Neogenesis

This enjoyable latest installment of the long-running Liaden space adventure saga, featuring the ever-resourceful Clan Korval and their eclectic allies, picks up on the simultaneous and parallel story lines of Alliance of Equals (2016) and The Gathering Edge (2017). Theo Waitley, captain of the intelligent ship Bechimo, arrives at the clan home on Surebleak with a ship that once belonged to Korval’s founder, accompanied by a pair of superhuman Yxtrang Pathfinders in search of a new purpose. Meanwhile, mentor Tolley Jones, newly birthed AI Tocohl, and their companion Hazenthull must contend with the intelligent, potentially dangerous space station Tinsori Light, an artifact from a previous universe that has been corrupted by age and circumstance. Finally, returning protagonist Daav yos’Phelium, a major figure in Clan Korval, and his lifemate, Aelliana Caylon, cope with their recent cloning, which has de-aged them and placed them in debt to the mysterious Uncle. As always, this intelligent space opera focuses on matters of manners, honor, duty, and clever repartee; violence is rarely the solution, and subtlety wins out over overt force. This tale relies heavily on previous entries, and new readers will be lost. For returning fans, it provides thoroughly satisfying progression or resolution for multiple threads and will feel comfortably familiar for fans of Korval’s escapades. (Jan.)