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Empire of Man #4
We Few
Left stranded on the barbarian planet Marduk with a group of Royal Marines, Prince Roger MacClintock now faces an all new set of challenges as he and his faithful followers set out to recapture an interstellar empire from enemies who have killed Roger's brother, captured his mother, and branded Roger a traitor and outlaw.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published April 5, 2004
95 people are currently reading
943 people want to read
About the author
David Weber
323 books4,553 followersDavid Mark Weber is an American science fiction and fantasy author. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1952.
Many of his stories have military, particularly naval, themes, and fit into the military science fiction genre. He frequently places female leading characters in what have been traditionally male roles.
One of his most popular and enduring characters is Honor Harrington whose alliterated name is an homage to C.S. Forester's character Horatio Hornblower and her last name from a fleet doctor in Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander . Her story, together with the "Honorverse" she inhabits, has been developed through 16 novels and six shared-universe anthologies, as of spring 2013 (other works are in production). In 2008, he donated his archive to the department of Rare Books and Special Collections at Northern Illinois University.
Many of his books are available online, either in their entirety as part of the Baen Free Library or, in the case of more recent books, in the form of sample chapters (typically the first 25-33% of the work).
http://us.macmillan.com/author/davidw...
Many of his stories have military, particularly naval, themes, and fit into the military science fiction genre. He frequently places female leading characters in what have been traditionally male roles.
One of his most popular and enduring characters is Honor Harrington whose alliterated name is an homage to C.S. Forester's character Horatio Hornblower and her last name from a fleet doctor in Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander . Her story, together with the "Honorverse" she inhabits, has been developed through 16 novels and six shared-universe anthologies, as of spring 2013 (other works are in production). In 2008, he donated his archive to the department of Rare Books and Special Collections at Northern Illinois University.
Many of his books are available online, either in their entirety as part of the Baen Free Library or, in the case of more recent books, in the form of sample chapters (typically the first 25-33% of the work).
http://us.macmillan.com/author/davidw...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 209 reviews
February 5, 2017
Audiobook
I loved this book. There were battles but not the jammed packed ones as in the other books. I think the kidnapping wasn't necessary to the story. And although I loved the ending, it seemed abrupt to me. Is she going to talk with the people to tell her side of the story just so the transition to Roger is more accepted? Also, I wish there was another book in the series. Author, if you can't find a publisher, make it an ebook please. Great sci-fi series.
I loved this book. There were battles but not the jammed packed ones as in the other books. I think the kidnapping wasn't necessary to the story. And although I loved the ending, it seemed abrupt to me. Is she going to talk with the people to tell her side of the story just so the transition to Roger is more accepted? Also, I wish there was another book in the series. Author, if you can't find a publisher, make it an ebook please. Great sci-fi series.
October 14, 2016
I've heard people say the John Scalzi is the Robert Heinlein of today. Having read the "Old Man" series, I don't really agree with that. I can see why people would say that because Scalzi's writing doesn't really fit into any classification, and possibly comes closer to Heinlein than any other category you might want to put him in. However, several time while reading the "Prince Roger" series, I found myself thinking of the writing style of Robert Heinlein.
This is the fourth (and currently the last) in the series by David Weber and John Ringo of the education of Prince Roger and his trip to maturity. These books constitute an exciting adventure with many battles, and adventures covering half the planet of Marduk, a trip to the stars, and a return to "Old Earth". Like Heinlein, the authors do a good job of letting you know who the characters are, what they like and don't like, developing them into fully rounded people that you come to like. From time to time they will launch off on a dissertation about politics, governing philosophy, history, biology, weaponry, and other subjects, which a very Heinleinian style.
The one problem I have with the books is that the authors introduce so many characters with alien sounding, or made-up names that it's hard to keep track of who is who. In the final battle there were three naval officers whose names sound so much alike that I often couldn't tell which side of the battle we were on. This was a common occurrence throughout the books. It's like reading a Russian novel with dozens and dozens of hard-to-keep-track-of names.
In the course of these books you will receive detailed and knowledgeable descriptions of weaponry (both futuristic and historical), and of battles on land, in swamps, on the sea, and in space. This may be one of the most fascinating aspects of these books: that a science fiction novel could cover so many different types of battles and do it so well.
All-in-all, though very long, this was a very enjoyable read.
