Customer Reviews

The Better Part of Valor (Confederation)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

In the distant future, Earth has joined the Confederation in return for becoming a fighting arm of the empire along with other sentient species. Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr is proud to be a marine fighting the Others, a race that covets confederation territory while refusing to negotiate with the delegates of the Confederation. In a life or death battle with the Others, she has come to the attention of General Morris.

The General assigns her a top-secret mission to investigate a spaceship that is neither Confederation nor Other in a far corner of the galaxy. When Kerr boards the alien ship, she learns the hard way that it is sentient and doesn't like anyone shooting it. Trapped on board the ship with a group of the Others, Torin must find a way to escape or die trying.

Fans of military science fiction will want to read THE BETTER PART OF VALOR, a thriller that is every bit as exciting as STAR WARS. Tanya Huff's latest work is so action packed and colorful it would make a great movie. Torin is a great heroine while the realistic species provide an authentic spin to this vigorous fantastic futuristic tale.

Harriet Klausner

Tanya Huff has written a lot of great books, but her "Valor" series is turning out to be my favorite. Torin Kerr, her main character is everything you want a believable hero (rather heroine) to be during war. I've read reviews that compare "Valor" to the Aliens movies, but these are better. I also liked the fact that you don't have to read "Valor's Choice" to understand "The Better Part of Valor", they are two seperate stories about one character. I do however highly recommend that people read both books. They are both very well written, and the reader can clearly see the incredible world Tanya Huff has created. Humor, drama, and ACTION...what more could a reader want? I hope Tanya Huff decides to write more in this series, because it's a promise that I'll buy more books about Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr.

Tanya Huff returns to the galaxy of the Confederation and super-competent Marine Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr in this military SF sequel to "Valor's Price".

The set-up is that humans, along with two other species, the di'Taykan and the Krai, are recruited into the Confederation, a union of highly advanced species, in order to provide it with the ability to defend itself against the violent Others, who are invading Confederation space. Other Confederation species have either never practiced warfare or have developed to the point where it is a part of their ancient history, so they need some less-advanced races to help out when they are faced with the requirement to resist military aggression.

Kerr's latest mission is to protect scientists while they examine an extremely large space ship which has been located, apparently drifting as a derelict, in Confederation space. In this I don't think Huff has really thought out her premise. The Confederation is supposed to be an ultra-advanced society of ancient races, but their technology, excepting SF-standard FTL space ships and artificial gravity, isn't really that impressive - there's very little that humans couldn't easily develop on their own by the date of this story, roughly early 23rd Century. Much of it seems downright primitive for a galaxy-spanning culture. They have no AI, no nanotechnology, and apparently no robotics - they seem to have no clue about sending unmanned scouts into potentially hazardous situations, for which they just use Marines. When they encounter this ship, which it soon becomes clear is truly advanced, the Confederation scientists are pretty much useless.

Apart from this conceptual problem, I liked nearly everything about this book. The plot is interesting, with unpredictable twists, and, unlike the prequel, Torin wasn't the only character who was properly developed. There's a sexual tension between Torin and the salvage operator who discovered the ship to keep a romantic subplot running. And there are political subplots in Torin's conflicts with General Morris, returned from the prequel, and the incompetent CO he has assigned to her unit, who is more familiar with - and more interested in - media relations than the mission.

Although I liked most of the story, I do agree with reviewers who said that there isn't much payoff at the end. But this novel is a diverting story and a pleasure to read.

Better Part of Valor, by Tanya Huff, is the second in what appears to be an ongoing series of books about Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr, and her adventures in the Marines. It's just as enjoyable as the first book, Valor's Choice, but it unfortunately has the same problems as the first one did (with one exception). Torin is just as fascinating, but the characterization of the other Marines is just as thin. Still, if you like military sci-fi, then you should enjoy this one as well.

After their mission to Silviss (as detailed in Valor's Choice), Kerr told General Morris exactly what she thought of him and the "mission" he had sent her platoon on. This, of course, is a mistake, and he doesn't take too kindly to it. In response, she's separated from her platoon and put in charge of a makeshift squad of Marines who have been charged with safeguarding a scientific expedition. It seems that a mysterious craft has appeared. It's seemingly a derelict and it is huge. The expedition is sent to get inside the ship and see what is in there. Kerr is in charge of the escort. To make matters worse, Confederation politics has saddled her with a commander who is there to look good rather then because he is competent.

What is the secret of this ship? Was it created by the Others, the enemy of the Confederation? Is it something completely different? If not the Others, then what alien race could have produced something so massive and unintelligible? What's its agenda? And whose side is it on? Kerr must not only figure this out, but she also must figure out how to keep her troops alive, and how to keep her commander alive when he seems determined to get them all killed.

There is one confusing thing about this book if you've read the first one. That book ends with Kerr on decent (though definitely not good) terms with General Morris. All of sudden, though, at the beginning of this book, this has changed. It's made clear in Better Part of Valor that this attitude is because of Kerr's actions at the end of the mission in the first book, but there's no indication in the first book that there is any problem. It's a trifle jarring, but nothing really to worry about. I just thought I would mention it because it affects how the series holds together. Too many of these little continuity errors cropping up has destroyed many a series.

All in all, this book is just as good as the first one. Kerr is still a fantastic character, though this book gives her a bit more depth as she has to handle an attraction to one of the civilians brought into the group, Ryder. She doesn't like him and his attitude, but she's still very drawn to him, and the constant interplay between the two characters is very neat. Unlike the first book, where the only thoughts you saw were Kerr's, you get to see other characters' thoughts as well. Thus, you get to see how Ryder reacts to Kerr's no-nonsense approach to things, and how he tries to play upon her attraction to him. It really is interesting to see the verbal dance between the two of them.

The other standout aspect to this book is the suspense. The puzzle of the alien ship is very intriguing, and surprise builds on surprise once they are inside it. Kerr must constantly deal with changing circumstances, especially once they are cut off from their support ships. You are constantly wondering what's going to happen next, and what secrets the ship holds. You seriously wonder which characters (other than the obvious, of course) are going to survive, which really adds to the tension level.

The characters on the outside of the ship (Captain Carveg, General Morris, Lt. Commander Sibley, and most of the others) are very interesting as well. They're not very three-dimensional, but they fulfill their purposes admirably, with great dialogue and appropriate action. Much of the action takes place outside of Kerr's view, and it's a credit to Huff that she makes it just as interesting without making you wish to get back to Kerr's story. You can feel the frustration as every rescue attempt they make is countered by the alien ship.

While this book avoids the predictability problem of the first book (which was too closely based on an actual historical event and the movie made from it), it suffers again from the thin characterization of the Marines. It's offset a little by the fact that there are only twelve of them, but it still makes it hard to tell them apart. Add to that the scientific team and others, and the problem still adds up. It takes a while to get the various characters and their respective species straight, which can make for a confusing read.

The other problem is the ambiguous ending. While I'm a fan of the occasional ambiguity, in this book it made the book seem like almost a waste. There really wasn't much of a payoff, which is a shame. It's still not bad, and you will enjoy reading it, but it's a bit of a let-down. The characterization of Kerr and Ryder make it worth the trip, but I wish Huff had ended it a little better.

My recommendation for this book is very similar to my recommendation for the first. If you like military SF, then you will like this book. It really brings home the "Marine" feeling. However, if you don't like the genre, there's nothing here that will make you want to start.

The Better Part of Valor is the second novel in the Confederation series. After bringing home the surviving marines from Silsvah, Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr is detached to a recon unit investigating "an unidentified alien vessel drifting dead in space". ...

This novel differs in many respects from Valor's Choice. The naval problems are mostly a sideshow and the Others soldiers are just more of the same. The real problem is the personnel, particularly Captain Tarvik, and the alien ship. All indications are that the ship is running rats in a maze, setting puzzles to be solved by both parties in competition. Torin, of course, is mainly concerned with getting her group home without further casualties and could otherwise care less about the ship's agenda.

Recommended for all Huff fans and anyone who enjoys tense military interaction dramas, with a touch of jarhead humor.

-Arthur W. Jordin

As an ex-Marine, I was blown away with how real the Corps was displayed and revealed in this exciting story of the Staff Sergeant with an attitude that never gave up, always took care of her Marines, knew how to handle the brass, and knew what it took to adapt, survive and succeed. The action was so graphically described, I had to duck to keep out of the line of fire. The setting in the alien spaceship of unknown origin and its many tricks and challenges was brilliant. The byplay between the Civiian Salvage Operator and the Staff Sergeant was titillating, cool and warm, all at the same time. I hope there is more to come from these wonderful characters.

