Customer Reviews

Mouse and Dragon (Liaden Universe Novels)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm a fan of the whole Liaden series, and was pleased at this chance to revisit the older generation of Clan Korval. The book picks up just before the end of Scout's Progress, with Aelliana at Healer's Hall, and the majority of the book takes place in the year immediately following that. The book mostly continues the plots established in Scout's Progress (the aftermath of everything with Aelliana's brother, including new conflict with Aelliana's delm; Daav and Aelliana working her ship; etc.). The one negative thing I have to say about the book is that, in some ways, it feels like the characters have moved backwards from the end of Scout's Progress, as the authors stretch out the "will they/won't they" plot of the original (although to be fair, Mouse and Dragon may be more of a "can they/can't they" plot). Despite those hesitations, Mouse and Dragon is a great addition to the Liaden Universe and anyone who liked Scout's Progress will definitely want to pick up a copy of the follow-on. (For those new to the series, Scout's Progress -- which is currently available in the compilation volume The Dragon Variation (Liaden) -- should definitely be read first).

For a fan and reader of the series, this book is a welcome addition filling a hole in the overall timeline and story that had begged filling. A new reader might be a little confused without any previous introduction to the series as it jumps right into the story where the another book (Scout's Progress) left off. I recommend reading at least Scout's Progress before reading this one. There is less action in this book then in some of the others instead it focuses more on the characters. Still there was never a moment that I felt like setting the book down from anything less then necessity. If you wish more action, I recommend starting with Agent of Change and then moving on to Carpe Diem, Plan B, and I, Dare. These contain the overall plot arc that provides the action to most of the series. Beyond that, I can only say that this is one of my most favorite series and one of the few I read over and over again. If you dive into this world you will not regret it and will soon be like the rest of its fans waiting eagerly for the next installment.

I've been a fan of Lee and Miller's Liaden novels from the very beginning, and I'm thrilled to report that MOUSE AND DRAGON is a fantastic addition to this universe.

While recovering at homewith a bum ankle, a friend sent me a care package from Amazon.com that included MOUSE AND DRAGON, and I devoured the book in a single evening. Adventure, humor, romance, political scheming, all the hallmarks of a Liaden adventure, with characters that you care passionately about. New fans and old will enjoy this tale.

Go, read, enjoy!

This is, without a doubt, the weakest Liaden novel. Partially this is because it is a gap-filler story. We know where it starts (Scout's Progress) and we know where it finishes (Fledgling). So there is no surprise to the plot. But that's not the only problem. In fact, it's not even the biggest problem.

The biggest problem is that this book just is not fun. Part of it is a rehash of Scout's Progress. Much of it is an uninspired plot-line where Clan Mitzel appears to be doing its best to make an enemy of Clan Korval out of spite, rather than seeing an unexpected chance to ally themselves with the richest and most powerful trading clan in the galaxy. And then it ends up with a laundry list of unexplained and unconnected events which end up with the characters placed where we already know they will end up.

If you ever imagined what the story was that covered this period of time for Korval, then trust me, you imagined a better story than you will find in this book.

It is particularly disappointing because Fledgling and Saltation were such new and interesting variations on the Liaden experience. Mouse And Dragon, unfortunately, is neither new nor interesting.

"Mouse and Dragon" is the sequel to Sharon Lee and Steve Miller's earlier "Scout's Progress" (currently on display as part of "The Dragon Variation" omnibus from Baen Books), and as such, a short synopsis of the earlier work is necessary to understand what's going on in "Mouse and Dragon."

In "Scout's Progress," Aelliana Caylon found that she wasn't merely a battered woman and brilliant mathematician; she had piloting skills, and had more ability and daring than she'd ever previously knew. In exploring her new field, piloting, she found an unexpected ally and friend -- Daav yos'Phelium, Delm Korval -- and a halting romance grew between the two, as makes sense when one of the pair has been beaten down repeatedly by the vicissitudes of life through no fault of hers. Daav was kind, patient, knowledgable about piloting, and had never before felt so strongly about any woman because on their world, Liad, men and women usually get together for brief periods (a year or two) in order to produce a child through an arrangement called a "contract marriage." Love plays little part in this, and while long-term love matches are not unknown, they are rare.

