Lee, Sharon

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Web Of The Trident
Sharon Lee , and Steve Miller
Manufacturer: Meisha Merlin Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1592221289

Book Description

Armed with the potent and temperamental weapon of a Goddess-in-exile, backed by a twice-born woman legend - or is it history? - named Death's Warrior, Master Thief Gem ser Edreth must lead a reluctant generation ship crew and a far too-eager band of aboriginal warriors against a climate-killing dam constructed and defended by the cream of space-going technology. Gem's clever electronic spiders, and the information contained in an old library may be the key to victory over the planet's oppressors, but Gem faces yet another problem: the ancient power residing within the Trident is waking, and it has an agenda of its own.

Average customer rating:

Couldn't put it down
Book 3 of Val Con's and Miri's adventures
plan B is A+
Absolutely Wonderful - I Loved It!
Looking forward to more.

Plan B
Sharon Lee , and Steve Miller
Manufacturer: Meisha Merlin Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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I Dare (Liaden Universe Novel Series)
Partners In Necessity (Liaden Universe Novel)
Pilots Choice
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ASIN: 1892065002

Amazon.com

How can a series with terrific character development, witty dialogue, and high adventure fail? Lee, Miller, and dedicated fans refused to believe it could, and after 10 years, the Liaden Universe has returned from book limbo! If you can find them, look for other books in the series: Partners in Necessity, an omnibus of the first three novels, another omnibus containing two prequels, and the fifth book, I Dare. But feel free to start here: Plan B stands alone, though previous books provide rich back-story.

Meet Val Con yos'Phelium of Clan Korval. Val Con was once an "agent of change": recruited by Liad's Department of Interior (DOI) and redesigned--his memories blocked, his emotions suppressed--into a precision killing device. Val Con's sanity was saved by his lifemate, Miri Robertson. She's a half-Terran former mercenary sergeant even shorter than Val Con, and almost as deadly in combat. Miri also has Liaden dramliza (wizard) blood from her mother's family, Clan Erob. In Liaden society, one's melant'i (roughly: reputation, or face) is preserved by appropriate speech and behavior, including honor duels when a Balance is owed. Miri is nervous but Val Con says: "'Together, cha'trez, we are--' he bent his head, put his mouth next to her ear and breathed '--hell on wheels.'"

DOI has plotted to destroy Korval; Korval now invokes Plan B: retreat strategically, trust no one, prepare for all-out war. Val Con and Miri are trapped by an invasion force of the militaristic Yxtrang as they await Val Con's foster siblings, who are arming the clan. And of course their adopted Clutch brothers, Edger and Sheather, who resemble giant turtles, are also on their way. Somewhat more slowly. Can everybody stay alive long enough to reunite?

If you love Lois McMaster Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan books, visit Liad. This is space opera at its best. --Nona Vero

Book Description

Pursued across space by the ultra-secret Department of the Interior, hunted by the galaxy-wide Juntavas syndicate, former Agent of Change Val Con yos' Phelium and his ex-soldier lifemate Miri Robertson have commandeered the only spaceship on Vandar and fled, seeking help from Miri's newly discovered kin on Lytaxin. Elsewhere, Clan Korval is in action. Scattered across space by the newly invoked Plan B, certain clan members pursue the search for the long-missing Val Con. First Speaker Nova yos'Galan returns to Lufkit, seeking clues, as Dutiful Passage, Korval's premier tradeship, arms itself for war - and discovers treachery. Back on Lytaxin, Miri's homecoming is interrupted by a full-scale Yxtrang planetary invasion. Then things start to get really interesting...

Customer Reviews:

Couldn't put it down.......2006-11-13

Great read. So much detail in this book; I read it over again after I finished reading it the first time and was just as entertained. I hope the saga continues! More please...

Book 3 of Val Con's and Miri's adventures.......2005-06-14

"A changing array of safeplaces shall be maintained at all times, in the event of immediate, catastrophic threat to the Clan. There is no shame in strategic retreat. Even Jela sometimes ran from his enemies, the better to defeat them, tomorrow.
"Keep the children safe. Honor without love is stupidity."
- This by the hand of Cantra yos'Phelium, Captain and Delm, in the Third Year after Planetfall

This book comes closest to suffering from "middle book" syndrome of all the Liaden books, but only because it's obviously in the middle of a continuing story. Plenty of interesting things occur in this volume, but their origins lie in AGENT OF CHANGE (which introduced Miri and Val Con to each other), a story which was continued in CARPE DIEM. The cliffhanger ending of PLAN B itself leads to I DARE, the next book, so I recommend having that handy before tackling this volume.

If the gentle reader insists on beginning with PLAN B in this series, don't claim that I didn't warn you against such an ill-advised idea.

Val Con yos'Phelium, sometime First-In Scout and ex-Agent of Change, is still on the run with his new lifemate, ex-mercenary Miri Robertson, from Liad's so-called "Department of the Interior", a renegade government organization dedicated to giving Liad its "true place" in the galaxy even if Liad's own culture and people must be sacrificed to that aim. As heirs to Korval's ancient contract to protect the people of Liad, Val Con and his cousins can't let the Department win, even if their own lives weren't at risk as a family heavily intermingled with Terrans.

In this round of their ongoing battles, however, the Department is a relatively minor factor.

As arranged at the end of CARPE DIEM, the cousins are about to rendezvous on Lytaxin, homeworld of Miri Robertson's distant Liaden kinfolk - also, ironically, ancient allies of Clan Korval. (*Every* senior member of Val Con's family thinks it's ironic that he chose his lifemate from the most suitable family possible, and that if he'd *known* she was suitable he'd have taken forever to look in her direction.) Unfortunately, Lytaxin - having just undergone a massive rebellion - is now being invaded by the Yxtrang 14th Conquest Corps, who successfully executed their standard opening ploy of destroying the planetary communication net.

And in accordance with the principle that no good deed goes unpunished, the Yxtrang Explorer whom Val Con once captured and trussed up like a turkey is not only attached to the Corps but has just been captured by Lytaxin's defenders. And guess which Liaden on the planet is the *only* person fluent in Yxtrang?

Various nice touches of characterization and development of the cultures involved, including our first good look at the Yxtrang as well as Miri's first adjustments to interacting with Liaden culture as a Liaden rather than a Terran. We also get a more detailed look at Miri's old mercenary unit (who quite properly ask why Miri and Val Con didn't just tag along with them in the first place, if they were going to end up on Lytaxin anyhow).

plan B is A+.......2004-08-24

plan B opens with Miri and Val Con in space and headed to the planet Lytaxin. They've put the word out to Val Con's clan to rendezvous there. There is also an invading force of alien warriors that is converging right along with them. plan B is full of widescale destruction, ironic humor and justified paranoia. It will have you ride a wave of human emotions as you are caught up in the story.

I did not know this was book six of the Liaden universe. But if you haven't read the other books, like myself, you won't have too much trouble following the events of plan B, I may have missed some subtly points by not having a background to pull from. But I still found it a very entertaining read and could not put it down.

Absolutely Wonderful - I Loved It!.......2004-01-30

Val Con yos'Phelium is future Delm and member of Clan Korval of Liad, lately deadly agent of change for the Department of the Interior. The only thing that saved his sanity was the loving song of his lifemate, Miri Robertson, half-Terran, half-Liaden former mercenary. When last we left Val Con and Miri (in Carpe Diem), they had just commandeered a spaceship and escaped a backwards world. While they were stranded, Nova yos'Galan, First Speaker of Korval, invoked Plan B - retreat strategically, trust no one, prepare for all-out war.

Val Con and Miri know that the Department of the Interior will still be hunting them so they flee to Lytaxin and Miri's kin. Val Con knows that Miri fears meeting her newly discovered family, but he needs a safe meeting place where his brother and sisters can find him. Unfortunately, the planet Lytaxin, home of Clan Erob, Korval's longtime allies, is not what one would exactly call a safe place for the bloodthirsty Yxtrang are attacking. Within a day of their landing, Val Con and Miri are stranded planetside once again with no ship, no radio comm, but a slightly better chance of survival. Luckily, some mercenaries from Miri's old unit were stranded on Lytaxin as well, so she takes up her old Captain's duties and trains volunteers and recruits to meet the enemy. Meanwhile, Shan yos'Galan, Val Con's brother and his lifemate, Priscilla (met in Conflict of Honors), are searching the galaxy for Val Con, as are Nova yos'Galan, his sister, and his Clutch brothers, Edger and Sheather. But finding Val Con quickly becomes one of a number of problems as they deal with espionage onboard the Dutiful Passage, Shan's ship, attempts to murder Nova, and the seemingly impenetrable Yxtrang ring around the planet Lytaxin. However, Clan Korval is nothing if not resourceful and, as all the family pits their formidable intelligence and skills against their various foes, one almost feels pity for the enemy...

Plan B is the 6th book in the Liaden series if you read the series chronologically. As with the other books, I simply loved Lee & Miller's characters and world building. They spend time on the details and it shows that they have carefully thought out and executed another masterpiece. I really feel as if I know the Korval family and am taking a remedial course on Liaden etiquette, these books are that well written! If you enjoy any kind of science fiction or space opera then this book has something for you - great characters, lots of action, enemies on all sides, high tech battle sequences, romance, family relations, honor, and much, much more! You can read this book as a stand-alone novel, but I would not recommend it as you will miss a lot of background and spend the first part of the book just trying to keep track of who everyone is. Also, you definitely should not miss out on any book in the wonderful Liaden universe - all of them are very highly recommended!

Looking forward to more........2003-06-05

The authors truly hit their stride once they started "Agent of Change". "Carpe Diem" contined in the tradition of great character-driven stories, and "Plan B" is no different. Please, do not think that this book lacks adventure. As we all know, adventure by itself will never make us care about characters, and the series manage both. We even get more interesting info about another spacefairing race. Plot points come to fruition and new plots are hatched. I am trying to get my hands on the "I Dare" now.

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Liaden Universe Prequel
Science fiction
I was waiting for this book, but-
Crystal Soldier
Only for Liaden addicts

Crystal Soldier (Liaden Universe Novel)
Sharon Lee , and Steve Miller
Manufacturer: Ace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Tomorrow Log
Plan B

ASIN: 0441014879

Book Description

M. Jela Granthor's Guard is a soldier who was born to be a soldier, a soldier whose genes were selected before birth, whose life was chosen for him as one of service and dedication.

Cantra yos'Phelium is an ace pilot and a thoroughgoing rogue. She trades the dark and the gray markets along the war-torn Rim, running solo, with an eye on her own profit.

When fate casts them together, they form an unlikely-and uncomfortable-alliance, the soldier intent on his mission, the pirate intent on her survival...

Customer Reviews:

Liaden Universe Prequel.......2007-05-17

If you have read any of the earlier books, you have seen references to Jela's Tree - a tree with illusions of mysticism. Get to the root of the mystery in this novel of the early years of the Liaden Universe when Jela first encountered the tree. As always, the authors deliver great characters and intriguing plot lines. This book and its conclusion, Crystal Dragon, are well worth the price!

Science fiction.......2007-01-10

This story was good and the characters well developed. It kept my interest and provoked interesting thought.

I was waiting for this book, but-.......2005-12-01

I was wanting to see how the Liaden universe had began, but I really didn't get many answers from this book.The plotting is not up to the authors usual pace, and the characters are wooden. I really wanted to like this book, but I couldn't. I will skip the sequel, and wait for the authors to come back to their liaden roots.

Crystal Soldier.......2005-11-29

This book was very enjoyable and my first introduction to the Liaden universe. Despite the numerous reviewers that don't recommend reading this one unless one is already a Liaden fan, I am looking forward to the next installment, Crystal Dragon. Meanwhile, I found some of the previously written books and will read those while I'm waiting. Lee and Miller are excellent authors and they have no difficulty keeping the readers interest, even if one is new to the series. Crystal Soldier is engaging and somewhat intense in spots as it introduces the reader to the complex personalities of Jela and Cantra. I would recommend starting this series wherever one likes, since as far as I can tell, any one of these books may lead to a strong urge to read more.

Only for Liaden addicts.......2005-10-23

This is a fairly good story, but people very interested in background to the Liaden universe will get the most out of it. I appreciate learning where the name Yxtrang came from, and I'll read the second volume of this prequel when it comes out.

Average customer rating:

Great Story in Liaden Universe
Absolutely Wonderful - Don't Miss This One!
Good Start
You'll keep coming back...
Very Good! Very, Very Good!

Pilots Choice
Sharon Lee , and Steve Miller
Manufacturer: Meisha Merlin Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Plan B
I Dare (Liaden Universe Novel Series)
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ASIN: 1892065029

Amazon.com

Lee and Miller mix a compelling fictional society governed by a strict code of honor with romantic, funny, touchingly real characters and great storytelling in Pilots Choice. Its two tales are prequels to Partners in Necessity, the long-awaited reprinting of their first three novels, Conflict of Honors, Agent of Change, and Carpe Diem. You need not have read their other books before diving into this one. But be warned: you may read straight through until you've finished the sequel to Partners, Plan B.

In Local Custom, Er Thom yos'Galen is at odds with his duty: to match with a proper Liaden bride and provide clan Korval with an heir. His mother observes, "You have consistently refused every contract-alliance the head of your line has brought to your attention for the past three years. Permit me to wonder why."

Er Thom can't forget Terran scholar Anne Davis, though they agreed to part. Revisiting her one last time he finds Shan yos'Galen, his son. Shan needs Liaden training and Korval needs his skills. Anne loves Er Thom and knows he risks his melant'i (honor, reputation) if he takes a Terran wife. But she won't be parted from her son.

Er Thom and Anne are aided by Er Thom's cousin and foster brother, the Delm (head) of Korval, Daav yos'Phelium. Scout's Progress finds Daav facing contract-marriage himself. Then he meets Aelliana Caylon, a gifted mathematician who needs a pilot's license. Daav becomes her copilot and instructor. Aelliana begins to plan a future far from Liad and her sadistic older brother, Ran Eld, heir to the Delm of her clan. She doesn't know that her friend Daav can't leave with her, and is promised to another woman.

These are SF and fantasy books. Lee and Miller are master world-builders: the pilot culture, the intricate web of Liaden custom, the portrayals of the "three" races (Liaden, Terran, and Yxtrang), and the detailed history gradually revealed all attest to their skills. Moreover, there's plenty of action and adventure here, and no painfully graphic sex scenes. If you enjoy witty banter between characters, social and political intrigue, and "tales of love and glory" set in intergalactic space, don't miss these books. --Nona Vero

Book Description

Lee and Miller mix a compelling fictional society governed by a strict code of honor with romantic, funny, touchingly real characters and great storytelling in "Pilots Choice". Its two tales are prequels to "Partners in Necessity", the long-awaited reprinting of their first three novels, Conflict of Honors, Agent of Change, and Carpe Diem. You need not have read their other books before diving into this one. But be warned: you may read straight through until you've finished the sequel to Partners, "Plan B". In Local Custom, Er Thom yos'Galen is at odds with his duty: to match with a proper Liaden bride and provide clan Korval with an heir. His mother observes, "You have consistently refused every contract-alliance the head of your line has brought to your attention for the past three years. Permit me to wonder why." Er Thom can't forget Terran scholar Anne Davis, though they agreed to part. Revisiting her one last time he finds Shan yos'Galen, his son. Shan needs Liaden training and Korval needs his skills. Anne loves Er Thom and knows he risks his melant'i (honor, reputation) if he takes a Terran wife. But she won't be parted from her son. Er Thom and Anne are aided by Er Thom's cousin and foster brother, the Delm (head) of Korval, Daav yos'Phelium. Scout's Progress finds Daav facing contract-marriage himself. Then he meets Aelliana Caylon, a gifted mathematician who needs a pilot's license. Daav becomes her copilot and instructor. Aelliana begins to plan a future far from Liad and her sadistic older brother, Ran Eld, heir to the Delm of her clan. She doesn't know that her friend Daav can't leave with her, and is promised to another woman.

Customer Reviews:

Great Story in Liaden Universe.......2005-10-01

I am new to the Liaden universe and have, over the past several weeks, read all the novels I could get my hands on. "Pilots Choice" was my first introduction to the novels and I found both stories very entertaining, containing action, romance and humor. Being a hugh fan of Georgette Heyer, having read all of her work, I was drawn to the Liaden stories when another reviewer made an anaolgy between the two styles of writing. I highly recommend Pilots Choice for anyone who enjoys a great story, with interesting characters, who you can get to know quickly. Highest praise to Sharon Lee & Steve Miller - why can't we find these great books at our local book store?

