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Liaden Universe, Chronological #6
Local Custom
Master trader Er Thom knows the local custom of Liaden is to be matched with a proper bride, and provide his prominent clan Korval with an heir. Yet his heart is immersed in another universe, influenced by another culture, and lost to a woman not of his world. And to take a Terran wife such as scholar Anne Davis is to risk his honor and reputation. But when he discovers that their brief encounter years before has resulted in the birth of a child, even more is at stake than anyone imagined. Now, an interstellar scandal has erupted, a bitter war between two families-galaxies apart-has begun, and the only hope for Er Thom and Anne is a sacrifice neither is prepared to make...
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 29, 2002
54 people are currently reading
781 people want to read
About the author
Sharon Lee
168 books789 followersSharon Lee has been married to her first husband for more than half her lifetime; she is a friend to cats, a member of the National Carousel Association, and oversees the dubious investment schemes of an improbable number of stuffed animals.
Despite having been born in a year of the dragon, Sharon is an introvert. She lives in Maine because she likes it there. In fact, she likes it so much that she has written five novels set in Maine; contemporary fantasy trilogy Carousel Tides, Carousel Sun, Carousel Seas, and mysteries Barnburner and Gunshy.
With the aforementioned first husband, Steve Miller, Sharon has written twenty novels of science fiction and fantasy — many of them set in the Liaden Universe® — and numerous short stories. She has occasionally been an advertising copywriter, a reporter, photographer, book reviewer, and secretary. She was for three years Executive Director of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc., and was subsequently elected vice president and then president of that organization.
Despite having been born in a year of the dragon, Sharon is an introvert. She lives in Maine because she likes it there. In fact, she likes it so much that she has written five novels set in Maine; contemporary fantasy trilogy Carousel Tides, Carousel Sun, Carousel Seas, and mysteries Barnburner and Gunshy.
With the aforementioned first husband, Steve Miller, Sharon has written twenty novels of science fiction and fantasy — many of them set in the Liaden Universe® — and numerous short stories. She has occasionally been an advertising copywriter, a reporter, photographer, book reviewer, and secretary. She was for three years Executive Director of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc., and was subsequently elected vice president and then president of that organization.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
November 24, 2023
2023 Re-read
I first read this novel as a library book, but recently purchased a copy for my permanent collection. Since I currently seem to need comfort reading, I picked it up to give it a second look.
It was just as charming as I remembered. I find that male-female writing teams produce well balanced and interesting books. In this case, the writers are a married couple. I will be looking for more of these kind of writing teams, to join these authors, Jannie Wurts & Raymond Feist, and Ilona Andrews. If you know of others, please let me know.
I love the Liaden Universe and plan to gradually acquire many of the books that I've read in it. This installment, featuring Er Thom of Liad and Anne Davis of Earth, is an excellent introduction to the series. It provides a clear view of the rather stiff culture of Liad, the eccentricity of the Korval clan, and the potential viciousness of politics (family and governmental) on that planet. I am so glad that I still have a number of unread volumes in my future. Keep writing, dear authors!
Original Review
Local Custom has been described as a Regency romance in space. I would have to agree with that assessment. The romance between Er Thom and Anne is the major plot of the book, highlighting the differences between the two. They are not only of different social classes, but from different planetary societies. It is very much a novel of manners, as Anne tries to deal with the very honour-bound and visciously polite Liaden society that Er Thom inhabits. Think “going to Japan” on a grand scale—meeting people requires an appropriate bow, the inclination of which depends on the status of the person you are meeting relative to yourself. Add to that numerous levels of speech--high, low, familial, etc.--and the pitfalls are treacherous. Plus, like many if not all societies, outsiders are not desirable as marriage partners for one’s children. The barriers between Er Thom and Anne are substantial to say the least.
Anne at least has the advantage of being familiar with Liaden language, as she is a comparative linguistics scholar and has specialized in Liaden literature. She has also produced a son, Shan, for a family line that is desperate for children. You would think that both of these attributes would make her a desirable daughter-in-law, but that would remove the major conflicts of the story line. In true romance novel style, she is too tall, too different, too foreign—too difficult for the elder generation to accept.
Also true to romance norms, there is miscommunication. Er Thom assumes that his society is clear to Anne and although she realizes that she’s not fully comprehending the implications of their actions, she doesn’t feel safe asking for the required clarification.
I was reminded strongly of Lois McMaster Bujold’s books about Cordelia Naismith and Aral Vorkosigan (Shards of Honor and Barrayar). There is a similar flavour to the romantic problems, as both Cordelia and Anne struggle to comprehend a foreign culture, deal with prejudice, and somehow salvage a relationship of great importance.
Although I’ve never been an ardent fan of the romance genre, I thoroughly enjoyed this, my first dip into the Liaden universe. It is book number 231 of my science fiction and fantasy reading project.
I first read this novel as a library book, but recently purchased a copy for my permanent collection. Since I currently seem to need comfort reading, I picked it up to give it a second look.
It was just as charming as I remembered. I find that male-female writing teams produce well balanced and interesting books. In this case, the writers are a married couple. I will be looking for more of these kind of writing teams, to join these authors, Jannie Wurts & Raymond Feist, and Ilona Andrews. If you know of others, please let me know.
I love the Liaden Universe and plan to gradually acquire many of the books that I've read in it. This installment, featuring Er Thom of Liad and Anne Davis of Earth, is an excellent introduction to the series. It provides a clear view of the rather stiff culture of Liad, the eccentricity of the Korval clan, and the potential viciousness of politics (family and governmental) on that planet. I am so glad that I still have a number of unread volumes in my future. Keep writing, dear authors!
Original Review
Local Custom has been described as a Regency romance in space. I would have to agree with that assessment. The romance between Er Thom and Anne is the major plot of the book, highlighting the differences between the two. They are not only of different social classes, but from different planetary societies. It is very much a novel of manners, as Anne tries to deal with the very honour-bound and visciously polite Liaden society that Er Thom inhabits. Think “going to Japan” on a grand scale—meeting people requires an appropriate bow, the inclination of which depends on the status of the person you are meeting relative to yourself. Add to that numerous levels of speech--high, low, familial, etc.--and the pitfalls are treacherous. Plus, like many if not all societies, outsiders are not desirable as marriage partners for one’s children. The barriers between Er Thom and Anne are substantial to say the least.
Anne at least has the advantage of being familiar with Liaden language, as she is a comparative linguistics scholar and has specialized in Liaden literature. She has also produced a son, Shan, for a family line that is desperate for children. You would think that both of these attributes would make her a desirable daughter-in-law, but that would remove the major conflicts of the story line. In true romance novel style, she is too tall, too different, too foreign—too difficult for the elder generation to accept.
Also true to romance norms, there is miscommunication. Er Thom assumes that his society is clear to Anne and although she realizes that she’s not fully comprehending the implications of their actions, she doesn’t feel safe asking for the required clarification.
I was reminded strongly of Lois McMaster Bujold’s books about Cordelia Naismith and Aral Vorkosigan (Shards of Honor and Barrayar). There is a similar flavour to the romantic problems, as both Cordelia and Anne struggle to comprehend a foreign culture, deal with prejudice, and somehow salvage a relationship of great importance.
Although I’ve never been an ardent fan of the romance genre, I thoroughly enjoyed this, my first dip into the Liaden universe. It is book number 231 of my science fiction and fantasy reading project.
January 26, 2022
4.5/5; 5 stars; A
I re-read this book recently as I've decided to go for a foray into the Liaden Universe and re-aquaint myself with the old books as I add in the newer books.
Re-reading this book was a joy, from start to finish. I was astonished that I had overlooked or forgotten so many little things in the story.
What struck me most strongly when I re-read this book was the concept of Liaden honour and the clan system. I don't think it really hit home the first time. The characters in this book were vivid, complex, and engaging. The reader gets the most intriguing hints of mysteries to be unraveled, such as the combined history of the Liadens and the Terrans. It is not a key plot point to the story but rather, a part of the intricate weaving of the world that the authors have created over many books and short stories.
The romantic storyline in this book was much stronger than in other Liaden Universe books. I also enjoyed the hints of magic and supernatural type powers (healing, empathic connection) that are introduced.
I re-read this book recently as I've decided to go for a foray into the Liaden Universe and re-aquaint myself with the old books as I add in the newer books.
Re-reading this book was a joy, from start to finish. I was astonished that I had overlooked or forgotten so many little things in the story.
What struck me most strongly when I re-read this book was the concept of Liaden honour and the clan system. I don't think it really hit home the first time. The characters in this book were vivid, complex, and engaging. The reader gets the most intriguing hints of mysteries to be unraveled, such as the combined history of the Liadens and the Terrans. It is not a key plot point to the story but rather, a part of the intricate weaving of the world that the authors have created over many books and short stories.
The romantic storyline in this book was much stronger than in other Liaden Universe books. I also enjoyed the hints of magic and supernatural type powers (healing, empathic connection) that are introduced.
April 24, 2021
Now that I’ve finished with the Vorkosigan books, a friend (and expert in all things scifi) recommended I give the Liaden Universe books a go. There are a couple of entry points to the series apparently but she recommended Local Custom, which is commonly referred to as one of the 'Liaden Regencies'.
As this unofficial name suggests, the book is mostly a scifi romance and the plot is littered with popular romance tropes which Lee/Miller manage to make less corny with the scifi setting.
