Tag Archives: Clan Korval

Songs of the Fathers – Chapter 2

Aequitas
Hel’s Gate, Rannibic Station

In which there is a change of plans.

There are a couple of resonant names in the dateline of this chapter.

Wikipedia describes aequitas as “the Latin concept of justice, equality, conformity, symmetry, or fairness”. Also, I see from my notes, in the Liaden Universe aequitas is the name of those tokens used by traders to ensure a fair exchange of information. So Aequitas is a plausible thing for a trader to name her ship, and it also echoes the broader issues of justice in the situation in which Lomar finds herself in this story.
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From Every Storm a Rainbow

In which Sinit safeguards the clan’s treasures.

I’m always pleased to have another opportunity to spend time with Sinit, who’s one of my favourite characters in the series.

It’s also (speaking now as the presumptuous author of a suggested chronological reading order) something of a relief after the last few stories to have one that says up-front exactly where it fits chronologically.
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Ambient Conditions

In which Kishara jit’Luso takes advantage of ambient conditions.

This is an oddity: a story retelling another existing story from another viewpoint. We’ve had stories that crossed paths before (“Quiet Knives” comes to mind), but usually that’s a case of two people on different paths that happen to intersect for a sentence or two. This is a special case, for reasons that are explained in the author’s note.
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Preferred Seating

In which Can Ith yos’Phelium finds a new seat.

I see an irony in the description of Can Ith’s preferred seating: “with his back against the wall, and most of the room before him”. Presumably, it’s the being able to see most of the room that makes it his favoured way of sitting, but on this particular occasion it suits him because he has his back against the wall in more ways than one.
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Trader’s Leap – Chapter 38

Off-Grid

In which Padi discusses her day with a friend.

If the authors do more stories in the Redlands, they have some places they can start.
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Trader’s Leap – Chapter 37

Colemeno Port

In which Shan yos’Galan receives news of kin.

I’m not exactly surprised by the revelation about Trader Isfelm’s family; in fact, though I didn’t specifically see it coming, it had something of a feeling of inevitability about it as it unfolded.
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Trader’s Leap – Chapter 35

Healspace

In which there is an exchange of gifts.

I don’t feel like I have anything new and insightful to say about the events of this chapter. And I don’t want to sit around hoping for an insight to show up, because I want to see what happens next.

Trader’s Leap – Chapter 32

Colemeno Port
Great Hall

In which it may be accounted misfortune to lose one kinsperson, but two looks like carelessness.

Betya seelyFaire’s account of her ancestor’s reasons for coming to the Redlands have a noticeable resonance with Dyoli’s reasons for doing likewise.
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Trader’s Leap – Chapter 30

Colemeno
Portmaster’s Office

In which the Redlands prepare to welcome visitors.

I can see several potential problems with the Warden’s plans to keep the off-worlders and Civilization at arm’s length.
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Trader’s Leap – Chapter 28

Civilization

In which it’s too late to keep hiding under a bush.

This might be the last appearance in the book of the word “vas’dramliz”, the Liaden word for the “small talents”, so I’m going to take this opportunity to share an observation: given that we know what “dramliz” means, vas’ must be the part of the word that signifies “small” or “lesser” — so it’s curious that we know of at least three Liaden surnames with the same prefix. Mae Nir vas’Urbil, in “Degrees of Separation”, is a chef, which might suggest that families with that prefix tend toward lower class jobs. (Menolly vas’Anamac is a scout and Kin Jal vas’Tezin an appendage of the Department, so we don’t have any idea of their families’ social status.)
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