Helpful Score: 3
Humanity spreads across the stars until meeting the Gbaba. The Gbaba are set on destroying all human life and make a good go at it. One colony fleet escapes and sets up on the planet Safehold. In order to avoid discovery by the Gbaba, advanced technology is forbidden in the new society. The colonists have all memory of their previous lives erased by their leaders who then establish an anti-technology religion with themselves as messengers from god. 800 or so years in the future we find a society dominated by the Church of God Awaiting, which has seen little technological development. Society remains in the pre-industrial era.
Into this society enters Merlin Athrawes, a Personality-Integrated Cybernetic Avatar (PICA), who was hidden away 800 years earlier by members of the ruling council who did not agree with the society that was being created. Merlins goal is to advance Safeholds Renaissance-era society to one capable of defeating the Gbaba. To accomplish this he has to overcome the religious mandates against technology that have been ingrained for over 800 years.
To begin working towards his goal he travels to the Kingdom of Charis where he ingratiates himself with the King, Crown Prince, and other nobles through a variety of acts. Merlin has arrived in Charis in a time of troubles. A growing dispute between Charis and the Church points towards war and a vastly out numbered Charis is more then willing to accept the assistance of Merlin who begins introducing more advanced technology. Soon war begins and Merlins new technology is put to the test.
Off Armageddon Reef is really two books in one. The first is a science fiction story involving a technologically advanced human race traveling through the stars with aliens and space battles. The second is almost a fantasy story set in a pre-industrial world where advanced technology takes the place of magic.
I found the man made religion in this book very interesting. I think it says something about the man made aspects of all religions. There were similarities between the Church of God Awaiting and the Christian Church of Earths medieval period, particularly the corruption and the secular concerns and powers of high church officials.
While I enjoyed the there were a couple of issues I had with it. The first was the similarity of many of the names. On more then one occasion I had a hard time keeping track of who was who. Secondly, I started to get tired of Merlins superhuman abilities and his advanced technology. Granted he is superhuman and nothing he does is outside of the given abilities of a PICA and the spy technology was necessary to the plot however it began to seem overwhelming. This was primarily evident in the middle of the book and was greatly reduced as time went on.
At 600+ pages this was a bit long however I thought it was well worth the time invested. Overall I thought this was a good read and I look forward to reading the sequel, By Schism Rent Asunder.
Into this society enters Merlin Athrawes, a Personality-Integrated Cybernetic Avatar (PICA), who was hidden away 800 years earlier by members of the ruling council who did not agree with the society that was being created. Merlins goal is to advance Safeholds Renaissance-era society to one capable of defeating the Gbaba. To accomplish this he has to overcome the religious mandates against technology that have been ingrained for over 800 years.
To begin working towards his goal he travels to the Kingdom of Charis where he ingratiates himself with the King, Crown Prince, and other nobles through a variety of acts. Merlin has arrived in Charis in a time of troubles. A growing dispute between Charis and the Church points towards war and a vastly out numbered Charis is more then willing to accept the assistance of Merlin who begins introducing more advanced technology. Soon war begins and Merlins new technology is put to the test.
Off Armageddon Reef is really two books in one. The first is a science fiction story involving a technologically advanced human race traveling through the stars with aliens and space battles. The second is almost a fantasy story set in a pre-industrial world where advanced technology takes the place of magic.
I found the man made religion in this book very interesting. I think it says something about the man made aspects of all religions. There were similarities between the Church of God Awaiting and the Christian Church of Earths medieval period, particularly the corruption and the secular concerns and powers of high church officials.
While I enjoyed the there were a couple of issues I had with it. The first was the similarity of many of the names. On more then one occasion I had a hard time keeping track of who was who. Secondly, I started to get tired of Merlins superhuman abilities and his advanced technology. Granted he is superhuman and nothing he does is outside of the given abilities of a PICA and the spy technology was necessary to the plot however it began to seem overwhelming. This was primarily evident in the middle of the book and was greatly reduced as time went on.
At 600+ pages this was a bit long however I thought it was well worth the time invested. Overall I thought this was a good read and I look forward to reading the sequel, By Schism Rent Asunder.
Helpful Score: 2
I'm a big fan of David Weber's military space novels, but not so fond of his others. Off Armageddon Reef was an iffy selection for me, since it really wasn't a scifi space story at all.
What it is, however, turned out to be quite fascinating. Essentially, the story is that of a small, plucky nation, eager with innovation, versus a much larger world of old technology and no desire to change. All in a pre-industrial revolution world of wooden ships and simple cannons.
And it worked. It worked really well. There was lots of good character building, which centered (eventually) on just two or three people, so it didn't get that often unbearable overcrowding effect. There was lots of fun in the "technological marvel" vein. And lots of explosions.
Worth reading. 4.5/5
What it is, however, turned out to be quite fascinating. Essentially, the story is that of a small, plucky nation, eager with innovation, versus a much larger world of old technology and no desire to change. All in a pre-industrial revolution world of wooden ships and simple cannons.
