Undertow (Bantam Science Fiction)
Novo Haven, a floating city on Greene's World, is a place people go to to escape. Andre Deschenes is a very good assassin but wants to branch out into conjuring, manipulating probability, and changing odds, if he can find someone willing to teach him. The world is controlled by the ruthless Charter Trade Company, which knows of more undercurrents flowing in this backwater than it wants to acknowledge: mining is eroding the native population, the ranids; the material being mined is no ordinary substance; and mining operations are destroying the planet. No one in the company wants to admit that the ranids constitute a civilization, though there are those who want the ranids freed of their servitude to the Company. One such is Lucienne Spivak. When Andre kills her to fulfill a contract, the gears of revolution start turning. Bear's perfectly paced story features fascinating characters, complex plotting, and brilliantly imagined aliens. Thought-provoking as well as entertaining, it further demonstrates the strength of Bear's storytelling. Schroeder, Regina