Marque and Reprisal
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4.6 • 102 Ratings
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- $5.99
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
“An utterly satisfying adventure . . . In Kylara Vatta, Moon has created another tough and complex heroine.”—Scifi
Though the exciting military career she hoped for never materialized, Ky Vatta still sees plenty of combat. An unknown adversary has launched a full-throttle offensive against Vatta Transport Ltd., Ky’s father’s interstellar shipping empire—killing most of Ky’s family. Fighting for her very survival, Ky is determined to avenge her family’s deaths. Teaming up with a band of stranded mercenaries, her black-sheep cousin Stella, and Stella’s roguish ex-lover, Ky struggles to penetrate the tangled web of political intrigue that surrounds the attacks. Amid suspicion and deception, she is prepared to take whatever measures are necessary to ensure that Vatta stays in business. What she’s not prepared for is the shocking truth behind the terror— and a confrontation with murderous treachery. . . .
Praise for Marque and Reprisal
“The intrigue-filled plot lends a marque of distinction.”—Entertainment Weekly
“Excellent plotting and characters support the utterly realistic action sequences: swift, jolting, [and] merciless.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“A gripping, action-packed book.”—Omaha World-Herald
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
After her debut in Moon's somewhat lackluster Trading in Danger (2003), capable young Kylara Vatta, now captain of a dilapidated space freighter, lets loose in this rip-roaring sequel. With most of her immediate family back home on Slotter Key blown to smithereens in a dastardly sneak attack and communication lines down, Ky must first find out who's responsible then kill the villains out to drain Vatta blood. But this military SF tale is no mere shoot-'em-up. Ky thinks as well as she fights, coolly weighing commercial alternatives and handily using such human resources as her undercover operative cousin Stella and precocious teenager Toby Vatta, as well as the hard-currency diamonds that arrived with Stella in Aunt Gracie's legendary fruitcake. Though mildly tempted, Ky also sees through fetching chick-magnet Rafe (he of many aliases), son of the top of InterStellar Communication's command and now a covert agent with his own complex agenda. The charm lies in Moon's deft characterizations, especially the exorcism of Ky's guilt over her family's deaths. There's plenty of shipboard and dockside action, plus authentically grungy space-station settings. Former Marine Moon has a genuine hoorah series going for her.
Customer Reviews
Marque and Reprisal
This is only the second book by Elizabeth Moon I've read, the second in the 'Vatta' series. I found it intense, in that I didn't want to put it down, but had to it digest it and slow the pace a bit. I found it well written, especially her descriptive language about the physics and movement in zero G space. I enjoyed her characterizations and their personal interactions and politics. I also enjoyed their banter and sexual tensions. The bearing of the on board personnel along with the mercenaries was spot on. The space station and downside interactions are portrayed well in that all peoples have these prejudices and mannerisms .