Yup, still my favorite book. Umpty umpteenth reread. 08/13/2020

Who knows why one book strikes a chord with someone, but this one is my all time favorite and having a degree in English Lit, I read a lot. I have three copies of this book because if I look for it and can't find it within a day or two I panic and buy another copy. I love many books over many genres but my heart loves this one best.

You will enjoy this story more if you have read Downbelow Station at the very least. I will admit that the first time I read it, the end was a bit fuzzy but the more often I read it the clearer the situation becomes. The more you read in Ms. Cherryh's Union/Alliance universe the easier this book is to understand.

It's a space ship story built around family merchant ships travelling between star systems and it is certainly enjoyable from that aspect. What makes the story for me is the character of the protagonist, Sandor Kreja. He is the very last of his family, running a haunted (not literally) ship all alone. When he meets Allison Reilly from a large powerful ship, he begins to dream of having a family again. He is a total underdog but the Reillys find out that when push comes to shove, he has a core of steel and all the right answers. ( )

Subtle plotting, keeping everyone off balance. The first sentence puts two characters together, so I knew that a few pages later, Allison would end up filling the empty crew slot on Sandor's freighter. But instead, she heads off, as scheduled, on her family's ship. And it keeps going like that. We know how space opera romance is supposed to work, and this one has a realistic streak that spurns that at every juncture while sticking tight to the genre.

And still, it is a great story, an easy read, but with so much more than that first sentence suggests. It is a bit like the first time you have Thai food -- how is this sweet and tart and crunchy and soft, all in one dish? ( )

Another fun return to the Alliance-Union universe. Not as good as Downbelow Station, but still a fun engaging read.

I like this rating system by ashleytylerjohn of LibraryThing (https://www.librarything.com/profile/ashleytylerjohn) that I have also adopted:
(Note: 5 stars = rare and amazing, 4 = quite good book, 3 = a decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful.) ( )

One of my all-time favorites! The Company War is all but over, and things in Union and Alliance space are changing to accommodate the new realities. In the midst of all this a young ship's captain, the only survivor of a horrible pirate boarding, runs into a Union merchanter princess that makes him throw all caution to the wind and bet his health and all he has to win her over. A unique sf romance with lots of action and very satisfying ending. ( )

Another excellent series by this writer. ( )