Jax Cochrane is a teen facing the unknown in the star system Nilong, the place where her parents and two other couples have decided to "retire" from scavenging among Alien ruins. She, her boyfriend Nagai, her ship sister Jioni and formal Hitori are four teens who have never seen a planet nor Aliens. They know only Ship life. But now, in Nilong, the four of them are discovering what life is like in a place ruled by the wolf-like Alish'Tak aliens. Their parents are the Memory Singers who combine singing ancient Earth songs with personal memories of Earth via the memorynet device, in the family's space cabaret that orbits the planet Storet.
But Jax has a history of rebellion against rules. Even though she knows nothing of planets or Aliens, she is determined to explore, to meet Aliens, to determine the course of her life herself. But can stubbornness save her when the Alish'Tak demand to own her? Can she survive on a planet, when all her life has been aboard ship? And can she build a connection with the young Alish'Tak male who helps her escape to the wilderness?
She may find the answers in space and down-planet, if she can just outwit the Aliens and environment long enough to grow up.
"A coming of age story reminiscent of Robert A. Heinlein or Alexei Panshin. Jax [the main character] is a fun character, and her world is compelling. The social patterns of Ship life are fascinating, and the Alish'Tak [the main alien species] are sufficiently alien to make for a fairly complex book. Very enjoyable."--Don Sakers, Analog Science Fiction
