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Cadence Drake #1
Hunting the Corrigan's Blood
Flee... Change your name...
Build a new life far, far away.
At least that's what you do until the survival of humanity takes you back to the last place in the universe you want to go... Home.
Cady Drake has taken a job finding a stolen new-tech spaceship for money that - if she can survive long enough to earn it - will make her dream come true. Not dreams. Just...
One. Small. Dream.
But when humanity's nightmares collide with her promise to never go home again, Cady will have to trade in her small dream for one big rule.
Don't die.
That's a good rule.
In her shoes, could you follow it?
Love science fiction adventure with suspense -- and a touch of humor? Get this book.
Build a new life far, far away.
At least that's what you do until the survival of humanity takes you back to the last place in the universe you want to go... Home.
Cady Drake has taken a job finding a stolen new-tech spaceship for money that - if she can survive long enough to earn it - will make her dream come true. Not dreams. Just...
One. Small. Dream.
But when humanity's nightmares collide with her promise to never go home again, Cady will have to trade in her small dream for one big rule.
Don't die.
That's a good rule.
In her shoes, could you follow it?
Love science fiction adventure with suspense -- and a touch of humor? Get this book.
412 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
18 people are currently reading
169 people want to read
About the author
Holly Lisle
108 books448 followersHolly Lisle has been writing fiction professionally since 1991, when she sold FIRE IN THE MIST, the novel that won her the Compton Crook Award for best first novel. She has to date published more than thirty novels and several comprehensive writing courses. She has just published WARPAINT, the second stand-alone novel in her Cadence Drake series.
Holly had an ideal childhood for a writer…which is to say, it was filled with foreign countries and exotic terrains, alien cultures, new languages, the occasional earthquake, flood, or civil war, and one story about a bear, which follows:
“So. Back when I was ten years old, my father and I had finished hunting ducks for our dinner and were walking across the tundra in Alaska toward the spot on the river where we’d tied our boat. We had a couple miles to go by boat to get back to the Moravian Children’s Home, where we lived.
“My father was carrying the big bag of decoys and the shotgun; I was carrying the small bag of ducks.
“It was getting dark, we could hear the thud, thud, thud of the generator across the tundra, and suddenly he stopped, pointed down to a pie-pan sized indentation in the tundra that was rapidly filling with water, and said, in a calm and steady voice, “That’s a bear footprint. From the size of it, it’s a grizzly. The fact that the track is filling with water right now means the bear’s still around.”
“Which got my attention, but not as much as what he said next.
” ‘I don’t have the gun with me that will kill a bear,’ he told me. ‘I just have the one that will make him angry. So if we see the bear, I’m going to shoot him so he’ll attack me. I want you to run to the river, follow it to the boat, get the boat back home, and tell everyone what happened.’
“The rest of our walk was very quiet. He was, I’m sure, listening for the bear. I was doing my damnedest to make sure that I remembered where the boat was, how to get to it, how to start the pull-cord engine, and how to drive it back home, because I did not want to let him down.
“We were not eaten by a bear that night…but neither is that walk back from our hunt for supper a part of my life I’ll ever forget.
“I keep that story in mind as I write. If what I’m putting on paper isn’t at least as memorable as having a grizzly stalking my father and me across the tundra while I was carrying a bag of delicious-smelling ducks, it doesn’t make my cut.”
You can find Holly on her personal site:
Hollylisle.com
You can find Cadence Drake, Holly's currently in-progress series, on her site:
CadenceDrake.com
You can find Holly's books, courses, writing workshops, and so on here:
The HowToThinkSideways.com Shop, as well as on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and in a number of bookstores in the US and around the world.
Holly had an ideal childhood for a writer…which is to say, it was filled with foreign countries and exotic terrains, alien cultures, new languages, the occasional earthquake, flood, or civil war, and one story about a bear, which follows:
“So. Back when I was ten years old, my father and I had finished hunting ducks for our dinner and were walking across the tundra in Alaska toward the spot on the river where we’d tied our boat. We had a couple miles to go by boat to get back to the Moravian Children’s Home, where we lived.
“My father was carrying the big bag of decoys and the shotgun; I was carrying the small bag of ducks.
“It was getting dark, we could hear the thud, thud, thud of the generator across the tundra, and suddenly he stopped, pointed down to a pie-pan sized indentation in the tundra that was rapidly filling with water, and said, in a calm and steady voice, “That’s a bear footprint. From the size of it, it’s a grizzly. The fact that the track is filling with water right now means the bear’s still around.”
“Which got my attention, but not as much as what he said next.
” ‘I don’t have the gun with me that will kill a bear,’ he told me. ‘I just have the one that will make him angry. So if we see the bear, I’m going to shoot him so he’ll attack me. I want you to run to the river, follow it to the boat, get the boat back home, and tell everyone what happened.’
“The rest of our walk was very quiet. He was, I’m sure, listening for the bear. I was doing my damnedest to make sure that I remembered where the boat was, how to get to it, how to start the pull-cord engine, and how to drive it back home, because I did not want to let him down.
