[Book Review] Trading in Danger (Vatta’s War #1)
"Trade and Profit."
Elizabeth Moon's Trading in Danger revolves around Ky Vatta and her unnerving ability for picking up stray puppies only to have them bite her in end. Thankfully, Ky does not stay like this throughout her adventures. Ky's adventure begins with her expulsion from the military academy for helping out a student only to have it backfire in the end and because of the bad press she is whisked back to her parents. The Vatta Family is in the transporting business and quickly before she can rest her on her laurels for too long her family gives her a simple assaignment to return an old cargo ship to the junk yard to get her out of the newspapers limeline only to find other problems afoot.
The characters of the book are enjoyable from the emotionally wounded/inexperienced Ky to her babysitters and her crew. The villains actions are felt and for time being are shadowy at least until their story continues in book #2. Ky's parents and extended family never come in on a white horse to save her and even when that does happen the white knight is not the helping hand Ky wants.
The book is a relative fast read due to the fact it's not hard core science fiction and is relatively straight forward in it's universe building. There are several moments when the religious angle pops up but Moon does overburden the reader. The universe created is one any reader can enjoy even if they don't enjoy science fiction because the hard science is kept to a minimum and there aren't any aliens to worry about.
The overall plot is kept simple and while many of the characters are set up they appear briefly for now until the next book when many of the plots are expanded upon.
In the end, it was a fun read and I recommend it.
Originally published at RKB Writes. You can comment here or there.