This is the fourth (and currently the last) in the series by David Weber and John Ringo of the education of Prince Roger and his trip to maturity. These books constitute an exciting adventure with many battles, and adventures covering half the planet of Marduk, a trip to the stars, and a return to "Old Earth". Like Heinlein, the authors do a good job of letting you know who the characters are, what they like and don't like, developing them into fully rounded people that you come to like. From time to time they will launch off on a dissertation about politics, governing philosophy, history, biology, weaponry, and other subjects, which a very Heinleinian style.
The one problem I have with the books is that the authors introduce so many characters with alien sounding, or made-up names that it's hard to keep track of who is who. In the final battle there were three naval officers whose names sound so much alike that I often couldn't tell which side of the battle we were on. This was a common occurrence throughout the books. It's like reading a Russian novel with dozens and dozens of hard-to-keep-track-of names.
In the course of these books you will receive detailed and knowledgeable descriptions of weaponry (both futuristic and historical), and of battles on land, in swamps, on the sea, and in space. This may be one of the most fascinating aspects of these books: that a science fiction novel could cover so many different types of battles and do it so well.
All-in-all, though very long, this was a very enjoyable read.
December 31, 2020
This book is very different from the previous ones. So after three books that inevitably felt pretty similar we're off Marduk and retaking the empire from usurpers. No more weird alien cultures, no more limited access to technology, no more reacting to events. This is the endgame. Finally.
After three books looking forward to this I found the story surprisingly uninvolving. Despite its limited length (the book is about a hundred page shorter than the rest and there are no chapters) the book is filled with unnecessary recaps of what already happened. The first half is the most compelling as we get to see an interesting new civilization - the Alphane Alliance. A small empire on the edges of the Empire of Man, it consists of humans as well as two alien species called Phaenur and Althari. The three live in harmony, which is kind of cool, as are the new aliens, but as soon as Roger cuts a deal with them we're off to Earth.
I do not find his Earth very compelling. The books have been fairly coy about how the government works and that doesn't really change here. There's a prime minister and a Senate, but that's about all we know. The plan itself is rather unexpected - the crew all disguise themselves as cooks and open a restaurant in the capital. Props for unexpectedness, but this grounds everyone and leaves us rather stationary. It's also unclear to me how they are supposed to be accepted for who they are once they've had a complete genetic makeover that makes them unrecognizable (are there really no imperial lookalikes in an empire of billions?). Necessary disguises perhaps, but wouldn't that delay essential efforts to prove the prince's identity? From the moment they establish their restaurant they do little planning that we see. Mostly the time is spent revealing themselves to people. And frankly, they do it a lot and to people they don't have any reason to trust. But dammit, Roger's just so... so... charismatic! I guess.
Incidentally, I probably have to give props to Ringo for not undoing Roger's character development. He'd been becoming a hard hard man and that's still there. In fact, he seems little better than a beast at times. I expected him to grow out of it, but I guess personal growth was only meant to be in one direction. Or possibly this is what Ringo thinks an ideal ruler is - a man governed by rage restrained only by a woman who marries him out of an obligation to restrain him from murdering people. And yes, they do have a long conversation about how necessary it is for her to suck it up and take one for the team. Yay.
By this point it's notable and frustrating that Ringo's using this book to vent against some strawman enemies of his - specifically liberals. The big bad empire threatening them is made up of environmentalists who murder humans en masse to "restore" the natural environment. And we get lots of similarly grim comments about pacifists and those who oppose interfering in other cultures (he's pro-imperialist and anti-prime directive). It's extra irritating that this moral lecturing comes from open aristocrats in favor of monarchy. The most obnoxious line in the book was: "corporations were unfairly held up as great, evil empires of greed by individuals who were simply deluded or else intentionally using them as strawmen". Yikes. Intentionally insulting and also - not plot relevant. That's because this is tied in to his love of lecturing on any given topic that had grown so irritating by the last book (two new nonsensicals here: the sword of Damocles an instrument of Persian emperors and the Praetorian Guard evolving out of Caesar's Tenth Legion. Why not just check these things?). It's not always political. We get a lecture on why men are drawn to tits. I suspect it's worse here since he realizes he needs padding to draw out what's ultimately a simple story.
In the end I think I'm just tired of this whole series. It had some interesting ideas and unique aliens, but the battle scenes blur together after a while and the conclusion is too dependent on people doing the right thing and joining a mutiny they know nothing about on the drop of a hat. It's clearly time to move onto something else.
After three books looking forward to this I found the story surprisingly uninvolving. Despite its limited length (the book is about a hundred page shorter than the rest and there are no chapters) the book is filled with unnecessary recaps of what already happened. The first half is the most compelling as we get to see an interesting new civilization - the Alphane Alliance. A small empire on the edges of the Empire of Man, it consists of humans as well as two alien species called Phaenur and Althari. The three live in harmony, which is kind of cool, as are the new aliens, but as soon as Roger cuts a deal with them we're off to Earth.
