Dragon in Exile

Liaden Universe: Arc of the Covenants, Book 2

By: Sharon Lee, Steve Miller

Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins

Star-trading Clan Korval - known to Terrans as the Tree-and-Dragon Family and to the locals simply as the Dragon - has been convicted of crimes against the homeworld. No matter that one of the "crimes" consisted of saving the elitist planet of Liad from very real internal threats, the Council of Clans wanted Korval heads to roll. Unfortunately for the council, the Dragon's allies conspired to impose a milder punishment for saving the world: banishment rather than execution.

Now relocated to the free-for-all world of Surebleak, the Dragon is under contract to keep the Port Road open to all traffic and to back the New Bosses in imposing law and order on a society originally based on larceny and assassination. This modest rustication is going surprisingly well until Korval discovers that the enemy they'd sought to destroy wasn't quite destroyed. And is more determined than ever to eradicate Korval.

While the banishment killed no one initially, many of Korval's trading allies are spooked. Some are reneging on ancient agreements, leaving the Dragon to make its own way. The clan's efforts to stealthily recruit new allies is going haywire, and a secret death toll is rising even as the clan's adherents endure increasing exposure to danger and deceit off world.

To make matters worse, an active portion of Surebleak's native population liked the Old Ways just fine and are conspiring to take the New Bosses - and the Dragon - down and are sure they have the firepower and people to do it.

The exiled Dragon has to make an urgent choice: accept an alliance with criminals or face down each and every enemy in person, one by one.

©2015 Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"[S]prawling and satisfying.... Space opera mixes with social engineering, influenced by Regency-era manners and delicate notions of honor.... [I]t's like spending time with old friends...." (Publishers Weekly)

Fantastic Edition to the Liaden Universe

I love this story, and Kevin T. Collins does a good job with the narration!

New Narrator not as good.

Story as always is solid. New narrator read rather slow, and not as good as previous ones.

well worth the wait

This is the first of a sequence of five books to be released within the next few years. I suppose one could read this book without reading any other Liaden books, but it would make somewhat more sense even if you had only read Necessity's child. It is good enough though, that if this is your first Liaden book, the quality of this book will get you reading more. Definitely worth all of the credits, and I'm very glad that Kevin T. Collins is narrating this book. I hope he does the rest of the sequence, as I very much like his style of narration.

yay!!!

loved it can't wait for daav to get home bet the tree is thrilled not just happy

Another Great Liaden Space Opera

A thoroughly enjoyable tale set in Lee & Miller's Liaden Universe. Clan Korval is adjusting itself to life on Surebleak, and Surebleak is having to adjust itself as well. A myriad of plot threads interweaves through the story, as we follow old favourite characters and are introduced to a few new ones as well. Lady Kareen gets more focus than we've seen in the past, and we see Kamele Waitley growing in unexpected ways.
The narration was generally excellent, though Pat Rin's voice struck me as too "elderly". I particularly liked Collins's "Bleaker" accents.

Great Story with Narration Problems

If you could sum up Dragon in Exile in three words, what would they be?

Liaden Universe NufSaid!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Dragon in Exile?

Finally getting to see the two previous story arcs come together.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

Listened to the previous stories? Seriously, a friend and I have been working our way through the audio books for a year now and the last two series, everybody pronounced the important stuff the same way. So the first book in the current series, it was rather jarring to hear them pronounced differently and both of us were asking why Liaden's suddenly sounded like Stuffy British Royalty now.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, we take it about 90 minutes at a time. I might have stayed up all night reading the book, but listening to the audiobook is slower and a group effort. :)

Fast-paced adventure with Clan Korval

Clan Korval, banished from Liad, has relocated to Surebleak, and it has meant big changes for both Surebleak and Korval. Pat Rin, now known to locals as Boss Conrad, has started the transformation of Surebleak's gang-driven anarchy to a workable, more or less civilized society. Val Con and Miri, jointly Delm Korval, are also jointly the Road Boss, under contract to keep the Port Road open. There are no more "insurance sales," no more "examples" being made of those who don't pay up, and there are street patrols and schools for the children. Improved law and order also has more business coming to the Port, to everyone's benefit.

But some people aren't happy. They found the old system very profitable, and they're determined to bring down the new Council of Bosses and Clan Korval (known locally mostly as just "the Dragon.") Korval's offworld enemies aren't gone quiet, either.

"Insurance salesmen" start calling on local businesses, again, and only some of the targets have the confidence to come forward and complain. The "Heavy Transport Committee" sends an emissary to Val Con, hoping to bribe him for "exceptions" to the weight limits on the Road. It's an approach grounded in the belief that he mus resent "big brother" Pat Rin getting bigger billing and more of the profit. It's all building toward a plan to take out the "new bosses," and bring back the old, familiar, profitable, law-free ways of Surebleak.

Meanwhile, Val Con also has eight Agents of Change, agents of the Department of the Interior, locked up. He doesn't want to kill prisoners, but only he and one other have ever broken free of DoI conditioning. Can they be freed from their conditioning? If not, can he really keep the prisoner for the rest of their lives? And Clan Korval and, though they don't realize it, all of Liad, are in danger as long and the Department of the Interior exists.

It all comes together in a major crisis, further enlivened by the arrival of a tourist group of Liaden ne'er-do-wells, come to witness what they imagine is the humiliation of Korval.

There's a lot of fast-paced action, and a lot of exploration of old friends, new friends, and their complicated interrelationships. If you've enjoyed prior Liaden books, you'll love this--and as the start of a new story arc, it's not a bad place to start, either.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Audible.com in exchange for an honest review.

Korval Books

I own and have enjoyed many of the Liadian series.
I will buy more! Thanks!

Solid

A solid book and a fine addition to a favorite series. This arc looking very interesting. All my favorite people and it further develops some new characters resembling gypsies.

Worst narrator ever, I nominate Kevin T. Collins

The story is fun, dances around from scene to scene, has many familiar characters and new ones.
This tells the story of Korval's exile on the planet Surbleak. Korval is boss of the road, contracted to keep the port road open.

The narration is over elocuted, harsh, robotic, and I keep wanting to tell the gy to breathe! Kevin T. Collins is a TERRIBLE narrator, I can't get into the story because he's just too harsh. I found myself flinching.
The text-to-speech function on the Kindle Fire does a better job.