The Better Part of Valor

Everything I said about the first book, in terms of quality, still applies here. It's very similar to the first book; enough so that I'm really not surprised that the two of them were released in a single volume.

What this one explores a bit more than the first one does is that looks more at the alien species that share in the Confederation with humanity. I remember years ago hearing a sci-fi author opine that it was curious that while humanity could produce both Gandhi and Hitler within a generation of each other, depictions of extraterrestrial species could often be as simplistic as “all Klingons are feirce warriors” or “all Twi'lek are sexy dancers”. It's a trap that many writers fall into, but one that Huff manages to avoid here, and her work is stronger for it. The Krai, di'Tayken, and other alien species feel fleshed out as alien species, with plenty of variety in their outlook, personality, and interpersonal relations.

In terms of plot, this one is fairly straightforward - Torin and a group of Marines are sent to investigate a ship belonging to a previously-uncontacted alien intelligence, which proceeds to challenge them by presenting them with scenes from their past, and a group of the Others that they're at war with. Fairly straightforward mil-SF stuff, made special by the stong characterization of Torin and the rest of the Marines she works with, as well as Huff's sparse yet mellifluous prose.