The last thing Gunnery Sergeant Torin Kerr remembered before waking up in a dark underground cave was the lieutenant that she had been sent to retrieve during the battle for Estee vaporizing in a blast of flame and light. Well, if this was the afterlife, it was certainly a miserable one. Fortunately for her it’s not the afterlife but a POW camp, which is odd, because it’s a well known fact that the Others, the enemy collation that her interstellar Confederation has been fighting for a century, don’t take prisoners. So how did she get here, and more importantly, how does she escape? ( )

valor-s-trial
This series just keeps getting better. In her fourth book in the Confederation series, Tanya Huff pulls together the big picture that connects the four books into an original, unexpected and satisfying set of outcomes while continuing to deliver a tense thriller.

As with the previous books, "Valor's Trial" is filled with acts courage, witty humour, gripping fight scenes and characters that I learned to care about. Yet Tanya Huff does not repeat herself. Her characters develop, the choices they make are unexpected and their situation keeps generating fresh challenges.

The newly promoted Gunnery Sergeant Torin Kerr is not quite the woman she was in the previous books. She's still a Marine's Marine, dedicated to achieving her mission and getting her people home, but her super-hero reputation is drawing an annoying amount of attention, she has doubts about the role of the Elder Races in continuing the war with The Others and she's starting to think about life after the Core.

In "Valor's Trial" Kerr finds herself a Prisoner War. This is a surprising development given that The Others don't take prisoners. Confronted with a breakdown of Core values and a loss of fighting spirit among the prisoners, Kerr has to restore order and find away for everyone to escape. What made the story so strong was that, in doing this, Kerr doesn't take the most obvious choices, nor does she simply use force. She lives to her values and does whatever is necessary to uphold them.

I was impressed by Tanya Huff's ability to imagine so many alien races and help me focus not just on what makes them different but how they work together. She pulls off the idea of a Marine Corp culture that integrates three races into something more than any of them could be alone.

There are many deaths in this book yet Tanya Huff is focused not on the body count but on making the death's matter. She packs in the emotion and never gives in to the "kill first, think about it later" mindset.

The denouement is surprising and original but there's nothing tricky or clever clever about it. The ground work for the big picture has been carefully laid in the previous books and the decisions Kerr makes are entirely consistent with who she is and what she values.

There is a fifth book in the series. Given the ending of the fourth book, I'm intrigued to see where the story will go. I've already downloaded it but I'm saving it for next. month.

Marguerite Gavin does a great job of narrating the book in a way that keeps the pace and the toughness while still delivering an emotional punch. Follow the link below to listen to a sample of her reading "Valor's Trial"

"Valor's Trial" Audio Sample ( )

Valor's Trial is the fourth book in Tanya Huff's Confederation series.

Gunnery Sergeant Torin Kerr of the multi-species Confederation is sent to another battle in that same war against the multi-species aliens called the Others by her side. One thing about the Others that seemed to be a known fact was that they never took prisoners. So why has Torin awakened in what appears to be an underground prisoner of war camp?

This being Torin Kerr, she works to set things straight, including finding a way out. Meanwhile, it's believed that there were no survivors of that battle. Torin's father and her significant other, civilian salvage operator Craig Ryder, don't believe she's gone. Craig is going to do something about that, although the other person he involves isn't exactly someone Torin ever wanted to see again.

The grim reality of POW life and the bleak outlook for escape make for compelling listening, as do the personalities of our heroine and her supporting characters. I enjoyed the speculation, the problem solving, and meeting new aliens. I didn't enjoy some of the harsher consequences of war, but of course I wasn't expected to.

The point of view is mostly Torin Kerr's, but it shifts to Craig Ryder and back within chapters. ( )

How good is Valor's Trial, the fourth book in Tanya Huff's Confederation series? I checked out the print copy barely a week after listening to my local library's audio copy, and read it eagerly.

Gunnery Sergeant Torin Kerr of the multi-species Confederation is sent to another battle in that same war against the multi-species aliens called the Others by her side. One thing about the Others that seemed to be a known fact was that they never took prisoners. So why has Torin awakened in what appears to be an underground prisoner of war camp?

This being Torin Kerr, she works to set things straight, including finding a way out. Meanwhile, it's believed that there were no survivors of that battle. Torin's father and her significant other, civilian salvage operator Craig Ryder, don't believe she's gone. Craig is going to do something about that, although the other person he involves isn't exactly someone Torin ever wanted to see again.

