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Adventures in the Liaden Universe #1
Two Tales of Korval
To Cut an Edge details a Scout trainee's meeting with an alien; and A Day at the Races,"pits two young gentlemen of fashion against their very proper aunt.
47 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 10, 2011
31 people are currently reading
184 people want to read
About the author
Sharon Lee
169 books790 followersSharon 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 has written five novels set in Maine; contemporary fantasy trilogy Carousel Tides, Carousel Sun, Carousel Seas, and mysteries Barnburner and Gunshy.
With the aforementioned first husband, Steve Miller, Sharon has written twenty novels of science fiction and fantasy — many of them set in the Liaden Universe® — and numerous short stories. She has occasionally been an advertising copywriter, a reporter, photographer, book reviewer, and secretary. She was for three years Executive Director of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc., and was subsequently elected vice president and then president of that organization.
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 has written five novels set in Maine; contemporary fantasy trilogy Carousel Tides, Carousel Sun, Carousel Seas, and mysteries Barnburner and Gunshy.
With the aforementioned first husband, Steve Miller, Sharon has written twenty novels of science fiction and fantasy — many of them set in the Liaden Universe® — and numerous short stories. She has occasionally been an advertising copywriter, a reporter, photographer, book reviewer, and secretary. She was for three years Executive Director of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc., and was subsequently elected vice president and then president of that organization.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 29, 2013
Free! Two short stories in the Liaden Universe, each one featuring Val Con yos'Phelium as a young scout.
4 solid stars for To Cut an Edge. I quite enjoyed this story! Coherent, complete, and fairly suspenseful. As short stories go, it's among the better ones in the Liaden Series. Plus, it provides backstory for Agent of Change. Indeed, Agent of Change is free at Baen (and also at Amazon, if memory serves).
Val Con is undergoing field testing to become a scout. As part of the test, he must explore a relatively unknown planet. By the luck, his ship comes to rest near the powerful Clutch Turtles — large, old, civilized, and sentient. At first, it is nearly impossible to get any turtle to even talk to him (soft, stinky, repulsive little thing!) but he perseveres, finally meeting Edger. Other characters include a silly brood-mother, Edger's brother Handler, and Edger's young son, an eggling. (Oh, also a few dragon-like things.)
The text of To Cut an Edge is posted at Baen eBooks:
http://www.baenebooks.com/chapters/15...
3 stars for A Day at the Races. I quite liked this one, too, but the cross-series inconsistency bugged me. Shan, stuck on Liad as First Speaker when he'd rather be piloting, competes in local skimmer races. Kind of fun, the race scene and the special adaptation. Aunt Kareen "the cold-hearted code-keeper" and her son Pat Rin play a secondary role. He's hard to read in this story. Nova and Anthora also attend the races. Jeeves plays a small role, too.
Inconsistency:
The text of A Day at the Races is posted at Baen eBooks:
http://www.baenebooks.com/chapters/15...
4 solid stars for To Cut an Edge. I quite enjoyed this story! Coherent, complete, and fairly suspenseful. As short stories go, it's among the better ones in the Liaden Series. Plus, it provides backstory for Agent of Change. Indeed, Agent of Change is free at Baen (and also at Amazon, if memory serves).
Val Con is undergoing field testing to become a scout. As part of the test, he must explore a relatively unknown planet. By the luck, his ship comes to rest near the powerful Clutch Turtles — large, old, civilized, and sentient. At first, it is nearly impossible to get any turtle to even talk to him (soft, stinky, repulsive little thing!) but he perseveres, finally meeting Edger. Other characters include a silly brood-mother, Edger's brother Handler, and Edger's young son, an eggling. (Oh, also a few dragon-like things.)
The text of To Cut an Edge is posted at Baen eBooks:
http://www.baenebooks.com/chapters/15...
3 stars for A Day at the Races. I quite liked this one, too, but the cross-series inconsistency bugged me. Shan, stuck on Liad as First Speaker when he'd rather be piloting, competes in local skimmer races. Kind of fun, the race scene and the special adaptation. Aunt Kareen "the cold-hearted code-keeper" and her son Pat Rin play a secondary role. He's hard to read in this story. Nova and Anthora also attend the races. Jeeves plays a small role, too.
