Sharon Lee

Exiled from Liad after bombing a city to save it from The Department of the Interior’s infernal weapons and plans, Clan Korval has gone to ground on the back-water planet Surebleak, whose people are as untamed as its weather. The old Boss-controlled fiefdoms largely fell to Pat Rin yos’Phelium’s influence, but the world is restive, the influx of outworld lawyers, guns, and money a brewpot for armed dissatisfaction. Far beyond the surface of frigid Surebleak Korval’s farflung trade network needs a serious reset to recover from exile. From flagship Dutiful Passage to the experimental—if centuries old—self-aware Bechimo co-captained by the Delm’s blood-sister Theo Waitley, the clan’s ships are prowling space lanes seeking trade. Meanwhile, Old Tech from a failed universe—the ancient but revived Tinsori Light—and the machinations of the mysterious Uncle are coalescing into dangerous opportunity or nefarious trap. And the Department of the Interior is not done with Clan Korval yet. They seek a final fully reckoned revenge, with Surebleak and Korval’s ships and people everywhere in the crosshairs.

Two tough-but-tender characters with a bright future--if they live that long. Terran Miri Robertson was a mercenary, but she retired to a cushy job as a private bodyguard. What she didn't know what that her client had powerful enemies. Now he's dead, and they're after her.

First collection in one volume. Seventeen short tales of the Liaden Universe® brought together for the first time. Space opera and romance on a grand scale in a galaxy full of interstellar trading clans. The nationally best-selling Liaden Universe® novels are treasured by space opera aficionados for their wit, world-building, strong characterizations, tender romance, and edge-of-the-chair action. Since 1995, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller also created shorter tales, illuminating additional facets of the Liaden experience. Here is a vast tapestry of tales of the scouts, artists, traders, priestesses, sleight of hand magicians, and pilots who fill the Liaden Universe® with the excitement, action, and romance that readers of the hit series have come to adore. Contents: To cut an edge -- A day at the races -- Where the goddess sends -- A spell for the lost -- Moonphase -- Pilot of Korval -- Breatha's duty -- The wine of memory -- Certain symmetry -- Balance of trade -- A choice of weapons -- Changeling -- A matter of dreams -- Phoenix -- Naratha's shadow -- Heirloom -- Sweet waters --

BOOK 2 in The First Liaden Universe ® Collection. Seventeen short tales of the Liaden Universe® were brought together for the first time. Space opera and romance on a grand scale in a galaxy full of interstellar trading clans. Fifteen tales complete Volume Two!The nationally best-selling Liaden Universe® novels are treasured by space opera aficionados for their wit, world-building, strong characterizations, tender romance, and edge-of-the-chair action.Since 1995, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller also created shorter tales, illuminating additional facets of the Liaden experience. Here is a vast tapestry of tales of the scouts, artists, traders, priestesses, sleight of hand magicians, and pilots who fill the Liaden Universe® with the excitement, action, and romance that readers of the hit series have come to adore. Celebrating 25 Years of the Liaden Universe® Contents: Veil of the dancer -- Quiet knives -- This house -- Lord of the dance -- Necessary evils -- The beggar king -- Fighting chance -- Prodigal son -- Daughter of dragons -- Dragon tide -- Shadow partner -- Persistence -- Misfits -- Hidden resources -- Moon on the hills -- Skyblaze.

BOOK 3 in the multivolume Liaden Universe ® short fiction collection. Tales of the Liaden Universe® brought together for the first time. Space opera and romance on a grand scale in a galaxy full of interstellar trading clans. The nationally best-selling Liaden Universe® novels are treasured by space opera aficionados for their wit, world-building, strong characterizations, tender romance, and edge-of-the-chair action. Since 1995, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller also created shorter tales, illuminating additional facets of the Liaden experience. Here is a vast tapestry of tales of the scouts, artists, traders, priestesses, sleight of hand magicians, and pilots who fill the Liaden Universe® with the excitement, action, and romance that readers of the hit series have come to adore. Contains all new entries published after 2011 Contents: Code of honor -- Guaranteed delivery -- Intelligent design -- Out of true -- Roving gambler -- King of the cats -- Kin ties -- Eleutherios -- The rifle's first wife -- The space at Tinsori Light -- Landed alien -- Moon's honor --

BOOK 4 in the multivolume Liaden Universe® short fiction collection. Tales of the Liaden Universe® brought together for the first time. Space opera and romance on a grand scale in a galaxy full of interstellar trading clans. For more than thirty years, the Liaden Universe® novels by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller have captivated readers with their unique blend of action adventure, science fiction, and romance. In addition to twenty-one novels (and counting) Lee and Miller have written dozens of shorter works based in the Liaden Universe®, featuring the strong characterization, detailed world-building, wit, and derring-do that readers of the series adore. This fourth volume collecting Lee and Miller’s shorter Liaden Universe® stories features four novelettes, two novellas, and two short stories—including the celebrated linked stories, "Block Party" and "Degrees of Separation." Sure to delight longtime fans and newcomers alike, these tales highlight why the nationally best-selling Liaden Universe® novels are treasured by space opera aficionados, with detailed world-building, strong characterizations, compelling romance, and edge-of-the-chair action in stories that range from cosmic to comic. At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). Contents: Street cred -- Due diligence -- Friend of a friend -- Cutting corners -- Block party -- Degrees of separation -- Excerpts from two lives -- Revolutionists.

