Audiobooks: Scout's Progress & Mouse and Dragon by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

Scout's Progress
Authors: Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
Narrator: Bernadette Dunne
Publication: Audible, September 04, 2012
Listening Length: 11 hours and 18 minutes

Description: The second novel of the Liaden Universe, Scout's Progress is the story of a young girl who has won a starship, but now must learn to fly if she is to escape her dastardly brother.

My Thoughts: I know this story. I can't count how many times that I have read it. Yet, listening to it made it a whole new experience for me. Bernadette Dunne competently portrayed each character with a distinct voice.

I could feel the emotions as Daav yos'Phelium, former Scout and now locked onto Liad by his duties as Delm of Korval, decides that he must do his duty to his clan and marry to produce an heir. After consulting gene maps, he chooses pilot Samiv tel'Izak as the best of a long list even though he has no personal interest in her. He aches for a child and aches even more to find a lifemate like his brother Er Thom has found.

I could also feel the emotions of Aelliana Caylon, foremost mathematician on Liad and the reviser of the Venturi tables which keep pilots safe, as she lives in fear of her brother and Nadelm Ran Eld Caylon whose goal seems to be to see her dead. She still carries the emotional scars of the abusive marriage her brother contracted for her when she was just sixteen.

When Aelliana wins a space ship - Ride the Luck - in a card game at a new casino, her future opens up to possibilities. Once she manages to obtain her first class piloting license she will be free to leave Liad and the abuse of her brother.

Her ship is stored Binjali Repair Shop which is owned and crewed by former and present scouts. Daav has also gone there to get away from the grating duties he faces as Delm and meets her. He becomes her friend and piloting instructor even though she doesn't know his full name and clan. Aelliana grows and blossoms under the care and friendship of Daav and the rest of the crew at Binjali's. But her brother is still lurking as a threat behind her.

The story is filled with action and with emotion as Aelliana manages to free herself from her abusive clan and fall in love with Daav.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Mouse and Dragon
Authors: Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
Narrator: Bernadette Dunne
Publication: Audible, September 04, 2012
Listening Length: 12 hours and 23 minutes

Description: Aelliana Caylon has escaped her abusive family. She's found love in her starship co-pilot - a man who turns out to be the leader of Korval, the most powerful clan of the Liaden Universe. But destiny never intended an easy life for Aelliana. Insidious forces within the empire are determined that a new line of Korval heirs be destroyed and that Clan Korval itself be blasted to interplanetary dust. The fight for the future of the Liaden Universe is on, and one heroine is determined to protect her family and her soul mate at all costs!

My Thoughts: We waited eight years and several books before we learned the second half of Aelliana and Daav's story. Aelliana has taken refuge under the protection of Korval but her Delm, who is also her mother, wants her to come back to the clan and bring her spaceship and courier business with her. Aelliana won't ever feel safe inside the clan and knows that she will daily face the scorn of the Delm who lost her favored child. The Delm blames Aelliana for the abuse that her brother bestowed on her.

Besides, Aelliana and Daav are natural lifemates. Their link isn't as complete as it could be because of the abuse Aelliana faced at the hands of her husband and her brother which gives Daav one more reason to hate Aelliana's clan. The link is complete from Aelliana's side and she can feel his emotions and sometimes his thoughts. Daav needs to use his skills as an empath and scout to learn her.

This is the story of how their love grew and the obstacles they needed to overcome before they could have a life together. The story was filled with strong emotion. And, even though I knew going in, that there didn't seem to be a happy ending in store for the pair, I still wanted the best for Daav and Aelliana.

This story was again narrated by Bernadette Dunne who did a great job portraying the emotions and giving each character a distinct voice.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.