I've read four or five of Elizabeth Moon's previous books in the Serrano Legacy series and enjoyed them, but think I liked this particular book even more. I thought in this book, we got a good sense of the character's growth and insight into her. I read this book quickly while at the waterpark and then bought the second digitally and read it the next day, though it was not quite as good, it moved the series along nicely and continues to show well-developed plot, story and character growth. I'm on the third now and looking forward to the others. My only small complaint is some minor story details that seem inconsistent or not well explained, but that isn't enough to keep this from being a great space opera read.