Absolutely Wonderful - Don't Miss This One!.......2004-01-30

Pilot's Choice is an omnibus of two novels: Local Custom & Scout's Progress, both of which are prequels to Partners in Necessity.

Local Custom: Er Thom yos'Galan, Master Trader and Heir to Clan Korval knew his duty to his clan - to provide the Clan with a child of his own body. He also knew that he could never offer a contract wife the care and attention his honor demanded until he had seen Anne Davis one last time. Then he would seek the Healers on Liad and they would erase all of his memories of the woman who had captured his heart...

Anne, a Terran and brilliant linguist had met Er Thom years before and had a wonderful affair with him, falling head over heels in love, but knowing that he would leave her, as he had. What Anne did not tell Er Thom was that she bore his child, her precious Shan. She never expected to see Er Thom again and was stunned when he walked in to her apartment. They both found that their love was as deep and fierce as it had ever been and Er Thom found that he did not know how to say goodbye. Then Shan returned home and Er Thom found himself with an even bigger problem than before. For Shan was Er Thom's heir, but as a half Liaden, half Terran, there was no guarantee that he would be accepted by the Clan and the Tho'Delm, Er Thom's mother. Er Thom knew that there would be a sacrifice to make in the time ahead of him, a sacrifice that would rip his heart to shreds. For the tho'Delm had rejected Shan and refused to even consider that Er Thom had a future with Anne and so he was faced with the difficult choice of weighing his honor and the honor of his clan against the love he could not live without...

Scout's Progress: Aelliana Caylon learned the hard way that she was powerless in her Clan. At first, she tried to defy her brother, Van Eld, when he attempted to exercise his authority over her as the next Delm, but after her first and only contract marriage to Van Eld's abusive friend, Aelliana no longer rebelled. She learned to feign meekness and remain quiet except when she was teaching her advanced math class to the irrepressible pilots in training at the academy. She had value at the university and was readily acknowledged as one of the most brilliant mathematicians of her day. When one of her pilot students convinced her to play a game of chance at a new gaming palace, Aelliana used her math skills to beat the cardshark and found herself the proud owner of a ship - and her chance to leave Liaden forever...

But before Aelliana could leave Liaden, she had to get her pilot's license. Luckily, she was docked at Binjali's, where the pilots were irreverent and surprising, but genuinely friendly. Before she knew it, Aelliana found herself adopted in to a kind of family where her skills were valued and her opinion was asked. She quickly found herself looking forward to her lessons with Master Pilot Daav, who challenged her to become more and to take risks. What she did not know was that her quirky co-pilot was in fact Daav yos'Phelium, the Delm of Korval and arguably the most powerful man on the planet. She also did not know that Daav was in negotiations for a contract marriage or she never would have let herself fall in love with him....

I found the Liaden culture fascinating and loved learning more about the customs and mindset of these people. Lee and Miller have done a fabulous job at creating this universe and making their characters absolutely believable. I loved all of the characters and felt that I could identify with all of them in a different way. All of them have their strengths and weaknesses and all of them had their own part to play in the game. Although the romance of the two main characters in each book is a large part of the plot, the world building, the characterization, attention to detail and the excellent quality of writing kept me absolutely riveted - I couldn't put this book down!

Good Start.......2003-12-02

This was my first foray into the Liaden universe and I can honestly say I enjoyed it immensely. Both novels had me hooked by the last 100 pages of each. This book does a good job of forming the universe, I feel like I have an understanding of the conventions in which the characters have to work. My disclaimer for this review is that I like SF not necessarily Romance.

At first I thought I would prefer Scout's Progress to Local Custom because SP on the surface has more SF elements to its plotting. After reading both, I actually preferred LC to SP. It is primarily due to the fact that LC has superior characterizations and a more engaging premise. All in all for me, a well written, richly detailed and superb characterization is more important than which genre fits best.

The Liaden universe (at least in these 2 novels) is filled w/ damsels in distress and knights in shining armor. A little cliched for my tastes especially SP. I find myself wondering about the misogynistic undertones of the stories. I will definitely read more in the series before coming to any conclusions, however, these two books are definitely leaning in that direction.

An interesting read, but I believe I haven't read the best that these authors have to offer yet. I am looking forward to reading them more.

You'll keep coming back..........2003-07-18

...to this amazing universe. I have read this particualr omnibus, (as well as Partners in Necessity) probably 4 times in the past year-and-a-half, not only for the sheer enjoyment of the stories but for the added insights/revelations I continue to glean about the main characters and their world(s). The authors have done a fabulous job of character/society/world-building that immerses the reader completely.
Admittedly, I initially favored "Scout's Progress" over "Local Custom", but my most recent rereading made me realize that although each is a fine stand alone novel in its own right, the two complement and complete each other perfectly, much like Er Thom and Anne, Daav and Aelianna. I have become increasingly selective of the titles I purchase; I love books that I get the urge to pick up and read again every year or so. These have me diving back in within a matter of months. Buy this series if you enjoy intelligent, rollicking space opera, romantic but not cloyingly so, with an undercurrent of ever-present danger and potential violence.

Addendum: To be fair, there were one or two small plot holes that I felt weren't adequately resolved, but in the overall scheme of things, the excellent storytelling renders them insignificant.