I do not find his Earth very compelling. The books have been fairly coy about how the government works and that doesn't really change here. There's a prime minister and a Senate, but that's about all we know. The plan itself is rather unexpected - the crew all disguise themselves as cooks and open a restaurant in the capital. Props for unexpectedness, but this grounds everyone and leaves us rather stationary. It's also unclear to me how they are supposed to be accepted for who they are once they've had a complete genetic makeover that makes them unrecognizable (are there really no imperial lookalikes in an empire of billions?). Necessary disguises perhaps, but wouldn't that delay essential efforts to prove the prince's identity? From the moment they establish their restaurant they do little planning that we see. Mostly the time is spent revealing themselves to people. And frankly, they do it a lot and to people they don't have any reason to trust. But dammit, Roger's just so... so... charismatic! I guess.
Incidentally, I probably have to give props to Ringo for not undoing Roger's character development. He'd been becoming a hard hard man and that's still there. In fact, he seems little better than a beast at times. I expected him to grow out of it, but I guess personal growth was only meant to be in one direction. Or possibly this is what Ringo thinks an ideal ruler is - a man governed by rage restrained only by a woman who marries him out of an obligation to restrain him from murdering people. And yes, they do have a long conversation about how necessary it is for her to suck it up and take one for the team. Yay.
By this point it's notable and frustrating that Ringo's using this book to vent against some strawman enemies of his - specifically liberals. The big bad empire threatening them is made up of environmentalists who murder humans en masse to "restore" the natural environment. And we get lots of similarly grim comments about pacifists and those who oppose interfering in other cultures (he's pro-imperialist and anti-prime directive). It's extra irritating that this moral lecturing comes from open aristocrats in favor of monarchy. The most obnoxious line in the book was: "corporations were unfairly held up as great, evil empires of greed by individuals who were simply deluded or else intentionally using them as strawmen". Yikes. Intentionally insulting and also - not plot relevant. That's because this is tied in to his love of lecturing on any given topic that had grown so irritating by the last book (two new nonsensicals here: the sword of Damocles an instrument of Persian emperors and the Praetorian Guard evolving out of Caesar's Tenth Legion. Why not just check these things?). It's not always political. We get a lecture on why men are drawn to tits. I suspect it's worse here since he realizes he needs padding to draw out what's ultimately a simple story.
In the end I think I'm just tired of this whole series. It had some interesting ideas and unique aliens, but the battle scenes blur together after a while and the conclusion is too dependent on people doing the right thing and joining a mutiny they know nothing about on the drop of a hat. It's clearly time to move onto something else.
October 30, 2011
No better than the rest of his "March" series, but Weber gets an extra star because he finally finished it. The Three "March" books had enough plot for one good book. And, yes, Weber could have drawn We Few out into two more books, but it would have been pointless.
The same strengths and weaknesses as his Honor Harrington books with a slightly better take on the point of view from in the ranks. The usual (and same) techno-babble as the Harrington books. Too-good-to-be-true hero, but at least we're told why Roger is quicker, smarter and more deadly than the rest of us.
The same strengths and weaknesses as his Honor Harrington books with a slightly better take on the point of view from in the ranks. The usual (and same) techno-babble as the Harrington books. Too-good-to-be-true hero, but at least we're told why Roger is quicker, smarter and more deadly than the rest of us.
June 14, 2023
Listened to this series many times. Still feels like coming home, still thrills me, still makes me laugh out loud, still makes me cry. My favorite character-driven sci-fi series.
March 2, 2015
The last of the series and certainly the most complicated. Also the only one that can completely stand on its own as a novel. While all of them are written as complete stories, each of the other books are still part of a series and so the characters and situations aren't reintroduced over and over again, and when the action does stop, you have the feeling that there's a goal just waiting on the horizon. This book, on the other hand, rehashes the whole series and reintroduces the important characters at the very beginning. I skipped parts of it, having just read the whole series, but you could just read this book and get the sense of the entire series.
In this book, Prince Roger and his tattered remnants of the Marines who started out this trip are alone on a battered ship, facing an usurped empire that thinks they're traitors and determined to take it back for the throne.
And they do, in a bloody, violent fashion. There's parts of this book that aren't bloody -- few and far between, but there are parts. Stand outs include the empathic race that know bloody well that Roger is lying to them, but go along with him anyway because they can feel how strongly he feels about things, the Mardukian restaurant they open on Earth as a cover for their operations and the near clairvoyance of Admiral Helmut, Dark Lord of the Sixth. (The title's a quote, by the way.)
