Rimrunners – C. J. Cherryh (The Company Wars, Book 5)

Author: C.J. Cherryh

Title: Rimrunners

Series: The Company Wars, Book 5

Genre: Science Fiction

I didn’t quite know what to expect when I picked this up. I have a friend who loves Cherryh’s fantasy books, so I assumed her sci fi would be roughly as good. Unfortunately, I wasn’t that impressed. Apparently this book takes place in the same universe as Downbelow Station and Merchanter’s Luck, so maybe if I had read those I might have been more interested in what was going on in this book.

Sadly, though, at the end, I found I didn’t quite care. That may sound callous, but it was true. I never quite really reached the point where I saw the point. Yeager, the main character, is an “outcast” of sorts from the very beginning, and though you could say she has found a place of sorts by the end, there really wasn’t enough resolution to that to satisfy me.

Another strong turnoff for me throughout the book was the pervasive, casual sexual encounters, some described in more details than the others. I would never recommend the book for that reason alone.

Cherryh’s did do an excellent job of moving the story along and pacing all the action and narrative. I found myself curious as to what was going to happen next – but more curious as to when I would find out why Yeager’s story was so important to tell (that latter part I never figured out).  While the characters she presented and developed throughout the story were decently unique and intriguing, I could never figure out why I should care what happened to anyone in the story. I really wasn’t sure which side was good or bad, though by the end neither sounded very desireable.

In the end, I can’t recommend this book. If you have read the others (Downbelow Station and Merchanter’s Luck among others), then you might be interested, but even in that case I doubt it. The sexual attitude and pervasive sexuality as well as the continual sexual encounters, when combined with very rough language throughout, make it one book I would advise people as not missing much when they skip it.

Worldview: Secular

Recommended Age: College age and up