"Kristin Bjornsen was expecting a normal life, right up until the day the Catteni ships floated into view above the University of Denver. As the enormous door opened at the top of the ramp, and humans were herded into the maw of a vessel that made the Queen Elizabeth look like a bathtub toy, Kristin let her mind go blank and realized that nothing would be normal, ever again." "But on the whole she has survived rather well. The Catteni value strength and intelligence in their slaves. And so Kris has found herself part of a tremendous alien experiment - one that gives her back her freedom, in a way, though she knows she will not see Denver again. Once again she was driven into the hold of an enormous ship, and once again awoke on a strange planet, this time with no master giving orders. The Catteni have discovered a new world, and they have a pragmatic way of finding out whether it is habitable: hundreds of slaves have been dropped there and left to their own resources. If they survive, the world will be deemed fit for Catteni colonization. If they die, well, slaves are a nuisance to replace, but there are always more." "The new world is beautiful, green and well-watered. Its dangers are hidden. Kris and her fellow colonists have a couple of advantages, though, that may help them survive. They have individuals like Kris, who are strong and determined to take advantage of this unexpected chance at a free life. And they have Zainal, a Catteni aristocrat, condemned to join the slaves as punishment for killing one of his own kind. His scraps of knowledge about the new world may mean the difference between life and death for them all. And as Kris is surprised to find, his quiet strength and alien golden eyes create feelings in her that she never thought she would have again."--BOOK JACKET.