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jacsu's review against another edition
3.0
I would have given this book 4-stars if the characters had been slightly more developed. The interactions between them were great, but if there had been another 40-60 pages, I think Cherryh could have given a bit more development to some of the side characters and the main female character (who was decently well developed, but I would have liked a bit more). The plot was interesting and I will definitely be reading more from this universe and from other series the author has written.
piperita's review against another edition
4.0
Honestly, I think this book is a representation of Cherryh at her best.
Complex, refreshing world-building, eloquent but not overly-verbose prose that's a joy to read, and tight story-telling - but not so tight that it leaves the narrative dry and uninspired. The book takes you on a roller-coasted ride of spacer element of the Alliance-Union universe, dwelling more on the nature of FTL travel and its specifics within this universe - about the technical side through the eyes of the starship captain Sandor Kreja, and about the realities of living as a perpetual ship-confined traveler through the eyes of the ambitious young woman from the well-to-do Merchanter family. The characters - just two PoV's this time - are also somewhat younger and less experienced than Cherryh's usual fare, which made the book a "lighter" read in the sense that it was much more restrained in its application of the heavy emotional burden of galactic political scheming and back-stabbing that's found in a lot of her other works. Oh, it had its fair share of scheming and plotting and emotionally-damaged people, but the book did well with evenly interspersing the moments of despair with hope and some human connection that I walked away feeling more like a reader and less like a tenderized pork chop.
All in all, this was a worthy successor to Downbelow Station.
TWO points I want to clarify:
1. This is not a book about romance. This is a book about PTSD, emotional trauma, trust issues, and ambition in a world that doesn't care. Yes, there is a connection between a male and a female character, and yes, they have sexual relations that are afforded maybe three sentences out of the entire book. But the story itself is not about their blossoming relationship, nor is any part of the main plot heavily related to said relationship past its use as an inciting incident. So, romance-phobes like me, fear not and read on. This won't be a case of a plot derailed for the sake of romance.
2. A lot of people seem to have taken to using "Han Solo" as a descriptor for the main character. That is the furthest thing from what the character actually is and the only thing similar between them is that they're two individuals of the male persuasion who sort of own the star ship they operate. Han Solo is an archetypal "bad boy" - arrogant and criminal. The main lead for Merchanter's Luck - Sandor Kreja - is lonely, emotionally damaged and prone to giving in to anxiety, trying to make an honest living and save his ship in a harsh world where he and his ship are pretty much obsolete. So... I'm not sure where the two became associated, and to be honest the main reason I held off from reading this book was because it was described as having a Han Solo-esque character for a main male lead. Again, that is simply not the case.
Complex, refreshing world-building, eloquent but not overly-verbose prose that's a joy to read, and tight story-telling - but not so tight that it leaves the narrative dry and uninspired. The book takes you on a roller-coasted ride of spacer element of the Alliance-Union universe, dwelling more on the nature of FTL travel and its specifics within this universe - about the technical side through the eyes of the starship captain Sandor Kreja, and about the realities of living as a perpetual ship-confined traveler through the eyes of the ambitious young woman from the well-to-do Merchanter family. The characters - just two PoV's this time - are also somewhat younger and less experienced than Cherryh's usual fare, which made the book a "lighter" read in the sense that it was much more restrained in its application of the heavy emotional burden of galactic political scheming and back-stabbing that's found in a lot of her other works. Oh, it had its fair share of scheming and plotting and emotionally-damaged people, but the book did well with evenly interspersing the moments of despair with hope and some human connection that I walked away feeling more like a reader and less like a tenderized pork chop.
All in all, this was a worthy successor to Downbelow Station.
TWO points I want to clarify:
1. This is not a book about romance. This is a book about PTSD, emotional trauma, trust issues, and ambition in a world that doesn't care. Yes, there is a connection between a male and a female character, and yes, they have sexual relations that are afforded maybe three sentences out of the entire book. But the story itself is not about their blossoming relationship, nor is any part of the main plot heavily related to said relationship past its use as an inciting incident. So, romance-phobes like me, fear not and read on. This won't be a case of a plot derailed for the sake of romance.
2. A lot of people seem to have taken to using "Han Solo" as a descriptor for the main character. That is the furthest thing from what the character actually is and the only thing similar between them is that they're two individuals of the male persuasion who sort of own the star ship they operate. Han Solo is an archetypal "bad boy" - arrogant and criminal. The main lead for Merchanter's Luck - Sandor Kreja - is lonely, emotionally damaged and prone to giving in to anxiety, trying to make an honest living and save his ship in a harsh world where he and his ship are pretty much obsolete. So... I'm not sure where the two became associated, and to be honest the main reason I held off from reading this book was because it was described as having a Han Solo-esque character for a main male lead. Again, that is simply not the case.
justiceofkalr's review against another edition
5.0
This was a lot easier to read than Downbelow Station. Which may have just been because I already knew what was going on in the universe so there was less slogging set-up going on. This book is mostly about the merchanters, especially the Reillys and the last Kreja, with bigger politics still present but taking more of a back seat. It features a much smaller, and therefor easier to keep track of and care about, cast. A couple characters from Downbelow Station make a return including Signy Mallory, so that was nice. And I was pretty satisfied with the way things ended.
