A Passage of Stars

Highroad #1

by Kate Elliott

In the crackling first book of Kate Elliott's Highroad trilogy, strong-spirited Lily Ransome leaves her home planet--and the life she's always known--to rescue an abducted friend
Willful as well as physically brave, Lily Ransome is dissatisfied by the options available to her on Unruli: She can either join her family's lucrative mining business or begin procreating. When Heredes, her beloved martial arts instructor, tutor, and father figure, is kidnapped by alien bounty hunters, Lily spurns the expectations of her home planet and ventures into space to find him. Befriending a persecuted minority class of humans called the Ridani, she becomes involved in an intergalactic rebellion and finds love in an unexpected place--as well as true strength within herself.

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Fiction, Fantasy, Aliens, Science Fiction Fantasy, Space

Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

As a child in rural Oregon, Kate Elliott made up stories because she longed to escape to a world of lurid adventure fiction. She now writes fantasy, steampunk, and science fiction, often with a romantic edge. She currently lives in Hawaii, where she paddles outrigger canoes and spoils her schnauzer.

Reviews

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Highroad Trilogy, of which this is the first installment, was penned by Alis Rasmussen, who now writes under the name Kate Elliott. This is an early trilogy, back when she was pretty new to the scene, and it shows. Our main protagonist is Lilyaka (Lily) Hae Ransome, the daughter of a fairly rich mining family on the dreary, storm wracked colony world of Unruli. In her mid 20s (you reach your 'majority' at age 30), Lily is frustrated and alienated from her family. Her mother wants her to 'bond' with someone and have some kids, but her only love consists of martial arts as taught at a local academy. One day, after a family fight, she flees to the academy only to see several aliens abduct her mentor and fly away in an air car. Determined, she gathers up here 'pet' robot and vows to find him...

A Passage of Stars is a difficult book to rate, and at times, read. Many good ideas and interesting characters among some rather turgid at times prose that could really use a good editor. This is also the 'foundation' book in a trilogy and stops just when things begin to get interesting. The larger backstory, which emerges in fits and starts, concerns humanity colonizing the stars, first with 'low ships' that travel slower than FTL. When humanity encounters the 'Empire', an alien race (hominid), at first they get along and share tech (like FTL) but then the Empire takes over the 'Union' of the core worlds, including Terra.

So, we have one part of humanity living in distant colonies outside of the Union core who are basically independent and have evolved their own norms and such, and then the Core, who after 200 years, managed to regain its independence. Lily's mentor Heredes is from Terra and fought as a 'freedom fighter/terrorist' against the alien Empire for 40 years until the two sides made peace. The human Union, however, is suspicious of the old 'terrorists' and that is why Heredes ended up on Unruli laying low. It seems it is time to start rounding up the old terrorists (is it just the Union or the Empire? Not clear).

As the story progresses, we learn more and more about the Empire and Union, and the backstory, as Lily (after some trials and tribulations of course) finds her mentor Heredes and set off to find some of the old crew to warn them of what is coming. At the same time, humanity's underclass on many of the colonies, who all have elaborate tattoos (long story) are conducting their own rebellion against the elites and Lily and company managed to get sucked into the middle of it...

A Passage of Stars seems to have a hard time figuring out what it should be-- an adventure novel led by a strong female protagonist? A story of political intrigue and aliens? A tale of revolution and reform? It has aspects of all three swirled up in here, along with a terribly cheesy romance. In any case, the prose is rough in places and some pacing issues throughout both served to undermine the tale somewhat. Richly imagined to be sure, some polish would certainly go a long way here! 2.5 stars, rounding up because it got better as it progressed and I look forward to the sequel.

[Renay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was pretty fun! It's a deeply political book, from characterization to plot, with a robot pal! I would definitely slide this under the planetary romance subgenre, because 80% of the cool stuff happens planet-side (but that other 20% is super cool/important, and aptly, some of the most incisive political commentary happens there). It definitely earns the romance element, per the adventure definition, because it goes zero to 60 "young person leaves home and joins sprawling events beyond their ken".

