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The Pax Humana Saga #1
The Terran Gambit
DEFEAT
The Corsican Empire extends the reach of the "Pax Humana" across the thousand worlds, ruling with force and fear.
40 years ago, they returned to Earth, subjugating it and claiming the ancient home of humanity for the Empire.
RESURGENCE
Now, in 2675, Earth fights back.
Lieutenant Jacob Mercer likes fast motorcycles, faster women, and screamin' fighters. As a reckless space jock in the Resistance fleet he lives for the thrill, and to take out as many Imperial bogeys as he can. At least, more than his buddies.
But with victory in sight, the Imperials thwart the Resistance in a surprise show of devastating force, and Dallas burns from a thermonuclear blast--millions die--a merciless example of what happens to upstart worlds in the Pax Humana.
A DESPERATE PLAN
The Resistance goes underground to rebuild its strength, and in the shadows, the leadership devises a daring plan to strike right at the Empire's heart in a final, desperate bid for freedom.
A plan that will send Jake Mercer right to where he doesn't belong: The captain's chair of the most advanced warship in the galaxy, facing down a psychopathic Imperial Admiral bent on utterly destroying the Resistance, and Earth itself.
But first he has to survive.
(Content disclaimer: There are marines and fighter pilots in this book, and as such it contains some salty language and crude jokes. Also, mild sexual situations, and violence. Readers who are sensitive to these things, please contact me and we'll work something out.)
The Terran Gambit is the first episode in a series of 10 books in the Pax Humana Saga.
Coming soon:
Chains of Destiny in May 2014
Into the Void -- July 2014
The Sons of Oberon -- August/September 2014
The Corsican Empire extends the reach of the "Pax Humana" across the thousand worlds, ruling with force and fear.
40 years ago, they returned to Earth, subjugating it and claiming the ancient home of humanity for the Empire.
RESURGENCE
Now, in 2675, Earth fights back.
Lieutenant Jacob Mercer likes fast motorcycles, faster women, and screamin' fighters. As a reckless space jock in the Resistance fleet he lives for the thrill, and to take out as many Imperial bogeys as he can. At least, more than his buddies.
But with victory in sight, the Imperials thwart the Resistance in a surprise show of devastating force, and Dallas burns from a thermonuclear blast--millions die--a merciless example of what happens to upstart worlds in the Pax Humana.
A DESPERATE PLAN
The Resistance goes underground to rebuild its strength, and in the shadows, the leadership devises a daring plan to strike right at the Empire's heart in a final, desperate bid for freedom.
A plan that will send Jake Mercer right to where he doesn't belong: The captain's chair of the most advanced warship in the galaxy, facing down a psychopathic Imperial Admiral bent on utterly destroying the Resistance, and Earth itself.
But first he has to survive.
(Content disclaimer: There are marines and fighter pilots in this book, and as such it contains some salty language and crude jokes. Also, mild sexual situations, and violence. Readers who are sensitive to these things, please contact me and we'll work something out.)
The Terran Gambit is the first episode in a series of 10 books in the Pax Humana Saga.
Coming soon:
Chains of Destiny in May 2014
Into the Void -- July 2014
The Sons of Oberon -- August/September 2014
345 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 19, 2014
484 people are currently reading
590 people want to read
About the author
Nick Webb
73 books349 followersNick became a scientist so that he could build starships. Unfortunately, his ship is taking longer to build than he'd hoped, so fictional starships will have to do for now. When he's not adding to his starship collection, you can find him tweeting and facebooking about Nasa, science, space, SciFi, and quoting Star Trek II.
He lives in Alabama with his wife, 2 kids, and 3 motorcycles.
Note: This author also writes books under the name of Endi Webb
He lives in Alabama with his wife, 2 kids, and 3 motorcycles.
Note: This author also writes books under the name of Endi Webb
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
March 9, 2014
This review is based on a ARC-version of the book but I doubt that the final book will be much different. It is indeed a good start to a new series. Most of the book is pretty much setting the stage for the rest of the series, like the pilot show of a TV-series. The end result is that the stage is set for a somewhat Battlestar Galactica style book series although there are plenty of differences so I use the comparison somewhat loosely.
There are a decent amount of action, ground based, fighter crafts and capital ship action in the book although at times it does slow down a bit with lengthy interpersonal discussions. In general the action is well done and enjoyable to read though.
The author also managed to cram in no less than two attempts to take on the Corsican Empire although I have to say that some elements of these parts of the book felt a bit less thought through. For example you are taking on an interstellar empire and you are surprised, to the extent that you just give up, when they decide to throw a nuke at you. In the second attempt (slight spoiler ahead) they wham a battleship into another battleship and then they not only go on fighting inside for a lengthy amount of time but they somehow manage to jump away while still being stuck together. Felt very unrealistic to me. On the whole these are fairly minor complaints though.
As I wrote before, this book is very much a stage setter for the rest of the series and at the end there are several ongoing threads which of course all are entangled into the main plot of liberating Earth from the Corsican Empire and taking on the all bad Imperial Admiral. The book have all the basic plot elements for making a good action/adventure series. A few heroes, fast women (hey, I’m a guy so I do like that stuff in my books), big ships and a really nasty and despicable bad guy.
I am definitely going to pick up the next book in this series.
There are a decent amount of action, ground based, fighter crafts and capital ship action in the book although at times it does slow down a bit with lengthy interpersonal discussions. In general the action is well done and enjoyable to read though.
The author also managed to cram in no less than two attempts to take on the Corsican Empire although I have to say that some elements of these parts of the book felt a bit less thought through. For example you are taking on an interstellar empire and you are surprised, to the extent that you just give up, when they decide to throw a nuke at you. In the second attempt (slight spoiler ahead) they wham a battleship into another battleship and then they not only go on fighting inside for a lengthy amount of time but they somehow manage to jump away while still being stuck together. Felt very unrealistic to me. On the whole these are fairly minor complaints though.
As I wrote before, this book is very much a stage setter for the rest of the series and at the end there are several ongoing threads which of course all are entangled into the main plot of liberating Earth from the Corsican Empire and taking on the all bad Imperial Admiral. The book have all the basic plot elements for making a good action/adventure series. A few heroes, fast women (hey, I’m a guy so I do like that stuff in my books), big ships and a really nasty and despicable bad guy.
I am definitely going to pick up the next book in this series.
July 18, 2016
**** 4 space saga ****
Audio edition, narrator Greg Tremblay.
8 hours 5 minutes
Overall: 4
Performance: 5
Story: 4
Meet Jake "Shotgun" Mercer, the main character. He is a reckless fighter pilot in the Resistance movement of Earth battling the Corsican Empire which expanse over 600 planets trying to force the Pax Humana way of life on everyone.
Basically, think the Allied forced versus the German Empire in World War 2, with a sprinkling of Battlestar Galactica thrown in, if you're familiar with that.
This is a classic classic good versus evil, except in space. There's lots of action (pew-pew-pew), things going right (yay!), things going wrong (very wrong), technical talk (*scratches head*), some sexual tension (please, give me more), friendship (*fist bumps*), treachery etc etc. It's like a TV show, with good secondary characters, engaging story and great dialogue.
The character cast is pretty big, there are a lot of people here, but I didn't feel overwhelmed much thanks to Tremblay's excellent voice cast. I mean, he has a different voice and accent for each of the characters, and he effortlessly flitted between them in dialogue. I'm very impressed!
The point of view shifts between several of the characters. The story also flips back and forth between Jake and the others with the Resistance, and the captain aboard the Imperial ship giving a view of the bad bad guy, the Admiral Tra,jan who is a brilliant (and madman) tactician who wants to see the Earth Resistance crushed once and for all and no matter the cost.
The story doesn't end on a cliffhanger per se, but it is a story continuing in book 2, Chain of Destiny, so don't expect any solution in this book.
I highly enjoyed this fast pasted story, brilliantly narrated by Greg Tremblay. He made the book come alive, and I'm very sure I enjoyed the book more because of it. I have the voices of Jake and Anja, Admiral Trajan and all the others is my head now.
On to the second book, Chains of Destiny!
August 5, 2015
ABR's original The Terran Gambit audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
It is about 600 years in the future and the Imperial forces are working hard to wipe out a struggling resistance. There are dozens of colonized planets tightly controlled by the iron fist of the Emperor, and the Senate, both based on the Roman Empire, complete with Roman gods and goddesses. Earth, the original planet, but also the most rebellious, continues to fight for its freedom, nearly winning a desperate battle until Imperial forces decimate Dallas, Texas with a nuclear strike. The resistance is nearly wiped out until it reforms three years later in a desperate struggle for its life.
The back-story of a futuristic Rome is interesting enough, though not explained in any depth. We know that a Roman-like empire runs the galaxy, but not how it came to be this way. One assumes this is revealed in subsequent volumes. The action revolves around a handful of undisciplined and erratic rebel fighter pilots and their crews. Fun loving, and fast living, they don’t expect to live much beyond their current battles.
The story flips back and forth to the Imperial Admiral consumed with finding and crushing the resistance once and for all. He is a brilliant sociopath who throws lives around without a thought. Though his schemes often work, they also destroy as many soldiers on his side as from the resistance. If you like evil geniuses, you’ll like this one.
There is plenty of action to satisfy any space military junky. It is fast paced and fun, moving forward briskly all of the time. There isn’t much in the way of political explanation or development, but many readers prefer it that way. The characters, though developed at great length remain two-dimensional caricatures, rather than real people. They seem disposable, with some memorable exceptions: the Italian scientist and the evil Imperial Admiral.
The story is read by Greg Tremblay. He does an excellent job and his character voices are well defined and a pleasure to listen to.
Pax Humana is a fun ride. If you enjoy the military space genre, you should not hesitate to listen to this one. While the back story of the futuristic Roman Empire is not explored in any depth, it is still interesting enough, and makes us want to hear what happens in part 2. And isn’t that the definition of a book worth listening too?
Audiobook provided for review by the narrator.
It is about 600 years in the future and the Imperial forces are working hard to wipe out a struggling resistance. There are dozens of colonized planets tightly controlled by the iron fist of the Emperor, and the Senate, both based on the Roman Empire, complete with Roman gods and goddesses. Earth, the original planet, but also the most rebellious, continues to fight for its freedom, nearly winning a desperate battle until Imperial forces decimate Dallas, Texas with a nuclear strike. The resistance is nearly wiped out until it reforms three years later in a desperate struggle for its life.
The back-story of a futuristic Rome is interesting enough, though not explained in any depth. We know that a Roman-like empire runs the galaxy, but not how it came to be this way. One assumes this is revealed in subsequent volumes. The action revolves around a handful of undisciplined and erratic rebel fighter pilots and their crews. Fun loving, and fast living, they don’t expect to live much beyond their current battles.
The story flips back and forth to the Imperial Admiral consumed with finding and crushing the resistance once and for all. He is a brilliant sociopath who throws lives around without a thought. Though his schemes often work, they also destroy as many soldiers on his side as from the resistance. If you like evil geniuses, you’ll like this one.
There is plenty of action to satisfy any space military junky. It is fast paced and fun, moving forward briskly all of the time. There isn’t much in the way of political explanation or development, but many readers prefer it that way. The characters, though developed at great length remain two-dimensional caricatures, rather than real people. They seem disposable, with some memorable exceptions: the Italian scientist and the evil Imperial Admiral.
The story is read by Greg Tremblay. He does an excellent job and his character voices are well defined and a pleasure to listen to.
Pax Humana is a fun ride. If you enjoy the military space genre, you should not hesitate to listen to this one. While the back story of the futuristic Roman Empire is not explored in any depth, it is still interesting enough, and makes us want to hear what happens in part 2. And isn’t that the definition of a book worth listening too?
Audiobook provided for review by the narrator.
April 25, 2016
This was loads of fun and action. If you're a fan of space battles this book is for you. Kinda like Star Trek meets battle star galactica.
May 28, 2017
While being on vacation and traveling I decided to read this novel because it seemed like a light read. Indeed the premise that has written at the back of the novel, fulfilled what it intended to do. A light story about space jocks rebelling and fighting against an oppressive government. It is a story that has been told before of course but Endi Webb does have a way of telling it in an interesting way. There are some nods towards the Original Star Trek series and more space opera tv shows of that kind. It is easy to pick-up where you have left and plunge back into the story which is also why I have chosen to read it while boarding a plane and during the flight within the plane. All in all a pretty good story, that I think I will return to at some point.
March 2, 2019
Yes it has a lot of space battles. Yes it hints at the sexual tensions between the hero and women in his life. Yes it is the Hero's ethics and dedication to his friends being tested. But the interaction with the Empire, and the consistency of Webb's universe make the story worthwhile for a pleasurable read that doesn't require that much thought.
Sometimes tedious, but I listened to it on Audible, and enjoyed it overall. I am currently reading book 2, and find the author laying out a worthwhile story for my time.
I have read Webb's Legacy fleet series, and think the characters in that story line were more believable.
Sometimes tedious, but I listened to it on Audible, and enjoyed it overall. I am currently reading book 2, and find the author laying out a worthwhile story for my time.
I have read Webb's Legacy fleet series, and think the characters in that story line were more believable.
October 8, 2018
I read this book as part of the "Galactic - Ten Book Space Opera Sci-Fi Boxset."
So, in this first full book of the series, we see Jake and company battling the evil empire and crazed but brilliant tactician Admiral Trajan as part of a rebellion against the empire. The rebels learn that Trajan deserves his reputation and Jake appears to be building one of his own as he survives to become a lead player in the nearly crushed rebel forces.
Overall, this was a good story and I expect I'll be reading the next book in the series.
So, in this first full book of the series, we see Jake and company battling the evil empire and crazed but brilliant tactician Admiral Trajan as part of a rebellion against the empire. The rebels learn that Trajan deserves his reputation and Jake appears to be building one of his own as he survives to become a lead player in the nearly crushed rebel forces.
Overall, this was a good story and I expect I'll be reading the next book in the series.
June 24, 2020
Violent, Bloody Conflict
The storyline had promise but I found the graphic descriptions of violence and gore not entertaining. I do not think it necessary to describe death in such graphic detail. Eventually the descriptions caused me to lose all interest in the characters and their story, and I quit.
The storyline had promise but I found the graphic descriptions of violence and gore not entertaining. I do not think it necessary to describe death in such graphic detail. Eventually the descriptions caused me to lose all interest in the characters and their story, and I quit.
September 22, 2017
This one started out pretty good, but went downhill fast and really isn’t a science fiction novel. The characters are not very believable, the main character is fairly immature – so much so I quit reading at the 30% mark on my Kindle. I would give this one a pass.
July 24, 2018
I bought the series
This one is so terrible that I’m not even going to read the rest of the series that I’ve already purchased. No character development, boring story, and I’m being kind.
This one is so terrible that I’m not even going to read the rest of the series that I’ve already purchased. No character development, boring story, and I’m being kind.
October 26, 2017
I didn't think I would like this as much as I did.
November 6, 2017
Good story
The story and characters are all very good. Love the battle scenes. I can't wait to get to the next book.
The story and characters are all very good. Love the battle scenes. I can't wait to get to the next book.
February 17, 2018
Do not waste your time or money buying this series. The author has not release the 4th chapter. It was originally scheduled to be published from 2014 - 2016.
July 14, 2018
Great
Story, igrate plot great charictors well put together. Very good space opera. Can't wait for the next on the serie.
Story, igrate plot great charictors well put together. Very good space opera. Can't wait for the next on the serie.
March 3, 2019
Really good. Not so much substance.
December 26, 2019
It kept my attention all throughout the novel. Intrigue, rebellion, vengeance, technology, this first book has it all.
February 25, 2020
Same old STAR wars crap
September 15, 2020
Ok military Scofield
This is an easy read with lots of action and fast pacing. that does use quitte a bit of the clichés.
This is an easy read with lots of action and fast pacing. that does use quitte a bit of the clichés.
October 28, 2020
A very will written Sci-Fi thriller novel with interesting characters. I would recommend this novel. Enjoy reading 2020😎🎉🚀
March 7, 2017
Stopped after 30 pages. A basic space opera that is very cookie-cutter in characters and plot. I figured there are other authors in my TBR list who have done it better and are a more sound investment of my reading time.
May 9, 2014
The Terran Gambit is the first entry into Enti Webb's The Pax Humana cycle. It's wasn't that surprising, at least to me, that The Terran Gambit is about the end of the Pax Humana. Global, or galactic, peace is hard to make interesting. Humans have spread far beyond Earth, and have created a vast state, called The Corsican Empire, which is styled upon the Roman Empire. At the edges of the Empire there are small pirate groups or unaligned planets, but the vast majority of the empire lives without war, leaving humanity in a state of peace, or a Pax Humana.
The book opens with the citizens of the Earth rebelling, though their reasons for revolt are not clear. This lack of real motivation was a problem for me throughout the book. There are some passages where it's mentioned that the bureaucracy is overwhelming, and basic support services are hard to come by, but nothing that convinced me that rebellion was necessary. This rebellion is quickly crushed, though one Resistance battleship escapes. At this point the story jumps forwards three years, after the resistance has been crushed and reintegrated with the rest of the empire.
Here we join our heroes, three hotshots who distinguished themselves while fighting for the resistance and one latecomer, as they report to a newly forming fleet. This fleet features the newest, biggest, and baddest ships the Empire has to offer, and the majority of the crew is former Resistance members. Obviously we all see where this is going. In between the action Webb uses his heroes to showcase a bit of what’s going on down on Earth that compels everyone to rebel. As I mentioned before, he didn’t sell me on it. Hopefully in future editions he delves more into the Resistance’s background.
Along the way we meet the enemy, an Empire Admiral by the name of Trajan. It’s quite clear that he’s modeled off of Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn from The Thrawn Trilogy. Instead of art Trajan analyzes people using their taste in music, and despite lacking the red alien eyes has his face disfigured from a lost eye. Now, before anyone starts making assumptions, I’m not saying this is a bad thing. Thrawn is one of my favorite villains, and it’s nice to see another take on his character. So far Trajan hasn’t been developed much, but I get the sense that Webb is setting him up for some big events in future installments.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed The Terran Gambit. The action was tight, and the combat exciting. One thing that did strike me as an issue was some of the descriptions of women, I personally think that the phrase “tight little ass” should only be uttered by a character, not used as a descriptive phrase. Still, the story grabbed my attention, and the characters were likeable. I’ll be reading the sequel (supposed to come out this month - May 2014) as soon as I can.
Per G Jonsson on PG’s Ramblings liked the book, and had a few interesting comments. One that struck me was that he found some of the action to be unrealistic. I have to agree, but I will give The Terran Gambit the benefit of the doubt; I put it in the category of sci-fi totally opposite of “hard sci-fi,” whatever that may be. It never tries to be hard, and so shouldn’t, in my opinion, be held to that standard. Another comment he made was that the book mostly is setting up the later series. This I wholeheartedly agree with, but again, don’t hold it against the book. We’ve all got to start somewhere. I think we have to see how the sequels are handled to determine if this was the right move or not.
