This little volume of short stories, related to the Heaven's Vault series, fills in some of the gaps..., no, let me correct that. It *enriches* both books of the series with backstories of major, and some not-so-major, characters. Despite its short length, this volume is just as well written, just as engaging, just as intriguing as the previous books. The individual stories pack just as much 'punch' as a full length novel. The Great Defense of Layosah brought me to tears.
Exceptional.