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In this sci-fi space opera, three adventurous women engage in the early days of intergalactic space flight. For Angela Pignatti Santori, aka Piggy or Piglet, born on Earth, “it was a simple life but a good one.” Teenaged Piggy and her father, a tool pusher at gold pit four, and her mom, a human resources manager for Earth Corporate, live on a computer-driven freighter ship, Candide, stationed near the light-years distant planetoid Thor 47. In many ways, this indefatigable youngster is the most endearing and relatable character. As the tale begins, Piggy’s father, Aaron, and his crew discover a strange, ancient sphere cloaking itself as gold ore in gold pit four. No one knows what level of threat this possibly sentient artifact has, but when discovered, it kills the ten-man pit crew who approach it while it uses the gold reserves to amplify its communication signals. That’s not the only danger—lurking nearby is a smuggler ship searching for a craft to pirate.
Nikita Marie Bowman, Candide’s commanding first officer, becomes mentor and protector of Piggy when she is invited to serve as rigging monkey aboard the Candide. Ellen Tracey, a new recruit from Sheffield’s World and grandniece of Captain Earnest Sheffield, soon joins Nicky and Piggy to live the risky but profitable spacers’ lives of their dreams.
Douglas’s creation of his story universe is undoubtedly the greatest strength of the novel. The vivid, realistic descriptions of future technology rival the big-screen tales of galactic exploration and commerce. Even when the story lapses into more description than action, the descriptive details still hold the reader's interest. Angela, Nikita, and Ellen share some traits in common, but the author carefully ensures that they have unique origins and stories. Space opera fans who gravitate toward female protagonists may find this book a good fit.