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Dreadnought And Shuttle
LJ Cohen, author
When a reckless young computer programmer resurrects the damaged AI on a long dormant freighter, she and her accidental crew expose explosive secrets from a war they were taught ended decades ago.
Welcome to the universe of Halcyone Space.
Charged with protecting Ithaka and its covert rebellion from discovery, Ro and the members of Halcyone's crew learn to lead double lives within the Commonwealth. Their plans to hide in plain sight disintegrate when Alain Maldonado — Ro's father — returns seeking revenge and takes a hostage to ensure their cooperation. As the former shipmates track Maldonado down, each course they plot endangers the life of his hostage, threatens to reveal Ithaka, and uncovers conspiracies that could brand them all traitors.
Reviews
Cohen continues to display her talents for engaging characters and a believable universe in her teen-friendly third Halcyone Space adventure (following Ithaka Rising), traits that more than balance out uneven storytelling and pacing. Chief Engineer Ro Maldonado, captain of the AI space freighter Halcyone, and most of her crew are working on Daedalus Station, while ship botanist Micah Rotherwood attends an Earth university under an assumed identity. A warning from mysterious rebel Dr. May about Ro’s dangerous smuggler father, Alain, is received too late to alert Micah’s bright new roommate, urban archeology student Devorah “Dev” Martingale Morningstar; Alain takes her hostage in an attempt to extort money from Micah, both as an act of revenge and to stave off his criminal creditors. The admirably brave and übercompetent Dev shines as a stellar addition to the genre, and Cohen bestows significant contributing tasks upon all of the supporting characters. However, too many of the mysteries of the allies and adversaries of the universe remain in question after the abrupt ending. New readers are advised to begin at the beginning; Cohen makes few allowances for those joining midseries. (BookLife)