(I mean, there's making out, too, and Lily's romance is important to her development, but it's only one part in a larger whole that seems like it will be important later.)

Full review: http://ladybusiness.dreamwidth.org/20...

[K. Lincoln · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love, love, love Kate Elliot's (Alis Rasmussen) Spiritwalker series. So I'm coming at this series from the wrong direction as this was a precursor to the other series. Hoy, the parallels are quite obvious. Kick-ass young girl from a trading family that goes against the clan. Young, hot-headed but talented, clothes-obsessed, picked-on by society love interest. Other strong female characters both helpful and scary.

So in the sense that I loved Spiritwalker and wanted to read more, A Passage of Stars felt like coming back to an old friend. But in the sense that I think Kate Elliot's work got more sophisticated, less spare and bare in the action sequences, and richer in imagination and detail in the Spiritwalker series, this was like coming back to an old friend at a younger, rasher stage.

Sot still lots of fun, but not the excellent writing I've grown to admire.

Still, there's lots to have fun with. The story is set on a futuristic human otherworld colony and follows a young protege of a martial arts instructor who drops her rich, privileged-but-imprisoning life to follow after her mentor when he is kidnapped by mysterious aliens.

Along with her German-choral music spouting robot pal, she becomes involved in a revolution against the central government and a group of saboteurs who just might be from the original system humans came from.

There's a lot of cool revolutionary rhetoric, a "I can't control myself around you" insta-love from the love interest due to some weird genetics (if Twilight doesn't bother you, this won't, however the raging jealousy might push uncomfortable buttons for some) and lots and lots of secrets that Lily doesn't seem to hell-bent on discovering despite the fact that her mentor and her love interest are both lying to her.

Cool world and characters, but of course Spiritwalkers was even cooler. I'll still read the other two books in the trilogy, thought, just to find out how things pan out.

[gwayle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kate Elliott and I clearly share a romantic fantasy in common: to be on the receiving end of a my-love-must-be-a-kind-of-blind-love. "I can't see anyone but you..." (And all the while me and Kate and Lily and Tess get to be attracted to multiple people and sometimes even act out on it without jeopardizing our desirability!) Because let's face it: the Hawk/Kyosti and Lily [Insert-Last-Name-du-Jour-Here] romance is what kept me reading through these three novels, not the silly space opera nonsense, which I won't even bother to summarize. I won't spoil the details of the romance, but I found it thought provoking, satisfying, and transfixing. (And no, this doesn't mean that I'd want events exactly replicated in my own life. This is what we call fantasy, folks. It's OK to like it.)

I do have some qualms with Lily, the Buffy-like main character. She is strong but stupidly willful, as compulsive as a moth to a flame when it comes to falling for traps, and her whims drive a flimsy, episodic plot. The only reason she gets out of these messes is because she has a lot of heart and makes a ton of friends along the way, and these friends always show up in the nick of time. A woman's true strength always turns out to be the extent to which she can inspire devotion and loyalty. (Though maybe this is ultimately true of both genders--think Harry Potter.) Lily refuses to process facts that stare her in face, which means she's always a thousand steps behind a perceptive reader. Wake up, buttercup!

Bottom line: Kate Elliott is masterful at a certain kind of romance. Her secondary characters are wonderful. But this isn't the finest example of her ability to plot and to world-build. I still want to read everything she's written, though.

[Rhode PVD · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite trilogies of all time. Although it starts with plenty of activity it isn't until the second book that all the strands come together and you realize how great it really is. And then book 3 is a really fine wrap up. Every time I read these books, I so wish they would keep going and going.... Which is perhaps the highest praise you can give a story, that it feels complete and yet you can't bear for it to end.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3rd person/some swearing/racial or class disharmony

My rating for this book is for the series as a whole. This book, the first in a trilogy, gets a 2/5 rating, mostly because of the quality (or lack thereof) of the writing. It's written 3rd person but not in the modern way where we follow the story from one person's POV and get their thoughts and feelings. Instead we get anybody's thoughts, feelings, descriptions of things the main character could not see from her vantage point, etc. It reads very blah and meh. It's like we are watching TV or a movie and the camera will show us stuff that the main character can't see. I guess I'm spoiled from the modern type of 3rd person that is from one person's POV and we only get to see what that character can see, hear, etc. We only get that person's thoughts and feelings. So reading this book was sometimes a chore. I almost DNFed it but I'm glad I stayed the course because there's some interesting world-building throughout the trilogy.

