In this book, we meet Bill Anderson, a traveller who finds himself trapped on an alien planet for medical reasons, and Talan, a member of the feline Oriani race, who saved Anderson's life and now takes responsibility for helping him adapt to life on his planet. Anderson spurns Talan's attempts and soon ends up entangled in the dark criminal underground of the nearby spaceport. By the time it all plays out, Anderson discovers a dark secret about the Oriani. An interesting space opera that runs several layers deep.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. A human having to adapt to life in a society of furry aliens is a personal favorite theme. But too often I had little sympathy for Anderson, thinking he deserved what he got, that he was only suffering the consequences of his own decisions. Talan was portrayed as a character of great integrity through most of the book, but in the ending (how do I put this without giving it away...) he turns cynical at odds with his earlier characterization. I don't expect every book to have a happy ending, but this left a really bad aftertaste.

I was teetering between two and three stars, but I'm in a good mood today.