Héliot elegantly distils just enough of the essentials to excite the curiosity of the reader without ever actually giving away the plot. This novel ends on a most amazing cliff-hanger

 

A superb beginning to the series then, which in many aspects echoes Herbert, and merits our attention.

 

 

Johan Héliot is an excellent story teller. He neatly combines two great forms of the adventure narrative: a pirate tale with the universe of science fiction. There are certainly echoes of the great Jack Vance.

 

He has a very fluid style, which makes this short novel a very pleasant read, all the more so because the barely-revealed universe and the many questions left hanging in the air augur a promising sequel.