Redline the Stars: The New Solar Queen Novel

Nebula Grand Master Norton and Griffin recreate the flavor of Norton's four Solar Queen books (published almost 40 years ago) while updating some concepts and quite a bit of technology. The crew of the Free Trader vessel Solar Queen , flying under Capt. Miceal Jellico, has mixed reactions to new crewmate Rael Cofort, who is plying the space lanes as a jack-of-all-trades despite her position as a physician and status as sister of the successful rival Free Trader, Teague Cofort. Upon arriving at Canuche of Halio, the most advanced planet of the sector, the Queen's crew is endangered when Rael picks up the odor of man-eating rodents used in a gruesome gem-stealing scheme. Rael earns her mates' further respect with her gem-trading skills, but her warning of another, major, disaster reveals her true worth, leading the crew to accept her and prompting her to revise her original plans. In their third collaboration (after Storms of Victory ), Norton and Griffin deliver a satisfactory read that, nevertheless, like the original series, lacks the sophistication and complexity of Norton's later works. (Apr . )