The Better Part of Valor by Tanya Huff - 5 stars

[annapi]

Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr has been assigned to a secret mission. The best marines have been chosen for this, and she is to make them into an efficient team that will escort a scientific mission to explore a mysterious space ship unlike anything ever seen before. Unfortunately, politics dictate she will have to do so under the command of an obnoxious political appointee of a lieutenant whose antics have put others in danger. Her orders are to keep him alive, a monumental task, besides the argumentative scientists and the impudent civilian salvage operator who discovered the ship in the first place, and the aggressive reporter and her team who unexpectedly drop in on their tail.

It starts out simply enough, but things quickly go wrong when the scientists trigger an explosion. Very quickly Torin realizes that the party organic ship is likely sentient as they seem to be taken through a series of tests. When the Confederation's enemy, the bug-like species they simply call the Others, show up at the site, the situation escalates into an active battle both within the mystery ship and between their escorts without.

Happily, book 2 is just as good, if not even better than first book. It expands the intriguing world to the reader, and gives our protagonist something radically different to work with even as she does "business as usual" in doing her best to keep her charges alive. The addition of a possible romantic tie was well-done, introducing the character but leaving any relationship questions for the next book. And of course Torin is as as bad-ass as ever, giving us a spectacular finish and leaving the reader eagerly anticipating the next adventure.

[Anita]

So glad you enjoyed your space opera book (enough to read book #2!).

[annapi]

Anita wrote: "So glad you enjoyed your space opera book (enough to read book #2!)."

LOL These are re-reads for me, Anita, but it's been about 10 years since I first read them.

[AsimovsZeroth]

Sounds interesting. I've never read a Tanya Huff book, but I may have to look up this series.

[annapi]

Huff writes both sci-fi and fantasy, and all of her stuff is good (though some better than others!). My favorites of her work are the Vicky Nelson series (vampire/detective) and this one, the Confederation series with Torin Kerr.