Search - A Deepness in the Sky : A Novel (Zones of Thought)

Prequel to "A Fire in the Deep", but can stand alone. Two human societies, one a free-wheeling trader group, and one an authoritarian imperialist regime, are fighting to control exploration of a once-great alien culture, now degraded. Interesting technologies involved, complex plot, treachery in all directions. It's pretty much a standard space epic - a fun read but not a lot of content. If you like Niven's work, you'll probably enjoy this too.

This is an amazing book. This is a book that reminds you (in case you'd forgotten) why it is that you like science fiction in the first place. Characters that you can identify with, aliens that are completely plausible and seem real, situations that you keep you at the edge of your seat. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!

Amazing sci-fi. Technically the second book, this is actually a prequel.