“We were not eaten by a bear that night…but neither is that walk back from our hunt for supper a part of my life I’ll ever forget.
“I keep that story in mind as I write. If what I’m putting on paper isn’t at least as memorable as having a grizzly stalking my father and me across the tundra while I was carrying a bag of delicious-smelling ducks, it doesn’t make my cut.”
You can find Holly on her personal site:
Hollylisle.com
You can find Cadence Drake, Holly's currently in-progress series, on her site:
CadenceDrake.com
You can find Holly's books, courses, writing workshops, and so on here:
The HowToThinkSideways.com Shop, as well as on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and in a number of bookstores in the US and around the world.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
October 2, 2021
An interesting SF debut
"Blood" starts out as a standard tough-girl action-adventure. PI Cadence Drake is hired to recover a stolen spaceship. After being beaten nearly to death and stuffed in a closet with a corpse, Cadence is rescued by her partner/employee/once-and-future lover, Badger. They hare off across the galaxy , and it doesn't take them long to realize that Things Are Not as they Seem. They encounter powerful foes, dark conspiracies, and serious gore. The resolution is surprising and effective.
I can't be more specific without spoiling some of the fun, but it's a satisfying book, altho darker than you'd think.
I believe this was Lisle's first SF novel - she has previously written fantasies, many as collaborations. I've read and enjoyed "Sympathy for the Devil" wherein the Hellspawn tempt contemporary North Carolinians, with amusing results. An excellent book: well-written,
light, witty and very funny. Highly recommended. "The Devil and Dan Cooley", the sequel, is entertaining but weaker.
"Blood" starts out as a standard tough-girl action-adventure. PI Cadence Drake is hired to recover a stolen spaceship. After being beaten nearly to death and stuffed in a closet with a corpse, Cadence is rescued by her partner/employee/once-and-future lover, Badger. They hare off across the galaxy , and it doesn't take them long to realize that Things Are Not as they Seem. They encounter powerful foes, dark conspiracies, and serious gore. The resolution is surprising and effective.
I can't be more specific without spoiling some of the fun, but it's a satisfying book, altho darker than you'd think.
I believe this was Lisle's first SF novel - she has previously written fantasies, many as collaborations. I've read and enjoyed "Sympathy for the Devil" wherein the Hellspawn tempt contemporary North Carolinians, with amusing results. An excellent book: well-written,
light, witty and very funny. Highly recommended. "The Devil and Dan Cooley", the sequel, is entertaining but weaker.
August 20, 2011
I don't know where to begin - I could barely switch off my ereader at night to go to bed! I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed this ebook and I am not even an avid SF fan; I prefer fantasy.
But oh boy! The heroine went from one challenge to the next and all the while there was a marvellous world to explore with her. (The worldbuilding was incredible, btw. Just amazing.)
But be warned. There are hints of violence in this in places - and what is left to the imagination is usually always worse than what is described. And then there are places where the violence is described and it is dark. So, I add this warning, because if you are at all sensitive, you might want to skip over those parts.
Hunting the Corrigan's Blood is almost a futuristic who-dunnit and crime thriller that will have you pressing your page forward button without once glancing to see what it is and how long you've been reading and "where else should I be right now?"!
And the great thing is that this is only the first book in the series, the second of which Holly Lisle is working on right now. Yay!
But oh boy! The heroine went from one challenge to the next and all the while there was a marvellous world to explore with her. (The worldbuilding was incredible, btw. Just amazing.)
But be warned. There are hints of violence in this in places - and what is left to the imagination is usually always worse than what is described. And then there are places where the violence is described and it is dark. So, I add this warning, because if you are at all sensitive, you might want to skip over those parts.
Hunting the Corrigan's Blood is almost a futuristic who-dunnit and crime thriller that will have you pressing your page forward button without once glancing to see what it is and how long you've been reading and "where else should I be right now?"!
And the great thing is that this is only the first book in the series, the second of which Holly Lisle is working on right now. Yay!
May 20, 2025
Chapter 1
The corpse’s left eye squinted at me from mere centimetres away. Decomposition lent her face an increasingly inscrutable expression.
Umm…okay. This is my first book by Holly Lisle. I didn’t have any particular expectations for the start, but this is even further away from those expectations I didn’t have. The rest of the chapter continues in a similar vein. The protagonist has been severely beaten, gagged, zip tied to a corpse, and stuffed in a locker for a couple of days. When she is rescued at the end of the chapter she reflects that things have been going well and they got the job.
After the noisome first chapter the book settles down into more traditional storytelling. The protagonist, Cadence Drake, is a recovery specialist, ie bounty hunter of stolen things, and has been hired to find and return the Corrigan’s Blood, which is the name of a stolen spaceship. None of this is a spoiler as it’s all revealed in chapter two. It’s basically a crime novel space adventure. As you’d expect recovering the stolen spaceship isn’t quite straight forward.
