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Book Review By Manda
Starliner by David Drake

Lieutenant Randall Colville has just been promoted. He's just become third officer to the largest starliner in the universe... the Empress of Earth. How did this lowly Cold Crewman from the harsh planet of Bifrost make it all the way to Third Officer on a luxury liner?

Ran Colville hasn't got time to get comfortable in his new job. A war between the worlds of Grantholm and Nevasa is looming and the capture of the Empress could mean the outcome for both. Frequent stops to the many worlds in the universe give Ran the oppurtunity to stretch his legs and meet women. Ran is always finding himself in desperate situations, whether it be keeping his cold crewman from starting diplomatically embarrasing fights or rescuing kidnapped passengers.


Plot & Themes
Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Political power play Yes
Political plotlets - preventing/managing clash/war between govts/kingdoms
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10 %
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 10 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 50 %
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 30 %

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status:
Age: - 20's-30's

Main Adversary
Identity: - none

Setting
Spaceship setting: - futuristic human freighter/transport
Takes place in spaceship? Yes

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
scientific jargon? (SF only) - a lot of techical jargon
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - descript of touching personal anatomy - orgies - weird alien sex - actual description of sex - description of breasts - descript. of private male anat.
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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