Some of the action sequences are compelling. The taking of the side gate of the palace in particular, and Roger's charge down a corridor of automated defenses. Some are less so, namely the positioning of all the ships in the space battles.
My only wish for this book, other than that a bad guy got away is what we don't get to see. We don't get to see Roger confront his mother, if indeed he ever does and we don't get to see him ruling, which must be a sight. I predict thtat's he's a hard-nosed bastard as a ruler.
In this book, Prince Roger and his tattered remnants of the Marines who started out this trip are alone on a battered ship, facing an usurped empire that thinks they're traitors and determined to take it back for the throne.
And they do, in a bloody, violent fashion. There's parts of this book that aren't bloody -- few and far between, but there are parts. Stand outs include the empathic race that know bloody well that Roger is lying to them, but go along with him anyway because they can feel how strongly he feels about things, the Mardukian restaurant they open on Earth as a cover for their operations and the near clairvoyance of Admiral Helmut, Dark Lord of the Sixth. (The title's a quote, by the way.)
Some of the action sequences are compelling. The taking of the side gate of the palace in particular, and Roger's charge down a corridor of automated defenses. Some are less so, namely the positioning of all the ships in the space battles.
My only wish for this book, other than that a bad guy got away is what we don't get to see. We don't get to see Roger confront his mother, if indeed he ever does and we don't get to see him ruling, which must be a sight. I predict thtat's he's a hard-nosed bastard as a ruler.
July 16, 2019
3.75 stars
December 2015:
In the end, I was dissatisfied. OH MY GOD too much detail on galactic battle tactics and warfare. Who in their right mind, I'm talking about readers of fiction, wants to read/listen-to that level of minute detail? And when so damned many fleet officers were introduced during the final battle? How in seven hells did anyone keep those people straight? And little things like where was Erkum Pol at the close of the story? Did Roger and his fiance make it back to Marduk to visit? Who was appointed governor of Marduk... another human or a Mardukan?? So, too much battle detail and not enough character development and closure by the end. I was left hanging. And crying. Think I'll make up my own ending.
Still...an all-time, all-genre favorite series. Highly recommended.
June 2019:
Same issues, but still one of very favorite military sci-fi series. In fact, with that ending... I would have liked another book. Perhaps even a long epilogue.
December 2015:
In the end, I was dissatisfied. OH MY GOD too much detail on galactic battle tactics and warfare. Who in their right mind, I'm talking about readers of fiction, wants to read/listen-to that level of minute detail? And when so damned many fleet officers were introduced during the final battle? How in seven hells did anyone keep those people straight? And little things like where was Erkum Pol at the close of the story? Did Roger and his fiance make it back to Marduk to visit? Who was appointed governor of Marduk... another human or a Mardukan?? So, too much battle detail and not enough character development and closure by the end. I was left hanging. And crying. Think I'll make up my own ending.
Still...an all-time, all-genre favorite series. Highly recommended.
June 2019:
Same issues, but still one of very favorite military sci-fi series. In fact, with that ending... I would have liked another book. Perhaps even a long epilogue.
February 1, 2019
I'm very fond of this series. I like the characters, I like the setting, I like the writing.
I like the story arc - how Roger grows from this spoiled little titweasel to a great man, a great leader. I love how the company grew together, how the aliens integrated into the group. I adore Cord, because sometimes the best thing you can do for a future leader of men is hit him on the head when he's being a tit.
Like I said, I really enjoyed this series. I enjoy it more every time I read it.
And John Ringo and David Weber are such complementary authors. The story moves more quickly than Weber's usual writing, with very few mid-scene interruptions to infodump imaginary weapons tech (Ah, David Weber, never change). At the same time, it's definitely got a more measured pace than what I've read of Ringo's writing (which, admittedly, has so far been only his zombie series) and less of a tendency to include random events just for shits and giggles, as he appears to be fond of doing. The plotting is tight and if there wasn't a massive outline somewhere, with maps and timelines, I'd be very surprised indeed.
One thing that pissed me off was the massive space battle digression near the end of the last book. I get that we need to know what happened to the Dark Lord of the Sixth and his forces, but seriously? As I was reading it, I kept thinking "I bet David Weber said he was going to quit the series if they didn't let him write at least one space battle". It was too damn long, and placed as it is, it encourages skimming. We want to know what is happening with Roger, dammit, not some space bros we didn't meet until a hundred pages ago! TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED TO MY ELF BOY.
