Carpe Diem [Paperback]

Prissy knows better and eventually helps the clan to locate him: on a back of beyond, low tech world where he is beginning to do well for himself. The bulk of this tale is on the low tech world, following our heroes' unintentional arrival there.

The secondary plot here is the attempt by the Department to overthrow the Korval family and sieze their assets. Korval have been around too long not to have contingency plans to foil such things, however, and their piloting skills are second to none.

Delightful new characters appear throughout. Some becoming mainstays in the Liaden series. I certainly enjoyed the book.

Unlike its two predecessors - CONFLICT OF HONORS, which concentrates primarily on the DUTIFUL PASSAGE crew with little reference to Val Con, and AGENT OF CHANGE, which concentrates *solely* on Val Con without reference to the DUTIFUL PASSAGE crew - this third volume of what later became the omnibus PARTNERS IN NECESSITY rotates the viewpoint between the yos'Galan and yos'Phelium branches of clan Korval. As such, it contains minor spoilers for CONFLICT OF HONORS and major spoilers for AGENT OF CHANGE. At a minimum, read AGENT OF CHANGE before tackling this book, and make sure to have the sequels PLAN B and I DARE at hand when you finish, since CARPE DIEM is only the second book in the continuing story of Val Con's experiences as an Agent of Change working for "the Department of the Interior" - a radical splinter group within Liaden society who are determined to give Liad its rightful place in the galaxy, although they're convinced they'll have to destroy Liad's culture to do so (those pesky clan loyalties are so inconvenient).

In one sense, CARPE DIEM is merely a waiting game, a holding action between AGENT OF CHANGE and PLAN B, wherein Miri and Val Con are trapped on an Interdicted World - a world inhabited by humans, but insufficiently advanced to have joined galactic civilization as yet - and awaiting rescue.

In terms of character development, though, CARPE DIEM is a good book. Val Con and Miri are still getting to know each other, never mind settling into being married to one another. Val Con, as a rich kid from a loving family with an expensive education, is still learning about how to reassure Miri (who had none of those things) that he'll be there for her when she needs him, while learning to open up enough to let her help with *his* issues, the Department of the Interior having done quite a lot of psychological damage to him when making him over into an Agent. They're also both learning to fit into an alien society (about the level of early 20th century Earth), which puts them on a somewhat level playing field, although Val Con as a former Scout has the advantage of being taught to handle such situations.

If you like Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey novels, I recommend this series highly. Val Con's a lot like post-WWI Lord Peter, including the chatty defensive mechanisms and sense of humour. Miri has fewer similarities to Harriet Vane, being a retired mercenary soldier with little formal education but a quick wit and some deep emotional scars. While Val Con has the obvious emotional trauma of having been remolded into an Agent of Change, she had some experiences in her military career that once put her in drug rehab, something she's reluctant to tell Val Con about, not knowing how he'll react.

Not that it's all angst, by any means. Val Con and Miri both have lively senses of humour, and we have interludes by Val Con's adopted brother Edger (six feet of 600-year-old Clutch turtle is a good person to have looking out for you when you're lost, not to mention on the run from the mob) and Val Con's yos'Galan cousins.

"Tell me, denubia, did the contract husband leave with all faculties intact? If yos'Galan owes for mental disability it would be best for me to settle it before the PASSAGE leaves."
- Shan yos'Galan to his sister Anthora (older brothers can be *so* unreasonable...)