The Rats, the Bats & the Ugly (Rats, Bats & Vats)
Another zany tale of the planet Harmony & Reason, which is somewhat short of both at the moment, thanks to its hierarchical society and the invasion of the alien Korozhet. The victorious, vat-cloned Corporal Chip Connelly and his love, the Shareholder heiress Virginia ("Ginny") Shaw, return to Bernard Shaw City and a welcome very different from what they expected. The authorities want to preserve the hierarchy by executing Chip and kidnapping Ginny. Fortunately, the uplifted (i.e., intelligent) bats and rats are on the job, complete with accents, and so are a good many lawyers. In fact, the book's complex legal scenario may occasionally come between readers and the fullest enjoyment of the book, which isn't as fast-paced asRats, Bats & Vats(2000). Not that it will disappoint anyone, especially given an ending that leads one to suspect that Ginny will have to get out her chain saw for the battles of a third volume.Roland GreenCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved