Saturday, March 12, 2016

Necessity's Child (Liaden Universe #16), by Sharon Lee (author), Steve Miller (author), Eileen Stevens (narrator)

Audible Studios, February 2013 (original publication October 2012)

Rys Lin pen'Chala is left for dead near one of the entrances to the hidden kompani home in the seemingly abandoned district of the port city on Surebleak. Brought inside and nursed back to relative health by the Luthia, Silain, and her apprentice, Kezzi, he has some permanent damage, and is missing much of his memory. But as he recovers, bits come back, and he know he has terrible enemies known as the Dragons.

Syl Vor yos'Galen, Nova's son, is frustrated and bored by the absence of any companions even close to his own age. His older cousins are now off on near-adult duties; his younger cousins aren't yet walking. After some thought and a fortunate encounter, he comes up with the idea of attending the local school--not in place of his tutoring, but in addition to it.

And Kezzi, out with her dog, Malda, gets picked up by Nova's chief hand, Mike Golden, and is also taken to the school.

This story has as its main focus Kezzi and Syl Vor, and the roles they play in building connections among Korval, the Surebleak natives, and the kompani. But the Department of the Interior, while it has taken heavy blows, is not gone, and is as determined as ever to destroy Clan Korval. And that plan involves Rys Lin, who is becoming as closely bound to the family that is the kompani as it is possible to be.

Kezzi and Syl Vor are normal very bright children, and they have the normal problems of bright kids and new kids at school, which they handle in believable ways for kids of their respective backgrounds. The roles they play in the larger troubles are also those of real kids and not Magic Super Kids. Rys' bonding with his new family and struggles with his missing memory and divided mind is moving and well-handled.

As fun and exciting as one expects form a Liaden adventure! Recommended.

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

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