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5 star		66%
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2 star		1%
1 star		3%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Bob Baust

Might be OK, seemed like good writing skills but the nonsense plot killed it for me

Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2021

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I think I got through the first chapter but the inconsistent and nonsensical plot got to me and I gave up early.

A character is described as someone who "had never done anything quietly in his life if there was a way to get a fight out of it." But later on the same page we're told that guy retired from mining in the belts, bought a farm, got married, raised kids, and gets into community service. Somehow those two descriptions don't seem to go together.

Then we have a prisoner being escorted to an interrogation center, where the interrogator can immediately tell by equipment on his desk that the human-looking prisoner is actually an alien. An alien who has had surgery, implants, injections and skintuning to make him appear to be human. They immediately blast him with a high-pressure water hose which throws him across the room and he loses his eye glasses. No mention is made of how a 3rd story office just happens to have a remote-controlled fire hose, nor of how the water is contained and prevented from soaking through the floor to the rooms below. We just assume that all offices in the future have remote-controlled fire hoses.

Neither the interrogator nor the captors sees the obvious - that an alien that went through all that body-changing surgery would never give himself bad eyesight, (meaning the glasses must have another purpose). Since they want to be nice to the alien before torturing him some more, they return his glasses, which the fancy scanning machinery doesn't detect is really an explosive device.

And of course, since the prisoner was not hand-cuffed, even after they realize he's an alien spy, he throws his explosive glasses across the toom, gets away from his FOUR captors and jumps out the window before the bomb explodes. Yes, it's common-place for interrogation rooms in the future to have windows handy for prisoners to escape.

The window is three stories up, but there is no mention of how the prisoner avoids injury, nor any mention of his captors' trying to chase him. I assume they are too busy cleaning up the water from the fire hose.

The alien hears sirens "in the distance". What? In the distance? The cops didn't think to set off a local alarm when their prisoner escaped? Duh! If they did that the prisoner might not escape, and the authors need him to escape, so they ignore any idea of a follow-up chase.

The alien goes to an apartment and uses some potions to completely change his appearance, picks up identification papers to match his new body, and then heads for the spaceport. On the way he sees a police car, and sneaks away to avoid it. He must be really worried about attracting attention.

A little farther on he runs into a bunch of folks about to have a shoot-out, so in order to avoid attracting the attention of the police he pulls his gun and starts shooting people. Yep, you heard that right, that's exactly what he does, and that's exactly when I quit reading this nonsense.

Mckenzie

Not bad but not great

Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2020

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I was interested in reading more sci-fi books, and the Liaden Universe was recommended to me. So, I looked up good books to start with in this series, and Agent of Change was one of them.

Something about the writing style made it hard to figure out what was happening at certain points. I think part of what contributed to this was that there were SO many points of view. As someone who also writes from different characters' perspectives, I see the advantages of doing this, but the POV switched to various side characters that didn't really matter so often that I think that muddled the story. Also, the main characters Miri and Val Con were supposed to be young, around 18 and 20, I think. But they came off seeming older than that. I assumed Miri was in her twenties and Val Con was in his late twenties or early thirties until it was explicitly stated that Miri was 18. (I'm pretty sure he was only a few years older.)

So, I don't think this series is for me. The book was just too long and a little too hard to piece together. Honestly, I don't know if I could summarize Agent of Change; it was kind of a struggle to get through.

But if you like this series, you do you.

Dr Susan

Excellent start to a phenomenal science fiction series

Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2021

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I have to admit I owned Agent of Change and Conflict of Honors for many years before I read them. I immediately lost my heart to this fantastic series with believable, meddling aliens, fascinating characters, and riveting stories. I have to admit that Miri and Val Con are my favorites. If you haven't read the books of the Liaden Universe, I strongly urge you to buy a ticket and start the journey.

