This book picks up about a year after "The Pride of Chanur" leaves off. From the very first moment, you're caught up in the plot and furiously trying to turn the pages faster and faster in order to see what's going to happen. But, then, after about 170 pages of extremely well written, tightly packed, emotionally wrenching, pages, right at the very pinnacle of tension, it ENDS! Aaaargh! There's no excuse for this except pure greed on the part of the publisher. This book should never have been published without its sequel, "The Kif Strike Back." I feel really bad giving such an excellent piece of work such a bad rating. But, unless you have the sequel handy (perhaps as part of the "omnibus edition" "The Chanur Saga" (which apparently ends without ITS finish)), I can't recommend you read it. If you've got the sequel(s), definitely read all of them. But, don't get just this book. -- David A. Lessnau (Niceville, FL USA) on Amazon.com