The book opens with the citizens of the Earth rebelling, though their reasons for revolt are not clear. This lack of real motivation was a problem for me throughout the book. There are some passages where it's mentioned that the bureaucracy is overwhelming, and basic support services are hard to come by, but nothing that convinced me that rebellion was necessary. This rebellion is quickly crushed, though one Resistance battleship escapes. At this point the story jumps forwards three years, after the resistance has been crushed and reintegrated with the rest of the empire.
Here we join our heroes, three hotshots who distinguished themselves while fighting for the resistance and one latecomer, as they report to a newly forming fleet. This fleet features the newest, biggest, and baddest ships the Empire has to offer, and the majority of the crew is former Resistance members. Obviously we all see where this is going. In between the action Webb uses his heroes to showcase a bit of what’s going on down on Earth that compels everyone to rebel. As I mentioned before, he didn’t sell me on it. Hopefully in future editions he delves more into the Resistance’s background.
Along the way we meet the enemy, an Empire Admiral by the name of Trajan. It’s quite clear that he’s modeled off of Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn from The Thrawn Trilogy. Instead of art Trajan analyzes people using their taste in music, and despite lacking the red alien eyes has his face disfigured from a lost eye. Now, before anyone starts making assumptions, I’m not saying this is a bad thing. Thrawn is one of my favorite villains, and it’s nice to see another take on his character. So far Trajan hasn’t been developed much, but I get the sense that Webb is setting him up for some big events in future installments.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed The Terran Gambit. The action was tight, and the combat exciting. One thing that did strike me as an issue was some of the descriptions of women, I personally think that the phrase “tight little ass” should only be uttered by a character, not used as a descriptive phrase. Still, the story grabbed my attention, and the characters were likeable. I’ll be reading the sequel (supposed to come out this month - May 2014) as soon as I can.
Per G Jonsson on PG’s Ramblings liked the book, and had a few interesting comments. One that struck me was that he found some of the action to be unrealistic. I have to agree, but I will give The Terran Gambit the benefit of the doubt; I put it in the category of sci-fi totally opposite of “hard sci-fi,” whatever that may be. It never tries to be hard, and so shouldn’t, in my opinion, be held to that standard. Another comment he made was that the book mostly is setting up the later series. This I wholeheartedly agree with, but again, don’t hold it against the book. We’ve all got to start somewhere. I think we have to see how the sequels are handled to determine if this was the right move or not.
March 5, 2017
All told, this book is a good read for sci-fi fans who enjoy a space opera. It has some pros and cons to it, so that's how I'll do this review.
Pros:
Good action scenes. Detailed use of the science (gravitics in this case).
Good sciencey stuff (gravitics again).
Bad Guy well envisioned. Admiral Trajan is the guy you love to hate.
The main characters, Jake Mercer, is an excellent tactician and the trait is used well in the books. Very 'Kirk-esque', which I found enjoyable.
Cons:
Characters you know and love if you're a sci-fi fan. Why is that a con, you might ask? Well, some of the knock-offs are so obvious that it borders on copy-paste. Examples: The smoking doctor on the Phoenix is Doc Cottle from Battlestar Galactica. Anya Grace = Kara Thrace (BG). Admiral Trajan constantly made me think of a cross between Thrawn (Star Wars books) & Scorpius (Farscape). There are others. I personally like new characters, not re-envisioned personality types. It was kind of humorous/corny to see Sarah Palin as a Fighter's Gunner (call sign Momma/Grizzly).
Plot... well, it starts in the middle, and then keeps going. It really needed a flashback to get some perspective on the main characters.
Characters again... What happened to Po (Momma Grizzly)? Why is Anya Grace so fracked up (although it's kind of told later)? Who the heck is Ben? Where did this guy come from? Oh, btw, how do you not know people in your squadron? A fighter pilot who doesn't interact much with anyone but a couple of people? huh?
Plot... too easy to see what's about to happen. Too much use of badly implemented foreshadowing. "hmm that looks fishy.. oh well it's probably not anything bad so I'll ignore it".... time passes... "oh man, I should have seen that coming!".
Characters again...again... the people in the first part of the book suddenly and inexplicably change into mature heroes at the drop of a hat (aka the officers die). No, that just does not happen.
Lastly, and maybe most importantly... why is the Pax Humana so bad, anyway. Details matter here.
OK, so the cons kind of outweigh the pros a bit after writing it all down, but I still like the book. I will probably read the next one, and if the plot keeps me involved and doesn't have too many deus-ex-machina moments, I'll probably read the whole series.
All that said, I give it 3 starts (2.9 rounded up) and call it an OK/Entertaining Read.
Pros:
Good action scenes. Detailed use of the science (gravitics in this case).
Good sciencey stuff (gravitics again).
Bad Guy well envisioned. Admiral Trajan is the guy you love to hate.
The main characters, Jake Mercer, is an excellent tactician and the trait is used well in the books. Very 'Kirk-esque', which I found enjoyable.
