11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Shaping of a Naval Warrior, September 4, 2008
The Serrano Connection (2008) is the second SF omnibus edition of the Familias Regnant series, following
Heris Serrano. In the previous volume, Esmay Suiza became the senior surviving officer on the RSS Despite and destroyed a Compassionate Hand flagship.
The following is extracted from more complete reviews of these books, which are also posted on Amazon.
Once a Hero (1997) is the fourth naval SF novel in this series. Esmay and the other surviving junior officers are taken to Sector HQ and courtmartialed. Such trials are mandatory according to regulations and are somewhat pro forma. Still, Esmay and her fellow officers are facing some serious charges.
Each is being tried separately, but they also have to testify in each other's trials. Since Esmay was the acting captain, her recorded testimony will be acceptable in the other trials. Yet Esmay must first face a Board of Inquiry.
The Board examines every action that Esmay took during the battle. They decide that she is not sufficiently capable of handling a ship in combat to gain another command right away. Yet they see her potential and recommend further training and experience to remedy her deficiencies.
Naturally, Esmay already knows that she could have done better, so the Board's report was not a surprise. Yet their conclusions that she had the potential to become an outstanding commander is stunning. They see something in her of which she is not aware.
In this story, the court finds Esmay innocence of all charges. She is released and given a thirty day leave. She returns home to her family. There she finds the surrounding to be very comforting, but she feels like a fish out of water around her family. Moreover, she learns more about her childhood and becomes very angry. She is quite happy to return to duty.
Her next assignment is to the Koskiusko, a deepspace repair ship. She must have really irritated someone at headquarters. A DSR assignment is considered a punishment duty to most junior officers. She won't even get to use her technical skills in Scan. Indeed, she is assigned to Hull & Architecture, about which she knows very little.
It soon becomes apparent that Esmay has serious problems with her sense of self-worth. Everybody who knows her is puzzled by her reluctance to select the command track. She is also having nightmares about the bodies she has seen. Then she finally decides to accept therapy from the psychnannies.
Rules of Engagement (1998) is the fifth naval SF novel in this series. Esmay is attending school at the Copper Mountain Base. She is making up the command courses that she missed in the Academy while simultaneously taking the Junior Officer course. Although she has been excused from some courses through examination, Esmay is still very busy.
Charlotte Brunhilde Meager is also at Copper Mountain. Brun is taking a few courses to see if she might be interested in an RSS career. Besides, some of the courses -- such as Escape and Evasion -- may be become important to her personally since someone is trying to kill her.
Barin Serrano comes to Copper Mountain for the Junior Officer course. With his time on the Koskiusko and his recovery from injuries inflicted by the Bloodhorde commandos, Barin is behind his peers in his duty assignments. He needs to finish his training and go on to a real ship assignment.
Lord Thornbuckle is the chief executive of the Familias Regnant state. He is also Brun's father. She is the youngest and brightest of his children. Unfortunately, he and his wife have thoroughly spoiled her.
Hazel Takeris is an apprentice onboard the Elias Madero, a heavy trader that takes a shortcut and is ambushed by the New Texas Godfearing Militia. The raiders kill all the men and women on the ship because of their perversion ands abominations. Only Hazel and the little ones -- two boys and two girls -- are left alive.
In this story, Brun and Esmay have a confrontation at Copper Mountain and exchange some heated words. Unfortunately, the whole conversation was recorded on internal scan. Brun leaves the facility in a huff and Esmay is called on the carpet by the commander of the training base.
Then Brun is captured by the NuTex barbarians. She chews them out and threatens them with major force, so they cut her vocal cords to silence her. The surgery is competently performed since it is a common practice on their planet to mute vociferous women.
Esmay has accused Brun of a lack of moral responsibility. Brun initially believes that Esmay is a jealous prig, but her subsequent experiences give her something to think about. Does she really lack a sense of responsibility for others?
Highly recommended for Moon fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of naval combat, political intrigue, and moral development.
-Arthur W. Jordin
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Yes reprints, July 9, 2010
This review is from: The Serrano Connection (Serrano/Suiza Series) (Paperback)
Two good stories here. Once a Hero is my favorite of E. Moons scifi stories. This series is better than the Harris Serano series for me.
A note on reprints: I like how publishers are reprinting them with 2 or more books in the reprint. But yes LABEL clearly, and I'm in the habit of checking all my favorite authors for just this problem after getting burned once. I pick up these reprints to replace worn out or loaned out and not returned (stolen! lol) copies.
E.M.'s Deed of Paks is really a good read if you get the chance and like Moon.
The Deed of Paksenarrion: A Novel . Trade paperback, the whole trilogy. This book made me believe she not only was a marine but also spent time in her boots executing infantry tactics. Real world application of Roman tactics.
Moon can really write a story. All very good books.
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