Very Good! Very, Very Good!.......2003-04-24

PILOTS CHOICE is a compilation of two independent novels, LOCAL CUSTOM and SCOUT' PROGRESS. What can be said of these two stories?! For those of you, like me, new or unfamiliar to the Liaden Universe created by Ms. Lee and Mr. Miller all I can say is be welcome! Loaded with romance, adventure, action and just a bit of comedy these stories have everything for the escapist in you.

The universe created here is wonderfully new and fresh. The characters interesting, likable and extremely well constructed. The romance, yes I like romance so there, is hart tugging, believable and, well, fun!

Although these are two independent novels they SHOULD be read together and I'll bet after you finish you won't be able to wait to get your hands on PARTNERS IN NECESSARY (even better than PILOTS CHOICE!) These are great stories that shouldn't be missed.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! You bet!

Amazon.com

A Letter from Anne McCaffrey about Crystal Dragon:

Every now and then you come across an author, or in this case, a pair, who write exactly what you want to read, the characters and personalities that make you enjoy meeting them. Apart from my passion for Kim by Rudyard Kipling, I had read some authors whose books I would buy the moment they came on sale (thanks to Amazon's policy and pre-ordering facility) and then there are the precious few who sit in honor on my comfort shelf. The books I reach for when something in life has become intolerable. And I rediscover the joy that had infused me at the first reading. Such a book was "Agent of Change" first published by Del Rey. When I had finished, hungering for more, I got in touch with Shelly Shapiro, my editor at Del Rey and, prayers answered, she had the manuscript for "Conflict of Honors" on her desk. I beseeched her to send me a copy asap…my hunger for more of the Liaden Universe so intense. She did. However, I had to wait for the third of that first series: "Carpe Diem!"

I found out that Steve and Sharon had published chap books on the Liaden universe, Val Con and Miri Roberson, Shan yos `Galan and Priscilla. Sharon and Steve are always throwing you quips like that and reading them is all the more enjoyable for them. So I bought those as they were published. Some of them are now also published in hard cover. The only trouble with the chap books is that while they sort out one problem, or elaborate on a special character, they are not very long.

Then I discovered that Meisha Merlin was going to continue the series. I was delighted to get a hard-cover of "Partners in Necessity" which is the three single titles mentioned above…then we have more good chunks of Liaden in "Pilot's Choice" which contains the two titles "Local Custom" and "Scout's Progress". Following them, is "Plan B", which has the most devious plot and then on to "I Dare". Which is gorgeous. And then, for dessert, "Balance of Trade"…and the tales of "Low Port".

What fascinates me most about Lee and Miller as a team is how well blended they are, with a structured society that is almost Chinese in its adherence to custom…the graciousness of the language is always a delight (something I wish I had phrased as aptly). I can certainly see the Tree in my mind's eye, spreading its ancient leaves over the valley it protects and the people it cherishes. And now these authors have come up with another pair of characters and a new chapter in the history of Liaden…"Crystal Soldier". Better yet, it says on the title page Book One of the Great Migration Duology. So, Happy Day, it means another book is coming "Crystal Dragon". Hurrrah. The hero is M. Jela Granthor's Guards, and the heroine is Cantra: names which will have significance to those who have already entered the magic of Liaden.

I rarely rave on and on about stories, but I am devoted to Lee and Miller novels and stories. Start at the beginning, dear reader, and you will be rewarded with a sanctuary you can escape to, as I do when this world we're stuck with is impossible to endure.

Anne McCaffrey, Dragonhold-Underhill, Co Wicklow Ireland.

Book Description

You can't go home again... What do you do when home is a conspiracy that's been discovered and destroyed? When home is a planet in a star system that's gone missing? When home means working for the destroyers of galaxies? When home is a spaceship that's calling out to the enemy? Cantra 'yos Phelium isn't a quitter, but she has more than a little problem: the Enemy has accelerated its attacks and how do you fight an Enemy whose major form of attack is the de-crystallization of everything around itself? A smuggler with a rogue soldier for a co-pilot, and a tree with an attitude for crew, Cantra's the only one who can get close to the man who holds equations that might, that just might - thwart the Enemy. All she has to do is help a young pilot from a missing world, juggle a slippery promise she never quite made to a pair of wizards, and then forget who she is along with everything, and everyone, she's ever known.

Customer Reviews:

Facinating premise.......2007-05-06

Very interesting premise with characters you can relate to. A good story in itself but leaves you wanting more.

Disappointing.......2007-01-10

I didn't think this sequel did as good a job with grabbing the reader as the first book. It was all right once I got into it, but wouldn't have read a second one if this one had been first.

Well, it wasn't the successor to Carpe Diem .......2006-11-09

I picked this up at the library, mistakenly being impressed that this picked up where

When the other review says "There is a prologue story in Crystal Dragon that has been known to convince people that they picked up the wrong book - but keep reading, it will make sense" -- they were really right. I almost dropped the book back in the library return without finishing it.

This is a prequel novel, a foundation novel that explains about as much as it obscures. Once it gets moving the writing is tight, the characters make sense and you get a feel for how a universe could come up empty and how everything was before everything was.

Disappointed.......2006-07-18

Not an enjoyable read- certainly way Below others in this series.....disjointed - hard to hold on to the main "story Line"....seems like this all could have been in a synopsis of 1-2 chapters or one of their "magazine" phamplets.........kind of like boy meets girl- boy marries girl- one dies the other goes on - the enemy "vanquished- sort of. so forth and so on and on and on......but the reader does learn a bit more about Jela, Cantra and the founding of Clan Korval in between alot of gobblety gook.....but characters not developed well at all to hold your interest.

