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This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the book.
That said, on to the review!
Life in the Courier Service is certainly not your run of the mill draw. Sure, you usually spend your time shuttling diplomats and mail throughout the explored universe. But when you happen to be Nancia, a.k.a. the brainship designated XN-928, your first mission is certain to be the most troublesome ride of your existence. After all, when your first passengers are a bunch of arrogant, conceited High Family brats assigned to a remote corner of the galaxy who just happen to be plotting criminal activities to show everyone who're the real powers in the Central Worlds' sphere, well, it's definitely a problem of moral, ethical, and professional proportions. Nancia should keep her mouth shut about the whole thing, but as those first passengers' plans begin to reach fruition, surely something should be done! But what?
Partnership is the first of several books to revisit the worlds of Helva, The Ship Who Sang. While its predecessor's exploits were detailed in short episodes, Nancia's story--though broken up necessarily to manage the passage of time--all grows out of one incident, and everything else is completely related to it. So, in a way, this is more truly a "novel" then Helva's story (or stories) was. It is a more complete "whole" and therefore some readers might find it more enjoyable.
Although some readers might say that the elitism demonstrated by all the characters--even Nancia--is repulsive and reprehensible, it is very key to the novel. After all, we are talking about the children of elite families whose toppling by Nancia's well-meant interference may reflect poorly on their families. Yet it's nice to see how the reasonably good guys among the bad seeds are able to let their true personalities flourish. I mean, after seeing how far some of the so called Nyota Five go to achieve their goals and the different means by which they pursue them, there's really no way that you could condemn some of them, not when held up to their cohorts' examples, right?
Partnership continues the universe of the shellpersons begun in The Ship Who Sang, introducing us to another brainship who has no reason to shy away from the notoriety that Helva herself once commanded. Nancia has a long and fruitful career ahead of her; maybe someday we'll see her again!
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