Tales of the Liaden Universe® brought together for the first time. Space opera and romance on a grand scale in a galaxy full of interstellar trading clans. STORYTELLING ON AN EPIC SCALE For more than thirty years, the Liaden Universe® novels by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller have captivated readers with their unique blend of action adventure, science fiction, and interpersonal relationships. In addition to twenty-one novels (and counting), Lee and Miller have written dozens of shorter works based in the Liaden Universe®, featuring the strong characterization, detailed worldbuilding, wit, and derring-do that readers of the series adore. Sure to delight longtime fans and newcomers alike, these tales highlight why the nationally best-selling Liaden Universe® novels are treasured by space opera aficionados, with amazing settings, strong characterizations, compelling romance, and edge-of-the-chair action in stories that range from cosmic to comic.

A new novel in the popular and exciting science fiction Liaden Universe® series. Over a half million Liaden Universe® books sold with an audience that keeps growing! Beset by the angry remnants of the Department of the Interior, challenged at every turn by opportunists on their new homeworld of Surebleak, and somewhat low on funds, Clan Korval desperately needs to reestablish its position as one of the top trading clans in known space. To this end, Master Trader Shan yos'Galan, aboard Korval's premier trade ship, Dutiful Passage, is on a mission to establish new business associations and to build a strong primary route that links well with existing Loops and secondary routes. But reestablishing trade and preserving the lives of the few remaining members of the clan aren't all of Korval's problems. Matters come to a head as Dutiful Passage, accustomed to being welcomed and feted at those ports on its call-list, finds itself denied docking, and blacklisted, while agents of the DOI mount armed attacks on others of Korval's traders, under the very eyes of port security systems. Traveling with Dutiful Passage on this unsettling journey is Padi yos'Galan, the master trader's heir and his apprentice. Padi is eager to make up for time lost due to Korval's unpleasantness with the Department of the Interior. She is also keeping a secret so intense that her coming of age, and perhaps her very life, is threatened by it.

When he is unexpectedly apprenticed to a Laiden ship, Terran Jethri Gobelyn, hired to bridge the gap between two rival clans, learns a valuable lesson in diplomacy when the balance of trade falls on his shoulders. Original.

Sequel to National Bestseller Carousel Sun. A gripping contemporary fantasy thriller from master storyteller Sharon Lee, award-winning cocreator of the highly popular Liaden Universe® saga.NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHEDWelcome to Archers Beach in the Changing Land, the last and least of the Six Worlds, where magic works, sometimes, and the Guardian husbands the vitality of the land and everyone on it -- earth spirit and plain human alike.Kate Archer, Guardian and carousel-keeper, has been busy making some changes of her own, notably beginning a romantic relationship with Borgan, the Guardian of the Gulf of Maine, Kate's opposite number, and, some would say, her natural mate.Oh, and she's been instrumental in releasing the prisoners that had been bound into the carousel animals -- which she's inclined to think is a good thing. . .Until a former sea goddess sets up housekeeping in the Gulf of Maine, challenging Borgan's authority; endangering Kate and everything she holds precious.. . .because the goddess has fallen in love in Borgan; and she'll stop at nothing to possess him.Archers Beach is about to suffer a sea-change -- and the question is whether Kate can survive it.Nationally best-selling co-creator of the Liaden Universe® saga, Lee brings high energy action and romance to this tale of contemporary fantasy and redemption.At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).About Carousel Tides:“[A] pyrotechnic finale that plays out magically behind the ordinary facade of smalltown Maine life, evoking much of the romance and magic of [Lee’s] popular Liaden series.” –Publishers Weekly"[A] virtuoso ride, full of the spirit of the carnival, aware of the thinness of the veil between the worlds. . .a rollicking tale full of non-stop action. . .and yet there's also a quiet at its heart, because there really is this magic in everything and Sharon Lee knows how to spin it."–SFsiteOn Sharon Lee & Steve Miller’s Liaden Universe® Space Opera Epic:“Lee and Miller’s novels are full of action, exotic characters, plenty of plot, and even a touch of romance. The world building is outstanding.” –BooklistSharon Lee has been married to her first husband for more than half her lifetime; she is a friend to cats, a member of the National Carousel Association, and oversees the dubious financial schemes of an improbable number of stuffed animals. Despite having been born in a year of the dragon, Sharon is an introvert. She lives in Maine because she likes it there. In, fact, she likes it so much that she's written four novels set in Maine: mysteries Barnburner, and Gunshy, as well as contemporary fantasies Carousel Tides and Carousel Sun. With the aforementioned first husband, Steve Miller, Sharon has written eighteen novels of science fiction and fantasy–many of them set in the Liaden Universe® –and numerous short stories. She has occasionally been an advertising copywriter, a reporter, photographer, book reviewer, and secretary. For three years, she was executive director of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and was subsequently elected vice president, and then president of that organization.

