Crewkin

by Rhobin Lee Courtright

Born and bred to be crewkin, Renna is devastated by the death of her ship and most of her kin. Crewkin have aspects of family and crew. They are raised in a closed society developed to guide spaceships on the decades-long voyages between asteroid mining colonies and the sun’s planets. When disaster hits her ship, her company’s medical department advises the few surviving kin to commit suicide and join their kin in death. Renna refuses. Knowing she will never join another crewkin, she resolves to stay in space doing the only job she knows. She seeks a berth on one of the short-haul shippers running between the planets, but integration into a ‘norm’ crew seems impossible until she joins the crew of the Vagrant Spirit , whose captain seems as desperate for any crewman as Renna is for a ship’s position. This job, this journey, will propel her into a new world.

338 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

While I read many genre and select subjects in non-fiction, I've written mostly scifi/fantasy. Although I have more scifi in the works, this is changing as I'm also working on an historical and on a contemporary romance.

My first book, Magic Aegis, was published in 2005 and won the Dream Realm Award for Fantasy that year. Change and Acceptance are written in that same fantasy world. My science fiction efforts started with Rogue's Rules, which was a Dream Realm Award finalist, is about a multi-personality heroine. Loser's Game and Devil's Due complete that series. Devil's Due is an EPPIE finalist as well as a Dream Realm finalist for 2007.

Home World, Aginfeld is a futuristic romance and part of to-be-written series called Home Worlds.

New in April, Champagne Books released my Romantic Suspense, Stone House Farm

In February 2011, MuseItUp Publishing released Crewkin a space opera I'm sure will please scifi readers.

Hope you take a chance and read one of my works.

Reviews

[Dr susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, different sci fi adventure

The worldbuilding is fascinating and unique, Renna is a marvelous character, and the story is a page-turner. I enjoyed the ship's crew and Renna's struggles to adapt to her new life felt realistic. I read Crewkin in KU but will buy it to reread.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

Renna is good the crew are dumb brutes

Renna is a great character and I loved her. The computer engine is fun too, but Jake, Zak and the rest are terrible crew members and take out their rage at the world for their dumb mistakes on Renna.

Zak and the crew continue to abuse Renna until she becomes dependent on them and they never trust her and treat her like crap despite all of this Renna believes they are her family and wants to help them even falling in love with Zak.

The crew absolutely terrible and don’t care about any of them.

Cutter almost was nice until he didn’t trust her either.

Renna find a better family one that doesn’t commit suicide and one that doesn’t abuse you

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must rave about this book. Once I picked it up and started to read it I just could not stop. Of course, I had to put it aside a few times, it is a fairly long book, but always, I would do so reluctantly, and I was ever impatiently eager to get back to the adventure. This is a highly original story with a likable, if misfit, cast of characters. The story follows the adventures of Renna, a long-haul spacer, who was actually bred and nurtured (if you want to call it that) to be a part of an efficient team of enhanced humans, called Crewkin. Often referred to as Podders, a slang term of disparagement, by others in the space industry, Crewkin are bred and owned by Markham Corporation – an enormous and highly shady operation.

A year earlier, a catastropic accident caused the death of her entire crew. Renna has always been different, odd, even among her Crewkin, but now she is struggling just to survive on her own, and trying to manage the oppressive guilt she feels; determined to learn how to fit in with normal people. When she is approached and offered a position aboard the ‘norm’ hauler, Vagrant Spirit, she accepts, knowing this may well be her last chance to earn a living doing what she is trained for and loves to do.

As it turns out, the crew of the Vagrant Spirit, all have their own personal demons. Soon there are misunderstandings and conflicts aplenty as Renna settles in to her duties on the ship. The culture clash that occurs as Renna flounders during their interactions is particularly well depicted. I thought the descriptions of this future society were just brilliant – strange, sweeping in scope, and yet, still, utterly believable. The author deftly, and seemingly without effort, created personalities and situations that were so unique but that still easily captured my imagination and held it in thrall. This is a wonderfully powerful novel that is populated with odd-ball characters I came to care deeply for, as they traveled through space, facing uncertainty and adversity. A journey during which each of them faced some ugly truths that could have easily destroyed them all but which, instead, forged them into a solid, formidable unit.