Because of Aelliana's systematic abuse at the hands of first her ex-husband, then her brother and Nadelm (second in command of her clan, and the heir apparent), she had more or less sworn off all men, but slowly grew through the course of "Scout's Progress" to realize her very real attraction to Daav the man -- an attraction that was just as much mental and emotional as it was physical. (The realm of the spirit is dealt with differently in Lee and Miller's Liaden Universe; let's just say their spirits were aligned as well, but they were unaware of this at the time.) And despite the worst her brother could throw at her in his last-ditch attempt to control Aelliana and keep her from Daav or anyone else intending good things for her, it looked as though Daav and Aelliana would live happily ever after at the end of "Scout's Progress."

But time marches on, and circumstances are sometimes brutal even to true lovers; in Daav's case, he has marital complications to extricate himself from (yet another contract marriage was on the horizon, something Daav was dreading), while Aelliana's Delm and mother has finally decided to take an interest in her daughter as due to the events of "Scout's Progress," her son (and favorite) had to be disinherited and declared "dead" to the clan. (As in, he was now an untouchable, unseeable presence. Not an actual, physical death.) Aelliana's scholarship is praised by her mother for the first time, and Aelliana's piloting skills suddenly have become a huge prize for her clan of Mizel; despite the love match between Daav and Aelliana (a soul-deep connection called a "lifemating"), Mizel's Delm refuses to grant permission for Aelliana to marry. (Aelliana is well over the age of consent and has been previously married, but this is a highly mannered society. Without her mother's consent -- as her mother is the Delm -- Aelliana can't do very much about her own wishes.)

And Daav's own family has its share of problems; the beautiful but cold Kareen yos'Phelium, Daav's older sister and sole member of the Korval Clan who does not pilot (thus, she cannot be Delm by Korval's own rules), is spiteful and cruel. She has abused her own son to the point that Daav had Kareen's son Pat Rin taken from her and placed with the amiable Trader Luken bel'Tarda, something which is not an accident and is not as small a part of the plotline as it seems at first. Because of Daav's forthright action in this matter, Kareen will stop at nothing to keep Daav from any happiness of his own, and while she hasn't outright colluded with Delm Mizel in anything, she's more than happy enough to pass rumors along at the glittering parties she throws nightly. This is not a complication Daav and Aelliana had expected to face, and it throws an even bigger monkey wrench into the proceedings.

Finally, Aelliana's sister Sinit, who is now the only possibility to become Delm of Clan Mizel after their mother passes on, needs to be provided for . . . and it is through Aellina's compassion for her sister and the resolute and steady love she has for Daav that finally settles matters in a highly satisfactory way.

These are the main elements of the book, but the minor elements -- how Aelliana and Daav form their partnership, how their marriage goes (they don't get more than a few short years together, something which resonated strongly), and seeing their young son Val Con along with Anne Davis' and Er'Thom yos'Galan's son Shan in their youth is worth a great deal all by itself -- also add an almost indefinable sense of place, a way to completely nail down the pair of them without giving up too much of Daav and Aelliana's privacy.

Note -- the final paragraphs contain spoilers, so look away if you do not want your reading spoiled.

Ready?

Aim?

. . . Go!

All right. You need to realize as a reader that this great love story is no less great due to its brevity or its poignancy; as many have pointed out already, Aelliana's fate has already been determined by the later books in the series "I Dare," "Fledgling," and "Saltation." Knowing what's happened to her because of those books, the entirety of her brief and joyous union was thrown into especially sharp relief. The SFnal solution Miller and Lee found remains no less surprising to me now than it did the first time I read "I Dare" -- it is a fully unique way to deal with the issue of the spirit and the spirit's great love for a spouse after the physical death of one of the pair.

Further, as a widow who lost her own beloved spouse after a few, short years, I appreciated the lessons Daav learned that he carried on into his own mostly separate future without his lovely wife Aelliana's physical presence. This was realistic, one of the most realistic ways to look at a young widower I've ever seen if you strip out the SFnal aspects of it all -- you _do_ think about your spouse, and you _do_ things differently because of what you learned because of your love for your spouse and the love of your spouse for you. Your world isn't the same, and you can't make it the same; all you can do is go on with the gifts you have, and honor your spouse the best you can in the usage of those gifts. I think Daav did that, and continues to do that throughout the series; the reason this book is particularly difficult in some spots for me to read is the palpable and heart-rending nature of his pain. That Daav eventually realizes (due to the SFnal elements) that his wife's spirit hasn't gone anywhere and his wife's love hasn't gone anywhere, either, makes no nevermind about the pain; the fact remains that his wife's body is dead. The world he knows will not recognize that his wife's spirit is alive. And everything he'd hoped for is now in ruins.

