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When deep-space diver Boss discovers a rare Earth-made spacecraft from an era before faster-than-light travel, she determines, with a handpicked crew, to explore the vehicle and solve the mystery it presents but soon begins to wonder whether finding answers will exact too high a price. VERDICT Veteran sf/fantasy author and former editor of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Rusch ("Retrieval Artist" series) possesses a quiet, elegant prose style, even when telling a story that relies on hard science and powerful action. The voice of her narrator is thoughtful and compelling, bringing a level of personal accountability to a story that is more than space adventure, seeking out the secrets not only of space but of the soul.

[Page 69]. Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.

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Rusch (the Retrieval Artist series) delivers a page-turning space adventure while contemplating the ethics of scientists and governments working together on future tech. Boss is a middle-aged loner who searches ancient spacecraft for historical data. Driven by the memory of her mother being lured to a mysterious station called the Room of Souls, Boss believes humanity is haunted by old science, the kind that could kill us because we don't understand it. As Boss carefully builds a crew of spacers who are mostly loners with secrets, their notions about old and new tech, and about each other, must be re-evaluated as they first dive a 5,000-year-old ship for clues and then head for the Room. Rusch's spare prose sometimes flattens the characters, but admirably suits both the adventure and the deep moral questions she raises. (Nov.)

[Page 31]. Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.