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Summary: Partnered again... finally
Review: There are certain books, as Ms. McCaffery states so eloquently in her forward, that are just comfort reads. Books that are the first unpacked after a move. The first reached for when you are feeling down, or when you just want to go back to that time when you first read the book(s). These three books are that for me. All three touch different parts of my psyche and life, and each, seperately, is among the best books I have ever read. I am an old time fan of Miller and Lee. I started when these books were first published, and I languished with so many others when they lost their first publisher. I rejoiced to find their Friends of Liad list, so many years ago. Then rejoiced anew when MM signed up to publish Plan B. Now, all those friends of mine that I bragged to about these books can finally read them... and get me to shut up.
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Summary: Finally -- At Last -- and so on...
Review: These three novels (A Conflict of Necesseties, Agent of Change, and Carpe Diem) have been favourites of mine ever since i first encoutnered them. Long out of print, Meisha Merlin (headquartered here in Atlanta) has done the SF world a real service by bringing them back into print in this omnibus volume (and, as well, publishing the next volume in the series. "Plan B"). My favourite book of the three is "Conflict" -- at least partly because i am a confirmed fan of the Regency romances of Georgette Heyer; anyone familiar with those will find delicious echoes resounding throughout this story. My favourite character, though, is Edger, the Clutch-Turtle ... a character who is simply indescribable in the space of this short review but wonderful in the extreme to watch in action. And my favourite image is of an imaginary Galactic Parcel Express package ... with imaginary dust on it. Worth every penny of the money and every minute of the wait if you order it.
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Summary: Seize This Book!
Review: If you like Elizabeth Moon, David Weber, or Lois Bujold, you'll love Partners in Necessity! The Liaden series sweeps you into a vast universe of different species and cultures - all of which you'll want to visit again and again. Once you meet Val Con, Miri (Have Weapon Will Travel), Edger and the rest of the family, you'll know what I mean. If you're not convinced yet, read the first page of Agent of Change (p.277 of Partners in Necessity). You'll buy the book. Word of warning: buy several copies: one to keep, one to share, and one for when you wear out the first copy!
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Summary: A Necessity read.
Review: Partners in Necessity is three books in one and what a treat it is. We are introduced first to the traders of Liaden as they move among the stars and then on to the whole fascinating Liaden society, including the infamous Scouts. My personal favorite is the wonderfully titled Conflict of Honors that introduces Shan and Patricia. They have a common enemy and struggle to maintain their honor while dealing with the situation as they trade their way through the stars. Agent of Change and Carpe Diem focus more on the Scouts, a branch of the Liaden government, and the problems within both the Scouts and Liaden society. It is a look at worlds on the edge of civilization by people who are from highly structured societies. The themes are universal as honor is impinged, then restored as good battles evil. A rip roaring trip and a must read for anyone who enjoys stories of the galaxy.
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Summary: CLASSIC SPACE OPERA TRILOGY BACK IN PRINT AT LAST!
Review: I have been a fan of the Liaden universe from word one, page one, of CONFLICT OF HONORS, and I am delighted that these hard to find books have been returned to print at last after too long away. Steve Miller and Sharon Lee wear the Liaden Universe like their own magical suit of clothes. If you're a fan of blasters, starships, and really great worldbuilding, pull up a chair and prepare to be dazzled.
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Summary: Welcome to the Liaden Universe
Review: Welcome to the Liaden Universe, where honor, wit, and true love are potent weapons against deceit and treachery... As usual, there's a story in this. Long ago -- in the late 1980s -- and far away -- in the vast, mysterious city of New York -- three science fiction novels by Steve Miller and Sharon Lee were published in mass market paperback. They stuck around for awhile, then, as paperback originals will, they vanished. This was, as we say, Some Time Back. A little over three years ago someone offered to sell us a used copy of Conflict of Honors for $65. We had a good laugh about that -- and then we did some research. It turned out that readers could shell out $105 for a collection of the first three Liaden Universe paperbacks in good to very good condition or up to $85 for a single copy of the first printing of Agent of Change. Thus it was difficult for new readers to find us. By then, a suprising number of people from around the world had written to us, praising the Liaden Universe and asking for more. Many of these folks reported that their paperback originals were wearing out. One enterprising reader had punched holes in his disintegrating copy of Conflict of Honors and was using binder rings to hold it together. Another -- with access to useful stuff -- used padding glue and rebound the whole book. This meant our long-time readers had a hard time reading the books they already cherished. It was apparent that here were problems in need of a solution. Meisha Merlin has provided this solution. Partners in Necessity collects the first three Liaden Universe novels: Conflict of Honors, Agent of Change and Carpe Diem. The novels are presented in universe order for the first time, introduced by long-time Liaden Universe fan, Anne McCaffrey. Conflict of Honors is the story of Priscilla Delacroix y Mendoza, a woman who has been betrayed first by her own people, and then by her captain and shipmates. Desperate, she accepts a berth on a Liaden freighter captained by Master Trader Shan yos'Galan. Agent of Change introduces Val Con yos'Phelium and ex-mercenary sergeant Miri Robertson, each of whom is struggling to survive against overwhelming odds. An accidental meeting leads to an unlikely partnership -- their only chance for survival. Carpe Diem unites the characters from the first two novels, and brings them into direct conflict with the deadly enemies who are plotting Val Con and Miri's deaths, and the destruction of all they hold dear. We're thrilled that Partners in Necessity makes the first three novels in the Liaden Universe available in good form for old readers and for new -- and for those who discovered the Liaden Universe first through Plan B -- published by Meisha Merlin in February 1999. Welcome to the Liaden Universe. Thanks for joining the adventure! - Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
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Summary: Marvelous! Exciting, emotional, well-drawn, ... Read it!
Review: I bought this 3-in-1 (in hardcover), and after reading just one, Lee & Miller immediately moved to the top handful of my favorite authors, and every story I've read since has just seemed to get better than the last! Whether you like "space opera" adventure, contact/conflict-of-cultures plots, emotional (but not graphic) paranormal romance, or just plain excellent writing, the Liaden Universe stories are for you! Liaden series notes:
This volume contains "Conflict of Honors", "Agent of Change", and "Carpe Diem", the first three tales of the "present" generation of Clan Korval, especially Val Con yos'Phelium and his foster-brother Shan yos'Galan, in plot-chronological order (the 2nd happened to be *published* first).
These are followed by the cliff-hanger "Plan B", and the [conclusion] "I Dare".
The first story ("Conflict of Honors") is all about Shan and his lifemate-to-be, Priscilla Mendoza, but then Val Con and HIS lady, Miri Robertson, take center stage for most of the subsequent volumes - though the rest of the family is far from left out.
"Pilots Choice" is a prequel 2-in-1 ("Local Custom" & "Scout's Progress") featuring Shan & Val Con's *parents* -- and by the way, read these at least before "I Dare"!
The authors' website, Korval.com, includes reference data (FAQs, pronunciation guide, etc.) and a complete bibliography for the series, including many shorter entries NOT available as standard HCs or PBs. Trust me, if you clicked any link that landed you on this page, you can't help but enjoy these stories!
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Summary: Absolutely Wonderful - DO NOT MISS THIS ONE!!
Review: Partners in Necessity is an omnibus edition of three novels: Conflict of Honors, Agent of Change & Carpe Diem. Conflict of Honors: Priscilla Delacroix y Mendoza left her homeplanet when she was only sixteen, convicted of blasphemy and exiled to be homeless and clanless, but she survived. Ten years later, after working her share of grunt jobs, she was the cargo master on the Daxflan, a Liaden ship captained by Sav Rid Olanek. It wasn't an easy job as Terrans were treated like second-class citizens and the second mate, Dagmar, kept trying to "charm" her into a relationship, but Priscilla could not afford to leave the ship and damage her reputation so she stayed. Then Priscilla discovered that the Captain had taken on a cargo of illegal drugs and passed them off as innocent pharmaceuticals. Priscilla tried to hide her knowledge, but she found herself knocked out and locked up on a second-class planet with no money, no job and a resume that now claimed she was a thief. Priscilla knew that she had to get off the planet and hunt down the Daxflan, if for nothing else than to reclaim her possessions, so she turned to the only ship in orbit at the time - the Dutiful Passage captained by Shan yos'Galan. Unbelievably, the Captain hired her as a pet librarian and then proceeded to help her with pilot and leadership training. Priscilla did not know quite how to react to the friendship of those aboard the Dutiful Passage, but she slowly started to think of the ship as her home. But Dagmar and Captain Olanek were not going to let Priscilla escape and they had a score to settle against Shan yos'Galan, her beloved Captain and source of protection... Agent of Change: Val Con yos'Phelium, Clan Korval, future Delm and Second Speaker, was just doing a routine mission on some backwater planet in the middle of the universe when his life changed. After completing his mission, he encountered a small spitfire of a woman and saved her life, for which she promptly repaid him by bashing his head in. When Val Con woke up, the spitfire dumped him, but Val Con was intrigued, so he followed her and saved her life again. Now Miri Robertson, whose life he had saved twice, was forced to deal with Val Con, honor demanded it. She was intrigued by Val Con, whom she nicknamed "Tough Guy", but definitely didn't want a partner. As a former mercenary and bodyguard, she could handle herself and, as a target for the powerful Juntavas crime ring, she couldn't trust anyone... However, both Val Con and Miri, both of whom were used to working alone, soon found that they worked well as partners, at least they would if Miri would stop trying to ditch Val Con at every opportunity. Val Con knew that Miri was something special, she made him feel things that he hadn't felt in years, she made him feel alive again. Miri didn't know what was wrong with Val Con, but she knew it had something to do with what he called The Loop, some kind of brain implant that gave him the odds of success on every mission/action he made. As they grew closer together, both Val Con and Miri realized that the Department of the Interior, who had trained Val Con as an agent, must have some ulterior motive in plan. But in order to find out what it was, they had to stay alive... Carpe Diem: Val Con his lifemate, Miri Robertson were ordered not to be harmed by the Juntavas syndicate. However, personal interpretation of 'not be harmed' left Val Con and Miri on a broken-down spaceship in the middle of nowhere with the enemy Yxtrang ready to kill them for the hunk of junk they were sitting in. However, Val Con and Miri managed to rig something together and 'jumped' to one of the nearest planets - a backwater world named Vandar. Vandar had no contact with the outside universe and didn't even know that other cultures existed. With no spaceships and no radio comm that they could use, Val Con and Miri tried to resign themselves to a long stay and set about learning the culture and the language. Meanwhile, Shan yos'Galan, Val Con's brother and his lifemate, Priscilla, began searching the galaxy for him, as did Edger and Sheather, Val Con's Clutch brothers. Back on Liad, Nova yos'Galan, Val Con's sister, had translated a cryptic message from Val Con that, while ensuring the Clan of the heir's survival, told them precious little else. But she did discover that the Department of the Interior, a department that seemed shrouded in mystery and determined to conquer the planet of Liad and from there, the universe, was also looking for Val Con. The more she investigated, the more interested the Department became in Clan Korval...until Nova was forced to call Plan B - retreat strategically, trust no one, prepare for all out war.... These are books 3-5 in the Liaden series if you read them chronologically, which I recommend. 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 recommend starting with the prequels (Local Custom & Scout's Progress, also found in omnibus Pilot's Choice), so that you are familiar with Liad and Clan Korval, but, these books were the originals for the Liaden universe and were written first. Also, you definitely should not miss out on any book in the wonderful Liaden universe - all of them are very highly recommended!
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Summary: Truly Great Space Opera!
Review: PARTNERS IN NECESSITY is one of the greatest compilation volumes I have had the pleasure of reading for a good many years! It is actually three novels CONFLICT OF HONORS, AGENT OF CHANGE and CARPE DIEM originally published in the late eighties. How I could have possibly missed them back then I don't know but now I have found them I will never let them go! Classic space opera! Interesting plots, wonderful characters, and enough action and romance to keep you turning the pages fast enough to have to worry about paper cuts! I read these books quickly and reread them and reread them again trying to memorize it! I'll admit I have become a Liaden Universe addict! Please don't try to rehabilitate me! This is a keeper! One of the few that actually ended up on my library shelf rather then the local library. For those of you who like adventure and romance I can't think of a better place to spend your time. It's worth it and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you get a copy...
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