Liaden is a society ruled by rigid customs. Only the locals understand the nuances of these customs and their implications should they not be followed correctly. Its language too has subtleties that not many outsiders can perfect. Our hero, Er Thom, is a Liaden from a prominent clan (read, a prince/duke type character) whose future has been mapped out for him from his relatives. That is, he is to enter into an arranged marriage which will shore up an alliance with his intended bride’s clan as well as produce a child/heir.
Talk of marriage, however, complels Er Thom to seek out a former lover, our heroine, Anne Davis. Anne is a Terran (read, normal Earthling/human of the future) who is a professor of Liaden linguistics and, he learns when they are reunited, the mother of his child, Shan. Before she realises what she’s agreed to, Anne has returned to Liaden with Er Thom so that Shan can be accepted by his father’s home planet. There, Lee and Miller throw conflict after conflict at the poor couple. Racial and class prejudice, duty and honour, pride and jealousy --they’re all there. In fact, I couldn’t see how our pairing could get it all sorted by the end of the book (which is a rarity - usually I roll my eyes with the simplicity of how things could be sorted).
For those who aren’t so keen on romance, Lee and Miller do throw in a bit of an assassination/murder plot, but I thought this was actually their weakest moment. The crimes go unnoticed by most of the characters even though they’re quite obvious and, eventually, the perpetrators are dispatched with relative ease and there wasn’t a real resolution (I suppose it might be brought up again in subsequent books).
The Liaden universe, obviously considering there are over 20 primary books and several short stories in the series, is a complex and well developed setting which I thought found just the right balance of scifi to realism. Like most scifi, there’s an effortless inclusion of diversity (I’m pretty sure Anne is a POC) and modern ideas regarding sexuality (I got the sense Er Thom, like Aral in the Vorkosigan Saga, is bisexual even though this wasn’t explicitly said). There’s other interesting modern scifi inclusions, like the acceptance and wide use of counselling, as well as some more traditional and overused things, like Shan being a powerful wizard (insert eye roll).
Overall, I enjoyed the book and will give others in the series a go but I didn’t fall instantly in love with it like I did Connie Willis’s Oxford books or the Vorkosigan series. 4 out of 5
As this unofficial name suggests, the book is mostly a scifi romance and the plot is littered with popular romance tropes which Lee/Miller manage to make less corny with the scifi setting.
Liaden is a society ruled by rigid customs. Only the locals understand the nuances of these customs and their implications should they not be followed correctly. Its language too has subtleties that not many outsiders can perfect. Our hero, Er Thom, is a Liaden from a prominent clan (read, a prince/duke type character) whose future has been mapped out for him from his relatives. That is, he is to enter into an arranged marriage which will shore up an alliance with his intended bride’s clan as well as produce a child/heir.
Talk of marriage, however, complels Er Thom to seek out a former lover, our heroine, Anne Davis. Anne is a Terran (read, normal Earthling/human of the future) who is a professor of Liaden linguistics and, he learns when they are reunited, the mother of his child, Shan. Before she realises what she’s agreed to, Anne has returned to Liaden with Er Thom so that Shan can be accepted by his father’s home planet. There, Lee and Miller throw conflict after conflict at the poor couple. Racial and class prejudice, duty and honour, pride and jealousy --they’re all there. In fact, I couldn’t see how our pairing could get it all sorted by the end of the book (which is a rarity - usually I roll my eyes with the simplicity of how things could be sorted).
For those who aren’t so keen on romance, Lee and Miller do throw in a bit of an assassination/murder plot, but I thought this was actually their weakest moment. The crimes go unnoticed by most of the characters even though they’re quite obvious and, eventually, the perpetrators are dispatched with relative ease and there wasn’t a real resolution (I suppose it might be brought up again in subsequent books).
The Liaden universe, obviously considering there are over 20 primary books and several short stories in the series, is a complex and well developed setting which I thought found just the right balance of scifi to realism. Like most scifi, there’s an effortless inclusion of diversity (I’m pretty sure Anne is a POC) and modern ideas regarding sexuality (I got the sense Er Thom, like Aral in the Vorkosigan Saga, is bisexual even though this wasn’t explicitly said). There’s other interesting modern scifi inclusions, like the acceptance and wide use of counselling, as well as some more traditional and overused things, like Shan being a powerful wizard (insert eye roll).
Overall, I enjoyed the book and will give others in the series a go but I didn’t fall instantly in love with it like I did Connie Willis’s Oxford books or the Vorkosigan series. 4 out of 5
April 2, 2015
Good solid sci-fi story with a refreshing focus on well-drawn characters and human-scaled conflicts about duty to self vs. duty to tribe, love vs. family, and the challenges of raising a child torn between two cultures. Probably longer than it needs to be, and though it does avoid info-dumps, it ends up if anything a bit too sparing of details, especially for someone totally unfamiliar with Liaden as I was. But the authors have imagined a remarkably complex culture in Liaden, inventing an incredible amount of detail on linguistic forms, clothing, address and the tiniest nuances of manner. Recommended for fans of sci-fi with a focus on human relationships and culture, rather than space battles and (faux) science.
November 21, 2009
I like my ending HEA and so Lee and Miller give me problems with their romantic resolutions in some of their books. Not so with this one. Probably the most "romance" of their space opera / anthropology Liaden Universe series, that's also probably why I like it best. I started the universe with this book, and it's the only one I ended up keeping. (Though I did dither over a few of the others during one of my many book shelf purges, but this is the one I always come back to.)
If you are a fan of romantic sci-fi this book should be on your too read list. More sci-fi and anthropology than it is romance, there is just something about the details of this universe that seem to have wide-scale appeal.
Be warned, though, some of the later books in this series are OP and ridiculously hard to get hold of.
A word on co-authorships. I love love love male-female author pairingd. I don't know why but this dynamic always seems to add richness to the books, with excellent characterization and brilliant world-building. Doyle & McDonald and Feist & Wurts also have this dynamic in the bag.
If you are a fan of romantic sci-fi this book should be on your too read list. More sci-fi and anthropology than it is romance, there is just something about the details of this universe that seem to have wide-scale appeal.
Be warned, though, some of the later books in this series are OP and ridiculously hard to get hold of.
A word on co-authorships. I love love love male-female author pairingd. I don't know why but this dynamic always seems to add richness to the books, with excellent characterization and brilliant world-building. Doyle & McDonald and Feist & Wurts also have this dynamic in the bag.
March 5, 2015
3.5/5; 4 stars; B+
Bernadette Dunne was the narrator of this book. I have kind of gotten used to Andy Caploe's voice but this narrator did a good job too.
The good thing about listening to this story was I was more aware of the background conflict derived from the historical linguistics research that Anne Davis was part of. The bad thing was that after re-visiting the story I downgraded my rating. I didn't enjoy this one near as much as the Agent of Change story arc.
Bernadette Dunne was the narrator of this book. I have kind of gotten used to Andy Caploe's voice but this narrator did a good job too.
The good thing about listening to this story was I was more aware of the background conflict derived from the historical linguistics research that Anne Davis was part of. The bad thing was that after re-visiting the story I downgraded my rating. I didn't enjoy this one near as much as the Agent of Change story arc.
August 14, 2018
Oops, I meant to continue to Trade Secret after rereading Balance of Trade but I ended up thinking about this novel, another one about a Terran getting entangled in Liaden family life, this time through romance rather than apprenticeship, and rereading it instead.
This novel has felt... unusually slight since I first read it, and this latest reread did nothing to change that impression. I like it mainly for the glimpses we get of characters before the rest of the series happens (toddler Shan and his professor single mom! Delm Daav, and his close relationship with his brother!) than I do the romance, which... feels oddly structured and paced to me, and fixed more by a couple of deus ex machina than naturally grown, or the action plot, which feels imperfectly tacked on (surely a certain event on University would prompt a great deal more reaction from Anne than we see?) There are a handful of excerpts from Cantra's journals detailing the events later expanded into the Crystal duology that must have been tantalizing before those were available.
So, the romance... perhaps you've said to yourself at some point, self, what I really want is a regency romance, but in a space opera setting with culture clash between two spacefaring civilizations, with the secret baby trope and a single mother who's taller than her male interest and most other people around too, but she has to also be a musician, and he has to be highly qualified and very rich, and their son has to have a bright future as a space wizard, oh and they have to have a magical psychic link that trumps inconvenient social conventions.
If you have said that to yourself, this is, unquestionably, then this is in fact the story for you! If maybe not, wait to read this one until you're invested in the series. The companion novel, Scout's Progress, about Daav, is much better I think.
This novel has felt... unusually slight since I first read it, and this latest reread did nothing to change that impression. I like it mainly for the glimpses we get of characters before the rest of the series happens (toddler Shan and his professor single mom! Delm Daav, and his close relationship with his brother!) than I do the romance, which... feels oddly structured and paced to me, and fixed more by a couple of deus ex machina than naturally grown, or the action plot, which feels imperfectly tacked on (surely a certain event on University would prompt a great deal more reaction from Anne than we see?) There are a handful of excerpts from Cantra's journals detailing the events later expanded into the Crystal duology that must have been tantalizing before those were available.
So, the romance... perhaps you've said to yourself at some point, self, what I really want is a regency romance, but in a space opera setting with culture clash between two spacefaring civilizations, with the secret baby trope and a single mother who's taller than her male interest and most other people around too, but she has to also be a musician, and he has to be highly qualified and very rich, and their son has to have a bright future as a space wizard, oh and they have to have a magical psychic link that trumps inconvenient social conventions.
