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asickels's review against another edition
5.0
I found this book by using ChatGPT for book recommendations, and it did not disappoint. This book was published in the early 2000’s. I don’t think I would have discovered this book on my own. I finished this in one day. Great space opera- I loved it!
ladyheroj's review against another edition
3.0
This was not what I expected. I'm not much of a sci-fi reader, but I want to give the genre more of a try this year. Of all the series I eyeballed, I decided to start with Vatta's War because it stuck out with its female main character. And what I expected was a story about a badass woman space commander in a laser guns-blazin' kind of plot.
Not really what I got, which isn't a bad thing (especially considering I was horribly stereotyping the genre).
Kylara Vatta is a growing badass. She's been kicked out of space soldier school before she could even finish her cadetship, so she hadn't seen action, but got enough theoretical classwork in to have a good head on her shoulders. I'm sufficiently interested enough in her development and where her character might go and what she might do to pick up the next book.
The setting wasn't full of lasers either. Yes, there were spaceships and people had tech implants in their head, but Elizabeth Moon didn't go overboard in trying to make sure we all knew her book took place in the future, in space. At first, I was disappointed by a lack of weird alien creatures (and laser guns), but I later appreciated the fact that there was enough that I could easily relate to.
And the story was one of survival, not action. I could foresee some of the problems that occurred on the ship, true, but there was plenty going on outside Ky's own issues to keep me interested. (The ISC machinations, her father's attempts to reach out to her.) The story also did not end where I thought it would, which is another incentive to keep me reading.
Overall, this book is a solid 3-star. It may not overwhelm you with its 'wow' factor, but it probably will leave you wanting to read more of Ky Vatta's adventures.
Not really what I got, which isn't a bad thing (especially considering I was horribly stereotyping the genre).
Kylara Vatta is a growing badass. She's been kicked out of space soldier school before she could even finish her cadetship, so she hadn't seen action, but got enough theoretical classwork in to have a good head on her shoulders. I'm sufficiently interested enough in her development and where her character might go and what she might do to pick up the next book.
The setting wasn't full of lasers either. Yes, there were spaceships and people had tech implants in their head, but Elizabeth Moon didn't go overboard in trying to make sure we all knew her book took place in the future, in space. At first, I was disappointed by a lack of weird alien creatures (and laser guns), but I later appreciated the fact that there was enough that I could easily relate to.
And the story was one of survival, not action. I could foresee some of the problems that occurred on the ship, true, but there was plenty going on outside Ky's own issues to keep me interested. (The ISC machinations, her father's attempts to reach out to her.) The story also did not end where I thought it would, which is another incentive to keep me reading.
Overall, this book is a solid 3-star. It may not overwhelm you with its 'wow' factor, but it probably will leave you wanting to read more of Ky Vatta's adventures.
walshdj's review against another edition
2.0
I kept waiting for something interesting to happen and it never did. Gave up 70% of the way through.
micahhortonhallett's review against another edition
1.0
Ayn Rand in spaaaaaace!
Thrill as our hero negotiates export tarrifs. Gasp as she unloads farming equipment at a significant profit! Sigh wistfully as she expunges the last vestiges of her humanity so people don't confuse her with a stupid, bleeding heart liberal. All written in prose that is as exciting as a quarterly financial report.
Thrill as our hero negotiates export tarrifs. Gasp as she unloads farming equipment at a significant profit! Sigh wistfully as she expunges the last vestiges of her humanity so people don't confuse her with a stupid, bleeding heart liberal. All written in prose that is as exciting as a quarterly financial report.
jmkemp's review against another edition
4.0
I came to this from a first chapter included at the end of the kindle edition of Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie. This is a different sort of space opera from Ancillary Justice, but the opening chapter was so gripping that I immediately ordered a copy so that I could read the rest of it.
The universe it is set in is sort of recognisable as a fast forward on our current one. The initial setting is in a naval academy that would be recognisable to anyone with military experience (and the author served in the USMC, no doubt she drew on that). That's just the starting point for the story though, and most of the action takes place on board an interstellar freighter.
