Review: it's a good read, and the effort shows
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 16, 2014
Mr. McElhaney put some effort to this book, and it shows.  The story is interesting, and the main characters are sufficiently developed that one can relate to them.  I don't mind that the book closes with an expectation of a sequel since the adventure that started the book is closed at the end.  Nevertheless, there is a little skipping over things or maybe things that should be left unsaid.  For instance, biologist kills off one of the occupants of the ship with her investigation, and nothing is said in forgiveness, acknowledgement or anything.  Why she did it is also little understood.  The master computer doesn't seem so evil, and was even disabled in a rather unknown but easy manner.  It would seem that more could be found out about the evil Pli by investigating the ship, but I suppose that could be left to another episode.  Leaving one of the shuttles behind sure seemed reasonable, but never happened.  Relativity seems a little confusing.  How do you go to a star 15 light years away traveling at 99% of the speed of light and take only a couple of weeks as observed from inside and outside?