Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Pointless for profit writing, 30 Jun 2006
I loved "there will be dragons" and followed this series with interest. Alas, the characters in this book are flat and uninspiring, the plotline dull and interesting and overall the books seems to be more a quick buck making filler as opposed to a meaningful contribution to the series. I love Ringos other works but this alas must rank easily at the bottom.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Fourth in the series which began with "There will be dragons", 12 Nov 2007
As with many of John Ringo's books, some people will love this and others will hate it. Straddling the divide between military SF and fantasy, this book has a lot of action, some thought provoking ideas, a brave, handsome and intelligent hero who is wrestling with some inner demons, a beautiful and intelligent heroine who is wrestling with hers, some good use of humour, and a thrilling climax. If that sounds interesting to you, or if you read and liked the previous books in this series, you will probably enjoy this one.
You are more likely to be one of those who don't like it if you are at all politically correct or prudish: in particular, most of the male characters and some of the female ones have a very adolescent attitude to sex. Of course, so do plenty of real people ...
It is the fourth in the Council Wars series. These novels are best read in the chronological sequence, which is
There will be Dragons
Emerald Sea
Against the Tide
East of the Sun, West of the Moon
There will probably be at least one more after this.
Arthur C Clarke once wrote that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. This story is set several thousand years from now in a world where that is literally true. Just about every creature or artifact ever imagined in human myths or legends, from Avatars to Wyverns, Elves to Orcs, and mermaids to winged humans has been created by technology. (I choose the word "creature" very precisely - the story does not include Gods but by definition Gods are not creatures.)
Unfortunately in an earthly paradise of almost perfect luxury most people could not be bothered with the hard work of raising children and so the human race was dying out. Arguments between members of the ruling council over what to do about this eventually resulted in the outbreak of war in the first book of the series, "There will be Dragons." Within moments of the outbreak of war, millions of people were doomed, and for most of the rest of humanity, their safe and luxurious life was replaced by a cruel, exhausting struggle for existence straight out of the middle ages.
At the start of this book, the war has dragged on for five years between the neo-fascist "New Destiny" faction based in "Ropasa" (Europe and Asia) and the the Freedom Coalition, whose main stronghold is the United Free States (America of course.) Neither side has a decisive advantage.
But now an event is about to occur which will gives both sides the opportunity to gain such an advantage. The power plants which previously gave mankind an idyllic existence, and now power the war machines of both sides, rely on Light Helium (He3) which is brought from the outer solar system every few years by an ancient, automated space ship.
The spaceship is about to make its first fuelling pass since the war started five years ago. It will send shuttles to each reactor in the power net - both those controlled by the Freedom Coalition and those controlled by New Destiny - and they will then return to rendezvous with the mother ship at a point "East of the Sun, West of the Moon." Both sides are planning to send a team of people up in the shuttles which refuel their own power stations: if either protagonist can get control of the ship and deny fuel to the other they will almost certainly win the war.
Of course, both sides realise that they cannot afford to let the enemy get control of the refuelling ship, and both have their plans to deal with it: and what happens when they meet up "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" is not what either side expects ...
This book also continues the story of Herzer Herrick and Megan Travante, who find that the course of true love never did run smooth.
I have not liked everything which John Ringo has written recently, but I very much enjoyed all four books in the "Council Wars" series. Not all readers will appreciate them but IMHO those who enjoy military SF should give them a try.
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