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Bio of a Space Tyrant #2
Mercenary
This is the second in the series BIO OF A SPACE TYRANT, featuring the stages in the life of Hope Hubris, the Tyrant of Jupiter, and his beloved sister Spirit.
Fired by raw courage, steeled by young might, he rose in the Navy of Jupiter to command a personal squadron loyal to the death. And it was death they faced - against piratical warlords of the Jupiter Ecliptic who laughed at the yourg commander's challenge...until they met the merciless fury of the warrior who would annihilate all obstacles in his path to immortal renown as the
TYRANT OF JUPITER!
Fired by raw courage, steeled by young might, he rose in the Navy of Jupiter to command a personal squadron loyal to the death. And it was death they faced - against piratical warlords of the Jupiter Ecliptic who laughed at the yourg commander's challenge...until they met the merciless fury of the warrior who would annihilate all obstacles in his path to immortal renown as the
TYRANT OF JUPITER!
525 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1984
90 people are currently reading
956 people want to read
About the author
Piers Anthony
441 books4,215 followersThough he spent the first four years of his life in England, Piers never returned to live in his country of birth after moving to Spain and immigrated to America at age six. After graduating with a B.A. from Goddard College, he married one of his fellow students and and spent fifteen years in an assortment of professions before he began writing fiction full-time.
Piers is a self-proclaimed environmentalist and lives on a tree farm in Florida with his wife. They have two grown daughters.
Piers is a self-proclaimed environmentalist and lives on a tree farm in Florida with his wife. They have two grown daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
December 6, 2016
I'm torn, to say the least. Part of me really found this book far more compelling than the previous. The exploits of Hope after his refugee phase felt satisfying and most of the primary characters introduced here were better fleshed out. With only one exception, I felt the repetition of the first book was eliminated and I found myself connecting more with Hope than I did in the first book.
That exception, however, is what killed the extra stars for this review. The use of sex as a plot device was extremely tiresome after the first book, but it felt far more of a duct-taped method of extending chapters or hooking young boys. The entire idea around "The Tail", a bordello where all members of the Jupiter Navy were required to go and "perform", just felt so incredibly absurd that any time it was used or mentioned, I was instantly ripped out from the story. This was only compounded by the events around Hope and Roulette and how silly it felt, considering the gravity of how it needed to happen.
Honestly, had all of the sex of this book been removed or deprioritized, it would have been a much better read. Not that I regret it or won't finish the series, but it's a bad taste that will keep me from coming back and doesn't have me hopeful for the other books.
That exception, however, is what killed the extra stars for this review. The use of sex as a plot device was extremely tiresome after the first book, but it felt far more of a duct-taped method of extending chapters or hooking young boys. The entire idea around "The Tail", a bordello where all members of the Jupiter Navy were required to go and "perform", just felt so incredibly absurd that any time it was used or mentioned, I was instantly ripped out from the story. This was only compounded by the events around Hope and Roulette and how silly it felt, considering the gravity of how it needed to happen.
Honestly, had all of the sex of this book been removed or deprioritized, it would have been a much better read. Not that I regret it or won't finish the series, but it's a bad taste that will keep me from coming back and doesn't have me hopeful for the other books.
August 31, 2015
Hope & Spirit join the Navy
3 March 2012
This is the second of the Bio of a Space Tyrant series and has the protagonist, Hope Hubris, join the Jupiter Navy attempting to destroy the space pirates that haunt the Asteroid Belt. This is probably a logical follow on from the first book since in the first book he had been constantly raided by space pirates as he and his family attempted to flee the moons of Jupiter to find a better life on the planet. However it seems that as soon as he arrives on Jupiter he is suddenly enlisted in the navy and sent off to war.
I should make a few comments on the names, though I would hardly call Anthony a literary genius. As mentioned in the previous book Anthony attempts to use allegory in this series but just did not work. While Tolkien did not like allegory, thinking that it is a poor literary style in which to make a point, I myself believe that it is quite useful if used well. However it can be very difficult. The two books that stand in my mind that effectively use allegory would be Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels and C.S. Lewis' The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. Here Anthony is attempting to use an inhabited solar system to allegorise the current political system of Earth (at the time of writing). Personally, I believed that he failed – it was simply too blatant. Lewis and Swift are subtle, but Anthony is as subtle as a baseball bat.