Seriously, this is a seriously pocking good series. If you like military SF, read it. If you like castaway stories, read it. Intrigue? Go. Plotting? Go. WAR? Go. If you like a clean romance where sex is mostly just implied, read it for that too (and that last point kind of pisses me off. I mean, is there a reason why we can't have decent sex scenes in the really good SF books? Is there some kind of law and nobody told me? Where, I ask you, is the Kushiel's Dart of the SF world?)
I like the story arc - how Roger grows from this spoiled little titweasel to a great man, a great leader. I love how the company grew together, how the aliens integrated into the group. I adore Cord, because sometimes the best thing you can do for a future leader of men is hit him on the head when he's being a tit.
Like I said, I really enjoyed this series. I enjoy it more every time I read it.
And John Ringo and David Weber are such complementary authors. The story moves more quickly than Weber's usual writing, with very few mid-scene interruptions to infodump imaginary weapons tech (Ah, David Weber, never change). At the same time, it's definitely got a more measured pace than what I've read of Ringo's writing (which, admittedly, has so far been only his zombie series) and less of a tendency to include random events just for shits and giggles, as he appears to be fond of doing. The plotting is tight and if there wasn't a massive outline somewhere, with maps and timelines, I'd be very surprised indeed.
One thing that pissed me off was the massive space battle digression near the end of the last book. I get that we need to know what happened to the Dark Lord of the Sixth and his forces, but seriously? As I was reading it, I kept thinking "I bet David Weber said he was going to quit the series if they didn't let him write at least one space battle". It was too damn long, and placed as it is, it encourages skimming. We want to know what is happening with Roger, dammit, not some space bros we didn't meet until a hundred pages ago! TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED TO MY ELF BOY.
Seriously, this is a seriously pocking good series. If you like military SF, read it. If you like castaway stories, read it. Intrigue? Go. Plotting? Go. WAR? Go. If you like a clean romance where sex is mostly just implied, read it for that too (and that last point kind of pisses me off. I mean, is there a reason why we can't have decent sex scenes in the really good SF books? Is there some kind of law and nobody told me? Where, I ask you, is the Kushiel's Dart of the SF world?)
June 14, 2017
Good ending to the series!
August 25, 2021
Notes:
I really enjoyed the planning to save the Empress. It was a very different take & clever. A good wrap up for the series.
I really enjoyed the planning to save the Empress. It was a very different take & clever. A good wrap up for the series.
November 23, 2024
First read August 2011
This is the last one in the series, and I still really love them. Competence porn, MilSF, and snark. What could be better?
I don't enjoy this one as much as I enjoy the previous books in the series, but it's a fitting end.
This is the last one in the series, and I still really love them. Competence porn, MilSF, and snark. What could be better?
I don't enjoy this one as much as I enjoy the previous books in the series, but it's a fitting end.
February 28, 2014
Good wrap up, but way way too technical on the space battles
May 22, 2018
Started off well but had pacing issues in the latter half of the book.
With the new world setting and plot, the book made for a fresh and exciting start. The action has shifted from backwater planet to the centre of know world, the capital city of the empire. The storytelling focuses on the intrigues and preparations by Prince Roger and his merry band for a counter-coup. This theme covers about 3/5th of the book and is really the fun part. Then we get lots of wasted pages on a complicated and stretched out space battle which is just plain boring. This put me off with the otherwise great storytelling, reducing my rating for the book from 4 to a 3 star.
PS: The first 50 pages of the book recap on what happened earlier in the series, luckily I enjoyed the re-introduction to the various characters as I had got back to the series after a gap of 3 months, but if I was binge reading it, I would have hated it. The author should have these as preface or introduction instead of a chapter.
With the new world setting and plot, the book made for a fresh and exciting start. The action has shifted from backwater planet to the centre of know world, the capital city of the empire. The storytelling focuses on the intrigues and preparations by Prince Roger and his merry band for a counter-coup. This theme covers about 3/5th of the book and is really the fun part. Then we get lots of wasted pages on a complicated and stretched out space battle which is just plain boring. This put me off with the otherwise great storytelling, reducing my rating for the book from 4 to a 3 star.
PS: The first 50 pages of the book recap on what happened earlier in the series, luckily I enjoyed the re-introduction to the various characters as I had got back to the series after a gap of 3 months, but if I was binge reading it, I would have hated it. The author should have these as preface or introduction instead of a chapter.
