Customer Reviews

A Confederation of Valor (omnibus)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

This book is an omnibus edition of the first two books in the Confederation of Valor series, Valor's Choice being the first book and The Better Part Of Valor being the second. The new thing in this book is the 10 page or so sneek peak at the the third book in the series The Heart Of Valor, due out in June 2007 (baring any delays).

Both stories in this book are military space going action adventure books. No hardcore Tech babble, just easy reading with a good herione and support cast. While these are entertaining easy reading, the author pulls no punches, she does not glorify the fighting. She writes battle as it is, a bloody dirty thing and people die.

The first story follows Staff Sergent Kerr along with the rest of her battle weary platoon of space marines when they are pulled from a much deserved and needed leave to escort a diplomatic mission. The job was suppose to be merely ceremonial, but when talks go awry, the result lands the platoon in an unwanted combat situation.

The second story, A Better Part Of Valor, follows The Staff Sergent and platoon of Marines as they go on special assignment. This new assignment, turns out to be a recon of a gigantic spaceship of unknown origin, found floating in space. Once the boarding party is trapped on board the ship, mazes of corridors change from one configuration to another constantly messing with the minds of the boarding party. There are firefights galore since the Confederations enemy the Others have also managed to get a team on board the mystery ship and everyone is racing to find a working airlock to get off the ship. The story leaves many questions unanswered, and easily inviting for another story if the Author every chooses to journey in this universe again. (Which the sneak peak of book three at the end suggests that she has) Even so, the story like the first one is a good easy enjoyable read.

First, I understand that some people were disappointed to unexpectedly discover that this was an omnibus edition. Not making users aware of this was clearly a mistake, but not one that the Author should be punished for, since Ms. Huff doesn't have any control over this. Hence, I think the low reviews provided by a few other users are unfair and unwarranted.

Second, I never had the books in their previous edition, so I was delighted to get two books for one price. I had never actually read anything by the author before, so I was pleased to discover a set of military adventures mixed with some pretty decent humor. All in all, a pretty decent read, and a nice price for the combined edition.

I have to say that I knew when I pre-ordered that this would only be a collection of the first two books (though I will admit when I first saw the title a thrill of joy ran up my spine), but I still enjoyed it. For one, I lent my first copy of Valor's Choice to a friend years ago and haven't seen hide nor hair of it since and two, I thought if I contributed to a possitive response to a re-print to the first two books it would prompt interest in publishing a third. I've had the impression from author interviews that sequals occasionally go unwritten if the publishers feel there is no interest from the fan base and I would dearly love a sequal to this most hilarious and well done work of Sci-Fi. In the sea of slop I've been wadeing through lately, I need a life preserver thrown my way from time to time.

For some reason lately, I've been on a military SF kick. I loved the McCaffrey/Moon "Sassinak" series, Moon's "Heris Serrano", and Weber's Honor Harrington series. When I read the desciption of this one, it sounded right up my alley and my impression was correct. Both stories combined enough characters to care about and believe in with outstanding military action. I've really enjoyed Huff's other, more fantasy and horror oriented books, and now she has me hooked on this new series.
For those who have given the book a bad review because they felt cheated that it was not made more apparent that this was an omnibus addition, I can sympathize, but feel that it is unfair to the author. The marketing is not something that the author controls. To keep someone from reading a good story because they look at the ratings and see them as not that high is hardly fair when one's disappointment is not with the story itself.
If you enjoy good military SF with stong female characters, interesting alien species, realistic land and space maneuvers, and consistant technology, please read this book.

A Confederation of Valor (2006) is an SF omnibus edition of the Valor series, containing Valor's Choice and The Better Part of Valor. The pacifistic Confederation was unable to defend itself when attacked by the Others. All the member species had evolved socially to the point of being unable to take another sentient being's life. So the Confederation invited the Humans to become their defenders; later the Taykan and the Krai were also invited to join the defense.

In Valor's Choice (2000), one and a half centuries later, Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr is acting first sergeant of Sh'quo Company. She is ordered to gather a platoon for ceremonial duty guarding a delegation to the lizard-like Silsviss, a newly discovered aggressive species.

This presents some problems since all the platoons are short of troops due to casualties on the last mission. So she is tasked with choosing nine intact fireteams and three squad sergeants from the survivors. The composite platoon joins the diplomats on the Confederation Ship Berganitan. The diplomatic party consists of four spider-like Mictoc, four massive humanoid Dornagian, and four bird-like Rakva.

When the Confederation mission reaches Silsvah, the marines demonstrate their proficiency at close-order drill, firearms, and standing guard. The hot climate and boring duties soon send a party of six marines sneaking off to town to meet their counterparts. The ensuing bar fight seems to speed up the negotiations, for the Silsviss terminate the visit in Hahraas early and send the Confederates to their final destination.

While enroute, the Confederate transport is shot down over a swamp within a Silsviss Wilderness Preserve. After escaping the ship, the party slogs out of the swamp toward two nearby buildings. There is some need for haste, since the Preserve is used to keep the Silsviss adolescent males occupied while their hormones levels gradually drop to civilized levels. The process also gets rid of some of the surplus male population as they fight each other and anything else that challenges them, including Confederation diplomats and marines.

Most of the Silsviss adolescent males in the vicinity are headed toward the crash site, but several are near the buildings. These attack the slow moving Dornagian and their escorts, who promptly take cover in some rocks. Torin leads a sortie out to recover the Dornagian party and finds that the Silsviss adolescents don't run from, but rather toward, overwhelming fire.

During the night, the marines pick off the remainder of the first group. But the next day thousands of adolescent Silsviss appear on the surrounding hills, some armed with Confederation weapons from the wreckage. The attacks continue for days.

In The Better Part of Valor (2002), Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr brings home the surviving marines from Silsvah and is soon detached to a recon unit investigating "an unidentified alien vessel drifting dead in space". General Morris has formed the temporary group with individual marines from different units to avoid media notice. So the first event of note when they reach the big yellow derelict is the arrival of a Sector Central News ship.

General Morris has overall command of the mission, with Captain Carveg in charge of naval matters. Captain Travik is nominally in operational command of the marines, with Torin as his lead NCO. General Morris, however, makes it clear that he is depending upon Torin to make the mission succeed. All the marines, including the other Krai, despise the Marine Captain for his grandstanding attitude and high losses.

However, Travik is a media darling and a hero to the public. Since the Krai Parliamentary delegation is demanding more of their species in high military positions, Travik is being groomed for fast promotion upon the success of this mission. Assuming, of course, the serley food waster doesn't get them all killed.

Craig Ryder, the civilian salvage operator who discovered the derelict ship, insists on boarding with the marines to protect his investment. The Katrien news team insists on boarding also, but are forced to wait with the scientists for the marines to give the all clear. Nothing harmful is discovered by the marines, so Travik overrides Torin to allow the press and scientists onboard. Shortly thereafter, one scientist triggers an explosion that disables the airlock, destroys the shuttle, and kills several civilians.

Torin and Craig are sucked down by the floor into a small cubbyhole, but are able to walk through a wall to another clear area with a hatch. They find Travik and the reporter beyond the hatch in an area that resembles a warehouse identical with one well known to Craig. The captain is severely injured and the reporter is unconscious.

Since the Katrien scientist is also unconscious, Torin has them laid near each other and, when one accidentally touches the other, both go into grooming behavior. Torin gathers the survivors, including the newly conscious Katrien, and starts them toward the closest intact airlock. On the way, they discover that the ship is rearranging corridors and rooms as they go.

A group of Others -- bug soldiers -- is also on the ship and going toward the same airlock. Fighting ensues and casualties occur. The Katrien freak out, the CSO is somewhat quieter, and the Niln scientist comments on her old age, but otherwise takes everything calmly.

Meanwhile, an Others ship emerges from Susumi space diametrically opposite the Big Yellow ship from the Berganitan. The Confederation Ship finds itself unable to maneuver and all missiles launched at the Others ship are apparently deprogrammed in mid-flight by the Big Yellow ship; the Others ship seems to have similar problems.