If you have said that to yourself, this is, unquestionably, then this is in fact the story for you! If maybe not, wait to read this one until you're invested in the series. The companion novel, Scout's Progress, about Daav, is much better I think.
May 28, 2015
This is a great story with a lot of subtle layers.
It is at it's base a love story. A rather intense love story.
But then you add in some intercultural challenges. Er Thom is an heir of the prime clan on the planet Liaden. Anne is a simple scholar from Earth. They meet and have an intense relationship for a bit before he must leave Earth to continue on with his life and the duty of his station on his planet. Both Er Thom is drawn back to Anne, unable to forget her. As they reconnect he and Anne struggle with doing what is right for both of them and their child. But Er Thom has the added fillip of needing to fulfill the necessary obligation to his line, his clan and his honor.
Include a dash of soapy goodness. It is a secret baby plot! They have a child together. As per her 'local custom' she gives the child his father's surname. When Er Thom discovers he is a father, he has an obligation to make sure his child is acknowledged by his clan on his planet as per his 'local custom.' But they are unsuited as the Liadens generally look down on Terrans. And his mother is NOT pleased with his jumped up girlfriend. There are some a few great confrontational scenes that could be worthy of any glitzy soap.
Finish it up with some solid world-building. We learn a lot about the Liaden culture and peoples through their language. Anne is a linguist and she understands how the Liadens communicate and many of the nuances in their language are integral in how the society interacts. But even so, she manages to miss some cues and this causes some misunderstandings between her and Er Thom. I loved that the author used language as the way to convey the cultural differences between Er Thom and Anne. It was an elegant way to introduce a system.
This was a really good, solid science fiction romance that does what SFR is supposed to do, it balances very well both the science fiction and the romance and seamlessly integrates both into a wholly satifying story.
It is at it's base a love story. A rather intense love story.
But then you add in some intercultural challenges. Er Thom is an heir of the prime clan on the planet Liaden. Anne is a simple scholar from Earth. They meet and have an intense relationship for a bit before he must leave Earth to continue on with his life and the duty of his station on his planet. Both Er Thom is drawn back to Anne, unable to forget her. As they reconnect he and Anne struggle with doing what is right for both of them and their child. But Er Thom has the added fillip of needing to fulfill the necessary obligation to his line, his clan and his honor.
Include a dash of soapy goodness. It is a secret baby plot! They have a child together. As per her 'local custom' she gives the child his father's surname. When Er Thom discovers he is a father, he has an obligation to make sure his child is acknowledged by his clan on his planet as per his 'local custom.' But they are unsuited as the Liadens generally look down on Terrans. And his mother is NOT pleased with his jumped up girlfriend. There are some a few great confrontational scenes that could be worthy of any glitzy soap.
Finish it up with some solid world-building. We learn a lot about the Liaden culture and peoples through their language. Anne is a linguist and she understands how the Liadens communicate and many of the nuances in their language are integral in how the society interacts. But even so, she manages to miss some cues and this causes some misunderstandings between her and Er Thom. I loved that the author used language as the way to convey the cultural differences between Er Thom and Anne. It was an elegant way to introduce a system.
This was a really good, solid science fiction romance that does what SFR is supposed to do, it balances very well both the science fiction and the romance and seamlessly integrates both into a wholly satifying story.
April 22, 2024
I honestly don't know any more superlatives to give this series. So, I will just say that I enjoyed this entry as much as the other six books I have read.
04/29/2018: Starting to re-read this.
04/30/2018: Just as good as the first read through. So good, this series is like literary crack.
03/04/2020: I am starting this book again. I love these books where you meet the characters.
03/23/2o22: I re-read this again. I may read the entire series again. As I have said before: literary crack.
04/22/2023: Another reread. I just changed the rating to 5.
04/22/24> I seem to be reading these around the same time each year. I keep seeing new things in them as well.
04/29/2018: Starting to re-read this.
04/30/2018: Just as good as the first read through. So good, this series is like literary crack.
03/04/2020: I am starting this book again. I love these books where you meet the characters.
03/23/2o22: I re-read this again. I may read the entire series again. As I have said before: literary crack.
04/22/2023: Another reread. I just changed the rating to 5.
04/22/24> I seem to be reading these around the same time each year. I keep seeing new things in them as well.
April 27, 2024
This is a romance in a SF setting. While formally #6 in Liaden Universe Series it is considered a good starting point. I’ve read accolades to the book and decided to try it. The novel is interesting and gives a glimpse of the universe, but it hasn’t captured my attention enough to continue the series.
The book starts with the following quote from the Charter of the Council of Clans Made in the Sixth Year After Planetfall, City of Solcintra, Liad: Each person shall provide his clan of origin with a child of his blood, who will be raised by the clan and belong to the clan, despite whatever may later occur to place the parent beyond the clan's authority. And this shall be Law for every person of every clan. In these few concise sentences the authors managed to give a wealth of information: that there are clans, in which personal is trumped by societal (a duty, “belong to the clan”), the genders have different powers (person – ‘his blood’) and there is no possibility of evading the rules. This is cleverly done.
At the start, we readers, meet Master trader Er Thom from Liaden, who is ordered in no uncertain terms by his mother (who leads the clan) that has to beget offspring soon and there should be now further delays. He concurs, but decides to visit Earth first to say goodbye to his love, scholar Anne Davis. However, meeting with her, Er finds out that she gave birth to his son and takes her and their son back to Liad, to present to his mother and the rest of the clan. Anne is a linguist, who is especially interested in Liaden language that has multiple modes with elaborate titles or descriptions like “Subordinate Person to Head of Line, seeking to recoup his error” or “greeted her with the bow between equals”. What follows is (sometimes steamy but quite innocent) romance between the two, misunderstandings due to different cultures and plain adventures.
The book reminded me of Vorkosigan Saga esp. the debut Shards of Honour, with such parallels as an Earth woman (with whom most readers can easily identify themselves), a foreign prince (I guess it is just because of fairytale traditions no ordinary man is good enough) and mutual attraction despite the almost opposite cultures.
The book starts with the following quote from the Charter of the Council of Clans Made in the Sixth Year After Planetfall, City of Solcintra, Liad: Each person shall provide his clan of origin with a child of his blood, who will be raised by the clan and belong to the clan, despite whatever may later occur to place the parent beyond the clan's authority. And this shall be Law for every person of every clan. In these few concise sentences the authors managed to give a wealth of information: that there are clans, in which personal is trumped by societal (a duty, “belong to the clan”), the genders have different powers (person – ‘his blood’) and there is no possibility of evading the rules. This is cleverly done.
At the start, we readers, meet Master trader Er Thom from Liaden, who is ordered in no uncertain terms by his mother (who leads the clan) that has to beget offspring soon and there should be now further delays. He concurs, but decides to visit Earth first to say goodbye to his love, scholar Anne Davis. However, meeting with her, Er finds out that she gave birth to his son and takes her and their son back to Liad, to present to his mother and the rest of the clan. Anne is a linguist, who is especially interested in Liaden language that has multiple modes with elaborate titles or descriptions like “Subordinate Person to Head of Line, seeking to recoup his error” or “greeted her with the bow between equals”. What follows is (sometimes steamy but quite innocent) romance between the two, misunderstandings due to different cultures and plain adventures.
The book reminded me of Vorkosigan Saga esp. the debut Shards of Honour, with such parallels as an Earth woman (with whom most readers can easily identify themselves), a foreign prince (I guess it is just because of fairytale traditions no ordinary man is good enough) and mutual attraction despite the almost opposite cultures.
October 10, 2012
Originally published at Reading Reality
I have been meaning to re-read the Liaden Universe books for a while now. I loved them when I initially read them (meaning I swallowed them whole) in 2005-2006, but haven't kept up with the newer ones. That "so many books, so little time" problem rears its ugly little head yet again.
When I heard that Audible was releasing the entire series in audio, I decided that was my opportunity. I could listen to everything! "Foolish Terran!"as the Liadens might say.
Sometimes when we revisit a beloved book we remember fondly, the re-read makes us wonder what we saw in it the first time. Memory does not hold up on close re-inspection. This was absolutely not the case with Liaden.
I started with Local Custom, because that's where I started the first time. There are multiple possible entry points for the Liaden Universe, but two of the traditional ones are Local Custom or Agent of Change. (Agent of Change was written first but Local Custom occurs first in the internal chronology with most of the same cast of characters.)
The story is every bit as marvelous the second time around as it was the first time. Possibly more so, as I understand the background without remembering every single detail of each individual book.
Local Custom is both space opera and romance. Er Thom yos'Galan knows his duty to his clan is to take a contract wife and provide his clan with an heir. Duty to the clan is everything to a Liaden. But his heart is still fixed on the Terran scholar Anne Davis, a woman he met while overseeing his clan's far-ranging business as a Master Trader. He should have let the thought of her go long since, but he cannot. So he takes leave of all his obligations, and they are more than Anne Davis ever knew they were, to see her one last time, and say a final "Goodbye". Only to discover that she has already given him his heir, not knowing that the Master Trader she loved is actually heir to the richest clan on Liaden. And that she and her son are now pawns in a deadly game.
