Moon, Elizabeth: Marque and Reprisal
Marque and Reprisal (2004)
Written by: Elizabeth Moon
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 378 (Mass Market Paperback)
As I mentioned recently, a good friend of mine has kindly let me borrow the rest of the Vatta's War books so that I can take a good look at Elizabeth Moon's world-building in this particular series. I'd already read Trading in Danger, thought it was a good book, but one that left me a little emotionally cold. Still, I don't mind reading the rest of the series, as Moon is a very solid and good writer. I'm just glad I'm not spending money! :)
The premise: We're going to Barnes & Noble for the SECOND book in this series: The exciting military career she hoped for never got off the ground-but Ky Vatta ended up seeing plenty of combat when she took the helm of one of the commercial transport vessels in her family’s fleet . . . and steered it into a full-blown war. Now the lessons she learned in that trial by fire are about to pay off: because this time, the war has come to her. To be exact, someone unknown has launched a full-throttle offensive against Vatta Transport Ltd., Ky’s father’s interstellar shipping empire. In short order, most of Ky’s family is killed, and subsequent attacks sever vital lines of communication, leaving Ky fighting, in every sense, to survive.
Determined to identify the ruthless mystery enemy and avenge her family’s name, Ky needs not only firepower but information. And she gets both in spades-from the band of stranded mercenaries she hooks up with, from her black-sheep cousin, Stella, who’s been leading a secret life, and from Stella’s roguish ex-lover, Rafe. Together they struggle to penetrate the tangled web of political intrigue that’s wreaking havoc within InterStellar Communications, whose effective operation their own livelihoods-and perhaps lives-depend on.
But the infighting proves to be infectious, and it isn’t long before Ky’s hired military muscle are turning their suspicions on the enigmatic Rafe, whose wealth ofknowledge about ISC’s clashing factions and startling new technologies has begun to make him smell like a rat . . . or a mole. With swift, violent destruction a very real possibility, the last thing Ky needs is a crew divided against itself-and she’s prepared to take whatever measures are necessary to ensure that Vatta stays in business, as well as in one piece.
What she’s not prepared for is the shocking truth behind the terror- and a confrontation with murderous treachery from a source as unexpected as it is unrelenting.
Review style: Two sections, what I liked and what I didn't. No spoilers.
What I Liked
While reading this book, I focused very carefully on the world-building and how the characters interact with their settings. After all, that's the whole reason I'm reading this series, so it's important to pay attention to.
I'm continuously impressed with Ky Vatta and just how competent she is. It's not that I don't expect her to be able to do her job as a starship captain, far from it. But whether it's Moon's military experience shining through or what, I never have any doubts that Ky is truly a starship captain. She knows what she's doing, and it shows through her actions and her relationship with the crew. Moon puts in details I wouldn't have even begun to wonder about, but in retrospect, said details makes sense in terms of how a ship should be run.
It's not to say Ky is perfect. Far from it. She does make a few bone-headed moves because she's so stubborn, but as a character, she's really come a long way from Trading in Danger. She enjoys killing to a degree that isn't normal, and I'm fascinated by this aspect of her character. I can't wait to see where it takes her, as well as how people respond to her as they discover how dark her heart is becoming.
I'm also growing quite fond of the cast. Of course, the additions of Stella, Rafe, and Toby really helped and I was surprised to find myself enjoying other POV's. When I'd first read the excerpt from this book, I thought the differing POV's would annoy me, but they really strengthen this book. Ky's family has just been wiped out, but she's out of the loop, so watching her go through mundane detail after mundane detail would've gotten tedious rather quickly. Getting other sides of the story was a relief, and I really enjoyed Stella's POV in particular. She, too, is very competent, and I love how she and Ky can compare their reputations. Both are considered something soft or stupid, but both are fierce and intelligent and able to do what needs to be done. The dynamic between the two is awesome, so I'm glad Stella's part of the cast.
Rafe is also a lot of fun, not just for the slight romantic tension he adds (Ky's not having any of that), but also because of where his loyalties lie in this war. I do hope he remains part of this series for a while, because I think if anyone is going to understand Ky in terms of her becoming a privateer, as well as a murderer, it's going to be him.
The book read surprisingly quickly, and I say surprising simply because after the opening of the attack on the Vatta holdings, it's a little slow as Ky's recovering from an assassination attempt and trying to figure out what's going on. But the pages keep turning, which is a testament to Moon's writing style. Straight to the point with a kind of military precision that's easy to read. Appropriate for this series, no doubt, and I really liked seeing how Moon's experience in the military (or in life) influenced certain scenes, like Ky in the shooting range (loved that scene).
What I Didn't Like
But for all of those excellent details, sometimes it goes too far. There were times when Ky was stuck on Lastway that I really wondered if certain scenes were necessary (the puppy? Really?), so getting Stella on the scene was a very welcome relief, because the story wasn't going anywhere until the two cousins met up. And really, if there's a weakness to the book, it is the plot. Yes, it's building into something much bigger, but so much of it seems directionless. While Ky's determined to survive, keep her ship and crew together and rescue other Vattas who are stranded, she really doesn't have much of a plan (of course she wants revenge on who did this) because she doesn't know who's involved and how it happened. Even when Stella fills her in and they decide to fix the ansibles, there's still a certain lack of direction as far as plot goes, and it takes coming upon a stranded ship for things to go anywhere. I really liked those scenes, I should note, but the plot fell somewhere between the cause-effect stories I like and the one-thing-after-another kind of plot that I don't. It's not bad, and I recognize it's build up, so I'm hoping that as the series progresses, I can remember certain things and go, "So THAT'S what the author was doing..."
I also had trouble keeping names straight in this book, and I still have trouble understanding the command structure of the mercenaries. But that's probably a me thing. :)
My Rating
Worth the Cash: while I borrowed this book from a friend, I wouldn't (in hindsight) have minded spending money on it. It's a fast read despite certain parts of the story that get a little too bogged down in details, and the cast additions are really refreshing. I'm starting to become a little more emotionally engaged with what's happening, and not just because there's been a huge tragedy come upon the Vatta family either. It's because I get to see Ky interact with people OTHER than her crew, and while I'm impressed with her as a starship captain (Moon's military experience really shines through), I'm glad to see other sides of her. The side that relates to family, and the side still struggling to define who she is in this universe, and I don't mean on an existential level either: she's got to decide to stay part of Vatta, or to do something more, and that decision makes her character very interesting indeed. I'm looking forward to reading ahead in the series at this point, and that's a good thing, since there's still three books left. :)
Cover Commentary: Dave Seeley really does an excellent job with these covers, and this one is no exception. We see a scene from the actual climax of the book, which doesn't give anything away, but it's nice to be reading and go, "Oh, so that's where the cover art comes from!" I really like Seeley's portrayal of Ky, especially here.
Next up: Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost