29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Finishing the Serrano Trilogy., August 11, 1998
This review is from: Winning Colors (Mass Market Paperback)
The "kids" are on the loose and plowing through deadly politics (only just beginning to realize, how deadly politics can really be). Heris Serrano is 'stuck' in a system with her new yacht, while the chance of a major invasion by the fleets of "The Hand" has just exceeded 100%. And Lady Cecelia is slowly coming to the conclusion after her rejuv treatments that the immortality of the "parents" might mean the destruction of the children..
Cool. Part 3 Although I enjoyed the previous two more, this one seemed disjointed. (The series consists of: Hunting Party, Sporting Chance, and Winning Colors)
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Ripping Good Read, October 9, 2000
This review is from: Winning Colors (Mass Market Paperback)
The third of Elizabeth Moon's Heris Serrano books is _Winning Colors_. In this book Cecelia, restored to health, has been forced by (unbelievable, to me) legal manipulations to give her yacht to Heris. Cecelia charters it and they head for a horsy world to look at some horse genes for Cecelia's farms. In the meantime Heris has hired Brun, whose father wants to keep her out of trouble, and also Heris has hired an expert "communications tech" from her friend Livadhi's Royal Space Service crew. Also in the meantime, Raffa's family has forced her to break up with Cecelia's niece Ronnie, because of the scandal involving Cecelia's treatment at the hands of her family, and her response: to sue them. Ronnie, at loose ends, agrees to go to the non-Familias worlds of the Guernisi to investigate some suspicious samples of the immortality drugs. When Ronnie (and his friend George) run into trouble, Raffa is sent after them. Also at the same time, a spoiled young rich girl from Ronnie/Raffa/George/Brun's generation is killed by revolutionaries on Patchcock, the source of the questionable immortality drugs. And also (pant pant) the evil mobster empire, the Benignity of the Compassionate Hand (great name!), is planning an attack on, by coincidence, the same planet to which Cecelia and Heris have gone.
You can probably see that this is the third book in a series, and you should probably read the first two first. (Though I think that the book does have enough internal info to allow readers to catch up.) It's a very action-filled, involving, novel. There are some pretty cool space battles, some exciting action involving the young uns, and some hints of serious consideration of the potential problems of super extended life spans. It's another great, fast, read. I liked it. But I must say, it also has some flaws, that cause me to rank it a bit below the second and best novel of this series, _Sporting Chance_. Most fundamental is a certain reliance on some outrageous coincidences. To some extent Moon patches this by having some of the action directed from behind the scenes by a benign (not of the Benignity!) figure, but this too seems a bit pat.
In addition, Moon shied away from attacking the most interesting question she raised head on: that of what to do with the problem of succession when old people never die. I'm inclined to not mind this too much though: indeed she avoids providing pat answers, just asks hard questions. Throughout there's a hint of the author reminding herself that this whole series began as a light-hearted romp, as space opera, and thus "let's not get too serious". At the same time, serious issues are raised, and bad things happen. The whole trilogy is fun and interesting and a ripping good read.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
3rd in series...probably the weakest link, September 29, 2007
This review is from: Winning Colors (Mass Market Paperback)
Winning Colors is the weakest link in the series. It gets bogged down in politics. But don't let that turn you off. The cover art for this book is silly. If you read Against the Odds and Sporting Chance, hang in there. You will still get a dose of space battles and horses. Check this one out from the library.
Here's the book order if you are intersted: Hunting Party, Sporting Chance, Winning Colors, Once a Hero, Rules of Engagement, Change of Command, and Against the Odds.
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