The first half of the book is a bit episodic. Cady goes to planet X has a side quest and finds some clues. She then goes to planet Y and repeats. The second half of the book draws the clues together, but most of worldbuilding and characters set up in the side quests have no bearing on anything. They could have been a lot shorter or had greater focus on the bits relevant to the main story. They feel a lot like padding.
The prose isn’t bad. It gets the job done of conveying the story. It’s workman like writing, not hackwork, but not master craftmanship either. Some of the descriptions are overlong and I skimmed some large descriptive paragraphs to get back to the actual story.
But it’s not all negatives. There are some really good ideas in here. The medical technology used to allow people extended lives and repair traumatic injury quickly. The same tech is used for personal freedom with body sculpting so people can look how they want, this includes full skin colour changes. The book touches on racism and diversity as a background theme.
The way hyperspace travel is handled is also interesting. It’s instant, but subjectively seems to take a long time and is a bit of a nightmare. It reminded me a bit of Adrian Tchaikovsky’s ‘The Final Architecture’ series in that regard. The unfortunate thing is quite a bit of time is spent developing this idea and it has absolutely nothing to do with the story. It’s all wasted in this book, while being one of the better aspects of the book.
The biggest problem for me is it’s a dis-honest book. It looks SF and the blurb sounds SF and it starts SF, but it’s actually an SF/Fantasy hybrid. Now, there’s nothing wrong with SF/Fantasy hybrids. I love Star Wars and the Shadowrun book series, but from the outset you know there is both magic and science in the story. This starts as a straight SF story, spaceships, galaxy wide civilisation, hyperspace travel, nanotechnology. All the trappings of a space adventure crime story. About halfway through some traditional Fantasy starts to bleed in. And the more the Fantasy element increases and is revealed the less logical it is. By the last quarter the Fantasy is directly contradicting the established SF elements of the book. If there’s one thing I really dislike it’s internal worldbuilding inconsistencies.
I did read the whole book, but it’s left me feeling a bit – meh. There are some good bits, but there are some bad bits. As a complete package it just doesn’t quite come together. I won’t be racing to read another book by Holly, but I don’t regret reading this one.
The corpse’s left eye squinted at me from mere centimetres away. Decomposition lent her face an increasingly inscrutable expression.
Umm…okay. This is my first book by Holly Lisle. I didn’t have any particular expectations for the start, but this is even further away from those expectations I didn’t have. The rest of the chapter continues in a similar vein. The protagonist has been severely beaten, gagged, zip tied to a corpse, and stuffed in a locker for a couple of days. When she is rescued at the end of the chapter she reflects that things have been going well and they got the job.
After the noisome first chapter the book settles down into more traditional storytelling. The protagonist, Cadence Drake, is a recovery specialist, ie bounty hunter of stolen things, and has been hired to find and return the Corrigan’s Blood, which is the name of a stolen spaceship. None of this is a spoiler as it’s all revealed in chapter two. It’s basically a crime novel space adventure. As you’d expect recovering the stolen spaceship isn’t quite straight forward.
The first half of the book is a bit episodic. Cady goes to planet X has a side quest and finds some clues. She then goes to planet Y and repeats. The second half of the book draws the clues together, but most of worldbuilding and characters set up in the side quests have no bearing on anything. They could have been a lot shorter or had greater focus on the bits relevant to the main story. They feel a lot like padding.
The prose isn’t bad. It gets the job done of conveying the story. It’s workman like writing, not hackwork, but not master craftmanship either. Some of the descriptions are overlong and I skimmed some large descriptive paragraphs to get back to the actual story.
But it’s not all negatives. There are some really good ideas in here. The medical technology used to allow people extended lives and repair traumatic injury quickly. The same tech is used for personal freedom with body sculpting so people can look how they want, this includes full skin colour changes. The book touches on racism and diversity as a background theme.
The way hyperspace travel is handled is also interesting. It’s instant, but subjectively seems to take a long time and is a bit of a nightmare. It reminded me a bit of Adrian Tchaikovsky’s ‘The Final Architecture’ series in that regard. The unfortunate thing is quite a bit of time is spent developing this idea and it has absolutely nothing to do with the story. It’s all wasted in this book, while being one of the better aspects of the book.
The biggest problem for me is it’s a dis-honest book. It looks SF and the blurb sounds SF and it starts SF, but it’s actually an SF/Fantasy hybrid. Now, there’s nothing wrong with SF/Fantasy hybrids. I love Star Wars and the Shadowrun book series, but from the outset you know there is both magic and science in the story. This starts as a straight SF story, spaceships, galaxy wide civilisation, hyperspace travel, nanotechnology. All the trappings of a space adventure crime story. About halfway through some traditional Fantasy starts to bleed in. And the more the Fantasy element increases and is revealed the less logical it is. By the last quarter the Fantasy is directly contradicting the established SF elements of the book. If there’s one thing I really dislike it’s internal worldbuilding inconsistencies.
I did read the whole book, but it’s left me feeling a bit – meh. There are some good bits, but there are some bad bits. As a complete package it just doesn’t quite come together. I won’t be racing to read another book by Holly, but I don’t regret reading this one.