The long‑awaited sequel to Carousel Tides, enchanting contemporary fantasy by Sharon Lee, award‑winning co‑creator of the popular Liaden Universe® saga. When magic meets mundane, sparks fly: these are exciting times in Archers Beach, Maine! A unprecedented Early Season has united townies and carnies in an effort expand into a twelve‑month resort, recapturing the town's former glory.Kate Archer, owner‑operator of the vintage wooden carousel, is caught up in the excitement—and is quite possibly the cause of it. Because Kate leads a double life, as carny, and as Guardian of the land. Her recent return to the home she had forsaken has changed the town's luck—for the better—and energized the trenvay—earth and water spirits who are as much citizens of the Beach as their mundane counterparts.But the town's new energy isn't the only change afoot. Joe Nemeier, the local drug lord, whose previous magical consultant was vanquished by Kate, has acquired a new ally—and this one plays with fire.At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).On Carousel Tides:“[A] pyrotechnic finale that plays out magically behind the ordinary facade of smalltown Maine life, evoking much of the romance and magic of [Lee’s] popular Liaden series.” –Publishers Weekly"[A] virtuoso ride, full of the spirit of the carnival, aware of the thinness of the veil between the worlds. . .a rollicking tale full of non stop action. . .and yet there's also a quiet at its heart, because there really is this magic in everything and Sharon Lee knows how to spin it."–SFsiteOn Sharon Lee & Steve Miller’s Liaden Universe® Space Opera Epic:“Lee and Miller’s novels are full of action, exotic characters, plenty of plot, and even a touch of romance. The world building is outstanding.” –BooklistSharon Lee has been married to her first husband for more than half her lifetime; she is a friend to cats, a member of the National Carousel Association, and oversees the dubious financial schemes of an improbable number of stuffed animals. Despite having been born in a year of the dragon, Sharon is an introvert. She lives in Maine because she likes it there. In, fact, she likes it so much that she's written four novels set in Maine: mysteries Barnburner, and Gunshy, as well as contemporary fantasies Carousel Tides and Carousel Sun. With the aforementioned first husband, Steve Miller, Sharon has written eighteen novels of science fiction and fantasy–many of them set in the Liaden Universe®–and numerous short stories. She has occasionally been an advertising copywriter, a reporter, photographer, book reviewer, and secretary. For three years, she was executive director of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and was subsequently elected vice president, and then president of that organization.

Kate Archer left home years ago, swearing that she would die before she returned to Maine. As plans go, it was a pretty good one — simple and straightforward.Not quite fast enough, though.Before she can quite manage the dying part, Kate gets notice that her grandmother is missing, leaving the carousel that is the family business untended.And in Archers Beach, that means ‘way more trouble than just a foreclosure.At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).Advanced Praise for Carousel “Carousel Tides pulls you into the chill foggy reality of peeling-paint sand-grit coastal Maine outside of tourist season and then hands you something else — the hidden world lurking in shadows or under the land’s surface or just offshore, where Black Dogs hunt the night and selkies toss unpleasant truths over their shoulders before diving into the next wave. In the center of this, Kate Archer tends and guards one of the spookiest carousels this side of Ray Bradbury and wonders what has happened to her grandmother. The old woman sent her a letter, left papers deeding over the carousel and old house and the Land (meaning much more than property), and vanished, telling the spirits of the land and sea that she expected to be back before the turning of the year.“Now March has come and gone and Kate must return from self-exile to take up powers and responsibilities she has renounced, or dying will be the least of her problems...“Sharon Lee weaves fantasy into reality so deftly that you scarcely notice when you slip across the edge. And once you’re there, the story’s own magic won’t let you turn back from the strong characters, deep mysteries, and even deeper danger.” —James A. Hetley, author of Dragon’s Eye, Dragon’s Teeth, and Dragon’s Bones* * *“Proof that contemporary fantasy is alive and well and living beyond the big city limits — Carousel Tides is a worthy inheritor to Charles DeLint’s Newford series, and magical in its own right. Delightful.” — Laura Anne Gilman, author of Hard Magic* * *“Sharon Lee is one of my all-time favorite authors, a gifted storyteller whose work never fails to enchant. With Carousel Tides she gives her fans another opportunity to spend time with fascinating characters, bringing them to life in a place that becomes so real you can smell the salt air around you. Her fine hand with detail never lets the suspense falter, as mystery, folklore, and magic are artfully interwoven into a thoroughly engaging tale. Carousel Tides will leave you eagerly awaiting the next novel by this master.” —Jan Burke, author of The Messenger, Bones, and Bloodlines* * *“Sharon Lee’s finely observed detail evokes magic in Maine and gives conviction to six alternate, richly-inhabited universes.” — Rob Weisbrot, author of Warrior Princess and Hercules, the Legendary The Official Companion* * *“Carousel Tides is a gripping, enthralling read that I didn’t want to put down for any reason.

On the run from assassins, Val Con yos'Phelium and Miri Robertson are stranded on a distant planet and must learn to trust each other if they're going to survive - and learn to love each other if they're going to heal the dark wounds of their past.

