Review: Torchship Pilot

The sequel to Torchship, by Karl Gallagher follows our intrepid heroes on a journey through space, and right into a war.

Due to events that happened during Torchship, the Disconnect has declared war on the Fusion--the high tech, monolithic world that makes 1984 look subtle.

Michigan Long and her Captain have been hired to do some shady missions for the Disconnect, and everything they did in Torchship have come back to help them .. or bite them on the ass.

As the description says

WAR IS BAD FOR BUSINESS: The crew of the freighter Fives Full want to enjoy the profits of their dangerous voyage, but when war breaks out they're pressed into service for missions a warship can't do. Winning the war demands pilot Michigan Long act ruthlessly . . . and may cost her her conscience and her marriage.

Despite my fears, Torchship Pilot never went into cliche territory -- Long never becomes a Captain Ahab knockoff, despite her own worries.  Three characters from the last book have character arcs, even when they're off screen. Yes, really.

Several question asked in the previous book are resolved quite handily. There are one or two points where I'm wondering "Why aren't they just doing X?"  I suspect the answer lies in book 3, which is also in my possession. 

Torchship and Torchship Pilot are really one book. They read continuously, and book 2 takes place only days after book 1. Torchship Pilot, however, is one novel, and is treated as such, instead of a series of tales, as in Torchship. The reason they're not one book is simple: it would be too dang long.

The science is still rock solid, and it may have gotten better from the first book, which is a cute trick.

Five out of five. Read it.