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26th out of 212 books
—
796 voters
Agent of Change (Liaden Universe #8)
by
Sharon Lee (Goodreads Author),
Steve Miller
Two tough-but-tender characters with a bright future--if they live that long.
Terran Miri Robertson was a mercenary, but she retired to a cushy job as a private bodyguard. What she didn't know what that her client had powerful enemies. Now he's dead, and they're after her.
Terran Miri Robertson was a mercenary, but she retired to a cushy job as a private bodyguard. What she didn't know what that her client had powerful enemies. Now he's dead, and they're after her.
Paperback, 320 pages
Published
October 29th 2002
by Ace
(first published 1988)
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Warm, satisfying, couples-friendly science fiction with the right and proper mixture of derring-do (i.e., fancy action), romance and humor. And soaring high above everything else in this tale are the characters...Awwww, the characters...these people will endear themselves to you so completely that you’ll return to visit them time and again like a stalking voyeur ignoring a retraining order. For cozy, comforting, romantical, happylicious SF, this is about as good as it gets.
Reading this book jus...more
Reading this book jus...more
One of the very best. Very good sci fi of the space opera/adventure type with a very good romance. I want to belong to Clan Korval.
4.5/5; 5 stars; A
After recently re-reading this book I nudged the rating up from 4 stars to 5 stars. I am really enjoying reading this series over again in sequence, and one after another. There are so many nuances that become clear that I missed the first time. Part of the clarity comes from having read the series once. Things that I didn't realize were important; hints and 'seeds' now become clear. I am in awe of this writing duo and their ability to develop a complex universe full of personal...more
After recently re-reading this book I nudged the rating up from 4 stars to 5 stars. I am really enjoying reading this series over again in sequence, and one after another. There are so many nuances that become clear that I missed the first time. Part of the clarity comes from having read the series once. Things that I didn't realize were important; hints and 'seeds' now become clear. I am in awe of this writing duo and their ability to develop a complex universe full of personal...more
I have mixed feelings about this book, which is the second Liaden novel that I've read. I liked the interaction between the H/H and I adored the description and dialogue of the Clutch, a turtle-like alien race. But I got to the end of the novel and felt like I must have missed something--like why the heroine is being pursued by bad guys. The hero first encounters her in a shoot-out and saves her life. They spend the rest of the story evading bad guys, who want to kill both of them.
* * Semi-Spoi...more
* * Semi-Spoi...more
An extremely quick and pleasant read, polished off in a day.
This is space opera without melodrama, sf light on science (no more than a handful of science-babble words tossed around, actually), and a lighthearted romance between two intelligent people in a future world that is very careful to present gender equality. Faster-than-light space travel occurs with the equivalent of Hey Presto! and some fancy-sounding labels. The assassin assassinated, yet we are given no information on why he did what...more
This is space opera without melodrama, sf light on science (no more than a handful of science-babble words tossed around, actually), and a lighthearted romance between two intelligent people in a future world that is very careful to present gender equality. Faster-than-light space travel occurs with the equivalent of Hey Presto! and some fancy-sounding labels. The assassin assassinated, yet we are given no information on why he did what...more
Mar 22, 2010
MissyC323 C
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
sci-fi romance fans
Shelves:
read-in-2010,
sci-fi-romance
It took me a while to get into this book, the prose is more sci-fi(ish) than I am normally used to. But once I got into the rhythm of the story, it flowed very smoothly. I enjoy interstellar/space fiction more than fantasy, so this was very much a genre that I enjoy, but have a difficult time finding new authors. Glad I discovered these authors. I will certainly be reading the more about the "Liaden Universe".
I liked the basic story. A spy who has enhanced/ brain alteration making him a valuable...more
I liked the basic story. A spy who has enhanced/ brain alteration making him a valuable...more
There was so much I didn't remember about this one, that it was almost like reading a new book (which is never a bad thing). I must have only read this once and that right back when I started the series, which was after it first began, but still a long time ago.
I do love Val Con and Miri and that's what I was expecting when I opened the pages, lots of Val Con and Miri, so I was almost surprised to rediscover that at the beginning of the book, really Val Con isn't the Val Con we've come to know i...more
I do love Val Con and Miri and that's what I was expecting when I opened the pages, lots of Val Con and Miri, so I was almost surprised to rediscover that at the beginning of the book, really Val Con isn't the Val Con we've come to know i...more
Agent of Change by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
Val Con, a Liaden spy and Miri, a retired Terran mercenary find themselves thrust together by separate enemies. The enemies may be separate but they fate they plan for the reluctant partners is the same: DEATH.
