The Better Part of Valor

by Tanya Huff

Reviewed by Ruby

Do you remember all those secondary and tertiary characters I couldn't keep straight in the first book? Well none of them are back in this book. Instead there are new ones for you to learn.

Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr kind of told General Morris where to go after the last mission and now she finds herself babysitting a bunch of scientists along with 12 Marines pulled from a dozen different platoons along with an ego driven captain that has the intelligence of a moron. They are sent are a secret mission to investigate an alien ship that was found floating in space.  The strangest thing is that the ship doesn't act like any other ship; it can mold itself to anyone's memories and changes it corridors completely at random.

After an explosion cuts them off from the airlock, Kerr and the survivors made up of the Marines, scientists, the salvage officer that found the ship, and reporters (yeah, don't ask) have to make their way to a second airlock on the other side of the ship.  Problem being, the Others also have sent a team to investigate the ship and the Others have a habit of not playing well with well, others.

Continuing just about where the first one left off, there's nothing new to add. The story was excellent, and the characters (although numerous) were very well written and diverse. The only problem I had with this book was that it was a little long. Near the end, I found myself skimming a bit during the space fighters scenes.  Not that they weren't interesting, its just that it was mostly just chatter and not integral to the plot.

Other than that, great book.

Grade: B