An omnibus of 3 Liaden Universe novels, space
operas full of adventure and romance, this book tells the stories of
two brothers, Shan Yos'Galen and Val Con Yos'Phelium, as they meet and
marry their respective lifemates. But wait--complications for each
include trips to several planets, enemies galore, a series of
planetary cultures and laws, psychic powers, alien friends and foe,
great wealth, and planetary
politics. I found myself living in
the worlds and experiencing the cultures, so skillfully woven is the
setting and action. Yos'Galen, space
merchant, pilot,
captain of
his ship, and member of the family that owns the largest merchant fleet
of the planet Liad, hires Pricilla Mendoza and trains her to be a
pilot and ship executive. She had been stranded on a planet after
being attacked by a spurned crewmember of Trader Sav Rid Olanek's
family-owned ship; a merchant vessel she suspected was carrying illegal
drugs. Olanek considers both Yos'Galen and Mendoza his enemies,
for different reasons; and exacts revenge on both commercially,
politically, and physically as the two merchant vessels travel along
similar trade routes, planet to planet. Yos'Galen and Mendoza
must out-fight, out-maneuver and outwit Olanek's threats in ways that
reflect Liaden honor as the psychic and emotional bonds develop and
grow between them in Conflict of Honors.
In Agent of Change Yos'Phelium, a planetary spy, cyborg, head of the family clan, and
adoptive brother of an alien species, meets former soldier, half-breed
psychic, and bodyguard Miri Robertson when he assists her during an attack by criminal gang members. Together, with the help of
Yos'Phelium's adoptive alien kin, they flee the organized crime syndicate from planet to planet. Once again, the politics,
culture and adventure seemed real to me.
When Yos'Phelium does not come home to take
over his place as head of the clan, his family begin a galaxy-wide
search for him; so goes the story told in the book Carpe Diem.
Interplanetary politics erupt, and the clan find
themselves defending their home and wealth. Meanwhile, stranded
on a non-spacefaring planet, Yos'Phelium and Robertson must hide their
extra-terrestrial origins, fight a war, and win a musical contest, as
they wait for their psychic messages home to allow the family to find
them. This third novel, Carpe Diem, is another wonderful read, full of
surprises and rich characters.
Conflict of Honors,
Agent of Change, Carpe Diem were each previously published seperately
*(Please italicize the titles of these novels and the
omnibus. The textwriter on uploaded removed the bold and italic
formatting)