“ Foster is in top form here, entertainingly mixing politics, comedy, and intriguing alien anthropology.”— *Booklist*

Abducted by aliens to be sold as pets in a more civilized part of the galaxy, earthlings Marcus Walker and a scruffy dog named George (speech-enhanced to increase his market value) have managed to escape their captors. Walker loves being humankind’s first galactic traveler—until he remembers he hasn’t a clue where home is or how to get there. So the erstwhile commodities broker becomes a chef, whipping up delicacies for demanding alien palates. Of course he never imagined that the way back to Chicago would involve swapping his easy-living adopted planet for an all-out, age-old war many parsecs away. But hey, it’s all for a good cause, he has George and their two fellow escapees for company, and what else is there to do, besides avoid nasty aliens? Plenty, as it turns out.

“An enjoyable read . . . Foster’s writing is smooth and his characters engaging.”— SFReader

“Sometimes humorous, sometimes serious, and always entertaining.”— *Library Journal*

From Publishers Weekly

In bestseller Foster's lighthearted SF romp, the second in a trilogy that began with Lost and Found (2004), former Chicago commodities broker Marcus Walker and his alien companions—George the talking dog, Sque the ferociously intelligent K'eremu, the poetic Tuuqualian Braouk —are ready to leave the planet of the Sessrimathe, where Marcus has been working as a gourmet chef. Their luck appears to change when the attractive Viyv-pym, a high-ranking diplomat, persuades Marcus to come and cook for her on her home planet, Niyu. On Niyu, Marcus applies his wheeling-dealing skills to Niyyuuan ritualistic warfare (archaic weapons only) and generally stirs up trouble, making an enemy of prominent general Saluu-hir-lek. By the end, there's a faint hope that some of the races with which the Niyyuu have contact may know of Earth. Readers seeking harmless fun will look forward to the further galactic travels of Marcus and friends.
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From School Library Journal

Adult/High School–Former Chicago commodities broker-turned-gourmet-chef Marcus Walker and his alien companions–George the talking dog, Braouk the poetic Tuuqalian, and Sequi the intelligent K'eremu–just want to go home, but they don't know how to get there. They escaped from the slave-trading alien race Vilenjji only to find themselves on another alien planet; no matter how peaceful Sessrimathe is, it's not home. Walker's increasing expertise in the kitchen nets him a job offer from a star-crossing race much further out on the Milky Way's spiral arm. Even though none of them knows if it's the right arm of the galaxy, at least they've found a way to leave Sessrimathe. The four set off to a world where warfare is a game played by traditional rules that restrict military technology to a medieval level, but simultaneously give newscasters sophisticated broadcast equipment to beam live action to every city. Reluctant readers seeking an engaging science-fiction novel will gravitate toward this book. Although it is the second in the trilogy, it can stand alone. Foster's trademark dry wit, colorful characters, and talented retelling of the traditional fish-out-of water story will keep readers' attention. –Erin Dennington, Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.