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Most of Canadian writer Tanya Huff's output has been in the field of fantasy fiction. She is best known for her Vicky Nelson/Henry Fitzroy vampire detective novels and for The Keeper's Chronicles. She has now turned her hand to military science fiction (I guess what we used to call space opera) and has created another great female protagonist in Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr. A CONFEDERATION OF VALOR is an omnibus edition of the first two Torin Kerr books. In the first one, VALOR'S CHOICE, she and her platoon are sent on a diplomatic mission with a brand-new second lieutenant to train during the mission. The older races will not fight, so they allowed a few of the younger races, such as humans, into the confederation for protection. Along with the humans, the di'Taykan, with their raging pheromones that must always be masked and their pastel hair and eyes, and the Krai, who will eat anything, make up the platoon of marines accompanying the diplomats, which include Dornagain, a large, slow-moving race, and the Micktok, who look like giant spiders. The mission reaches the planet of the Silsviss, a warm-blooded reptilian race who have achieved space travel, and begins its diplomatic mission, which starts to go wrong after a few days. Kerr must protect the diplomats while her platoon fights its way out of trouble. In THE BETTER PART OF VALOR, Staff Sergeant Kerr is sent to investigate a large deserted ship apparently drifting in space. She gets to the ship and she and her marines, all of whom are meeting each other for the first time, attempt to protect the scientists while they try and figure out a way to get into the vessel and then to discover its secrets. Tanya Huff is one of those few authors who can create both interesting characters, not all of whom are human – in fact most of whom are not human – and good stories. If you really like old-fashioned space opera, of the type popularized in STAR WARS, then this omnibus edition might be for you. It is also good value – two novels for only $8.99.
Reviewed by Barbara Franchi, July 2007
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