by Sharon Lee, Steve Miller
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Product Description
Assistant Trader Jethri Gobelyn was an honest, hardworking young man who knew a lot about living onboard his family's space-going trade ship; something about trade, finance, and risk-taking; and a little bit about Liadens. It was, oddly enough, the little bit he knew about Liadens that seemed like it might be enough to make his family's fortune, and his own, too. In short order, however, Jethri Gobelyn was about to find out a lot more about Liadens... like how far they might go to protect their name and reputation. Like the myriad of things one might say-intentionally or not-with a single bow. Like what it would take to make a Liaden trade-ship crew trash a bar. Like how hard it is to say "I'm sorry!" in Liaden. Pretty soon it was clear that as little as he knew about Liadens, he knew far less about himself. With his very existence a threat to the balance of trade, Jethri Gobelyn needed to learn fast, or else help destroy all he held dear.
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Average Customer Review:
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
 Better work on your bows!, 2007-08-23
It may be a matter of prejudice, but when I first encountered this superior example of "social" science fiction, I had considerable doubts whether it would be worth reading. Any novel worth publishing will be snapped up by a large commercial publisher, right? So why was this one coming from somebody's kitchen table (so to speak) rather than Tor or Baen or Ballantine? Well, I still don't know the answer to that one, but I'll definitely be hunting up the rest of this series. It's basically a Bildungsroman starring Jethri Gobelyn, a young but talented Apprentice Trader on his family's merchant ship, which ekes out a more or less comfortable living between planets. At one port, however, shortly after he's been informed he's being apprenticed to another ship (a notion he doesn't like at all), he becomes the victim of a con artist. But the con involves a (completely innocent) Master Trader of the Liaden, a society whose trading skills are legendary and whose attachment to ritualized etiquette approaches the Japanese in intensity. It's very easy to insult a Liaden. Jethri suddenly has the opportunity to apprentice instead to the Master Trader in question, and he naturally jumps at it. From there, Jethri becomes our guide in the complexities of Liaden culture and psychology -- and a fascinating journey it is, too. The authors do a deft job developing all their characters, and they also show real skill at dialogue and delightful turn of phrase. The plot is complex but clear, and they leave room for a direct sequel. (The rest of the series appears to be separate, independent stories set in a shared future.)
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 The Liaden Universe---kids version, 2007-01-09
I've been reading SF for many a decade and I have really liked all of the previous Liaden Universe books by these co-authors and was thus very happy when I found this paperback a few days ago. Unfortunately, this book was disappointing; the plot was thin, characters and situations fairly hackneyed and lacking in real surprise and dramatic tension. This book does not measure up to its predecessors.
The plot reminds me of so many of Andre Norton's books; a young person, untried and at a great disadvantage because he is an orphan, dispossessed, has paranormal abilities, is lost, etc, etc, finds a magic item, place or being, a relic of ancient technology, a mentor, his true calling, etc., etc. and solves his problem, matures, is on the path to become a being of power and authority, etc.etc. Balance of Trade struck me as more of a book for a young adult audience than as a work for adults.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Ah! the Pleasures of the Liaden Universe, 2006-08-04
One of the best ways to help a reader understand a strange culture is to plunk an outsider down in the middle of it and observe what happens. In Balance of Trade, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller put Assistant Trader Jethri Gobelyn, the youngest member of the crew of a Terran trade ship, right in the middle of Liaden culture by apprenticing him to Master Trader ven'Deelin.
Suddenly he is plunged into a totally new world where an incorrect bow can cause extreme offense. Jethri has always been fascinated by Liaden culture, however, and takes to his new world with alacrity.
While Jethri is an interesting character, the book at times seems to lose focus, and there are some things that are just never really explained to satisfaction. Why does Jethri's birth mother hate him so much? What on earth is that business at the end regarding the salvage cargo about? I feel as though I caught about two thirds of what was actually going on, the rest was much too obscure. Jethri, himself, did not completely understand the events that unfolded around him and, I must confess, neither did I.
However, the plot and characters are compelling enough to make this a very fun read. Young Jethri is a well drawn character and I'd like to see more of him.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Another Good Liaden Universe Novel, 2006-08-04
In Balance of Trade by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, the authors step back a little bit and write from the perspective of a young Terran who is apprenticed to a Liaden Master Trader and, to his surprise, becomes her foster son. This book has a few more elements of humor than previous Liaden novels as young Jethri tries to master the gazillion different types of Liaden bows and hand signs.
The ending, however, is rather confusing and weak and wraps up much too quickly. It seems that everyone in the novel is intent on saving Jethri from himself and his inadvertent misdeeds, and Jethri is just along for the ride. I kept waiting for something major to happen to Jethri, but it all happens around him, and he is not even aware of most of it.
Nevertheless, Lee and Miller have created a compelling universe and this book is a pleasant visit.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Fun fast read, 2006-06-20
Balance of Trade is Sharon Lee and Steve Miller's latest Liaden novel. It is basically unrelated to the previous Liaden novels, which all concerned Clan Korval, famous for pilots. This book seems to be set some while prior to the Korval books.
Jethri Gobelyn is a young Terran, working on his family's trading spaceship. His rather distant mother, the captain, seems to resent him, perhaps because of memories of his dead father. She plans to send him to another not very attractive ship. Jethri is fascinated by the Liadens, and has begun to learn their language. He is also a promising trader. But he gets snookered by a con artist pretending to be dealing for a Liaden family, using a forged card. Jethri confronts the Liaden trader in question, and somehow manages to get himself apprenticed to Master Trader Norn ven'Deelin.
The rest of the novel turns on Jethri's learning of Liaden customs and rules, and his ability to develop his already growing trading skills in a Liaden environment. He is controversial to more traditional Liadens, who have no truck with Terrans. In addition, his father's dealing with "Old Tech" -- dangerous ancient technology now proscribed -- threaten to get him in trouble. And he meets some new cousins, twin girls, one of who is a powerful dramliza (sort of a wizard) -- also controversial to more traditional Liadens. Meanwhile, the rest of his family back on his home spaceship is threatened by renegade elements who may also be interested in Old Tech.
It's a pretty enjoyable novel. Perhaps it is just a bit too long, though I did enjoy myself the whole way. Perhaps there is not quite enough real conflict. I felt like there was a bigger story just waiting to get started. Still, it's a fun read, a fast read, perhaps best suited to readers already familiar with Liad (though perhaps not, as it is quite independent of the earlier stories). I can't help but feel that sequels are in the offing.
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