October 29, 2017
We Few is the fourth and final book in the excellent Empire of Man series by David Weber and John Ringo. Prince Roger and his team finally make it back to his world and he now finds himself needing to rescue his mother, the empress of man.
This book is pretty different from the earlier three because it is not about surviving a hostile planet against deadly natives. Then again, Prince Roger's world is not really that different. His mother is under the control of Roger's father by blood but not by love.
They setup a restaurant that serves Marduckin food as the perfect cover and a gain allies in order to save the empress.
This final book was pretty good at showing the evolution of Prince Roger and a good ending to the series. There were a few memorable moments that made this a good book but not a great one. I give it four out of five stars.
This book is pretty different from the earlier three because it is not about surviving a hostile planet against deadly natives. Then again, Prince Roger's world is not really that different. His mother is under the control of Roger's father by blood but not by love.
They setup a restaurant that serves Marduckin food as the perfect cover and a gain allies in order to save the empress.
This final book was pretty good at showing the evolution of Prince Roger and a good ending to the series. There were a few memorable moments that made this a good book but not a great one. I give it four out of five stars.
May 25, 2024
Empire of Man
I don't really know what to say. To say that this is one of the best series I have ever read. To say it pulled on all my emotions, to say the story was wonderful.
I read these so long ago in paperback and hardcover. And now in Kindle/Ereader format.
I wish to applaud the authors, both of whom have published other stories just as fulfilling and wonderful. I laughed I cried I cheered I got mad I was happy.
I thank them for all the joy they have provided me over the years with their works, and hope there will be more, if possible.
I recommend their books to everybody that reads and is a fan of scifi, or techno fantasy, or EOW, or alternate history or well anything!
I don't really know what to say. To say that this is one of the best series I have ever read. To say it pulled on all my emotions, to say the story was wonderful.
I read these so long ago in paperback and hardcover. And now in Kindle/Ereader format.
I wish to applaud the authors, both of whom have published other stories just as fulfilling and wonderful. I laughed I cried I cheered I got mad I was happy.
I thank them for all the joy they have provided me over the years with their works, and hope there will be more, if possible.
I recommend their books to everybody that reads and is a fan of scifi, or techno fantasy, or EOW, or alternate history or well anything!
July 1, 2019
I started this one yesterday, and almost finished it in one sitting. It's not because it was that good. Rather it was hard to pick a place to stop. There are no chapter breaks or other subdivisions. It was almost Joycean, only with more swearing and combat.
The book begins mere weeks after the last scene of "March to the Stars". Roger and the survivors of the Bronze Barbarians and their Mardukan allies must plot their way back to the seat of the Empire, Old Earth.
The book begins mere weeks after the last scene of "March to the Stars". Roger and the survivors of the Bronze Barbarians and their Mardukan allies must plot their way back to the seat of the Empire, Old Earth.
April 30, 2018
Just as exciting of a jungle planet action thriller as the others, except this time the only jungle is 35th century politics.
September 23, 2020
Manstuff the final chapter
January 3, 2021
this is by far my favorite sci fy series. it begins with an immature prince being thrust into situations that severely test his ability to cope with life , war, and honor. His trek across Marduke brings out the best in the prince. This series develops many characters, and takes the reader into an amazing world. this final book has a few slow points, ie. the space battle near the end. However the first three books are non stop exciting. The audiobooks are all available through Hoopla, and the narrator Stefan Rudnicki is fantastic
December 3, 2012
This is the fourth and last book in the Empire of Man series. As such it is quite different from the others in that the setting is no longer the primitive planet of Marduk but we’re now back to the “civilization” with all what it entails of modern weaponry, starships etc. However, the book brings along some of the best parts of the previous book such as the bestiary and Roger’s Mardukan friends. It’s clobber time!
Now we’re no longer on a long march of survival. Now it is Roger’s time to strike back at the bad guys. I was a bit hesitant at first to this idea of infiltrating an empire using a restaurant but it worked out really well. Roger is no longer the spoiled brat that needs to be watched, except possibly for making sure he doesn’t kill to many in one evening.
I really liked this book. The infiltration of old Earth, the convincing of the old friends of the Empire, the inevitable ass-kicking, the surprises the bad guys got and last but not least some decent space battles. Well written in the classical John Ringo and David Weber style (luckily without David Weber going too much into talk talk talk land) and exactly my cup of tea.
My only complaint would have been that another old friend and main character was lost near the end. I’m never too thrilled about these events which never really add anything but grief, neither in books nor in movies.
This was the last in the series but although this particular story arc obviously has reach its conclusion, there’s definitely a door open to continue the story. It would be interesting if John and David would do so at some time.
