Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collections
Publication
Baen
Description
"Exiled from Liad after bombing a city to save it from The Department of the Interior's infernal weapons and plans, Clan Korval has gone to ground on the back-water planet Surebleak, whose people are as untamed as its weather. The old Boss-controlled fiefdoms largely fell to Pat Rin yos'Phelium's influence, but the world is restive, the influx of outworld lawyers, guns, and money a brewpot for armed dissatisfaction. Far beyond the surface of frigid Surebleak Korval's farflung trade network needs a serious reset to recover from exile. From flagship Dutiful Passage to the experimental-if centuries old-self-aware Bechimo co-captained by the Delm's blood-sister Theo Waitley, the clan's ships are prowling space lanes seeking trade. Meanwhile, Old Tech from a failed universe-the ancient but revived Tinsori Light-and the machinations of the mysterious Uncle are coalescing into dangerous opportunity or nefarious trap. And the Department of the Interior is not done with Clan Korval yet. They seek a final fully reckoned revenge, with Surebleak and Korval's ships and people everywhere in the crosshairs"--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member kmartin802
In this 22nd adventure in the Liaden Universe a number of plot threads are tied off. It is a novel filled with changes.
TerraTrade has sent a survey crew to assess Surebleak's potential as a trading hub. However, one of the crew is prejudiced against the planet because Clan Korval has settled there.
But Theo and Bechimo arrive being trailed by on overzealous scout who wants to decommission and reprogram Bechimo because he's a complex logic - a self-aware and self-governing space ship. But Val Con makes a judgment in his role as a Scout Commander that complex self-aware machines are people and may not be interfered with if they have jobs and are socially responsible. This is an epic, potentially universe changing idea.
When a group of these complex logics, most of them war machines that survived the Old Universe, are pointed at Surebleak by the Commander of the Department of the Interior as the next phase in the DOI's plans to wipe-out Korval, Theo, her crew, and her ships are there to stop the invasion in a very Delgado sort of way. Theo teaches the invaders consensus building as a way of problem solving and averts the invasion without a shot being fired.
While these things are going on at or near Surebleak, another plot thread begun in an earlier book has some survivors of the DOI going off to try to defeat it. It is a longshot attempt that is led by Rys Lin pen'Chela who was a former Agent of Change who was adopted by the Bedel who live secretly on Surebleak.
Speaking of the Bedel, they have long been on Surebleak having been dropped off by their ship which never returned for them. Only now a message comes in and they find that they have been found and a ship will be coming for them. The problem is that most of the current generation of Bedel have made Surebleak their home and don't want to go back.
Still another plot thread has a Boss Surebleak wanting to return things to the bad old days and wants to retire Boss Conrad (Pat Rin) and the Road Boss (Miri and Val Con). No one knows who Boss Surebleak is but our heroes are pretty sure he/she is another part of the plot set up by the DOI to eliminate Korval. The consequences of this lead to the development of voting as a way to indicate support for either Boss Conrad or Boss Surebleak which is an idea that is very new to Surebleak and not much more common on Liad.
All of these plot threads and others I didn't talk about are wonderfully woven into a fascinating story that brings us up-to-date on many of the characters who have starred in earlier books in the Liaden Universe series. But I still want more! What about Shan? What about the children who are now young adults? What will happen as a result of Val Con's judgment? What is happening at Tinsori Light?
TerraTrade has sent a survey crew to assess Surebleak's potential as a trading hub. However, one of the crew is prejudiced against the planet because Clan Korval has settled there.
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He is convinced that Clan Korval are pirates who subjugated the world to Korval's desires which is almost true. Nonetheless the current plan is not to make waves while the inspectors are on planet.But Theo and Bechimo arrive being trailed by on overzealous scout who wants to decommission and reprogram Bechimo because he's a complex logic - a self-aware and self-governing space ship. But Val Con makes a judgment in his role as a Scout Commander that complex self-aware machines are people and may not be interfered with if they have jobs and are socially responsible. This is an epic, potentially universe changing idea.
When a group of these complex logics, most of them war machines that survived the Old Universe, are pointed at Surebleak by the Commander of the Department of the Interior as the next phase in the DOI's plans to wipe-out Korval, Theo, her crew, and her ships are there to stop the invasion in a very Delgado sort of way. Theo teaches the invaders consensus building as a way of problem solving and averts the invasion without a shot being fired.
While these things are going on at or near Surebleak, another plot thread begun in an earlier book has some survivors of the DOI going off to try to defeat it. It is a longshot attempt that is led by Rys Lin pen'Chela who was a former Agent of Change who was adopted by the Bedel who live secretly on Surebleak.
