The ass-kicking goodness that is Torin Kerr

[bibliogramma]

Valor’s Choice
The Better Part of Valor

Here’s the thing you need to know: Tanya Huff’s novels about Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr are some of the best MilSF out there.

Sgt. Kerr is a grunt. She’s not the scion of a line of fabled warriors, she’s not going to end up as the leader of the free universe, she has no rich and influential relatives, she has no special powers or alien buddies or ancient artefacts or arcane knowledge. She’s nobody’s Mary Sue. She’s a grunt. And as a staff sergeant, her job is to know everything keep her lieutenant alive, keep the troops going no matter what, and finish the mission.

Huff has a note at the end of Valor’s Choice that says everything that needs to be said about Torin Kerr. She begins by identifying a historical battle that was the inspiration for a crucial battle in the book. And then she goes on to say:

… a total of eleven men were awarded with the Victoria Cross for conspicuous bravery, making this the highest number ever awarded for a single engagement in British military history.

Colour-Sergeant F. Bourne, the senior NCO, was not among those eleven. He received instead a Distinguished Conduct Medal.

Why, although his bravery and courage under fire were unquestioned and he was instrumental in turning a number of …attacks, didn’t Colour-Sergeant Bourne receive the Victoria Cross?

Because he was only doing his job.

The Torin Kerr books are, in some ways, reminiscent of the best aspects of Heinlein’s Starship Troopers, but the character of Torin Kerr is more realistic, as a woman and as a warrior, than Heinlein would ever manage in his writing.

In these books, Huff has once again created a strong female protagonist who does interesting and exciting things. Torin Kerr kicks ass with the best of them.