ARC Review: Diviner's Bow by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller

Diviner's Bow
Author: Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
Series: Liaden Universe (Book 27)
Publication: Baen Books; 1st edition (April 1, 2025)

Description: A world divided cannot stand.

A people divided cannot thrive.

The Oracle has Seen the end of Civilization, and the end of the Haosa, too. Reactions to this are—mixed.

On the one hand, foresight is a notoriously erratic Gift. On the other, can Civilization—or the Haosa—afford to assume that the prophecy is an error?

And if the Oracle has Seen truly—is it possible to alter the future?

While well-meaning people struggle to implement change that might, at least, mitigate a disaster, others are looking toward the profit they can make from the end of the world.

In the meantime, the Tree-and-Dragon Trade Team has concluded its whole port inventory, and is about to propose Colemeno as a trade-hub and anchor to a brand-new route. Padi yos’Galan is preparing to step into new roles, personally, and in trade.

And the lives of two small children may be the thread that binds the future—or unravels it.

My Thoughts: The twenty-seventh book in the Liaden Universe is a direct sequel to Trader's Ribbon Dance. Its action is centered on Colemeno. The Oracle had seen that soon there will be no Civilization and no Haosa and then promptly retired. 

Naturally, the Seeing has caused upset. Colemeno is already changing since it was rediscovered by the Dutiful Passage after the retreat of Rostov's Dust. Shan and Padi are two traders who would like to form a new loop with Colemeno at the center. They've done their survey and are waiting for the Council of the Civilized to approve the plan.

However, Colemeno is a fundamentally divided society. The Civilized live under a grid which filters the Ambient so that they can survive. The Haosa live outside the grid and need no protection from the Ambient. The Deaf have no psychic powers and live both under the grid and outside it. 

There are those of the Civilized who want to return to a past when the Deaf needed to be under the supervision of one of the Civilized in order to do business. This same group also wants to destroy the Haosa even though they have been a refuge for any child born to a Civilized family who has wild magic. 

It is only recently that a representative of the Deaf has gained a seat on the Council. And now a representative of the Haosa is also given a seat. 

Besides the politics, this is also a story of romance and relationships. Majel ziaGron is the Deaf representative to the Council and also the liaison between Tree-and-Dragon Trade and the Council. He meets Blays essWorthi who is Counsel to Chaos and Speaker Pro Tem for the Haosa. They form a bond which won't be an easy thing to maintain when he lives under the Grid and she represents a village far Off-Grid. Another relationship growing in this one is the heartbond between Padi and Tekelia who is the Speaker for the Haosa and new Council member. 

This was an engaging and intriguing story. It would be best read after Trader's Leap and Ribbon Dance so that the characters and their backstories are known to the reader. 

I purchased this eArc from Baen Books. I also pre-ordered the hardcover and Kindle copies. You can buy your copy here.