A Confederation of Valor

I'm not overly fond of apples. It's not that I don't like them - they're a perfectly fine snack, they're good for you, and they're fairly inexpensive as far as foodstuffs go. I can see the arguments in favour of apples; I'm just not someone that would consider myself an apple fan.

This changes every year, around the end of September/early October. Because that, my friends, is apple picking season. The apples have spent the summer ripening, and you go and fill a big bag full of fresh off-the-branch apples. And they are the Most Delicious Thing Ever. They're tasty, they're crisp, and they're so juicy that it feels almost like you're biting into an orange, the apple juice running out of your mouth and into your beard. My wife and I usually go and get a bunch, and it's a one-month ticket to Flavourtown. Population: Apple.

So, if military sci-fi is fruit, Valor's Choice is most definitely apple-picking season. It's funny, it's exciting, it's got intriguing and diverse alien cultures, and it's got Torin Kerr, an interesting and witty main character. The story seems to be about introducing her as much as it is about the actual plot, and successfully makes you interested in seeing how the rest of the series goes.