I don't know how Lee and Miller got this right, as their personal partnership/marriage remains strong and they're both in good health to the best of my knowledge. Neither of them have been widowed at an early age (or in early middle age) and they shouldn't really know how to convey this as well as they do -- not at the visceral, emotional level. I don't know how they did it. I appreciate that they did it, but I honestly don't know _how_ they did it -- but the tears I cried while reading their outstanding book "Mouse and Dragon," and again while composing this review, are a testament to their ability to get to the emotional heart of the matter.

The upshot: Five stars-plus. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys great books -- but widows and widowers in particular might want to take a look at this as well. There are a lot of "home truths" here that I appreciated and felt valuable, most especially the truth that our spouses live on -- in us.

Barb Caffrey

"Mouse and Dragon" covers the continued story of Aelliana Caylon and Daav yos'Phelium, Clan Korval, picking up immediately - as one reviewer has already noted - the same night as Scout's Progress ended.

Like both "Fledgling" and "Saltation," other readers of the Korval saga (spoiler!) already know how this book ends - Aelliana dies and Daav resigns as Delm to go offworld. So, the entire book is shadowed by the knowledge that tragedy is coming. And, as Aelliana is my favorite Liaden character, that knowledge and the fact that her happiness was so brief was very poignant.(/spoiler)

Despite my foreknowledge of the ending, I found the story very enjoyable and touching. I enjoyed watching Aelliana heal and find herself again, especially since that was depicted as a process and not a magical event where she meets someone and is immediately cured. Their growing relationship was lovely to see. We also see rather more of the Code and complexities of life on Liad - Aelliana's delm does not come off well here, and neither does Daav's overbearing sister, Kareen. Many other loose ends are nicely tied up, including what happens to Aelliana's younger sister, Sinit.

One thing to note, with the exception of more details around the Code and marriage, little new is revealed about Liaden culture, society or technology. There are no Clutch turtles or potential newcomers to add interest. The Juntavas makes a token appearance, but that's about it. I would say this book is more space opera and romance than science fiction, with a few elements of a coming-of-age novel twined in, as Aelliana continues to discover herself. This is one lady who isn't going to wait around for others to save her, although is willing to be helped.

I hope Ms. Lee and Mr. Miller continue to write in the Liaden universe, as these stories have both an emotional depth and refinement I have not seen in their other works. Strongly recommended.

Mouse & Dragon (2010) is the eleventh Liaden Universe novel, following Saltation. By internal chronological order, however, it follows Scout's Progress. In the previous volume, Aelliana was psychologically abused by her brother Ran Eld, who finally trapped her in a Learning Module.

Daav enlisted the assistance of Sinit and rescued Aelliana from the device. He took her to the Healer Hall in Conselta. They feared that she would be mindburned. Ran Eld is banished by Clan Mizel.

In this novel, Aelliana Caylon is a Scholar in Mathematics and recently certified as a First Class Pilot. She owns her own ship, Ride the Luck. She knows Daav only as her Copilot.

Daav yos'Phelium is the Delm of Korval. He is also Aelliana's Copilot.

Er Thom yos'Galan is Daav's cousin by birth and brother by practice. He is married to Anne Davis, a Terran. They have one child -- Shan -- and another on the way.

Jen Sar Kiladi is a Scholar in Comparative Linguistics and Diaspora Genetics. He has recently been awarded a degree in Cultural Genetics.

In this story, Daav settles his marriage contract with Samiv tel'Izak so that he can marry Aelliana. Then he buys some clothes for his Pilot. When he arrives at the Healer Hall, he learns that Aelliana is not mindburned, but does have trauma from her brother's abuse.

Master Kestra says that Aelliana has a pattern within her mind that suggests that she is truly Daav's lifemate. It is encased within the trauma of her abuse, but still present. Kestra has trimmed those mind scars in the hope that this nascent pattern will mature.

Aelliana leaves the Healer Hall with Daav and he drives her to Jelaza Kazone. She loves the garden, but is very impressed by the Tree. It drops a seed to her as sign of her acceptance.

Aelliana and Daav go by the Mizal clanhouse to talk with Sinit. Her sister prepares tea for them and Aelliana assures Sinit that she is well. But her mother returns home before they leave and has a talk with Aelliana.

Her mother -- and Delm -- wants her to return to the family, but Aelliana is determined never to return to that clanhouse. Her mother even offers to make her the nadelm in place of her brother. Yet her mother has sided with her brother too often to be trusted.

