Best of the three

Drifter's War, the final book in the trilogy of smuggler Pik Lando, is the best book of the three, and a satisfying conclusion to an average-to-slightly-above-average sci-fi series. The title is apt, as Lando is indeed caught up in a pretty big war, and a rather grim-looking one at that.

This time, a race called the Il-Ronnians wants the entity known as "God" on a planet populated by light and heavy constructs. It takes quite a bit of deduction to come to the realization of who God actually is, and I won't spoil it by revealing it here.

Lando is still part of Captain Sorenson's crew (the crew he joined in the previous book), and unlike Drifter's Run, Drifter's War reads less like a series of related episodes and more like a true single story. It kind of takes a while for the real meat of the plot to show up to the table, but the appetizers are satisfying enough.

Of course, Cap and Cy being the troublemakers they are, things are not easy for our heroes, and the crap really hits the fan early on in the story. Lando and Melissa (Cap's daughter), close companions by now, work well together and manage a pretty daring escape, while Lando's lover Della does her best to keep the pathetic Cap alive. Cy, as always, gets himself up to his non-existent ears in gambling debts.

Every member of the crew has a chance to shine in this book, and it's rather fun to see how each one deals with being in the hot seat. Perhaps the most moving sequence, however, is when Cap finally makes a decision to act, and his heroic effort has enormous impact. I wasn't expecting him to do what he did (and again, I won't reveal what it is) and was a little surprised at how much I cared. The old fool grew on me, I guess.

Overall, while still not really a great book, Drifter's War is a definite improvement over its predecessors, and a decent read for any lover of science-fiction.

7/10