You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo
In the final few hours before the space station where she lives is blown up, Niko Larsen receives a mysterious package. Not a shipment of supplies, which would be addressed to her restaurant. The box is large and heavy; the shipping label has been torn off. There is no indication where it came from or who sent it.
But Niko has bigger problems right now. Last Chance Restaurant is about to be visited by a food critic and Niko’s staff – the remains of her former military regiment – are beside themselves trying to prepare.
Her former sergeant, now head chef, is requesting permission to acquire an eggplant, by any means necessary. For some reason, her comms officer has seen fit to accept a reservation from a large party that claims to know Niko. And their front-of-house host, part of an alien race with the ability to see the future, is making predictions of doom.
All seems to be going well by the time the food critic, Lolola Montaigne d’Arcy deBurgh, arrives. Although she is quickly followed by an unexpected guest.
Arpat Takraven is a famous racer and apparent food connoisseur, and he is willing to pay top dollar for the privilege of dining in the same room as Lolola. Niko agrees, but before the meal can begin, the station is attacked.
With Takraven offering them shelter, Niko, her crew, and Lolola leave the restaurant. Along the way, Takraven is killed by debris. Like many of the extremely wealthy, he has a clone body that his consciousness will transfer to. In the meantime, he gives Niko a password to get the rest of them onto his ship.
Once aboard the You Sexy Thing, the ship informs Niko that the password she was given is one used to indicate to it that Takraven was under duress. The Thing has been directed to take everyone aboard to a prison planet and turn them in for theft.
As they gather themselves, Niko is surprised that a member of her crew brought along the mysterious crate from her office. Within the box is a young woman in cryosleep. She is an imperial heir with no memory of why she was sent to Niko.
The crew sets about making themselves at home on the ship, for what time they have there. They even seem to be making some headway gaining a rapport with the Thing. However, they soon find out that Lolola is not who she seems, as she forcibly takes control of the ship and changes their course to the Intergalactic Association of Pirate Havens.
Cat Rambo’s YOU SEXY THING is the first book in their Disco Space Opera series. It is full of well-developed characters and extensive lore. This book only scratches the surface of the world that Rambo has built. I found it to be a fun read, well-deserving of the phrase “space opera.”
Review by Alyssa Berry, Technical Services Librarian
