A review by thinde
Agent of Change by Sharon Lee
5.0
Originally published in 1988 it took twelve more years for a commercial following to gather for the Liaden Universe. During the mild aftermath of their first being published, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller continued to write but, I think, mostly for themselves. If the general public didn't embrace what they wrote, at least they enjoyed writing it. The strange thing is that the initial three novels were excellent. It's a mystery to me why it took so long for them to succeed. The book market can be an unpredictable battleground. If it weren't for all the positive ratings awarded on Amazon.com, they may have slipped passed me.
Written in the vein of space opera, each of the Liaden Universe books, six so far, center on the Liaden clan Korval. A nonterrestrial but human family that ensures its survival in a universe of cut-throat politics with commercial acumen, a fleet of ships and a generations-long breeding program aimed at producing pilots, (a rare bread of individual that has the reflexes of a cat and courage to match).
Each book tends to concentrate on one couple, typically as they meet, fall in love and life-bond. All this tends to happen under adverse circumstances; running from secret government agents, dueling with mad ship captains, targeted by a futuristic crime family, or just being attacked by a mindless race of aggressive aliens known as the Yxtrang.
The Clan Korval does not always have to fight alone. One of their more fascinating allies is the Clutch Turtles, linked to Korval through an unspecified and mysterious adoption. These aliens are an old race, long-lived, slow to act, fascinated by art and possibly the most deadly creatures in known space. There are so many factions, families, races, and species involved in the Liaden universe that we need every book these talented authors can produce, just to scratch the surface. I just hope their growing popularity gives them enough reasons to continue writing.
Written in the vein of space opera, each of the Liaden Universe books, six so far, center on the Liaden clan Korval. A nonterrestrial but human family that ensures its survival in a universe of cut-throat politics with commercial acumen, a fleet of ships and a generations-long breeding program aimed at producing pilots, (a rare bread of individual that has the reflexes of a cat and courage to match).
Each book tends to concentrate on one couple, typically as they meet, fall in love and life-bond. All this tends to happen under adverse circumstances; running from secret government agents, dueling with mad ship captains, targeted by a futuristic crime family, or just being attacked by a mindless race of aggressive aliens known as the Yxtrang.
The Clan Korval does not always have to fight alone. One of their more fascinating allies is the Clutch Turtles, linked to Korval through an unspecified and mysterious adoption. These aliens are an old race, long-lived, slow to act, fascinated by art and possibly the most deadly creatures in known space. There are so many factions, families, races, and species involved in the Liaden universe that we need every book these talented authors can produce, just to scratch the surface. I just hope their growing popularity gives them enough reasons to continue writing.