S. J. MacDonald

I didn't expect much from this book--I was just browsing Kindle Unlimited for something to read--but this series turns out to be about the best thing I ever found there.

There are *countless* military sci-fi stories, and that's what I thought this was when I started--another knockoff of Hammer's Slammers, or Honor Harrington, or something. But no, there are actually no pitched battles in this book. None with guns and missiles, anyway. That's what made it more interesting, 'cause I'm kinda tired of the shoot-em-up stories.

The book (and the series, at least as far as I've read) is mostly about the command decisions of a fascinating character in a world that's more interesting than I expected. He has to fight through PR disasters, drug lords, pirates, stupid vacationers--you name it. It's told basically from the viewpoint of a complete novice to space travel, somebody who doesn't even know port from starboard.

This book (and the other books in the series) are pretty long, and I wouldn't call them "gripping". There is very little harrowing action. But there are plenty of interesting sidelights and tidbits about the universe that I found stimulating, and the characters themselves are very likable, the sort of people you'd like to have as friends.… (meer)

MacDonald continues to astound me by writing good fiction without much of a plot.

This series has become a fascinating study in I guess what we could call anthopology, by presenting alien, almost-human cultures and the humans' reactions to it. It is well thought out (at least the social aspects of it), and I continue to be interested in it, even though there is little or no rising action and certainly no hair-raising climax.

MacDonald's trademark is the variety of human or almost-human cultures that somehow spawned from a single source thousands of years ago. As such, these aliens are genetically human (or almost human), not merely humanoid, like so many science fiction stories where the aliens aren't supposed to be humans but sure seem to be. Her universe is much better thought out than that.

The human characters in the novel continue to be interesting. (If they weren't, the cultural survey of the alien planets wouldn't be interesting enough.) What makes this more interesting is the interaction of several almost-human cultures, while the humans are watching and enabling. Hard to say much more without spoilers, but I can certainly say that there are many laugh-out-loud situations where different cultural expectations lead to humorous conflict.

I'm not sure I'm going to go back and read this again and again--the characters are maybe not that good--but it was certainly entertaining and almost impossible to put down. Hence the 4 star rating.… (meer)

This was a very interesting book, and not my usual read. I love futuristic type of books, but I do prefer plot-driven books much more then character driven books, which is what this book is.

That being said, the book does grab you from the very first page. I actually wrote something along the lines of "you could actually taste the excitement in the air" after reading the first chapter. But, after a few chapters... I got a little bored. The book is well written, and I did enjoy the main character, Kat, but there are so many new worlds, civilizations, and ideas introduced in the book, in a short time period, that I felt myself more confused by it all then entertained... which led to me being bored. There are some exciting moments, but like I said, I felt more confused then anything.

That being said, there were sections that I did greatly enjoy - not going to share & spoil - and the ending was great, and it was worth reading. I can't say I was terribly surprised by the ending - but I think I would have been disappointed if the ending was different.

I received a review copy from the author.… (meer)