Escape Rating A+: I wish I had more pluses to give. I started to listen to the Audible recording, and became so caught up in the story that I found myself hunting for excuses to do things that would let me listen longer. I wasn't getting anything else done!
I gave up and bought the entire ebook bundle from Baen, and finished the book that way. I enjoyed the audio, but it was just taking too long. My only regret about the audio is that Audible wasn't able to get the rights for the original audio recording by Michael Shanks. I would love to hear him read the story as Er Thom.
If you enjoy space opera, and have never read the Liaden Universe books, start now. If you like romance in your science fiction, start with Local Custom. If you prefer more adventure and intrigue in the mix, choose Agent of Change as your starting point. But start now.
I have been meaning to re-read the Liaden Universe books for a while now. I loved them when I initially read them (meaning I swallowed them whole) in 2005-2006, but haven't kept up with the newer ones. That "so many books, so little time" problem rears its ugly little head yet again.
When I heard that Audible was releasing the entire series in audio, I decided that was my opportunity. I could listen to everything! "Foolish Terran!"as the Liadens might say.
Sometimes when we revisit a beloved book we remember fondly, the re-read makes us wonder what we saw in it the first time. Memory does not hold up on close re-inspection. This was absolutely not the case with Liaden.
I started with Local Custom, because that's where I started the first time. There are multiple possible entry points for the Liaden Universe, but two of the traditional ones are Local Custom or Agent of Change. (Agent of Change was written first but Local Custom occurs first in the internal chronology with most of the same cast of characters.)
The story is every bit as marvelous the second time around as it was the first time. Possibly more so, as I understand the background without remembering every single detail of each individual book.
Local Custom is both space opera and romance. Er Thom yos'Galan knows his duty to his clan is to take a contract wife and provide his clan with an heir. Duty to the clan is everything to a Liaden. But his heart is still fixed on the Terran scholar Anne Davis, a woman he met while overseeing his clan's far-ranging business as a Master Trader. He should have let the thought of her go long since, but he cannot. So he takes leave of all his obligations, and they are more than Anne Davis ever knew they were, to see her one last time, and say a final "Goodbye". Only to discover that she has already given him his heir, not knowing that the Master Trader she loved is actually heir to the richest clan on Liaden. And that she and her son are now pawns in a deadly game.
Escape Rating A+: I wish I had more pluses to give. I started to listen to the Audible recording, and became so caught up in the story that I found myself hunting for excuses to do things that would let me listen longer. I wasn't getting anything else done!
I gave up and bought the entire ebook bundle from Baen, and finished the book that way. I enjoyed the audio, but it was just taking too long. My only regret about the audio is that Audible wasn't able to get the rights for the original audio recording by Michael Shanks. I would love to hear him read the story as Er Thom.
If you enjoy space opera, and have never read the Liaden Universe books, start now. If you like romance in your science fiction, start with Local Custom. If you prefer more adventure and intrigue in the mix, choose Agent of Change as your starting point. But start now.
July 20, 2016
Am not and never have been a huge fan of romance novels. Liaden adventures seem to be romance novels in a scifi setting. Not for me...
July 1, 2025
This is my first Liaden book, and I really enjoyed it! The introduction says the authors were inspired by Georgette Heyer, among others, and this has that delightful feel of her best books - more than a romance, the story of two people trying to navigate very different worlds. It also made me think of Shards of Honor by Bujold, whiah is the beginning of another wonderful series.
I rated this book down a bit because I thought he should have understood her problems a bit sooner, and she should have asked more questions. But those are small points for me, compared to the overall pleasure I got from reading this.
NB - I got this from Libby, it's part of The Dragon Variation, which contains Scout's Progress, which was also recommended as a good starting point, and Conflict of Honors. I'm looking forward to reading both.
I rated this book down a bit because I thought he should have understood her problems a bit sooner, and she should have asked more questions. But those are small points for me, compared to the overall pleasure I got from reading this.
NB - I got this from Libby, it's part of The Dragon Variation, which contains Scout's Progress, which was also recommended as a good starting point, and Conflict of Honors. I'm looking forward to reading both.
June 17, 2013
Chronologically, this follows Balance of Trade, set about 200-300 years earlier. I read this in
The Dragon Variation
e-book collection. In essence, this is a romance novel, complete with sex. It's not steeped in science fiction, with only one or two intergalactic flights and some empathic and telepathic exchanges. For the most part, it could have occurred on Earth, today or in the past. The authors suggest is is similar to a Regency Romance, set in ~1800 England. I would agree; there are lords and ladies, butlers and maids, bowing and scraping, and a fully prescribed set of social protocols.
Granted, there is a slight intrigue, including murder, but these scenes felt secondary, a device for Er Thom to prove his love and life-mate bond with Anne.
As a romance, the writing is decent, but not outstanding. A little boring and slow at times, but also moving and poignant. The big misunderstanding trope gets old in the romance genre, but at least it was contextualized as language and tradition barriers across cultures. The hero, Er Thom yos'Galan, is truly a sympathetic and admirable character. His pain almost brought a tear or two. The heroine, Anne Davis, a linguistics scholar, behaved exactly as I would have done, given the same set of circumstances.
Glad this book has a happy-ever-after ending.
My favorite secondary characters are little Shan and Pat Rin. Highly sympathetic. I disliked Kareen, causing her son (Pat Rin) nightmares. I liked Pat Rin's foster father, Luken bel Tarda, a rug merchant. Daav yos'Phelium (billionaire head of the Korval Clan) is an interesting, textured character. Could see more of him -- and will, in the sequel. I felt sorry for old Petrella, Er Thom's dying, pain-riddled mother, but also appalled by her cruelty.
Quibbles:
I read the series in chronological order, making this book number four. Some things ring true to the prequels, but I also felt a disconnect. In books one and two (Crystal Soldier (The Great Migration Duology, #1) and Crystal Dragon (The Great Migration Duology, #2) the authors make such a BIG DEAL of Jela's sentient tree, a ssussdriad. The characters talk to Tree, and Tree talks to them in images, warns them of perils, nourishes them, and medicates them with specially created seedpods. The relationship is familial.
As the front cover shows, Tree is important to this series. However, in this book, Tree (now ~1330 years old and towering over the valley) is simply admired. Er Thom, Anne, and young Shan are right there, at the foot of Jelaza Kazone (Tree's name means "Jela's fulfillment") and they barely even acknowledge it. Neither Er Thom nor Anne greet Tree, nor do they touch it. Tree offers no seedpods. (But Daav climbs Tree. So at least there's that.) So much for the wondrous race of ssussdriads, and this once-little treelet, who somehow held out against the world-eating shereikas.
Minor Quibble: I wanted more time spent between shy, wary Pat Rin (age 6) and his exuberantly outgoing new cousin Shan, age 3. And what was in the gift box? Lol.
Granted, there is a slight intrigue, including murder, but these scenes felt secondary, a device for Er Thom to prove his love and life-mate bond with Anne.
As a romance, the writing is decent, but not outstanding. A little boring and slow at times, but also moving and poignant. The big misunderstanding trope gets old in the romance genre, but at least it was contextualized as language and tradition barriers across cultures. The hero, Er Thom yos'Galan, is truly a sympathetic and admirable character. His pain almost brought a tear or two. The heroine, Anne Davis, a linguistics scholar, behaved exactly as I would have done, given the same set of circumstances.
Glad this book has a happy-ever-after ending.
My favorite secondary characters are little Shan and Pat Rin. Highly sympathetic. I disliked Kareen, causing her son (Pat Rin) nightmares. I liked Pat Rin's foster father, Luken bel Tarda, a rug merchant. Daav yos'Phelium (billionaire head of the Korval Clan) is an interesting, textured character. Could see more of him -- and will, in the sequel. I felt sorry for old Petrella, Er Thom's dying, pain-riddled mother, but also appalled by her cruelty.
Quibbles:
I read the series in chronological order, making this book number four. Some things ring true to the prequels, but I also felt a disconnect. In books one and two (Crystal Soldier (The Great Migration Duology, #1) and Crystal Dragon (The Great Migration Duology, #2) the authors make such a BIG DEAL of Jela's sentient tree, a ssussdriad. The characters talk to Tree, and Tree talks to them in images, warns them of perils, nourishes them, and medicates them with specially created seedpods. The relationship is familial.
As the front cover shows, Tree is important to this series. However, in this book, Tree (now ~1330 years old and towering over the valley) is simply admired. Er Thom, Anne, and young Shan are right there, at the foot of Jelaza Kazone (Tree's name means "Jela's fulfillment") and they barely even acknowledge it. Neither Er Thom nor Anne greet Tree, nor do they touch it. Tree offers no seedpods. (But Daav climbs Tree. So at least there's that.) So much for the wondrous race of ssussdriads, and this once-little treelet, who somehow held out against the world-eating shereikas.
Minor Quibble: I wanted more time spent between shy, wary Pat Rin (age 6) and his exuberantly outgoing new cousin Shan, age 3. And what was in the gift box? Lol.
June 15, 2010
A totally lovely reread of a series that has been a keeper ever since a friend introduced me to it. I moved to hardcover with the series and eagerly await new books.
I decided to go in chronological order for my reread and I found myself wondering if this would be the best way for a new reader to go. There were parts where I found myself harking back to what I could remember of the later books (which were, in fact, written first). It'll be interested to see what I think when I get up to the ones that were written first.