The fighters work, however, and a real furball is taking place around and near Big Yellow. The first shuttle launched to rescue the trapped civilians and marines is destroyed by the Others and the second is unable to launch. Then Big Yellow starts warming up its engines.

Although some might think that these novels are too stereotypical, one finds that the characters are very true to real life. Soldiers usually are fairly superficial in their discussions. Too much intimacy is frowned on for several reasons, not the least that it hurts more when the other guy is KIA.

It also doesn't match the macho image that most soldiers try to project. After all, who would want a wimp guarding their back. Depression, on the other hand, is usually close at hand even in the barracks, for a soldier's life is often lonely and boring.

Unlike other reviewers, I would not classify these novels as "space opera". One reserves that term for works like the Lensman or Legion of Space series. These stories are much more like the StarFIST and DMC novels, small-unit combat SF.

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

-Arthur W. Jordin

I'm sorry for all those who purchased this book unaware that it was an omnibus edition, but their reviews have given it an unfairly low rating. I'd never read any of Tanya Huff's work before and was very, very happy to find it. Great stories, dialogue and humor. Highly recommended, and I can't wait for the next one to come out this summer.

One of the things Amazon has got right is allowing buyers to review products, for if I hadnt read so many positive reviews about the Valor series, I wouldn't have bought this book- to me, the cover looks kinda cheap and bleh. (Compare it to something majestic like Iain Bank's The Algebraist with a close up of Jupiter's Red Spot).

So thank you fellow reviewers for allowing me to overcome my biases and taking the plunge and buying this book.

It's basically military sci fi, and it's pretty good. There's never a dull moment, the plot never dies or drifts and the interspecies interaction is pretty humourous. I will definately be on the lookout for more Valor books in the future.

I just hope that the Officers in the military arent really like the ones portrayed in Tanya Huff's books, because that would be frightening to think they were still as incompetetent as back in WW1.

(I hope the Bush's are no longer on the political scene by Sergeant Torin's time)

I loved these books. I have to just scratch my head at the reviwers who didn't know that this book wasn't fresh material. It's kind of obvious that the words "omnibus edition" suggest a reprint of a past edition. Oh well. Highly recomended if you haven't started the series yet and want to get the first two books in one. Just remember, it's not new stuff, just a new package.

Tanya Huff has an amazing ability to set up a battle and keep it going for chapter after chapter. These are stories about marines, fighting aliens -- there is not much in the way of space battles.

Characters are one dimensional but, hey, this is science fiction -- who needs character development?

Although this is not my favorite kind of s.f., once I picked the book up and stared reading I could not put it down, that says it all for me.

I picked up this book because.....well the author is Canadian and I was feeling patriotic at the moment. HA!! Boy what a pleasant surprise. This is an ominbus of two previously published books, Valor's Choice and The Better Part Of Valor both are of the mil/sci-fi genre. What I like about these books was a minimal amount of techno babble and a more character driven story line. A pleasant read. The back story of the books universe is filled in along the way. I found the alien races all very interesting and we do learn a bit about their various culture. Huff's writing style, especially the dialog which is sharp and very witty. Any amatuer military history buff will recognize the main battle events described and Huff does pay tribute to the historical events in her afterwards. I don't want to give anything away. I read both books almost non stop. Either Huff is ex-military, a military "brat" or has friends in or out of the military. Her Marines ring true, they talk and act like real soldiers without the usual gung-ho nonsense other authors employ. I found her characterization of officers and NCO's realistic. Everyone knows that SnrNCO's know all, see all, and off duty they drink beer, smoke cigars and play poker with God while dispensing advise to Him. HA!! Yes Miss Huff there is nothing worse than a bored or idle combat/line trained soldier. No explanation will be given for that last sentence, I'm not sure if there is a statute of limitations in the Canadian Forces and don't wish to tempt the Gods at my now "mature" age.

Please disregard the one star ratings. The "reviewers" mention nothing about the stories and are only complaining about what is basically a publishers decisions and their own poor purchasing habits.

I would recommend this to readers of mil/sc-fi or for those looking for an introduction to the genre.