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The Colplatschki Chronicles #1
Elizabeth of Starland
Stubborn as a mule? No, stubborn AND her mule.
Colonial Plantation LTD. abandoned ColPlat XI, writing the planet off as a tax loss after a series of severe Carrington-type events. Now, four hundred years later, Laurence V of Frankonia wants to write Elizabeth von Sarmas out of his kingdom, but like her Lander ancestors, Elizabeth refuses to roll over and die.
To survive, she needs to cross the continent, thread her way through a holy war, and find friends in the Eastern Empire—an impossible task for a sheltered gentlewoman. Or is it? Never underestimate a woman with a mission and a mule.
Colonial Plantation LTD. abandoned ColPlat XI, writing the planet off as a tax loss after a series of severe Carrington-type events. Now, four hundred years later, Laurence V of Frankonia wants to write Elizabeth von Sarmas out of his kingdom, but like her Lander ancestors, Elizabeth refuses to roll over and die.
To survive, she needs to cross the continent, thread her way through a holy war, and find friends in the Eastern Empire—an impossible task for a sheltered gentlewoman. Or is it? Never underestimate a woman with a mission and a mule.
- GenresScience Fiction
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 18, 2013
6 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 9, 2014
Elizabeth of Starland reminds me in many ways of George Phillies' excellent Mistress of the Waves, or Friedman's Harald. It is a science fiction book, yes, set on a planet that has lost all technology. But there is no magic, this is a pragmatic tale of a woman in a medieval fuedal society, on a planet where lots remnants of technology are either worshiped or feared.
Elizabeth herself begins as a postulant, an almost-nun (I'm not catholic, so I'm not fully clear, but I think that's it). She has been condemned to be sent to an order housed in the malaria swamps, where she will surely die. The gently-bred but well read young woman flees with very little but a precious copy of von Clauswitz's history of war, and her white mule. She still might die before attaining freedom, but it will be on her own terms.
This is a fun book to read. The practical eyes of the author see all the flaws it's so easy to gloss over in a historical book, and takes them on. Elizabeth must deal with menses, horse hair, feminine weakness of arms compared to the men she fights alongside.. but she wins respect for her strength of mind and stubbornness. I liked her a lot. I am looking forward to the third book, and beyond. I believe Alma has four planned right now.
Elizabeth herself begins as a postulant, an almost-nun (I'm not catholic, so I'm not fully clear, but I think that's it). She has been condemned to be sent to an order housed in the malaria swamps, where she will surely die. The gently-bred but well read young woman flees with very little but a precious copy of von Clauswitz's history of war, and her white mule. She still might die before attaining freedom, but it will be on her own terms.
This is a fun book to read. The practical eyes of the author see all the flaws it's so easy to gloss over in a historical book, and takes them on. Elizabeth must deal with menses, horse hair, feminine weakness of arms compared to the men she fights alongside.. but she wins respect for her strength of mind and stubbornness. I liked her a lot. I am looking forward to the third book, and beyond. I believe Alma has four planned right now.
August 20, 2018
Sword epic heroine
Smart homely noblewoman is a military genius and her mule is pretty smart too. I want to read whole series.
Smart homely noblewoman is a military genius and her mule is pretty smart too. I want to read whole series.
October 23, 2018
Awesome
The background for the book and series is really well done and different from a lot of lost colony novels. The human colonists are aware that they have lost technology that allowed their ancestors to travel between stars. They are aware that they have a history that spans millennia and includes contact with and warfare against alien races. Despite that, the human race on this planet is stuck in the pike and musket period of warfare.
The characters fit into this history very naturally (they feel very authentic to me) and it seems to be a good picture of what life must have been like in pike and musket Europe. For me, that's the coolest part of the book. The restrictions on behavior and the waffling of the religious on the the interpretation of their holy book is the best.
The combat is just as nicely written and not too fantastical. The writer uses her training to turn out really good historical frameworks for her science fiction novels. I like some of her books more than others but they are all great entertainment.
The background for the book and series is really well done and different from a lot of lost colony novels. The human colonists are aware that they have lost technology that allowed their ancestors to travel between stars. They are aware that they have a history that spans millennia and includes contact with and warfare against alien races. Despite that, the human race on this planet is stuck in the pike and musket period of warfare.
The characters fit into this history very naturally (they feel very authentic to me) and it seems to be a good picture of what life must have been like in pike and musket Europe. For me, that's the coolest part of the book. The restrictions on behavior and the waffling of the religious on the the interpretation of their holy book is the best.
The combat is just as nicely written and not too fantastical. The writer uses her training to turn out really good historical frameworks for her science fiction novels. I like some of her books more than others but they are all great entertainment.
January 10, 2020
Fantastic!
If you want a sci fi with a bit of realism, action, and intrigue, this is the book for you. The protagonist, Elizabeth is a woman of action with many of the issues that many women face today. She is unattractive, suffers from a painful menstual cycle, and no familial support in a man’s world. She has a sharp mind, a courageous spirit, and heart.
If you want a sci fi with a bit of realism, action, and intrigue, this is the book for you. The protagonist, Elizabeth is a woman of action with many of the issues that many women face today. She is unattractive, suffers from a painful menstual cycle, and no familial support in a man’s world. She has a sharp mind, a courageous spirit, and heart.
November 10, 2019
Realistic Female Hero
It’s so refreshing to read a Female hero that is not a Mary Sue, but is realistic with strengths and weaknesses.
Excellent story and world building. I can tell the author did their historical research! Fun read and hard to put down.
It’s so refreshing to read a Female hero that is not a Mary Sue, but is realistic with strengths and weaknesses.
Excellent story and world building. I can tell the author did their historical research! Fun read and hard to put down.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews