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Exodus: Empires at War #2
Exodus: Empires at War #2
The Saga Continues as the Ca'cadasan menace prepares to assault the New Terran Empire. A menace humankind fled across the Galaxy two thousand years before.
Humankind has grown complacent, confident in the victories their fleet has won for them through the last thousand years over numerous alien races. But the Ca'cadasan Empire has continued to grow, and now the massive Imperialistic power has found the hated humans. The Emperor knew this was going to happen, but most of Parliament ignored his strident call. And the Prince Sean Lee Ogden Romanov, third in line for the throne, finds himself placed into a position he had never thought would come his way.
The fate of the Empire may rest on the abilities of one young man, and his skills at navigating the maze of Imperial politics amidst a war of extermination.
Humankind has grown complacent, confident in the victories their fleet has won for them through the last thousand years over numerous alien races. But the Ca'cadasan Empire has continued to grow, and now the massive Imperialistic power has found the hated humans. The Emperor knew this was going to happen, but most of Parliament ignored his strident call. And the Prince Sean Lee Ogden Romanov, third in line for the throne, finds himself placed into a position he had never thought would come his way.
The fate of the Empire may rest on the abilities of one young man, and his skills at navigating the maze of Imperial politics amidst a war of extermination.
321 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 20, 2012
About the author
Doug Dandridge
75 books142 followersDoug Dandridge was born in Venice Florida in 1957, the son of a Florida native and a Mother of French Canadian descent. An avid reader from an early age, Doug has read most of the classic novels and shorts of Science Fiction and Fantasy, as well as multiple hundreds of historical works. Doug has military experience including Marine Corps JROTC, Active Duty Army, and the Florida National Guard. He attended Florida State University, studying Biology, Geology, Physics, and Chemistry, and receiving a BS in Psychology. Doug then studied Clinical Psychology at the University of Alabama, with specific interests in Neuropsychology and Child Psychology, completing a Masters and all course work required for a PhD. He has worked in Psychiatric Hospitals, Mental Health Centers, a Prison, a Juvenile Residential Facility, and for the his last seven years in the work force for the Florida Department of Children and Families. Since March of 2013 he has worked as a full time writer. Doug has been writing on and off for fifteen years. He concentrates on intelligent science fiction and fantasy in which there is always hope, no matter how hard the situation. No area of the fantastic is outside his scope, as he has completed works in near and far future Science Fiction, Urban and High Fantasy, Horror, and Alternate History.
Doug has published 34 books on Amazon, with over 230,000 sales with 5,000 reviews averaging 4.6 stars. He will be publishing his first traditionally published book in 2018, followed by the second book of the contracted series. Also in the planning stages are post apocalyptic and alternate history series.
Doug has published 34 books on Amazon, with over 230,000 sales with 5,000 reviews averaging 4.6 stars. He will be publishing his first traditionally published book in 2018, followed by the second book of the contracted series. Also in the planning stages are post apocalyptic and alternate history series.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 29, 2016
those ugly covers though .
March 5, 2013
This book follows on seamlessly from the first book in the Exodus: Empires at War series. I definitely liked this book. More so than the first one. This book feels more focused than the previous one. Naturally a lot of the initial world building was taken care of in book 1 which allows this book to spend more time on the actual story. Having said that, I feel that both books are pretty much “just” setting the stage for the main story.
Of course the young prince, as the book blurb states, now finds himself being the emperor. An emperor of an empire that just went to war. Although he is not really getting the chance, yet, to take much action in the book what is there certainly seems to indicate that he is not going to be the wimp and pushover that some of the characters seem to believe, or maybe even hope. I like that.
A lot of the book is spent on battles in space with not everything from individual ships, small groups of ships to entire fleets of ships slugging it out. These battles are quite well written and makes me think of book by David Weber. Actually the book series, in some aspects, feels quite “Weberesque” so far. Luckily the author doesn’t dig himself down in the amount of endless talks and politics that Weber is doing more and more with his books. I was actually quite disappointed in his latest Honor Harrington book.
Speaking of politics, there are some of it in the book and, of course, the politicians are despicable, power-hungry assholes (just as in real life). Fortunately the politics and such nonsense are kept at an acceptable level and the progress of the good characters as well as the action is brought to the forefront of the story. Said asshole politicians even get a good spanking in the book and I certainly hope it stays that way.
By the end of the book we have not more than started to nibble on the main story, or at least what I hope is the intention of the author to be the main story, and that is the invasion of the Ca’cadasans and actual war between the empires that the book title implies will take place. I am looking forward to read the next book in the series and see how this story progresses. These first two books have certainly made a promising start.
Of course the young prince, as the book blurb states, now finds himself being the emperor. An emperor of an empire that just went to war. Although he is not really getting the chance, yet, to take much action in the book what is there certainly seems to indicate that he is not going to be the wimp and pushover that some of the characters seem to believe, or maybe even hope. I like that.
A lot of the book is spent on battles in space with not everything from individual ships, small groups of ships to entire fleets of ships slugging it out. These battles are quite well written and makes me think of book by David Weber. Actually the book series, in some aspects, feels quite “Weberesque” so far. Luckily the author doesn’t dig himself down in the amount of endless talks and politics that Weber is doing more and more with his books. I was actually quite disappointed in his latest Honor Harrington book.
Speaking of politics, there are some of it in the book and, of course, the politicians are despicable, power-hungry assholes (just as in real life). Fortunately the politics and such nonsense are kept at an acceptable level and the progress of the good characters as well as the action is brought to the forefront of the story. Said asshole politicians even get a good spanking in the book and I certainly hope it stays that way.
By the end of the book we have not more than started to nibble on the main story, or at least what I hope is the intention of the author to be the main story, and that is the invasion of the Ca’cadasans and actual war between the empires that the book title implies will take place. I am looking forward to read the next book in the series and see how this story progresses. These first two books have certainly made a promising start.
January 16, 2013
Second book. Get's a little better. Earth humans have fled the solar system after it was attacked by an alien empire that was bent on the absolute destruction of all humans since we apparently killed one of the heirs to their Empire.
Earth built these massive ships and fled out of the solar system with the aliens in hot pursuit. One made it traveling for 1,000 years at near the speed of light. When they decided to stop, it was about 10,000 years in the future. Even thought the spaceship was started out with a crew and passengers lead by a military ships Captain, by the end of the trip, the ship was now the seat of a human empire.
Now the Terran Empire has been settled for thousands of years. All this time, we have been wondering if our ancient enemy is still out there getting closer and closer to our new home. We have been advancing in technology faster than any other civilization and have conquered many other alien civilizations since finding this new part of the galaxy. Our curent Emperor is the last of a long chain that has steadily made preparations for the day when our old enemies would again find us. But this time, we won't be running, at least we hope.
Finally, the day comes. Our enemies are at the door. Read what happens to the Terran Empire.
I hope the next book comes out soon.
Earth built these massive ships and fled out of the solar system with the aliens in hot pursuit. One made it traveling for 1,000 years at near the speed of light. When they decided to stop, it was about 10,000 years in the future. Even thought the spaceship was started out with a crew and passengers lead by a military ships Captain, by the end of the trip, the ship was now the seat of a human empire.
Now the Terran Empire has been settled for thousands of years. All this time, we have been wondering if our ancient enemy is still out there getting closer and closer to our new home. We have been advancing in technology faster than any other civilization and have conquered many other alien civilizations since finding this new part of the galaxy. Our curent Emperor is the last of a long chain that has steadily made preparations for the day when our old enemies would again find us. But this time, we won't be running, at least we hope.
Finally, the day comes. Our enemies are at the door. Read what happens to the Terran Empire.
I hope the next book comes out soon.
