Rating: 
Summary: Great, fast moving psychological s/f
Review: "Local Custom" is a great psychological science fiction novel by Steve Miller and Sharon Lee.A few people here have compared it to Lois McMaster Bujold's "Cordelia's Honor;" I don't see it, myself. What I see in a Bujold/Miller and Lee comparison would be closer to Bujold's "Mirror Dance" -- a psychological drama in which everything the hero knows is questioned, and he comes to a greater meaning and understanding of himself and his circumstances by throwing "traditional" conduct out the window. Er Thom yos'Galan, like Mark Vorkosigan in "Mirror Dance", feels like a lesser human being. His chalaket, Daav yos'Phelium, is brilliant, sexy, good looking -- everything Er Thom feels he isn't. Anne Davis, however, sees Er Thom differently. Anne is a scholar, and is fully Human, whereas Er Thom is Liaden (a mutant offshoot of the human race with additional psychic abilities). What Er Thom sees as liabilities (for example, his inability to go along with polyamory, or a succession of short term contract marriages to get heirs, because he's a natural monogamist), Anne sees as assets. Of course, their relationship is rocky at the start. He believes because she's Terran (or fully human), his mother won't approve -- and indeed, when his mother meets her later, she doesn't. And because of that, and because of his mother's inability to see Er Thom's monogamist nature -- and the fact that Er Thom and Anne Davis have a lifemating (a sacred bond that most Liadens recognize, even though Er Thom's mother doesn't), fur flies. Repeatedly. The s/f here is mostly in the trappings, but I don't see that as bad or wrong. For one, in a story like this, how do you get polar opposites like Er Thom and Anne believe themselves to be at first? (Because they're looking at externals, not internals.) The easiest way, in a far future romance, is to have one or the other be a Trader -- and that's what Er Thom is. Plus, the s/f background is very strong; it works. But this is a _psychological_ novel, more so than any other of Lee and Miller's novels. It's psychological, because it's all in how Anne Davis sees herself, how she sees Er Thom -- and vice versa. Their son, Shan, has a role to play, too. Most of the rest of the plot, to me, is a McGuffin. It helps to illustrate the main tension, which is this: how can these two, who are of different worlds, find a way to be together happily? This is a cross cultural paradigm, and it's done extremely well. Obviously Miller and Lee have done their anthropological homework; they know what happens to various people in different cultures when they meet up, especially when one offshoot (in this case, the Liadens) meets up with the main branch (in this case, the Terrans). Better yet, I firmly believed in Anne Davis' characterization, and in Er Thom's. I saw their dilemma and their solution; of course, it was easier for me outside the book to say (actually, to yell at them), "Be with each other and ignore these other idiots!" But in the real world, that isn't always easy in a cross-culture romance. Miller and Lee did right to make it tough here. So, the final tally is five stars, recommended. Barb Caffrey And if you like this book, you probably will like most anything else Miller and Lee have written; in addition, you might like Lois Bujold's work as well, as there are some similarities.
Rating:
Summary: When In Rome =
Review: - you can't ALWAYS do as the Romans do.
In the highly complex society that is Liad, it is necessary to move with great care to avoid giving or recieving offense. Not something that has often concerned Clan Korval, but this time it will matter deeply.
When Er Thom's obligation to produce an heir for the clan reaches a critical point, he finds himself unable to complete his duty until he settles some unfinished business....getting the mesmerizing Terran he met out of his head first. Which turns out to be harder than he expected, and dreadfully complicated by the existence of Shan yos Galen, son of Er Thom and his Terran lover!
This second "prequel" to the Liaden Universe stories gives us a wonderfully rich explanation of Liaden customs and manners, a better understanding of the Scouts and plenty of excitement. Buy everything these authors write if you like Bujold, Weber, Georgette Heyer or Dorothy Sayers!
Who says you have to be rude and swear to make a point?
Rating:
Summary: When In Rome =
Review: - you can't ALWAYS do as the Romans do.
In the highly complex society that is Liad, it is necessary to move with great care to avoid giving or recieving offense. Not something that has oftened concerned Clan Korval, but this time it will matter deeply.
When Er Thom's obligation to produce an heir for the clan reaches a critical point, he finds himself unable to complete his duty until he settles some unfinished business....getting the mesmerizing Terran he met out of his head first. Which turns out to be harder than he expected, and dreadfully complicated by the existence of Shan yos Galen, son of Er Thom and his Terran lover!
This second "prequel" to the Liaden Universe stories gives us a wonderfully rich explanation of Liaden customs and manners, a better understanding of the Scouts and plenty of excitement. Buy everything these authors write if you like Bujold, Weber, Georgette Heyer or Dorothy Sayers!
Who says you have to be rude and swear to make a point?
Rating:
Summary: When In Rome =
Review: - you can't ALWAYS do as the Romans do.
In the highly complex society that is Liad, it is necessary to move with great care to avoid giving or recieving offense. Not something that has often concerned Clan Korval, but this time it will matter deeply.
When Er Thom's obligation to produce an heir for the clan reaches a critical point, he finds himself unable to complete his duty until he settles some unfinished business....getting the mesmerizing Terran he met out of his head first. Which turns out to be harder than he expected, and dreadfully complicated by the existence of Shan yos Galen, son of Er Thom and his Terran lover!
This second "prequel" to the Liaden Universe stories gives us a wonderfully rich explanation of Liaden customs and manners, a better understanding of the Scouts and plenty of excitement. Buy everything these authors write if you like Bujold, Weber, Georgette Heyer or Dorothy Sayers!
Who says you have to be rude and swear to make a point?
Rating:
Summary: When In Rome =
Review: - you can't ALWAYS do as the Romans do.
In the highly complex society that is Liad, it is necessary to move with great care to avoid giving or recieving offense. Not something that has oftened concerned Clan Korval, but this time it will matter deeply.
When Er Thom's obligation to produce an heir for the clan reaches a critical point, he finds himself unable to complete his duty until he settles some unfinished business....getting the mesmerizing Terran he met out of his head first. Which turns out to be harder than he expected, and dreadfully complicated by the existence of Shan yos Galen, son of Er Thom and his Terran lover!
This second "prequel" to the Liaden Universe stories gives us a wonderfully rich explanation of Liaden customs and manners, a better understanding of the Scouts and plenty of excitement. Buy everything these authors write if you like Bujold, Weber, Georgette Heyer or Dorothy Sayers!
Who says you have to be rude and swear to make a point?
Rating:
Summary: Another great one
Review: As always it is a pleasure to sink into the wonderful world of Liaden. I loved this very touching story of the intersection between two cultures. As is so often the case in the books of Lee and Miller, there is a conflict in the basic customs of Liaden and Earth that must be sorted out. This is space opera at its best and I highly recommend it though it really pays to read this series in order of publication. Though this is a prequel and does stand on its own, knowing the characters and the universe from they spring is an added bonus. Never having been one to be able to discuss plots of books without giving huge plot points away, I can only say that this was a one sit read for me.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Wonderful - I Loved This Book!
Review: 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... Local Custom is the first book in the Liaden series as far as chronology goes (even though books 3-5 were written first) and introduces us to Er Thom yos'Galan and his son Shan yos'Galan, whom we see in Conflicts of Honor. 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 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!
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Wonderful - I Loved This Book!
Review: 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... Local Custom is the first book in the Liaden series as far as chronology goes (even though books 3-5 were written first) and introduces us to Er Thom yos'Galan and his son Shan yos'Galan, whom we see in Conflicts of Honor. 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 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!
Rating: 
Summary: Good Liaden book
Review: I only give it 4 stars instead of 5 because later books in the
series are better.
Rating:
Summary: Good Liaden book
Review: I read Local Custom as part of the omnibus "Pilot's Choice". It is my first novel in the Liadan Universe. It is a surprisingly good foray into the Liadan series. I find myself wanting more. For me the book started out very slow and didn't really seize my interest until the protagonists went to Liad. From then on, I was hooked. Indeed by the end of the book, I was completely immersed in the Liadan Universe. As has been stated by other reviews, the SF aspect of this book was mostly in the setting and mood, not really an important part of the plot. For me this was not an issue because I was drawn in by the characters and the environment. I am not a fan of the Romance genre and perhaps that is why I was not impressed in the beginning. A lot of time is spent convincing the reader that Er Thom as the perfect man and that his love for Ann is a perfect love. Capitulations about the love that knows no end, is not for me...I don't love fantasy. Anyway, as soon as they get to Liad, there is more "balance". The characters that I liked the most were not the protagonists but the supporting players of Daav and Shan. I wanted to know what happens to these two. Er Thom and Ann Davis...I wasn't nearly as invested in their lives. I am a little uncomfortable with the impression that with the exception of Ann Davis, most of the women characters were written as petulant, flighty, irrational, mean-spirited and "bad". Though it is obvious in the Liad Universe that both woman and men both occupy positions of power, the execution of the story struck me as having misogynistic undertones (overbearing mother, jealous cousin, duplicitous trader). I am willing to find out if it was simply characteristic of the story or if this is an underlying theme in the Liad Universe. All in all, I would say that I was surprised how invested I had become by the end of the book. That is the sign of a very good read.
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