Mouse & Dragon

Liaden Universe Space Regencies, Book 3

By: Sharon Lee, Steve Miller

Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne

Aelliana Caylon has escaped her abusive family. She's found love in her starship co-pilot - a man who turns out to be the leader of Korval, the most powerful clan of the Liaden Universe. But destiny never intended an easy life for Aelliana. Insidious forces within the empire are determined that a new line of Korval heirs be destroyed and that Clan Korval itself be blasted to interplanetary dust. The fight for the future of the Liaden Universe is on, and one heroine is determined to protect her family and her soul mate at all costs!

©2010 Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Another fun Liaden adventure

Aelliana Caylon has survived her brother's attempt to kill her. Her mother, Delm Mizel, has declared her son and heir dead for his crimes. Daav yos'Phelium, Delm Korval, has taken her under his protection, now that she is able to say she does not feel safe in House Miz, el. And she and Daav are natural lifemates.

But Mizel views her simply as an asset, all the more valuable now that the heir is officially dead, and also resents her for having been the occasion of the events that caused his death. The Delm is determined to get her back and wring every bit of value out of her. Her brother's abuse of her has damaged her natural bond with Daav. And getting Ride the Luck offworld and starting a working, successful courier service is going to be even harder than she anticipated.

Nothing is made better by the fact that Daav's sister Kareen considers Daav's judgment worthless and Aelliana unfit to be associated with Clan Korval in any way. She's determined to make Aelliana publicly and spectacularly embarrass herself and Daav.

As they are both pressured by their clans, Mr. dea'Gauss works hard to negotiate a solution between Korval and Mizel, while Mizel works to achieve only one thing: getting Aelliana back under their thumb. But if that weren't enough, it also becomes clear that someone is stalking the Low Port and taking pilots. As Delm Korval, that's also Daav's problem to solve.

This is another thoroughly enjoyable Liaden adventure, mixing adventure with romance. There's enough background included that I think this can be read before the others, if this is the one you find. If you want more on what preceded the events of this story, you want to find Scout's Progress, where Daav and Aelliana meet.

Recommended.

I bought this book.

Sequal of Scout's Progress

This was such an emotional story, very strong and powerful not only for the main protagonists but also the side characters. The authors really don't let anything become weak or incidental, but never obvious. I have to confess at one point I had tears running down my face, it definitely has its tear jerker moment and one knew it was coming from the direction from previous books. It was well written and compelling and somehow, in spite of how it had to end, the authors left us with hope and continuation. Well narrated, and overall story enjoyable and hard to put down. Long live Korval!

Continues the story of Daav and Aelliana

Mouse and Dragon is an immediate sequel to the events in Scout's Progress, and continues the story of Aelliana Caylon and Daav yos'Phelium. It is, in some ways, a bit easier to read than Scout's Progress, though we're still very much aware of the abuse that has occurred. If you haven't read Scout's Progress, you can still enjoy Mouse and Dragon, but they really are a pair and I recommend reading them that way.

In Mouse and Dragon, we have the ongoing growth of the relationship of Aelliana and Daav, and their eventual lifemating. More than that would be a spoiler, but we get a glimpse into the very beginning of what will be the Fledgeling (Theo Waitley) sequence.

The reader is Bernadette Dunne, and she does a superb job. Thank you, Ms. Dunne, for giving some of my favourite characters a voice.

Best Ever

I read the Liaden books as they were published up to Trade Secret, and enjoyed every one. I am currently listening to the books by their internal chronology and look forward to finishing with books I have not yet read. All of the books continue to be very good and I am currently wrapped in Liaden affairs. Scout's Progress and Mouse and Dragon are a tight fit story-wise even though they were written years apart, and are just as amazing as the first time I read them. Action, love, family, and the thrilling continuation of the over-arching plot and hope for Dav and Aelliana.

Love the Liadan Universe!

This continues the story started in Conflict of Honors; the story of Daav and Aelliana, the parents of Val Con yos Phelium, the hero of Agent of Change. Well written, as usual, and Bernadette Dunne does a great job of narration. I do wish the entire series had the same narrators, but that is just a personal preference. SPOILER ALERT!!! I cried when I read about Val Con's reaction to his mother's death, as well as Daav's.