Speaking of the Bedel, they have long been on Surebleak having been dropped off by their ship which never returned for them. Only now a message comes in and they find that they have been found and a ship will be coming for them. The problem is that most of the current generation of Bedel have made Surebleak their home and don't want to go back.
Still another plot thread has a Boss Surebleak wanting to return things to the bad old days and wants to retire Boss Conrad (Pat Rin) and the Road Boss (Miri and Val Con). No one knows who Boss Surebleak is but our heroes are pretty sure he/she is another part of the plot set up by the DOI to eliminate Korval. The consequences of this lead to the development of voting as a way to indicate support for either Boss Conrad or Boss Surebleak which is an idea that is very new to Surebleak and not much more common on Liad.
All of these plot threads and others I didn't talk about are wonderfully woven into a fascinating story that brings us up-to-date on many of the characters who have starred in earlier books in the Liaden Universe series. But I still want more! What about Shan? What about the children who are now young adults? What will happen as a result of Val Con's judgment? What is happening at Tinsori Light?
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LibraryThing member quondame
The good part is that the DOI is done for. I took this up hoping for a fast moving, absorbing read in which the good guys survive the baddies and trounce them. It was fast, if a bunch of quick views of near critical events, one after the other, is fast. Absorbing it was not, rather the the quick
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switches, as the different groups one after the other make clever or lucky escapes from peril, were jarring, and the inevitable drastic wounds to cared for characters who nonetheless survive did not create tension, but felt same old, same old. Then there were the multiplicity of mannered language usages different with each group visited, Bedel, Surebleakers, Pathfinders, and of course Liadens™️. Some of that was cool when lightly used and wrapped around a coherent narrative. But maybe there's hope for fun stories in the future now that the DOI is out of the way. Show Less
LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Wow. A lot of threads come together, in some very interesting ways. A few new twists, and some conclusions aren't really solidly concluded - the Department, for one. The whole Boss Surebleak mess was apparently someone acting independently. The Old Tech and other Complex Logics are going to be
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amazing. I feel like I'm missing bits of the story - the Six, and...Didn't Theo know about Tinsori Light? Need to reread some of the recent books and stories. Which is normal - the Liaden universe is a complex one, and I lose track of stuff while waiting for the next book. Some very rich bits near the end - and some new family members. I'm already looking forward to the next. Show Less
LibraryThing member readinggeek451
Accepting the Lance ties up all of the "contemporary" story lines in the Liaden Universe in a satisfying way. Because of that, this is definitely not a good starting place for the series. But those who have been following it should be satisfied.
There is a lot going on here, so many of the ongoing
The ending is satisfactory, but leaves plenty of room for more stories in this universe. Recommended
There is a lot going on here, so many of the ongoing
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characters are on-stage only briefly, but giving each their full due would drag the book out past enduring. The only thing that feels slighted is in the attack on the Department of the Interior's base. A major development comes from nowhere; I felt off-balance through that whole sequence because of it.The ending is satisfactory, but leaves plenty of room for more stories in this universe. Recommended
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LibraryThing member LisCarey
The team sent off to take down the Department of the Interior are running into some interesting challenges--and an unexpected development.
Someone calling themself "Boss Surebleak" has demanded that Boss Conrad and the Road Boss be "retired," in the Surebleak sense, all their property stripped from
Theo, Bechimo, and crew are working off two serious demerits Theo and Bechimo earned while entering the Surebleak system in their previous adventure. The Portmaster is being hardnosed about it, which she admits is not really fair, but...
There's a Terra Trade survey team on planet, evaluating the port for the upgrade to "regional port, all services" status that it clearly needs for Surebleak to continue to grow. The presence of Clan Korval, and the bad reputation the Department of the Interior has managed to saddle them with, is of course one of the biggest obstacles to this. The fact that Theo, while being the Delm's sister, isn't really Clan Korval, is a detail that the Portmaster can't really expect to sell to the Terra Trade team. While doing their public service work, they find a gathering of Old Tech ships and devices, some of them from the old universe. Currently, the Old Tech intelligences are discussing whether or not the orders they have to destroy Surebleak are valid. Obviously, hot-headed Theo is the right one to convince them they're not, right?
Meanwhile, the Bedel have received an automated message from the Ship. When they reply, the Captain will notify them of when to be ready for their very late pickup. But do they want to go? A couple of generations at least have been born and have grown up on Surebleak. Some of them have strong local ties.
And if that's not enough excitement, a Turtle has arrived, not one of Edger's clan, but she does know Edger. Her name is Emissary Twelve, and she's been sent with some really bad news. If repair work on the damage done, apparently by the Gilmour Agency's mining operations, doesn't start soon, Surebleak will come apart in just twelve thousand years.
