This book is standard McCaffrey. Lots of characters, a fascinating situation, but a little low on plot, and completely lacking a resolution at the end. It may as well have "To Be Continued..." written on the back cover. The tale is of space travellers (from Earth , aren't they all?) who are sent to explore a planet not inhabited by anything highly evolved. What they find are dinosaurs: exactly the same animals that used to live on Earth. The two main characters, Kai and Varian, are co-leaders of the expedition. The book progresses with the various discoveries of the crew members (plants, animals, DNA structures, etc.) and their growth as they hang out on the planet. When one part of the crew reverts to their cultural background as savage flesh-eaters, the whole expedition is threatened. That's about all that happens. McCaffrey leaves us saying "and then what?'' Although a friend assured me that there was a sequel to the book, I would have been happier if McCaffrey had ended this one. The little plot in the book was a thread of why the dinosaurs were there and what had happened to the main ship. It was barely enough to keep me interested. I want to read the sequel to find out what happens, but I'm not sure if it'll be worth my time. It probably is. What is the summer for, if not for reading lousy books? n