October 31, 2017
I am impressed!
The space combat was beautiful. The technology actually made me think. The villains played their roles so very well. The politics seemed so typical it made me laugh.
The space combat was beautiful. The technology actually made me think. The villains played their roles so very well. The politics seemed so typical it made me laugh.
December 21, 2017
This should not be its own book. It should be the second half of the first.
Basically all the action that was missing in the first book comes here and that shows. The book is a mixture of drawn out boredom where you know what will happen and just want it to do so, only to be followed by frantic action on every channel.
Unfortunately the more the story progresses the more apparent the holes in the world become. The communications lag keeps popping up which feels weird considering spaceships use a black hole in their home system as a radiator. Apparently nobody ever thought of sticking an antenna through there. Then there is the constant reminder of an impending ground campaign which is just silly. And while we are looking at combat, I have problems with the weapons mix on these spaceships. This whole world is put together a bit strange.
The action needs work too, the realism does it no good here. It is nice that lightspeed lag is factored in, but once you have people meditating that where that ship was/is/will be it makes the whole thing muddled. Add to that annoying mannerisms (million ton battleships shudder when they fire missiles) and that made me quickly bored by the action. That is not that good a sign considering the expected focus, but we’ll see.
On its own, this is a bad book. Too much action, too little plot. Together with its predecessor it works better, but it is still only competent.
Basically all the action that was missing in the first book comes here and that shows. The book is a mixture of drawn out boredom where you know what will happen and just want it to do so, only to be followed by frantic action on every channel.
Unfortunately the more the story progresses the more apparent the holes in the world become. The communications lag keeps popping up which feels weird considering spaceships use a black hole in their home system as a radiator. Apparently nobody ever thought of sticking an antenna through there. Then there is the constant reminder of an impending ground campaign which is just silly. And while we are looking at combat, I have problems with the weapons mix on these spaceships. This whole world is put together a bit strange.
The action needs work too, the realism does it no good here. It is nice that lightspeed lag is factored in, but once you have people meditating that where that ship was/is/will be it makes the whole thing muddled. Add to that annoying mannerisms (million ton battleships shudder when they fire missiles) and that made me quickly bored by the action. That is not that good a sign considering the expected focus, but we’ll see.
On its own, this is a bad book. Too much action, too little plot. Together with its predecessor it works better, but it is still only competent.
February 14, 2013
This is the second of the series in the "Exodus Universe" and follows seamlessly on from book one (which naturally means that you should read these novels in sequence). Given this standard drawback in the current practice of creating multiple series of books for a single story, the story contuse to be a good read and the explicit and technically precise space battle scenes will either turn you on or off – but if you have read the first book you have been forewarned. The characters continue to grow, as does the fear of ‘the enemy’. I do like books where the foe is overwhelming and that no tricks are made to skirt around this seemingly impossible problem. The novel is a good ‘David versus Goliath’ with the good guy/human empire having its own weaknesses with other evil forces at work. As with the first book, the story ends unsatisfactory with the expected objective to wait for the next instalment. Thus it is a race in 2013 for the next instalment to be published versus an irrational annoyance for me to delete the two books I have read as I am such an impatient person and have no urge to have to re-read the last book to remember the detailed story-line. So Doug, wherever you are, get cracking and finish the story.......... or else write less interesting sci-fi where it does not really matter.
November 12, 2019
expected stellar, got OK
The Prince just wants to be treated like every other ensign. He didn't do well at the academy. It seems as if he probably wouldn't have gotten into it if he wasn't part of the nobility. He thinks of all the girls he's slept with because they just love a prince. He has no problem assuming that he can bring his grievances directly to the captain of his capital ship (really!). He resents his bodyguards (as one does). He doesn't think that his coronation is urgent and issues orders his now subjects (formerly superiors). He doesn't want to be emperor but he doesn't want his cousin on the throne. He is part of a family line of pre-cogs but doesn't take his visions seriously, even when it shows his family dying. It's a curse when you are the strongest pre-cog for generations in the imperial line. What's a man-child, third son of the richest noble in the empire to do? I've seen this character more than once from a lot of writers and unless the reader is eight years old or has a deep affection for Beverly Hills 90210, it's a silly MC description. All of this is given in exposition (I think that's the term), which saves the writer the need to demonstrate the character of the MC (it's wonderful to have an excuse to use "character" back to back).