So, yes, okay, that particular disaster is on a timescale that makes it seem more urgent to Turtles than to humans, but still, why wait?
There's a lot going on here, and it's a lot of fun, if also pretty high stress to everyone involved. The Liaden universe, the Surebleak culture, and the new and old characters continue to grow and develop. It's an enjoyable and satisfying story.
Recommended.
I received this audiobook as a gift from a kind friend.
Someone calling themself "Boss Surebleak" has demanded that Boss Conrad and the Road Boss be "retired," in the Surebleak sense, all their property stripped from
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their families, and those families deported from Surebleak, and Surebleak returned to its "native" laws and customs.Theo, Bechimo, and crew are working off two serious demerits Theo and Bechimo earned while entering the Surebleak system in their previous adventure. The Portmaster is being hardnosed about it, which she admits is not really fair, but...
There's a Terra Trade survey team on planet, evaluating the port for the upgrade to "regional port, all services" status that it clearly needs for Surebleak to continue to grow. The presence of Clan Korval, and the bad reputation the Department of the Interior has managed to saddle them with, is of course one of the biggest obstacles to this. The fact that Theo, while being the Delm's sister, isn't really Clan Korval, is a detail that the Portmaster can't really expect to sell to the Terra Trade team. While doing their public service work, they find a gathering of Old Tech ships and devices, some of them from the old universe. Currently, the Old Tech intelligences are discussing whether or not the orders they have to destroy Surebleak are valid. Obviously, hot-headed Theo is the right one to convince them they're not, right?
Meanwhile, the Bedel have received an automated message from the Ship. When they reply, the Captain will notify them of when to be ready for their very late pickup. But do they want to go? A couple of generations at least have been born and have grown up on Surebleak. Some of them have strong local ties.
And if that's not enough excitement, a Turtle has arrived, not one of Edger's clan, but she does know Edger. Her name is Emissary Twelve, and she's been sent with some really bad news. If repair work on the damage done, apparently by the Gilmour Agency's mining operations, doesn't start soon, Surebleak will come apart in just twelve thousand years.
So, yes, okay, that particular disaster is on a timescale that makes it seem more urgent to Turtles than to humans, but still, why wait?
There's a lot going on here, and it's a lot of fun, if also pretty high stress to everyone involved. The Liaden universe, the Surebleak culture, and the new and old characters continue to grow and develop. It's an enjoyable and satisfying story.
Recommended.
I received this audiobook as a gift from a kind friend.
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LibraryThing member Glennis.LeBlanc
The latest book is a collection of stats and finishes to some story arcs. The plus with this universe is there are so many interesting characters in it to follow and the downside is that your favorite people never get enough screen time. This isn’t the best book to start the series with but fans
Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss
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that have come in the series at the several points that you will be very happy to read with happens in this book. I don’t think I can give too much of the plot out without ruining some thing for a reader that wants to be surprised about X but needless to say this is a book that fans of the series will be glad to read.Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss
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LibraryThing member hailelib
The most recent novel in the Liaden series. There was a bit of backing up in time to follow the people sent out to attack the Department but we did get to the the Turtles eventually and find out why one of them landed on Surebleak without warning. Some of Korval's problems cleared up but lots of
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room for more books. Not a good place to enter the series but recommended for those who are pretty much caught up. Show Less
LibraryThing member leslie.98
2021 reread:
I very much liked some of this book - the involvement of the Clutch Turtles in Surebleak for example. As someone who had read all the previous novels, though not all the Adventures in Liaden Unverse short stories & novellas, there was a tad too much repetition at the beginning.
I very much liked some of this book - the involvement of the Clutch Turtles in Surebleak for example. As someone who had read all the previous novels, though not all the Adventures in Liaden Unverse short stories & novellas, there was a tad too much repetition at the beginning.
LibraryThing member leslie.98
2021 reread:
I very much liked some of this book - the involvement of the Clutch Turtles in Surebleak for example. As someone who had read all the previous novels, though not all the Adventures in Liaden Unverse short stories & novellas, there was a tad too much repetition at the beginning.
I very much liked some of this book - the involvement of the Clutch Turtles in Surebleak for example. As someone who had read all the previous novels, though not all the Adventures in Liaden Unverse short stories & novellas, there was a tad too much repetition at the beginning.
LibraryThing member catseyegreen
At long last Korval strikes down the remnants of the DOI. Meanwhile, democracy comes to Surebleak as an election is held to determine leadership between Boss Conrad and the mysterious Boss Surebleak.
re-read 8/8/2023
re-read 8/8/2023
Original publication date
2019-12
ISBN
9781982124212
Local notes
Liaden Universe, 22
DDC/MDS
| Fic SF Lee & Miller |
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