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A review by mary_soon_lee
Marque and Reprisal by Elizabeth Moon
4.0
This is the second volume in Elizabeth Moon's Vatta's War series. It picks up where the first book ended and (mild spoiler ahead)
"Marque and Reprisal" is not high literature, nor is it groundbreaking science fiction, but it was highly diverting. If I had read it in a critical frame of mind, I might have awarded it 3 out of 5 stars. But, as it happens, I was looking for a book to entertain, a book in which I cared about the characters in an uncomplicated way, and Moon is a gifted storyteller who combined her sympathetic characters with a well-crafted plot. In addition to Ky--the book's excellent heroine--I particularly enjoyed the characters of Toby, Martin, Rafe, and Stella. Even though there are an embarrassingly large number of books piled up waiting for me to read them, I'm going to ignore the others and proceed directly to book three in this series. Recommended.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
Spoiler
ends, while not exactly on a cliffhanger, with a great deal unresolved. The series is science fiction with a military flavor, which is a genre to which I am partial. The heroine, to whom I am also partial, isn't a soldier, but she was trained to be a military officer and ends up (larger spoiler ahead) engaged in a de facto war."Marque and Reprisal" is not high literature, nor is it groundbreaking science fiction, but it was highly diverting. If I had read it in a critical frame of mind, I might have awarded it 3 out of 5 stars. But, as it happens, I was looking for a book to entertain, a book in which I cared about the characters in an uncomplicated way, and Moon is a gifted storyteller who combined her sympathetic characters with a well-crafted plot. In addition to Ky--the book's excellent heroine--I particularly enjoyed the characters of Toby, Martin, Rafe, and Stella. Even though there are an embarrassingly large number of books piled up waiting for me to read them, I'm going to ignore the others and proceed directly to book three in this series. Recommended.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).