I enjoyed this, my first of the Liaden Universe series. It has lots of action and the characters are complex and myriad. I found myself enjoying such diversities and Edger and the implacable Yxtrang. The story is colorful and the plot is intri...more
Val Con, a Liaden spy and Miri, a retired Terran mercenary find themselves thrust together by separate enemies. The enemies may be separate but they fate they plan for the reluctant partners is the same: DEATH.
I enjoyed this, my first of the Liaden Universe series. It has lots of action and the characters are complex and myriad. I found myself enjoying such diversities and Edger and the implacable Yxtrang. The story is colorful and the plot is intri...more
An old-school, slightly cheesy science fiction romance. He’s a super spy, she’s a feisty mercenary. His superpower is calculating survival odds; hers is... bad grammar, I suppose. They fall in love while fleeing from people who want to kill them for vaguely explained reasons.
There are several shoot-outs, during which they take turns rescuing each other. There’s a trip on a psychedelic spaceship owned by big turtle aliens. I rather liked the turtles, and I wish my edition had this cover, which pe...more
There are several shoot-outs, during which they take turns rescuing each other. There’s a trip on a psychedelic spaceship owned by big turtle aliens. I rather liked the turtles, and I wish my edition had this cover, which pe...more
Over rated.
I picked this book because it was highly rated at 4.34 stars. It turns out that people who read this shit are retarded. There are masterpieces that have lower rating then this.
The book started quite good, but I started to grimace half way trough, and twitch two thirds gone. Then I stopped. This book is ass gravy with cheesy dialogue, shitty plot, and lousy characters. The writing is ok.
I haven't written reviews on books I didn't finish before, but I made a exemption for this one to w...more
I picked this book because it was highly rated at 4.34 stars. It turns out that people who read this shit are retarded. There are masterpieces that have lower rating then this.
The book started quite good, but I started to grimace half way trough, and twitch two thirds gone. Then I stopped. This book is ass gravy with cheesy dialogue, shitty plot, and lousy characters. The writing is ok.
I haven't written reviews on books I didn't finish before, but I made a exemption for this one to w...more
Lee & Miller's characters, as always, are riveting. Val Con and Miri, and their friends the "turtles" are well fleshed-out. I particularly enjoyed the way the clearly delineated alien culture contrasted with the planetary culture of this book.
Sadly, this book has two big flaws in the plot department. First, I found it hard to believe the plot in context of the Liaden culture as set up in the other books in the series. It's not consistent with the universe created that anyone on Liad would d...more
Sadly, this book has two big flaws in the plot department. First, I found it hard to believe the plot in context of the Liaden culture as set up in the other books in the series. It's not consistent with the universe created that anyone on Liad would d...more
This is the best book I've ever read, and my go-to book if life is getting me down.
Lee and Miller have amazing storytelling skills, and the Liaden Universe is wonderfully detailed. Not only does the plot have depth, but the characters and settings do, too. I literally could not put this book down the first time I read it, and I've read it so many times I had to get an electronic version: my book is falling apart!
It's easy to get so involved with the characters that one is eager to follow them fr...more
Lee and Miller have amazing storytelling skills, and the Liaden Universe is wonderfully detailed. Not only does the plot have depth, but the characters and settings do, too. I literally could not put this book down the first time I read it, and I've read it so many times I had to get an electronic version: my book is falling apart!
It's easy to get so involved with the characters that one is eager to follow them fr...more
A fun romp through space with strange cultures, spies, chases, and romance. I'll read more of these.
Upgrade to 4 stars after reread 4/26/13 in light of all the diverse background now read.
Upgrade to 4 stars after reread 4/26/13 in light of all the diverse background now read.
Well written and light but Agent of Change doesn't follow the time tested format of finishing a story within the confines of the book. It is definitely more like Part 1 of 3 as opposed to just being the first novel in a trilogy. Where most trilogies have a shorter story line that they wrap up with some loose ends in the first book, AoC feels more like the writers hit a page limit then decided to start the next book. I still enjoyed it but the end was jarring just when I started to feel more conn...more
I've been watching this series prothitherate for a number of years. It has a fascinating history, as these two authors have persisted in preserving and expanding their vision. Bravo!