Now we’re no longer on a long march of survival. Now it is Roger’s time to strike back at the bad guys. I was a bit hesitant at first to this idea of infiltrating an empire using a restaurant but it worked out really well. Roger is no longer the spoiled brat that needs to be watched, except possibly for making sure he doesn’t kill to many in one evening.
I really liked this book. The infiltration of old Earth, the convincing of the old friends of the Empire, the inevitable ass-kicking, the surprises the bad guys got and last but not least some decent space battles. Well written in the classical John Ringo and David Weber style (luckily without David Weber going too much into talk talk talk land) and exactly my cup of tea.
My only complaint would have been that another old friend and main character was lost near the end. I’m never too thrilled about these events which never really add anything but grief, neither in books nor in movies.
This was the last in the series but although this particular story arc obviously has reach its conclusion, there’s definitely a door open to continue the story. It would be interesting if John and David would do so at some time.
April 24, 2014
I really hope that this book has a sequel; the way it ends is almost criminal. Still, both Weber and Ringo shine in this, the fourth in the 'Empire of Man' series.
Prince Roger is in a pickle. After marching across an entire PLANET, fighting all numbers of ferocious beasts and barbarian tribes, almost getting eaten as a sacrifice, and very sneakily capturing a Saint ship to make the long journey home-Now Prince Roger is in real trouble. His mother the Empress Alexandra is the prisoner of seditious turncoats (including his own father!), the Empire is on the brink of civil war, enemies are probing for weakness at the Empire's borders... And Desperaux STILL won't marry him. Good thing he has the 'Basik's Own': A ragtag group comprised of his Mardukan host (think eight foot tall, four-armed, slimy horned lizards and you'll have the general idea) and the remnants of his personal guard at hand. Because he has a plan, a way to get his mother (and the Empire) back. And he will stop at nothing to fulfill that plan.
Weber and Ringo are scintillating in this fourth installment, bringing to light the logistics of coup and counter-coup, of intra-system fleet engagements (light-speed lag SUCKS), and finally, of interpersonal relationships (romantic and otherwise) that arise from strife and personal loss. I'm REALLY hoping that there is a fifth novel coming out soon.. I can't wait!
Prince Roger is in a pickle. After marching across an entire PLANET, fighting all numbers of ferocious beasts and barbarian tribes, almost getting eaten as a sacrifice, and very sneakily capturing a Saint ship to make the long journey home-Now Prince Roger is in real trouble. His mother the Empress Alexandra is the prisoner of seditious turncoats (including his own father!), the Empire is on the brink of civil war, enemies are probing for weakness at the Empire's borders... And Desperaux STILL won't marry him. Good thing he has the 'Basik's Own': A ragtag group comprised of his Mardukan host (think eight foot tall, four-armed, slimy horned lizards and you'll have the general idea) and the remnants of his personal guard at hand. Because he has a plan, a way to get his mother (and the Empire) back. And he will stop at nothing to fulfill that plan.
Weber and Ringo are scintillating in this fourth installment, bringing to light the logistics of coup and counter-coup, of intra-system fleet engagements (light-speed lag SUCKS), and finally, of interpersonal relationships (romantic and otherwise) that arise from strife and personal loss. I'm REALLY hoping that there is a fifth novel coming out soon.. I can't wait!
January 3, 2014
My God, what happened? One would almost think this book was written by Orson Scott Card & a committee! Warning: Narration Ad-Nauseum! First, there is the problem that the FIRST wonderful/exception plot line from books 1 and 2 has been trashed, but this book constantly rehashes and retells things from books 1, 2, and 3.
I finished it, and as I said in my review of book #3, this new save-the-empress plot could have been a nice separate series, but someone totally screwed-the-pooch by calling it part of wonderful books 1 and 2.
So in summary:
- the first third of this book is dialog and blather, almost no action.
- the middle third of this book (the city battle) is good and on par with the first few books
- the final third is a ridiculous and 100% extraneous 'Honor Harrington-style' space battle of speeds and missile counts which has no relevance to this story. Literally, had the author not mentioned using kinetic strikes to destroy the palace, then who would care about space fleets at all? Heck, Roger could have moved his mother somewhere else, and then even with kinetic strikes, who would care about the space fleet? brrrrr.
I am NOT surprised this Empire of Man series ended after this horrible hack-job of a book.
I finished it, and as I said in my review of book #3, this new save-the-empress plot could have been a nice separate series, but someone totally screwed-the-pooch by calling it part of wonderful books 1 and 2.
So in summary:
- the first third of this book is dialog and blather, almost no action.