Richard Irwin

This was just an OK book - but loved the turtles

Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2019

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As a big fan of the Theo Waitley series, this book was somewhat of a disappointment. It recounts the initial chance meeting of Val Con of Clan Korval and Miri Robertson. Val is a spy who was once First-in Scout and describes himself as an Agent of Change. Miri is an ex-soldier and bodyguard who excels at her job. The two form an alliance for mutual protection against the Juntavas who pursue them at every turn.

The best thing about the book is an alien race who look like very large turtles. They provide aid to Val Con as he is considered an honorary brother to their clan.

CRussel

It never hurts to look...

Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2013

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"The man who was not Terrence O'Grady had come quietly."

Thus starts the very first Liaden Universe(r) novel, and from that first sentence, I was hooked. I originally read this novel back in the 80's, and watched eagerly for each new one, but then when I got my Kindle, I went to the Baen site and bought every single one to reread the series. Unlike some of my other earlier favourites, the Liaden books have very much stood the test of time. Agent of Change has action, excitement, buildings blowing up, strange and wonderous beings (Clutch Turtles? What genius to make turtles into heroes!) and love and romance. But what it has most of all is characters you care about. And a consistent and believeable universe.

So, take a look. The first one is free, and after all, it never hurts to look, right?

Except you will be hooked.

Kindle Customer

Their Liaden Universe books are always excellent

Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2020

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I had the good luck to first buy this book when it was first printed. I loved it, and looked for more. Of course, there were no more for years. The story about that is available online.

It is excellently crafted, the characters are well developed, the universe created is widely varied, complex, and beautifully done.

An excellent read. There are some prequels now, but this book is still an excellent place to start the series.

Top reviews from other countries

TimC

Don't miss this, you'll be hooked into buying the rest of the series!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 2, 2017

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This is a must read if Space Opera and the oddities of alien civilizations are your thing. Ranks with cj cherryh's Foreigner in showing the behaviour of people who are like but unlike their 'Terran' neighbours. The first book of the Liaden Universe- why it is described as book 9 I don't know but the publishing history of Liaden novels is fairly chequered and peculiar so it is indeed not the first in the chronological sequence. It does however give a good entry point into a universe in which Liadens live alongside terrans, intermarrying but always governed by their intricate 'Code' of behaviour.

Lyger

Converted to sci-fi!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 7, 2013

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I have to admit, this book isn't my usual style. I'm more of a swords and sorcery fantasy addict than a sci-fi nut.

It could be for that reason I found this story is somewhat hard to follow at first, hence the 4 stars. However, I did soon pick up what was going on, and found myself drawn into this universe more and more, until I realised that I'd reached the end of the book.

I found the ending somewhat abrupt, though very suitable for the pacing of the novel. The characters became more and more interesting as the story progressed, and I finished this book with the vague impression that turtles of the non-teenage mutant type are also pretty awesome.

Definitely worth a read, and I know I'll be checking out the other books in this series to get my next sci-fi fix!

Torick the reviewer

My First Liaden book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 25, 2014

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I cam across series after reading a short story in on of the annuals. Short google an it transpired that there are many more books in the series and my kindle turned up this little pearl in second.
It was extremely good read. Needles to say. I started at 6 pm and I've realised at some point that the house is very quiet.... It was 3 am :)
Th universe is created in a brilliant way. Characters quickly gain their own lives and story is really interesting. Worth reading whether you are sf fan or not. :)

april

Fun and games

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 25, 2019

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Lots of actions, punishing double-crossing varmints, and having fun shoot-outs with villains, while finding a decent soul-mate, capable of the same level of controlled violence as one has oneself...good show! Ends too soon, but well paced and well plotted...the turtles are a bonus!

Jaycee

interesting

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 20, 2014

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Hope there is more. The main characters are described in a way which retains your sympathy, I was rooting for them the whole time. Love the Clutch, their measured ways and their Obvious power. Would like more detail on the structure of the clans and Terran society, I think that the snippets in the story could be extended a little. But the whole book is absorbing right to the end.

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