The first half of the novel is pure space opera traveling at hyperspped. The back half takes a couple of unique turns to stop and expand, but it never loses pace. I like the ending. Our protagonists are safe, but not saved. In many ways it reads like a golden age novel that could have been written by Asimov, Heinlein...more
The first half of the novel is pure space opera traveling at hyperspped. The back half takes a couple of unique turns to stop and expand, but it never loses pace. I like the ending. Our protagonists are safe, but not saved. In many ways it reads like a golden age novel that could have been written by Asimov, Heinlein...more
A rather nice bit of space opera, which I liked a lot better once I learned to chant "Product of its times!" at periodic instances of rather hoary gendered tropes. A fun setting, interesting characters--though so damn many secondary characters that I never did figure out why some of them were getting scenes, especially near the end--and a reasonably satisfying read overall.
I'd quite like to read more books in this series, with the expectation that they get better over time, but I thought this w...more
I'd quite like to read more books in this series, with the expectation that they get better over time, but I thought this w...more
While it certainly wasn't as good as some of the sci-fi romance I've read recently, it wasn't the worst either. However, the big problems were the plot (not too much there) and the weird vibe the book gave off. It was very much like the Ecolitan books, where the main characters seemed to be surrounded by a lot of white paper. Is it that they are just too cool? Do they not have enough inner conflict? I don't know, but it definitely is a problem. Since this was the first book, though, I'm willing...more
Although I recommend reading Conflict of Honors first, this is the true beginning of the Liaden Universe. The characters of Miri Robertson and Val Com Yos'Phelium form the center, and heart, of the series.
Miri, a tiny but accomplished mercenary soldier, retired, bodyguard, retired, ("have gun, will travel") finds herself in a life-threatening pickle when fate intervenes and brings Val Con to her aid. Against his better judgement, because of a hunch, he saves her life twice and helps her escape h...more
Miri, a tiny but accomplished mercenary soldier, retired, bodyguard, retired, ("have gun, will travel") finds herself in a life-threatening pickle when fate intervenes and brings Val Con to her aid. Against his better judgement, because of a hunch, he saves her life twice and helps her escape h...more
This review was originally posted on www.thegeekgirlproject.com
Agent of Change is the first book in the Liaden Universe series-- and the authors' first novel as well.
Agent of Change is an exciting story with characters I fell in love with, and it takes place in a well-crafted, complex world. If you’re in the mood to oversimplify, you could say that Agent of Change is rather like James Bond, The Bourne Identity, and a classic space opera all rolled into one, with a thread of romance woven in for...more
Agent of Change is the first book in the Liaden Universe series-- and the authors' first novel as well.
Agent of Change is an exciting story with characters I fell in love with, and it takes place in a well-crafted, complex world. If you’re in the mood to oversimplify, you could say that Agent of Change is rather like James Bond, The Bourne Identity, and a classic space opera all rolled into one, with a thread of romance woven in for...more
I re-read this (along with the others in the series) over the past couple weeks. I liked them a lot the first time, and had the same up-past-bedtime experience again this time.
A few notes from the second reading:
1. Lee and Miller clearly love developing their protagonists. The antagonists, on the other hand, tend to be a bit flatter. But the antagonists also play a somewhat more minor role than one would suspect, since the main characters are forever tangling themselves up in misunderstandings,...more
A few notes from the second reading:
1. Lee and Miller clearly love developing their protagonists. The antagonists, on the other hand, tend to be a bit flatter. But the antagonists also play a somewhat more minor role than one would suspect, since the main characters are forever tangling themselves up in misunderstandings,...more
I'm going to hve to run over to my smutty books bec ths consistent kiss ande fade w/ these characters drives me nuts.All the men are sexy beautiful, gorgeous manners, unerring chivalry, masculine wtih out being macho, and scary smart and perceptive. Best of all, they feel their emmotions and share them as soon as they feel its appropriate. But these are so clean, your 12 yo could read them - re the sex.nont the crime, violence, treachery, etc. So, Shan, erThom, Daav and Val. Sigh. just too much.
