I picked this book up without any real thought at a time when I was having to travel six hours on a train twice a week. I was waiting for the train and had finished the book I was reading, so I needed another, and so, with very little to spare, I grabbed it. I had only read one book (Nimisha's Ship) at this point, and had liked it, and I could not find anything else in the train station store that was even remotely interesting, so with no time left, I grabbed it and I'm glad I did!One of the things I tend to enjoy most in a novel is well developed characters and Anne McCaffrey is excellent at this. I was hooked on the first book and read the entire Omnibus through in just a few sittings. This impulse buy turned out to be a blessing, and I have since lent it to friends who all say the same thing... Awesome. ( )