbuckling tale, however, I do not think this is a deal-killer. Nevertheless, I will dock Rosenman a star for these shortcomings, because he is too good of a writer to let them happen. That leave us with a five, something more than a five, and two fours. All things considered, therefore, I give The Turtan Trilogy an enthusiastic five stars! If you like science fiction, you will love this one!
… (más)

Okay - so this is the fourth book in the Inspector of the Cross series. I wrote a detailed review of the boxed set: The Turtan Trilogy [book:The Turtan Trilogy: 3 Full-length Sci-Fi Romance Novels Box Set|26820577]. You can find it here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1766399130?book_show_action=false&from... Virtually everything I wrote about the first three novels (which actually was one long single novel) applies to this book, except that Turtan has turned his romantic attentions to one young very tough chick - Sky.

Rosenman makes no secret of where the story is going, although he adds twists and surprises along the way. I made the [correct] assumption that the hero, Turtan, survives everything Rosenman throws at him, but was fascinated to see exactly how Rosenman makes it happen. If you like literary fiction, you will turn your nose up at this swashbuckling tale, but if you yearn for the good old days of classic science fiction, you will love this tale (although you will get more out of it if you read the Trilogy first).

I could ask, Why Mercontera? Why ezelene? But these questions don't really matter, since they are simply the backdrop for Turtan's heroics. Let's face it, these events take place 4,000 or so years from now. Who knows what science and technology will have developed. So, suspend your disbelief and enjoy a thoroughly delightful semi-hard science fiction tale from a fine writer.… (más)

A good old-fashioned science fiction novel, John B. Rosenman’s Inspector of the Cross offers the premise of a universe at war, with weapons seekers traveling the stars in search of alien promises of victory. Time dilation leaves these would-be warriors aging so slowly their grandchildren die before they’ve even had chance to say hello. But loyalty keeps them wandering the stars, while age’s weariness begins to wear them down.

Turtan is old, well experienced, and fiercely loyal to his home, though perhaps not his faith. He’s an Inspector of the Cross, like a futuristic knight of the Round Table. He meets with alien races on fascinating planets, with beautifully imagined scenery, touches of foreign mythology, and gloriously convincing hints of science. Weariness and excitement war with each other as it seems his quest may come to an end. Love and betrayal loom. And perfect tiny hints of myth and fairytale dance around the edges of a truly enticing story.

Does faith move mountains, or does it just might mean unquestioning obedience? Faithless Turtan learns to question here, at the end of a universe that’s maybe not quite as it seems. And Inspector of the Cross is a cool, clever novel, detailed in the sense of all the best science fiction classics, and reading like maybe a cross between Heinlein and Scott Card.

Disclosure: I was given a free ecopy and I offer my honest review.… (más)