September 15, 2020
This is the first book in the Cadence Drake duology by Holly Lisle. Holly Lisle is better known for her fantasy novels. This book was her first venture into Science fiction and it is a great beginning. In this one Cadence Drake is a finder of things both lost and stolen. Along with her long time companion Badger, she takes on the task of finding a stolen spaceship with cutting edge technology. The story starts with Holly's awakening to find herself in a locker along with the dead body of a young woman. She and Badger soon find that a sinister group of people with a horrible means of achieving immortality are behind the spaceship's theft. She will follow several leads that will eventually take her to the one place she and Badger do not want to go. Home! If you’re a fan of science fiction, Holly Lisle’s dark SF thriller Hunting the Corrigan’s Blood needs to be on your reading list.
May 1, 2023
I have such mixed feelings about this novel. It opens with a fantastic first line and scenario. There are aspects of the worldbuilding that fascinate me, especially the genetic mutation options and the 'heal' boxes (which can do anything short of reviving the dead). It's no surprise that people would find ways to misuse this sort of technology, although the way the antagonists went about it is kind of hilariously dumb. Spoiler:
Cadence is a character I had a hard time connecting with. Or I'd think I was connecting and she'd do something to jar me out of, then we'd almost connect later, then disconnect... I'm not sure if part of it her absolute Mary Sue-ness (as a genetically modified baby she's apparently the Most Beautiful Woman To Ever Exist, and even though she supposedly hates this and has access to a box that can change any part of her appearance, she never does). Or that I'm meant to buy that she's falling head over heels in love with the most annoying guy in the universe, who she's worked with forever and has never felt romantically about before? It feels a little soap opera, and not in the fun space opera way. Same with the ending. Spoiler:
I find the universe more interesting than the characters so far, but I'm willing to try the next book to see if it gets better.
Rating: 3 stars
Cadence is a character I had a hard time connecting with. Or I'd think I was connecting and she'd do something to jar me out of, then we'd almost connect later, then disconnect... I'm not sure if part of it her absolute Mary Sue-ness (as a genetically modified baby she's apparently the Most Beautiful Woman To Ever Exist, and even though she supposedly hates this and has access to a box that can change any part of her appearance, she never does). Or that I'm meant to buy that she's falling head over heels in love with the most annoying guy in the universe, who she's worked with forever and has never felt romantically about before? It feels a little soap opera, and not in the fun space opera way. Same with the ending. Spoiler:
I find the universe more interesting than the characters so far, but I'm willing to try the next book to see if it gets better.
Rating: 3 stars
February 21, 2012
In this scifi novel, Cadance Drake is hired to find a missing ship, the Corrigan's Blood, and bring it back to it's owner, Peter Crane. However, it's not as simple as that. (When is it ever?)
The Corrigan's Blood is one of several new ships with innovative new features that Cady's own ship lacks and so she and her crew-mate, Badger, use stealth and cunning and tedious hard work to track it down. Unfortunately, they find trouble on every space station and planet they visit.
This far-future "world" is fascinating.
Cady herself is one of her mother's politically-motivated, genetically-created "raceless" children, a mix of African, Asian and European features.
DNA is the only reliable form of identification as "body decorating" can change the human body's shape and color.
Mechanical "Re-ju" units can repair any disease or hurt to the human body as long as a spark of life remains.
There's so much more, but the themes of family and identity really resonated with me. And great news - Holly Lisle has announced plans to write several more Cady novels. I really enjoyed this and look forward to more.
The Corrigan's Blood is one of several new ships with innovative new features that Cady's own ship lacks and so she and her crew-mate, Badger, use stealth and cunning and tedious hard work to track it down. Unfortunately, they find trouble on every space station and planet they visit.
This far-future "world" is fascinating.
Cady herself is one of her mother's politically-motivated, genetically-created "raceless" children, a mix of African, Asian and European features.
DNA is the only reliable form of identification as "body decorating" can change the human body's shape and color.
Mechanical "Re-ju" units can repair any disease or hurt to the human body as long as a spark of life remains.
There's so much more, but the themes of family and identity really resonated with me. And great news - Holly Lisle has announced plans to write several more Cady novels. I really enjoyed this and look forward to more.
February 5, 2018
At first, I was completely entranced with this story. Holly Lisle pulled wonderfully fun elements into this universe, and I thoroughly enjoy the way she spins a tale.
I would give you details, but part of the fun is seeing how the pieces play together.
Why didn't I give it "Five Stars"? I have a prejudice against the category of beings that the antagonists belong to. When I finally figured out what they were, I felt myself saying, "Not THESE bozos again!"
So… I will enjoy reading the story again. I will recommend it to others, primarily those who don't share my prejudice.
I would give you details, but part of the fun is seeing how the pieces play together.
Why didn't I give it "Five Stars"? I have a prejudice against the category of beings that the antagonists belong to. When I finally figured out what they were, I felt myself saying, "Not THESE bozos again!"
So… I will enjoy reading the story again. I will recommend it to others, primarily those who don't share my prejudice.
