Author:	Tanya Huff
Copyright:	2000
Date Reviewed:	11/9/00
Rating:	4.0

Valor's Choice began with high hopes but fizzled about a third of the way. Earth is allied with several other species in a war against the others. Multi-species marine fighting forces protect the older and younger races. As the story opens, a crack military unit is sent to accompany a diplomatic mission to a newly discovered world in the hopes of signing an alliance treaty with the lizard-like natives called the Silsviss. It is supposed to be a strictly honor guard mission but the flyer carrying the mission is shot down over a preserve where Silsviss teenagers live. Before growing to adulthood, the teenagers are very warlike. The military personnel and diplomats make it to a compound of several building and over the next few weeks, repel one attack after another. Each attack, reminiscence of the Zulu attacks on British forces in the 19th century, leave personal dead or wounded. The teenage Silsviss die by the thousands.

Any attempt to tie this book together with a plot is lost when the slyer is downed. From then on, the story becomes one battle scene after the other. When the teenage Silsviss finally surrender, the heroes are rescued. In the end we learn that the flyer was shot down by the alliance to prove to the Silsviss that they are an affective fighting force and should join against the others. It was a good surprise ending but not worth the repetition of the rest of the story.