Victory Conditions by Elizabeth Moon - review

Victory Conditions
Vatta's War #5
Elizabeth Moon
Science Fiction
2009
****

The final installment to the Vatta's War series, Victory Conditions is one of the best books of the series. I found the ending satisfying, if a bit heartbreaking.


Ky has earned quite a reputation as a commander of a space force, yet it hasn't come without some tragedy. She's also been dealing with grief from family death, the loss of a way of life and being the cause of death of others - even though they may have been enemies, it doesn't feel that great to know she's the cause of so many deaths. She's also been a bit bothered by how much she enjoys the kill at times - something that's come up since the first book in the series. She finds herself perilously close to a breakdown, just when she needs most to keep herself sharp. She is going to be in charge of a multisystem force to fight the pirate, which have also grown in force. The odds seem too high.


Rafe has his own difficulties, his father has been damaged, his sister has been depressed and his mother isn't quite the same. On top of that, the board of ISC seems to be growing suspicious of his intentions, though at first they were glad of his help. He's chafing at having to be in charge of everything - and fighting not only his own board, but the government to take the threat from the pirates to their planet seriously. Besides dealing with many spies, there has been mismanagement on all levels by many people at the family corporation.


Stella and Toby have to deal with a kidnapping attempt, and Toby is also dealing with a first love situation - Zori comes from an important family and they're suspicious of Toby's family. And there's something creepy about Zori's dad...


With a great mix of espionage, relationship issues, war strategy and heroics from unexpected places, Victory Conditions was a great final book to a fun series about space traders, pirates, tragedy and family.  I had fun reading the series.

Command Decision by Elizabeth Moon - review

Command Decision
Vatta's War #4
Elizabeth Moon
Science Fiction
2001
****

After thoroughly enjoying Aunt Grace's sections in the last book, I was more than ready to read more of her. However, even though there are sections starring Grace, the main stars in Command Decision were Ky and Rafe. Stella and Toby play a large part also, but the novel seems to focus on Ky and her expanding fleet and allies and Rafe.


Rafe has grown concerned at the lack of communications from his family. Though he's been a bit of a black sheep, distanced from his father they had been keeping in touch and he has been doing some undercover industrial espionage type of work for his father and their company. ISC, a huge powerhouse that had a monopoly on systemm to system communications, is in huge trouble. Seems there has been trouble brewing for quite a while, trouble that Rafe is just beginning to find out about - the ansible outages of the previous novels are just the tip of the iceberg. And now it seems his father, mother and sister have disappeared. Rafe goes undercover to find out what happened to them.


In the meantime,Ky is going into battles with the pirates that have tried to destroy her family and other systems. Allies are coming forth. Unfortunately she's also finding out the limits to her own ships, ships that she thought were in good shape after the retrofitting she had spent so much on.


Stella continues to build the business back up in the new temporary headquarters, and Toby has refined the shipboard ansibles that they found on the ship Ky confiscated from her pirate uncle. Good stuff.


The series continues to get a bit more complex, the characters are multilayered and it's been great reading. However, parts of Moon's writing seems to remain a bit ....I can't think of the right word.  The villains read a bit predictable in their dialogue, the protagonists read just as predictably and typical for sexists...and yet, the rest of the book keeps me interested.   All the main characters are finding their beliefs and views challenged on more than one front. I'm looking forward to reading the final novel in the series. 

Engaging the Enemy by Elizabeth Moon - review

Engaging the Enemy
Vatta's War #3
Elizabeth Moon
Science Fiction
2007
****

Engaging the Enemy is my favorite out of the Vatta's War series so far. Ky has obtained a ship from an exiled piratical relative, and she is continuing her plan to gather reinforcements to fight the pirates that seem to have caused so much death and tragedy to so many systems.


Stella's personality continues to emerge. Toby is revealed as a tech whiz, and Rafe continues to be an interesting almost friend - a friend you can't quite trust yet.


The best part is the alternating pov between Ky and Grace - the aunt that has been staying under everyone's radar as a dotty old lady who is obsessed with baking horrific fruitcakes. This woman is almost a one woman security force. There are some great scenes between her and one of Ky's former commanders in the academy-MacRobert.


Stella and Ky have decided to set up temporary headquarters for the family business (they've been unable to communicate with the home planet) and are trying to bring in any family business ships that are still out trading. Stella proves herself to be excellent at this side of the business. Ky continues with her part, strategy and providing some safety to whomever she can. Some allies come her way and after a tragedy involving pirates, she ends up with two other captains who will follow her.


The characters - all the other system characters, spacedock staff, etc. are dramaticlly difficult or judgemental, yet I still find this to be an interesting series. I have enjoyed this particular novle much more than the first two, which I had fun reading - especially the emerging personality and force of "batty" ol' Aunt Grace.  If only we could all be so tough and sneaky at that age as she is portrayed. :)