I have taken copious notes (does anyone know how to get the annotations I've put on a Stanza ebook back off the phone to save for future reference?) mostly on things I think might be important later. Doing this, does make me feel like I've taken the entirety of the book on board this time, which I don't think I did on a first reading where I was eager to see where the story went. These are definitely books that need to be reread.
I could see some of the romance tropes the authors choose to use in their SF book - mostly the "big misunderstanding" where the hero and heroine are at odds over something that could be solved with a conversation. The difference here is that Lee and Miller had it work by introducing the differing "local customs" of Liad and Terra, so even when Er Thom and Anne thought they were communicating, they were sometimes at cross purposes without knowing it because of their different base points of understanding. This is a major part of the book - it is its title after all - and I think it is done well. As is the resolution, when finally, each works out that they had taken the other's words according to their own meaning and takes the time to work out what the other had meant according to that other's own understanding.
I am really enjoying rereading the series, and I look forward to picking up Scout's Progress after a break reading something else. The random number generator picked Melanie Rawn's Dragon Prince, so I'll give that a try tomorrow morning.
I decided to go in chronological order for my reread and I found myself wondering if this would be the best way for a new reader to go. There were parts where I found myself harking back to what I could remember of the later books (which were, in fact, written first). It'll be interested to see what I think when I get up to the ones that were written first.
I have taken copious notes (does anyone know how to get the annotations I've put on a Stanza ebook back off the phone to save for future reference?) mostly on things I think might be important later. Doing this, does make me feel like I've taken the entirety of the book on board this time, which I don't think I did on a first reading where I was eager to see where the story went. These are definitely books that need to be reread.
I could see some of the romance tropes the authors choose to use in their SF book - mostly the "big misunderstanding" where the hero and heroine are at odds over something that could be solved with a conversation. The difference here is that Lee and Miller had it work by introducing the differing "local customs" of Liad and Terra, so even when Er Thom and Anne thought they were communicating, they were sometimes at cross purposes without knowing it because of their different base points of understanding. This is a major part of the book - it is its title after all - and I think it is done well. As is the resolution, when finally, each works out that they had taken the other's words according to their own meaning and takes the time to work out what the other had meant according to that other's own understanding.
I am really enjoying rereading the series, and I look forward to picking up Scout's Progress after a break reading something else. The random number generator picked Melanie Rawn's Dragon Prince, so I'll give that a try tomorrow morning.
March 23, 2020
This is one of my favorite science fiction romances. I have read it more times than I can count. Er Thom yos'Galan, Clan Korval, falls in love with linguistics scholar Anne Davis. But the fact that they are from two very different cultures causes a lot of misunderstanding and pain until they work through a way to their "happily ever after." I love the language, the melodrama, and the story.
********
This episode in the Liaden Universe is definitely a romance - a cross-cultural romance. Er Thom yos'Galan is a Liaden trader and a member of the very prominent Clan Korval. When it comes time to make a contract marriage to give his clan his heir, he decides that he needs to see Terran scholar Anne Davis one last time since he hasn't been able to get her out of his mind or heart despite not seeing her for the past three years.
Anne has a surprise for him though. She chose to have his child and name him Shan yos'Galan. This brings up all sorts of problems for Er Thom. He knows that any yos'Galan child needs to be seen by the Delm of Korval. But Anne, who has studied Liaden literature and has corresponded with a Liaden scholar, doesn't realize the implications of having a yos'Galan child. In her culture the child's last name is a way of honoring the father of her child.
Anne needs to go to Liad because the scholar she was corresponding with about a common root language between Terran, Liaden and Yxtrang has died with his files in particular disarray. His colleagues have asked Anne to organize and publish his work as a last gift to the scholar. Unfortunately, there are some Liadens who are determined that this work not be published.
I liked this story very much. I could easily see how two different cultures would clash in this way - each believing that they understood the other's point of view. It was a very emotionally intense story well told by Bernadette Dunne who used a variety of interesting voices for the characters. Her ability to portray the emotions in the various situations was masterful.
********
This episode in the Liaden Universe is definitely a romance - a cross-cultural romance. Er Thom yos'Galan is a Liaden trader and a member of the very prominent Clan Korval. When it comes time to make a contract marriage to give his clan his heir, he decides that he needs to see Terran scholar Anne Davis one last time since he hasn't been able to get her out of his mind or heart despite not seeing her for the past three years.
Anne has a surprise for him though. She chose to have his child and name him Shan yos'Galan. This brings up all sorts of problems for Er Thom. He knows that any yos'Galan child needs to be seen by the Delm of Korval. But Anne, who has studied Liaden literature and has corresponded with a Liaden scholar, doesn't realize the implications of having a yos'Galan child. In her culture the child's last name is a way of honoring the father of her child.
Anne needs to go to Liad because the scholar she was corresponding with about a common root language between Terran, Liaden and Yxtrang has died with his files in particular disarray. His colleagues have asked Anne to organize and publish his work as a last gift to the scholar. Unfortunately, there are some Liadens who are determined that this work not be published.
I liked this story very much. I could easily see how two different cultures would clash in this way - each believing that they understood the other's point of view. It was a very emotionally intense story well told by Bernadette Dunne who used a variety of interesting voices for the characters. Her ability to portray the emotions in the various situations was masterful.
June 21, 2015
Full review at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
Local Custom stressed me out so much that I kept skipping to the ending and reading it over and over again just to make sure everything would be OK. I can’t say it was a relaxing read, but it was a far more realistic, and ultimately very rewarding, depiction of a romance between a human and a person who is arguably human in genetic terms but very alien in terms of culture.
Local Custom is part of the Liaden universe series by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. It was the fifth book in the series to be published but chronologically it’s the first in the series. The book starts with an awkward reunion between Anne, a Terran, and Er Thom, a Liaden. Terra and Liaden are different planets although the human populations share a distant genetic background connection. There are physical differences but no tentacles or anything. However, the cultural differences are huge, with the Liadens living in a sort of feudal high-tech society with a complex social code organized around the concept of melant’i, which involves honor and “face”.
This book is not, strictly speaking, a romance novel, and yet it totally is. Yes, the romance was formed before the book starts, but it’s in this book that the couple has to make it work, and it all comes down to how much will they sacrifice for each other and how much do they trust each other.
Sometimes romances are just frothy fun. Sometimes shit gets real. As Jennifer Crusie says in Bet Me (another book that pulls of the Big Mis trope), “This fairy tale thing…it’s not for kids.” It’s hard watching two grown-ups navigate painful stuff but it’s also thrilling, because, hello, GROWN-UPS. That thing where Er Thom refuses to allow himself to be pissy about Jerzy’s close relationship with Shan is a grown-up quote, y’all. And there’s plenty of fun stuff, too.
- Carrie S.
Local Custom stressed me out so much that I kept skipping to the ending and reading it over and over again just to make sure everything would be OK. I can’t say it was a relaxing read, but it was a far more realistic, and ultimately very rewarding, depiction of a romance between a human and a person who is arguably human in genetic terms but very alien in terms of culture.
Local Custom is part of the Liaden universe series by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. It was the fifth book in the series to be published but chronologically it’s the first in the series. The book starts with an awkward reunion between Anne, a Terran, and Er Thom, a Liaden. Terra and Liaden are different planets although the human populations share a distant genetic background connection. There are physical differences but no tentacles or anything. However, the cultural differences are huge, with the Liadens living in a sort of feudal high-tech society with a complex social code organized around the concept of melant’i, which involves honor and “face”.
This book is not, strictly speaking, a romance novel, and yet it totally is. Yes, the romance was formed before the book starts, but it’s in this book that the couple has to make it work, and it all comes down to how much will they sacrifice for each other and how much do they trust each other.
Sometimes romances are just frothy fun. Sometimes shit gets real. As Jennifer Crusie says in Bet Me (another book that pulls of the Big Mis trope), “This fairy tale thing…it’s not for kids.” It’s hard watching two grown-ups navigate painful stuff but it’s also thrilling, because, hello, GROWN-UPS. That thing where Er Thom refuses to allow himself to be pissy about Jerzy’s close relationship with Shan is a grown-up quote, y’all. And there’s plenty of fun stuff, too.
- Carrie S.
March 15, 2010
Just reread this for sheer pleasure. After loaning it to my cousin who doesn't read much SF I can see that the volume of jargon could easily waylay someone who is new to the Liaden universe and/or not accustomed to reading SF/F, with it's tendency to layer on the language differences.
But Lee and Miller write as if they themselves were Liadens, with delicacy and a sensitivity to nuance that seems "other"; they use certain words and terms in a way that has really become their own - certain ones pop up frequently, i.e. "ghosting" to describe someone sneaking light-footed down a hallway. Also a tendency to anthropomorphize inanimate objects, in a way that has become dear to me. This book and its companion featuring Daav and Aelliana are closer to studies of culture and culture-clash than the rest of the Liaden ouvre (far more space opera and action/adventure). Once one gets into this book the amazing portrayal of how hard it is to understand cultural differences comes to the fore.
But Lee and Miller write as if they themselves were Liadens, with delicacy and a sensitivity to nuance that seems "other"; they use certain words and terms in a way that has really become their own - certain ones pop up frequently, i.e. "ghosting" to describe someone sneaking light-footed down a hallway. Also a tendency to anthropomorphize inanimate objects, in a way that has become dear to me. This book and its companion featuring Daav and Aelliana are closer to studies of culture and culture-clash than the rest of the Liaden ouvre (far more space opera and action/adventure). Once one gets into this book the amazing portrayal of how hard it is to understand cultural differences comes to the fore.