fihman's review against another edition
5.0
A nice surprise. Can see how Cherryh and Leckie are comparable: subtle, but strong emotional development.
eric_conrad's review against another edition
4.0
Fast paced, but in the end a satisfying read. Likeable characters and another solid chapter in the Alliance Union universe.
ielerol's review against another edition
4.0
I went into this expecting a similar experience to the Cherryh I've read so far: interesting, well-considered worlds with stories that are more intellectually than emotionally engaging for me. Instead what I got was an efficiently drawn portrait of an incredibly lonely, hurt and desperate man and I spent the first 5 or 6 chapters with my heart in my throat, afraid something (newly) terrible was going to happen to him. So much so that I had to take a break for a bit and then read some plot spoilers to reassure myself that none of the worst-case scenarios Sandor kept imagining would actually happen.
Thus forewarned, I returned to it and got immediately sucked back in, with slightly less anxiety this time. The tense space scenes are gripping even with the spoilers. The scenes of Sandor being afraid to let anyone hear how "childish" his computer voice is are just devastating, the idea that anyone could hear that and laugh instead of being heartbroken on his behalf. I want to fight them myself.
This is a short novel by modern standards, and especially short compared to the several sprawling, messy books I've recently finished. It's refreshing to see an author do so much with so little, but I did maybe want just a little more at the end, like an afterward or something. It ends on a high note, certainly the emotional climax, but it does just end. I spent all this time worrying for Sandor, I want to see him happy for more than a moment! Alas, emotional indulgence is still the opposite of Cherryh's style.
Thus forewarned, I returned to it and got immediately sucked back in, with slightly less anxiety this time. The tense space scenes are gripping even with the spoilers. The scenes of Sandor being afraid to let anyone hear how "childish" his computer voice is are just devastating, the idea that anyone could hear that and laugh instead of being heartbroken on his behalf. I want to fight them myself.
This is a short novel by modern standards, and especially short compared to the several sprawling, messy books I've recently finished. It's refreshing to see an author do so much with so little, but I did maybe want just a little more at the end, like an afterward or something. It ends on a high note, certainly the emotional climax, but it does just end. I spent all this time worrying for Sandor, I want to see him happy for more than a moment! Alas, emotional indulgence is still the opposite of Cherryh's style.
seandelliot's review against another edition
5.0
this may be the first space opera I ever read ... and for that matter, the first adult sci-fi book, with sex ... the adolescent me may have actually initially picked it up for the cover ... but it is an absolute classic!
joshuadavid1986's review against another edition
4.0
EXACT RATING: 4.25 stars
This book had NO business being as good as it was. I grabbed it off the top of a pile of old books at the Tacoma Antique Mall a few weeks ago because I liked the retro-futuristic sci-fi romance vibe of the cover. I figured it had the potential to be silly and fun, but I certainly didn't expect it to be so creative and so competently-written.
The highlights for me were the initial meet-cute and hook-up, Sandor's solo journey to Pell, and then the final act & conclusion. Cherryh's characters (especially Sandor and Allison) are nuanced and realistic, and their interactions are complex and effectively capture how it feels to let someone get close to you after years of being alone.
The world-building is effective and interesting, although much of it is just hinted at.
The weakest element is probably the plot, which is relatively thin and sometimes slow (even for a 200-page novel). I can tell that Cherryh cares more about her characters than the specific story she's telling with them, and I support that prioritization in general.
Even as I approached the final 20-30 pages, I probably would have rated this somewhere around 3.5 or 3.75, but the story finally hits the gas pedal and resolves in a really delightful way! I love a happy ending that feels earned and cathartic, and this one hit all the right notes for me.
This book had NO business being as good as it was. I grabbed it off the top of a pile of old books at the Tacoma Antique Mall a few weeks ago because I liked the retro-futuristic sci-fi romance vibe of the cover. I figured it had the potential to be silly and fun, but I certainly didn't expect it to be so creative and so competently-written.
The highlights for me were the initial meet-cute and hook-up, Sandor's solo journey to Pell, and then the final act & conclusion. Cherryh's characters (especially Sandor and Allison) are nuanced and realistic, and their interactions are complex and effectively capture how it feels to let someone get close to you after years of being alone.
The world-building is effective and interesting, although much of it is just hinted at.
The weakest element is probably the plot, which is relatively thin and sometimes slow (even for a 200-page novel). I can tell that Cherryh cares more about her characters than the specific story she's telling with them, and I support that prioritization in general.
Even as I approached the final 20-30 pages, I probably would have rated this somewhere around 3.5 or 3.75, but the story finally hits the gas pedal and resolves in a really delightful way! I love a happy ending that feels earned and cathartic, and this one hit all the right notes for me.
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
4.0
A re-read of an old favorite. I think this has lost a bit of its shine. Some of it may be its age, some my age. Some might be reading it just after Downbelow Station. This is a small book both in pages and scope. It does a great job of dropping you into the world without warning and giving you just enough to follow along. So it was a bit jarring reading it second - perhaps I knew too much about the world. This was my first Cherryh from what I remember - pretty sure I acquired the book in late 1984 as a remaindered book, it was a while afterwards when I replaced that copy with a used one that had a cover - not that the cover is much of a prize.
Previously rated as 5-star
Previously rated as 5-star