Being a talented sci-fi writer with a great imagination, C.J. Cherryh introduces you to a very alien, faroff reign of the whole universe where humans barely touch, let alone survive. So here the great space epic unfolds when Tully, a lone survivor was fleeing the bloodthirsty long-snouted Kifs and thus ran into the captain of a very noble lion-like race, the red-golden Hani. Pyanfar, an arrogant but proud leader decides to spare the human's life - and as a result, she and her loyal crew began to run into even more trouble, worst than the last as they desperately fly from star to star in a determined search for help. But despite the constant betrayal, the poor treatment, and the cold brush-off from the other aliens, the ever-gallant creatures grimly dug into their claws and held on fast until they could at least see to the lone human's safety.
This is a whole new galaxy far more complex than you can ever imagine, with so many languages, behavior, norms, etc. interacting with each other - a very realistic vision of what would it be like to live in the very hub of an intergalactic enterprise. One would wonder how Ms. Cherryh came up with such alien-sounding names and all. And what is more, the whole world is quite different from what we are already familiar with. For instance, the Chanur crew are very muscular, sport mustaches and breads, and wear only trousers below their bare-chested torsos, but they are actually FEMALES! And what's more, humans are very scarce in this part of the boundless outer space. So prepare yourself for the great oydessy into the unkown!