Crystal Soldier: Book One Of The Great Migration Duology [Hardcover]

Crystal Soldier, Lee and Miller's latest tale of the Liaden Universe, is very much a prequel and is set in the time of the Great Migration that settled the planet Liad. This is the story of smuggler Cantra yos'Phelium and soldier M Jela Granthor's Guard and their partnership that changed the universe. The story begins with the meeting of Jela and the Tree that grew into Jelaza Kazone and the sacred oath that came to define (and haunt) Clan Korval. It then describes the early relationship between Jela and Cantra after their first accidental meeting. The often flawed and hurting people behind their legendary historical personas are explored by two wonderful writers in this story of two strong personalities striving to build a partnership in a galaxy full of conflict and trouble. For fans of the Liaden Universe, many pieces of background history are revealed, such as the origins of dramliza and Yxtrang as well as facets of personal history about Jela and Cantra not previously explored.

As an early fan from the first books Conflict of Honors and Agent of Change, I have enjoyed the marvelous adventures of the members of Clan Korval in previous Liaden Universe tales. The rich backdrop to the tales was laced with hints of a deep background from which I built my own ideas of historical events. Now that the authors are drawing back the curtain from this history, it is no surprise that I got it wrong in some details and some revelations were total surprises, but overall I was pleased at how close I came. This is part one of two books concerning the Great Migration, and the ship Quick Passage has not appeared yet, so I can hardly wait for the second book to reveal more of the events that led to the founding of Clan Korval and the planet Liad.

This review is based on the Embiid e-book edition.

This book is a prequel to the Liaden Universe stories. I assume that anyone who has read those stories will read this book no matter what the reviews say, so I guess I'll aim this review at someone coming in unfamiliar with the story.

(For those who are already hooked, this book lives up to all your hopes except for one aspect -- it only tells half the story. The book does end at a fairly natural break-point, and it is a compelling read on its own, but plot-wise it only serves to set up Book 2.)

So, if you don't already know the Liaden Universe, what should you expect from this book? Adventure! It is the story of a soldier (genetically bred to be a soldier) who is fighting against a remorseless enemy that plans to destroy all life in the galaxy. And worse yet, the enemy is winning.

The soldier decides to cast his lot with an underground group of mutineers, who he thinks are actually the best hope for defeating the enemy.

Then he accidently encounters a smuggler, and somehow the soldier, the smuggler, and an escaped slave end up on the run from some serious trouble. Is it the enemy? The regular high command? Someone else?

None of the three trust each other to share the same interests, but they do trust each other to watch their backs. The smuggler just wants to get the other two off her ship, the slave wants to find a legendary colony of escaped slaves, and the soldier wants ... well actually he is pretty closemouthed about what he wants. And about why he is carrying a tree with him wherever he goes.

And all of them have different groups of people hunting them, so it is not clear whether they are safer together or whether they just make a bigger target.

The action jumps from one planet to the next as the trio attempts to outwit their pursuers and each other. And all of this happens in the shadow of nearly certain doom for the entire galaxy.

The story ends at a natural break-point, but the plot is at least as unresolved as it was at the start of the novel. If you really hate that sort of thing, you might want to wait for Book 2 and read them both together. But if you just want a fast-paced adventure with some memorable characters, this book will provide what you are looking for.

And while you are waiting for Book 2, you can find and read all the other Liaden stories, to which this is just the prequel. I would suggest starting with the three-novel collection "Partners In Necessity". Or perhaps the pair of romances collected in "Pilot's Choice".

Humanity has been fighting the war against The Enemy for centuries, and humanity is on the verge of defeat, though most people don't seem to realise it. Soldier M Jela is stranded on a desert planet when he finds the last seedling of a Tree race which had managed to hold the enemy at bay from their world for centuries.

Taking the seedling with him when rescued Jela meets smuggler Cantra at a chance meeting at a remote starport which will change both their lives forever. This novel brings us back to the distant past and the beginnings of Clan Korval and the Liaden Universe and the story of the Great Migration and escape from the enemy and human genocide.

Keeping in mind that this is only half a story - to be completed with CRYSTAL DRAGON - this is an enjoyable novel in a past that is quite different what many later Liadens would believe. Pervaded with a subtle sense of doom, these novels will give the entire Liaden series a foundation that it currently lacks - I'm looking forward to book 2 and will be interested to see how well it meshes with the story of Jela and Cantra as related in PLAN B.