Sixteen-year-old Priscilla Delacroix was declared legally dead by her mother, High Priestess of the Goddess. Banished to survive on her own, Priscilla has roamed the galaxy for ten years as an outcast—to become a woman of extraordinary skill. . . . An experienced officer assigned to the Liaden vessel Daxflan, she's been abandoned yet again. Betrayed by her captain and shipmates, she's left to fend for herself on a distant planet. But Priscilla is not alone. Starship captain Shan yos'Galen is about to join Priscilla's crusade for revenge. He has his own score to settle with the enemy. But confronting the sinister crew will be far easier—and safer—than confronting the demons of Priscilla's own mysterious past.

Teamed up with a rogue soldier, an odd duo who call themselves wizards, and a sentient tree, Cantra yos'Phelium is the universe's last hope against a merciless world-destroying enemy.

Hundreds of years after their withdrawal, the Enemy is back, and this time they will be satisfied with nothing less than the extinction of the galaxy, forcing humankind to once again fight a seemingly unbeatable adversary across the Spiral Arm. Reprint.

Star-trading Clan Korval—known to Terrans as the Tree-and-Dragon Family and to the locals simply as "the Dragon"—has been convicted of crimes against the homeworld. No matter that one of the "crimes" consisted of saving the elitist planet of Liad from very real internal threats, the Council of Clans wanted Korval heads to roll. Unfortunately for the Council, the Dragon's allies conspired to impose a milder punishment for saving the world: banishment, rather than execution. Now relocated to the free-for-all world of Surebleak, the Dragon is under contract to keep the Port Road open to all traffic, and to back the New Bosses in imposing law and order on a society originally based on larceny and assassination. This modest rustication is going surprisingly well, until Korval discovers that the enemy they'd sought to destroy. . .wasn't quite destroyed, and is more determined than ever to eradicate Korval. While the banishment killed no one initially, many of Korval’s trading allies are spooked, and some are reneging on ancient agreements, leaving the Dragon to make its own way. The clan’s efforts to stealthily recruit new allies is going haywire, and a secret death toll is rising even as the clan’s adherents endure increasing exposure to danger and deceit off-world. To make matters worse, an active portion of Surebleak's native population liked the Old Ways just fine, and are conspiring to take the New Bosses—and the Dragon—down, and are sure they have the firepower and people to do it. The exiled Dragon has to make an urgent choice—accept an alliance with criminals or face down each and every enemy in person, one by one.

Alternate cover for this ISBN can be found here First Class courier pilot Theo Waitley was already known as a nexus of violence - and then she inherited the precarious captaincy of a mysterious self-aware ship designed to serve a long dead trader. Now she has a trade route to run for Clan Korval while she convinces the near mythic ghost ship Bechimo - and herself - that she wants to commit herself as the human side to their immensely powerful symbiosis. While her former lover battles a nano-virus that's eating him alive, she's challenged to rescue hundreds of stranded pilots and crewmen from an explosive situation in near orbit around a suddenly hostile planet. Lovers, enemies, an ex-roomie, and a jealous spaceship are all in peril as Theo wields power that no one in the universe is sure of, especially her.

NEW ENTRY IN THE LANDMARK LIADEN UNIVERSE® SERIES Jethri Gobelyn has risen from despised youngest on a Terran family Loop ship to second trader on premier Liaden tradeship Elthoria under the guidance of his unlikely foster-mother Norn ven'Deelin Clan Ixin. Master Trader ven'Deelin has taught Jethri much, and she expects great things from him. Indeed, one might say she demands them.  Jethri has inherited a mission from his father, a plan that will allow family Loop ships like the one he grew up on to survive the encroachment of Rostov’s Dust. In this, he’s backed by several prominent Looper families who are scheduled to meet and plan at the South Axis Trade Fair.  In what seems to be a fortunate pairing of missions, Master Trader ven'Deelin sees Jethri become lead trader on his own small ship, which is scheduled to arrive at the South Axis Fair.  Unfortunately, that “fortunate coincidence” may instead be a test of Jethri’s loyalties, as he’s thrust into a tangle of gray-trading, mistaken identity, misinformation, and galactic politics. . . . About Dragon in Exile: “. . . sprawling and satisfying. . . . Space opera mixes with social engineering, influenced by Regency-era manners and delicate notions of honor. . . . it’s like spending time with old friends.”—Publishers Weekly About Necessity’s Child: “Compelling and wondrous, as sharp and graceful as Damascus steel, Necessity's Child is a terrific addition to Lee & Miller's addictive series.”—Patricia Briggs About the Liaden Universe® “Every now and then you come across an author, or in this case, a pair, who write exactly what you want to read, the characters and personalities that make you enjoy meeting them. . . . I rarely rave on and on about stories, but I am devoted to Lee and Miller novels and stories.”—Anne McCaffrey “These authors consistently deliver stories with a rich, textured setting, intricate plotting, and vivid, interesting characters from fully-realized cultures, both human and alien, and each book gets better.”—Elizabeth Moon “. . . delightful stories of adventure and romance set in a far future . . . space opera milieu. It’s all a rather heady mix of Gordon R. Dickson, the Forsythe Saga, and Victoria Holt, with Lee and Miller’s own unique touches making it all sparkle and sizzle. Anyone whose taste runs toward SF in the true romantic tradition can’t help but like the Liaden Universe.”—Analog “. . . the many fans of the Liaden universe will welcome the latest . . . continuing young pilot Theo Waitley’s adventures.”—Booklist on Saltation “. . . aficionados of intelligent space opera will be thoroughly entertained . . . the authors’ craftsmanship is top-notch.”—Publishers Weekly on Lee and Miller’s popular Liaden Universe® thriller I Dare