Cons:
Characters you know and love if you're a sci-fi fan. Why is that a con, you might ask? Well, some of the knock-offs are so obvious that it borders on copy-paste. Examples: The smoking doctor on the Phoenix is Doc Cottle from Battlestar Galactica. Anya Grace = Kara Thrace (BG). Admiral Trajan constantly made me think of a cross between Thrawn (Star Wars books) & Scorpius (Farscape). There are others. I personally like new characters, not re-envisioned personality types. It was kind of humorous/corny to see Sarah Palin as a Fighter's Gunner (call sign Momma/Grizzly).
Plot... well, it starts in the middle, and then keeps going. It really needed a flashback to get some perspective on the main characters.
Characters again... What happened to Po (Momma Grizzly)? Why is Anya Grace so fracked up (although it's kind of told later)? Who the heck is Ben? Where did this guy come from? Oh, btw, how do you not know people in your squadron? A fighter pilot who doesn't interact much with anyone but a couple of people? huh?
Plot... too easy to see what's about to happen. Too much use of badly implemented foreshadowing. "hmm that looks fishy.. oh well it's probably not anything bad so I'll ignore it".... time passes... "oh man, I should have seen that coming!".
Characters again...again... the people in the first part of the book suddenly and inexplicably change into mature heroes at the drop of a hat (aka the officers die). No, that just does not happen.
Lastly, and maybe most importantly... why is the Pax Humana so bad, anyway. Details matter here.
OK, so the cons kind of outweigh the pros a bit after writing it all down, but I still like the book. I will probably read the next one, and if the plot keeps me involved and doesn't have too many deus-ex-machina moments, I'll probably read the whole series.
All that said, I give it 3 starts (2.9 rounded up) and call it an OK/Entertaining Read.
February 18, 2017
Excellent Sci-fi Page Turner
This book is an exciting page-turner action-packed thriller. The characters are well developed and very likeable. The plot line is involved, yet easy to follow. It is certainly an excellent example of a well written sci-fi novel but also an extremely interesting page-turning action adventure novel as well. No matter your likeness, you'll love this and anxiously await the coming of book two in this trilogy of fun! Once you begin, you won't be able to put it down and once you've finished it, you will be ready to read it again. Indulge yourself and read it now. You will be happy that you did!
This book is an exciting page-turner action-packed thriller. The characters are well developed and very likeable. The plot line is involved, yet easy to follow. It is certainly an excellent example of a well written sci-fi novel but also an extremely interesting page-turning action adventure novel as well. No matter your likeness, you'll love this and anxiously await the coming of book two in this trilogy of fun! Once you begin, you won't be able to put it down and once you've finished it, you will be ready to read it again. Indulge yourself and read it now. You will be happy that you did!
October 10, 2016
Anyone who has read any of Nick Webb’s stuff knows he writes brilliant Military Sci-Fi, laced with interesting bits of physics from his own background to give the story some realism, as well as some of the most incredible tech, weaponry and starships. Add to this exceptional Character writing, and you have a creative and clever story from a gifted Author that you will just not be able to put down.
Terran Gambit starts with the crushing of a small rebellion that has risen up against the Empire of the Pax Humana, before moving 3yrs into the future. It is here that the main story continues, and we follow several main characters. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but with that said, the story focuses on Characters within a rebuilt Rebellion, and some within the Empire itself. Nick has developed an awesome backdrop to work against, with a Universe that has been conquered and is run by an Emperor, and this small Rebellion is determined to free Earth from the clutches of it.
It might sound like there are some linkages to Star Wars here, and I guess in some aspects there are (Rebels, Empires, Space, Starship battles, good and evil…), but that is about it really.
There are some exceptional Characters in this book, one of Webb’s strengths is his Character writing, developing strong detailed stories for each of them, making them interesting and believable. You can’t help but laugh yourself stupid at some of them, cringe at others, and support a few as well.
As mentioned earlier, another strength with Nick Webb is his scientific background, which allows him to produce some brilliant bits of writing in a Sci-Fi book, creating new tech, theories, or explaining real life possibilities in lay-terms so the reader can understand some cool technology, weapons or new bit of equipment for the ship or soldier. Nick is always coming up with new and interesting ships and weapons in his books, not only adding creative ways to destroy each other in battles, but allowing us to understand and enjoy it as well.
This was an outstanding start to the series, well worth the read, and I am already into part two, great reading!
Terran Gambit starts with the crushing of a small rebellion that has risen up against the Empire of the Pax Humana, before moving 3yrs into the future. It is here that the main story continues, and we follow several main characters. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but with that said, the story focuses on Characters within a rebuilt Rebellion, and some within the Empire itself. Nick has developed an awesome backdrop to work against, with a Universe that has been conquered and is run by an Emperor, and this small Rebellion is determined to free Earth from the clutches of it.
It might sound like there are some linkages to Star Wars here, and I guess in some aspects there are (Rebels, Empires, Space, Starship battles, good and evil…), but that is about it really.
There are some exceptional Characters in this book, one of Webb’s strengths is his Character writing, developing strong detailed stories for each of them, making them interesting and believable. You can’t help but laugh yourself stupid at some of them, cringe at others, and support a few as well.
