It took a little to get into the pacing but once I did, it is well worth it! Dancer is a crack pilot but in war no one can win them all. When her flight team is captured by the Karranganthians and subjected to extreme torture she is the only survivor. She is saved by the mysterious Auryx. But where do her ultimate loyalties lie? Well told, great characters, good plot. Wish there had been a second book 📖! ( )

Fun space-opera adventure, with a heavy dose of romance. 'Dancer' is a member of the secret, elite Sixth Service - a military branch formed by the mysterious Auryx to fight against their ancient enemies, the Karraganthians, and comprised mainly of those who are thought by all to be dead. But when a woman who looks just like Dancer turns up after what appeared to be a air-show practice accident, her cover may be blown. The woman is her cousin, who's assumed her identity to join the Fourth Service. But all may not be well in the Fourth - and the leaders of the Sixth suspect Karraganthian infiltration.
Lots of twists and turns make this a fun book, but not a great one. It does lag in parts, there may be TOO many romantic interests, and the enemies are flat, one-sided bad guys. The author also doesn't really resolve a weird conflict between glorifying military discipline, trying to justify a perceived need for a large military, and an appreciation for individuality. Still, for a first book (as most of these Del Rey Discovery books are), this is an enjoyable novel. It's too bad that Crean doesn't seem to have published anything else subsequently. ( )

Reviewed on SF Mistressworks: http://sfmistressworks.wordpress.com/2011/09/05/dancer-of-the-sixth-michelle-shi... ( )

Someone recommended this book to me, and I found it on Bookmooch. It's...complicated. There are a _lot_ of threads in the story - the war and the secret resumption of the war, the romance(s), Dancer's disminding trick, Antonia's imposture...impressive. I think I noticed one place where the wrong person said something (a conversation and the comment assigned to one should have been said by the other). Maybe that's why the author never wrote another - she was burned out? I had to read this fast (prepping for a trip) - I want to read it again and spend more time looking at the side-threads. I don't think I (quite) love the story, but it's a very rich one that will reward re-reading. I'm very glad I found it and I wish she'd written more! ( )