The beginnings of the Liaden Universe.......2006-07-14

Lee and Miller's Liaden universe never fails to enchant, and this latest book answers all of the reader's questions about the beginnings of the story very satisfactorily. The characters sweep the reader up and take him along on their adventures; sharing along the way their joys and sadness. An excellent read.

Crystal Dragon: Book Two of the Great Migration Duology

Average customer rating:

Good characterizations, dreadful science magic

Crystal Dragon: Book Two of the Great Migration Duology
Sharon Lee , and Steve Miller
Manufacturer: Meisha Merlin Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Crystal Soldier (Liaden Universe Novel)
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ASIN: 1592220908

Book Description

What do you do when home is a conspiracy that's been discovered and destroyed? When home is a planet in a star system that's gone missing? When home means working for the destroyers of galaxies? When home is a spaceship that's calling out to the enemy? Cantra 'yos Phelium isn't a quitter, but she has more than a little problem: the Enemy has accelerated its attacks and how do you fight an Enemy whose major form of attack is the de-crystallization of everything around itself? A smuggler with a rogue soldier for a co-pilot, and a tree with an attitude for crew, Cantra's the only one who can get close to the man who holds equations that just might thwart the Enemy. All she has to do is help a young pilot from a missing world; juggle a slippery promise she never quite made to a pair of wizards; and then forget who she is along with everything - and everyone - she's ever known.

Customer Reviews:

Good characterizations, dreadful science magic.......2007-06-05

Book one of this set was very good and satisfying except the annoying hick/backwoods grammar of the heroine. This one had the same and other wonderful characters, but sadly half the book was nonsensical gobbledygook nonsense stuff that made no sense and totally distracted from both the book and the story. As a supposed background to the rest of the Liaden Universe, it falls flat on its face. Frankly, one might find more sense in A Clockwork Orange than the incoherent mutterings being passed off as the evil others and their creations who fight them. The part of the choosing of a submissive was so stupid it was embarrassing to read. I am very disappointed in this book and find the authors talking about needing to mature to write the background, then writing such drival... well it was very disappointing at the least. In fact, I suspect someone on psychedelic drugs could have written better sense than this book gave.

Average customer rating:

Compelling Book
Great to listen to...
Culture Clash with romance
Romance in a Sci-Fi Setting
Absolutely Wonderful - I Loved This Book!

Local Custom
Sharon Lee , and Steve Miller
Manufacturer: Ace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0441009115

Book Description

The first of the seven books set in the Liaden Universe tells a rich and sweeping story of warring families and star-crossed lovers in a fantastic, other-world galaxy.

"I was mesmerized, awed, and totally entertained. I am hooked by the Liaden world. Bravo!" (Mary Balogh)

"Fans of interstellar adventure will not be disappointed." (Robin Wayne Bailey)

Customer Reviews:

Compelling Book.......2006-03-31

Local Custom, set in the Liaden Universe created by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller is a Science Fiction Book and a Romance Novel. Beyond that, it is an exploration of what happens when two cultures collide. Er Thom is a Master Trader from Clan Korval of Liaden. It is his duty to his clan to find a suitable Liaden bride and produce an heir, but he has fallen in love with Terran Anne Davis. For the sake of his clan, he leaves and disappears from her life until several years later he shows up and learns during that their brief liason in the past, he fathered her son.

Liaden custom demands that the little boy be taken to Liaden and presented as his heir, but Anne is resistant. She is happy with her life, and had moved on from the feelings she had for Er Thom years ago. Anne is a music scholar, however, and that is one thing that draws her to Liaden. Once there, she is torn between the efforts of Er Thom and his family to assimilate her and her little boy.

This book was a definite page turner. I couldn't put it down. The atrraction between Er Thom and Anne is constantly present, growing stronger as the novel progresses, and the story of the alien, Liaden society is compellingly detailed.

This book is a terrific introduction to the Liaden Universe! 5 stars!

Great to listen to..........2006-02-24

What better way to enjoy a good book than to have Michael Shanks read it to me. Highly recommend it!

Culture Clash with romance.......2005-12-05

Local Custom is a romance, a comedy of custom and errors. It's in this book that we learn the story of how Er Thom yos'Galan and Anne Davis met. Er Thom is Liaden of Clan Korval, Master Trader, and Master Pilot. Anne Davis is Terran, professor of Linguistics on University, and a muscian.

When the book opens, Er Thom is being told that he must contract wed and produce an heir for the Clan. He knows it's his duty but he has been unable to forget the women he met three years earlier on Proziski. He knows that he can not do his duty to his clan unless he has all memory of Anne Davis erased and yet he can't do that until he has sought her out to tell her he loves her so that at least she would remember. He begs the Delm Korval (his foster brother) to lend him a ship and the time to settle an affair before he weds.

On University, he finds Anne and their passion kindles as if they had never been apart. Then he learns that she has had his child and named then child Shan yos'Galan. Thus, the problems start. In Anne's culture that is the proper thing to do to honor the father. For Er Thom it is a balance that would have required him to have done a horrendous crime to require such a response.

Er Thom must have the child seen by the Delm. Anne needs to help a colleague on Liad. The misunderstandings continue on both sides until neither knows what to do they only know they love each other. The misadventures, misunderstandings, and the fully developed characters and detailed environment/setting/cultures will keep you reading to the wee hours if not until the book is done.

Once more Steve Miller and Sharon Lee have created a universe of that is so believable and populated with well-drawn and 'real' characters that you are drawn in and happy to dwell partake of their lives vicariously. A great reading experience.

