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Mood: Distorted ]
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Currently: Eating Breakfast ]
Tanya Huff is a Canadian SF/Fantasy author who has produced some pretty good books. Her latest addition to her Confederation series, Heart of Valor adds to that list.
Heart of Valor tells the next installment in the story of Gunnery Sergeant Torin Kerr, a senior non-com in the confederation Marines. Kerr is typical of Huff’s heroines: smart, tough and not waiting for anyone to rescue her.
But don’t think this is an Piers Anthony "By-The-Numbers" kind of book. Kerr is a tough, believable professional soldier. She is a natural leader who has no desire to become an officer. Having known many non-coms, that is so true!
The action of this book revolves around Kerr having to babysit a major who has just emerged from the tank, after having regrown pretty much his entire body. They accompany a recruit division on their final maneuvers on a training planet to help him test out the new body.
On the training planet, there are robots and drones to shoot at you, to give you the feel of real battle. Their not supposed to shoot to kill. But then someone reprograms the drones and all hell breaks loose.
Kerr is left trying to keep everyone alive, especially after the Chief Recruit Instructor is suddenly acting looney.
Huff has a real ear for military dialogue. Trust me, I have lots of military friends. In addition, her experience in the military has helped with the believability of this novel.
If you like military SF, this is definitely a book for you.