Following postings here I read Man-Kzin Wars IX, X and XI. I found them very moving books, especially the portraits of the two Man (or rather woman) - Kzin partnerships created by Hal Colebatch - Dimity-Vaemar and Rarrgh-Leonie.
Although Dimity Carmody is the more dramatic female character, it seems to me that Leonie is the more beautiful, dignified and tragic. Anyway, they are wonderful stories, and show the contemporary novel, in the hands of writers like Colebatch and the wonderfully inventive Harrington, is very far from dead!
Thank you for alerting me to these stories! The rest of you, hurry out and buy them!