Must have Books - The Confederation Novels

Valor's Choice by Tanya Huff

In the distant future, humans and several other races have been granted membership in the Confederation--at a price. They must act as soldier/protectors of the far more civilized races who have long since turned away from war....

Huff draws a future where immature races like the Humans fight to protect the civilization of older, less aggressive races. Surprisingly well-integrated, a multi-species platoon faces a ceremonial duty that can explode into war. A set of likable, although slightly cartoonish characters, move the plot at a breakneck pace. The emotions, despite the horror and the passion of combat, are somewhat superficial, and the intelligent protagonist is competent enough to avoid much character development.

The Better Part of Valor by Tanya Huff

When Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr makes the mistake of speaking her mind to a superior officer, she finds herself tagged for a special mission for the interplanetary Confederation to act as protector to a scientific exploratory team assigned to investigate an enormous derelict spaceship. Along with her crew and her charges, Kerr soon finds herself in the midst of danger and faced with a mystery that takes all her courage and ingenuity to solve. This sequel to Valor's Choice, featuring a gutsy, fast-thinking female space-marine protagonist, establishes veteran fantasy author Huff as an accomplished spinner of high-tech military-sf adventure. For most sf collections.