September 14, 2017
I've been a Holly Lisle fan for many, many years. I've read her mysteries, and fantasies but this is very different sort of a story. Creepy and scary. I'm glad I read this book now since it took her so many years to write the sequel.
I highly recommend this if your a sci-fi/ space opera fan. 4.5 stars
I highly recommend this if your a sci-fi/ space opera fan. 4.5 stars
October 9, 2018
Exciting
I thought I'd read this book a long time ago, but apparently not. It starts off at 60mph and ramps up to 100mph quick and doesn't stop. Looking forward to more of Settled Space & Cadence Drake
I thought I'd read this book a long time ago, but apparently not. It starts off at 60mph and ramps up to 100mph quick and doesn't stop. Looking forward to more of Settled Space & Cadence Drake
June 17, 2018
Interesting world and characters, though the running around from planet to planet became kind of tedious. I will read more about this character, though. 4 1/2 stars, really.
March 7, 2020
So glad I picked this up.
I rad Holly's work years ago and just came back to it. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the world she created and the people in it
I rad Holly's work years ago and just came back to it. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the world she created and the people in it
October 18, 2012
If you’re a fan of science fiction, Holly Lisle’s dark SF thriller Hunting the Corrigan’s Blood needs to be on your reading list. Lisle paints a gritty picture of space in the future, where the overarching government is more of a phantom figurehead while corporations happily profit from shouldering the governance of day to day operations within society. Like much of our modern society, there are parts of space that are heavily populated and superior in their advancements, and others that are little more than backwater outposts living in a stone age where anything foreign or strange (or both) is regarded with extreme suspicion and hostility. It is in this diverse world that Lisle has placed her feature heroine: the inimitable and idealistic Cadence Drake.
Cadence Drake specializes in finding and recovering lost items and her latest mission hits the ground running with a gruesome start. She has been tasked by an extremely wealthy businessman to recover a stolen starship that possesses an incredibly advanced hyperspace drive. Things look bleak for Cady at the beginning and if anybody had a case of the Mondays, Cadence Drake has them in spades. Accompanied by her best friend and former lover, Badger, Cady finds herself thrown up against blood thirsty adversaries when her search for the Corrigan’s Blood reveals a gruesome truth about the universe in which she lives. With each turn of the page, Lisle’s strong storytelling has you on the edge of your seat wondering whether Cady and Badger have any chance of survival.
The story is fast paced and action packed, and Lisle wastes no time in throwing Cady out of the frying pan and into the fire. Immediately, we are introduced to a young woman who has faced hardship and come out of it with the heart of a lion. One of the things I really loved about Cady was that in spite of the cruelty that life has thrown at her, she still has some softness within her. She may look tough, but if you peel away the layers, we discover a young woman who is human, hurting, and still trying to heal from past wounds inflicted by those she loved. She cares about life, and people, and her voice and characterization are strong. Cadence wants freedom from the system, and she’s working hard to get there. I found her not only likeable, but a character that I could identify with readily. Lisle obviously did her homework on creating real and workable characters; despite my love for Cady, I love her sidekick Badger more. He may be “the most annoying person in the universe”, but you can’t help but love him anyway. Even the villains made me love them in their own sordid way; ‘deliciously evil’ is a phrase that comes to mind.
When it comes to detail, this book is chock full of it. Lisle doesn’t hold anything back, writing with brutal honesty about the dangers of human nature and power, and what sometimes results. I’m not normally a squeamish person, but there were parts where I felt myself squirming from Lisle’s somewhat graphic descriptions and happily so. Life in Cady’s world feels as real to the reader as the one they live in. Lisle’s way with words is pure poetry in some places and I couldn’t put the book down upon picking it up, allowing the prose and action wash over me. One of my favorite aspects of Cady’s universe is space travel and the effects of it; I also loved the invention of Melatinting, a process in which people have their outward appearance changed at a cellular level in a very colorful way. One thing that a lot of SF novels fall prey to is technology taking center stage or coming to the rescue too often; I greatly appreciated the balance that Lisle struck between the wonders of technology that exists in Cady’s world, never relying too heavily on technology to save the day or feature in the story in a distracting manner.
As an aspiring writer myself, I’ve read hundreds of books and websites on writing, including Lisle’s. Hunting the Corrigan’s Blood is a great example of solid writing and storytelling; Lisle puts her money where her mouth is and delivers a compelling tale that is a testament to her writing ability and her teaching methods. Anyone looking for a great teacher on writing, or for a great story to read could look no further than Holly Lisle and Cadence Drake. I promise that you won’t be disappointed.
Cadence Drake specializes in finding and recovering lost items and her latest mission hits the ground running with a gruesome start. She has been tasked by an extremely wealthy businessman to recover a stolen starship that possesses an incredibly advanced hyperspace drive. Things look bleak for Cady at the beginning and if anybody had a case of the Mondays, Cadence Drake has them in spades. Accompanied by her best friend and former lover, Badger, Cady finds herself thrown up against blood thirsty adversaries when her search for the Corrigan’s Blood reveals a gruesome truth about the universe in which she lives. With each turn of the page, Lisle’s strong storytelling has you on the edge of your seat wondering whether Cady and Badger have any chance of survival.
