This book returns to the Liaden world that I am familiar with—lots of linguistic complexity (am I addressing this person in the correct mode?), lots of bowing (am I judging my relationship to this person rightly?), plenty of polite manoeuvring, and indirect communication. What's a Terran human to do?
Jethri Gobelyn is an unhappy young man on his family's trade ship. He is youngest and his mother, the captain, dislikes him. This situation reminded me a lot of C.J. Cherry's Company Wars series, with plenty of trade decisions to be made, family ships to be run, and spots to be found for promising youngsters. (Incidentally, the Gobelyn Market is a wonderfully named ship, a clever use of a family name and a well known poem, combined with its appropriateness for a trade vessel). Jethri is ambitious, despite the circumstances against him. He has been studying trade and the Liaden language with an eye to expanding the family's trade horizons. While in a port, he attempts an independent trade which rapidly goes pear shaped. The con man has used the business card of a respected Liaden trader, implying a connection, and does not expect the young man to be able to directly approach the trader in question. It turns out that the trader sees an interesting opportunity in the young Terran who was brave enough to show up in her office.
This is a pretty standard fish out of water story. Master Trader ven'Deelin offers Jethri a position as her apprentice trader. This is unheard of, Terra and Liad being rivals in trade and very different culturally. There is lots of prejudice to go around on all sides. Jethri makes friends and enemies both, eventually becoming the Master Trader's foster son. Watching him learn his lessons, deal with discrimination, and find his place in this new world was compelling. I stayed up much, much too late last night because I simply could not put the book down.
I certainly hope that there will be other Liaden novels in which Jethri (aka Jeth Ree) makes an appearance. He is a charming young man with a good heart and the business acumen of a shark! I've become quite fond of him. And my love of the Liaden universe continues.
Book Number 453 of my Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Project
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