Agent of Change Review

Agent of Change is a Liaden Universe novel by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. The book is one of two free entry points into Lee and Miller's science fiction universe where mankind (in three main forms) has spread throughout the stars and shares the universe with several space-faring alien species.

Agent of Change is the story of Val Con, a spy whom the reader is introduced to as Terrence O'Grady, a disguise he uses to complete the mission he is on. Following that mission, Val Con comes into contact with Miri Robertson, a former mercenary who is under attack from members of an organized crime group called the Juntavas. What follows is a chase story as Val Con and Miri try to escape those after them while not quite trusting each other.

Along the way, Lee and Miller continue to peel back the layers on a broader Universe that the reader gets the sense has a lot of depth and history waiting to be explored. In that Universe the various human factions (Terran, Liaden and the Yxtrang) are consipiring (or in outright conflict) with each other and non-humans like the Clutch (a sentient turtle-like alien race) of which Edger (above) is a member. Behind this is the organized crime group, Juntavas, which is looking out for its own interests even to the detriment of our main characters. All in all this is a fast-paced story with tense moments and several humorous interactions as we get to know Val Con and Miri and follow them on their race to escape their enemies.

Once you are done with Agent of Change, you will be happy to find that there are (at least) an additional 15 novels, several chapter books and short stories to learn more about the Liaden Universe. The series has been published for over 20 years going through several publishers (and being saved early on by the persistence and loyalty of fans) and is currently published by Baen Books. Baen offers two of the books in the series as free ebooks and others are available individually or as omnibus editions. There are several entry points into the Universe and the books often do not follow chronologically, so it is recommended that after picking one of the free entry points that you check out Lee and Miller's website where they cover the order to the books here.

I found Agent of Change, written in the 1980s, to be fun and quite enjoyable. It didn't suffer from some of the challenges of earlier science fiction novels where the technology of today makes what was written feel outdated or obsolete. Plus the books is free. Well worth your time, I give Agent of Change 3 and a half Mick Happies. Go get a copy for yourself here.