Rating: 
Summary: Decent adventure SF
Review: This novel is basically a chase through the stars. However, the construction of the aliens and some of the technology of the novel make it interesting. A race called the Patth has a near monopoly on all interstellar shipping because they managed to create a propulsion system that is significantly faster than anything anybody else has. All the other races have had to scramble for small or illegal contracts to survive. The novel opens with the main character, Jordan McKell, being hired to pilot a starship.The novel is something of a mystery as well. The mystery concerns the fate of the employer of McKell and the rest of the crew and what exactly they have been hired to convey to Earth. Tension gradually builds as McKell is questioned by authorities on route to the Icarus and then he meets several other strangers who will be the crew of the ship. They all have different histories that McKell doesn't know anything about; trust and suspicion run throughout the story. Some of the more interesting ideas in the story are that monopolies, trade and the like will continue in much the same form in the future as they do in the present. There are even several criminal organizations in the novel, which are involved, in typical Mafia like actions such as drug smuggling and extortion. So much of SF assumes a Star Trek like universe where there is no shortages of food or anything else and everybody has everything provided for them. This aspect of realism made the novel more believable. Usually, hard science fiction focuses on predicting future technology or science (and giving plausible explanations for them), whereas this novel simply had technology as part of the background with mystery and characters taking the spot light. The novel does a have a Star Wars (Zahn has written several Star Wars novels) feel to it and this may turn off some readers. The different aliens in the story are somewhat inventive. McKell's partner Ixil has two "ferrets" (originally used as hunting aids in his race's ancient history) that can obey simple orders, plug into Ixil's nervous system and provide him with all the information they gather. One of the alien races finds zero gravity environments very comfortable and they are in high demand to be space walkers (i.e. go outside space ships and perform repairs). I thought the ending was somewhat unexpected; there is a sudden revelation about McKell and his mechanic-business partner Ixil that seems too easy but I doubt there would be a better way to resolve the plot. I do not want to reveal the ending but it seemed so clichéd; that said it was no predictable, in my view. I gave the novel three stars not for any major error; I am not inclined to regard a straight adventure story like this as literature. The exploration of any significant theme seemed to be lacking as well. Philip K. Dick once said, "Science fiction is a literature of ideas," and that is lacking in this novel. It is fun to read yet it is nowhere near as trashy as Harlequin romances or similar fiction.
Rating: 
Summary: A mystery, inside a riddle, wrapped up in an enigma.
Review: This was the first original Timothy Zahn novel I'd ever read. I say 'original,' because my only previous exposure to him was his Star Wars novels, which I fully believe should be made into movies. So, I gave it a shot. This book blew the back of my head out, and I mean that in a good way. It's a science fiction book, pretending to be a mystery novel, acting like a road trip story, masquerading as a crime book. Zahn weaves all these different styles together into a brilliant tapestry, and his first-person narrative, through the eyes of Jordan McKell, is the perfect finishing touch. Add to that this little caveat -- that no one, but NO ONE here is exactly who they appear to be -- and you've got a rollicking story that will keep you hooked until the very last page. Just try it. It's worth it.
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