Our main character is Lily who runs away from home because her father wants her to get a job in the family business and she doesn't want to. She goes to see her teacher of martial arts but arrives just in time to see some aliens capture her teacher and take him off in a ship. On the spur of the moment she decides to go after them and save her teacher.

On her journey she meets and befriends a young Ridani girl. The Ridani are the down-trodden of society, given the worst jobs, given negative slurs. They are distinctive because of their full-body tattoos that are part of their sort-of religion, their belief that one day a certain man will lead them back to the green grass lands (which is Earth, though they have forgotten through the generations and only have folk songs).

And a ton more stuff happens that I think I won't spoil for you. I will say that there is a certain character who is more than they seem. And that Lily discovers tatters of information about the past that comes to the fore in the other books.

[Kelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first read Jaran, I knew I wanted to read more books by Kate Elliott. Then later, when I read The Spiritwalker Trilogy, I became a full-fledged fan. This book has much of what I've come to expect from Elliott: intriguing situations, complex and vivid world-building with unusual and detailed cultures, and compelling ethical dilemmas. I did like it. Yet I couldn't help finding it just a bit wanting, compared with the other Elliott books I'd read.

First, one of the things I appreciated most about The Spiritwalker Trilogy was the strong bond of love and loyalty between heroine Cat Barahal and her cousin Bee, as well as the friendships Cat forges with other women during the course of her journey. A Passage of Stars features no such bond between its female characters, at least as far as I could tell. The story includes plenty of female background characters, both nice and nasty, but none of them really make any impact on the heroine, Lily. Her mother and sisters are summarily dismissed before the story even gets going. When we meet the Radani girl Paisley, we're led to believe she'll be important to both Lily and the plot, but alas, she disappears very quickly and doesn't turn up again. La Belle Dame is too much the enigmatic figure of power to be a friend. Wingtuck Honor Jones (love that name!), who might have been a female mentor for Lily, is pushed out of the picture after only one good scene. Finally, Jenny, whom I had reason to think might prove a solid friend and ally, turns out to be a first-class jerk. (In fact, most of the women Lily meets along the way are enemies/antagonists.) All of Lily's important relationships are with men, and there's a lengthy stretch, from the middle till towards the end, in which she interacts almost entirely with male characters -- Heredes, Kyosti, Robbie, Pinto, and the robot Bach, who, while he occasionally speaks in a female voice, is consistently identified as male. (Just why is that?) Regrettably, this turns out to be a Smurfette Principle book, in which, while we may be introduced to a number of women, only one is presented as worthy of our interest and sympathy.

This wouldn't be quite so bad a thing, if that one were just a little bit more impressive. But compared with the splendid Cat Barahal and the smart, capable Tess in Jaran, Lily comes across, for me, as a bit colorless and flat, a bit too much the hapless victim of fate, the ordinary woman surrounded by extraordinary men. Granted, she doesn't reach Bella Swan levels of crushing ordinariness; she does have a talent for martial arts, which she puts to good use more than once, and she also has a strong sense of loyalty which makes her sympathetic. But for too much of the story, she struck me as reactive, content to do what the wiser, more experienced menfolk tell her to do rather than making plans of her own. I couldn't help wishing there were a little more to her.

Plus, the book includes one of those "human girl/Other guy" romance plots that I'm keen to avoid when I can. Color me disappointed.

Still, Elliott is a fine writer and I look forward to exploring more of her work.

[Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so I am giving 3 stars, but the real story here is that this is a sci-fi novel--set in space and everything, not just historical fiction enabled by time travel--that I actually sort of liked. It’s been years since I read such a book, and I would not have read this one had I not been familiar with the author’s work (Alis Rasmussen is the real name of the fantasy writer better known as Kate Elliott) and known I could trust her storytelling ability. This is clearly an early work, but it’s a mostly enjoyable story that keeps the focus on the characters rather than the tech.

Lily comes from a family of mine operators on the planet of Unruli, where people live in underground complexes to escape the storms and avalanches on the surface. She’s a restless type and when her martial arts teacher is kidnapped, she sets out to rescue him. From that point it’s a fairly standard adventure novel. Themes and elements I’ve come to expect from Elliott are present here as well: social justice issues and abuse of power; a revolution whose leader we’re not sure we can trust; a world where women are visible and where most of the characters are people of color.

But while Elliott has been remarkably consistent in terms of themes and writing style, the plotting here was too chaotic to get me fully invested. We’re forever meeting new characters who have a lot of potential but drop out of sight after a couple of chapters; everyone but Lily seems to know each other from their complicated, adventurous backstories that are alluded to only in passing; the story is full of competing factions with unclear goals, which remain unexplained even though Lily has plenty of time to ask. The characterization is passable, but too many important characters suffer from excess mysteriousness (the love interest is so weird I spent most of the book expecting him to be the losing prong of a love triangle, but I was wrong). The worldbuilding is handled in much the same way--we see what Lily sees, and have to piece it together as we go--but there it works much better, at least for those (like me) not looking for hard SF.

Overall, an entertaining story with some fun set pieces, probably worth your time if you like the idea of reading about a revolution in space. But there’s just a little too much going on for a book of under 300 pages. I might read the sequel if I happen across a copy, but in the meanwhile I’d recommend Elliott’s Spiritwalker trilogy, beginning with Cold Magic, for a similar story with a tighter focus and better-developed characters.

[Ron · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book Review: A Passage of Stars (Highroad Trilogy #1) by Kate Elliott

Two Stars

“Set patterns never work. You have to make it up as you go along.”

This is another of those first-volume-is-merely-the-setup books. Sigh. It’s a nice set up, but the reader is left hanging. Episodic.

“Waiting takes the most discipline.”

Interesting characters, though several are so stereotypical as to seem like caricatures. Many decisions and branches of the plot seem forced, that is, the characters seem to be propelled by no logic other than advancing the plot. The people in the story shouldn’t act as if they know it’s a story; they should think and act as if it’s life.

“He ain’t like the other ‘bots. He be smart. Real smart, not fake smart.”

Another story where the robot or android or alien is the most fascinating character. Assuming Bach turns out to be the key to the story, not just a MacGuffin, he is developed slowly and enigmatically. His “singing” bits of seventeenth century music adds to his peculiarity.

“I judge injustice, not humanity.”

Lots of de rigueur Occupy Wall Street, baby Bolshevik philosophy and pompous rich entitlement bashing. Science fiction serves as a bully pulpit for many a preacher. Elliott is smart enough to keep the preaching at arm’s length, but it’s still tedious.

“Never be sorry for love. That is what sustains us.”

“Regrets never lead forward.”

[Gerard · Rating 1 out of 5]

Huh?

One moment she's a spoiled rich girl, and then she's involved in some convoluted save the galaxy plot with a bunch of revolutionaries, include one who falls madly in love with her (and she him) because ... because. Oh, and the ol' just laying around robot that she polishes turns out to be some mega supercomputer ... (is this like the genie's lamp).

Couldn't finish.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Feeling meh about this series so far, but I've heard it gets better in book 2 so I may continue. I thought it started out okay, but it quickly devolved into a lot of chaos and much of what happened never made sense to me. I kept expecting it to fall into place, but the MC is largely kept in the dark with frequent hints or scenes with other people talking about how she "doesn't know the truth" (which gets annoying when you haven't received many answers by the end of the book.) I also felt distant from the characters. I'm a fan of this author and this is one of her very first books, though if you haven't read her before I'd suggest starting with something else.

[Sarahz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Good:

This is an interesting and unusual story so far, and I'm interested to see where it goes. I liked that the protagonist, Lily, is a martial arts expert, and that she's confident and comfortable in her sexuality.