February 9, 2008
Culture clash! Epic culture clash! Glorious, unrepentant epic culture clash!
I'm really not objective about this one -- there is nothing I like more than epic unrepentant culture clash in all its myriad forms -- but then again, who is objective about the books they love? I can't decide if this is the perfect introduction to the Liaden universe -- as again, it is a side-story, taking us back to the previous generation -- or if it's a treat that should be saved for later on once the reader has more background and familiarity with the cultures involved. But either way, this one is an old friend.
I'm really not objective about this one -- there is nothing I like more than epic unrepentant culture clash in all its myriad forms -- but then again, who is objective about the books they love? I can't decide if this is the perfect introduction to the Liaden universe -- as again, it is a side-story, taking us back to the previous generation -- or if it's a treat that should be saved for later on once the reader has more background and familiarity with the cultures involved. But either way, this one is an old friend.
October 30, 2025
I recall liking this pretty well except that Er Thom spends a lot of time with tears in his eyes. Not my favorite mode for anyone, male or female. As I reread I see that this is a superior introduction to Liaden ways and culture than Balance of Trade. You do have to be ready for the two lovers to spend a lot of time misunderstanding each other ( hence the Local Custom title). An enjoyable book overall.
December 6, 2023
This episode is perhaps the least of the series. Its conflict hinges on miscommunications and assumptions, which is a weak trope. On the plus side, I found the young Shan cute as all get out.
January 18, 2025
As a fan of Georgette Heyers Regency Romances and of Sci Fi this book was a wonderful marriage between the two! Heyer is even mentioned as an influence by the authors themselves.
The fourth book I’ve read in the Liaden Universe, this volume was structured like a Romance novel. A bit different from the others (spy thriller and YA coming of age) but as a fan of Romance I did appreciate it a lot.
I liked both the characters of Er Thom and Anne but they weren’t my favorite members of Clan Korval. Baby Shan and a young Pat Rin make an appearance as well.
It’s set on the planet Liad, which I haven’t visited before, so seeing the similarities to The Ton was amusing. Announcing the Clan marriages and births in the newspaper just like historical England.
We even get to know more about the Clan founder Cantra and I know she has her own books so I’ll be excited to get to those eventually.
On to the next book, which seems to be about Daav.
The fourth book I’ve read in the Liaden Universe, this volume was structured like a Romance novel. A bit different from the others (spy thriller and YA coming of age) but as a fan of Romance I did appreciate it a lot.
I liked both the characters of Er Thom and Anne but they weren’t my favorite members of Clan Korval. Baby Shan and a young Pat Rin make an appearance as well.
It’s set on the planet Liad, which I haven’t visited before, so seeing the similarities to The Ton was amusing. Announcing the Clan marriages and births in the newspaper just like historical England.
We even get to know more about the Clan founder Cantra and I know she has her own books so I’ll be excited to get to those eventually.
On to the next book, which seems to be about Daav.
May 2, 2025
Pulpy sci-fi isn't my usual go-to, and i am completely unfamiliar with the authors of this book, and the universe they have created. However, this was gifted to me by a good friend to mark a special occasion, and so i was more than willing to give it a go.
Local Custom had slightly odd pacing, as it seemed very slow going initially, before suddenly exploding into life in the final 50 pages or so. I enjoyed the political aspects of it, particularly the scheming and plotting of different characters. The romance aspects were at timed secondary to this in my estimation, but the ending was excellent, particularly the final chapter, and concluded as i hoped it would.
The language used throughout, both from the Liadens, and at times from Ann, took some getting used to and frequent references to the glossary to the rear, but soon became second nature to read.
Overall, i am not sure if i will read more books in the extended Liaden universe, but i absolutely enjoyed this book for what it was and appreciated it being gifted to me in this way. It was nice to read something a little outside of my comfort zone, whilst sticking to my habit of trying to dabble in sci-fi more these days.
Local Custom had slightly odd pacing, as it seemed very slow going initially, before suddenly exploding into life in the final 50 pages or so. I enjoyed the political aspects of it, particularly the scheming and plotting of different characters. The romance aspects were at timed secondary to this in my estimation, but the ending was excellent, particularly the final chapter, and concluded as i hoped it would.
The language used throughout, both from the Liadens, and at times from Ann, took some getting used to and frequent references to the glossary to the rear, but soon became second nature to read.
Overall, i am not sure if i will read more books in the extended Liaden universe, but i absolutely enjoyed this book for what it was and appreciated it being gifted to me in this way. It was nice to read something a little outside of my comfort zone, whilst sticking to my habit of trying to dabble in sci-fi more these days.
April 13, 2020
What an amazing book, this series reads like a space opera with all the twists and turns you would expect. I am about to immerse myself in everything Liaden during this period of self isolation. I originally read the what is now books 4(Conflict of Honors), 5(Agent of Change) and 6 (Carpe Diem) in the late 80's and have had them on my keeper shelf ever since. Now that I have the rest of the series I will reread them in the order they are placed time wise. So let the play begin................
March 20, 2021
It is now 3:04am. I stayed up until then to finish reading the book. This was so good! I loved the reverse height distance. I loved the closeness and the love. So good!
November 25, 2021
I enjoyed this science fiction romance. I liked reading Shan’s parents’ story. Nicely narrated on audio.
April 10, 2018
http://delivreenlivres.blogspot.fr/20...
Ce tome nous introduit de nouveaux personnages, les parents d'un de ceux que nous suivions dans les précédents. J'ai trouvé qu'il faisait une bonne introduction au monde en nous montrant vraiment les coutumes de Liad en opposition à celle des humains (qui sont plus proches des nôtres actuelles). Après, comme tout tome d'introduction d'un couple nous parlant de leur rencontre, c'est aussi une romance, que j'ai trouvé un peu trop présente, mais c'était tout de même une bonne lecture.
Dans ce préquel nous rencontrons Anne, une humaine qui travaille comme linguiste dans une université. Son sujet d'étude est les origines des trois langues principales parlées dans le monde à savoir le Liaden, l'humain et celui des Yxtrang et le lien qu'ils peuvent avoir.
Celle ci souhaite avoir un enfant et a commencé les démarches pour se faire féconder in-vitro. Mais un soir lors d'une fête elle rencontre par hasard Er Thom un jeune marchand Liaden. Les deux s'entendent bien et finissent la soirée ensemble. Ils se séparent mais Anne s'aperçoit peu après qu'elle est enceinte et décide de garder cet enfant. Après tout pourquoi pas, elle n'avais pas de choix particulier de père donc celui ci est aussi bien qu'un autre, et comme de coutume dans son monde d'origine elle donne à son enfant le nom de famille de son père.
Trois années passent et nous retrouvons Er Thom qui se retrouve à un tournant de sa vie. En effet tout Liad doit donner un héritier à son clan et ce le plus tôt possible car l'espace est un lieu très dangereux donc il vaut mieux donc faire cela avant de partir l'explorer. Mais Er Thom c'est dérobé à ce devoir depuis trop longtemps et il va devoir vraiment s'y mettre même si il n'est absolument pas enthousiaste sur la question.
Pour lui qui a voyagé de partout, une épouse Liad, même temporaire (parce que les mariages ne durent que 18 mois quand leur but est de produire un enfant), semble totalement terne. En effet depuis 3 ans il n'arrive pas à se retirer l'humaine (Anne) qu'il avait rencontré par hasard de la tête et aucune autre femme n'a d'effet à ses yeux depuis.
Il décide donc de retourner sur la planète en question pour essayer de retrouver Anne en espérant que la revoir ou lui parler fasse évoluer la situation. Mais quelle n'est pas sa surprise quand il la retrouve de découvrir son enfant qui en plus porte le nom de son clan !
En effet, si il est évidemment surpris par l'enfant qui est très intelligent et avancé pour son age, et de se découvrir toujours aussi intéressé par la mère, ce qui le surprend le plus c'est que sur Liad les noms sont très importants et on ne donnerais jamais le nom principal du clan à un enfant que celui ci ne connait pas. C'est un choc pour lui car c'est une situation qui devrait normalement être totalement impossible.
Pour rectifier le coup il arrive à convaincre Anne que l'enfant à besoin du clan dont il porte le nom et donc qu'elle va devoir voyager avec lui sur Liad pour le présenter officiellement à sa famille.
Commence le début d'une histoire qui sera marqué par les différences incompréhensibles entre les deux peuples et la façon dont nos personnages vont arriver à les surmonter pour pouvoir rester ensemble ...
Je pense que si quelqu'un me posait la question, je lui dirais de commencer la série par ce tome même si c'est le 5ième par ordre d'édition. En effet ce tome ci est vraiment très intéressant pour découvrir les coutumes et les façons d'être Liaden (vu que vous l'aurez compris c'est totalement le point central de l'intrigue). Le fait que ça soit une romance n'est pas non plus un défaut en soi, la saga Vorkosigan commençait aussi par une romance (et aussi par la rencontre des parents) et ça n'a jamais gêné personne.
Vous l'aurez compris, ce tome ci explore bien plus en détail la culture Liadan que les précédents.