The main character, Hope Hubris, and his sister Spirit, sort of drag this out a bit more. Hope is the protagonist and Spirit is his loyal side kick (though the incident of incest between them in the first book was absolutely pathetic: why on Earth would Spirit have sex with her brother in the belief that he needed to have sex so that he might remain mentally healthy – this is another indication of Anthony's quite unbelievable attitudes on sex that seem to come out in all of his novels). However, the name of the protagonist is sort of a contradiction. In one sense his rise to become a tyrant is a symbol of hope, but his desire to take control for himself is in itself a sign of arrogance. While at first there is hope, as they say, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. If we consider many of the other tyrants who meteorically rose to power we always see this contradiction: in one sense there is hope for the subjects, but upon attaining power the tyrant becomes overwhelmed by hubris, a Ancient Greek term that refers to a stubborn arrogance that will inevitably result in the fall of the tyrant. The classic example from Greek literature is the Great King Xerxes as outlined in Herodotus' Histories.
It is also interesting that Anthony entitled this book mercenary when the entire time Hope is a member of the Jupiter Navy. It raises the question of whether the men and women in the modern armed forces are professional soldiers, or whether they are little more than glorified mercenaries. I guess the plot of the book, with Hope going out and clearing the Asteroid Belt of pirates, is an essence of this. While the navy is, in a sense, a legitimate occupation, the missions that they go on can be considered little more than mercenary adventures. However, taming the asteroid belt, in much the same way as Agrippa went out to clear the Mediterranean of pirates, is not so much a mercenary action but more of a police action.
The concept of a professional soldier as a mercenary takes me to a statement made by Smedley Butler in the 1930s. Butler was a career soldier in the American Army, and at the depths of the depression the central bankers in the United States attempted to overthrow Roosevelt's government with the intention of installing Butler as a military dictator. However Butler ratted them out, but that is not so much the point, but rather a comment that he made in reference to Al Capone (I assume we all know who he is). He said that Al Capone is a gangster that operates in three city districts, while the US Marines are little more than a mercenary force that operates on three continents.
Throughout his military career Butler spent a lot of time fighting to secure American business interests. Remember, this was during the 1920s and 30s when we do not even think about American adventures abroad. We believe that the US army fought in Europe during World War I, and also entered World War II in 1941, however we seem to think that they never left the country in the intervening 25 years. According to Butler this was not the case. While the army was not necessarily deployed in force outside of the United States during that time, they were still sent out on missions (usually the Marines) to protect American business interests, usually in Latin America. This was known as the Munroe Doctrine, where it was decreed that the American Sphere of influence was the Western Hemisphere and anybody else who dared to attempt to interfere would risk war with America. I guess this was the idea that Anthony was trying to raise, however I do not think he did all that well in doing so.
3 March 2012
This is the second of the Bio of a Space Tyrant series and has the protagonist, Hope Hubris, join the Jupiter Navy attempting to destroy the space pirates that haunt the Asteroid Belt. This is probably a logical follow on from the first book since in the first book he had been constantly raided by space pirates as he and his family attempted to flee the moons of Jupiter to find a better life on the planet. However it seems that as soon as he arrives on Jupiter he is suddenly enlisted in the navy and sent off to war.
I should make a few comments on the names, though I would hardly call Anthony a literary genius. As mentioned in the previous book Anthony attempts to use allegory in this series but just did not work. While Tolkien did not like allegory, thinking that it is a poor literary style in which to make a point, I myself believe that it is quite useful if used well. However it can be very difficult. The two books that stand in my mind that effectively use allegory would be Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels and C.S. Lewis' The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. Here Anthony is attempting to use an inhabited solar system to allegorise the current political system of Earth (at the time of writing). Personally, I believed that he failed – it was simply too blatant. Lewis and Swift are subtle, but Anthony is as subtle as a baseball bat.