The story is told mostly by the main character (Ky Vatta), although there are a couple of short switches of viewpoint to her father. This limited omniscience drives the story well, although the only character that is well developed is Ky herself. That said, she is a very interesting character, she knows she has flaws and tries hard to come to terms with them. The pace of the story is very good, and it kept me reading to find out what happened next, even getting to the end of the chapter wasn't enough to stop and I found myself reading it when I was walking along the train platform at the end of my commute!
In outline, Ky is kicked out of the local naval academy for helping the wrong guy. Her family run their own merchant shipping line and they send her off with an experienced crew in a ship destined for the breakers yard at the end of the trip. She succumbs to the Vatta instinct for 'trade and profit' and decides to make a side trip to fill a need for agricultural supplies at her first port of call. This takes her to another system. On the way in her ship's hyperspace drive fails, and while she's trying to scrape up funding for both the repairs and the tractor parts a war starts.
From there it becomes a very interesting sequence of events in dealing with the crisis and its fallout. Ky's ship ends up being used to intern the captains and senior officers of the other ships in the system, largely because it has no working hyperspace engine. This causes another set of interesting twists and turns in the story. Throughout the background to this we see a few glimpses of other things happening in other parts of the universe, which cleverly expands the background and lets the reader join some of the dots before Ky does it.
Overall an enjoyable and compelling read.
The universe it is set in is sort of recognisable as a fast forward on our current one. The initial setting is in a naval academy that would be recognisable to anyone with military experience (and the author served in the USMC, no doubt she drew on that). That's just the starting point for the story though, and most of the action takes place on board an interstellar freighter.
The story is told mostly by the main character (Ky Vatta), although there are a couple of short switches of viewpoint to her father. This limited omniscience drives the story well, although the only character that is well developed is Ky herself. That said, she is a very interesting character, she knows she has flaws and tries hard to come to terms with them. The pace of the story is very good, and it kept me reading to find out what happened next, even getting to the end of the chapter wasn't enough to stop and I found myself reading it when I was walking along the train platform at the end of my commute!
In outline, Ky is kicked out of the local naval academy for helping the wrong guy. Her family run their own merchant shipping line and they send her off with an experienced crew in a ship destined for the breakers yard at the end of the trip. She succumbs to the Vatta instinct for 'trade and profit' and decides to make a side trip to fill a need for agricultural supplies at her first port of call. This takes her to another system. On the way in her ship's hyperspace drive fails, and while she's trying to scrape up funding for both the repairs and the tractor parts a war starts.
From there it becomes a very interesting sequence of events in dealing with the crisis and its fallout. Ky's ship ends up being used to intern the captains and senior officers of the other ships in the system, largely because it has no working hyperspace engine. This causes another set of interesting twists and turns in the story. Throughout the background to this we see a few glimpses of other things happening in other parts of the universe, which cleverly expands the background and lets the reader join some of the dots before Ky does it.
Overall an enjoyable and compelling read.
kortirion's review against another edition
3.0
This space opera reminded me of Lois McMaster Bujold's [b:The Warrior's Apprentice|61906|The Warrior's Apprentice (Vorkosigan)|Lois McMaster Bujold|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170597854s/61906.jpg|2792] . The main character comes from money and gets kicked out of military academy at the very beginning of the book through no fault of their own. Then a trip snowballs into a disaster over which the main character triumphs. Kylara Vatta is no Miles Vorgosigan, however. She doesn't have the energy and charisma Miles manages to communicate despite being a character in a book. Still, it was entertaining and I plan to read the rest of the books in this series.
thatmeddlingkid's review against another edition
3.0
Not your traditional space opera, but an exceptional one. More character based than story driven. Not as much action as the usual fare but it's very realistic when it occurs. It's the first in a series and I will be going to find the next one.
shwaa's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to like this book after reading [b:The Speed of Dark|96063|The Speed of Dark|Elizabeth Moon|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320497793s/96063.jpg|1128271], but it felt like a ghost writer for [a:David Weber|10517|David Weber|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1227584346p2/10517.jpg], Honor Harrington series.
All in all not a bad book, just very formulaic.
All in all not a bad book, just very formulaic.
fantastiskfiktion's review against another edition
3.0
https://fantastiskfiktion.wordpress.com/2015/07/19/trading-in-danger/
xvicesx's review against another edition
5.0
The last scene, with the cutting of the fruitcake, is utter and complete brilliance.