Priestess of the Eggstone

I was a little worried when I first picked up PRIESTESS OF THE EGGSTONE because it is technically the second book in the “Fall of the Altairan Empire” series (the first is titled NEXUS POINT). This was an unfounded fear, as PRIESTESS OF THE EGGSTONE functions just fine as a stand-alone science fiction novel.

Mild plot spoilers follow.

PRIESTESS OF THE EGGSTONE begins as a classic example of the science fiction sub-genre I might term “commerce SF,” mostly about protagonists in space opera settings who work as, or want to be, freelance merchants and traders in the space lanes. Examples include many of C. J. Cherryh’s novels (the Merchanter and Chanur series in particular); Andre Norton’s Solar Queen series; and Poul Anderson's Van Rijn series (there are many more I could mention, but those are some of the better known examples of this sub-genre). I hasten to add that – despite the emphasis on commerce rather than exploration or combat – these aren’t “mundane SF” novels. They aren’t about accounting in space, or paying all the required landing fees and dutifully obeying space regulations. They often involve encounters with pirates; misadventures in ports with thieves, customs officials, and thieving customs officers; and narrow escapes from a variety of dangers. In short, I have found that these kinds of novels typically involve exciting conflict without emphasizing the military derring-do that is all too typical of science fiction.

PRIESTESS OF THE EGGSTONE is in good company. Here, a young female pilot with a troubled past, Dace, wants nothing more than to own her own trading vessel and become an independent merchant. The universe conspires against Dace’s attempts to achieve that dream. She’s a pilot not a navigator (dammit, Jim!) and so she hires a navigator who soon gets her into a world of trouble. He has stolen the eponymous Eggstone, an object of unknown but great significance to an alien race that is willing to do whatever it takes to get the Eggstone back. They can’t simply return the Eggstone because it was already sold, so now the pair and their comrades have to locate it while dodging inimical aliens. Oh and the company that Dace works for is actually a front for a smuggling operation, so that causes further problems, plus the Star Patrol is still trying to pressure Dace to join them as an undercover agent (this was apparently the major plot of the first novel).

The tone of the novel wavers a bit; at times, it seems fairly light-hearted, yet it never fully becomes a comedy. The stakes are real (and occasionally deadly). It’s a mix of commerce SF, first contact, and space opera-ish schemes and adventures. While having read the first novel was certainly not necessary, it would have provided some additional insights about Dace’s past. Her troubled origins are occasionally referenced, but the details are not entirely clear to me. I should also make clear that the protagonist is a young, emotionally immature woman, and one of her two love interests is an equally immature young man. This naturally leads to some frustrating behavior on both parts. The both behave childishly at times, so for a grumpy middle-aged reader like myself, this characterization occasionally annoyed me, but it never became intolerable.

This wasn’t the greatest science fiction novel I’ve ever read, but it certainly wasn’t the worst either (by far). It was perfectly enjoyable. Recommended for readers interested in science fiction that’s a bit out of the mainstream, and not oriented toward military actions – I might even term PRIESTESS OF THE EGGSTONE as “space opera lite.”

Review copyright © 2013 J. Andrew Byers ( )

Enjoyable adventure with some interesting characters. The romance aspect is sometimes handled awkwardly, with several chapters in a row covering basically the same redundant dialog, but despite this the characters are likable and the story keeps moving. I found a coincidence or two unbelievable (it is possible that there's something else going on that make it not coincidental at all, but the characters should at least have noticed how amazingly against-the-odds it was). The best indication of how I felt upon finishing the book: I immediately bought the first in the series. I wasn't even aware until halfway through this one that it was the second in a series, so it wasn't necessary to read the first to enjoy this one, but I'll definitely read the one before and at least the next one out. I'm hoping this continues to develop well, it certainly has potential. ( )

I recieved this book through Librarything's Early Reviewers Program.

THe story of Dace and her intergalactic adventures continues. Along with Tayvis,Lowell, and some new faces.
Dace hires a new co-pilot, who then causes them to be hunted by 8 ft. tall aliens with poisonous claws. Leaving a trail of destruction in their wake as they try to avoid the creatures and the Patrol, who are after Dace in hope of recruiting her.
The plot was easy to follow. The characters were likable. I felt that the story got repetitive, as if the author didn't trust her readers to remember what trouble Dace and Jerimon were in or why. We are told over and over again what Jerimon did to get the attention of the Sessimoniss.
All in all, I liked the book. And I'm looking forward to the next installment in the series. ( )

Jaleta Clegg’s ‘Priestess of the Eggstone’ is the second book in ‘The Fall of the Altairan Empire’ sci-fi series. Though Clegg’s novel does fall into the sub-genre of Space Opera, I must admit that I found Dace’s, the diminutive yet tenacious, female protagonist, misadventures both entertaining and amusing. The story has a lot of good dialogue and I couldn’t help being willingly lured into her convoluted world. I look forward to reading more from this series. ( )

I enjoyed this book and didn't have a hard time following the plot despite it being the second in a series. There were a few holes including Dace's previous relationship with Tayvis, but overall I was able to connect the dots. Dace is an intergalactic Calamity Jane given to accepting responsibility for disasters not necessarily of her own making. She is being chased across worlds by alien beings who believe she has their sacred Eggstone. By the time they catch her she has bonded to the Eggstone and is now their unwelcome priestess. Overall I enjoyed her adventures and the characters she came in contact with. I felt the love triangle could have been developed a little more as could some of the plot points but it was an easy, enjoyable read. ( )