This short chapbook is a satisfying read, like all the Liaden stories, and has appealing characters, even though at its heart it is a story about the importance of reading the paperwork when you sign a contract. It has been a while since I read one, and was an afternoon's distraction, but now I'm hungering to go back and read all the rest. ( )

Fer Gun pen'Uldra is a young Liaden pilot, stranded without his license because he was carrying something for his Terlune cousins. He's got a two-cantra fine to pay, and no prospect of paying it with his license suspended.

Abandoned by his cousins, with barely enough money in his pockets to by for a meal and a bed that night, it seems like a good prospect when an older but still attractive pilot approaches him. It turns out, though, that she's not looking for a night's pleasure, but a contract marriage likely to produce a pilot child.

This woman is of Clan Korval, of the yos'Phelium line, and looking to have a child who can one day be Delm, as her daughter Kareen is excellent in all ways except having the speed and reflexes to be a pilot. Fer Gun's life is about to change completely; he has no idea how much.

This story is a look back into the past of Clan Korval, of a time when the Clan was reduced to dangerously few members, and heirs were needed for both yos'Phelium and yos'Galen. It showcases both the scheming and the honor that characterize the Korval clan members exiting fans know better from the novels, and offers a quick introduction to Clan Korval and the Liaden universe for those just discovering it. There's intrigue, adventure, scheming, and a bit of romance here. At novella length it's a quick taste for new readers, and a quick visit for older readers. The Liaden series is one of my favorite comfort reads.

Recommended. ( )

I love the Liaden Universe. I enjoyed this short story. ( )

Interesting! Chi, and Daav's father, and how they came together. Korval's habit of rescuing pilots in trouble didn't start with Val Con and Shan... ( )

Long-time readers of the Liaden Universe have a question answered in this novella. Who is Daav yos'Phelium's biological father? This novella tells the story of Fer Gun pen'Uldra and how he came to meet Chi yos'Phelium Delm Korval and how that meeting changes his life. Though a pilot of great skill, his talents aren't valued in Clan Telrune. In fact, his older cousins have made him the patsy in their schemes and he is stranded on Liad with no job and no pilot's license and facing a big fine. Enter Chi who has a proposition for him. She needs a child who inherits piloting skills to be the next delm. In return, she'll set him up with a ship, crew, and trade route. She'll pay his fine. It's a deal too good to refuse despite knowing that he'll be in over his head with high class Liadens. This was a nice story that filled in some blanks in the larger Liaden Universe. ( )