While enjoyable, the plot did not cover any really new ideas, and it did wrap up a little too neatly and predictably. Still the situation, the environment, and the characters were enough to make this an entertaining novel.
Thematically speaking, the novel was a touch light, making a big to-do about the different body languages of the different human and non-human cultures, as well as a discussion of duty and obligation.
I did truly enjoy the novel - it could have been a little tougher in places, a little more challenging, but overall it was a pretty good read. Each of Kagan's two other novels mentioned above are much solider efforts, however, and I would recommend reading either of those first.