The grim reality of POW life and the bleak outlook for escape make for compelling reading, as do the personalities of our heroine and her supporting characters. I enjoyed the speculation, the problem solving, and meeting new aliens. I didn't enjoy some of the harsher consequences of war, but of course I wasn't expected to.

NOTES:

Chapter 1:

a. See book 3, The Heart of Valor, for the events on Crucible.

b. See book 2, The Better Part of Valor, for what happened aboard Big Yellow.

c. See book 1, Valor's Choice, for how Second Lieutenant Jarret and then-Staff Sergeant Kerr dealt with the Silsviss.

d. The name of the ship they're taking to frontier planet ST7/45T2 is the Hardyr.

e. Torin's home planet, Paradise, has baseball teams on all three major continents, New Alland (minor continent or large island) petitioned to have their teams recognized the year Torin joined the Corps.

Chapter 2:

a. Craig Ryder's HE suit is 12-year-old Corps surplus.

b. Level one of the two levels of Confederation Marine Corps notification of a soldier's death is explained.

c. Craig meets Torin's father, John Kerr, on Ventris Station. They have a drink at Sutton's, the bar Torin liked.

d. 738 Marines are believed to have died in that battle on ST7/45T2.

e. Torin's thought about what she thinks is the afterlife made me chuckle.

f. Torin has taken down a medic come to check on her condition at least once.

g. We are introduced to Private First Class Kyster, a young Krai from 6ht Division, 2nd Recar'ta, 1st Battalion, Tango Company.

h. The are large predators on the Krai home world.

Chapter 3:

a. Look here for the Corps joke about the soldier who had gone to his eternal reward and the differences in welcomes.

b. Here is also where Kerr confronts 'Colonel' Harnett.

c. Gunnery Sergeant Torin Kerr is from 7th Division, 4th Recar'ta [spelled 'Recarta' here], 1st Battalion, Sh'quo Company.

Chapter 4:

a. Amateur remixes of what happened in book two are compared to di'Taykan opera.

b. We learn what the prison chow is like. It comes by pipe. There's also a pit with a less pleasant function.

c. The Krai word gertiv is not defined, but the meaning is easy to guess.

d. Private di'Hern Darlys was a thrytin [lover?] of Corporal di'Merk Mysho from book one, Mysho told her that Kerr was der heen sa verniticna say vey. We learn what that means later in this chapter.

e. The spirits who watch over the righteous in di'Taykan mythology are called nartar.

Chapter 5:

a. DMZ = 'demilitarized zone'.

b. Kerr makes a discovery about the water after making a joke about the biscuit delivery.

c. We have to guess what the Krai words Wer tayner chrick ca keeteener amick mean from Kerr's retort.

d. Jiyuu reports on why the barricade was built.

Chapter 6:

a. We are introduced to Technical Sergeant Mike Gucciard, a technology wizard.

b. The node beyond the barricade is commanded by Colonel Mariner. His first conversation with Torin is worth savoring.

c. Instead of counting 'one Mississippi, two Mississippi,, the filler words are 'H'san like cheese'.

d. Craig is at the battlefield where Torin supposedly died. He remembers a conversation he had with Torin regarding her very cold feet.

e. Torin has suspicions about the prisoners' food.

Chapter 7:

a. We are introduced to Lieutenant Colonel Braudy. She commands a third node.

b. Kyster overhears an amusing conversation between Ressk and Kichar before he reacts to Torin as if she were a tree.

c. A di'Taykan acts out 'Space Cops'.

d. Three di'Taykan want to be part of the escape attempt.

e. Someone threw rocks on Simunthitir.

f. Torin remembers something about the plastic aliens from book three.

Chapter 8:

a. Torin quotes Sergeant Beyhn (di'Allak Beyhn, her old drill instructor, whom we met in book 3).

b. Presit and Craig are talking to one of the scientists studying the battlefield.

c. Craig has heard Ciptran described as 'the exception to the rule that only social species develop sentience.'

d. Torin remembers a scene from chapter 15 of book 1.

e. Jiyuu makes a suggestion from an episode of 'Pirates of the Black Belt'.

f. Werst finds his paternal cousin Heeric.

