Continuing our run through Mike Resnick’s Starship space opera series with Book 3, Starship: Mercenary. This book picks up soon after the finale of Book 2 and we have the further adventures of our heroic Captain and his crew. I’m still lukewarm on the series, but I’ve read this far, why not continue. Let’s see what happens.
After the failed attempts at piracy, Captain Cole listens to the advice of his friendly alien fence, David Copperfield, who suggests that possibly mercenary would be a better route for the Captain and his crew. Instead of trying to find and rob other pirates, the crew of the Theodore Roosevelt will protect people and planets from pirates and other assorted bad guys for a fee. This seems to be a much better arrangement for them.
Along the way, we find a new place in the Inner Frontier, a neutral space station named Singapore Station. It’s kind of like a giant Casablanca, a place where all sides can interact as needed for leisure or business. There are numerous places for food, gambling and sex (among other activities) all throughout the station. Cole and David become friendly with the owner, Duke, who helps them with their mercenary role by acting as an agent. Cole also runs into Commander Jacovic, the Teroni officer he interacted with in Book 1. Jacovic lost faith in the Teroni government, so he escaped to the Inner Frontier to make a new life. Cole and Jacovic realize they are of similar viewpoints, so Cole recruits Jacovic to help out on the ship.
The mercenary activities lead them to such success that they soon have numerous ships helping them out. But when the notoriously volatile Val takes the meaning of mercenary a little too far, the Captain and crew might have more on their hands then they can handle.
Another book in the series and it’s the same as the others. Good writing, mediocre plot, flat characters and not much else. It’s a fun read and it drags you along enough to get me to want to finish the series. But the flat characters and mediocre plot drag on the book at times, especially when they are not in a combat situation. Mildly recommended.
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