Reviewed by 
  Ebony McKenna

Reviewer Rating:  *****
Title: Jaguar
Category:  Science Fiction
Author: Bill Ransom
Publisher: AlexLit.Com
ISBN:  0-7420-0298-5

"He had become the Jaguar to satisfy the mythology of the world on the other side. The first dream he'd tracked across the curtain led to a Jaguar priest desperate for a god, so Lieutenant Reyes crowned himself one. Now the Jaguar was infinitely greater than the GI that his small-minded world had committed to the Soldiers' Home. The high-level stuff he'd scooped from the dreamways got him off the petty charges, but it also guaranteed that they would never let him leave the home alive. That was just fine with the Jaguar."

Everybody dreams, but what if your dreams took you places, gave you control, let you tinker with people¹s minds, in this world and any others?

Set in the watery half light of fantasy and reality, Bill Ransom¹s Jaguar is a truly beautiful, lyrical book. Through a series of vignettes we follow Eddie and Maryellen, Afriqua Lee and Rafferty through childhood to adolescence as they come to terms with their "gift", as well as the threat posed by the Jaguar. The Jaguar is a malevolent force playing an
exceedingly dangerous game; he knows he¹s doing damage, but the dreamways is so intoxicating he can¹t release his grip.

The characters and storylines cross over and merge in satisfying ways and the visuals are so engaging you¹ll lose track of time. Before you know it, it¹s 2am.

Jaguar makes you work, but the rewards are a treat for the senses. Smell, touch, taste, sight and sound are bombarded on a regular basis. Each page has been created with such loving care you feel like you¹re being hypnotised as you tread water with the characters. Each chapter is a motherlode of beautiful moments. Some of my favourite nuggets include:

"Her body was there but she didn't feel like she was all the way in it."

And: 
"Eddie swallowed. He'd had a hard look in the mirror just this morning, and the person who looked back had been a stranger. It was the eyes. They were still blue, but the mirror wasn't deep enough to hold them."

Ransom is a very talented writer. Not only are the main characters fleshed out with great skill, minor players, like Mindy, are so cleverly created we only need a few sentences to get to know her.

"Every time he saw Mindy picking imaginary lint off the arm of her chair he felt the gulf between them widen."

First published in 1990, this is a great demonstration of the benefits of the e-book revolution. Books can go out of print inside two years, and even then its distribution may have been limited to one country. Jaguar is 11 years old but now it¹s out there again, for a new audience  of sci-fi fans to enjoy, all over the world. Jaguar is a must for anyone¹s e-bookshelf, we can only hope Ransom releases the rest of his six novels soon.

Copyright © 2001 by  Ebony McKenna