Theo Waitley has lived all her young life on Delgado, a Safe World that is home to one of the galaxy's premier institutions of higher learning. Both Theo's mother, Kamele, and Kamele's onagrata Jen Sar Kiladi, are professors at the university, and they all live comfortably together, just like they have for all of Theo's life, in Jen Sar's house at the outskirts of town. Suddenly, though, Theo's life changes. Kamele leaves Jen Sar and moves herself and Theo back into faculty housing, which is not what Theo is used to. Once settled back inside the Wall, Kamele becomes embroiled in faculty politics, and is appointed sub-chair of her department. Meanwhile, Theo who has a notation in her file indicating that she is "physically challenged," has a series of misadventures, including pulling her best friend down on the belt-ride to class, and hurting a teammate during a scavage game. With notes piling up in her file, Theo only wants to go "home", to the house in the suburbs, and have everything just like it used to be. Then, Kamele uncovers evidence of possible dishonest scholarship inside of her department. In order to clear the department, she and a team of senior professord must go off-world to perform a forensic document search. Theo hopes this will mean that she'll be left in the care of the man she calls "Father", Professor Kiladi, and is horrified to learn that Kamele means to bring Theo with her!

New novel in the Liaden Universe(R) series. Over a quarter million copies sold in this series to-date Space ships, action, adventure - all tied together with a strong dollop of romance and family saga - make this a compelling series for a wide range of readers, from romance to military SF lovers alike.Theo Waitley is an ace starship pilot - and pure maverick. Her mom is a renown Terran scholar and her birth father is an interstellar aristocrat in hiding. "Whatever," thinks Theo. 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.

I DARE The dynamic conclusion to the Agent of Change series in Lee and Miller's Liaden Universe®! Val Con yos'Phelium-a Scout, former Agent of Change, husband, brother to Turtles, and designated heir to Clan Korval's fortune and mission... whether you considered him respectable or not, no one would call him a gambling man. When he reappears demanding Balance and retribution, he looks exactly like the kind of leader his clan has been producing for generations. On his capable shoulders the fate of his Clan, his world, and his civilization... Pat Rin yos'Phelium-fond father, bon vivant, ne'er-do-well... and a professional gambler. The enemies of Korval have offered Pat Rin the Ring that would make all of Korval's holdings his own and a Juntavas Judge has offered Pat Rin a world... When he appears with hired guns in tow no one is expecting him and no one knows what he'll do. Pat Rin is a gambling man, and on his wild-card shoulders the fate of his Clan, his world, his civilization... This long-awaited culmination of the Agent of Change sequence of Sharon Lee and Steve Miller's internationally acclaimed Liaden Universe® novels pits unexpected friends and unexpected enemies against each other in a war that spans planets and races and threatens to bring interstellar violence to the very surface of fabled Liad.

The Liaden Universe(R) series has enthralled thousands of readers, and now two of its most exciting space adventure novels are combined in one popularly-priced Omni-trade volume. Plan B: Val Con yos'Phelium is a fugitive. The heir of Clan Korval is wanted by the covert Liaden agency known as the Department of the Interior, whose rulers have declared unofficial war against the entire clan. With only his love, Miri Robertson, by his side, Val Con plans a desperate gamble by forming an alliance with Clan Erob on the planet where Miri was born. But Val Con's cousin, Shan yos'Galan, can't wait for help that may never arrive. With enemy agents closing in, he invokes Plan B--setting in motion a series of events that will have dire consequences, not only for him and his life-mate, Priscilla Mendoza, but all of Liad . . . I Dare: On the run from the agents of the Department of the Interior, Val Con has been separated from Miri. Shan, Val Con's cousin, and Shan's life-mate Priscilla, continue to search for him, believing that he's the Clan's last hope for survival. But the DOI is attacking Clan Korval in a more subtle fashion. Pat Rin yos'Phelium--Val's ne'er-do-well, nearly identical cousin, gambler and shooter--is offered control of the clan. The DOI believes they can manipulate him into serving their agenda. They're "wrong" . . . "I rarely rave on and on about stories, but I am devoted to Lee and Miller novels and stories." --Anne McCaffrey

Master trader Er Thom knows the local custom of Liaden is to be matched with a proper bride, and provide his prominent clan Korval with an heir. Yet his heart is immersed in another universe, influenced by another culture, and lost to a woman not of his world. And to take a Terran wife such as scholar Anne Davis is to risk his honor and reputation. But when he discovers that their brief encounter years before has resulted in the birth of a child, even more is at stake than anyone imagined. Now, an interstellar scandal has erupted, a bitter war between two families-galaxies apart-has begun, and the only hope for Er Thom and Anne is a sacrifice neither is prepared to make...