Inconsistency:
The text of A Day at the Races is posted at Baen eBooks:
http://www.baenebooks.com/chapters/15...
December 12, 2009
Two short stories in this chap book that was published directly by Steve Miller and Sharon Lee. To Cut and Edge gives us the background on Valcon and his friendship with Edger. Certainly those many years ago when I first read Agent of Change I always was fascinated by Edger. He is a pretty decent creation.
A Day at the Races, the second story, tries to show some of the attitude that Clan Korval has amongst itself. Brother to Brother, Cousin to Cousin, Aunt to Nephew and how one generation perceives itself to another. That is a complex way of saying something that none of the characters explore except through dialogue, but in the great scheme of things Liadan, this story written in the mid 90's rounds out part of the world that Lee and Miller spent more than a decade regaling us with.
One day, collecting all the Chap Book stories would probably make an excellent collection to add, and far more economical. $10 for this seems quite pricey in relation to what you get when you get an entire Liadan Novel. A summation would be good stories, expands the universe, but too expensive.
A Day at the Races, the second story, tries to show some of the attitude that Clan Korval has amongst itself. Brother to Brother, Cousin to Cousin, Aunt to Nephew and how one generation perceives itself to another. That is a complex way of saying something that none of the characters explore except through dialogue, but in the great scheme of things Liadan, this story written in the mid 90's rounds out part of the world that Lee and Miller spent more than a decade regaling us with.
One day, collecting all the Chap Book stories would probably make an excellent collection to add, and far more economical. $10 for this seems quite pricey in relation to what you get when you get an entire Liadan Novel. A summation would be good stories, expands the universe, but too expensive.
May 11, 2018
Two short stories set in the Liaden Universe. You can't miss with a story about the Clutch.
August 24, 2018
Two stories of Val Con yos'Phelium as a young man.
I've often wondered how Val Con and the Turtle, Edger, met, and Val Con got adopted into Edger's family. In To Cut an Edge, we find out. It's on one of Val Con's final training missions as a Scout, and it's quite exciting. It's fair to say that Val Con and Edger have some similar challenges with the more hidebound members of their clans and cultures!
In A Day at the Races, Shan and Val Con do seriously annoy Kareen, and it's well-deserved. I'd have more sympathy for Kareen, if she were concerned that what they're doing isn't safe, and places the Delm-in-Waiting and the First Speaker at serious risk, but no. This is Kareen, and she's concerned about her very shriveled notions of propriety.
Both of these are stories of Val Con as a young man, before either Miri or the Department of the Interior, and they're a lot of fun.
Recommended. I bought this book.
I've often wondered how Val Con and the Turtle, Edger, met, and Val Con got adopted into Edger's family. In To Cut an Edge, we find out. It's on one of Val Con's final training missions as a Scout, and it's quite exciting. It's fair to say that Val Con and Edger have some similar challenges with the more hidebound members of their clans and cultures!
In A Day at the Races, Shan and Val Con do seriously annoy Kareen, and it's well-deserved. I'd have more sympathy for Kareen, if she were concerned that what they're doing isn't safe, and places the Delm-in-Waiting and the First Speaker at serious risk, but no. This is Kareen, and she's concerned about her very shriveled notions of propriety.
Both of these are stories of Val Con as a young man, before either Miri or the Department of the Interior, and they're a lot of fun.
Recommended. I bought this book.
September 11, 2019
3.5* for the book as a whole.
"To Cut an Edge" - 4* - this story about the time Val Con and Edger met would not be as interesting to a reader who had not already read "Agent of Change". However, for those who had read that novel, it is very satisfying.
"A Day at the Races" - 3* - This short story takes place a bit later and primarily involves the relations between Lady Kareen and Val Con, Shan and Nova (to a lesser extent). I find Pat Rin's relationships with his relatives unclear, even in the light of having read all the novels upto date...
"To Cut an Edge" - 4* - this story about the time Val Con and Edger met would not be as interesting to a reader who had not already read "Agent of Change". However, for those who had read that novel, it is very satisfying.
