Solara and Doran went to the same private academy e on scholarship and he as the rich football star t she bested him one too many times at school, and when she offers her engineering skills in exchange for passage to the outer realms to work as a mechanic, he can't resist hiring her st so she will have to call him "sir." After an accidental stun-gun incident, the two find themselves reluctant allies on a rusty, motley-crewed spaceship headed for the fringes of the galaxy, and a mystery arises that may save Doran from jail. This is a lively tale of romance, space pirates, conspiracy, and made (as opposed to genetic) families. Over the course of the book, all the characters round out nicely, as does the romance, which leavens the drama of life-and-death situations. Landers has a firm hand on the plot, which includes a rousing fight scene or two, as well as a nifty twist at the end.

Mechanically inclined teenage felon Solara indentures herself to former classmate (and bully) Doran to gain passage through space. A twist of fate lands them on a ship of questionable repute, where time and danger turn the eccentric crew into family. Landers creates a believable, engaging sci-fi world, populated by a motley assortment of characters that fans of Firefly will adore.

Landers (the Alienated series) begins an SF series with a fast-paced story featuring palpable chemistry between its two leads. In the far future, Solara Brooks hopes to indenture herself for passage off Earth in order to escape the stigma of the felony convictions tattooed on her knuckles. Unfortunately, she has to indenture herself to Doran Spaulding, a former classmate and heir to a powerful fuel corporation. Doran can't stand Solara, and when he finds out about her convictions and threatens to have her kicked off the ship, Solara has to make a choice. One stun gun and a kidnapping later, Solara and Doran find themselves on the Banshee, a ragtag ship with an equally ragtag crew that includes a kleptomaniac and a captain with a marsupial living in his pocket. As the Banshee dodges police, pirates, and assassins, the crew discovers a conspiracy with galactic ramifications. Solara and Doran have distinct voices, highlighted in alternating chapters, while the other characters switch between being badasses and lovable goofs. Equal parts action and comedy, Landers's story should leave many readers awaiting the sequel. Ages 12-up. Agent: Nicole Resciniti, Seymour Agency. (Feb.)

Gr 7 Up-Her knuckles inked as a convicted felon, Solara is eager to make her way to the Fringe, the outer edge of the solar system, where society is rough and she can start over, hoping to use the mechanic skills she developed in the orphanage. In order to afford transport, however, she finds herself indentured to Doran, the snotty son of a fuel mogul who tormented her throughout high school. Solara quickly turns the tables by electronically stunning him and switching master and owner identification bracelets. After a series of mishaps, the two of them end up on board a run-down smuggling ship, the Banshee , where the lines between passenger and crew soon blur. Meanwhile, it turns out that the galaxy patrol is looking not for Solara but Doranwanted on felony charges himself. As the two open up to each other, hate wanes and romantic sparks fly. Teens will be bracing themselves during the swashbuckling space pirate action scenes and an over-the-top climax as Doran's childhood history is revealed. VERDICT A great choice for fans of raw sci-fi action, reminiscent of the lawlessness presented in the television series Firefly . Leah Krippner, Harlem High School, Machesney Park, IL