Halloween Bingo 2024
The Liaden Universe never fails to charm me and this volume was like visiting an old friend. I recognized the characters, applauded their plans, and was pleased to see them prevail. Lee and Miller are/were expert at creating a sweeping number of people who could carry this complicated number of plotlines while making it seem easy.
Shan yos'Galen, master trader, has been charged by the Delm of Clan Korval to find new trade routes and to do his best to replenish the clan's finances following their expulsion from the planet of Liad and relocation to Surebleak. He is training his daughter Padi, who had been suppressing her mental talents until they dangerously exploded on her. Now she must learn to control them and to shield herself, without injuring others. Padi is a talent, a dramliza of extraordinary power, but her heart's desire is master trader status.
This novel is very much centered on Padi and Shan. In the very first books that I read in this series, Shan was a small boy, so the authors have persevered over many years (and I do note that this is volume 23). I am every bit as engaged today as I was at the beginning.
Korval still find themselves pursued by the Department of the Interior—their welcome has been withdrawn at many space stations and they are treated deceitfully at others. This makes trade next to impossible, leading Shan to think outside the box. Now that the Dust is settling away from the planets of the Redlands, they are an untouched market. The traders outfit themselves with an assortment of trade goods, including up-to-date stellar maps and useful ship parts and set off to try their luck.
I greatly enjoyed this visit with my favourite family and I would be lying if I didn’t say that the novel was finished far too soon. However, I still have not reached the end of the line. Rumour has it that Sharon Lee will continue writing despite her mate's untimely recent death. I wish her all good things with her future endeavours and tender my sincere thanks for the hours of entertainment that she and Steve have provided to me over the years. I am a faithful re-reader, so I know their books will provide sustenance for years to come.
I read this book to fulfill the Lost in Space square of my Halloween Bingo card. It is also number 20 in my 2024 Read Your Hoard Challenge and number 530 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project.
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