Customer Reviews

Crystal Soldier (Liaden)

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Crystal Soldier, Lee and Miller's latest tale of the Liaden Universe, is very much a prequel and is set in the time of the Great Migration that settled the planet Liad. This is the story of smuggler Cantra yos'Phelium and soldier M Jela Granthor's Guard and their partnership that changed the universe. The story begins with the meeting of Jela and the Tree that grew into Jelaza Kazone and the sacred oath that came to define (and haunt) Clan Korval. It then describes the early relationship between Jela and Cantra after their first accidental meeting. The often flawed and hurting people behind their legendary historical personas are explored by two wonderful writers in this story of two strong personalities striving to build a partnership in a galaxy full of conflict and trouble. For fans of the Liaden Universe, many pieces of background history are revealed, such as the origins of dramliza and Yxtrang as well as facets of personal history about Jela and Cantra not previously explored.
As an early fan from the first books Conflict of Honors and Agent of Change, I have enjoyed the marvelous adventures of the members of Clan Korval in previous Liaden Universe tales. The rich backdrop to the tales was laced with hints of a deep background from which I built my own ideas of historical events. Now that the authors are drawing back the curtain from this history, it is no surprise that I got it wrong in some details and some revelations were total surprises, but overall I was pleased at how close I came. This is part one of two books concerning the Great Migration, and the ship Quick Passage has not appeared yet, so I can hardly wait for the second book to reveal more of the events that led to the founding of Clan Korval and the planet Liad.
This review is based on the Embiid e-book edition.

This book is a prequel to the Liaden Universe stories. I assume that anyone who has read those stories will read this book no matter what the reviews say, so I guess I'll aim this review at someone coming in unfamiliar with the story.

(For those who are already hooked, this book lives up to all your hopes except for one aspect -- it only tells half the story. The book does end at a fairly natural break-point, and it is a compelling read on its own, but plot-wise it only serves to set up Book 2.)

So, if you don't already know the Liaden Universe, what should you expect from this book? Adventure! It is the story of a soldier (genetically bred to be a soldier) who is fighting against a remorseless enemy that plans to destroy all life in the galaxy. And worse yet, the enemy is winning.

The soldier decides to cast his lot with an underground group of mutineers, who he thinks are actually the best hope for defeating the enemy.

Then he accidently encounters a smuggler, and somehow the soldier, the smuggler, and an escaped slave end up on the run from some serious trouble. Is it the enemy? The regular high command? Someone else?

None of the three trust each other to share the same interests, but they do trust each other to watch their backs. The smuggler just wants to get the other two off her ship, the slave wants to find a legendary colony of escaped slaves, and the soldier wants ... well actually he is pretty closemouthed about what he wants. And about why he is carrying a tree with him wherever he goes.

And all of them have different groups of people hunting them, so it is not clear whether they are safer together or whether they just make a bigger target.

The action jumps from one planet to the next as the trio attempts to outwit their pursuers and each other. And all of this happens in the shadow of nearly certain doom for the entire galaxy.

The story ends at a natural break-point, but the plot is at least as unresolved as it was at the start of the novel. If you really hate that sort of thing, you might want to wait for Book 2 and read them both together. But if you just want a fast-paced adventure with some memorable characters, this book will provide what you are looking for.

And while you are waiting for Book 2, you can find and read all the other Liaden stories, to which this is just the prequel. I would suggest starting with the three-novel collection "Partners In Necessity". Or perhaps the pair of romances collected in "Pilot's Choice".

Humanity has been fighting the war against The Enemy for centuries, and humanity is on the verge of defeat, though most people don't seem to realise it. Soldier M Jela is stranded on a desert planet when he finds the last seedling of a Tree race which had managed to hold the enemy at bay from their world for centuries.

Taking the seedling with him when rescued Jela meets smuggler Cantra at a chance meeting at a remote starport which will change both their lives forever. This novel brings us back to the distant past and the beginnings of Clan Korval and the Liaden Universe and the story of the Great Migration and escape from the enemy and human genocide.

Keeping in mind that this is only half a story - to be completed with CRYSTAL DRAGON - this is an enjoyable novel in a past that is quite different what many later Liadens would believe. Pervaded with a subtle sense of doom, these novels will give the entire Liaden series a foundation that it currently lacks - I'm looking forward to book 2 and will be interested to see how well it meshes with the story of Jela and Cantra as related in PLAN B.

