Expendable (edition 1997)

I'm sorta surprised this series hasn't come to my attention sooner... it's exactly the kind of sci-fi I enjoy reading: bit of tech (but not overly technical), bit of space faring (but not solely space based), some interesting aliens, and a social "message" that is not moralistic.

I liked the concept as to how one became an Explorer... sadly enough, it seems a logical extension of our own reality too. And the League of People's was also an intriguing change in space lore - some powerful alien community which did not have the goal of destroying or dominating every other species they met... can't see that ever really happening, but it's cool to think that it could.

Even the behavior of the "bad guys" was believable. I'm not sure how the series will continue since the characters/story in this novel seemed to be fully resolved, but I will certainly read the next book to find out. ( )

I have been reading a lot for 45+ years now, and so seldom come across a really unique novel or voice.

This is one of them.

The plot- while logical in retrospect- kept me guessing; it didn't follow the usual tropes. The characterization was nicely done. The world/universe was coherent and explained, but still holds some mystery. Given all this, I found it to be a page-turner; I could NOT predict what would happen next!

This is one of th4e best novels I've read recently. ( )

I just re-read this and I enjoyed it very much, I love Festina Ramos...what a wonderful female character. ( )

ZB13 ( )

I enjoyed this book very much, and I liked the angle of the League of Peoples essentially making space combat impossible, and taking a strangely divided yet strong moral standpoint.

The book has a heroine who strongly reminds me of Kylara Vatta or Heris Serrano from Elizabeth moons Vatta and Familias Regnant series. Indeed the introduction of Festina Ramos in the beginning of the book, although bleaker and more self pitying, is almost identical in vibe with the first introduction of Heris Serrano. The character is strong, but yet with flaws one can associate with.

The book introduces us to the League of Peoples universe which has many interesting angles. A great example is the introduction of ECM - Expendable Crew Members - or the alien races described, who are in some cases entirely new concepts to me. I had to really use my imagination to get a hold of the physical aspects of the characters. Not to mention some of the engineering ideas mentioned, such as the skin machine or the glass shark.

If there is one drawback with the book, it would be that it is occationally too fast paced. Our heroine arrives at too many correct conclusions based on too few facts too fast. And far too often her first instinct is the absolute correct one. As such she does appear a bit too "perfect" in the brains-department. Still i found it easy to overlook these flaws, as the book is not long, yet pulls the reader through many different phases.

For those considering reading more of the League of Peoples books, it is important to note that you should not fall in love with our protagonists. Following this first book in the series are three books who center on different and varying people. Festina Ramos and her friends does reappear, but not until far later in the series.

I give this book a four out of five. It has a few flaws, but it is a quick read, as well as an entertaining one. ( )