- the middle third of this book (the city battle) is good and on par with the first few books
- the final third is a ridiculous and 100% extraneous 'Honor Harrington-style' space battle of speeds and missile counts which has no relevance to this story. Literally, had the author not mentioned using kinetic strikes to destroy the palace, then who would care about space fleets at all? Heck, Roger could have moved his mother somewhere else, and then even with kinetic strikes, who would care about the space fleet? brrrrr.
I am NOT surprised this Empire of Man series ended after this horrible hack-job of a book.
March 29, 2013
gods damn great book. just as thrilling, entertaining, thought provoking, and pleasing to read as the last 3...except in the back 9 you start to grow weary of nobodies taking center stage as if they survived Marduk. particularly the "naval battle" in the end was just damn boring since all I cared about was Roger and the Basiks Own. not some moff wannabe fighting other carbon copy moff wannabes. sucks. because it is important for them to be there in the story. they make sense. it moves along the story, and facilitates the transition from riding atop patty into a barbarian horde to blowing open kromsten doors with a plasma gun. well not really but you get my drift. and the ending was both heartfelt and bittersweet. makes me excited for the next chapter.
July 18, 2016
Books 1-4 review.
Hapless dandy prince crash lands on barbarian planet and sets off to a distant spaceport, growing into a leader of men in the process.
Excellent world-building, intriguing approach to technology and material science, lovely but excruciating love story... is what you get in the first three books. This last felt weakest (though perhaps thats just my lack of interest in space naval battles).
The rest of the series is absolutely top notch, Weber on perfect easy reading form.
I hear theres going to be a fifth book, presumably featuring a married Roger fighting the rebels. I await it eagerly!
Hapless dandy prince crash lands on barbarian planet and sets off to a distant spaceport, growing into a leader of men in the process.
Excellent world-building, intriguing approach to technology and material science, lovely but excruciating love story... is what you get in the first three books. This last felt weakest (though perhaps thats just my lack of interest in space naval battles).
The rest of the series is absolutely top notch, Weber on perfect easy reading form.
I hear theres going to be a fifth book, presumably featuring a married Roger fighting the rebels. I await it eagerly!
March 26, 2015
Excellent saga
The Prince Roger series ends with a showcase of classic military space battles. There's some uninteresting politicking. Small new characters, like the IBI trio. Mostly Mardukians again though. The rather dubious restaurant business did have me skipping pages at times... I did that a lot with the series. Seems Wingo does like to repeat himself. But the core is here - loyal barbarians, shipwreck xeno-threat fauna, butlers and weapons materials science. And that most important sense of awe which carried me easily through despite the genre.
3.5 stars.
The Prince Roger series ends with a showcase of classic military space battles. There's some uninteresting politicking. Small new characters, like the IBI trio. Mostly Mardukians again though. The rather dubious restaurant business did have me skipping pages at times... I did that a lot with the series. Seems Wingo does like to repeat himself. But the core is here - loyal barbarians, shipwreck xeno-threat fauna, butlers and weapons materials science. And that most important sense of awe which carried me easily through despite the genre.
3.5 stars.
September 18, 2012
This book was a little weaker. I feel like the authors may have wanted to do this as another three book effort but then got told that they had other things to do, so they took the major plot points and just shoved them all together. Still a good story with well-written battles and dialogue, but some of it felt rushed or half-baked, and deus ex shows up a bit too often. Also the ending doesn't provide adequate emotional closure in my opinion.
November 14, 2013
This is the culmination of a four book saga. This finale goes on and on and on almost to the point of pain. The author needs to realise that often less really is more...OR...he could have cut out some of the more tiresome text in favour of actually resolving the story line instead of leaving threads hanging for yet another volume in the series...
March 19, 2025
Slightly ambiguous feelings about this book. On the one hand, I've listened to all four books of the series in rapid succession and am ready for something different. On the other, I want there to be another book in this series. As I said about March to the Stars, don't read this without reading the others first. And if you have read the others, you already know what to expect.
May 30, 2017
PATTY LIVED!!
Never been so happy to be wrong.
Shame there is NO hint of further books in this series. I really want the villain receive his just desserts on camera.
Also want to see how Roger brings the Marduk people into the Empire.
Never been so happy to be wrong.
Shame there is NO hint of further books in this series. I really want the villain receive his just desserts on camera.
Also want to see how Roger brings the Marduk people into the Empire.
August 27, 2013
A mediocre conclusion to a mediocre series. I've officially decided after this one that I don't like John Ringo's style as a writer.
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