A young star-pilot maverick and legend-in-the-making continues her journey to destiny and adventure in master storytellers Sharon Lee and Steve Miller’s phenomenal Liaden universe®. Theo Waitley discovers the heroine inside herself as she follows her destiny as an ace starship pilot and budding leader of a powerful Liaden clan.
Theo Waitley is an ace starship pilot – and pure maverick. Her mom is a renowned Terran scholar and her birth father is an interstellar aristocrat in hiding. She still feels like a socially challenged misfit. But after being selected to train with the best-of-the-best at the pilot academy, she figures she can leave behind those gawky, misfit days of teenage angst that made life so complicated before! But for Theo, life is about to get even MORE complicated – and deadlier still. For even though she’s survived the Academy and become one of the best pilots in the galaxy, the past is about to blast her with gale-force winds. Theo can run, but she can’t hide. Her destiny as master pilot and leader of a powerful Liaden clan calls, and there are lots of enemies who will try to make sure she’s quite dead before she has the chance to make an answer.
James_M
Posted April 26, 2011
I just finished reading the advanced reader copy of Ghost Ship from Baen -- the only thing that will disappoint fans of the series is that it is over too quickly. The short version is that Ghost Ship is well worth your time and money as a reader, but that if you are significantly behind in your Liaden Universe reading, catching up is a better choice than skipping directly to Ghost Ship. ///
Since I Dare (the previous mainline novel) was published, Lee and Miller have expanded the Liaden Universe with four prequel novels (focused on three different sets of characters), two novels about Theo (Fledgling and Saltation), and well over a dozen diverse short stories and novellas. Ghost Ship draws together threads and characters from those wide-ranging works into a single novel. By doing so it serves as a direct sequel to at least two books, provides context for several short stories, and will hopefully serve as a touchstone and common jumping off point for the Liaden Universe in the future. ///
While I Dare and Saltation are sufficient background reading for Ghost Ship, the advertant reader will have also read short stories from: Allies (Adventures in the Liaden Universe #12), Necessary Evils (#11), and Halfling Moon (#16). Having read Crystal Solider / Crystal Dragon, Balance of Trade, With Stars Underfoot (#10), Misfits (#15), and Skyblaze (#17) would be ideal, but aren't remotely necessary. (All of the mentioned Adventures in the Liaden Universe have just been released as DRM-free ebooks). ///
So, with those preliminaries about Ghost Ship out of the way, what about the book itself? Ghost Ship delivers. I was extremely pleased with the book and think that fans of the series will be similarly pleased. The quality we've come to expect of books in the Liaden Universe hasn't decreased at all. The book is an effective sequel to Saltation and most of I Dare -- the only major part of I Dare not developed is Shan and Priscilla, who are effectively dropped from Ghost Ship. ///
What's more, with a title like Ghost Ship, one might assume that Theo would be chasing the titular ship (the Bechimo) for much of the book, perhaps setting foot on the ship for the first time on the last page. That is emphatically not the case. The Bechimo is introduced as a character on the first page and plays a significant role in the book. ///
Overall, Ghost Ship is a must buy for fans of the Liaden Universe and a worthy installment in the series. It does a good job of drawing together threads and characters from Lee and Miller's previous stories, and will undoubtedly serve as a good jumping off point for future stories in the Liaden Universe. ///
I would recommend that those new to the series start with Agent of Change or Conflict of Honors and read through the other books before attempting Ghost Ship. However, if someone did just jump in, they would be caught up on most of the Liaden Universe by the end of the book because of all the threads that Ghost Ship pulls together.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.OtterB
Posted July 14, 2011
I've been a fan of the Lee and Miller Liaden Universe books for some time now, and I recommend this one highly. This book sits at the junction of two major plot lines in the series. Theo Waitley may not be the "nexus of violence" she has been accused of being, but she's certainly a nexus of something. Perhaps Korval's Luck. If you've enjoyed other books in the series, you don't need to know anything more than that this one is available. It has Theo. It has Korval, the Clan entire, on Surebleak. It has Scouts. It has Clutch Turtles, though only in a cameo role. Go, buy, enjoy. If you haven't read others, I'm not sure I'd start here. If you'd like to dip in and don't want to read the series from the beginning (yet), I'd suggest you read at least the immediate predecessor "Saltation" first. I think the book does a great job of weaving together many characters and lines of past history without feeling like overload, but it might feel like too much if you haven't met any of them before. The ending is not a cliff-hanger, but neither is it stand-alone - there are clearly events in motion awaiting resolution in the next book. This is a Good Thing.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 15, 2011
Gulped down on the first read, read again slowly to savor nuance. What a delight to move smoothly again into Lee and Miller's Liaden Universe. A wonderful, entertaining read, maintaining the high standard of story telling craft they have consistently delivered in previous books and short stories. It is Necessity that you buy this newest addition to tales set in the Liaden Universe if you enjoy sheer good fun. If you are new to their writing, you have great pleasure ahead of you in addition to the pleasures of GHOST SHIP because they have an extensive backlist. Enjoy. I sure did! Anne R.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 30, 2012
I read this in January, and have just (July 2012) re-read it, and my reaction then was the same
- Where's the next one??
If you're familiar with the Liaden universe, then you know you're going to want to read this. If you're not, do an internet search for 'Liaden universe reading sequence', and start somewhere else. This book really assumes that you're up to date.
It's the book where Clan Korval (and the Tree) leave Liad for Surebleak (with help from the Clutch). Korval are responsible for keeping the road open - and that's complicated when, nightly, someone's un-doing all that day's construction work. The issue pretty much culminates at a ball, where Miri (who is pregnant) is attacked, and someone unexpected leaps to her defense.
Theo Waitley has been piloting a ship doing errands for Uncle (and Crystal Energy Consultants) when she gets into real trouble. Her right to the key for "Bechimo” is questioned.
There's a new Commander of Agents, who decides to set up an outpost on Vandar.Val Con is not pleased.
As a result of disturbance by the Ministry of the Interior, Pod 78 (now located near a cruise ship and holiday destination) decides that it will ONLY open to the Delm genetic of Korval, or it'll blow itself up - so the Agents decide to lay a trap. It doesn't end well for one of the line.
Anonymous
Posted October 3, 2011
This one has a cast of thousands bringing the characters all together. I could tell by how thin the book is and how many characters that it would leave me hanging. It did, but in a good way. There better be another book coming in Ghost Ship's wake!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Theo Waitley was accepted as a student pilot at the Academy where she excels at flying but she suffers from Liadan Luck as she is the center of violent activity that is started by others. For the safety of her peers, faculty and staff, Theo is expelled from the school. She obtains work with Korval as they leave for Surebleak.
However, Theo's Luck continues when she learns her in hiding scholarly father Jen Sar Kiladi is a deadly Korval Master Pilot and the Bechmio ancient technology on board the Arin's Toss demands she become the ship's captain. Theo declines until she learns her dying lover Win Ton may survive with on-board medical technology. On Tokeo the Federated Trade Commission is interested in her and her ship but Bechmio rescues her. Knowing she needs a co-pilot Theo obtains the services of Boss Clarence O'Berin who knows her father's undead first wife. Assassins and the government want her as more frightening to Theo so does her mom.
Although newcomers will be lost in space as familiar heroes, agencies and customs are difficult to grasp for the tyro. For veterans of the Liadan Universe, Ghost Ship is a thrilling space opera adventure starring a female swashbuckling pilot who could star on Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes' song Bad Luck. However, the key to this engaging entry is Bechmio who has developed a personality over the ages. Fans will enjoy the latest Balance of wrongs as the heroine remains in the eye of turbulence.
Harriet Klausner
Anonymous
Posted July 15, 2011
I've been a fan of the Liaden Universe for years and the stories only get better and never disappoint. My only problem - I wanted more and now have to wait for the next book in the series.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 20, 2011
Theo Waitley who already has "Big Trouble" and is finding life is "kind of complicated is about to find getting help makes life even more complicated and may lead to even bigger trouble. Both she and her newly discovered relatives have enemies, enemies who think that now is the perfect time to strike. Life for the members of Clan Korval is dangerous just the way we like it
0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 18, 2012
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Posted April 24, 2011
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Posted December 24, 2011
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Overview
A young star-pilot maverick and legend-in-the-making continues her journey to destiny and adventure in master storytellers Sharon Lee and Steve Miller’s phenomenal Liaden universe®. Theo Waitley discovers the heroine inside herself as she follows her destiny as an ace starship pilot and budding leader of a powerful Liaden clan.
Theo Waitley is an ace starship pilot – and pure maverick. Her mom is a renowned Terran scholar and her birth father is an interstellar aristocrat in ...