Thorn, an orphaned Goth, is brought up in a monastery, transferred to a nunnery, and thrown out into the world when it's discovered that he's a hermaphrodite. As the Roman Empire comes under increasing threat, Thorn finds himself riding alongside the King of the Goths. By the author of "Aztec".
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Thorn, an orphaned Goth, is brought up in a monastery, transferred to a nunnery, and thrown out into the world when it's discovered that he's a hermaphrodite. As the Roman Empire comes under increasing threat, Thorn finds himself riding alongside the King of the Goths. By the author of "Aztec".
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Add this copy of Raptor to cart. $134.23, good condition, Sold by Brit Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Milton Keynes, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 1994 by Arrow Books Ltd.
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Seller's Description:
Good. Simply Brit – welcome to our online used book store, where affordability meets great quality. Dive into a world of captivating reads without breaking the bank. We take pride in offering a wide selection of used books, from classics to hidden gems, ensuring there's something for every literary palate. All orders are shipped within 24 hours and our lightning fast-delivery within 48 hours coupled with our prompt customer service ensures a smooth journey from ordering to delivery. Discover the joy of reading with us, your trusted source for affordable books that do not compromise on quality.
Add this copy of Raptor to cart. $9.45, good condition, Sold by Hawking Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Edgewood, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1993 by Bantam Books.
Add this copy of Raptor to cart. $9.94, fair condition, Sold by Blue Vase Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Interlochen, MI, UNITED STATES, published 1993 by Bantam.
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Fair. Mass market paperback in ACCEPTABLE condition. Book is perfectly usable but has heavy wear or cosmetic issues which may include a cocked spine creased spine heavy wear yellowed pages price stickers etc. Cover art may be different from that shown in photo.
Add this copy of Raptor to cart. $11.84, fair condition, Sold by Dream Books Co. rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Denver, CO, UNITED STATES, published 1992 by Doubleday.
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Fair. This copy has clearly been enjoyed-expect noticeable shelf wear and some minor creases to the cover. Binding is strong and all pages are legible. May contain previous library markings or stamps.
Add this copy of Raptor to cart. $12.41, very good condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1993 by Bantam Books.
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Very Good. Very Good condition. A copy that may have a few cosmetic defects. May also contain light spine creasing or a few markings such as an owner's name, short gifter's inscription or light stamp.
Add this copy of Raptor to cart. $12.49, fair condition, Sold by St. Vinnie's Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Eugene, OR, UNITED STATES, published 1993 by Bantam Books.
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Acceptable. Mass_market 100% of proceeds go to charity! Acceptable reading copy with obvious signs of use, wear, and/or cosmetic issues. Item is complete and remains readable despite notable condition issues.
Add this copy of Raptor to cart. $16.45, very good condition, Sold by Hawking Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Edgewood, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1993 by Bantam Books.
Add this copy of Raptor to cart. $31.00, very good condition, Sold by Mainly Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Silverdale, PA, UNITED STATES, published 1992 by Doubleday.
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Near Fine in Very Good dust jacket. 0385246323. Hardcover with dustjacket, first printing as indicated by the publisher's "1" in the number line on copyright page and as stated, the former owner's bookplate on the first blank end-paper is the only remarkable book flaw, the binding is clean and tight and the contents are fine, the jacket has rubbing to the glossy surface on the rear panel and no other remarkable flaws, the original price is present and a professional (removable) mylar cover is included; 980 pages.
I read Gary Jennings's 'Aztec' and enjoyed it immensely. I bought 'Raptor' on the strength of that first experience. It was a mistake. 'Raptor' is, like, about the absolute worst historical novel I have ever read -- and brother I've read a ton of 'em.
Thorn, the protagonist of 'Raptor,' is a hermaphrodite. (S)he is fully equipped and fully functional as both a man and a woman. His/her dual capability is his/her ace in the hole (no pun intended). Whenever (s)he gets into a jam, (s)he pulls out the other set of sex organs, baffles the villains with BS, and gallops off into the distance while the pursuit is looking for a person of the opposite sex. After the third or fourth time (s)he pulls one of these switcheroos, the ruse seems somewhat less than clever and eventually goes way south of believable. The really neatest thing about his/her dual identity is that none of her lovers ever notice that she is also a he and none of HIS lovers ever notice that he is also a she. Ahh! But they do say love is blind. . . .
Sexual duality eventually betrays Thorn. After being captured by a tribe of troglodytic Amazons (or were they centaurs?) in the wooded wilds of Poland (or Finland, or some horrid, dreary place up north), (s)he meets another just like him/herself and the two of them go for a truly hot roll in the hay. Both of them experience orgasms as a man and a woman at the same time, and the intensity of the experience is too much for Thorn. (S)he is utterly besotted with his/her new pal and his/her heart is broken when he/she learns that his/her lover is actually a bad gal/guy.
Had I been writing the story, I'd have got them both pregnant and left them, knocked up, captives of troglodytic Amazons (centaurs?) who lived in the wooded wilds of Poland (or Finland, or some horrid, dreary place up north). It would have been an appropriate end. But Jennings didn't do that. Jennings had Thorn flee the Amazons and landed him in Italy just in time to involve him/herself with the crowd and the intrigues that roiled around the barbarian emperor Theodoric.
"A good thing, too!" I say. What would history be minus the fanciful escapades of Thorn?
It's all unbelievably silly but it's all in keeping with Mr. Jennings's sexual obsession, an obsession to which he alluded in 'Aztec' but did not fully (ahem) expose in that brilliant work. In 'Raptor,' it seems that Jennings's obsession led the author to map an absurd plot and the story he built on that flawed foundation had no hope of being anything but a stinker.
I read 'Raptor' almost 20 years ago and finished it only because I paid $25 for the book. Yeesh! What a burn.
