Review: Through luck and pluck, a young muslim girl saves a sector.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 21, 2013
While I have thoroughly enjoyed the preceding volumes of this series, the "coming of age" story has long been a personal favorite.In a, "coming of age," story, a boy or girl encounters various trials and tribulations and, perhaps with the help of some good mentoring, learns how to be a successful man or woman.  As with Heinlein's, "Citizen of the Galaxy," the young person is thrust into a culture entirely alien to their own.Sameena, the heroine, flees from an extremely restrictive, Muslim, planetary culture, and is adopted by a family of, "Traders" -- who are very nearly libertarian anarchists -- perhaps loosely based on gypsies.  Following Sameena's 'outsider' viewpoint, the author has the opportunity to explain elements of the Trader culture that would otherwise be taken for granted.With luck, pluck, and determination, Sameena, through many adventures, grows to become, "The Trader Queen."If you enjoyed Heinlein's Juveniles, or even, "Stranger in a Strange Land," odds are you'll find, "The Outcast," a splendid read.NOTE: "Citizen of the Galaxy," was written as a Juvenile, with all the constraints that implies, "The Outcast" is in no way a 'Juvenile!