Local Custom

Er Thom yos'Galan, Master Trader and Heir to Clan Korval knew his duty to his clan - to provide the Clan with a child of his own body. He also knew that he could never offer a contract wife the care and attention his honor demanded until he had seen Anne Davis one last time. Then he would seek the Healers on Liad and they would erase all of his memories of the woman who had captured his heart...Anne, a Terran and brilliant linguist had met Er Thom years before and had a wonderful affair with him, falling head over heels in love, but knowing that he would leave her, as he had. What Anne did not tell Er Thom was that she bore his child, her precious Shan. She never expected to see Er Thom again and was stunned when he walked in to her apartment. They both found that their love was as deep and fierce as it had ever been and Er Thom found that he did not know how to say goodbye. Then Shan returned home and Er Thom found himself with an even bigger problem than before. For Shan was Er Thom's heir, but as a half Liaden, half Terran, there was no guarantee that he would be accepted by the Clan and the tho'Delm, Er Thom's mother. Er Thom knew that there would be a sacrifice to make in the time ahead of him, a sacrifice that would rip his heart to shreds. For the tho'Delm had rejected Shan and refused to even consider that Er Thom had a future with Anne and so he was faced with the difficult choice of weighing his honor and the honor of his clan against the love he could not live without...Local Custom is the first book in the Liaden series as far as chronology goes (even though books 3-5 were written first) and introduces us to Er Thom yos'Galan and his son Shan yos'Galan, whom we see in Conflicts of Honor. I found the Liaden culture fascinating and loved learning more about the customs and mindset of these people. Lee and Miller have done a fabulous job at creating this universe and making their characters absolutely believable. I loved all of the characters and felt that I could identify with all of them in a different way. All of them have their strengths and weaknesses and all of them had their own part to play in the game. Although the romance of the two main characters is a large part of the plot, the world building, the characterization, attention to detail and the excellent quality of writing kept me absolutely riveted - I couldn't put this book down!

Local Custom (2000) is the first novel chronologically in the Liaden series, but the fifth novel published. Er Thom yos'Galan is caught in a emotional and moral bind: Liaden law requires him to provide children to the clan, yet he is infatuated with a Terran woman that he had meet several years before on Proziski. After a whirlwind affair, the two had parted, with Er Thom returning to his ship and trade route. Now that his clan has demanded his child, Er Thom finds himself unable to become interested in any other woman. In a spirit of desperation, he borrows a ship from his foster brother and tracks down Anne Davis at her university. Their affair resumes immediately, as if no time has passed, but then Anne introduces Er Thom to their son, Shan yos'Galan. Suddenly their love affair runs afoul of a difference in customs. To Er Thom, the boy is a child of Clan Korval and Line yos'Galen and must be presented to the delm and thodelm to be accepted into the clan and line. Anne doesn't see him quite that way, but rather as her child, with Er Thom only the sperm donor. She refuses his offer of a contract marriage, seeing it as only another temporary fling. This novel has elements of a comedy of manners, with misunderstandings occurring in all parties and with a few bitter feeling stirring the mix. However, such communication failures still occur in daily life even between close associates and still more often between different cultures on this planet. Nevertheless, the lovers struggle so hard against their misconceptions and freely open themselves to embarrassment with a spirit of trust, but are temporarily derailed by the thodelm. This novel is a witty demonstration that etiquette -- i.e., manners -- is not universal. "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" is an ancient adage that will probably still be true when the Sun dies of old age. Proper behavior is relative to the culture, depending upon customs, mores, folkways and traditions, yet people often assume that their own, local etiquette applies in every situation and place. This novel also points out that etiquette exists only to facilitate interpersonal relationships and that foolish insistence on rigid formalism can destroy rather than nurture such relationships. In many respects, this tale summarizes the theme of the whole series: societies grow only when they continue to diversify and expand their horizons. Er Thom and Anne add a breath of new life to a complacent and ossified Liaden society. Indeed a comedy, but also an epiphany. Recommended for Lee & Miller fans and anyone who enjoys exotic cultures with a touch of mystery, farce and romance in a SF setting.

When reading any of the books of Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, one expects a rousing good tale with plenty of action and well-developed characterization. That's what one expects from any good writers of space opera. But Lee and Miller set a higher standard of writing. Their use of language is exquisite. If you like wit and style, a dash of romance and characters so compelling they stick with you long past the time you close that back cover, then read this book and any of their others that you can get your hands on.Local Custom tells the tale of Master Trader Er Thom yos'Galan and Scholar Anne Davis. He being Liaden and she human, their understandings of each other are not complete, and the fate of their child is at stake. Woven through this mix is a dark menace neither of them even perceive. How do they resolve their feelings and their clash of custom? Read the book to find out. I don't want to spoil anything!

Loved this book. NOTE: for those who may not have read the whole first review- THIS BOOK IS ONE OF THE TWO NOVELS CONTAINED IN PILOT'S CHOICE. I purchased Local Custom without realizing this fact, but don't really mind because I like to have multiple copies of the Liad novels- since I wear them out with repeated readings and like to lend them to others to enjoy.This book gave me a better understanding of Korval. I read and loved the original Liad books but was always curious about how yos'Galens came to be half terran given the type of Liad society portrayed in earlier books (?can they be called sequels when they were written first?). This book explained a lot of things to do with the dramliza, part of how the clan became so small, Daav and Er'Thom's relationship, etc. But, as with most of these books, it just wets my appetite for further stories Liad and Korval.

This a a great book -- another wonderful jaunt in the Liaden Universe. Er Thom yos'Galan, Clan Korval must get an heir, but before he can agree to the traditional contract-marriage, he has to settle some unfinished business with his former lover -- on Earth. It gets more complicated from there, however, as Anne Davis, it turns out, is the mother of his son, Shan! From that beginning we learn that Anne is involved in some earthshaking linguistics research -- research that threatens her life both on Terra and later on Liad. Throw into the mix Er Thom's mother (who doesn't want a Terran as a guest in the Clan house, let alone as the mother of her son's child) and Shan's extraordinary Healing ability and you get a very intriguing story!However, the Liaden Universe cannot be read simply with an eye to the plot -- the customs of the Liadens, the intricacy of the manners and the interaction are amazing! Liad is so REAL one feels you should almost practice your bows if you ever should meet one! It should also be noted that Local Custom can be found in the omnibus Pilot's Choice, along with the novel Scout's Progress.