Valor's Choice [With Earbuds] (Playaway Adult Fiction) [Preloaded Digital Audio Player]

Tanya Huff (Author), Marguerite Gavin (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2009 | Series: Playaway Adult Fiction

THIS EDITION IS INTENDED FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY.

--This text refers to the School & Library Binding edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

[Audio Review] As with any military science fiction, this book is composed largely of battle scenes. The Confederation needs to bring in a few other planets and species or continue to be subject to aggression. Past experience with this series provides useful background on the main character, Marine Torin Kerr, now promoted to a staff sergeant, and Marguerite Gavin will be familiar to followers of this series. Her portrayal of this tough heroine grows with the character, especially in her delivery of Kerr s understated humor in the face of military challenges. Overall, Gavin s vocal portrait of Kerr accurately reflects her reactions to comrades and events, informed, as always, by her sense of duty. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2010] --AudioFile --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

About the Author

Tanya Huff Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Tanya Huff was raised in Kingston, Ontario, where she also attended high school. After graduating high school, Huff spent three years in the Canadian Naval Reserve, from 1975 to 1979 as a cook. She received a degree in Radio and Television Arts (B.A.A.) from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

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Product Details

• Preloaded Digital Audio Player
• Publisher: Playaway (July 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1615456759
• ISBN-13: 978-1615456758
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 4.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,742,117 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

93 of 95 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dandy space opera with Huff's usual clear prose, April 27, 2000

By 

Walter Tingle (danvers, ma USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Valor's Choice (Valor Novel) (Mass Market Paperback)

Tanya Huff long ago became one of my preferred authors. This space opera is a stretch from her past fantasies, but done with her characteristic tight, clear prose, quick plotting, and good characterization.

The story follows a battle-weary platoon of space marines pulled from leave to escort a diplomatic mission. Their jobs are supposed to be merely ceremonial, but develop into deadly serious combat when the diplomatic mission goes awry.

The main character is the female staff sergeant of the platoon, and follows her from the beginning of the mission to the end, with some digressions to develop several other interesting characters. There is a minor, though somewhat predictable, plot twist midway through the book, and a nice twist in the ending.

my stars: 1, don't bother; 2, maybe from the library; 3, wait for the paperback; 4, read it; 5, a classic.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Measure of a Marine, December 25, 2002

By 

Arthur W. Jordin (Smyrna, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Valor's Choice (Valor Novel) (Mass Market Paperback)

Valor's Choice is the first novel in a combat SF series. When attacked by the Others, the Confederation is unable to defend itself, since all the member species have evolved socially to the point of being unable to take another sentient's life. So the Confederation invites the Humans to become their defenders; subsequently, the Taykan and the Krai are also invited to join as defenders.

One and a half centuries later, Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr, acting first sergeant of Sh'quo Company, 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 rendezvouses with the diplomats on the Confederation Ship Berganitan. The diplomatic party consists of four spider-like Mictoc, four massively 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.

Although some might think that this novel is too stereotypical, I find that the characters are fairly 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 this novel as "space opera"; I reserve that term for works like the Lensman or Legion of Space series. This story is much more like the StarFIST and DMC novels, small-unit combat SF. The fight sequences are most convincing; Huff based them on a famous historical incident, yet filled in the details very realistically. The finale was telegraphed by the Silsviss reaction to the bar fight, but does reflect realpolitik as practiced by politicians since the founding of the Roman empire -- and probably even earlier.

Recommended for all Huff fans and anyone who likes small-unit combat SF.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Was a great read, Another plus for Tanya.She's a good author, July 13, 2000

By 

Music fun in NYC "fun in NYC" (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Valor's Choice (Valor Novel) (Mass Market Paperback)

Was semi surprised to see Tanya writing in a brand new genre but I liked the synopsis so I bought the book.

It was a very good read and moved along well. I have a personal issue with remembering so many side characters and matching their names (and species) but the story kept my attention very well despite the introductions to a whole platoon of characters.

The main character was fleshed out very well and was very likable without being cartoony. The story managed to maintain some new items beyond the regular space war opera all the way up to the end.

I would enjoy a continuation of these characters in a series or other stories set in the same universe with similar characters.

Am looking forward to the author's next book