The first book in a planned new series, this one propels the reader on an exhilarating junket aboard a spaceship carrying a frightening cargo. Here is one heart-pounding journey, peppered with twists and unexpected triumphs. I am already eagerly awaiting the next book in the series. Science Fiction fans rejoice, for this novel is a solid masterpiece, sure to fire up your imagination and send it hurtling through space on a wondrous ride. Outstanding, Science Fiction as it is meant to be!

Laurie-J
Reviewer for Night Owl Reviews

[Marva · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very excited after reading the first quarter of this book. Original concept, very well-written. Renna is a great character, who has to change herself from a cookie-cutter clone into a fully actualized human being. The idea of cloned humans bred and trained to be a starship crew is excellent.

The rest of the crew of the Vagrant Spirit were totally believable. I love when I have a movie running in my head as I read. I could easily picture Jake, Zak, Ezry, Cutter, Lock, and (I love this name!) Ship Dog. I had a vivid image of the ship and crew. I rejoiced as Renna turned from Kin to Norm, and even fell in love. Wonderful transition of a character's development.

Then the middle slowed to a snail's pace. I really like this book, but wish about 10-20K words were cut. It became somewhat repetitious through the 1/3 to 2/3 part of the book. I can't be too specific, because I don't like to write spoiler reviews, but I just wanted to say "hey, I know that. Let's move on!"

But the last third picked up nicely and I ended with a positive view of Ms. Courtright's writing. Yes, I'll buy more of her books.

It's great to read true scifi. Yes, there's a love affair in it, but this ain't your usual SF Romance, where the romance outweighs the SF. The technical detail is stunning and ran true.

Super job, Ms. Courtright, just super.

[Joe Trent · Rating 4 out of 5]

(My review on Amazon)

I was headed out of town for several days and loaded up the reader with several books, including Crewkin by Rhobin Courtright. Although I had planned to read another book first, I checked out the first page or so intending to get back to it later. Well, you can guess the rest.

In a hotel room and needing sleep for the next day, I told myself I would read for a couple of hours and turn in. At midnight I finally did. Rinse, repeat the second night.

Rhobin has crafted a marvelous story based around a character, Renna Markham3, a "Crewkin," part of a genetically crafted family/crew of long-haul space freighters built for extended lonely journeys between worlds. After an accident kills most of Renna's kin, the survivors commit the expected suicide. All but Renna. She leaves the protected environment she's always known for existence in the realm of "norms."

She signs on to help crew the "Vagrant Spirit," a short-haul ship staffed by individuals who each are broken in some way. A last-minute job to deliver a mysterious cargo turns into a galvanizing journey.

Courtright has imagined a fascinating universe populated with robust characters and believable technology. It stacks up against some of the best in the business. You may find a rough edge or two, but just let them slide by, sit back, and enjoy the trip.

[Lindsay Pittman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good books tell the tale of engaging characters in unusual situations. Great books make the reader feel like they are in the story alongside the characters.

This was a great book. From the very first scene, I was sucked in. I'm a true science fiction fan and liked what Courtright did with this world. In fact, as soon as it was over, I found myself scouring the web, hoping she'd written something similar.

When it comes right down to it, this book has everything -- intrigue, excitement, emotion, and romance. In particular, the main character's journey as she struggled to find a place to fit in outside of her kin was touching and made me root for her to win over the crew.

I'll definitely read this one again.

[A.J. Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

All right. I enjoyed this book. I thought the themes of finding your own identity were excellently presented. I enjoyed a lot of the dialog and the personalities on the page. I did, however, twitch a little when we headed toward the end of the book and everyone ... well ... everyone sounded the same. I hadn't seen much of a story arc through the other members of the crew. The only one who really grew was the main character, and her growth was really, really great, don't get me wrong. I just wish there had been more growing from the other members of the crew as well.

It was a great book, though. I enjoyed it.

[Rosalie Skinner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. Hooked from page one, lasted till the final word. Want more!

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great pacing. Enthralling story about a space engine that takes over the space ship it's being transported on. Shades of Hal!