A Confederation of Valor (omnibus) | Tanya Huff

A Confederation of Valor (omnibus) | Tanya Huff | Enlisted people, read this book if you like Sci-Fi! :)

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A Confederation of...

	A Confederation of Valor (omnibus) Tanya Huff DAW, 2006 - 624 pages average customer review:based on 26 reviews view larger image
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Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr's goal is to keep both her superior officers and her troops alive as they face deadly missions throughout the galaxy. She more than proves her mettle when a diplomatic assignment and a scientific expedition both turn dangerous.

Marines in Action

A Confederation of Valor (2006) is an SF omnibus edition of the Valor series, containing Valor's Choice and The Better Part of Valor. The pacifistic Confederation was unable to defend itself when attacked by the Others. All the member species had evolved socially to the point of being unable to take another sentient being's life. So the Confederation invited the Humans to become their defenders; later the Taykan and the Krai were also invited to join the defense.

In Valor's Choice (2000), one and a half centuries later, Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr is acting first sergeant of Sh'quo Company. She 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 joins the diplomats on the Confederation Ship Berganitan. The diplomatic party consists of four spider-like Mictoc, four massive 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.

In The Better Part of Valor (2002), Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr brings home the surviving marines from Silsvah and is soon detached to a recon unit investigating "an unidentified alien vessel drifting dead in space". General Morris has formed the temporary group with individual marines from different units to avoid media notice. So the first event of note when they reach the big yellow derelict is the arrival of a Sector Central News ship.

General Morris has overall command of the mission, with Captain Carveg in charge of naval matters. Captain Travik is nominally in operational command of the marines, with Torin as his lead NCO. General Morris, however, makes it clear that he is depending upon Torin to make the mission succeed. All the marines, including the other Krai, despise the Marine Captain for his grandstanding attitude and high losses.

However, Travik is a media darling and a hero to the public. Since the Krai Parliamentary delegation is demanding more of their species in high military positions, Travik is being groomed for fast promotion upon the success of this mission. Assuming, of course, the serley food waster doesn't get them all killed.

Craig Ryder, the civilian salvage operator who discovered the derelict ship, insists on boarding with the marines to protect his investment. The Katrien news team insists on boarding also, but are forced to wait with the scientists for the marines to give the all clear. Nothing harmful is discovered by the marines, so Travik overrides Torin to allow the press and scientists onboard. Shortly thereafter, one scientist triggers an explosion that disables the airlock, destroys the shuttle, and kills several civilians.

Torin and Craig are sucked down by the floor into a small cubbyhole, but are able to walk through a wall to another clear area with a hatch. They find Travik and the reporter beyond the hatch in an area that resembles a warehouse identical with one well known to Craig. The captain is severely injured and the reporter is unconscious.

Since the Katrien scientist is also unconscious, Torin has them laid near each other and, when one accidentally touches the other, both go into grooming behavior. Torin gathers the survivors, including the newly conscious Katrien, and starts them toward the closest intact airlock. On the way, they discover that the ship is rearranging corridors and rooms as they go.

A group of Others -- bug soldiers -- is also on the ship and going toward the same airlock. Fighting ensues and casualties occur. The Katrien freak out, the CSO is somewhat quieter, and the Niln scientist comments on her old age, but otherwise takes everything calmly.

Meanwhile, an Others ship emerges from Susumi space diametrically opposite the Big Yellow ship from the Berganitan. The Confederation Ship finds itself unable to maneuver and all missiles launched at the Others ship are apparently deprogrammed in mid-flight by the Big Yellow ship; the Others ship seems to have similar problems.

The fighters work, however, and a real furball is taking place around and near Big Yellow. The first shuttle launched to rescue the trapped civilians and marines is destroyed by the Others and the second is unable to launch. Then Big Yellow starts warming up its engines.

Although some might think that these novels are too stereotypical, one finds that the characters are very 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 these novels as "space opera". One reserves that term for works like the Lensman or Legion of Space series. These stories are much more like the StarFIST and DMC novels, small-unit combat SF.

Highly recommended for all Huff fans and anyone who enjoys tense military interaction dramas, with a touch of jarhead humor.

-Arthur W. Jordin

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Enlisted people, read this book if you like Sci-Fi! :)

Awesome read, fast, lot's of fun, and great if you ever spent any time in the armed forces! :) Well at least as a grunt.. ;)

Couldn't Put it Down

This was a very dangerous book for me, as I couldn't help but take it to work and with it sitting there on my desk, I was continuously tempted to open it and read a chapter or 4. Unfortunately, reading at work(other than actual work related reading) is frowned upon.
I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of good science fiction. I doubt they'd be disappointed.

Confederation of Valor- Good stuff

I picked up this book because.....well the author is Canadian and I was feeling patriotic at the moment. HA!! Boy what a pleasant surprise. This is an ominbus of two previously published books, Valor's Choice and The Better Part Of Valor both are of the mil/sci-fi genre. What I like about these books was a minimal amount of techno babble and a more character driven story line. A pleasant read. The back story of the books universe is filled in along the way. I found the alien races all very interesting and we do learn a bit about their various culture. Huff's writing style, especially the dialog which is sharp and very witty. Any amatuer military history buff will recognize the main battle events described and Huff does pay tribute to the historical events in her afterwards. I don't want to give anything away. I read both books almost non stop. Either Huff is ex-military, a military "brat" or has friends in or out of the military. Her Marines ring true, they talk and act like real soldiers without the usual gung-ho nonsense other authors employ. I found her characterization of officers and NCO's realistic. Everyone knows that SnrNCO's know all, see all, and off duty they drink beer, smoke cigars and play poker with God while dispensing advise to Him. HA!! Yes Miss Huff there is nothing worse than a bored or idle combat/line trained soldier. No explanation will be given for that last sentence, I'm not sure if there is a statute of limitations in the Canadian Forces and don't wish to tempt the Gods at my now "mature" age.

Please disregard the one star ratings. The "reviewers" mention nothing about the stories and are only complaining about what is basically a publishers decisions and their own poor purchasing habits.

I would recommend this to readers of mil/sc-fi or for those looking for an introduction to the genre.

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Uneven but OK

This book contains two distinct books of which the first is much better. (The premise of the latter seemed forced to me.)

The characterization and action was enjoyable. In particular the multiple levels of manipulation and twistiness of the first book. Annoying characters were handled well and I liked it well enough to read the second; but the second was so disappointing that I've had enough of Valor for now.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

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