SCIENCE FICTION REVIEW: Confederation 1 and 2: Valour's Choice and The Better Part of Valour - Tanya Huff

Release Date: 06/12/13
Publisher:  Titan

SYNOPSIS:

In the distant future, humans and several alien races have been granted membership in the Confederation—at a price. They must serve and protect the far more civilized species who have long since turned away from war. When her transport ship is shot down, a routine diplomatic mission across the galaxy becomes anything but, and Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr must fight to keep her platoon alive.


REVIEW:

Changing from one subgenre to another can at times work heavily against an author yet the skip from Urban Fantasy to Science Fiction is not that big of a jump and one that works wonderfully in Tanya’s favour in this brand new series. It has a real kickass lead heroine who like others of Tanya’s female leads has a great sense of honour, a can do attitude and whilst hiding from her enemies also faces off against some of the toughest that the galaxy has to offer.

It has some great twists and when added to Tanya’s ability to bring the lead across in a future that you can easily believe all round gives you something to occupy your mind during this busy season. It asks a lot of questions and whilst some may not be too happy with this title spending more time on developing relationships, all round works better for me. I can’t wait for the second offering.

Release Date: 06/12/13
Publisher:   Titan

SYNOPSIS:

When Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr makes the mistake of speaking her mind to a superior officer, she finds herself tagged for a special mission for the interplanetary Confederation to act as protector to a scientific exploratory team assigned to investigate an enormous derelict spaceship. Along with her crew and her charges, Kerr soon finds herself in the midst of danger and faced with a mystery that takes all her courage and ingenuity to solve. This sequel to Valor's Choice, featuring a gutsy, fast-thinking female space-marine protagonist, establishes veteran fantasy author Huff as an accomplished spinner of high-tech military-sf adventure.


REVIEW:

The second book in Tanya’s Confederation series and one that I was so pleased that I didn’t have to wait for. After all with the original having built up the personal interactions between the principle player and the supporting cast, left this one to get down to the nitty gritty.

As with the first, we get to spend time with the wonderful Torin Kerr who is definitely her own woman who despite having to fight for her survival in the bleak future also has to deal with the complications of personal relationships that Tanya Huff writes so well. Its engaging, has some wonderful dialogue which when blended with Tanya’s own unique storytelling generates another book that I had a hard time putting down. Great stuff.