Description:

A standalone novella set in Allen Steele's signature world of Coyote!

From Publishers Weekly

Steele's intimate stand-alone novella of the frontier planet of Coyote chronicles the redemptive journey of two colony exiles, adding a brilliant brushstroke to the already vast and vivid canvas of the Coyote saga (Coyote, etc.). When Marie Montero and Lars Thompson are involved in a tavern brawl in the Liberty settlement, magistrates decide upon six months of corrective banishment instead of sentencing them to stockade time. The two outcasts and their enigmatic cyborg guide, Manuel Castro, set out on their compulsory expedition to survey the largely uncharted planet, beginning a journey into the wilderness that will not only endanger their lives but force them to come to grips with their deepest fears and flaws. With a sophistication reminiscent of some of the genre's greatest visionaries, Steele has created a must-read for anyone who enjoys thought-provoking SF; those new to the series, however, may not fully appreciate this memorable story, which relies heavily on the context of the other books. (Nov.)
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From Booklist

Three explorers, one of them once a servant of the fallen Union regime, venture into the remote and extreme wilderness of the planet Steele limned in Coyote (2002), Coyote Rising (2004), and Coyote Frontier (2005). For political and personal reasons, they don't trust one another, but the shared hazards of an unknown portion of their home world sand down the rough edges a bit. Then the discovery of an advanced life-form, the river horses, brings them together so effectively that Marie falls in love with the Unionist, who eventually goes into exile to study the creatures. Steele's numerous virtues in the novels distinguish this novella, too. Green, Roland