My only complaint is that this was too short! I’ve really developed a niche for cranky spacer in creaky ship narratives, particularly the “dragged back in for one last job” type. This is a fun and funny novella about Inez who has been through some STUFF, stuff which you gradually learn about. Now she’s on her own dealing with a bunch of dicey scenarios and dicier gigs. Would have liked it less if I didn’t know there was a sequel, because some stuff resolves and some stuff definitely does not. Inez is oddly likable and relatable despite her crotchetiness and her backstory that is jaw-dropping in its awfulness.

I appreciated how Gilson gave us a sense of Inez’s story without dragging us through a whole bunch of awful flashbacks (and even then, I could have used maybe a few sentences less of them). I liked the motley assortment of different kinds of people. I liked how Inez is kind of down on herself but also really eerily competent, more competent than she thinks she is. If you enjoy Becky Chambers, Valerie Valdes, or R. E. Stearns, you will like this.