I don’t remember reading any Jack Vance (if I did, it was decades ago), and so I’m not familiar with the Demon Princes universe. That wasn’t a problem at all, although I may have missed a bunch of Easter eggs.

The prose was tidy, and I noticed only a few typos which didn’t particularly trip me up (though having Morwen’s family referred to as “the Morwens” threw me a couple of times).

The main characters were an escaped slave, sundry locals and various factions out in the wider world(s). Although I didn’t feel particularly invested in the individuals, it was fun seeing how they dealt with each other. The alliances that formed tended to remain in place, which surprised me a little. Maybe I’m too cynical in that I was expecting betrayals that didn’t come to pass.

A solid space adventure and a quick, easy read.

Interesting premise - a slave girl has managed to escape and flees to her parent' homeworld. Usually the stories are of the daring escape, but this is simply the life afterwards. The setting is almost fan-fic it's in one of Jack Vance's universes, and he's listed as authorial supervision, so presumably approves. I don't think I've read it, so I don't know how well it deviates from cannon. I assume his stories are mostly set in the civilised space and this all takes place in the Beyond, independent worlds outside of normal control.

A drug cartel has taken over the homeworld, but portrayed positively (or at least as only mildly euphoric and non-addictive). But our heroine has a secret, that she can only access once she's been accepted for the fear of secret police remains a constant paranoia in the Beyond. However she's resourceful and cunning - far beyond the usual crushed personality of slaves - meeting setbacks with aplomb and fresh resolve. The second half, once she's established herself is less compelling. ( )