Summary: Really enjoyed this book. Characterisations are a bit week, but theirs loads of action and I like the universe. Classic SF
Plotline: Doesn't bear too much thinking, but its good enough to keep the action going
Premise: I like the SF world, weird aliens, propulsion systems etc
Writing: Simple, highly readable. Characterisations could have been better
Ending: A bit unexpected, but as always lots of action.
Pace: Never a dull moment
Plotline: Doesn't bear too much thinking, but its good enough to keep the action going
Premise: I like the SF world, weird aliens, propulsion systems etc
Writing: Simple, highly readable. Characterisations could have been better
Ending: A bit unexpected, but as always lots of action.
Pace: Never a dull moment
A nice cozy sci-fi adventure story with a dash of romance. Pacing was a smidge slow, so it knocked off one star. Loved the turtle race. Miri's manner of speaking kept jarring me out of the story -- not sure if the occasional "ain't" and other intentional grammatical snafus were consistently applied or if they just didn't flow well enough to seem natural. In any case, will be continuing to read this series.
Started and finished today.
Fun sci-fi, part of a series I hadn't read before. I think I enjoyed it enough to keep going. Although I felt like parts dipped perilously close to cliche territory, it never quite got there. And I loved Edger and the other turtles. (Yes, turtles.)
So far:
7 hours 15 minutes spent reading
1211 pages read
four books finished (two middle-grade, two adult)
Fun sci-fi, part of a series I hadn't read before. I think I enjoyed it enough to keep going. Although I felt like parts dipped perilously close to cliche territory, it never quite got there. And I loved Edger and the other turtles. (Yes, turtles.)
So far:
7 hours 15 minutes spent reading
1211 pages read
four books finished (two middle-grade, two adult)
I found this to be a very enjoyable space opera, although the ending added a bit of frustration, since I haven't found a copy of the book that follows this one yet.
This series was recommended by a friend who loved the stories of Lois Bujold, and I can see the similarities, including the sort of flippant attitudes the central characters have toward authority and danger.
This series was recommended by a friend who loved the stories of Lois Bujold, and I can see the similarities, including the sort of flippant attitudes the central characters have toward authority and danger.
Val Con has been made into a spy. He meets Miri while on a mission. She is a former mercenary and bodyguard running from the Juntavas. He assists her and together they escape the Juntavas on a Clutch ship. After being captured again by the Juntavas they are left aboard a derelict ship. Val Con gets it working for one jump but the jump is to a pre-spaceflight world. They are marooned.
Boy spy meets girl mercenary on the run. Pretty good, but not great. I had trouble really caring about the emotionally stunted pair who are trying to experience them for the first time while people around them are trying to kill them. Honestly like the turtles much more than the people's. I'll probably try the next in the series, but it is not a priority.
The Liaden Universe series has quickly become one of my favorites, but this one, one of the first written (though not chronologically first) was missing something. Namely, a plot. The characters are memorable (especially Edger, of the turtle-like Clutch race), and there was plenty of action, but very little actually *happened*. Later books felt more complete.
Mar 19, 2013
John
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
ns225563trial
Recommended to John by:
ns225563trial
Shelves:
sf-fantasy
A "starter" book for the Liaden series, and a great nonstop action thriller with lots of gunplay and narrow squeaks, along with aliens who actually turn out to be smart (except of course for the Yxtrang). The angsty passages are easily skipped, and though the ending seems pretty final it's obviously not the end of the story.
A fun Space opera kind of story, with a little romance thrown in. Val and Mira are fun characters and easy to root for. The Clutch are an interesting race of aliens that are called turtles due to a shell on their back, and their adopting of Val and Mira as kin save their skin, at least partly.
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Sharon Lee has been married to her first husband for more than half her lifetime; she is a friend to cats, a member of the National Carousel Association, and oversees the dubious investment schemes of an improbable number of stuffed animals.
Despite having been born in a year of the dragon, Sharon is an introvert. She lives in Maine because she likes it there. In fact, she likes it so much that she...more
More about Sharon Lee...
Despite having been born in a year of the dragon, Sharon is an introvert. She lives in Maine because she likes it there. In fact, she likes it so much that she...more
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“Every time you get the world by the tail, she thought, you gotta remember there's teeth on the other end.”
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7 people liked it
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Oct 19, 2011 09:04am
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Oct 19, 2011 09:13am