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Product Description
On Vega III, where the jaded inhabitants pursue lives of malicious intrigue and decadent pleasure, Lady Nimisha Boynton-Rondymense has always been an anomaly. Disdainful of the frivolity of her fellows, she prefers the exciting and challenging world of her father, Lord Tionel, owner and principal starship designer of the famous Rondymense shipyards. Precociously gifted, Nimisha becomes Lord Tionel's secret assistant - and, in the aftermath of a shocking tragedy, his chosen successor at the helm of the shipyards. But supplanting her father's designated body-heir, the callow Lord Vestrin, is a slight that Vestrin and his mother, Lady Vescuya, will not easily forget. Or forgive. Preoccupied with carrying on her father's ambitious plans for the Mark 5, an experimental long-distance cruiser, Nimisha dangerously disregards Vestrin's animosity - until a solo test flight of the Mark 5 goes horribly awry, marooning Nimisha light-years from home on a planet as deadly as it is beautiful. Now, Vestrin and Vescuya are given the chance they've been waiting for: to reclaim the shipyards. . . by any means necessary. Only Nimisha's child, Cuiva, a girl every bit as ingenious as her mother - stands in their way. But for how long? For just when her daughter needs her most, Nimisha is unable to help - and in a precarious situation herself. But Nimisha has never given up in her life - and she's not about to start now . . .
Amazon.com Review
Parts of Nimisha's Ship are reminiscent of the melodramatic intrigue and romance among lords and ladies in Anne McCaffrey's first SF novel, Restoree (1967). Here, though, danger and drama are downplayed while the course of true love--plus the joy of friendship--moves to center stage. Nimisha, heir to her mother's wealth and high status, tomboyishly prefers the spaceship yards of her absentee father. She sneaks off to work with him and emerges as a gifted ship designer. One day, testing a splendid new space-yacht, she falls through a wormhole to a far-off region of the galaxy. This contains a planet of unfriendly beasties--mostly leathery-winged avians, easily shot down by Nimisha's yacht AI--and stranded wormhole victims: a haggard human party easily put right by medical treatment, and midget aliens who are easily befriended. Romance soon blooms for Nimisha, and she settles down to have the nicest human castaway's babies (twins, then triplets). Meanwhile, rescue missions are on the way, one by the long, slow route and one by accidental wormhole encounter. Happy family reunions follow, with a certain twinkly charm but no real suspense or surprise. It's a comforting, unthreatening read: McCaffrey addicts will love it, but newcomers may prefer to start with her tougher, grittier SF adventures like the classic Dragonflight. --David Langford, Amazon.co.uk
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