2005-07-11 I hope other books by this author are better

I have never written a review but this book was so poor there should be a health warning on it.
It so nearly was quite good. But not.
In the opening chapter the main character participates in a rescue mission and got no credit - it does not really drive the plot - but does fill up 50 pages. She meets someone she quite fancies but he gets away.
There are only supposed to be 20 or so spaceships in existance but this captain allows the passengers to get picked off in very predictable and stupid ways and then lets it happen again and carries on as if nothing happened. They do not learn anything or achieve any growth.
There are a few nice touches where decisions are run through 'protocol' or reservations are placed in 'the log', or decisions are made with one eye to later legal action, but the joy/suprise/impact of finding a new civilization is on a par with finding there is news on TV on the hour in foreign countries.