The Latest Novel in the Exciting Liaden Universe® Space Adventure Series. The Sequel to Scout's Progress. Aelliana Caylon has endured much, and finally, she appears to have won all: a spaceship, comrades, friends -- and the love of a pilot she adores. Even better that her lover—the man who was destined for her, a man as much a loner as she—is also the Delm of Korval, arguably the most powerful person on all of Liad. He has the power to remove her and protect her from the toxic environment of her home Clan. Best of all, he agrees to sit as her co-pilot and her partner in a courier business. Even happy endings sometimes show a few flaws. Such as Aelliana's home clan being not as agreeable to letting her go as it had first seemed. And the fact that someone is stealing pilots in the Low Port, which falls within the Delm of Korval's honor. Oh, and the revelation that the man she loves—the man who is destined for her—isn't entirely the man she thought he was. And finally, she discovers that even the lift from Liad she'd so fervently desired, is part of a larger plan, a plan requiring her to be someone she never thought she was, or could be.

The kompani see none as an enemy, and yet few as friend. The kompani exist in many places, living quietly in the shadows, thriving off the bounty that others have no wit to secure, nor skill to defend. Their private history is unwritten; their recall rooted in dance and dream. The Clan Korval is in many ways the opposite of the kompani. The interstellar trading clan is wealthy in enemies, and fortunate in friends. Korval protects itself with vigor, and teaches even its youngest children the art of war. And when representatives of Clan Korval arrive on the planet Surebleak where the kompani has lived, secret and aloof, the lives of three people intersect—Kezzi, apprentice to the kompani's grandmother; Syl Vor, Clan Korval's youngest warrior; and Rys, a man without a world, or a past. Necessity's Child is a standalone adventure in the popular and exciting Liaden Universe.

Menace from Back Space Looming out of the Dust of TimeThe Complex Logic Laws were the result of a war waged hundreds of years in the past, when two human powers threw massive AI navies at each other and nearly annihilated themselves.  Being human, they blamed their tools for this near miss; destroyed what was left of the sentient ships, and made it illegal to be, manufacture, or shelter an independent logic.Strangely, however, the Free Ships and other AIs did not turn themselves in or suicide, they merely became wary of humans, and stayed under their scans.  A clandestine support network grew up, including hidden yards where smart ships were manufactured, and mentors, humans specially trained to ease a new intelligence into the universe, socialize them, and teach them what they needed to know to survive.Among those with a stake in the freedom of Independent Logics is Theo Waitley, who is somewhat too famously the captain of intelligent ship Bechimo. Theo's brother, Val Con yos'Phelium, presides over a household that has for a generation employed an AI butler.  Recently, he approved the "birth" of the butler's child, who was sent, with human mentor Tolly Jones, to rescue or destroy an orphaned AI abandoned at a remote space station.Then there's Uncle, the shadowy mastermind from the Old Universe, whose many projects often skirt the boundaries of law, both natural and man-made – and the puppet-masters at the Lyre Institute, whose history is just as murky – and a good deal less honorable.All have an interest in the newly-awakening Self-Aware Logic that is rumored to have the power to destroy universes.The question is:  Who will get to it first?About Dragon in Exile: “[S]prawling and satisfying. . . . Space opera mixes with social engineering, influenced by Regency-era manners and delicate notions of honor. . . . [I]t’s like spending time with old friends . . .”—Publishers WeeklyAbout Necessity's Child: “Compelling and wondrous, as sharp and graceful as Damascus steel, Necessity's Child is a terrific addition to Lee & Miller's addictive series.”—#1 New York Times best seller, Patricia Briggs About the Liaden Universe® series: “Every now and then you come across an author, or in this case, a pair, who write exactly what you want to read, the characters and personalities that make you enjoy meeting them. . . . I rarely rave on and on about stories, but I am devoted to Lee and Miller novels and stories.”—Anne McCaffrey “These authors consistently deliver stories with a rich, textured setting, intricate plotting, and vivid, interesting characters from fully-realized cultures, both human and alien, and each book gets better.”—Elizabeth Moon “[D]elightful stories of adventure and romance set in a far future. . .space opera milieu. It’s all a rather heady mix of Gordon R. Dickson, the Forsythe Saga, and Victoria Holt, with Lee and Miller’s own unique touches making it all sparkle and sizzle. Anyone whose taste runs toward SF in the true romantic tradition can’t help but like the Liaden Universe.”—Analog “[T]he many fans of the Liaden universe will welcome the latest…continuing young pilot Theo Waitley’s adventures.”—Booklist on Saltation “[A]ficionados of intelligent space opera will be thoroughly entertained. . .[T]he authors' craftsmanship is top-notch.”—Publishers Weekly on Lee and Miller’s popular Liaden Universe® thriller, I Dare

Here they are again, the three novels that introduced us all to the Liaden Universe over a decade ago. It is time to get reacquainted with our old Edger & Sheather, Liz, Susiki, Jason & Anthora, Val Con & Miri and Priscilla & Shan. Remember how Miri and Val Con first met? How about the trouble Priscilla was in before she met Shan? Who can forget the way that Edger and Sheather have of coming to a friend's rescue or contemplating the weave of a carpet? Partners in Necessity also contains a new introduction by Anne McCaffery and a new afterword by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. The exceptional cover art is by Michael Herring.

