selenak

Just what the doctor ordered when I asked for a sci fi adventure with sympathetic characters that didn't just retread well worn ground. It's the first of a planned series, and does lay groundwork for a longer arc, but also tells a story that's wrapped up within this volume, where we're introduced to a universe of former colonies (and penal worlds) in cold and hot war with each other, with a focus on five main characters, none of whom comes across as a stereotype. My favourite is Adelita (profession: space ship captain), but really, I like them all.

I also appreciate that there's a sense of history throughout the story that impacts the presence, and not just because of the quest for a long lost (spoiler) at the heart of it. I'm really curious now about the different cultures we have begun to get introduced to in this volume, and want to learn more about them. And it has one of my favourite tropes, which is also so tricky to get right: how to deal with the fact that a person who is sincerely repentant about it did something truly terrible in the past. (The tricky part being neither to to handwave the terrible deed away because the character is likeable nor to go for the atonement-by-heroic-death.)

Lastly, as is common with this author, human sexuality doesn't just show up in the m/f variation but in a large spectrum, and friendships are as valued by the narrative as romantic connections, if not more so. In conclusion: I love this novel, and am looking forward to the next!