Aelliana soon meets Er Thom and his family. Er Thom is friendliness personified. Shan impresses her with his energy and curiosity. Anne introduces her to the pleasures of shopping.

Then Aelliana meets Kareen, Daav's sister. First Kareen accuses Daav of bankrupting the family. Then she tells Aelliana that she will only drag Daav down by her ignorance. Unfortunately, Aelliana takes her words to heart.

Daav has Mr. dea'Gauss prepare paperwork to bestow half his personal fortune to Aelliana. Yet she refuses to take it. Aelliana is willing to marry Daav, but she thinks that their marriage would demean the prestige of Clan Korval.

Aelliana also learns about Kiladi, Daav's alter persona. Daav had created the identity on a wager. Then he earned three degrees and enjoyed to experience.

This tale takes Aelliana into the heart of the High Houses. Under the gentle ministrations of Ilthira yo'Lanna -- the best friend of Daav's mother -- Aelliana learns to trust her own instincts among the gentry of Liad. She eventually disproves Kareen's allegations.

This novel is a prequel to Fledgling. The Liaden Universe timeline is very confusing. Read and enjoy!

Highly recommended for Lee & Miller fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of star pilots, alien cultures, and irrepressible women. If anyone is not familiar with this series, the initial volume is Agent of Change.

-Arthur W. Jordin

If you have not already read one of the Liaden® books by this incredible writing team you would be best off stepping back at least one book to pick up this story with Scout's Progress. For those of you who have read Scout's Progress, oh my! You are in for a treat! I rate the books in my library on the "how many times can I read this book and enjoy it?" scale. Every single book and story I've read by Lee & Miller stands firmly in the "unlimited" column and this one is no exception. I no longer loan out books after having lost so many books to those who never return them but I keep a second copy of all of their books so that I may share them with my friends... and enemies! The universe is solid and consistent. The characters are all fully fleshed out. I place this series in my top five of all time Science Fiction favorites and I've been reading SF since 1970 when my mother introduced me to Issac Asimov. These are the books I pull out when I'm out of things to read, when I'm sick or when I just need something to make me feel better. It is rare to find books that can not only make one think but also provide a 'warm fuzzy'. But then, Lee & Miller are one of those rare finds. Excellent writers who write consistently good books in the same universe time after time after time. Long may they type!!

Well-knowing Lee and Miller's penchant for delving straight into a tale, backstory be damned, I re-read "Scout's Progress" immediately before taking on this latest Liaden installment. Scout's Progress tells of the meeting, attraction and clash of wills between Daav yos'Phelium -- pilot, Scout and Delm Korval -- and Aelliana Caylon -- would-be pilot, mathematician, and sufferer of battered woman syndrome -- and ends with an almost happy ending; yes, the one is saved from her pernicious brother and the other is free of his impending Contract Marriage, but as for how these dangling plot threads resolve into their union before all the world, we know not.

We do know, from "Agent of Change" (the story of the couple's son Val Con's own romance, and the first book written in the Liaden Universe®), that get married they do, and that Aelliana does not survive her son's journey into adulthood. We know also that Daav resigns as head of Clan Korval and goes MIA at some point not long after that. But "Mouse and Dragon" illuminates all those details that have for so long remained obscure.

Like "Scout's Progress" before it, this book is far less sci-fi, far less space opera, than any of the others in the Liaden Universe®. Both take place almost exclusively on-planet, and both deal more with the internal politics and peculiar conventions of a hidebound society than any kind of space-going conflict.

The all-important question: Is this book really necessary? The answer: No, probably not. Prequels rarely are, and sequels to prequels are even less so. (I think we all know to what I'm alluding, here.) But, with that stipulated, the even more important question becomes: Is this book a valuable addition to the Liaden narrative, a well-told and sprightly tale that is, withal, a welcome exploration of two of its more enigmatic lifemates? And the answer to that (can you guess?): Absolutely!

Oh, and Mini Shan! "Mouse and Dragon" is well worth the price of admission, just for his adorable wee self.

[This review is a snippet. The full piece first appeared in the June, 2010 issue of Geek Speak Magazine.]

This is the sequel to Scouts Progress, the prequel to Fledgling. It gives the Tale of how Alliana Caylon and Daav Yos Phelium come to formalise their relationship.while negoiating the rocks and schoals of the social conviention. it also tells of the tragic passing of Alliana, and the start of Daav`s Balancing of this event