The world has gaps, which grow with each volume. The economic system is odd, in that everyone is on the dole, is guaranteed housing, medical care and some educational opportunity but there's no employment opportunity, so wealth accumulation happens how? It's like the United Federation of Planets with it's absence of money. There are two good books books that explain the economic underpinning of Star Trek society -"Trekonomics" and "The Economics of Star Trek" but there isn't one for this world.
The commoners who matter control all the wealth that the nobility hasn't gobbled up and calling it a constitutional monarchy when only the wealthy whether noble or commoner control all capital and the means to create additional wealth, doesn't answer the basic question (How is wealth defined, accumulated and increased). How does ownership, development and wealth work on the frontier worlds?I
These gaps are going to continue in the series because they are embedded. I read the following six volumes before I wrote this. There are good parts of the books but the Prince as a character and his subjects' interactions with him are irritating. His faux anguish and egalitarianism grates on my nerves. The writer is basing the books on a cliche rather than compelling characters (at least those at the center of the story). Again the whole exposition thing doesn't allow for ignoring it.
I will point out the silliest points in the next volumes but if you overlook the characters closest to the throne, they're kind of fun books. It's a shame that the flaws just make the editing problem much more distracting.
The Prince just wants to be treated like every other ensign. He didn't do well at the academy. It seems as if he probably wouldn't have gotten into it if he wasn't part of the nobility. He thinks of all the girls he's slept with because they just love a prince. He has no problem assuming that he can bring his grievances directly to the captain of his capital ship (really!). He resents his bodyguards (as one does). He doesn't think that his coronation is urgent and issues orders his now subjects (formerly superiors). He doesn't want to be emperor but he doesn't want his cousin on the throne. He is part of a family line of pre-cogs but doesn't take his visions seriously, even when it shows his family dying. It's a curse when you are the strongest pre-cog for generations in the imperial line. What's a man-child, third son of the richest noble in the empire to do? I've seen this character more than once from a lot of writers and unless the reader is eight years old or has a deep affection for Beverly Hills 90210, it's a silly MC description. All of this is given in exposition (I think that's the term), which saves the writer the need to demonstrate the character of the MC (it's wonderful to have an excuse to use "character" back to back).
The world has gaps, which grow with each volume. The economic system is odd, in that everyone is on the dole, is guaranteed housing, medical care and some educational opportunity but there's no employment opportunity, so wealth accumulation happens how? It's like the United Federation of Planets with it's absence of money. There are two good books books that explain the economic underpinning of Star Trek society -"Trekonomics" and "The Economics of Star Trek" but there isn't one for this world.
The commoners who matter control all the wealth that the nobility hasn't gobbled up and calling it a constitutional monarchy when only the wealthy whether noble or commoner control all capital and the means to create additional wealth, doesn't answer the basic question (How is wealth defined, accumulated and increased). How does ownership, development and wealth work on the frontier worlds?I
These gaps are going to continue in the series because they are embedded. I read the following six volumes before I wrote this. There are good parts of the books but the Prince as a character and his subjects' interactions with him are irritating. His faux anguish and egalitarianism grates on my nerves. The writer is basing the books on a cliche rather than compelling characters (at least those at the center of the story). Again the whole exposition thing doesn't allow for ignoring it.
I will point out the silliest points in the next volumes but if you overlook the characters closest to the throne, they're kind of fun books. It's a shame that the flaws just make the editing problem much more distracting.
