THE ROCK RATS

This tale of asteroid miners fighting a giant conglomerate is a classic space opera, with characters and plot portrayed in broad strokes. It centers around Lars Fuchs, an independent miner who turns pirate to battle powerful Martin Humphries. The battle is personal--Lars married Amanda, the love of Martin's life--but the fate of all the independent miners in the Asteroid Belt is at stake. A cast of nine people switching off might seem a bit excessive, but all do well at keeping the action moving. It's obvious that the story falls in the middle of a series, and the ending leaves plenty of loose ends for the next installment. J.A.S. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 03]