Korval’s Gate-Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

Korval’s Gate
Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
Baen, May 3 2011, $12.99
ISBN: 9781439134399

Plan B. As part of the Liaden rulers’ covert war against Clan Korval, the Department of the Interior hunts the heir Val Con yos’Phelium who once was a DOI Agent of Change killing machine until he met his beloved lifemate former mercenary hybrid Miri Robertson. They try to forge an alliance between his clan and her mother’s Clan Erob at a time the Yxtrang military attacks. At the same time his desperate cousin Shan yos’Galan and his lifemate Priscilla believe time has run out so they deploy Plan B.

I Dare: Fleeing the DOI hunters, Val Con and Miri have been separated. Meanwhile his cousin Shan and Priscilla search for him because they believe this is the only chance the DOI assault will have on lan Korval as the Liaden rulers offer another cousin of Val, Pat Rin yos’Phelium, leadership of the clan if he allies with them.

Newcomers to the Liaden Universe will be better suited reading the books preceding Plan B, especially Carpe Diem, which ends where Plan B begins; I Dare follows immediately after. Both reprinted tales are entertaining outer space adventures with the recurring theme of the evil empire trying to destroy the most dangerous clans so they can succeed in their plan for domination. The heroes are fully developed while Pat will prove to have depth beyond being a shallow cousin. This is an enjoyable omnibus reprint.

Harriet Klausner