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posies23's review against another edition
5.0
Another strong entry in the Liaden series. This is one of my favorites so far, because I enjoyed the protagonist's struggles to understand and fit in as he tries to navigate the Liaden culture. There's some great humor, mixed with the usual politics and strong characters that I have come to expect from the authors.
This book would actually serve as a good place to start for people wondering where to start in the series, which is over 20 books long now, since it explains many of the elements that were fairly oblique in previous books. (One of the nice things about the Liaden books is that you don't REALLY have to read most of them in a particular order, since it's more of a UNIVERSE than a series, even though I keep calling it a series.)
This book would actually serve as a good place to start for people wondering where to start in the series, which is over 20 books long now, since it explains many of the elements that were fairly oblique in previous books. (One of the nice things about the Liaden books is that you don't REALLY have to read most of them in a particular order, since it's more of a UNIVERSE than a series, even though I keep calling it a series.)
mary_soon_lee's review
4.0
This is the tenth novel that I've read set in the authors' Liaden Universe, and the first of what I believe to be a duology of books centered on Jethri Gobelyn. I found both young Jethri and the book thoroughly agreeable. As with most of the Liaden Universe books that I've read, the story is easy reading, the characters well-drawn, the tone light. This book had an underlying warmth that made me feel welcome in the company of its characters. In this it reminded me particularly of another Liaden Universe book, [b:Conflict of Honors|1103880|Conflict of Honors (Liaden Universe, #8)|Sharon Lee|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1309212789s/1103880.jpg|1090806]. Both books have a group of likable characters who help each other. Both books made me happy as I read them. This book felt slightly less exuberant and joyful than "Conflict of Honors," but that is a high bar to measure it against. Highly recommended.
jmoses's review
5.0
Reminds me strongly of [a:Nathan Lowell|1048167|Nathan Lowell|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1265240926p2/1048167.jpg]'s Share series.
Aside: I like this series a lot, so just expect 4/5 ratings for most of them without explanation.
Aside: I like this series a lot, so just expect 4/5 ratings for most of them without explanation.
shivary's review
2.0
My least favorite of this series so far. While the events that occur are interesting, the background/overarching plot bores me.
max_pink's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
MILFS and Magical Girls, oh my!
MUCH better on my second read. This is very slow and low in action for a Liaden book, but it does have a bananas plot twist at the end! And Jethri's fish-out-of-water shenanigans are pretty fun. This one gives me Star Trek vibes, probably because of the general, simmering undercurrent of pulpy horniness.
Worth it overall, in my opinion, but probably not the best starting point for the series.
MUCH better on my second read. This is very slow and low in action for a Liaden book, but it does have a bananas plot twist at the end! And Jethri's fish-out-of-water shenanigans are pretty fun. This one gives me Star Trek vibes, probably because of the general, simmering undercurrent of pulpy horniness.
Worth it overall, in my opinion, but probably not the best starting point for the series.
itabar's review
3.0
Started listening to this. Boy, what a slog. I remember little so I hope this book gets significantly better. If this had been my first Liad novel, not sure I would have read more.
felinity's review
5.0
A great entry book, this is the story of Jethri Gobelyn, a boy who grew up on a trading ship and expected to live out his life on their loop. Those with an interest in anthropology may appreciate how difficult it can be to understand a new culture, and those who enjoy SF may never have thought about how people who live on-world see life differently from those who have always lived in a controlled atmosphere.
Regardless, this is a book I often start with, and then usually end up dipping into others in the series! (I can't read just one...)
Regardless, this is a book I often start with, and then usually end up dipping into others in the series! (I can't read just one...)
jmartindf's review against another edition
4.0
Young Jethri Gobelyn is a crew member on Gobelyn’s Market, a Terran trade ship. It’s a family owned ship. His mother is the captain, his uncle is the Trader. He’s 17 years old and studying to be a Trader himself. He was born on Gobelyn’s Market and he’s lived there his entire life, with his family. But all of that’s about to change.
Jethri was relaxing in a dockside bar, after successfully completing a Trade deal and earning a good bit of profit for the ship. He was approached by another Trader and learned of a too-good-to-be-true deal, if only the other Trader could raise a little bit of ready cash. Normally Jethri would have rejected the deal out of hand, as a sucker’s bet. But this deal was backed by the word of a Liaden and Liadens are known to never break their word.
Jethri bit on the deal. When it fell through, he went directly to the Liaden involved, only to find that it was a scam after all and the other Trader had no right to use the Liaden’s name. Because of Jethri, the Liaden were able to break up a group of con artists who were trading on their reputations. Because the Liaden owed Jethri Balance, she offered to take him on as an Apprentice Trader.
It just so happened that Gobelyn’s Market was looking to send Jethri out on his own and his only other choice was to join the ship of a cousin that he hated. He’d always been fascinated by Liaden culture, so he jumped at the chance to join a Liaden ship.
So begin’s Jethri’s journey. He has to learn to Trade on his own and to navigate the many cultural minefields that exist between Terran culture and Liaden culture. He has to learn the language, the etiquette, and the expectations. It all ties into a very well executed coming-of-age story.
I always enjoy the Liaden Universe and this book is a welcome addition to the series.
Read the review on my blog.
Jethri was relaxing in a dockside bar, after successfully completing a Trade deal and earning a good bit of profit for the ship. He was approached by another Trader and learned of a too-good-to-be-true deal, if only the other Trader could raise a little bit of ready cash. Normally Jethri would have rejected the deal out of hand, as a sucker’s bet. But this deal was backed by the word of a Liaden and Liadens are known to never break their word.
Jethri bit on the deal. When it fell through, he went directly to the Liaden involved, only to find that it was a scam after all and the other Trader had no right to use the Liaden’s name. Because of Jethri, the Liaden were able to break up a group of con artists who were trading on their reputations. Because the Liaden owed Jethri Balance, she offered to take him on as an Apprentice Trader.
It just so happened that Gobelyn’s Market was looking to send Jethri out on his own and his only other choice was to join the ship of a cousin that he hated. He’d always been fascinated by Liaden culture, so he jumped at the chance to join a Liaden ship.
So begin’s Jethri’s journey. He has to learn to Trade on his own and to navigate the many cultural minefields that exist between Terran culture and Liaden culture. He has to learn the language, the etiquette, and the expectations. It all ties into a very well executed coming-of-age story.
I always enjoy the Liaden Universe and this book is a welcome addition to the series.
Read the review on my blog.
mlejoy's review
5.0
This is my 3rd Liaden book (reading them in chronological order) and I really liked it. My minor gripe is that there are several terms used in the book that are used often, but aren't really explained until much later in the book and they aren't included in the dictionary at the end of the book (like "fractin" and "combine key"). However, I really liked all the characters in this book, the action was fast paced. I'm new to the Liaden world so I could identify with Jethra - everything was new and strange. On to the next one...