This book is one is a series of what I have seen described as a space operas. I am not sure if this is the first in the series or second or third but it does just fine I think as a stand alone novel. Cherryh actually wrote several interconnected series, it is quite convoluted, but Downbelow Station seemed to be a good jumping off point. I'm not sure what a space opera is but I would describe this book more as a political and military adventure that takes place in space in human's distant future. It was at first hard to distinguish between all the parts, who was Company, who was Alliance, who was Union, who was Mazianni, etc. but once that was sorted out, the story really moved along at a good clip. Cherryh didn't go much into scientific descriptions or elaborations on how space travel, space jumps, etc. worked as you might find in harder science fiction like the Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson. Most of it she didn't explain at all, you just had to take it on faith what it was and how it was done...but that was ok. More emphasis was put on the political maneuverings and characterizations of the protaganists/antagonists in the story. The characterizations were actually excellent and Cherryh has introduced one of my new all time favorite female characters in Captain Signy Mallory (some people have even written songs and poems about her greatness). A ruthless and definitely flawed but entirely interesting human character, a contradiction, feared, hated and respected by all who know her but loved by her crew who she treats almost as if they were her children and she would do anything to pay for that loyalty. I'd love to read a whole book just about her as the sole protagonist. Signy stole the show as they say.