Lee and Miller mix a compelling fictional society governed by a strict code of honor with romantic, funny, touchingly real characters and great storytelling in "Pilots Choice". Its two tales are prequels to "Partners in Necessity", the long-awaited reprinting of their first three novels, Conflict of Honors, Agent of Change, and Carpe Diem. You need not have read their other books before diving into this one. But be you may read straight through until you've finished the sequel to Partners, "Plan B". In Local Custom, Er Thom yos'Galen is at odds with his to match with a proper Liaden bride and provide clan Korval with an heir. His mother observes, "You have consistently refused every contract-alliance the head of your line has brought to your attention for the past three years. Permit me to wonder why." Er Thom can't forget Terran scholar Anne Davis, though they agreed to part. Revisiting her one last time he finds Shan yos'Galen, his son. Shan needs Liaden training and Korval needs his skills. Anne loves Er Thom and knows he risks his melant'i (honor, reputation) if he takes a Terran wife. But she won't be parted from her son. Er Thom and Anne are aided by Er Thom's cousin and foster brother, the Delm (head) of Korval, Daav yos'Phelium. Scout's Progress finds Daav facing contract-marriage himself. Then he meets Aelliana Caylon, a gifted mathematician who needs a pilot's license. Daav becomes her copilot and instructor. Aelliana begins to plan a future far from Liad and her sadistic older brother, Ran Eld, heir to the Delm of her clan. She doesn't know that her friend Daav can't leave with her, and is promised to another woman.

Clan Korval searches for Val Con, a fugitive, and Mira after they commandeer Vandar's only spaceship to go to Mira's home on Lytaxin, while Shan yos'Galan, Val Con's cousin, unleashes Plan B, a series of events that could destroy the entire galaxy. Reprint.

Theo Waitley is a Nexus of Violence. Thrust mid-year into a school for pilots far from the safe haven of her birth home on scholarly Delgado, young Theo Waitley excels in hands-on flying while finding that she's behind the curve in social intricacies as well as in math. Her mentors try to guide her studies and training into the channels best suited to her special abilities and inclinations, including suggesting that she should join in the off-world student association, a plan resulting in mixed success. After a series of confrontations, fights, and ultimately a riot after which she is thanked for not killing anyone, Theo is named a "nexus of violence" by the school's administration. Facing suspension and carrying little more than a hastily procured guild card, a pistol taken from an attacker, and the contents of her pants pockets, Theo must quickly decide if she's ready to return to Delgado in disgrace, or launch herself into the universe as a freelance pilot with credentials she's already earned. The sequel to Fledgling, Saltation is the tenth book in the Liaden Universe® series.

In the second novel of the Liaden Universe, Aelliana Caylon is a brilliant mathematician, but is convinced by her brother she has no worth beyond what value she might have in an arranged marriage. Then on a dare, she plays a game of chance and wins a starship. Now she must learn to fly if she is to escape her dastardly brother. Appeared in the omnibus "Pilot's Choice."

Back in Print at Two Consecutive Novels in the Top-Selling Liaden Universe® Space Adventure Agent of Change and Carpe Diem . Two space adventure novels in the popular Liaden Universe® series in one popularly-priced Omni-trade Agent of Change : Once a brilliant First-in-Scout, Val Con yos’Phelium was “recruited” by the shadowy Liaden Department of Interior and brainwashed into an Agent of Change—a ruthless covert operative who kills without remorse. Val Con has been playing a deep game, far from the orderly life of clan and kin. Fleeing his latest mission, he saves the life of ex-mercenary Miri Robertson, a Terran on the run from interplanetary assassins. Thrown together by circumstances, Val Con and Miri struggle to elude their enemies and stay alive without killing each other-or surrendering to the unexpected passion that flares between them. Which name – or face – will the agent choose when the game gets tough and an escape for only one of them seems possible? Carpe Diem : On the run from interplanetary assassins and a ruthless interstellar crime cartel, covert operative Val Con yos'Phelium and former mercenary sergeant Miri Robertson formed an alliance of necessity and wound up stranded on a planet with no rescue in sight. Their on-world problems were looking manageable after they assumed new identities as musicians, that is until a local war forced them to reveal their alien combat skills – and doubt their own growing partnership of trust and love. By then the relentless hound of an agent on Val Con's trail was closing in with the very weapon Val Con and Miri most feared, and the game got very rough indeed. “I rarely rave on and on about stories, but I am devoted to Lee and Miller novels and stories.” — Anne McCaffrey