Ceux ci sont un peuple un peu comme les Japonnais d'avant il y a une 50ène d'années. Ils sont très porté sur l'honneur (appelé melant'i et pour lequel ils sont capable de tuer ou de se suicider) et rassemblés en Clans. La hiérarchie y est limite féodale et est extrêmement importante. En plus ils sont physiquement différents des humains (ils sont plus petits et ont la peau qui a des tons dorés) ce qui fait qu'ils discriminent directement les non Liaden comme n'étant pas aussi raffinés qu'eux.
Étant donné que Anne est linguiste on parle beaucoup de leur langage dans ce tome. Ils ont en fait 3 langages différents pour s'exprimer suivant la situation. Le low Liaden qui ne sert que dans une situation familiale entre personnes qui se connaissent, notamment avec les enfants, le Trade qui est le langage du commerce (vu qu'ils sont avant tout un grand peuple marchand) et finalement le High Liaden qui est utilisé dans tout le reste et qui est la langage officiel.
En plus de cela ces trois langages possèdent ce qu'on pourrait appeler des modes. Suivant le type de conversation : deux personnes amies, une personne qui souhaite se faire un ami, un invité face à un officiel, une personne inférieur qui parle à un supérieur, etc ... le langage change. Il y en a plus d'une 30ènes de modes différents pour le High Liaden par exemple et se tromper de mode peut résulter en un crime aussi important que si on avait insulté ouvertement la personne en face. D'une phrase sur l'autre dans la même conversation on peut changer de mode et faire ainsi évoluer la conversation dans un tout autre sens.
Ils ont également des gestes et des postures non verbales qui sont inclus aux conversations ainsi que des salutations (de type courbette), qui peuvent avoir des dizaines de significations différentes et qui sont finalement aussi importants que tout le reste.
Bref tout ça est très complexe mais en même temps totalement fascinant. J'avoue que dans les premiers tomes de la série j'avais un peu de mal à cerner les Liaden. Mais ce tome ci est vraiment une plongée dans ce peuple et nous permet vraiment de comprendre leur façon d'être.
Au niveau des personnages, j'avoue que je n'ai pas été vraiment super impressionnée par le couple qu'on suis. Ça ne m'a pas empêché de les apprécier bien sur, mais je préfère largement la génération suivante pour l'instant au niveau émotionnel.
Er Thom est quelqu'un qui présente un visage assez effacé mais qui se révèle en fait être très émotif à l'intérieur. D'ailleurs c'est lui dés le début qui avoue son amour à Anne et fait tout pour qu'ils se rapprochent malgré leurs différences, alors que celle ci pense à peine le connaitre.
Anne de son coté m'a semblé un peu naïve. Elle maitrise le langage Liaden, qui pourtant est réputé être impossible pour une personne qui ne serait pas née dans la culture, et pourtant elle enchaîne les bourdes comme si finalement elle ne connaissait rien du tout à leurs mœurs. Ce qui est contradictoire d'un coté même si je veux bien comprendre qu'elle c'est uniquement concentré sur le langage, qui était déjà une épreuve suffisamment complexe pour ne pas s'être renseigné sur tout le reste.
Mais il y a un personnage qui m'a vraiment marqué dans cette histoire et que j'espère de tout cœur retrouver plus tard (et maintenant je sais que ça sera le cas donc je suis joie), il s'agit du cousin d'Er Thom : Daav. C'est un personnage vraiment très complexe et mystérieux qui jongle entre ses différentes responsabilités avec brio. Il m'a vraiment impressionné et le peu ou on l'a suivi dans ce tome me donne vraiment envie d'en savoir plus sur lui.
En tout cas la situation du Clan Korval à cette génération la semble finalement aussi complexe qu'elle ne l'est pour la génération suivante qu'on avait suivi jusqu'ici et je pense que les auteurs ont vraiment fait le bon choix de nous présenter le passé de ces personnages la avant de nous en reparler dans le futur (comme c'était le cas à la fin de Plan B).
Au final je dirais que cette lecture a été passionnante par les informations qu'elle nous distille sur cette génération de personnages et tous les impacts que cela peut avoir sur l'histoire principale des tomes précédents. Elle a aussi été vraiment très intéressante par les détails qu'elle nous apporte sur la langue et les coutumes Liaden. Même si globalement l'histoire était pour moi plus une excuse pour nous faire explorer le monde et nous expliquer la situation des parents des héros, et qu'elle était un peu trop portée sur la romance à mon gout, j'ai quand même passé un excellent moment.
16/20
Ce tome nous introduit de nouveaux personnages, les parents d'un de ceux que nous suivions dans les précédents. J'ai trouvé qu'il faisait une bonne introduction au monde en nous montrant vraiment les coutumes de Liad en opposition à celle des humains (qui sont plus proches des nôtres actuelles). Après, comme tout tome d'introduction d'un couple nous parlant de leur rencontre, c'est aussi une romance, que j'ai trouvé un peu trop présente, mais c'était tout de même une bonne lecture.
Dans ce préquel nous rencontrons Anne, une humaine qui travaille comme linguiste dans une université. Son sujet d'étude est les origines des trois langues principales parlées dans le monde à savoir le Liaden, l'humain et celui des Yxtrang et le lien qu'ils peuvent avoir.
Celle ci souhaite avoir un enfant et a commencé les démarches pour se faire féconder in-vitro. Mais un soir lors d'une fête elle rencontre par hasard Er Thom un jeune marchand Liaden. Les deux s'entendent bien et finissent la soirée ensemble. Ils se séparent mais Anne s'aperçoit peu après qu'elle est enceinte et décide de garder cet enfant. Après tout pourquoi pas, elle n'avais pas de choix particulier de père donc celui ci est aussi bien qu'un autre, et comme de coutume dans son monde d'origine elle donne à son enfant le nom de famille de son père.
Trois années passent et nous retrouvons Er Thom qui se retrouve à un tournant de sa vie. En effet tout Liad doit donner un héritier à son clan et ce le plus tôt possible car l'espace est un lieu très dangereux donc il vaut mieux donc faire cela avant de partir l'explorer. Mais Er Thom c'est dérobé à ce devoir depuis trop longtemps et il va devoir vraiment s'y mettre même si il n'est absolument pas enthousiaste sur la question.
Pour lui qui a voyagé de partout, une épouse Liad, même temporaire (parce que les mariages ne durent que 18 mois quand leur but est de produire un enfant), semble totalement terne. En effet depuis 3 ans il n'arrive pas à se retirer l'humaine (Anne) qu'il avait rencontré par hasard de la tête et aucune autre femme n'a d'effet à ses yeux depuis.
Il décide donc de retourner sur la planète en question pour essayer de retrouver Anne en espérant que la revoir ou lui parler fasse évoluer la situation. Mais quelle n'est pas sa surprise quand il la retrouve de découvrir son enfant qui en plus porte le nom de son clan !
En effet, si il est évidemment surpris par l'enfant qui est très intelligent et avancé pour son age, et de se découvrir toujours aussi intéressé par la mère, ce qui le surprend le plus c'est que sur Liad les noms sont très importants et on ne donnerais jamais le nom principal du clan à un enfant que celui ci ne connait pas. C'est un choc pour lui car c'est une situation qui devrait normalement être totalement impossible.
Pour rectifier le coup il arrive à convaincre Anne que l'enfant à besoin du clan dont il porte le nom et donc qu'elle va devoir voyager avec lui sur Liad pour le présenter officiellement à sa famille.
Commence le début d'une histoire qui sera marqué par les différences incompréhensibles entre les deux peuples et la façon dont nos personnages vont arriver à les surmonter pour pouvoir rester ensemble ...
Je pense que si quelqu'un me posait la question, je lui dirais de commencer la série par ce tome même si c'est le 5ième par ordre d'édition. En effet ce tome ci est vraiment très intéressant pour découvrir les coutumes et les façons d'être Liaden (vu que vous l'aurez compris c'est totalement le point central de l'intrigue). Le fait que ça soit une romance n'est pas non plus un défaut en soi, la saga Vorkosigan commençait aussi par une romance (et aussi par la rencontre des parents) et ça n'a jamais gêné personne.
Vous l'aurez compris, ce tome ci explore bien plus en détail la culture Liadan que les précédents.
Ceux ci sont un peuple un peu comme les Japonnais d'avant il y a une 50ène d'années. Ils sont très porté sur l'honneur (appelé melant'i et pour lequel ils sont capable de tuer ou de se suicider) et rassemblés en Clans. La hiérarchie y est limite féodale et est extrêmement importante. En plus ils sont physiquement différents des humains (ils sont plus petits et ont la peau qui a des tons dorés) ce qui fait qu'ils discriminent directement les non Liaden comme n'étant pas aussi raffinés qu'eux.
Étant donné que Anne est linguiste on parle beaucoup de leur langage dans ce tome. Ils ont en fait 3 langages différents pour s'exprimer suivant la situation. Le low Liaden qui ne sert que dans une situation familiale entre personnes qui se connaissent, notamment avec les enfants, le Trade qui est le langage du commerce (vu qu'ils sont avant tout un grand peuple marchand) et finalement le High Liaden qui est utilisé dans tout le reste et qui est la langage officiel.
En plus de cela ces trois langages possèdent ce qu'on pourrait appeler des modes. Suivant le type de conversation : deux personnes amies, une personne qui souhaite se faire un ami, un invité face à un officiel, une personne inférieur qui parle à un supérieur, etc ... le langage change. Il y en a plus d'une 30ènes de modes différents pour le High Liaden par exemple et se tromper de mode peut résulter en un crime aussi important que si on avait insulté ouvertement la personne en face. D'une phrase sur l'autre dans la même conversation on peut changer de mode et faire ainsi évoluer la conversation dans un tout autre sens.
