All in all this is a fun science fiction book with an interesting and different plot - lady doctor with over-controlling father on xenophobic Terra takes a job on a space outpost and has to deal with medical emergencies in uncountable species, as well as difficult co-workers and culture shock. There is one thing about the book that really, really bothered me though, and this is, (mentioned in many other reviews, but I want to be tasteful and keep spoilers hidden) (view spoiler)[ WHY THE HELL DOES SHE GET RAPED? I am not one of those that says rape should never, ever be in a book, but there should be some kind of reason for it. In this case it seems to be building up some kind of tension between her and Duncan (who she apparently later marries, thanks people who don't hide their spoilers), who is mind controlled by aliens at the time that he rapes her, so it's not exactly him raping her, or something like that? but, you know, there are other ways to create tension in a relationship than just chucking a raped-and-kinda-likes-it in there. It's tossing a big, old, ugly turd into an otherwise good, fun book. I'll probably read the rest of them nonetheless, but that was a definite downer. (hide spoiler)]