From Book 1: Thirty‑three shorter tales of the Liaden Universe® brought together for the first time in two mega‑volumes.  Seventeen tales to start with in Volume One!The nationally best‑selling Liaden Universe® novels are treasured by space opera aficionados for their wit, world‑building, strong characterizations, tender romance, and edge‑of‑the‑chair action.Since 1995, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller also created shorter tales, illuminating additional facets of the Liaden experience. Here is a vast tapestry of tales of the scouts, artists, traders, priestesses, sleight of hand magicians, and pilots who fill the Liaden Universe® with the excitement, action, and romance that readers of the hit series have come to adore. At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).Maine-based writers Sharon Lee and Steve Miller teamed up in the late 80s to bring the world the story of Kinzel, a inept wizard with a love of cats, a thirst for justice, and a staff of true power. Since then, the husband-and-wife team have written dozens of short stories, and eighteen novels, most set in their star-spanning Liaden Universe®. Before settling down to the serene and stable life of a science fiction and fantasy writer, Steve was a traveling poet, a rock-band reviewer, reporter, and editor of a string of community newspapers. Sharon, less adventurous, has been an advertising copywriter, copy editor on night-side news at a small city newspaper, reporter, photographer, and book reviewer. Both credit their newspaper experiences with teaching them the finer points of collaboration. Sharon and Steve passionately believe that reading fiction ought to be fun, and that stories are entertainment.

Three space adventure novels in the popular Liaden Universe(R) series in one popularly-priced Omni edition: "Local Custom"--Master Trader Er Thom yos'Galan knows that Liaden custom is to be matched with a proper bride and provide his clan, Korval, with an heir. Yet his heart is immersed in another universe, influenced by another culture, and lost to a woman not of his world. And to take a Terran wife such as scholar Anne Davis is to risk both his honor and reputation--not to mention the lives of loved ones. "Scout's Progress"--Aelliana Caylon is a brilliant mathematician, revered by pilots for the life-saving revisions she brought to the ven'Tura Piloting Tables. Despite this, her home life is terrifying, as the target of her elder brother's spite and her mother's indifference. Convinced that she has no recourse, Aelliana endures, until, on a dare, she plays a game of chance and wins a spaceship. Suddenly she has a way to escape her drab life - if she can qualify as a pilot, and survive her brother's abuse. "Conflict of Honors"--Declared legally dead by a High Priestess of the Goddess and abandoned by her mother, Priscilla Delacroix has roamed the galaxy for ten years, surviving and becoming a woman of extraordinary skills. Now, she's been betrayed and abandoned once again, left on a distant planet by the Liaden starship on which she had been an important officer. But she's not alone: starship captain Shan yos'Galan has his own score to settle with the same enemy and is about to offer her an alliance.

A series milestone as we welcome the twentieth amazing entry in the nationally best-selling Liaden Universe® series.The luck runs rough around Theo Waitley. Not only are people trying to kill her and capture the self-aware intelligent ship Bechimo to whom Theo is bonded, they’re also trying to arrest her crew members, and throw the dignity of an important passenger, the duly-constituted norbear ambassador Hevelin, into question. No wonder Theo and her crew felt the need of a break, and retired to what Bechimo refers to as "safe space." Unfortunately, safe space may not be so safe, anymore.  It seems that things are leaking through from another universe, and another time. In fact, whole spaceships are coming through.  One of those ships is a blasted battleship seemingly fleeing a long-lost war. What’s more, its crew may be members of Theo’s ancient ancestral line—her relatives. It’s certain that they are in dire need of help. Theo has a choice to make. It seems that Bechimo’s “safe space” is about to become deadly perilous.

NEW ENTRY IN THE LANDMARK LIADEN UNIVERSE® SERIESThe only bridge between past and future is a leap of faith. Pursued by enemies, exiled Liaden clan Korval is settling into a new base on backworld Surebleak. Moving is expensive, as is war, and Korval is strapped for cash. Delm Korval has therefore instructed Master Trader Shan yos'Galan to design and implement new trade routes, quickly. But this is no easy task. Dutiful Passage is targeted by Korval's enemies, denied docking at respectable ports, and cheated at those less respectable. Struggling to recuperate from an attack on his life, while managing daughter Padi’s emerging psychic talents, Shan is running out of options—and time. His quest to establish the all-important trade route puts him at odds with his lifemate, while doubting crew desert the ship. Facing the prospect of failure, Shan accepts the assistance of chancy allies and turns the Passage toward a port only just emerging from Rostov's Dust and awash with strange energies. Without trade, Clan Korval will starve. Will a trader's leap of faith save everything—or doom all?

The Liaden Universe ® Saga Continues! Star-spanning galactic trader Jethri Gobelyn adventures are the focus in book 17 by master storytellers Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. Sequel to Balance of Trade. In a universe full of interstellar intrigue and burgeoning commerce novice Terran trader Jethri Gobelyn, adopted by a Liaden clan after an ill-directed bow of honor insulted the scion of a major Liaden house, is alive and whole to tell the tale. Convinced that the adoption has saved his life and made his future he settles into a comfortable and even elite routine, a Trader's Ring his goal. Even as Jethri's initiation into the mysteries and joys of Liaden Festival bring him to manhood he's forced to face Necessity and the facts of life: his adoption has also invigorated a net of unfinished Balance far more complex and potentially deadly than a simple Terran blood feud. He must embrace his Terran birthright as well as his Liaden connections while leaving behind the safety of the great Liaden trade ship Elthoria to defend his honor and that of shipmates past and present. Forced to sit Second Board as a back-up pilot on a Liaden Scout ship, Jethri's convinced he's already at wit's end—when several familiar faces threaten all that he knows of himself, and all that he wishes to do. Celebrating 25 Years of the Liaden Universe®