The three stories included are off the mainline and more matters of feel than plot or character, but give good feels for those seeking a passing taste of Liaden Universe® manners or cute-clever. ( )

This a collection of three stories from the Liaden Universe, all focused on coming through a human storm to a happier place in life.

"Standing Orders" reaches back to this universe's past, the time when the AI Wars have just recently ended, and the ban on complex logics (which created so much trouble for the intelligent ship, Bechimo, during what I think it's fair to call the main time period of the series) has been enacted. The decommissioning of the Admirals, and of other complex logics, including those designed to look like humans, and to think and act as much like humans as possible. Meggie Rootfir and her team have escaped from their former allies, and fled to a system where they can set up a hospital for other fleeing and wounded/damaged AIs and any human team members who accompany them. It's rewarding, successful work, until a hijacked Admiral arrives carrying an AI instance of an officer assigned to decommission all the AIs--and he's got a hostage he thinks will let him control Meggie.

"Songs of the Fathers" is set in the main time period, on the planet Priscilla Delacroix y Mendoza--Shan yos'Galen's lifemate--came from. The religion of the Mother Goddess has been growing more acquisitive, more rigid, more intolerant. Men have been banned from studies, disciplines, and occupations they were previously allowed. This is becoming steadily more dangerous for the household of Lomar Fasholt, her eight or so husbands, and her daughters. Shan, whom she traded with regularly until trading with households not headed by women was banned, had urged her before leaving for the last time to get her family out, and offered her support in reestablishing herself if she did. She delayed because she felt she had to carefully liquidate assets and have everything ready to move. Now, though, there have been some very unpleasant incidents, and the Temple may be about to move decisively against her. At the same time, one of her husbands being attacked and injured during an activity still allowed for men has caused stress and conflict in her household. She may have left her departure till too late.

"From Every Storm a Rainbow" features Aelliana Caylon's sister, Sinit, who after years of hardship trying to restore Clan Mizel's fortunes, has now discovered the full extent of her absent, and officially dead, brother, Ran Eld's treachery. They have a debt Ran Eld created and hid, the household that has been fostering her younger siblings has a new Delm who is now making threats about their status, and she doesn't see how she can muster the resources to rescue both the clan and its children.

All of these stories feature the importance of character, friendship, and honor. Terrans, Liadens, or Complex logics, these characters have major challenges to face, and can only do it by living by honor, decency, and friendship. The stories are exciting and fulfilling, and well worth reading.

Recommended.

I bought this book. ( )

From Every Storm is the 35th chapbook published by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller. It contains three stories.

"Standing Orders" was originally published in Derelict, an anthology collected by David E. Coe and Joshua Palmatier. This tells a story from the aftermath of the AI War which happened early in the Liaden Universe. And in this aftermath, the winning side has decided that it no longer needed the AIs it had created to win the war and, despite promises made, set out to decommission, i.e. kill, those who had helped them to victory. Meggie Rootfir was one of those made to fight. She was a Repair and Sabotage Specialist who decided to concentrate on repair now that the war was over. So, she and some of her fellow specialists kept falling back until they thought they had outrun the war and made a hospital to heal the veterans of the war. But those set on decommissioning caught up and it was time for Meggie to be a hero, in her own small way, because some heroes save humanity and others save people.

"Songs of the Fathers" is a new story written for this chapbook. It answers some questions about a character who has been in the background since nearly the beginning of the authors' work. Lomar Fasholt is a trader known to Er Thom and Shan yos'Galan. Her culture is led by females with men taking subordinate roles. They worship the goddess. But when her culture changes and becomes more insular and rigid with traders no longer allowed to work with males at all and by stripping the very limited rights of males in their own society, Lomar has no choice but to take her family and leave the planet. This story does answer some of the questions I had about the fate of Lomar Fasholt, but I still want more. Her decision not to contact Shan after her escape seems reasonable. After all, who needs more enemies when you are already in a fight for survival, but ... How does she and her family fare out in the wider universe?

"From Every Storm A Rainbow" is about Sinit Caylon, the younger sister of Aelliana who lifemated into Korval. It was originally published on the Baen website. The plans Aelliana had put in place in Mouse & Dragon are working despite Delm Mizel's obstructions. Sinit is growing and learning and has gathered some allies including Peers dea'Gauss who was chosen to take the place of the clan's nadelm. But the desire to bring the clan's children home from Clan Lydberg brings on a crisis with Ran Eld's treachery still echoing from the past. I especially liked that Sinit was doing something similar to what Korval was doing on Surebleak: building her own version of a healthy clan by gathering allies. But, since this is Liad, Sinit needs to work within the boundaries of Liaden culture. I liked this story even though it raised some questions for me mostly about the whole dea'Gauss family.

I loved looking into these various moments in the history of the Liaden Universe and catching up with characters who had appeared in the mainline novels. ( )