The January Dancer

from haloedrain

It took me a while to get into this one--it starts by introducing you to *all* the characters via multiple backstories, and the brief introductions and dry tone make it hard to get interested in any of them. It got a lot better once the cast stabilized, though.

from DavidLErickson

Tramp space freighter captain stops for repairs at a distant planet and discovers an alien ship with artifacts. He keeps the only one that could be removed, the Dancer, and what unfolds is an extraordinary story that spans the outer reaches of the galactic arm. The opening scene caught my attenti...

from klh

Good straight-up space opera with lots of early enigmas that kept me reading to find the answers. Nice mix of disparate characters with differing agendas and points of view. Very interesting basis for FTL travel, good variety of planets and social systems, with vivid descriptions.

from dallenbaugh

Space Opera Sci Fi with a twist, a twisting stone that is, made by pre-humans, and with 3 different plots twisting around each other while all are trying to obtain this stone and thus to obtain infinite power over others. Many died and no one won. A good read with interesting, complex characters.

from rmagahiz

I was put off by the uninteresting characters put in insufficiently compelling situations, even though I had the sense that the galaxy-spanning settings might have been put together well.