I've been a fan of Lee and Miller's books since _Conflict of Honors_. Most of their Liaden books include quotes from Cantra's logs which also include entries by Jela. Jela is a soldier is a battle against an implacable enemy. The enemy is reminiscent of Bujold's Cetagandans but run amok. They've perfected themselves and have decided that the other intelligent beings in the galaxy need to be wiped out. In the beginning of the book, he rescues a sapling from a world that the enemy tried to wipe out.

Cantra is a smuggler with an interesting history who is pulled into Jela's fight after a random meeting at dinner.

You can easily read this book even if you haven't read the other Liaden books. If you have, you'll enjoy seeing the origins of the various cultures and families you've already read about.

I originally thought the book started a little slowly, but that was mainly because I wanted to rush ahead to Cantra's first appearance. Savor the first chapters as the information sets up the story well. Cantra and Jela (and Dulce) are well-drawn, interesting personalities. I wish I could read the second book of the duology right now. Even though _Crystal Soldier_ is part of duology, it ends at a nice break; certainly more events are going to happen, but it didn't end on a cliff-hanger.

This book was very enjoyable and my first introduction to the Liaden universe. Despite the numerous reviewers that don't recommend reading this one unless one is already a Liaden fan, I am looking forward to the next installment, Crystal Dragon. Meanwhile, I found some of the previously written books and will read those while I'm waiting. Lee and Miller are excellent authors and they have no difficulty keeping the readers interest, even if one is new to the series. Crystal Soldier is engaging and somewhat intense in spots as it introduces the reader to the complex personalities of Jela and Cantra. I would recommend starting this series wherever one likes, since as far as I can tell, any one of these books may lead to a strong urge to read more.

We can see how the future is shaped by the past I won't spoil it form anyone but revals much about the orgins of Clan Korval, the Yxtrang, and the wizards of liad. We see Cantra and Jela and the Tree. The Blurb does not do the book justice. Sharon Lee and Steve have created a new masterpeice and i'm looking forward to the second in the series.

This book takes place generations before the classic Liaden stories. The characters in this book were legendary figures in the later novels, and finally writing their story must have been a daunting challenge. I always felt the Liaden books were easy to enjoy, particularly if you were in the right frame of mind and inclined towards the "space opera" end of the SF genre. The key was to be less critical of the polish applied to the prose and more appreciative of the story behind it. There was something about the universe, characters, plots, and the handling of specific scenes that made it easy to overlook the slightly amateurish writing. The writing was invariably clear, and the stories were very enjoyable! I'm thrilled to say the writers have developed their talents beyond any hope I might have had. I think, however, that in chosing so great a scope, complexity, and emotional impact for the story of the legendary Liaden forerunners that they may have overreached their talents ever so slightly. That is a very subtle charge to make, and I might well be wrong. But I'm glad they dreamt boldly in creating the backstory for such a well loved series. I'm even more thankful that they are continuing to write! But most gratifying of all is that their talents continued to grow. Their writing has always been very enjoyable. I think it is also becoming impressively skilled, with no loss of the charm that captured so many hearts and minds. For me, reading (and re-reading!) the earlier books was always something of a guilty pleasure. This book is more mature and well crafted, yet just as enjoyable as the other books in the series. Buy it, read it, enjoy it, and re-read it; you'll be in good company. I would suggest reading the books in order of publication, rather than reading the stories in chronological order.

This story was good and the characters well developed. It kept my interest and provoked interesting thought.

Done as only Lee and Miller could have done it, this is the story behind the legendary Jela and Cantra. And the tree, of course. This is a wonderful story all on its own, and you can enjoy it immensely without having read the stories in the Liaden Universe. However, those who have read those stories will enjoy seeing the origins of such things as the dramliza and Yxtrang.

Crystal Soldier (2004) is the first SF novel in the Great Migration duology within the Liaden Universe series. It is set millennia before the events within Agent of Change, the initial work in this sequence.

In this volume, humanity lives in a different universe within the multiverse. The inhabitants of Sherieka have transcended into a higher state. Unfortunately, they did not lose their emotions during their evolution.

The Sheriekas felt that other humans were hindering their progress and decided to purge them from the universe. They constructed many large and powerful machines and biological entities to destroy lower humans. These other humans have been fighting the Sheriekas for millennia.

In this novel, M Strain Jela Granthor's Guard is a soldier of Humanity. His breed are Generalists, storing more information about various and sundry subjects. He is also a pilot. Jela is shorter than others of the M Strain, but with wide shoulders and a narrow waist.

