Starwolf

Excellent of its kind, especially the first and third parts (it was originally a trilogy).Straightforward action space adventure,, vividly described. About a Earth boy (son of unsuccessful Welsh missionaries) orphaned on Varna, a heavy planet whose humanoid natives use their heavy-gtravity-developed muscles to become superb space pirates --the hero (Morgan Chane) grows up as one of them but is kicked out after killing another pirate in a fight over loot. He is picked up by an Eaerthling Merc unit and joins their adventures. In the first one, the Mercs are hired by one of two p,anets competing for a vast alien vessel presumed to contain potential as a weapon in the war between the planets --however, the aliens themselves impressively intervene. They are peaceful but by no means helpless. The second part --less satisfying --involves discovering the far-faring--a device that permits peoples' minmds to travel to the stars, but which becomes addictive. The third part involves Chane returning to Varns to recruit the Varnans to attack a raxce of sadistic collectors who have stolen a treasure in jewels. The social/political structure of Varna is well worked out. ( )

A heavy gravity world man falls out with a bunch of spaceraiders - the Starwolves, these sort of physical advantages and developmental are handy in that line of work.

When he has a disagreement with them they are also handy when running away.

No-one at all likes you then, pretty much. Not the best situation to be in. Good for readers of the book, though.

Morgan Chane would get along well with Eric John Stark, Northwest Smith and Esau Carin, as long as there was enough booze.

Starwolf is an early eighties omnibus of the three sixties Starwolf novels.

The Weapon From Beyond
The Closed Worlds
World Of the Starwolves

Morgan Chane is a Starwolf. Basically meaning he was one of a band of nogoodnik more-than-human raiders.

At least until one atrocity too far caused a falling out that ended up with him ending a few of his crew.

Now he's on the run, mercenary, and on the hunt for loot, but there are complications - like Starwolf ships trying to kill him, that sort of thing.

3.5 out of 5

Morgan Chane has decided he'd fancy some time on Earth. Being a Starwolf, if he gets busted as not being from around there, he is toast.

However, doesn't have to worry about that for too long as the mercenary band he has an understanding with is hired for a dodgy mission.

The Closed Worlds are three planets that are isolated, insular and seemingly xenophobic.

So, more to that story than there seems for this mission.

3 out of 5

Morgan Chane learns of a planetary treasure, the Singing Suns, that has been stolen. He decides he'd like to try and recover it, with his mercenary friends.

Turns out their intel is bad, and it will be a lot harder than he thinks. In fact, he is going to have to ask the Starwolves for help, and hope they don't kill him.

The people they need to get it from, the Qajar, are rather scary themselves:

"Another body in the cluster, a big planet that swung far out from its dead and ashen primary, flashed into a parsec-wide flare. "Seven more of the robots got it," said Vengant. He began to swear. "Who are these crazy people, anyway, who explode worlds as a weapon? It's sheer madness." Chane shrugged. "They've got the worlds to spare . . . . This cluster is just a graveyard of dead suns and planets, with no life on any of them. And they've got the radite. A big charge of it, when it's set off, transforms a great mass of the planet into unstable atomic compounds, and it blows. It's easy for them."

3.5 out of 5

http://notfreesf.blogspot.com/2007/12/starwolf-edmond-hamilton.html ( )