"Amazing comfort books -- sweet space romance omnibus"
This title is an omnibus, comprised of two novels: Local
Custom and Scout's Progress. Local Custom Er Thom yos'Galan has reached the point where he MUST make
a contract-marriage (short term) and father a child. Before
he makes that commitment, however, he must put to rest a
ghost of his past -- Anne Davis, Terran Scholar and one-
time lover. He finds he has more to account for than still-
warm feelings when he finds his son, Shan! Obligations multiply as Er Thom realizes he must present
his son to the delm (think Clan-leader), which requires
Anne travel to Liad as well! His delm (and cousin) is
accepting of the situation, but his mother is horrified by
the thought of a Terran guesting at the clan-house. She
insists on finalizing the negotiations for Er Thom's
contract-marriage. Add to it: Anne's work in linguistics and her
correspondence with a now-dead Learned Liaden Scholar have
brought to light the earth-shaking idea that Terrans and
Liadens share a base-language. This brings danger to her
doorway in the form of a Terran-hating Liaden ready to kill. Scout's Progress In Scout's Progress, we are thrust into the life of Daav
yos'Phelium, Delm of Clan Korval -- Korval himself and one
of the most powerful people on the planet of Liad. Daav
must get himself an heir. Heart-sore from watching Er Thom
and his lifemate, he decides he will welcome a child -- and
contracts a wife. While his prospective bride, a pilot, is away, he decides
to volunteer his services as a ship repairman and Master
Pilot (as just plain Daav) at the Binjali Shipyard. Enter Aelliana Caylon, a mathematical genius and a member
of low-ranking Clan Mizel. Her brother abuses her, and she
comes to the realization that she must leave Liad before
her mother dies, leaving her brother in complete control of
the Clan. She wins a ship in a card game, a ship docked at
the Binjali Shipyard. The story takes off... We follow Aelliana as she achieves her pilot's license,
evades her brother's vengeance, and falls quietly in love
with Daav. ***************
The two books that make up Pilot's Choice are really
prequels to Lee and Miller's other Liaden Universe novels.
Having read the others first, I don't know how
understandable Local Custom would be to a first-time
reader, though Liaden culture is fairly easily understood.
(Besides you can read them over and over -- along with the
other Liaden novels -- until you understand it completely!) The plots are pretty basic. If you took out the star-faring
future (impossible!!) and replaced it with regency England,
it would still make sense. These two books, more than the
rest of the series, are romances, not just adventures. The
beauty of them, however, is their sheer fun. These are
comfort read books. The language and detail is engrossing,
and you'll find yourself returning again and again to read
them (like I did when preparing this review). The
characters jump out at you, and you really care about them! There is no sex in this omnibus. Local Custom has some cut
scenes between Er Thom and Anne, but nothing graphic. The
closest you get in Scout's Progress is when Daav and
Aelliana are dancing. The cast of characters is small
enough to be manageable, and even though the names share a
certain similarity, it's easy to keep them straight.
Besides, this book has a sentient tree (not talking, but..)
in it. Don't you want to read a book that has a sentient
tree? This book is highly recommended. Clear your shelves,
however, because you're going to want more. Prepare a free
afternoon, too, because even though this thing is almost
600 pages, you're going to devour it. You can get Pilot's Choice from Amazon, Meisha Merlin
Publishing (offers hardcovers, and signed ones
occasionally), and as an e-book (in rocket or proprietary
embiid reader format) from Embiid Publishing.
(www.embiid.net)
Reviewed by Ann Leveille
Posted March 8, 2002
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