Sept. 2019 reread: I am increasing my rating to 4.5* ( )

Scout’s Progress is a science fiction romance, part of the Liaden Universe series by Sharon Lee. In this volume we meet Aelliana who is desperate to escape from her abusive brother. When she wins a ship in a card game, she feels that she is on her way to becoming free, but she doesn’t have her pilot’s licence. In an effort to obtain her license she meets and becomes involved with the pilots and scouts that work at the shipyard where her new ship is stored. This brings her into contact with Daav, leader of Clan Korval whom we met before in a previous book.

Society here is a mass of rules and dictated behavior and the story becomes quite Austen like as rules are followed, and rules are broken, as Aelliana and Daav meet, become friends, then comrades who fall in love. There are obstacles to overcome, Aelliana’s brother is one, but Daav is also involved in settling a contract, a marriage of convenience and even though it is obvious to everyone that Daav and Samiv are not very compatible, if broken could bring shame and disgrace to not only Clan Korval but the clan of his betrothed as well.

I loved this story! Daav was already a favorite character from the previous book, and Aelliana quickly became someone I rooted for and wanted to see succeed. The group that works together at the spaceport are supportive and give Aelliana the opportunity to learn the skills that she needs, and provide her with much needed friendship. Daav and Aelliana have become a couple that I am eager to read more about so I am already looking forward to the next book, Mouse and Dragon. Once again this author has delivered a wonderful blend of science fiction and romance that is rich in detail and peopled with fully-realized characters. ( )

God! It turns out I'm a girlie-man. I really liked Local Custom. When I read this one I finally realized that what I like is the space romance these books are. I was under the impression that they were all space opera. This is even better than the first. ( )

Aelliana Caylon has a problem, and it's her brother. He's abusive, contemptuous, and heir to the Delm of Clan Meisel. He cares nothing for the fact that she's a brilliant mathematician and revisor of the Ventura tables on which all pilots depend. He feels she's worth nothing except what she'd bring in a contract marriage--and the Delm, their mother, has granted Aelliana's plea that she be allowed to make no more contract marriages.

So brother Ran Eld is looking for other ways to humiliate her. He's also in serious need of funds, as a creditor with no sense of humor is demanding immediate repayment.

Meanwhile, Daav yos'Phelium is having his own problems. He's been negotiating a contract marriage of his own; as Delm Korval, he doesn't even have the option of letting it be someone else's decision. The bride he's found is utterly suitable in every way, except that they have no particular attraction to each other, and Korval's Tree has taken her in serious dislike.

Then Aelliana throws a monkey wrench in everyone's plans, when she accompanies two of her students to a gaming house and wins ownership of a jump ship, Ride the Luck, from the spoiled heir of another house. She starts sneaking off to the port to oversee the refitting of her ship, and to get the training she needs to become a licensed jump pilot. And while spending all that time there, she meets a casual employee of the shipyard where her ship is docked, who goes by the name of Daav. He, like the others at this yard, is an ex-Scout pilot. He's good company, a good teacher, and if he's a little vague about what his House is and other details, it doesn't seem important--right?

This story is a lot of fun, and while it's part of a larger series, it stands on its own well enough to enjoy even if this is your first encounter with the series. The Liaden universe and characters have a fairly rich, textured background, the good guys have solid values, and the bad guys are at least understandable. And did I mention it's a lot of fun?

Recommended.

I bought this book. ( )

More romping around in the Liaden Uni. We learn how Ailleana and Daav discover one another and more about the origins of the catastrophic split among Liadens about their heritage and connections to the other humans, Terrans (that would be us) and the Yx-Trang. This story, more than any other, conveys the potential for brutality and abuse in the Liaden social system. It was a real page-turner from start to finish. **** 1/2 ( )