"A Day at the Races" - 3* - This short story takes place a bit later and primarily involves the relations between Lady Kareen and Val Con, Shan and Nova (to a lesser extent). I find Pat Rin's relationships with his relatives unclear, even in the light of having read all the novels upto date...
January 24, 2017
Quick pleasant read. Two short stories, read mostly to fill in some gaps in the Liaden timeline. Not strictly necessary.
March 5, 2022
Two short stories of the Liaden universe. Interesting turtle aliens and some fun characters. One plot line about skimmer races and the hierarchy involved in the population.
April 21, 2024
In Constellation anthology #1.
December 21, 2017
Two in one chapbook with "To Cut an Edge" (starring Val Con) and "A Day at the Races" (with both Val Con and Shan). These stories have since been published in the Baen collection "A Laiden Universe Constellation: Volume 1". I recommend purchasing the larger collection to save money.
Both of these stories have integral information which enhance the novel Universe and are must-reads because they impact so many different stories - both novel and short stories. Both short stories are also entertaining in their own rights.
To Cut an Edge - Explains how Val Con meets the Clutch Turtle, the Edger. And how Val Con got some of his Clutch Turtle name.
A Day at the Races - A fast moving lark displaying the close friendship between Val Con and Shan, plus their problematic relationship with Kareen. I really feel for this woman who has been abadoned by Daav and had many of her loved ones killed in a battle not yet declared and left to raise the next generation. No wonder she is rigid and rule bound. But Val Con and Shan haven't reached the point of maturity yet to realize what she has gone through; they are true Korval pilots and just a bit ... daring.
Both of these stories have integral information which enhance the novel Universe and are must-reads because they impact so many different stories - both novel and short stories. Both short stories are also entertaining in their own rights.
To Cut an Edge - Explains how Val Con meets the Clutch Turtle, the Edger. And how Val Con got some of his Clutch Turtle name.
A Day at the Races - A fast moving lark displaying the close friendship between Val Con and Shan, plus their problematic relationship with Kareen. I really feel for this woman who has been abadoned by Daav and had many of her loved ones killed in a battle not yet declared and left to raise the next generation. No wonder she is rigid and rule bound. But Val Con and Shan haven't reached the point of maturity yet to realize what she has gone through; they are true Korval pilots and just a bit ... daring.
December 23, 2014
Two facets of Korval
Facet 1 - Val Con, the scout, as both an explorer and a hero.
Facet 2 - The modus operandi of Val Con, the Delm To Be, as he resolves clan family issues.
These 2 stories provide insight into Clan Korval, Scouts, and the interrelationships of several of the prime characters of the series.
And, the story telling is superb.
Facet 1 - Val Con, the scout, as both an explorer and a hero.
Facet 2 - The modus operandi of Val Con, the Delm To Be, as he resolves clan family issues.
These 2 stories provide insight into Clan Korval, Scouts, and the interrelationships of several of the prime characters of the series.
And, the story telling is superb.
July 3, 2022
4 stars.
Nov 2017
These short stories give some colour to the Liaden Universe.
The first story tells how Val Con became a brother of the Clutch Turtle Clan. The second when Shan was still acting as head of the Korval but feeling the stifling constraints of his position and we see Val Con growing into his role as Delm-in-waiting. Both really fun read.
Nov 2017
These short stories give some colour to the Liaden Universe.
The first story tells how Val Con became a brother of the Clutch Turtle Clan. The second when Shan was still acting as head of the Korval but feeling the stifling constraints of his position and we see Val Con growing into his role as Delm-in-waiting. Both really fun read.
September 16, 2015
I read these in the "A Liaden Universe® Constellation vol 1"
October 19, 2013
Two engaging stories involving Val Con. The first provides background depth for the clutch turtles. The second is fun and humorous. Very enjoyable.
December 11, 2020
I think this is one of my favourites of the chap books. It has two Val Con stories, one of which is his meeting Edger for the first time. Excellent!
April 6, 2017
Rather a disappointment to discover that this series of of Liaden Universe tales have almost all been republished in the Liaden Universe Constellation volumes, thus I began and ended reading this in the same minute.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews