The witches of Karres.

Space opera fun! Roughly the first third of this was originally a short story (1949), and the main character reminded me strongly of Han Solo. The plot expands beyond that point, and it eventually became the shared world of other writers resulting in a trilogy. Nominated for the 1967 Hugo award, it's just plain fun.

This is probably my first exposure to this author, known as "a craftsman writer" who wrote many strong female characters. The three juvenile witches are certainly savvy in the ways of the universe. Not one of the common sci fi names, I look forward to for hunting his books in the obscure shelves of Seattle.