Valor's Trial

April 28, 2008
In the rough-and-tumble fourth military SF adventure for Marine Gunnery Sgt. Torin Kerr (after 2007's The Heart of Valor
), Kerr is more than a little surprised to wake up after a disastrous battle and find herself in what appears to be an underground prisoner-of-war facility, since the enigmatic aliens called the Others take no prisoners. At least, that's the claim made by the Confederation of nominally pacifist older races that provide advanced technology to humans in exchange for waging war against the Others. Kerr soon encounters earlier arrivals, who seem oddly lethargic and resigned to their fate. She must learn what's sapping their willpower, organize an escape and figure out what the Others and the Confederation are up to. Huff's appealing heroine is as fiercely maternal as she is fierce in battle, sometimes to a degree that verges on cliché. The denouement is not unexpected, but Huff skillfully accomplishes its exposition while still managing a few surprises.

June 15, 2008
Gunnery Sgt. Torin Kerr of the Confederation Marines returns from medical leave just in time to ship out to a new war zone to face an alien race known as the Others. Ordered to go to the rescue of a unit out of position, Kerr is caught in a devastating attack. When she returns to consciousness, Kerr finds herself in what appears to be an underground prison camp where prisonersother marinesare left to fend for themselves in a hostile environment and where most succumb to lethargy and despair. Rather than give in, Kerr determines to escapeand to bring her fellow captives with her. The fourth novel in Huff's military sf series (after Valor's Choice; The Better Part of Valor; The Heart of Valor) examines the psychology of a soldier under pressure and the desire for freedom that drives every prisoner of war. Filled with both action scenes and personal drama, this sf adventure belongs in most libraries.

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