James Nicoll Reviews

Valerie Valdes’s 2023 Where Peace Is Lost is a science fantasy novel. While it could serve as volume one of an ongoing series, it works as a stand-alone novel.

Facing a war whose costs would be unbearable even should her side win, Kelana Gardavros helped broker a peace with the rapacious Prixori Anocracy, also known as the Pale. Following the cessation of overt hostilities, Kel went into exile. For five years, she has lived quietly on Loth.

Loth is a backwater planet too distant and poor for the Pale to bother conquering it. This will not prevent the Pale from presenting a clear and present danger to Loth. It will not save Kel from being forced to choose between maintaining her low profile or trying to save her neighbors.

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2020’s Prime Deceptions is the second volume in Valerie Valdes’ Chilling Effect series.

In the previous volume Captain Eva Innocente escaped the clutches of a criminal empire known as the Fridge, giving it a black eye in the process of regaining her ship La Sirena Negra. Prudence would suggest adopting a low profile. Eva is terrible at being prudent, as suggested by the fact that when the book opens, someone is shooting at her.

Eva at least knows better than to accept job offers from her duplicitous sister Mari. As it turns out, ​“knows better” is different from ​“does not.” In Eva’s defence, the task seemed so straightforward.

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Valerie Valdes’ 2019 debut novel Chilling Effect is the first volume in her Chilling Effect series. 

Interstellar gates provided humanity access to the stars. The latest member of the galaxy-spanning Benevolent Organization of Federated Astrostates, humans are valued for two attributes: their willingness to have sex with just about anything and their expendability.

Eva Innocente, Captain of the starship La Sirena Negra, has turned her back on her family and their shady deals. No longer will she and her crew be sent off on dangerous errands without sufficient information. Now she and the rest of the crew of La Sirena Negra eke out a meagre living delivering legitimate cargoes from point A to point B. 

One day it all goes wrong.

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