And it worked. It worked really well. There was lots of good character building, which centered (eventually) on just two or three people, so it didn't get that often unbearable overcrowding effect. There was lots of fun in the "technological marvel" vein. And lots of explosions.
Worth reading. 4.5/5
I bought this book in a bargain bin and expected it to be terrible. It is one of the best I have ever read. There are very few books that mix far future and far history together so well and so believably. Imagine that Heinlein had worked with Forrester writing the Hornblower series with a history professor helping with the background.
The writing is engaging and the first 1/5th of the book is reminiscent of Timothy Zahn's writing.
And you think this is pretty good.... Great Armageddon scenario! Great space fight for the survival of human race!
The next 1/5 of the book reads like the politics in McCaffrey's Dragons of Pern series.
And you think okeeeeeeeeeeey, this has been done before..... It is not bad, but not great either...
And then you realize David Weber does blotchy research, and also miss spells names from our own incorporated history, which is a disappointment considering how well the story has been going so far. (ex: Jan Huss I know as a fact only has one 's' as in Hus).
From then on the story turns from exciting to boring, from flowing to drudgery. He falls into endless monologs by single characters repeating forever what the reader heard 40x already and his descriptions of places and events are taking whole pages. Every time he jumps forward a century, he introduces new set of predictable events and flat, 'scenery characters'. As in useless in every way accept to support a handful of the main characters which are flat out evil megalomaniacs with God complex or goodie-goodie righteous revolutionaries/free-thinkers out to save the mindless sheep that the humanity has became. Sadly even our villains and heroes are one sided characters lacking in true depth. Their struggle is from a cookie cut mold, predictable and reminiscent of other books of this type.
This book had a stellar start but ended my 'trade out' pile.
It is my first book by this author and since his writing style was engaging and I loved the first 'Armageddon' part of the book (as much as I disliked the rest of it), I will try to pick another book by him from a different series.
And you think this is pretty good.... Great Armageddon scenario! Great space fight for the survival of human race!
The next 1/5 of the book reads like the politics in McCaffrey's Dragons of Pern series.
And you think okeeeeeeeeeeey, this has been done before..... It is not bad, but not great either...
And then you realize David Weber does blotchy research, and also miss spells names from our own incorporated history, which is a disappointment considering how well the story has been going so far. (ex: Jan Huss I know as a fact only has one 's' as in Hus).
From then on the story turns from exciting to boring, from flowing to drudgery. He falls into endless monologs by single characters repeating forever what the reader heard 40x already and his descriptions of places and events are taking whole pages. Every time he jumps forward a century, he introduces new set of predictable events and flat, 'scenery characters'. As in useless in every way accept to support a handful of the main characters which are flat out evil megalomaniacs with God complex or goodie-goodie righteous revolutionaries/free-thinkers out to save the mindless sheep that the humanity has became. Sadly even our villains and heroes are one sided characters lacking in true depth. Their struggle is from a cookie cut mold, predictable and reminiscent of other books of this type.
This book had a stellar start but ended my 'trade out' pile.
It is my first book by this author and since his writing style was engaging and I loved the first 'Armageddon' part of the book (as much as I disliked the rest of it), I will try to pick another book by him from a different series.
This is a great and complex story. Mankind has been hunted down and exterminated by a vastly superior and numerous race of aliens, except on one hidden away planet. There they have lived with minimal technology, betting that the Aliens cant find them if there is no electronic signature. To keep this condition stable, the founders of the colony made it a religion. Mankind has lived for hundreds of generations practicing the religion and keeping the faith. After a certain number of years, as programmed, the main character awakes, only to discover that she is a synthetic human with the memories of a woman that has been dead for 1000 years.....After watching the planet using her hidden advanced technology tools and equipment, the hero becomes a Man to help "shape" the planet toward a future that will allow them to re-take the Universe.
As the proven guards man for one of the planets most honorable and sea going royal Princes, the action starts getting quick and complicated as the hero turns this planet on its head.
Great book, The second one is alsocant wait for book three.
As the proven guards man for one of the planets most honorable and sea going royal Princes, the action starts getting quick and complicated as the hero turns this planet on its head.
Great book, The second one is alsocant wait for book three.
Couldn't even make it to page 50.
Great first book for the Safehold series. Can be a bit too complex with too many characters/places that sound same and in olde english. Chisolm, charis, coris... Huh?
This is the first book of a new series by David Weber, author of the Honor Harrington series. The last humans of Planet Earth live a bucolic existence on an isolated planet, the only colony the invaders missed when attempted to obliterate humanity.
But this primitive existence is enforced by the punitive edicts of a repressive church. When the last surviving A.I. avatar of the original Earth dwellers wakes up from a centuries-long hibernation, things start popping loose in all directions.
But this primitive existence is enforced by the punitive edicts of a repressive church. When the last surviving A.I. avatar of the original Earth dwellers wakes up from a centuries-long hibernation, things start popping loose in all directions.
Fascinating premise but characters recycled from other series. Good space opera none the less.
Good read
Good story....a bit wordy....beginning book in a trilogy....almost leans towards alt-history genre