As mentioned earlier, another strength with Nick Webb is his scientific background, which allows him to produce some brilliant bits of writing in a Sci-Fi book, creating new tech, theories, or explaining real life possibilities in lay-terms so the reader can understand some cool technology, weapons or new bit of equipment for the ship or soldier. Nick is always coming up with new and interesting ships and weapons in his books, not only adding creative ways to destroy each other in battles, but allowing us to understand and enjoy it as well.
This was an outstanding start to the series, well worth the read, and I am already into part two, great reading!
March 13, 2014
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first book in what promises to be an action packed series. Endi is an evil genius. He had me racking my brain for half a day, even after I asked him if he had written this as a short story before, trying to figure out where I had heard a particular concept. He answered he had not, but didn't tell me anything more. I eventually figured it out, and the homage he paid to Timothy Zhan and one of the most diabolical villains of literature is amazing.
Towards the end of the book, the POV characters grew, and in growing, I felt that Anya Grace missed her voice at the beginning. Endi has promised me this will be rectified (at a later date as he felt he couldn't do justice to it so close to the release).
He also throws in a few curve balls you never see coming towards the end of the book.
My biggest complaint was the lack of what I felt was important back story.
My feed back to Endi was:
I still don't feel like I have a understanding of how earth became a space traveling society, about when it happened nor why it became a target of the empire. Why did the resistance form (what injustices were perpetuated, was the empire overly aggressive in acquisition of earth, were we invited to join??? etc)
I understand this will come in future books which I am excited to read.
I give this book a solid 4 stars. It kept me wanting to come back and read more.
This is the first book in what promises to be an action packed series. Endi is an evil genius. He had me racking my brain for half a day, even after I asked him if he had written this as a short story before, trying to figure out where I had heard a particular concept. He answered he had not, but didn't tell me anything more. I eventually figured it out, and the homage he paid to Timothy Zhan and one of the most diabolical villains of literature is amazing.
Towards the end of the book, the POV characters grew, and in growing, I felt that Anya Grace missed her voice at the beginning. Endi has promised me this will be rectified (at a later date as he felt he couldn't do justice to it so close to the release).
He also throws in a few curve balls you never see coming towards the end of the book.
My biggest complaint was the lack of what I felt was important back story.
My feed back to Endi was:
I still don't feel like I have a understanding of how earth became a space traveling society, about when it happened nor why it became a target of the empire. Why did the resistance form (what injustices were perpetuated, was the empire overly aggressive in acquisition of earth, were we invited to join??? etc)
I understand this will come in future books which I am excited to read.
I give this book a solid 4 stars. It kept me wanting to come back and read more.
November 14, 2015
Rebels vs an Empire in space. Fairly quickly I thought of Star Wars. And this book (series) may get some comparisons of that nature. It just can't be helped. But there are many many differences and once you pass the initial 'empire vs rebels' element they aren't that similar.
Within the first 20% of the book I had decided I was going to put the rest of the series into my wish list. Alas, the rest of the series is not currently available as audiobooks.
The book starts begins with a space battle, following fighter pilots fighting among the capital ships. I thought I might have something to fill the gap left by the completion of the Stackpole/Allston X-wing book series. However the book eventually moves away from the individual fighters and pilots and focuses back on the capital ships, as our hero moves from fighter pilot to bridge crew. What begins then is less "seat of your pants" dog fights and more of a chess match between two fleets of ships. I personally enjoyed the initial part more, but this is not to say the later parts with the capital ships are bad. They are certainly interesting and left me wanting more.
The narration by Tremblay is really good. Narration is simple, clear, well paced and carries the right inflection to convey what people are feeling. Characters are distinct, with a variety of voices and accents provided.
Webb and Tremblay: get onto making the rest of the series as audiobooks. i will pick them up.
Within the first 20% of the book I had decided I was going to put the rest of the series into my wish list. Alas, the rest of the series is not currently available as audiobooks.
The book starts begins with a space battle, following fighter pilots fighting among the capital ships. I thought I might have something to fill the gap left by the completion of the Stackpole/Allston X-wing book series. However the book eventually moves away from the individual fighters and pilots and focuses back on the capital ships, as our hero moves from fighter pilot to bridge crew. What begins then is less "seat of your pants" dog fights and more of a chess match between two fleets of ships. I personally enjoyed the initial part more, but this is not to say the later parts with the capital ships are bad. They are certainly interesting and left me wanting more.
The narration by Tremblay is really good. Narration is simple, clear, well paced and carries the right inflection to convey what people are feeling. Characters are distinct, with a variety of voices and accents provided.
Webb and Tremblay: get onto making the rest of the series as audiobooks. i will pick them up.
May 13, 2016
"He's a madman. Dear lord. What have we done?"
If you like your science fiction with page turning action, exploding ships, rising piles of bodies, sadistic commanders, wise-cracking, gun-wielding tattooed women, and new outlandish military tactics - this is for you.