SPOILERS FOR THE REST OF THE REVIEW

Also, this touches on one of my favorite bits from the Jaran series, albeit briefly so far - when Lily learns how old the Terrans really were, she wonders at the things they've been keeping from the people of the Reft. I really liked how the Jaran series explored the imbalances between the high tech and low tech civilizations, and whether witholding that technology in order to preserve cultures was right, given what lives it could save. It's very peripheral here, but I'm hoping they get into this more.

The Bad:

While Lily's sexuality is treated as a positive thing for the most part, when she starts her relationship with Hawk he makes demands he doesn't have a right to. Reasons for this are hinted at, but no one comes out and says anything, and for no real good reason, which is frustrating and undoes some of the positive aspects of that character trait. I think they'll focus more on this in the next book, so it might be addressed.

Also, we don't get a lot of time with Heredes, which means he's not terribly well developed as a character, so I don't totally buy his sacrifice at the end. We're not given enough reason to think he'd do something like that. Of course, there's no body, so maybe there're some surprise twists later.

[Chiyo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly i Couldn't get into this book, maybe my mind couldn't focus but I had a real hard time trying to figure out what the heck was going on. I usually dont care for a lot of description about stuff especially if it several paragraphs of it but id have loved more in depth descriptions about the different races and maybe a little introduction to them would have been nice. I just couldn't picture them and if i cant then i basically lose interest in the world itself. Also i felt that the pace was just a little too fast for me one minute they are at on place the next another i couldn't keep track and i didnt understand the mode of travel i couldnt tell if she was on a ship or station half the time but that could be cause i just stopped focusing on it and was trying to figure out what the hell everyone was talking about. It was just one bundle of messy confusion for me and no offense to anyone i just dont find metro sexuals attractive for myself im more alpha male kind of girl hehe. I did read in reviews that he gets possessive i wonder how he manages that. Unfortunately even though im intrigued about how their relationship unfolds i just cant find the will to struggle forth with this book. Im already reading a confusing series (elantra series) and thats one confusing series enough for me at least the world is amazingly expressed and races intriguing to get me by. Would i recommend this book? Guess it depends if you like fast paced books, with a series of weird language and speech and fly off your seat with no seatbelts or explanations kind of book.

[Tony Hisgett · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read some of this authors Crown of Stars books about twenty years ago and although I enjoyed the stories, I found reading the actual words was hard work and with so many other epic Fantasies available I just gave up and found something easier to read.

Having discovered that this author had also written a SciFi series I thought this might be an easier read. Unfortunately, I also found this a struggle; the author loves her adjectives and producing the most convoluted sentences possible. On top of this the story is full of ‘slang’ with a contorted syntax and clipped sentences.

As for the actual story, it starts quite well and I really liked the three main characters of Lily, Bach and Paisley, unfortunately it degenerates quite quickly. Lily is taken prisoner and has no idea what’s going on, but then neither does the reader. I found this very tedious and in the end I just couldn’t be bothered to make sense of the plot.

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nonstop action and story. Things move apace so quickly. Of course, I still have no idea what is going on but I love it. Also, I did not expect the book to end where it did. I could have read on forever.

[Zoophyte · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars. I finished it, but was wondering why most of the time.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Occasionally I run across a passage in a book that absolutely blows my mind …. not because it’s where the plots twists or what a character does (although that sometimes happens as well), but because as a writer who struggles with plot, dialogue and even naming characters, and as a voracious reader, I can recognize when an author has gone deep into a story.

And so it is I find myself with a woman of the privileged class on one planet sitting in a brig on another planet with a small child of a downtrodden class of yet a different planet listening to the child’s cultural background being told in a singsong poem form. In a patois. Mind blown.

Prejudice and revolution is the backdrop of the book. Growing up and doing what you believe to be right is the story, without ever feeling like the author is using the book to preach. No, you definitely feel like you’re in the middle of a cultural upheaval … but it’s not clear that the change will be a good one. Our characters are movers and shakers in the story, so we see all the plots and machinations coming together, but our main character is being kept in the dark about a great many things, and so there is still mystery that we’re trying to work through as a reader.

