Classic Pulp Science Fiction. Laser guns, space-travel, new worlds, plots of murder, and galaxy-changing events!
Leigh Brackett writes excellent action-adventure stories. My only qualm with her writing is the women – that tend towards the stereotypical sex-bomb or damsel-in-distress, and seem to be there only to further the plot for the hero. But, she was writing to a particular audience and that is what they wanted!
As for this particular story, it was more well-written then others by her. I say that because I had strong opinions about the choices the characters made and could only have that if I cared about the outcome. To point, I agreed with the “villains” of the story and not the hero. The hero’s fight, I thought, seemed idealistic and based on naive and short-sighted assumptions about a world he had just entered. The villains seems to understand the long-reaching consequences of the hero’s action (that being war, suffering, and death for millions of people) but because the hero’s action lead to the “Free Choice” of others, we’re supposed to agree with it. Maybe if you are an emotion-driven person, yea, but not for a logical person.
But then, it’s that the mark of a good book? It stirs the mind and engages the heart? ( )

Potenti alieni chiamati Vardda monopolizzano i viaggi interstellari ed il commercio intergalattico, proibendo ad altri di fare altrettanto. Un umano cercherà di infrangere tale dominio.
Niente di eccezionale ma lo stile è sempre quello eccelso della Brackett, ovvero un gran bel leggere. ( )

This is a typical space opera and not really unusual in any respect except for the cool device around which the story is built. The monopoly the Vardda people have on interstellar travel and its jealous protection provides the interesting backdrop against which this story is penned and it is engaging. While not being a page-turner, it is consistent with quality golden age space opera in that there is a constant upbeat pace and many interesting changes of location.

Complete review at: The Great Gnome Press Science Fiction Odyssey, and a close-up examination of the book itself.
( )

[AKA THE STARMEN OF LLYRDIS