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The Better Part of Valor
by
Tanya Huff
military science fiction in a Kindle edition that was published by DAW Books on June 5, 2007 and has 316 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Truth of Valor, The Wild Side: Urban Fantasy with an Erotic Edge, The Wild Ways, An Ancient Peace, Shadowed Souls, A Peace Divided, The Privilege of Peace, Valor’s Choice, The Enchantment Emporium, The Shorter Parts of Valor
Second in the Confederation of Valor military science fiction series and revolving around Marine Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr and her people.
My Take
Poor Sibley. He’s trying to shock Kerr . . . and she’s asleep. She’ll wake up soon enough when she learns that Travik will be in command.
Huff uses third person global subjective point-of-view, primarily from Kerr’s perspective, but we do learn a lot from Craig. A number of other characters have their own input including Morris, Carveg, Sibley, and more.
Putting Travik in charge is a nightmare for everyone, as he’s more concerned with his looking good than keeping his people alive — thankfully Kerr is mostly intent on keeping them alive, and she does a good job of manipulating events, lol. Travik is both menace (to his fellow characters) and a joke to everyone, including us readers.
I do enjoy Carveg standing up to Morris, especially after events in Valor’s Choice, 1. That Morris is more concerned about getting the vote he wants from Parliament than his people. And he insists that Torin bring Travik back alive. That’ll be a trick-and-a-half.
I do love how Huff puts together the individual races and how they interact with each other. Those di’Taykan do force an hysterical tolerance on the Humans in this tale full of snark and bravery. Kerr is repetitive with her bracing her courage with her “staff sergeants know everything or they’ll fake it” stance.
What is with those Elder Races? They haven’t gotten the message on dealing with the Others as a lost cause?
That Presit a Tur durValintrisy is dang stubborn. She’s constantly reminding everyone that the media cannot be denied if they are there. She’s a major pain aboard Yellow too. She won’t do this, she insists on that.
There is so much action in The Better Part of Valor, from the Marine interactions to Craig’s actions to the infiltration by the Others to the mysterious aliens at the end. Oh. Boy. What a test!
The Story
General Morris is at it again. He’s chosen Staff Sergeant Kerr for another mission, concerning the huge alien yellow ship found by Craig Ryder.
It’s a top-secret mission that’s “infiltrated” by an obnoxious reporter, jeopardized by an idiot captain, and a transforming ship that tests them all.
The Characters
Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr, a.k.a. Staff, whose important functions include supporting brand new second lieutenants.
Craig Ryder is a civilian salvage operator (CSO) who found an alien ship. He’s also an excellent poker player. The Promise is his ship.
Sh’quo Company is . . .
. . . a company of Recon combat Marines. Binti Mashona is off to sniper school. Corporal (Cpl) Hollice is getting promoted to sergeant. Sergeant (Sgt) Anne Chou will be senior noncom for the platoon. Second Lieutenant di’Ka Jarret is still around. Sgt Aman. Cpl Berteau is riding herd on the team. Cpl di’Marken Nivry. Sgt di”Perit Dymone.
The assembled team of Marines includes Captain Travik, a media whore who became a celebrity after Horohn 8, who is in command of the mission team; Private First Class (Pfc) August Guimond is a big easygoing Human; Private (Pvt) Ressk is a Krai with a skill for hacking; Pfc Werst is another Krai; Pfcs di’Por Huilin and di’Wen Jynett are playing “my family compound is bigger than yours”; Lance Cpl Danny Johnson/Johnston and Cpl Heer, a Krai, are engineers; Pfcs di’Sarm Frii and di’Benti Orla; Lance Corporals (LCpl) Lesli Dursinsk and Ken Tsui; and, Cpl Harrop, who will be squad leader. The science team includes Dr Hodges; Harveer Niirantapajee, who is head of the Xeno-engineering department at Jinaffatinnic University on the Niln home world of Ciir; and, Gytha a Tur calFinistraven, a Katrien who has a second degree in fractal communications. Pvts Karsk and Visili were at Beconreaks and Pvt Chrac was aircrew.
The punny Lieutenant Commander Sibley, a vacuum jockey (vj), is Kerr’s ride. Lt Shylin, a di’Taykan, is Sibley’s gunner. Boom Boom. Lt Czerneda monitors communications and is one of Carveg’s best STS pilots. Chief Warrant Officer Dave Graham. Petty Officer Tristir, a Krai, works for Graham. The Navy squadrons include Black Star and the Red Maces. Wing Admiral di’Si Trin. A Jade is a type of air fighter. Red Nine is crewed by Jan Elson and Dierik.
Captain Rose is stationed on Ventris Station. General Morris is scum. Lieutenant Stedrin is Morris’ aide. Commander Verite provides escort.
The Berganitan is . . .
. . . commanded by Captain Carveg, a Krai. Yeomans Sanderson and White, Mr Potter, and Lt Cemoln are more crew. Commander Versahche is a watch officer.
Oh, no, Presit a Tur durValintrisy is a pain-in-the-butt journalist with Sector Central News. Her syntax is a crack-up and sometimes “infects” Kerr, lol. She is not popular with her video crew. Cirvan a Tar palRentskik is her camera operator. Durgin a Tar canSalvais is Presit’s pilot.
There are three races that make up the Younger Races: the Krai are short yet mighty with a mighty craving for human flesh; the di’Taykan are one of the most enthusiastically undiscriminating species in the galaxy; and, Humans. A thytrin is a di’Taykan significant other.
The Elder Races are all pacifists incapable of fighting and include the H’san. The Middle Races include the Niln, the furry Katrien, and the Ciptran, I think.
The Methane Alliance is another group. Think of Susumi space as a wormhole. StarCops is a popular Human-produced series. Two of its star characters are Detective Berton and Detective Canter. CSOs haunt the edge of battle zones, gathering up debris to recycle or sell back to the military.
The Others are . . .
. . . the enemy the Confederation has been fighting for centuries.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a gray and blue background of the inside of the alien ship with what looks like brown leather luggage in front of a yellow wall. A vertical of yellow and black on the diagonal and two horizontal rows of green are on the right. The characters represent the Younger Races: a green-haired di’Taykan in a white spacesuit and a huge gun, a shorter Krai in browns with his own version of a big gun, and Torin Kerr in her white spacesuit, representing the Humans. At the very top is an epigram in white with the author’s name just below it, in a shadowed white. The title is below that in an embossed old gold.
The title reflects these Marines and the Navy as they exhibit The Better Part of Valor.