The main character, Hope Hubris, and his sister Spirit, sort of drag this out a bit more. Hope is the protagonist and Spirit is his loyal side kick (though the incident of incest between them in the first book was absolutely pathetic: why on Earth would Spirit have sex with her brother in the belief that he needed to have sex so that he might remain mentally healthy – this is another indication of Anthony's quite unbelievable attitudes on sex that seem to come out in all of his novels). However, the name of the protagonist is sort of a contradiction. In one sense his rise to become a tyrant is a symbol of hope, but his desire to take control for himself is in itself a sign of arrogance. While at first there is hope, as they say, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. If we consider many of the other tyrants who meteorically rose to power we always see this contradiction: in one sense there is hope for the subjects, but upon attaining power the tyrant becomes overwhelmed by hubris, a Ancient Greek term that refers to a stubborn arrogance that will inevitably result in the fall of the tyrant. The classic example from Greek literature is the Great King Xerxes as outlined in Herodotus' Histories.
It is also interesting that Anthony entitled this book mercenary when the entire time Hope is a member of the Jupiter Navy. It raises the question of whether the men and women in the modern armed forces are professional soldiers, or whether they are little more than glorified mercenaries. I guess the plot of the book, with Hope going out and clearing the Asteroid Belt of pirates, is an essence of this. While the navy is, in a sense, a legitimate occupation, the missions that they go on can be considered little more than mercenary adventures. However, taming the asteroid belt, in much the same way as Agrippa went out to clear the Mediterranean of pirates, is not so much a mercenary action but more of a police action.
The concept of a professional soldier as a mercenary takes me to a statement made by Smedley Butler in the 1930s. Butler was a career soldier in the American Army, and at the depths of the depression the central bankers in the United States attempted to overthrow Roosevelt's government with the intention of installing Butler as a military dictator. However Butler ratted them out, but that is not so much the point, but rather a comment that he made in reference to Al Capone (I assume we all know who he is). He said that Al Capone is a gangster that operates in three city districts, while the US Marines are little more than a mercenary force that operates on three continents.
Throughout his military career Butler spent a lot of time fighting to secure American business interests. Remember, this was during the 1920s and 30s when we do not even think about American adventures abroad. We believe that the US army fought in Europe during World War I, and also entered World War II in 1941, however we seem to think that they never left the country in the intervening 25 years. According to Butler this was not the case. While the army was not necessarily deployed in force outside of the United States during that time, they were still sent out on missions (usually the Marines) to protect American business interests, usually in Latin America. This was known as the Munroe Doctrine, where it was decreed that the American Sphere of influence was the Western Hemisphere and anybody else who dared to attempt to interfere would risk war with America. I guess this was the idea that Anthony was trying to raise, however I do not think he did all that well in doing so.
June 2, 2022
Much better the the first book but there was still a little too much technical description of fictitious technology. That, combined with the forced promiscuity and what is beginning to feel like the author's uncomfortable fascination with rape, was off-putting enough that I couldn't do more than 3 stars. But I'm invested enough to continue the series. Maybe Hope being out of the military now will cut down on all the mentions of sex but I'm kind of doubting it.
January 25, 2025
This was longer than the previous book, Refugee, but much better. It did not feel as if it was any longer. Here, our bizarrely named Space Tyrant Hope Hubris joins the Jupiter Navy after a stint as a vegetable and fruit picker. This chronicles his entire career in the Jupiter Navy, which is a highly imaginative combination of just about all branches of the armed forces.
Peirs Anthony, then just another immigrant, did serve in the American Army, experiences of which which went into the writing of this book, including the Army's extreme hatred of homosexuality and promoting those who don't deserve it. My edition had an afterward from 1999 where Anthony lists the people and sources he used for this book. It was written in conjunction with the Xanth novel Dragon on a Pedestal and Bearing an Hourglass. There is also an eulogy, of sorts, for Judy-Lynn Del Ray. He also slyly notes that writers can't live by one publisher alone.
Hubris is driven to exterminate space pirates. He also wants to find his little sister Spirit, stuck somewhere on a pirate ship. The plotting and planning that goes into these two goals are fascinating. It was also interesting to see drones being used in military operations. Since this was first published in 1984, I thought it was an especially nice touch.