The story is fast paced and action packed, and Lisle wastes no time in throwing Cady out of the frying pan and into the fire. Immediately, we are introduced to a young woman who has faced hardship and come out of it with the heart of a lion. One of the things I really loved about Cady was that in spite of the cruelty that life has thrown at her, she still has some softness within her. She may look tough, but if you peel away the layers, we discover a young woman who is human, hurting, and still trying to heal from past wounds inflicted by those she loved. She cares about life, and people, and her voice and characterization are strong. Cadence wants freedom from the system, and she’s working hard to get there. I found her not only likeable, but a character that I could identify with readily. Lisle obviously did her homework on creating real and workable characters; despite my love for Cady, I love her sidekick Badger more. He may be “the most annoying person in the universe”, but you can’t help but love him anyway. Even the villains made me love them in their own sordid way; ‘deliciously evil’ is a phrase that comes to mind.
When it comes to detail, this book is chock full of it. Lisle doesn’t hold anything back, writing with brutal honesty about the dangers of human nature and power, and what sometimes results. I’m not normally a squeamish person, but there were parts where I felt myself squirming from Lisle’s somewhat graphic descriptions and happily so. Life in Cady’s world feels as real to the reader as the one they live in. Lisle’s way with words is pure poetry in some places and I couldn’t put the book down upon picking it up, allowing the prose and action wash over me. One of my favorite aspects of Cady’s universe is space travel and the effects of it; I also loved the invention of Melatinting, a process in which people have their outward appearance changed at a cellular level in a very colorful way. One thing that a lot of SF novels fall prey to is technology taking center stage or coming to the rescue too often; I greatly appreciated the balance that Lisle struck between the wonders of technology that exists in Cady’s world, never relying too heavily on technology to save the day or feature in the story in a distracting manner.
As an aspiring writer myself, I’ve read hundreds of books and websites on writing, including Lisle’s. Hunting the Corrigan’s Blood is a great example of solid writing and storytelling; Lisle puts her money where her mouth is and delivers a compelling tale that is a testament to her writing ability and her teaching methods. Anyone looking for a great teacher on writing, or for a great story to read could look no further than Holly Lisle and Cadence Drake. I promise that you won’t be disappointed.
July 8, 2015
Hunting the Corrigan’s Blood by Holly Lisle is an odd combination of a blood and guts gritty adventure and a coming of age tale. Cadence Drake might believe herself an adult with a business plan and a productive life, but she’s still acting the child, driven by her fears and standing on values that have never been tested.
Along with Badger, her childhood companion and once lover/love, she is carving a life for herself despite being a political and genetic experiment that never quite panned out for her mother, who never loved Cady and had no qualms about using her daughter to cover her own gruesome acts.
Yes, Cady carries with her a serious load of mommy issues, but they’re well deserved, and she recognizes a responsibility there that she’s been hiding from, only one of her maturing moments throughout this complicated, thrilling book.
I started reading Hunting the Corrigan’s Blood during my crazy November. Even then, I couldn’t help getting sucked in and had to make the decision to put the book down so I could finish my NaNo. It says a lot that I finished so quickly after November. I never quite moved beyond the grasp of this book and am now eagerly waiting to see the next stage.
From a purely mechanical perspective, Holly Lisle is a master at making the people in her novels live and breathe. She did something I hate, but I forgive her because it was necessary for Cady to continue. Still that wasn’t good enough. She had to dig the knife in and twist a few times first.
Corrigan’s Blood is a conspiracy novel with real costs tied to each choice, and twisted loyalties, unexpected allies, betrayals at every turn… Let’s just say it was a wild ride with pieces falling into place even as you hoped they wouldn’t but kind of knew they had to. It isn’t pretty, it isn’t rainbows and flowers, but this novel touches on what it means to be human and how choices can corrupt even the most basic parts of humanity, and it does that in the midst of space battles, daring rescues, risky sacrifices, and crazy adventures.
My older sister first recommended this book when Holly released it on her site the first time. I didn’t get around to it then, but I can’t say the wait harmed this book at all. And besides, with WARPAINT right around the corner, I get to visit with Cady again, and see how she takes to her new ventures.
Along with Badger, her childhood companion and once lover/love, she is carving a life for herself despite being a political and genetic experiment that never quite panned out for her mother, who never loved Cady and had no qualms about using her daughter to cover her own gruesome acts.
Yes, Cady carries with her a serious load of mommy issues, but they’re well deserved, and she recognizes a responsibility there that she’s been hiding from, only one of her maturing moments throughout this complicated, thrilling book.
I started reading Hunting the Corrigan’s Blood during my crazy November. Even then, I couldn’t help getting sucked in and had to make the decision to put the book down so I could finish my NaNo. It says a lot that I finished so quickly after November. I never quite moved beyond the grasp of this book and am now eagerly waiting to see the next stage.
