Butterfly and Hellflower, originally published as a trilogy in three consecutive books - "Hellflower", "Darktraders" and "Archangel Blues", is the omnibus edition of all three together, inscribed on the dedication page,

"To Chris Jeffords, with honor."

The relevance of this book which was published over fourteen years ago is two-fold: language and honor.

If, like me, you enjoy Science Fiction and are hungry for honor, even if (only) in a novel, you might enjoy reading "Butterfly and Hellflower". Eluki bes Sharhar has scattered soliloquies on the meaning of honor throughout the story.

On page 326, the Hellflower muses, "Is there higher honor than honor? When honor itself twists like a serpent, what shall we prove ourselves against to know we are still human? ... If humans who betray are human no longer, what is honor that is only a tool of kingmakers?"

This excerpt is from the fly-cover:
"I was making my way around wondertown; free, female, and a damn sight over the age of reason, when I saw this greenie right in front of me in the street, about to mix it up with K'jarn and six of his werewolves. And hell, it was seven-on-one and I never liked K'jarn anyway.
That was my first mistake, rescuing a Hellflower. ...And now he said he owed me his life, said it like he hated it, like he'd rather be dead than owe me.
And me, Butterfly St. Cyr, darktrader, interdicted barbarian, and the partner of Paladin, a death-to-possess Old Federation Artificial Intelligence, all I wanted was to get Valijon out of my own life and get back to business.
...there was nothin for it but to blast out of there, taking my new pet Hellflower with me. After all, where was the harm? He'd see a little of the galaxy he'd never seen before--just as long as he didn't ever tumble to Paladin bein' on board--and after I delivered my cargo, I'd drop him into the lovin arms of his all-too-powerful da.
That was the plan anyway, but the rest of the galaxy seemed to have other ideas, ideas that included seeing that Valijon never made it home alive..."

I have to read "Butterfly and Hellflower" at least once a year, just to stay sane. ( )