But, since this is Piers Anthony, we know there's gonna be some major kink involved. This was where the book slowed down. The Jupiter Navy required everyone, male or female, to use their brothels once a week, called The Tail. In the Jupe Navy, sex and love are two completely different things.
And then there is the matter of pirate sexuality. Wedding nights always involve rape. Well ... not really, once you read about it. Most of it just cultural theater. The introduction states that Hope rapes a woman pirate, but fear not. It wasn't really rape. Unfortunately, there is far too much explanation about the difference, which drags the book down.
This book has two extremely strong female characters -- Emerald the military strategist (and Black) and the sister Spirit.
The produce pickers have their own interesting culture, which involves each picker having their own song as personal identification. Sounds hard to follow, but I quite liked this quirk.
I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
Peirs Anthony, then just another immigrant, did serve in the American Army, experiences of which which went into the writing of this book, including the Army's extreme hatred of homosexuality and promoting those who don't deserve it. My edition had an afterward from 1999 where Anthony lists the people and sources he used for this book. It was written in conjunction with the Xanth novel Dragon on a Pedestal and Bearing an Hourglass. There is also an eulogy, of sorts, for Judy-Lynn Del Ray. He also slyly notes that writers can't live by one publisher alone.
Hubris is driven to exterminate space pirates. He also wants to find his little sister Spirit, stuck somewhere on a pirate ship. The plotting and planning that goes into these two goals are fascinating. It was also interesting to see drones being used in military operations. Since this was first published in 1984, I thought it was an especially nice touch.
But, since this is Piers Anthony, we know there's gonna be some major kink involved. This was where the book slowed down. The Jupiter Navy required everyone, male or female, to use their brothels once a week, called The Tail. In the Jupe Navy, sex and love are two completely different things.
And then there is the matter of pirate sexuality. Wedding nights always involve rape. Well ... not really, once you read about it. Most of it just cultural theater. The introduction states that Hope rapes a woman pirate, but fear not. It wasn't really rape. Unfortunately, there is far too much explanation about the difference, which drags the book down.
This book has two extremely strong female characters -- Emerald the military strategist (and Black) and the sister Spirit.
The produce pickers have their own interesting culture, which involves each picker having their own song as personal identification. Sounds hard to follow, but I quite liked this quirk.
I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
January 19, 2024
3.5 - This book is more interesting and unique than the first. I feel that I’m beginning to understand Hope and am curious about what will become of him. The battles, Hope growing up, the strategies, and the bonds that are formed in this book are well fleshed out and kept me reading. There were moments, like some battles, that felt rushed and some moments felt drawn out, like what must happen to Rue. It felt like the important parts weren’t always the main focus. However, the drawn out parts were interesting at times, such as the relationship that formed between Rue and Hope. My main struggle with the book was that SO MUCH happened. This could have easily been a book series on its own. I felt bogged down at times with my reading because there is so much condensed into ~380 pages. Like a book for the beginning of his career and the end. That would have at least helped me feel less stressed about so much happening. However, the plot and what happens is so interesting throughout and has definitely made me interested in finishing the series.
February 4, 2021
Much less rapey than the first one, though not an entirely rape free installment of the Hope Hubris adventures. It picks up about a month after the first and covers his space Navy carrier.
I found myself asking, "Why do i care about this dude?" And honestly, i didnt. I could see if Hope was a character in another book or series and this series was his autobiography, so you could see how this character become who he is. But, as far as I know, he isnt. I'm essentially reading an autobiography about some dude who becomes Tyrant of Jupiter...and i care why?
Other than that i found the rest of the cast pretty intriguing, though the cultural concepts were pretty out there. I'll end up reading the rest of the series (i picked them all up at once), but im in no rush to start the next. With a series this big, its good to take a breather and cleanse your pallet with something diffrent, perhaps even a bit lighter.
I found myself asking, "Why do i care about this dude?" And honestly, i didnt. I could see if Hope was a character in another book or series and this series was his autobiography, so you could see how this character become who he is. But, as far as I know, he isnt. I'm essentially reading an autobiography about some dude who becomes Tyrant of Jupiter...and i care why?