From a purely mechanical perspective, Holly Lisle is a master at making the people in her novels live and breathe. She did something I hate, but I forgive her because it was necessary for Cady to continue. Still that wasn’t good enough. She had to dig the knife in and twist a few times first.
Corrigan’s Blood is a conspiracy novel with real costs tied to each choice, and twisted loyalties, unexpected allies, betrayals at every turn… Let’s just say it was a wild ride with pieces falling into place even as you hoped they wouldn’t but kind of knew they had to. It isn’t pretty, it isn’t rainbows and flowers, but this novel touches on what it means to be human and how choices can corrupt even the most basic parts of humanity, and it does that in the midst of space battles, daring rescues, risky sacrifices, and crazy adventures.
My older sister first recommended this book when Holly released it on her site the first time. I didn’t get around to it then, but I can’t say the wait harmed this book at all. And besides, with WARPAINT right around the corner, I get to visit with Cady again, and see how she takes to her new ventures.
November 16, 2012
Holly Lisle's novel "Hunting the Corrigan's Blood" endangers more than heroine Cadence Drake's mortality. It also endangers the life of her one love. The chase leaves bodies in its wake sprinkled like crumbs behind Gretel.
Power, greed, and corruption accompanied man to the stars and threaten to bring the downfall of the human race in this story of one woman's battle against a deliberate, systematic plague that turns infected victims into immortal predators.
Cadence Drake, a Maryschild from the planet Cantata, had fled her home world as an outlaw. Without having broken any laws she's without a home, but for her ship. She trusted only one, Badger, who's her best friend, her love, and her champion. Paying the bills wasn't easy without backing, but Cadence had a reputation for tracking and finding lost or stolen property. That reputation landed her a contract to find a stolen ship, Corrigan's Blood, and bring it back to its maker.
The contract's perspective changes when she discovers discrepancies in shipments to small, remote, and backward colony planets. Illegal drugs and other prohibited goods are not only being manufactured and distributed, but only one shipper and one pharmaceutical company are involved. Both reside at the same transit station as the ship manufacturer. After repeated attempts to kill her, Cadence knows the truth of that puzzle is more important than the contract. From there her chances of survival and that of Badger spiral down into the infinitesimal range.
As the hound on the scent, Cadence Drake appoints herself exterminator on the trail of the most predatory plague in the universe in Holly Lisle's science fiction thriller. It isn't often one sees action like Drake's hyperspace jumps between the parsecs. No dull moments exist to take a break from this story. The roller-coaster ride from horrific highs to wells of worry keep the reader turning pages from beginning to end. From there it haunts the reader waiting for its sequel.
Power, greed, and corruption accompanied man to the stars and threaten to bring the downfall of the human race in this story of one woman's battle against a deliberate, systematic plague that turns infected victims into immortal predators.
Cadence Drake, a Maryschild from the planet Cantata, had fled her home world as an outlaw. Without having broken any laws she's without a home, but for her ship. She trusted only one, Badger, who's her best friend, her love, and her champion. Paying the bills wasn't easy without backing, but Cadence had a reputation for tracking and finding lost or stolen property. That reputation landed her a contract to find a stolen ship, Corrigan's Blood, and bring it back to its maker.
The contract's perspective changes when she discovers discrepancies in shipments to small, remote, and backward colony planets. Illegal drugs and other prohibited goods are not only being manufactured and distributed, but only one shipper and one pharmaceutical company are involved. Both reside at the same transit station as the ship manufacturer. After repeated attempts to kill her, Cadence knows the truth of that puzzle is more important than the contract. From there her chances of survival and that of Badger spiral down into the infinitesimal range.
As the hound on the scent, Cadence Drake appoints herself exterminator on the trail of the most predatory plague in the universe in Holly Lisle's science fiction thriller. It isn't often one sees action like Drake's hyperspace jumps between the parsecs. No dull moments exist to take a break from this story. The roller-coaster ride from horrific highs to wells of worry keep the reader turning pages from beginning to end. From there it haunts the reader waiting for its sequel.
March 14, 2015
This book was science fiction at its best. There was adventure and amazing technology and more twists and turns than a roller coaster. I loved the character of Cadence Drake - that girl could really take a licking and keep on ticking. And even when she knows that doing the right thing could lead to tragedy, she does it anyway, because it's the right thing to do. She and her partner Badger are bound by more than bonds of friendship. Although they are not lovers, they were once, and you can't help rooting for them to get back together. Her mother goes beyond cold-hearted. The things she's done, and is still doing . . . I don't want to give out any spoilers, but there's a twist to this novel that shouldn't work, but it does. The ending does not wrap things up neatly, there are still battles to be fought, wounds to heal, and it will leave you wishing for more, but you won't begrudge Cadence some time to have a rest. She's earned it.
March 18, 2015
I really enjoyed this one!
I love science fiction, but I don't usually enjoy reading it for three reasons: names I can't pronounce, science you need several degrees to understand and so much tech the story gets lost in all the explaining.
Thankfully, Holly didn't do any of that! I could say everyone's names and the science is understandable and interesting along with some cool gadgets. The story is a real jewel too.
