REVIEW: Sassinak by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Moon

Sassinak by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Moon

Publisher: Baen
Format: Tradepaper, Book Two of The Planet Pirates trilogy, 280 pages.
ISBN 10: 0671721879
ISBN 13: 9780671721879
Copy: Purchased on-line.
Reviewer: Victoria

On the back of the book. . .

The Planet Pirates traces the careers of two remarkable women..  Sassinak escaped from slavery to freedom, and then used that freedom to fight the evil that had wrecked her world, first as a cadet, later as a captain, and finally as an Admiral of the Fleet.  Lunzie, one of the galaxy's greatest healers, is Sassinak's great grandmother - but in actual years she is her junior; Lunzie spent nearly a century in coldsleep waiting for rescue when her ship was destroyed.  Imagine their mutual surprise when Sassinak rescued her.  How together Sassinak and Lunzie save first a world, and then a confederation of worlds - and almost in passing establish amity between the genetically engineered Heavy Worlders and normal humanity - is the story of The Planet Pirates.

I reviewed the first book of The Planet Pirates trilogy and found it to be a mediocre to poor read at best.  I kept going with the trilogy, because the second and third books were co-authored with Elizabeth Moon instead of Jody Lynn Nye.  And thank goodness for Elizabeth Moon.  She saved the series from becoming a train wreck.

The Death of Sleep, the first book, was full of sex, wonky science and cringe-causing dialogue.  Sassinak is not so full of sex, still contains some wonky science and has much stronger dialogue.  It benefits from Elizabeth Moon's military experience, peppering the world with structure and realism. 

While Sassinak, the main character, could easily fall into the trap of becoming a Mary Sue, it's obvious after reading the first novel that Moon was the one who kept her from falling over the precipice.  The military regulations kept her from it, however devious she may be - and she's devious.  Deliciously devious, I might say.  She's strong-willed, she's intelligent, she's sharp, compassionate, and quick to act.  She's a very likable character.

I was very happy to find that coffee made a come back into the popular culture of Sassinak's world.  (Lunzie, in the first book, woke up from coldsleep the first time around, to find out that in the sixty-odd years she'd been in cryo, coffee had fallen out of vogue.  That little detail just did not jive with me.  If coffee had been popular for centuries upon centuries, why would it suddenly fall out of favour?)  I was sad to find out that everyone were still vegetarians, though.  My partner is a vegetarian, so I have nothing against that lifestyle choice, but when 'normal' humanity is so set against eating flesh of any living creature, that it is part of their religion (and some take it so far as to not even eat plants, in case they're sentient.  Instead they eat synthetic foods.) and then the bio-engineered Heavy Worlders - the 'bad guys' - eat meat, I cringe.  Really?  That felt a little too preachy for my omnivorous tastes.

I must admit, that at times, I did feel like I was reading some of Moon's other military science fiction, and that is a positive thing, because I think her serial science fiction is great.  Unfortunately, I was pulled out of it from time to time by little details like the ones I pointed out above.  They seemed over the top, and pulpy - but not in a good way.  I could have done without all the sex, and I am pretty sure that the sex was most likely put in by McCaffrey.  I found it to be distracting, and it did not really further the plot.  The relationships between the characters were shallow, and at times, unbelievable.

All in all, I liked the book, but I could have done without a lot of the world building.  I am also beginning to wonder if maybe I have grown out of Anne McCaffrey.  I loved her books when I was a kid (I even wrote to her once, asking for her autograph to give as a retirement gift to my school librarian.  Mrs. Showers had introduced me to McCaffrey's work, you see.  McCaffrey sent me a personalized letter, and not just one autographed bookplate, but two.  I was one hell of a happy twelve year old, let me tell you.), but after reading this, I'm not so sure I love her as an adult.  I should try rereading some of her Dragonriders of Pern books to make sure it's her, and not just this trilogy.

Characters: 7
Plot: 8.5
Style: 5.5

Overall Rating: 6.5