Star Risk, Ltd.

Assigned to a remote outpost, M'chel Riss finds her career with the Alliance Marines going nowhere, until she comes to the attention of Star Risk, Ltd., a mercenary outfit that will take on any mission, no matter how dangerous, if the money is right, including the rescue of a dangerous supersoldier trapped in a maximum-security prison. Original.

A prolific military-sf scribe offers more of it in the story of space marine major M'chel Riss. After eight years' faithful service, she is down on her luck and promotion prospects. She hopes to recoup her fortunes, not to mention fortune, in Star Risk, Ltd., an extremely motley crew of spacefaring mercenaries, whose first mission is to spring another top-notch soldier from a maximum-security prison. No questions are to be asked about the task, but large sums will be paid should it be successfully accomplished. In the way of success are interstellar distances, authorities many and varied, and competing mercenary and downright criminal outfits, also many and varied. The plot is fairly conventional, but Bunch's pacing is superior, his characterization is better than that of most others who produce similar books, and hardware as well as characters display some nice authorial touches. Not in the same class as Moon's, Bujold's, or Weber's military sf, but well up to Bunch's standards for intelligent action sf. Roland Green
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