Do Gayda is a Commander in the Army of Humanity. She is a member of the consolidated commanders.

Garen yos'Phelium Clan Torvin was a human and a Dark Trader. She owned the Spiral Dance -- AKA Dancer -- after acquiring it from an Agent of the Sheriekas. She adopted Cantra after her flight from the Directors.

Cantra yos'Phelium Clan Torvin is also a Dark Trader and a pilot. She had been born within the Institute and trained as an aelantaza, an assassin. Now she owns and operates the Spiral Dancer.

Dulsey is a Batcher. Her pod was manufactured as station construction workers, but are now working in a restaurant.

Uncle is the leader of a group of runaway Batchers. He kept Cantra alive when the Institute decided to edit her line.

In this story, Jela is stranded on a desert world. He had attacked an enemy vessel to protect the Trident. His light-duty vehicle had been holed multiple times in the battle.

The Trident and the enemy vessel had fled the system while his craft landed on the planet. His craft is damaged enough that it cannot make orbit, so he has to wait for rescue. Meanwhile, he is exploring the planet with a rescue beacon in his pocket.

The world obviously contains something of interest to the Sheriekas. It had been a normal planet with a pleasant environment, but the enemy had turned it into desert. Only the remains of giant trees are left of the original biosphere.

The giant trees grew in the foothills, but a line of dead trees extends toward the seacoast. Each tree had fallen toward the coastline and deposited a single seed for the next tree. The tree remains grow smaller as the line approaches the coast.

As Jela follows the tree line, he gradually realizes that the trees have displayed intelligence in their effort to survive. Furthermore, he decides that the trees have somehow held back the Sheriekas. He begins to think of them as allies.

When Jela reached the last dead tree, he discovers that a sapling is still alive. He waters it from his dwindling supplies and provides it with shade. As he sleeps near it, Jela begins to have dreams.

Jela is finally rescued and insists on taking the sapling with him. His stubbornness is resented by the other soldiers, but he doesn't relent. When he gets back to the Trident, Jela finds that he is the senior survivor of his wing.

Many of his fellow soldiers resent -- and are envious of -- Jela. Then he gains an ally in Do Gayda. She offers him choices for his future and he takes the most demanding one.

Cantra has loaded cargo on Faldaiza and will leave port in the morning. Her recent voyage was long for a solo pilot and she yearns for food, company and rest. She books a room in a good hotel and goes out for a decent meal.

She tries several restaurants, but none are quite right. Then she finds The Alcoves and likes the look of it. She asks the host if any pilots have registered a wish for a tablemate.

Jela has made such a request and she is taken to his alcove. The server informs him that a pilot would like to dine with him and he agrees. Cantra is introduced and is seated by Jela.

Since Jela is dining at The Alcoves to rendezvous with a fellow soldier or his representative, he is somewhat confused by Cantra. She does not responds to any codewords nor offer any of her own, so he begins to think of her presence as a coincidence. Nonetheless, he finds her pleasant company.

Cantra wonders about Jela. He never mentions what type of pilot he is. He admits having military experience, but doesn't say anything about his ship. Under the etiquette of their dining, she cannot just bluntly ask him.

After the meal, Jela accompanies Cantra on a walk. They are attacked, but destroy the attackers. Then they discover that the attackers had visited The Alcoves before confronting them.

Everyone in the restaurant seems to be dead. Then Cantra hears a thump and finds Dulsey within a hide. Afterward, Dulsey accompanies them to the Dancer. Nothing they say to Dulsey dissuades her from traveling with them.

However, Dulsey does leave the ship at Taliofi to make contact with some other Batchers, but her plans are disrupted. Finally, Cantra asks about her final goal. Dulsey mentions the Uncle.

Jela is not aware of the Uncle, but Cantra has met him personally. She is aware of his past location, but believes that he has probably moved elsewhere. She tries to warn Dulsey that the Uncle has his own agenda and she might not be happy with it.

This tale takes Cantra and her unwanted guests to the Rim and beyond looking from the Uncle. On the way, Jela tries to make contact with others in his group, but fails. Eventually, he learns that his group is being hunted by High Command.

During this time, Jela is never without his tree. The last installment in this duology is Crystal Dragon.

Highly recommended for Lee & Miller fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of interstellar combat, covert operations, and stubborn women. Read and enjoy!

-Arthur W. Jordin