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A review by tome15
Balance of Trade by Sharon Lee, Steve Miller
4.0
Lee, Sharon, and Steve Miller. Balance of Trade. Liaden Universe No. 3. Ace, 2004.
Balance of Trade is a good place to begin reading Liaden novels. It provides a look at two separate strains of humanity. The Liadens are an alien engineered race whose breeding is strictly controlled, their culture insists on formal politeness, and tit-for-tat ethics dominate every aspect of life; the goal in every deal is to achieve balance. You do not want to cheat a Liaden. The Terrans, by contrast, are free-wheeling, ruthless traders, who have given up planetary existence for a nomadic space-born life. The Liadens consider them barbarians. The novel is a neatly told coming of age narrative. Jethri, a Terran lad, looking for a new ship, is adopted by Liaden trader when her identity is used to cheat him. Abandoned by his own people, he must adapt to Liaden ways. Balance of Trade and its sequel, Trade Secret, are two of the better novels in the series. 4 stars.
Balance of Trade is a good place to begin reading Liaden novels. It provides a look at two separate strains of humanity. The Liadens are an alien engineered race whose breeding is strictly controlled, their culture insists on formal politeness, and tit-for-tat ethics dominate every aspect of life; the goal in every deal is to achieve balance. You do not want to cheat a Liaden. The Terrans, by contrast, are free-wheeling, ruthless traders, who have given up planetary existence for a nomadic space-born life. The Liadens consider them barbarians. The novel is a neatly told coming of age narrative. Jethri, a Terran lad, looking for a new ship, is adopted by Liaden trader when her identity is used to cheat him. Abandoned by his own people, he must adapt to Liaden ways. Balance of Trade and its sequel, Trade Secret, are two of the better novels in the series. 4 stars.