Carrion Comfort: Dan Simmons

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Related to that concept, Simmons in his introduction and in his book through characters, such as FBI agent Haines (a man who murders an Israeli man who was helping Saul and his entire family), who aren’t even being Used by Barent but do his bidding anyway, talk about how even without mind vampires, there is something corrosive in the human psyche that leads men to do horrible things. The suggestion during the epilogue and the near apocalypse that is avoided sounded far more interesting to me than the last 400 pages we ended up with in this novel. This leads to his nephew Aaron, as well as Aaron's wife and children, being killed by agents of the Island Club. She barely succeeds, but it is revealed she only killed someone Melanie made to look like a body double through surgery and obfuscation.

His latest for the M41 era is the first novel in the Vaults of Terra series, The Carrion Throne, which explores the machinations of the Inquisition on Terra itself and paints one of the most vivid pictures of the throneworld in the current era. Finance is provided by PayPal Credit (a trading name of PayPal UK Ltd, Whittaker House, Whittaker Avenue, Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, TW9 1EH). I don't believe that anyone ever bothered to sort through the clutter and debris of his remaining notes. They discuss that Ayatollah Khomeini has a weak ability and thought he was the only one, and thus saw himself as godlike.

The first half of the novelette makes up chapter 1 of the novel, while the second half forms chapter 3. The book ends with Natalie going that same night on a suicide mission to finally kill Melanie and her collection of family, nurse, and doctor pawns.

The White Lady is wonderful … a tense and twisty character-driven thriller, a heartfelt tribute to the twentieth century’s bravest women, and a perfect match between story and story. Joining Inquisitor Crowl in his mission to keep Terra and the Imperium safe from the depredations of the minions of Chaos is Interrogator Spinoza, recently transferred to his retinue. I had avoided the party so I could make contact later without the young man noticing he was being followed.

Worth noting that later when one of the surrogates rapes and kills another one, it is pointed out that rape is “permitted” but it doesn’t give you any added points. Melanie manages to destroy the helicopter and Colben through use of the old woman who appears dead but can be pushed beyond human limits by her Ability, and escapes to a park where she meets and takes over a family. As Barent leaves, he is killed by Melanie's use of surrogates, coerced by Natalie back in Charleston.