Crystal Soldier

Liaden Universe Books of Before, Book 1

By: Sharon Lee, Steve Miller

Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins

Centuries in the past, mankind fought a seemingly unbeatable adversary from sector to sector across the Spiral Arm until the war ground to a standstill and the Enemy withdrew. Believing that they had won, the citizens of the galaxy rebuilt. The Inner Worlds, which had escaped the worst of the war's ravages, became even more insular, while the Rim worlds adopted a free and easy way with law and order. Now, hundreds of years after their withdrawal, the Enemy is back - and this time they'll be satisfied with nothing less than the extinction of the galaxy.

©2004 Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

A Good Beginning

Would you listen to Crystal Soldier again? Why?

I would listen to Crystal Soldier again because many elements it sets up continue to recur throught the Liaden series. Although I have read most of the Liaden books more than once, I had forgotten where some things came from. In addition, Sharon Lee's language is outstanding, and lends itself extremely well to being read aloud.

What other book might you compare Crystal Soldier to and why?

In the Liaden universe, this book and its sequel are genuinely different. Metaphorically, they serve the same role as The Hobbit served relative to The Lord of the rings.

Have you listened to any of Kevin T. Collins’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Kevin Collins is workmanlike.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I would never listen to any book in one sitting.

Any additional comments?

The Liaden universe is, in many ways, as well thought through as Tolkien, but the actual writing is more tersely poetic. It offers insights into human connections in an exotic and beautiful package.

Great series and performance

I have read most of the Liaden books over the past dozen years or so. I now have a job that allows me to listen to audiobooks while working. I almost forgot how much I love these stories. What a wonderful performance and journey back into the company of my Liaden friends.

Good sci fi story that keeps up the tempo

Where does Crystal Soldier rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

about top third

What did you like best about this story?

The story kept up. It has an interesting story line and I did not get bored listening to it.

Which scene was your favorite?

The fight scene where the hero and heroine nearly get hammered!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No

Any additional comments?

An enjoyable story. I want to read the rest of the trilogy.

Average story, decent narrator, drags in places.

I think this book could have used a good editor to trim some of the unnecessary fill from this book. Some parts were needlessly over dramatic. It kind of drags. The interview at the end of the book where Miller (author) interviews Collins (narrator) was interesting. I'll not be listening to the rest of the books, I think I'd rather Wikipedia it instead.

Another fun space adventure from Lee & Miller

M Jela is a soldier, genetically engineered, of the "M" strain. He's still young, but a hardened warrior, and very nearly gets killed in space battle with the Sheriekas, humanity's enemy returned after centuries of absence. The Sheriekas' distant ancestors used to be human; that hasn't been true for a very long time. And the Sheriekas' plans for the galaxy, and the universe, are not compatible with human survival.

Cantra yos'Phelium is a jump pilot with a surprisingly well-armed ship, and a murky background.

They meet up by chance when Jela is trying to hook up with his intended contact, on a detached assignment intended to bring the war to the enemy, and Cantra is just seeking some enjoyable downtime on a stopover before taking off with her new cargo. Events lead to them fleeing the planet together, in Cantra's ship, with Dulsey, a batch-grown slave of the owner of the restaurant they dined at. Oh, and Jela's tree, a sentient tree he rescued off of the planet where he nearly died.

And their adventures have barely begun.

This is fast-paced space opera, with Lee & Miller's typically excellent pacing, mood, and character development. It's also a peek back at the origins of the Liaden Universe their fans have come to know and love. You don't need to be familiar with other books in the larger series, but if you are, there is some extra fun along the way in recognizing things that will be very significant to later generations.

What can I say but great fun, and highly recommended.

I bought this book.

The set up of Leiden Universe:Evil attacks

The reason to fight on found in a soldiers ambition to duty. Jella and tree meet contra & dulce. The plot thickens.

Strange New World?

I read these two of the "before" books long after I started reading Liaden Universe books. Although I didn't know it at the time I read Agent of Change only a few years after it was published and read the subsequent books quickly. When I caught up to the authors I looped back and read these as well as the other books that came before Agent. That's not an approach that usually works in a series but it did here because the shorter story arcs are pretty complete in and of themselves. This book has a different feel to the rest of the series which I like as it is, after all, taking place in a different place - the Old Universe. I don't agree with the reviewer who felt this book is a woman's effort at space wars - all the Liaden books are character driven and this is no exception. Best however to read this after a few of the later books are under your belt - the foreshadowing here is great but really enjoyable when you can say - oh, that's why... So this isn't a very cohesive review - but i have to say, I loved it!

A Trip to Another Universe

Would you consider the audio edition of Crystal Soldier to be better than the print version?

Not better, but certainly different!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Crystal Soldier?

One of my favorite moments is when Jela turned around to rescue Cantra when they are escaping from The Uncle.

What about Kevin T. Collins’s performance did you like?

He did a very good job with the voices. I never quite knew before what a Rimmer accent sounded like!

Fantastic Story and Narrator

I have loved this book since the first time I read it, but the narrator has brought a whole new dimension to it. The different voices were believable and never once knocked me out of the story.

50/50 I'm not sure yet!

The first book was tough in the beginning.
Don't misunderstand me the book drawn my attention from the very first minutes, but all the time I had a feeling like it's dragging it's heels.
14 hours is too much, it should've been 5 or 6 at the most, but the story was interesting, the narration also matched the tempo of the book so Kevin T. Collins fits to this book.

But to make sure I will get the second book. Read my next review soon.