Chapter 9:

a. Torin dreams about dead Marines she's known.

b. They climb a broken pipe.

c. Mike has recovered a high-end translation program on their only slate.

d. Kyster says 'Ker sa arratrinigre sa kai terst when semi-conscious. Werst says it's something about his mother.

e. Torin makes a comparison to a H'san body part.

f. Mashona uses one of Hollice's old Earth expressions.

g. Craig and Presit give their opinion of Methane Alliance ships.

h. Presit mentions Durgin a Tar canSalvais and what he did in chapter 4 of book 2.

i. Torin smells something that reminds her of the cherry-flavored candies given on First Landing Day on her planet.

j. Torin remembers something she did to a giant bug of the Others in chapter 12 of book 2, and what it means when the bugs smell like lemon furniture polish.

Mentions: getting the hell out of Dodge

Chapter 10:

a. They meet some aliens: 3 giant bugs, 3 quadrupeds, and 4 bipeds.. Torin correctly guesses which is the officer and which the Senior NCO [Non Commissioned Officer].

b. Torin and Kirchar's discussion about enemies made me chuckle.

c. The Artek are the giant bugs. They do not speak Primacy, which is what the Others call their coalition.

d. We find out why the Others/Primacy don't take prisoners.

e. One of the Artek scents is sandalwood.

f. ST7/45T2 is here referred to as 'Estee' for short.

g. The riders of the quadrupeds are called Ner. The quadrupeds are called Polint, plural, Polina.

h. Another Artek scent is wet cinnamon dog.

i. The bipeds are Druin.

j. Kryser leaves out a crucial word that turns his sentence into something that makes the Di'Taykan snicker.

k. A Primacy samtan is the equivalent rank to a Marine private.

l. Ressk uses an idiom that the translation program doesn't quite get. Samtan Everim and Private Kichar do not react well.

m. Craig and Presit are lost.

Chapter 11:

a. The Artek that Torin was calling 'Cherry Bug' is named Firiv'vrak.

b. Ressk misses his gran's gringern. Mike misses pizza.

c. The bar fight Mashona tells Kyster about happened in chapter r of book 1.

d. Bertecnic is also a Samtan.

e. We learn the words for one through three in Primary.

f. Male Polina never re-enlist. Female Polina are always officers. Polina social structure reminds Torin of the Silsviss.

g. Druin have omnivore teeth.

h. When an Artek crackles his/her mandibles and smells like rotting vegetation, it means 'all clear'.

i. VTA = vacuum to air ships.

j. There's a planet quake.

k. Another of the Druin is a female named Merinim.

l. The definition of 'xercan' made me chuckle.

m. Artek side gills smell like the Krai's roast arlin

n. We get a couple more Primary nouns.

o. 39.7 degrees Celsius = 103.46 degrees Fahrenheit.

Chapter 12:

a. Craig and Presit need to find planets with a breathable atmosphere.

b. Enjoyed Torin and Freenim's conversation about what Kirchar and Everim would do in a vid versus real life.

c. Kyster does something that boosts his personal credit with both sides. Here the singular of Polina is Polinta.

d. Mike gives Torin the slate.

Chapter 13:

a. Only Torin can break the seal on their air filters.

b. Torin reminds Ressk what happened on Yenal's Five.

c. Snickered at Torin's criteria for when they'd been saved.

d. Torin is in her underwear, socks, and boots.

e. Loved Torin and Ressk's conversation about a possible link.

f. Craig makes a momentous discovery with his long-range sensors.

g. Artek grief smells like burning spices.

Chapter 14:

a. Craig has a dimple in his chin.

b. Kirchar explains about Major Svensson's arm (see book 3).

c. Torin and others went through the floor on Big Yellow in chapter 6 of book 2.

d. Craig passes on a new rumor about Torin.

The point of view is mostly Torin Kerr's, but it shifts to Craig Ryder and back within chapters. ( )

I have been waiting for this book ever since I read book 1 (yes I read the blurbs for the rest of the books, I am too curious). Anyway, great premise so I waited.

It's starts with Torin getting ready for battle and then bam! (it takes a while for the bam but bear with me). So bam! Torin wakes up in a tunnel, she is now a POW. All while Craig refuses to believe she died in battle and tries to find her.

That was the premise I was interesting in. Torin in a POW camp, and not any POW camp. A weird underground jail where they do not know who put them there in the first place. And Torin wants out, and nothing stops Torin cos she is a kick-ass marine who never gives up.

I was also curious about the war thing as I started to wonder about things (just like Torin), like why they are even fighting. No one knows. And we do learn a few things about the whole war.

This book does not have as much action as previous book, it's more of an adventure of sorts and I liked it. ( )