Other than that i found the rest of the cast pretty intriguing, though the cultural concepts were pretty out there. I'll end up reading the rest of the series (i picked them all up at once), but im in no rush to start the next. With a series this big, its good to take a breather and cleanse your pallet with something diffrent, perhaps even a bit lighter.
July 14, 2021
How can you keep doing this to such great characters? It felt a little informal in the begining but it really expressed the monotony of the situation Hope faces. Later on you become very much more emotionally involved in multiple affairs of the story. The different women in his life are quite interesting in hiw they contribute to building his character. I still dont understand why they kept trying to push Spirit as his ultimate lover when he does not seen very connected or interested in her in this novel. That's beyond me especially since whatever they did was a one time thing.
Anywhom maybe book 6 is necessary to clarify those issues. The last of his lovers in this novel is the best in thus issue hands down.
Anywhom maybe book 6 is necessary to clarify those issues. The last of his lovers in this novel is the best in thus issue hands down.
September 30, 2023
Was trying to reread this series I remember loving as a kid. After the first book I was pretty shaky on continuing but after this one I throw in the towel. I usually really like plot driven space military stuff and can often overlook some weird gender stuff as a sign of the times (I’m looking at you Starship Troopers) but the space battles in this are rhythmically repetitive and kind of boring. Not to mention the weird sex and really awful gender stuff just keeps going. So much rape as a plot device and women as potential sex objects, even the protagonist’s sister. I read this series when I was 8 or 10! I’m glad I’m gay because I shudder to think how this book would have (and probably still did) effect how I look at and interact with women.
July 26, 2018
Piers Anthony usually has a unique voice that makes me wish more people wrote like him. Reading this just reminded me of Lois McMaster Bujold and made me want to read her work instead.
Not his best work, but reading a Piers Anthony book is never something I regret.
Not his best work, but reading a Piers Anthony book is never something I regret.
Read
June 17, 2019The second volume in this 'space opera' series, involving Hope's time as a migrant laborer and then his fifteen year career in the Navy. A large part is played by both his sisiter Spirit and the Tail, a bordello run by the military. Not remembered.
December 10, 2016
Got a little off track with all the personal relationship narrative. Not as good as "Refugee" but still enjoyable enough to continue on to the next volume.
May 16, 2017
Interesting and immersing. I quite enjoyed this book.
November 5, 2017
I began reading this series when it was originally published. Now that I have a Tablet with a Kindle app, I am re-reading the books. In my opinion, the best Sci-Fi series ever written!
July 7, 2018
Good book. This is my favorite one so far.
March 29, 2019
Another great, can't put it down read!
August 20, 2019
Lots of good ideas, lots of action. I think this was the best volume in the series.
January 14, 2021
Easy read. Loved following this mans life path. It really delved into the making of the eventual man.
April 9, 2021
Borrowed from JVF
July 19, 2021
The story continues. If only we could solve today's problems the same way.
August 10, 2022
A well plotted story but the attitude to sex is rather suspect though it is in line with other male
sci-fi writer's of the time. Male fantasy perhaps?
sci-fi writer's of the time. Male fantasy perhaps?
September 26, 2022
This book has its flaws, but it does a good job examining leadership and situational ethics. It is a much better reading experience than the first book in the series.
May 9, 2023
One word = Tactical
November 6, 2023
A bit clunky but an enjoyable read (I skipped some paragraphs here and there when it gets too technical)
June 4, 2010
Bio of a Space Tyrant Refugee Vol.1 and Mercenary Vol. 2 by Pierce Anthony
Volume 1 details how Hope Hubris reaches Jupiter and the horrific conditions he faced on getting there. Volume 2 details the rise of Hope Hubris in the Jupiter Navy and his campaign against the asteroid belt pirates. The books purpose to be the biography of the tyrant of Jupiter. It is written in almost a text book style.
I have mixed feelings about the book. Anthony seemed intent on providing a sense of normalcy for all manner of abnormal actions. It seemed like he wrote some sections to blatantly provoke emotions. This was done with a baseball bat style as opposed to his more smooth style seen in his later books.