The characters themselves are complicated and alien with the exception of our MC, who is very much not an enigma. She’s as straightforward as it gets. Others are twisty, tricksy and keep you on your toes. There’s even a quite adorable robot who communicates in musical masterpieces.

The plot reveals itself to you and hides again when you turn to look at it squarely, having just had a piece of the puzzle drop into your lap. At the end of book one, I’m going to say that I feel the layers have only just begun to peel.

The worldbuilding is sweeping … planets, stars systems, starships of all types, transportation systems, troops, government bureaucracy, ID badges and daily life. From the exceptional to the mundane, Kate Elliott covers it. Favourite author this year, perhaps ever.

[David Grierson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The part of this book that got me in was the heroine Lilyaka (Lily) Hae Ransome seeing several aliens abduct her mentor and fly away in an air car. Incensed, she gathers up here 'pet' robot and vows to find Heredes, said mentor. I was wondering how sentient this ‘bot’ was going to be and who can’t like a bot into German choral music?
Plenty going on with book 1. Lots of very good ideas and some interesting characters (and her secondary characters are masterful) in a complicated plot between core worlds and an alien but humanoid Empire that took them on as vassals many years earlier. These worlds have seceded after a revolution. And there are independent human worlds out on the Reft (rim worlds) beyond the core worlds. This mix and the relationships between them (both characters and worlds) is not easy to follow. Oh and there is a rebellion by underclass humans fighting against exploitation and bad treatment out on the rim worlds including Lily’s homeworld that has a mining economy. The rebels have lots of tattoos that have their own stories.
There an adventure happening with a tough female protagonist, There’s a romance story sub-plot - one likely to be seen by most readers a good few light years away. There is intrigue and galactic politics along with another story about societal inequities and revolution. That's a lot to mix and serve up in 289 pages but Rasmussen does a pretty good job of it, ending with lots of balls still in the air to catch in book 2.
It’s a pretty good book that keeps the focus on the characters so do not expect any high tech or hard SF. 3.5 stars.

[Tia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It doesn't have the depth and skill of her later work (and lots of inconsistencies), but it was a fun romp nonetheless and shows her typical inventiveness. Who doesn't love a good "my master has been stolen and I need to travel across space and kick ass to find him" etc storyline?
I wish her "craft" /martial arts had been explored more than just something she returns to when she needs to kill time in jail or as an excuse to stay on a planet. Something that annoyed me was her horror at violence is really inconsistent, and really only comes up as a way to create a barrier with her and her love interest.
The romance arc was good in how slow and logical she is. However lots of inconsistencies with their behaviour (eg she'll lean in and kiss him in front of others, but then after months of sleeping together he'll be amazed by her hugging him "the first initiation of affection ever!!"). I particularly liked that Hawk's heritage was appropriately problematic for her, since the whole "one true mate!!~~~ so savage but only towards others~~" could have been a stupid romance trope but was dealt with using an appropriate level of human discomfort etc.
Loved the richness of the tattoo culture and how she, as well as others, continue to have some racism against them (and the mixed race pilot) even though trying not to, since its not so easy to get rid of a lifetime of programming.
And Bach stole the show

[Ergative Absolutive · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not Elliott's best work at all. The plot was under-motivated; Lily's decision to take up with the Jehanists feels like a default, rather than a principled decision to right the wrongs she sees in society on her travels. The fact that there are two distinct powers---the foreignors, from the old sector of space, who were fighting against the Kapellans; and the Central government in the new sector of space---I think was supposed to offer some sort of parallel plot structure, so that the actions of Kyosti and Heredes felt like links between two related stories. But actually it got confusing, and for a while it felt like LIly was taking up with the Jehanists because she was mad at the foreigner type people. The actual history of how these two groups of space-faring humans got separated was muddled, and I'm still not sure why the foreigners were so happy pursuing Hebredes and his terrorist friends into the new sector of space if no one knows how to get back again. Or do they? I'm left confused, rather than satisfied. I suppose I could read the others, but I'd really rather focus on Elliott's newer stuff, when she's managed to figure out this stuff better. Knowing Elliott, it will all probably come together in a reasonably satisfying way by the ending, but I don't care enough to pursue it.

[Ken Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

The opening volley of her early careen science fiction Space Opera shows Alis Rasmussen's (aka Kate Elliott) writerly potential. There is a strong mix of interesting world-building and clever character dynamics to keep the reader interested, and on their toes.

A 'lost' consortium of colonies makes up the Reft. Lya Ransome is the disgruntled daughter of a mining clan on the inhospitable colony world of Unruli. Eschewing a corporate marriage, military service with the elite or any other role offered by her clan, she instead practices martial arts with her sensei, the mysterious Heredes, and has a sideline in tinkering with old tech. But when Heredes is kidnapped by aliens, she hares of across the cosmos aiming to rescue him.

Her chase reveals the worlds Elliott has created, and it is a rich one, with a tattooed and exploited underclass, a distant and oppressive ruling class, disreputable and reputable traders and privateers plying the spaceways and the scent of revolution in the air. And of course, no Elliott story would be complete without a problematic and borderline abusive romantic interest for our heroine. Take a bow Kyosti!

Note that this is the first of a trilogy, and ends on a shameless cliffhanger.

[Courtney Cantrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was a little hard to get into -- I'm not sure why. Maybe because the main character is described as being in her mid-20s, but everything about her life made her seem like a teenager. Anyway, once I settled into the story, it was a fascinating romp that kept me turning pages. A great read for any sci-fi fan who likes things to get technical *and* metaphysical, all while following the adventures of a heroine who really knows how to handle herself. I'll be reading Book 2.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

In A Passage of Stars, Kate Elliott, a.k.a. Alis A. Rasmussen, has written a gender-swapped take on Star Wars that almost works. Lily is a farm girl who wants to get off planet. She gets her chance when aliens kidnap her martial arts instructor. She grabs the first shuttle out to rescue him but soon finds herself in the alien brig. Along the way, she picks up some allies. She has a cute musical robot named Bach. So far, so good. But then the story takes a dark political turn, that one doesn’t expect. 3.5 stars.

[Rain · Rating 2 out of 5]

Many years ago, I read the Jaran series and remember I loved it. I was looking forward to reading more of Kate Elliott's work, so started with the High road trilogy. unfortunately, I just could not get engaged with plot or characters. I realise it was one of her earliest works, so perhaps its not as well rounded as later works. Or maybe, its me - I was much younger when I read the Jaran series, and as I've aged I've become more demanding. I will try the Crown of Stars series next.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I have loved almost every Kate Elliott book, so when I was digging through the kindle unlimited catalog trying to find something to fill the hidden gem square on my fantasy bingo card I saw this and made the most horrific raptor screech. A Kate Elliott book from her early career, written in the 90s?!!! SCREEEEEEEEKKKKKKK

Very fun anti colonial space opera, but the romance really detracted from the story because it felt really creepy and unbelievable.

[Aneta]

[DNF 15%]

It's heartbreaking but... I don't like it. At all. Not even a little bit intrigued for what happens next. It just goes to show how tremendous was Kate Elliott's growth, from the author who wrote this book to my favourite author.

I doubt I'll ever revisit this series.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Gripping pace, a very interesting other world, underdog protagonists and an awesome robot. The writing style and characters were at times erratic though and the book didn’t feel fully formed. Still a fun read.

[Sharry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really really really love Kate Elliott's Spiritwalker seires so I tried to read this series. Long story short, it just wasn't as good.

Our main heroine is strong and has got spunk, however, the plot was confusing and all over the place and I just couldn't focus or follow along. Too bad :(

[Arthur L Spain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable space adventure

I read this after having just finished all of the books of the Jaran. It was a nice transition. Kate Elliot enjoys writing her stories and it shows. On to the next book.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled to get into this. More than 100 pages and I hadn't connected with the character or the world.