February 13, 2018
Now that the characters and places are a bit more familiar, it's easy to follow and the series is becoming very good. Great if you like space battles and with some politics thrown in
May 8, 2024
Great story, better pacing than the first book. Was hard to get into this series, but worth the effort
June 15, 2015
Un peu mieux que le 1er tome mais
le contre :
une impression de "déjà lu" tout au long
des personnages clés trop nombreux auxquels on ne peut s'attacher puisqu'ils meurent tous (ou presque) dans les batailles spatiales
une absence de différences entre les deux principaux belligérants (deux "empires" l'un pas assez ET càd réellement étrangers et différents non seulement physiquement mais aussi dans ses réactions)
une écriture plutôt plaisante mais qui manque de "souffle" dans les batailles ; l'armement et la technique prenant presque tout l'espace Elle peine à créer ce fameux sens "of wonder" sur ces nouvelles planètes et reste trop dans le vague pour m'immerger complétement L'emploi des grades et titres plutôt que les prénoms ajoute à la confusion
svp messieurs les auteurs, faites un effort de vocabulaire !
Le pour : une technologie et des manœuvres plutôt crédibles (mais je ne suis guère qualifié pour en juger n'étant ni physicien ni militaire juste amateur de space opera) et, pour une fois, des humains qui ont pris une sacrée dérouillée et ont retenu - pour la plupart - la leçon
je tenterai tout de même la suite pour le plaisir de prendre une nouvelle bordée de missiles...
le contre :
une impression de "déjà lu" tout au long
des personnages clés trop nombreux auxquels on ne peut s'attacher puisqu'ils meurent tous (ou presque) dans les batailles spatiales
une absence de différences entre les deux principaux belligérants (deux "empires" l'un pas assez ET càd réellement étrangers et différents non seulement physiquement mais aussi dans ses réactions)
une écriture plutôt plaisante mais qui manque de "souffle" dans les batailles ; l'armement et la technique prenant presque tout l'espace Elle peine à créer ce fameux sens "of wonder" sur ces nouvelles planètes et reste trop dans le vague pour m'immerger complétement L'emploi des grades et titres plutôt que les prénoms ajoute à la confusion
svp messieurs les auteurs, faites un effort de vocabulaire !
Le pour : une technologie et des manœuvres plutôt crédibles (mais je ne suis guère qualifié pour en juger n'étant ni physicien ni militaire juste amateur de space opera) et, pour une fois, des humains qui ont pris une sacrée dérouillée et ont retenu - pour la plupart - la leçon
je tenterai tout de même la suite pour le plaisir de prendre une nouvelle bordée de missiles...
January 7, 2016
Very enjoyable continuation of a good Military Sci Fi series. In this installment, the ancient enemy begins its re-conquest of human space, this time finding that humans are more prepared than previously to resist. However, as I read exclusively via audio books and the next installment is not available in audio-book, I may not continue the series.
Update: looks like parts 3 and 4 are on audible now. Adding them to my wish list...
Update: looks like parts 3 and 4 are on audible now. Adding them to my wish list...
November 9, 2015
I am really enjoying this series and am looking forward to seeing where the author is going to take it. I've already the third book to my To Be Read list. I strongly recommend this series to lovers of military space opera, especially fans of David Weber and his Honor Harrington saga.
April 3, 2013
Good read, easier read than the first book in the series, can't wait for book 3
August 27, 2014
Pulse pounding good read
June 29, 2015
Picked up pace and was a lot faster than the previous book. Hard to stop reading. Picking up the next book now !!
August 2, 2015
Very good
Lots of ministries. Liked the ending . .lost lots of ships. I was was a good read and moved at a good pace
Lots of ministries. Liked the ending . .lost lots of ships. I was was a good read and moved at a good pace
September 24, 2015
Loving this series! Can't wait to read the next one.
March 18, 2015
The protagonist is kind of stupid and that is emphasized constantly: for good and ill.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews