The Heart of Valor

A Confederation Novel

By: Tanya Huff

Narrated by: Marguerite Gavin

Gunnery Sergeant Torin Kerr was a Confederation Marine's marine. She'd survived more deadly encounters---and kept more of her officers and enlistees alive---than anyone in the Corps, and she was determined to keep that record intact. But since her last mission, she'd been sidelined into endless briefings and debriefings with no end in sight.

So, of course, she'd jumped at the chance to go to Crucible---the Marine Corps training planet---as a temporary aide to Major Svensson. The major had been reduced to little more than a brain and a spinal cord in his last combat, and he and his doctor were anxious to field-test his newly regrown body. It should have been an easy 20-day run. After all, Crucible was only set up to simulate battle situations so that recruits could be trained safely. But they were barely on-planet when someone started blasting the training scenarios to smithereens. Suddenly, Kerr found herself not only responsible for the major and his doctor but caught in a desperate fight to keep a platoon of Marine recruits alive until someone could discover what was happening on Crucible.

©2008 Tanya Huff (P)2009 Tantor

Love this series

Any additional comments?

But I have a 'nit' on pronunciation: a toque (two'k) is winter headgear, and has nothing to do with smoking pot (toke). It comes up often enough in this story be a bit annoying unless you expect/overlook it.

Keeps getting Better!

Best description of Marine SNCO in a a Sci-Fi series. Maybe a little too perfect, but close to my experiences. Stories are top notch and hold my interest the way only the best sci-fi can.

Enjoyable

Nice continuation of the previous book in the series. Ending seemed abrupt. Open ended enough to leave you wondering what’s next.

Just outstanding

And fun. A few authors, like Heinlein, are able to create characters and tell stories that pull you in. You feel like you are part of another reality. Stories like The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Starship Troopers, or the more recent Old Man's War by John Scalzi are all examples. You find yourself caring about the characters AND the world in which they live. Tanya Huff is another such author. Like Heinlein's Starship Troopers, it is about warfare in faraway places but it doesn't glorify war. I happened on a paperback with Huff's first two books in this series, and was delighted to find the whole series on audio. Good stories, good narrator, a lot of action. They could really be listened to in any order, but I recommend starting at the beginning, Valor's Choice, to avoid the spoilers.

A Gunny Now and Tagging Along With Trainees

Gunny is getting bored telling the same story and answering the same questions over and over. Then she is assigned as and Aid to a Major along with a training Platoon. At which point the DI training the trainees is put out of action putting the Gunny in charge again as the Major is still under the care of a Doctor.