I enjoy military science fiction if it's written by someone who was actually in the military, e.g. Elizabeth Moon (USMC, 1968-1971), Robert A. Heinlein (U. S. Navy 1929 - 1934), and Tanya Huff (three years as a cook in the Canadian Naval Reserve). All of these authors embody military ideals such as loyalty and valor into their characters, but also quickly disabuse their readers of any notion of the nobility of war itself. Their wars are mean and dirty. Their heroes are the grunts. Their god is the NCO.

In "The Better Part of Valor," sequel to "Valor's Choice," the heroine, Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr is 'rewarded' for her success on Silsviss, when General Morris detaches her from her platoon of Marines and puts her on a special assignment.

The special assignment proves to be a gigantic yellow spaceship of unknown origin, discovered by a salvager who was slightly lost in space at the time. Both the Confederation and the enemy Others manage to get parties aboard the alien ship, and that's when the fireworks begin. The ship reads minds and resents having holes blown in its walls. The latter action on the part of the Confederation scientists wipes out the airlock, plus the whole scientific mission, plus their equipment, save one little old tart-tongued alien. Luckily, Staff Sergeant Kerr's vain, glory-hogging captain is also rendered unconscious by the blast, so she is in charge.

Unfortunately, the bitchy news commentator and her assistant also survive to provide acerbic backchat to every tactic the Staff attempts to get her party of survivors out of the ship.

Meanwhile the alien ship keeps reforming itself and throwing the 'Bugs' (Others or servants of the Others) and Kerr's marines together in the race to reach another working airlock. There are firefights and heroic sacrifices galore.

The plot reminds me of an amalgam of several Star Trek and Star Trek NG episodes that could be classified as "This Whole Ship is a Trap, Captain!" or "Didn't we just come down this same corridor a few minutes ago?"

"The Better Part of Valor" is a fun read, not nearly as gory as the first book in the series. The Navy's vacuum jockeys get to zoom around in their fighters and take out Bugs while the Marines battle for the airlock inside the alien ship.

There is a slam-bang ending where the glory-hogging captain gets to perform one last valorous deed, even after he is dead.

The news commentator survives to tell her story.

Staff Sergeant Kerr--well who knows what happens to her, after her brief fling with the salvage captain? This book leaves many loose ends, such as the disappearance of the mysterious yellow ship after the Marines manage to break free of her.

And how can there not be a sequel when we don't even know who the Others really are? C'mon Ms. Huff, what happens next? Informed readers want to know.

This book is well-written and will certainly keep the reader's interest until the end. All-in-all a pretty good read, but a few flaws tempered my enjoyment of the book.

First of all, the main character, Torin, just doesn't resonate with me -- likely because I can't think of one character trait that differentiates her from the standard 'competant, tough female action lead' character.

Secondly, the alien ship was pretty intriguing, but by the end of the book, it seemed more of a major plot device rather than the 'inscrutable alien artifact' that it should be. Even alien artifacts should have there own motives and strange logic -- this alien ship seemed to be a slave to the author to set up conveniently dramatic scenarios.

I enjoyed reading this book, but because of the generic hero and transparent plot manipulation by the author, I probably won't actively follow this series.

I was hesitant to pick this one up after loving the first book so much. Sequels are never quite as good normally, but this one was excellent. Fast read, quick moving story, characters you could care about and laugh at & with. It is unusual for a second book to be able to bring new people in and leave out original characters and still flow nicely. This one does that and leaves you wanting the next installment ASAP.

It is so cool! My couselor at camp lent it to me telling me that it's a good book. I looked at it cautiously because I don't usually get into sci-fi. When I started reading I realized that it was so much more than that. Torin is so stiff from war, and then this guy Ryder pops up in her face and she doesn't even let herself be attracted to him. Torin has to make sure: her ego filled captain looks good throughout the mission, all of the civilians are safe along with her crew, and that she keeps under control with a sarcastic Ryder. I am probaly going to buy this book and Valor. I reeeeaaaaaly hope that you read it. Also if your a kid be warned that they curse alot and sexual things are written.