Cady is someone that's not only a great character, she's so well written it feels like she's going to walk off the page and join me for coffee! Her world is complex and so is Cady.
Hunting the Corrigan's Blood is not only great science fiction it's also a really good mystery with several twists and turns I never saw coming. I highly recommend this one to anyone that enjoys a good story that's well written.
I love science fiction, but I don't usually enjoy reading it for three reasons: names I can't pronounce, science you need several degrees to understand and so much tech the story gets lost in all the explaining.
Thankfully, Holly didn't do any of that! I could say everyone's names and the science is understandable and interesting along with some cool gadgets. The story is a real jewel too.
Cady is someone that's not only a great character, she's so well written it feels like she's going to walk off the page and join me for coffee! Her world is complex and so is Cady.
Hunting the Corrigan's Blood is not only great science fiction it's also a really good mystery with several twists and turns I never saw coming. I highly recommend this one to anyone that enjoys a good story that's well written.
May 19, 2011
I've been taking Holly Lisle's classes on writing (How To Think Sideways and How to Revise Your Novel), so I was interested in checking out some of her books. This is the first one I completed. I'm not normally a reader of SF fiction, but this was pretty good. There were a few areas that I felt could have been expounded on a little more. Some scenes went by too quickly (such as the final dramatic 'showdowns'), and I expected more of an appearance by the protagonist's mother, especially because she figured so prominently in the memories of the main character. But all in all it was a fun read. I'm looking forward to reading some of Lisle's other novels.
November 15, 2011
I read Hunting the Corrigan's Blood many years after the Baen Books edition went out of print. I got a copy of the new One Word Books edition direct from Holly Lisle's website shop.HollyLisle.com. (I bought the print version, not the ebook.)
The story reads slowly sometimes and rambles in places. But in the end, that didn't seem to matter. Because the characters have staying power. This is one of those stories that having read it, I now feel a loss at having finished it. I so want to continue on with Cadence Drake that I'm having trouble imagining reading anything else right now.
To echo another reviewer, "Damn fine story."
The story reads slowly sometimes and rambles in places. But in the end, that didn't seem to matter. Because the characters have staying power. This is one of those stories that having read it, I now feel a loss at having finished it. I so want to continue on with Cadence Drake that I'm having trouble imagining reading anything else right now.
To echo another reviewer, "Damn fine story."
August 4, 2011
I've been taking Holly Lisle's classes on writing (How To Think Sideways and How to Revise Your Novel), so I was interested in checking out some of her books. This is the first one I completed. I'm not normally a reader of SF fiction, but this was pretty good. There were a few areas that I felt could have been expounded on a little more. Some scenes went by too quickly (such as the final dramatic 'showdowns'), and I expected more of an appearance by the protagonist's mother, especially because she figured so prominently in the memories of the main character. But all in all it was a fun read. I'm looking forward to reading some of Lisle's other novels.
July 24, 2012
As sci fi with faster than light travel, multiple dimensions, genetic engineering and a bunch of other cool stuff, I feel like I should have liked this more than I do. (Similar to Diplomacy of Wolves I guess).
Its like all the elements were there that usually make a good book, but still something was missing for me. That said, I'll still be interested in the next one. The technology and settings were cool, but I didn't relate very strongly to the characters I guess.
Its like all the elements were there that usually make a good book, but still something was missing for me. That said, I'll still be interested in the next one. The technology and settings were cool, but I didn't relate very strongly to the characters I guess.
November 22, 2012
Adventure, legend, a fast-moving plot, romance, love. What's not to like about this story? I haven't read sci-fi in a few years, but this one held my attention. I read this because I was interested in Holly Lisle's writing-craft books and courses and wanted to check out the quality of her writing. I will definitely read more from this author and take a closer look at her writing craft series.
August 14, 2014
It had a lot of twists. I didn't expect what happened. After I got to the end I remembered several bits from near the beginning which were clever, because if I had known everything I knew at the end I'd have realized what was going on.
I liked it!
I always like Holly Lisle.
This book was a surprise find in a used book store. I had never seen this one before.
I liked it!
I always like Holly Lisle.
This book was a surprise find in a used book store. I had never seen this one before.
November 12, 2012
Highly recommend this stand-alone science fiction novel by Holly Lisle. With elements of science fiction, mystery and thrillers, the book has been republished by Lisle. She intends to self-publish additional Cadence Drake novels.
November 19, 2012
Fantastic book! Great characters - the characterization was the best part of this book - and a really cool universe with a great mix of various genres. She did an amazing job with this one, can't wait for Warpaint!
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December 31, 2012Well-paced, compelling space mystery, revolving around a pair of professional "finders" hunting for a stolen ship and getting tangled in a massive conspiracy. I don't hundred per cent love the resolution, but I definitely enjoyed the ride.
April 12, 2012
Decent beginning, just did not keep interest through the whole story.
October 29, 2012
A very enjoyable sci fi/ fantasy story. The lost star was for s couple of slow points, but overall great.
January 22, 2016
Science fiction, strong women, good read.
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