Romance in a Sci-Fi Setting.......2004-04-29

This is my first foray into the Linden world. I quite enjoyed it, although it reminded me more of a romance than a science fiction novel. The authors imagined a very interesting culture and portray it (mostly) through the eyes of a Terran linguist. However, the focus of the novel was on the emotional bonds between all the characters. If Mercedes Lackey wrote Sci-Fi, this is what it would look like.

Absolutely Wonderful - I Loved This Book!.......2004-01-23

Er Thom yos'Galan, Master Trader and Heir to Clan Korval knew his duty to his clan - to provide the Clan with a child of his own body. He also knew that he could never offer a contract wife the care and attention his honor demanded until he had seen Anne Davis one last time. Then he would seek the Healers on Liad and they would erase all of his memories of the woman who had captured his heart...

Anne, a Terran and brilliant linguist had met Er Thom years before and had a wonderful affair with him, falling head over heels in love, but knowing that he would leave her, as he had. What Anne did not tell Er Thom was that she bore his child, her precious Shan. She never expected to see Er Thom again and was stunned when he walked in to her apartment. They both found that their love was as deep and fierce as it had ever been and Er Thom found that he did not know how to say goodbye. Then Shan returned home and Er Thom found himself with an even bigger problem than before. For Shan was Er Thom's heir, but as a half Liaden, half Terran, there was no guarantee that he would be accepted by the Clan and the tho'Delm, Er Thom's mother. Er Thom knew that there would be a sacrifice to make in the time ahead of him, a sacrifice that would rip his heart to shreds. For the tho'Delm had rejected Shan and refused to even consider that Er Thom had a future with Anne and so he was faced with the difficult choice of weighing his honor and the honor of his clan against the love he could not live without...

Book Description

Think all heroes have washboard abs? Think all heroines wear Size 3 Junior Petite? Think again! Come join Gene Wolfe, Elizabeth Anne Scarborough, Jane Yolen, Jody Lynn Nye, and Sharon Lee & Steve Miller, who along with nineteen other authors, introduce you to some of the funniest, wildest, sexiest, most powerful, and normal (considering these are science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories) fat people on earth and a few other planets. Meet a pirate named "Valkyrie" and a cardsharp named "Fat Moriah". Meet a xeno-fitness instructor and an earth-mage who don't apologize for taking up space. Meet fat cats on a mission and a very different kind of vampire. Meet characters for whom "plus-size" is about body size and heart. Brought together in this first-of-its-kind collection are stories that raise the set point on adventure and redraw the picture of "the hero" along the way. Tales of power and abundance that prove that heroes and heroines come in all sizes.

Customer Reviews:

Unique and Exciting.......2001-07-26

"Such A Pretty Face" puts more than just a new look at an old stereotype. Editor Lee Martindale has put together an amazing collection of size-positive short stories to celebrate a new era of heroes. With contributions from both well-established authors to new-comers in the genre, these stories are inspiring and entertaining. They affirm the beauty and abilities of a snubbed majority - the person of size. This collection is ground-breaking, exciting, and long overdue, but has been well worth the wait...and weight.

Great read - I hope it becomes a series!.......2000-10-17

No, I haven't any reason to think it will be a series, but I can hope, can't I?

I ran across the book back in July and fell in with the cover painting. Then I saw that it was edited by Lee Martindale, someone I remembered encountering (and respecting) in the size acceptance newsgroups. At that point I probably would have bought it no matter what, but the theme of the anthology cinched it.

I finished it within 48 hours of getting it, and it was wonderful. As usual with any anthology, I enjoyed some stories more than others. I think "Demon Bone" by Teresa Noelle Roberts had to be my favorite story. The poem "Fat Is Not A Fairy Tale" by Jane Yolen and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough's story "Worse Than The Curse" were awfully good, though :-) Paula L. Fleming's "Polyformus Perfectus" left me wishing it were the beginning of a novel rather than a short story.

I've already recommended this book to quite a few people, but I have a feeling I'll be handing it out to more. I'll probably buy a hardback copy to keep and loan out the paperback, but I'll be buying some copies to give as gifts as well.

And if I EVER find a print of the cover painting by Doug Beekman, it's going in a place of honor in my living room.

Fat is beautiful...and funny........2000-09-06

This is an anthology about fat people published by Meisha Merlin Publishing. Such SF/F luminaries as Jody Lynn Nye, Gene Wolfe, Jane Yolen, Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, K.D. Wentworth, and a host of others present a look at another view of the hero. A princess is cursed, and starts a new fashion trend, a sizeable selkie is the love of a man's life, a forty-year-old fat bi . . . uh, woman rediscovers the joy of creation on a lonely dirt road, and a couple of truly fat cats are far more than they appear. These and more stories just as exciting grace the pages of this thoughtful, wildly funny, and excellent volume of stories.

A great concept, and terrific stories.......2000-07-07

I ended up staying up far too late the night I got this book, because I kept telling myself I'd just read one more. The stories were well-written (I especially loved "Worse than the Curse" and "Casting Against Type"), and while the theme was definitely evident in all the stories, it was not hammered in. A touch of spice, rather than an overwhelming topnote.

Size should not be an issue!.......2000-07-01

I found Such A Pretty Face a delightful romp from one end to the other. I very much enjoyed the concept that someone's size is irrelevant to their personality and abilities. The characters were people first and fat/large/whatever second, something I think more characters (and people) should try. I intend to buy many copies to give as gifts and would recommend this book to anyone who is tired of the fat versus thin stereotypes. These stories prove that there is more to people than just their packaging.