I certainly enjoyed the packed and often unexpected thrills but the, mostly, fast moving action and large cast of protagonitss failed to also provide good character development despite frequent memory flashbacks and reminiscences. Indeed, I occasionally found the who is who confusing especially when one or other of the two vividly bestudded female soldiers was mentioned, especially given their names - Anya (also called Grace) and Ayala (or Ensign). This, together with the feeling that the whole premise of the rebellion taking place at the time chosen and the apparent expectation that such a plan stood any chance of staying secret long enough amongst so many for it to be put into practise was completely unrealistic, has resulted in the mere three star rating.
But don't be deterred: it is still a pretty good read and I look forward to the next adventure
If you like your science fiction with page turning action, exploding ships, rising piles of bodies, sadistic commanders, wise-cracking, gun-wielding tattooed women, and new outlandish military tactics - this is for you.
I certainly enjoyed the packed and often unexpected thrills but the, mostly, fast moving action and large cast of protagonitss failed to also provide good character development despite frequent memory flashbacks and reminiscences. Indeed, I occasionally found the who is who confusing especially when one or other of the two vividly bestudded female soldiers was mentioned, especially given their names - Anya (also called Grace) and Ayala (or Ensign). This, together with the feeling that the whole premise of the rebellion taking place at the time chosen and the apparent expectation that such a plan stood any chance of staying secret long enough amongst so many for it to be put into practise was completely unrealistic, has resulted in the mere three star rating.
But don't be deterred: it is still a pretty good read and I look forward to the next adventure
March 30, 2015
I listened to the audiobook format of this book, read by Greg Tremblay.
I love military scifi and space operas both, and I felt that The Terran Gambit was an excellent mix of the genres. The story is engaging from the beginning, jumping right into the action and military conflict. The setting unfolds naturally instead of giant info dumps, but at the same time the core of the lack of back story made the overall conflict a little muddy to me.
I loved the characters and Greg Tremblay did an excellent job of giving all of them their own unique voice and wide range of accents. Po or "Grizzly" is currently my favorite character out of the bunch.
I'm excited for the next book - hopefully in audiobook format! The Pax Humana Saga is now on my list of series I'm following.
--I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.--
I love military scifi and space operas both, and I felt that The Terran Gambit was an excellent mix of the genres. The story is engaging from the beginning, jumping right into the action and military conflict. The setting unfolds naturally instead of giant info dumps, but at the same time the core of the lack of back story made the overall conflict a little muddy to me.
I loved the characters and Greg Tremblay did an excellent job of giving all of them their own unique voice and wide range of accents. Po or "Grizzly" is currently my favorite character out of the bunch.
I'm excited for the next book - hopefully in audiobook format! The Pax Humana Saga is now on my list of series I'm following.
--I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.--
June 2, 2015
I liked the plot, it was a fast read, with some slower parts which was good because I found moments to put the book down. The different head characters are quite well developed, jumping from the good to the bad side is nice, and small jumps in time are good to advance the book (there was just a problem with one jump where I couldn't find a clue as to why the person was in a certain situation).
I did feel the revolution was a little too naïve, and some actions/appearances of characters are a little deus ex machina, but not too much so.
One negative point was the fact the bad guys and worlds/cities were all from the bad side in WWII and the good usualy from the other side. Also the return to Latin/Roman naming seems a little exagerated...I don't know how realistic this is, future will tell ;)
So,should I read the next or will it be the same cat & dog game? I don't know yet.
I did feel the revolution was a little too naïve, and some actions/appearances of characters are a little deus ex machina, but not too much so.
One negative point was the fact the bad guys and worlds/cities were all from the bad side in WWII and the good usualy from the other side. Also the return to Latin/Roman naming seems a little exagerated...I don't know how realistic this is, future will tell ;)
So,should I read the next or will it be the same cat & dog game? I don't know yet.
April 4, 2016
I love reading good sci-fi, especially space opera. The Terran Gambit by Endi Webb meets all my requirements of being a great space opera novel. It is fast paced and action packed. It will grab you by the seat of your pants and won't let you go. The only bad thing about this book is that it ended.
The author did a great job of developing a tale of adventure that was so realistic and easy to get in to. I really liked the author's storytelling style; it made the book come alive. This also made the book very believable and easy to follow.
Endi Webb has put together a cast of characters that are easy to follow and easy to get behind and cheer for. They were very real and I found myself identifying with various parts of their personalities.
I really liked The Terran Gambit by Endi Webb and highly recommend this book to all readers.
The author did a great job of developing a tale of adventure that was so realistic and easy to get in to. I really liked the author's storytelling style; it made the book come alive. This also made the book very believable and easy to follow.
Endi Webb has put together a cast of characters that are easy to follow and easy to get behind and cheer for. They were very real and I found myself identifying with various parts of their personalities.
I really liked The Terran Gambit by Endi Webb and highly recommend this book to all readers.
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