Rogue Star

Rogue Star by Michael Flynn (2nd in the Firestar series) was originally published in 1998. My hardcover copy is 570 pages. This is a sequel and has all the benefits and drawbacks of a sequel The story continues, but it definitely feels like you are in the middle of the story. There were a few errors that could have been corrected with a careful editor and proof reading. (For example, a character drives to an estate but then talks about having someone call her a cab so she could leave.) I'm looking forward to seeing where the story finally ends up and am rating it a 3.5.

From Library Journal at Amazon:

Mariesa van Huyten's fear for the safety of Earth triggers a crisis that plays out on the dual battlefields of the halls of corporate politics and the darkness of Low Earth Orbit. This sequel to Firestar (Tor, 1996) brings together familiar characters in a taut, suspense-filled sf novel that mixes personal drama with action-adventure and high intrigue. Flynn's excellently choreographed alternating of Earth and space scenes impels the action, while his characters provide a vivid cross-section of 21st century Earth. Highly recommended for most sf collections.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Quotes:

"However, it was a nice performance all around. Mariesa did not for one minute believe that the mini-tour had been on the spur of the moment, or that Donaldson's commentary had been anything but scripted, rehearsed, and meant for her ears." pg. 36

"The Werewolf [nickname] could not abide being in the same room with an electrical device without tinkering with it." pg 116 [My husband is exactly like this.]

"Protect the Earth from Asteroid Strikes. That was her purpose, regardless what Donaldson intended." pg. 124

""It's not a question of 'belief.' We're not a church. We're not preaching a religion."

"Some of us are... That's what bugs me. I joined the Crusades to help solve problems, not sing progressive hymns and speak in humanistic tongues."

"It's a weak sort of belief that dreads the facts." pg. 141

"Personally, the less I see of government, the happier I am. Yes, I know, I know...You can't play the game without rules and referees. What I object to is when the referees start making coaching decisions, start calling the plays,start putting sandbags on the ankles of the better players." pg. 208

"It was also somewhat of a facade. The shelved books were all for show. Display copies: one per title; because book people needed something to fondle. They loved the browsing, the happy discovery of an unexpected title, the casual conversations - Have you tried this one? The chance glimpse of an eye catching cover. An experience still hard to duplicate on the Net. If you wanted a book, you put your order in at the desk and they would download it, hardcopy it, colorprint a cover, and bind it, all in less than an hour. For the younger, more impatient crowd, a CD disk to slip into their Bookman." pg. 214

In the summers I would walk into the woods and sit with my back to a tall birch, and listen to the rush of the wind through the trees. If I listened long enough, it would sound as if the trees were hissing in a strange, whispering tongue. sometimes I could almost make out the words." pg. 247

"Did she define her entire life by a single disappointment in high school? What a sad life, if its voyage were impeded by an anchor fixed in the mud of adolescence." pg. 370

"Call it ideological triage. Don't paint with too broad a brush and don't confuse me with your character of me." pg. 487