Average customer rating:

great anthology
not that interesting
Save your Money
Low Port
A thought-provoking collection

Low Port
Sharon Lee , and Steve Miller
Manufacturer: Meisha Merlin Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Tomorrow Log
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ASIN: 1592220134

Book Description

Ever wonder what really happens on the lower decks of the space ship or in the castle kitchen? This unique collection of original science fiction and fantasy short stories focuses on characters that are normally in the background and brings them to the forefront of the adventure! Low Port features stories by Mark Tiedemann, Laura J. Underwood, L. E. Modesitt, Jr., Nathan Archer, Jody Lynn Nye and many others, including a new urban fantasy by Sharon Lee! So come along and meet an orphan with a dream, a dockworker who believes in freedom, a maintenance worker with feelings and visit a soup kitchen with a secret.

Customer Reviews:

great anthology.......2007-03-14

I haven't read any Liaden universe stories, or indeed anything, by Sharon Lee and Steven Miller, so I don't have any preconceptions about that. Usually if I buy an anthology I buy it for one story by a favourite author. This was a bit more expensive, but it had stories by two favourite authors (Holly Phillips and eluki bes shahar) and was on sale, so I risked it. I have been very pleasantly surprised. eluki bes shahar has a story from the Hellflower universe featuring Butterly St. Cyr, which is wonderful, and Holly Phillips' story is different and well-written, as always. I very much enjoyed three stories by people I'd never heard of, 'Angel's Kitchen' by Chris Szego, 'Lair of the Lesbian Love Goddess' by Edward McKeown (an incredibly funny cop story), and 'Contraband' by Nathan Archer. I haven't even finished all of the stories, but any anthology that has 5 really good stories in it is definitely all right in my book. More authors to search for! Yay!

not that interesting.......2006-11-02

I had great expectations for that book based on the glimpses of "low ports life" in Liaden Universe books. Unfortunately, it is nowhere close to those. The stories are more typical for young starting writers - the plots over complicated, the styles overly dramatic and there is usually a "profound message" in most of them that is (in more stories than not) explained to a reader just in case the poor sod misses it on his/her own. Not a single story stuck in mind, in fact I would be hard pressed to name even one or two (or their authors). Pity, could have been a nice fast and energetic reading if the authors combined had a bit more trust in their readers.

Save your Money.......2005-04-22

This is a Horrible collection of Very Short stories- established authors in it should hide their heads in shame...Most of the stories are Just not readable or coherent....I wondered on the few I TRIED to read exactly what language they are written in?? I bought it because I love Sharon Lee/Steve Miller books- their short story in this book is the Pits...- I couldn't even finish it! Imagination is one thing- readability is another when I am Paying- this was a Total waste of money- hopefully some poor misguided reader will buy it off my Ebay listing to get rid of it so I will the money to buy a BOOK.

Low Port.......2005-01-31

As a huge Sharon Lee and Steave Miller fan, I did not expect this collection of short stories to be up to their same standard of writing for it was written by many other authors; and as it turned out, it wasn't up to, seemingly, any kind of standard. This book was a complete and utter disappointment. The stories, admittedly are not high rolling, upper echelon situations or people but these short stories were down right dull and sometimes repulsive and that in itself is not from good writing. Even the best of authors can bomb out with an idea for a book or collection of stories and Sharon and Steave should have let it die on their kitchen table. Don't waste your money on it. It is an awful bore of a collection. Buy every single other book of theirs, the Millers, but let this one collect dust somewhere else but in your library.

A thought-provoking collection.......2003-11-27

What is the purpose of a short story? If it is, as some have argued, to give a particular thought or question a framework to invite serious contemplation, then most of the stories in this collection have suceeded in their goal, because I am still thinking about them. Each of these stories has a particular "what if?" or "How would it be...?" that is then crafted onto a character that carries us into the question and out at least one of the other sides.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this anthology over a period of several weeks - I restricted my reading to one or two a day so that I wouldn't subconsciously try to make the "feel" or "world" of one story fit into the next somehow. My friend read it straight through and did not enjoy it so much, so I would definitely suggest giving yourself some time to consider each story on it's own strengths.

And there are definitely strengths! "Find a Pin" and "Scream Angel" are perfect gems, seeing eluki bes shahar's Butterfly character again was delightful (though I would have to say, if you haven't read the other Butterfly stories and become familiar with her heavy use of her own brand of slang, you will find the story difficult to follow), and the striking workers on the space station held particular relevence from dealing with the grocery strike here in So. Cal.

I didn't care too much for the one wizard story - it also seemed to depend a great deal on already knowing the character, and I haven't read the other works in this universe so couldn't bring myself to care about him very much.

I think one of the challenges in a short story is to create, extremely quickly, a reason to care about your characters, and many of these stories succeeded in this respect quite well. I loved the busker on the space station, I felt deeply the frustration and confusion of the sanitation engineer, and I wept for the soldier in "Scream Angel." The characterizations in "Find A Pin" were particularly good.

This would be an extremely useful book for writer's groups or classes, providing both entertaining reading and good subject matter for critiqueing the process of crafting a short story.

I do have to agree with most of the reviewers, that, given the choice of title, it really would have been nice to have at least one story actually set in the Low Port on Liad, but... I definitely recommend this as an addition to any library, Liaden Universe based or not.

Will It Make a Theatre: A Guide to Finding, Renovating, Financing, Bringing Up-to-Code, the Non-Traditional Performance Space
Average customer rating:
Will It Make a Theatre: A Guide to Finding, Renovating, Financing, Bringing Up-to-Code, the Non-Traditional Performance Space
Eldon Elder , Marsha Imhof , and Sharon Lee Ryder
Manufacturer: OOBA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0933750005

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