Engaging the Enemy Part 1

Vatta's War (GraphicAudio) #3.1

by Elizabeth Moon

In the aftermath of the cold-blooded assassinations that killed her parents and shattered the Vatta intersteller shipping empire, Kylara Vatta sets out to avenge the killings and salvage the family business. Ky soon discovers a conspiracy of terrifying scope, breathtaking audacity, and utter ruthlessness. The only hope against such powerful evil is for all the space merchants to band together. Unfortunately, because she commands a ship that once belonged to a notorious pirate, Ky is met with suspicion, if not outright hostility...even from her own cousin. Before she can take the fight to the enemy, Kylara must survive a deadly minefield of deception and betrayal.

Genres: Science Fiction, Audiobook

Audio CD

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Elizabeth Moon was born March 7, 1945, and grew up in McAllen, Texas, graduating from McAllen High School in 1963. She has a B.A. in History from Rice University (1968) and another in Biology from the University of Texas at Austin (1975) with graduate work in Biology at the University of Texas, San Antonio.

She served in the USMC from 1968 to 1971, first at MCB Quantico and then at HQMC. She married Richard Moon, a Rice classmate and Army officer, in 1969; they moved to the small central Texas town where they still live in 1979. They have one son, born in 1983.

She started writing stories and poems as a small child; attempted first book (an illustrated biography of the family dog) at age six. Started writing science fiction in high school, but considered writing merely a sideline. First got serious about writing (as in, submitting things and actually getting money...) in the 1980s. Made first fiction sale at age forty--"Bargains" to Marion Zimmer Bradley's Sword & Sorceress III and "ABCs in Zero G" to Analog. Her first novel, Sheepfarmer's Daughter, sold in 1987 and came out in 1988; it won the Compton Crook Award in 1989. Remnant Population was a Hugo nominee in 1997, and The Speed of Dark was a finalist for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, and won the Nebula in 2004.

Reviews

[Paraphrodite · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars.

July 2026 - re-listened.
_________
June 2017

I'm glad that I was wrong about Ky's seemingly shallow feelings towards the death of virtually all of her family. In this installment, we see more of her inner self and vulnerabilities.

Being one of the middle installments, there are lots of threads that don't get resolved, which is understandable. Luckily the next books are already available when I listen to this, otherwise, I think it would have been very frustrating.

All in all, another exciting addition to the series.

This review applies to both Part 1 & 2 of the Graphic Audio edition.

[Alissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I still really like the story, and the graphic audio presentation is excellent.