Having not read any of the other books in the series, I wonder how many subtle nods and such I missed out on. All the same, I enjoyed this book and thought the writing style was clear and imaginative. I was pleased by the way everything shook out, particularly as if did not follow the (sexist, misogynistic) pattern I'm used to seeing in science fiction, particularly Heinlein.

Spoiler

Given when the novel was written (1986), I had some misgivings about how social structure on an all-male planet, but I was pleased to find that Athos was completely fine with same-sex relationships. I was a bit disappointed to find that sentiment did not extend to the rest of the galaxy, but ah, well. At least he didn't fall in love with Quinn, as the blurb suggested, which would have made this novel far more predictable and a far less enjoyable read for me. I was happy that Ethan and Cee ended up together rather than Ethan and Quinn.