This is a very short novel that has surprising depth. It is an easy-to-read science fiction novel that even non-scifi fans would enjoy. The novel centers around the title character, Tambu, who begins as a naive and inexperienced leader for a ship and becomes a brilliant leader for an entire fleet. Through the course of the novel, the perception of the character goes from hero to the ultimate villain through little to no fault of his own. This is an interesting character study.

I think that any writer could gain insight into character growth by reading this novel. The man in the beginning is nothing at all like the Tambu at the end of the novel, and the transformation takes place in a very short page count. It is mesmerizing to see.

I love long novels, but I actually really love the length of this novel. It is action packed. The story cruises along. The rapid progression is enjoyable every time, particularly watching Tambu's character unfold and change. I have read the novel many, many times simply because it is short and very entertaining.

Asprin is mostly known for his fantasy (the Myth series, for instance), but he has written some highly entertaining science fiction, including the Phule's Company scifi-comedy series. I highly recommend him in general, as I despise fantasy and somehow managed to read 12 of his fantasy novels. That is a feat.

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Created Oct 30, 2014 at 6:55pm • Submit your own review...