Fun space-opera adventure, with a heavy dose of romance. 'Dancer' is a member of the secret, elite Sixth Service - a military branch formed by the mysterious Auryx to fight against their ancient enemies, the Karraganthians, and comprised mainly of those who are thought by all to be dead. But when a woman who looks just like Dancer turns up after what appeared to be a air-show practice accident, her cover may be blown. The woman is her cousin, who's assumed her identity to join the Fourth Service. But all may not be well in the Fourth - and the leaders of the Sixth suspect Karraganthian infiltration.
Lots of twists and turns make this a fun book, but not a great one. It does lag in parts, there may be TOO many romantic interests, and the enemies are flat, one-sided bad guys. The author also doesn't really resolve a weird conflict between glorifying military discipline, trying to justify a perceived need for a large military, and an appreciation for individuality. Still, for a first book (as most of these Del Rey Discovery books are), this is an enjoyable novel. It's too bad that Crean doesn't seem to have published anything else subsequently.
Lots of twists and turns make this a fun book, but not a great one. It does lag in parts, there may be TOO many romantic interests, and the enemies are flat, one-sided bad guys. The author also doesn't really resolve a weird conflict between glorifying military discipline, trying to justify a perceived need for a large military, and an appreciation for individuality. Still, for a first book (as most of these Del Rey Discovery books are), this is an enjoyable novel. It's too bad that Crean doesn't seem to have published anything else subsequently.
This was a very enjoyable book. I loved the characters, and even if it was slightly predictable, it was a lot of fun to read.
