Halfling Moon

Two Stories of a Tumultuous Time The Department of the Interior's bloody plot against planet Liad has failed, at least for now, but Clan Korval's firing upon Solcintra, Liad's capital city, to save it from the release of ancient killer machines has resulted in the clan's banishment. Korval has accepted this ruling with glee, but not everything is solved yet, especially with the clan's urgent Plan B still in effect. "Hidden Resources" deals with untested pilot Quin yos'Phelium, a halfling suddenly in charge of the escape ship for the clan's youngest members as the eldest face several mysterious vessels, most likely bent on revenge. His father missing in the larger fray, Quin's job is clear, but resolve alone may not be enough to pull him through. In "Moon on the Hills" the focus is on backworld Surebleak, Korval's refuge after their exclusion from Liad. Surebleak is a half-tamed place still ruled by territorial bosses, and Boss Conrad, while trying to tame it, must deal with finding a landing zone for Korval's clan house, and the tree that is the center of the clan. Yulie Shaper is the unknown factor: the road runs through his land and he's not all that fond of changes. The authors' craftmanship is top-notch, recalling the work of Elizabeth Moon and Lois McMaster Bujold." -- Publishers Weekly "These authors consistently deliver stories with a rich, textured setting, intricate plotting, and vivid, interesting characters from fully-realized cultures, both human and alien." -- Elizabeth Moon ". . .good, solid space opera. . . .a very fine piece of entertainment." -- Don D'Ammassa, Science Fiction Chronicle