Ils ont également des gestes et des postures non verbales qui sont inclus aux conversations ainsi que des salutations (de type courbette), qui peuvent avoir des dizaines de significations différentes et qui sont finalement aussi importants que tout le reste.
Bref tout ça est très complexe mais en même temps totalement fascinant. J'avoue que dans les premiers tomes de la série j'avais un peu de mal à cerner les Liaden. Mais ce tome ci est vraiment une plongée dans ce peuple et nous permet vraiment de comprendre leur façon d'être.
Au niveau des personnages, j'avoue que je n'ai pas été vraiment super impressionnée par le couple qu'on suis. Ça ne m'a pas empêché de les apprécier bien sur, mais je préfère largement la génération suivante pour l'instant au niveau émotionnel.
Er Thom est quelqu'un qui présente un visage assez effacé mais qui se révèle en fait être très émotif à l'intérieur. D'ailleurs c'est lui dés le début qui avoue son amour à Anne et fait tout pour qu'ils se rapprochent malgré leurs différences, alors que celle ci pense à peine le connaitre.
Anne de son coté m'a semblé un peu naïve. Elle maitrise le langage Liaden, qui pourtant est réputé être impossible pour une personne qui ne serait pas née dans la culture, et pourtant elle enchaîne les bourdes comme si finalement elle ne connaissait rien du tout à leurs mœurs. Ce qui est contradictoire d'un coté même si je veux bien comprendre qu'elle c'est uniquement concentré sur le langage, qui était déjà une épreuve suffisamment complexe pour ne pas s'être renseigné sur tout le reste.
Mais il y a un personnage qui m'a vraiment marqué dans cette histoire et que j'espère de tout cœur retrouver plus tard (et maintenant je sais que ça sera le cas donc je suis joie), il s'agit du cousin d'Er Thom : Daav. C'est un personnage vraiment très complexe et mystérieux qui jongle entre ses différentes responsabilités avec brio. Il m'a vraiment impressionné et le peu ou on l'a suivi dans ce tome me donne vraiment envie d'en savoir plus sur lui.
En tout cas la situation du Clan Korval à cette génération la semble finalement aussi complexe qu'elle ne l'est pour la génération suivante qu'on avait suivi jusqu'ici et je pense que les auteurs ont vraiment fait le bon choix de nous présenter le passé de ces personnages la avant de nous en reparler dans le futur (comme c'était le cas à la fin de Plan B).
Au final je dirais que cette lecture a été passionnante par les informations qu'elle nous distille sur cette génération de personnages et tous les impacts que cela peut avoir sur l'histoire principale des tomes précédents. Elle a aussi été vraiment très intéressante par les détails qu'elle nous apporte sur la langue et les coutumes Liaden. Même si globalement l'histoire était pour moi plus une excuse pour nous faire explorer le monde et nous expliquer la situation des parents des héros, et qu'elle était un peu trop portée sur la romance à mon gout, j'ai quand même passé un excellent moment.
16/20
July 25, 2019
This is the only m/f romance I’ve ever read where the heroine is six feet tall. It’s also the only romance where the hero’s maybe a foot short than her (we’re never told exactly how short he is, but the doors and furniture are significantly too small for her body.)
This is a big deal because these unequal height couplings of this nature are never represented in fiction. So I’m dumbfounded by the cover art (I’m reading this in the Pilots Choice compendium) which shows the hero as though he were physically much larger than the heroine. It’s sexist and deeply disappointing given the story.
The story itself is one of cultural misunderstandings, one of which in particular is not remotely believable. I say this as a woman who has lived in other cultures. There’s personality and then there’s culture. In this case, the man misunderstands something so fundamental to the woman’s personality that it’s inconceivable he loves her because it’s clear he can’t SEE who she is. This is brought home even more when his brother/cousin sees the potential problem when he cannot, and when his female cousin has a similar problem. So, basically I lost respect for the hero’s intelligence and thoughtfulness.
The book also features a ton of negative female stereotypes. Both characters’ mothers are dead. There’s a peevishly mean and nasty older mother-figure who makes life hard for everyone by abusing her power. There’s a peevishly nasty younger mother figure who is so awful that her child has been taken from her and he’s been psychologically damaged by her. (No explanation of why the healers haven’t helped him.) There’s a female ‘master trader’ who stoops to villainy with such shoddy execution that she appears to be stupid, mean and broke, which makes zero sense for an elite professional. And there’s a young woman who is scared and intimidated by all adventurous things mainly it seems because she is so femme in appearance. None of these characters needed to be so nasty/dead/wimpy/stupid for a book that’s supposedly focused on the differences between cultures.
I think authors suppose they can get away with misogynistic stereotypes in the book because they sprinkled in a few ‘strong’ women, including the heroine, and they had the hero do a few domestic chores on her behalf.
Nope.
So, although I like the heroine very much, the hero gets half marks and the overall misogyny lowers the score.
This is a big deal because these unequal height couplings of this nature are never represented in fiction. So I’m dumbfounded by the cover art (I’m reading this in the Pilots Choice compendium) which shows the hero as though he were physically much larger than the heroine. It’s sexist and deeply disappointing given the story.
The story itself is one of cultural misunderstandings, one of which in particular is not remotely believable. I say this as a woman who has lived in other cultures. There’s personality and then there’s culture. In this case, the man misunderstands something so fundamental to the woman’s personality that it’s inconceivable he loves her because it’s clear he can’t SEE who she is. This is brought home even more when his brother/cousin sees the potential problem when he cannot, and when his female cousin has a similar problem. So, basically I lost respect for the hero’s intelligence and thoughtfulness.
The book also features a ton of negative female stereotypes. Both characters’ mothers are dead. There’s a peevishly mean and nasty older mother-figure who makes life hard for everyone by abusing her power. There’s a peevishly nasty younger mother figure who is so awful that her child has been taken from her and he’s been psychologically damaged by her. (No explanation of why the healers haven’t helped him.) There’s a female ‘master trader’ who stoops to villainy with such shoddy execution that she appears to be stupid, mean and broke, which makes zero sense for an elite professional. And there’s a young woman who is scared and intimidated by all adventurous things mainly it seems because she is so femme in appearance. None of these characters needed to be so nasty/dead/wimpy/stupid for a book that’s supposedly focused on the differences between cultures.
I think authors suppose they can get away with misogynistic stereotypes in the book because they sprinkled in a few ‘strong’ women, including the heroine, and they had the hero do a few domestic chores on her behalf.
Nope.
So, although I like the heroine very much, the hero gets half marks and the overall misogyny lowers the score.
June 25, 2015
Local Custom has a secret baby plot and space elves, so I was pretty much sold from the get-go. Jokes aside, the majority of the plot actually revolves around miscommunications caused by cultural differences between Anne who is a Terran (basically us) and Er Thom who is a Liaden (a race of humans with a highly stratified and formal clan culture and Aryan Nation levels of dislike for race mixing with Terrans). This had all the makings of a story about racism, xenophobia and cultural differences but, unfortunately, none of the bite. I thought the relationship between Anne and Er Thom was well developed and really liked how the differences between them were caused by the sorts of misunderstandings that arise between two people from very different cultures. However, everyone around them behaved in confusingly inconsistent ways and the major problem keeping our young lovers apart (the dude's mother being a bigot basically) was solved by the romance equivalent of a deus ex machina and none of the fucked up Lianden cultural attitudes were actually directly addressed—Anne was just absorbed into an honestly pretty fucking disturbing culture (I mean, ). While the book overall was enjoyable, it was such a disappointing use of the setup.
May 8, 2012
So this is sci-fi romance at it's best; Romance with a capital "R". The sweetest and tenderest hero I've read for along time. Maybe even ever, he made himself so Beta to her Alpha.
The most intersting element for me was the discomfort felt about the level of affection Daav expressed for Thom and the modes of expression. I love my M/M, but these interactions freaked me out, esp since they are first cousins. I kept telling myself "Get your mind out of the gutter!These are innocent expressions of caring among a diffrent culture. Stop with with prurience!". But alas, my mind is irreversably stained, so I instead became fascinated with it(Terrible, awful, dirty fanfic, anyone?).
For 15+, assuming they are well-acquainted with the facts of Life and Love. And though I loved Thoms's stalkerish devotion- a man who gives it all up for his woman, and has big violet eyes and a big, fat- wallet- what's not to like?- I would like very much to read more about Daav, who seems much more my speed. Requests to my local library will be made shortly!
The most intersting element for me was the discomfort felt about the level of affection Daav expressed for Thom and the modes of expression. I love my M/M, but these interactions freaked me out, esp since they are first cousins. I kept telling myself "Get your mind out of the gutter!These are innocent expressions of caring among a diffrent culture. Stop with with prurience!". But alas, my mind is irreversably stained, so I instead became fascinated with it(Terrible, awful, dirty fanfic, anyone?).
For 15+, assuming they are well-acquainted with the facts of Life and Love. And though I loved Thoms's stalkerish devotion- a man who gives it all up for his woman, and has big violet eyes and a big, fat- wallet- what's not to like?- I would like very much to read more about Daav, who seems much more my speed. Requests to my local library will be made shortly!
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