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.

Love This Series

What I really like about Huff's military Sci Fi is that at heart, it is all about the characters. Heroine Torrin Kerr can be tough as nails and yet still be interesting, likeable, and not a cipher. I look forward to each book and seeing what the characters will do and how they will react. Especially, the sly humor and observations by Kerr herself.

Story: Torrin is assisting recruits on a training planet - a way to keep her safely away from the glare of the press after the events of the last novel. But then, the company finds they are being fired upon with real and very deadly ammo. As the body count starts racking up, Kerr is going to have to find a way to save her raw recruits from complete annihilation.

While each book has a story arc, there is an overall series arc that continues to be defined with each new novel. By this third book, it is becoming obvious that the unusual situations in which Kerr finds herself are all related to the mysterious alien ship. But as always, she will have to use her wits, guts, and force of will in order to save as many lives as possible.

I've been listening to the Audible version of these books and greatly enjoyed the narration. What originally felt a bit flat in the first book I now recognize as Kerr's dry wit. And the narrator is so wonderfully dead on with the aliens like Prezit and civilians such as Craig, I hope she will always narrate this series.

Every book in the series is an immediate preorder - I'm up to date on five volumes so far and have enjoyed each one. Even when Kerr eventually gets out of the military, the story is just as good.

great writing, great narrator

I love these books and the audio recordings seal the deal! The action scenes are excellently done.