The overt ethnic prejudice in the book dismayed me but that could be Anthony’s intent. My hopes when reading about proposed futures is that racism is a thing of the past and sadly the present but that we as a society will out grow it. This future illustrates a continued commitment to despicable practices.
The characterizations are somewhat superficial on any but the main characters. Spirit, who is Hope’s sister, plays a huge part in his growth. Helese his first love preyed on his mind throughout both books.
One of the things I did like about the book was Hope’s realization that he was not the center of the universe. He showed an understanding that great men become great due to surrounding themselves with an outstanding staff. It provided a more realistic protagonist.
The books both had pedantic moments. The author often described situations or explained things ad nausem. I have read a great deal of Piers Anthony’s work and this series is not a stellar example. It is worth reading but take a look at his Xanth series to see what he can really do.
Volume 1 details how Hope Hubris reaches Jupiter and the horrific conditions he faced on getting there. Volume 2 details the rise of Hope Hubris in the Jupiter Navy and his campaign against the asteroid belt pirates. The books purpose to be the biography of the tyrant of Jupiter. It is written in almost a text book style.
I have mixed feelings about the book. Anthony seemed intent on providing a sense of normalcy for all manner of abnormal actions. It seemed like he wrote some sections to blatantly provoke emotions. This was done with a baseball bat style as opposed to his more smooth style seen in his later books.
The overt ethnic prejudice in the book dismayed me but that could be Anthony’s intent. My hopes when reading about proposed futures is that racism is a thing of the past and sadly the present but that we as a society will out grow it. This future illustrates a continued commitment to despicable practices.
The characterizations are somewhat superficial on any but the main characters. Spirit, who is Hope’s sister, plays a huge part in his growth. Helese his first love preyed on his mind throughout both books.
One of the things I did like about the book was Hope’s realization that he was not the center of the universe. He showed an understanding that great men become great due to surrounding themselves with an outstanding staff. It provided a more realistic protagonist.
The books both had pedantic moments. The author often described situations or explained things ad nausem. I have read a great deal of Piers Anthony’s work and this series is not a stellar example. It is worth reading but take a look at his Xanth series to see what he can really do.
December 31, 2014
It took me several decades to track this book down and I'm glad, in hindsight, that I read it as an adult and not as an impressionable teenager. This is the second volume in Piers Anthony's "bio of a space tyrant" books, documenting the rise of Hope Hubris from penniless refugee to becoming the great tyrant of Jupiter. The style of these books is akin to the Master and Commander style nautical epics but in space.
As in the previous book there are space pirates with an unquenchable lust for savagery, rape, and booty. There are corrupt naval officers with a passion for drugs, rape, and, um, more rape. And there is an entire society built upon whoring, rape, and clan loyalty.
The descriptions of the technical details of space combat are fascinating. The view of the future is essentially that of the 1950s but with more relaxed sexual mores, and in space. There's a lot of rape. And a lot of weirdly justified violence, particularly against women. So much so it's hard not to read this as satire.
But don't let that out you off. The core character, Hope Hubris, is essentially a decent man surrounded by powerful women who all do what has to be done to combat the scourge of piracy. It's tightly written, ridiculous, and at times utterly alarming.
I can't wait to read the next one.
As in the previous book there are space pirates with an unquenchable lust for savagery, rape, and booty. There are corrupt naval officers with a passion for drugs, rape, and, um, more rape. And there is an entire society built upon whoring, rape, and clan loyalty.
The descriptions of the technical details of space combat are fascinating. The view of the future is essentially that of the 1950s but with more relaxed sexual mores, and in space. There's a lot of rape. And a lot of weirdly justified violence, particularly against women. So much so it's hard not to read this as satire.
But don't let that out you off. The core character, Hope Hubris, is essentially a decent man surrounded by powerful women who all do what has to be done to combat the scourge of piracy. It's tightly written, ridiculous, and at times utterly alarming.
I can't wait to read the next one.
September 22, 2017
After the first book I assumed Hope going out into the world after the hell he went through would make him into an awesome space badass ready to lead. However this book really never gave me that. Instead it made me not like Hope as a character. Despite being a leader he never really seems to take charge or make life altering decisions without the strict counseling of his sister or other forgettable characters. Things just kinda happen to Hope, he just goes ahead doing whatever others think is best.
While many choices are difficult it barely seems Hope has any emotional investment in the events. For example, it's revealed in order to make peace with space pirates Hope must rape a space pirate’s daughter (terrible, but makes some sense in context). Hope is conflicted on if he should do this but other characters, like his sister, soullessly say he has to do this without any consideration against the fact. The characters are unrealistic and Hope is lost as an interesting protagonist.
While many choices are difficult it barely seems Hope has any emotional investment in the events. For example, it's revealed in order to make peace with space pirates Hope must rape a space pirate’s daughter (terrible, but makes some sense in context). Hope is conflicted on if he should do this but other characters, like his sister, soullessly say he has to do this without any consideration against the fact. The characters are unrealistic and Hope is lost as an interesting protagonist.
June 6, 2012
See my review of Book 1.
The notes I had on this book stated that I bought Book 1, 2 & 3 with money I received for my 40th birthday. I bought them for $1.75 each. *chuckles*
In this book, Hope Hubris and his sister, Spirit, join the Space Navy and rises up the ranks as they both go after the space Pirates that killed their friends and family members. He becomes ruthless, efficient and cold. But he also sees injustice within the system he's embraced. As a "hero" he now turns toward politics to see if he can correct the injustices. Unfortunately, he finds that there is no perfect system and that politics is about either compromise or selling out.
This series is one of the better ones by Piers Anthony and examines the relationships between people, how they can be manipulated, bought, sold and used. It's an engaging but unsettling read.
The notes I had on this book stated that I bought Book 1, 2 & 3 with money I received for my 40th birthday. I bought them for $1.75 each. *chuckles*
In this book, Hope Hubris and his sister, Spirit, join the Space Navy and rises up the ranks as they both go after the space Pirates that killed their friends and family members. He becomes ruthless, efficient and cold. But he also sees injustice within the system he's embraced. As a "hero" he now turns toward politics to see if he can correct the injustices. Unfortunately, he finds that there is no perfect system and that politics is about either compromise or selling out.
This series is one of the better ones by Piers Anthony and examines the relationships between people, how they can be manipulated, bought, sold and used. It's an engaging but unsettling read.
February 9, 2012
First off the whine... Again the Kindle edition needed a proof reading pass. Instead of hyphens being the issue, this time it was line breaks, where a line would break early
and then continue on the next line. Not a big thing but jarring when you're reading it.
Like the others, this is my 4th'ish reading of this book and I still enjoy it. This one grabs me because of my Army experience. Sure I kind of doubt they would have the same structure (S1, S2, etc) in the future, but it still struck a cord of familiarity with me and helped me suspend my disbelief.
And the good guy wins (and not), moving from nothing, E1, to Commander, which I always enjoy... :)
and then continue on the next line. Not a big thing but jarring when you're reading it.
Like the others, this is my 4th'ish reading of this book and I still enjoy it. This one grabs me because of my Army experience. Sure I kind of doubt they would have the same structure (S1, S2, etc) in the future, but it still struck a cord of familiarity with me and helped me suspend my disbelief.
And the good guy wins (and not), moving from nothing, E1, to Commander, which I always enjoy... :)
September 27, 2012
Much better than the first instalment!
Without wanting to give too much away and then mark this as a hidden review, this story reminded me of the earlier books in the Honor Harrington series by David Webber. Fans of that saga could dive straight into this and enjoy the story even without reading part one.
There is lots going on in this one. Varied and diverse sub plots while keeping the flow of the story moving along nicely. The only criticism I have is that it ended too abruptly. Maybe I just need to get on with the next instalment, but I would have liked a little more of the loose ends filling out before they were tied up.
Without wanting to give too much away and then mark this as a hidden review, this story reminded me of the earlier books in the Honor Harrington series by David Webber. Fans of that saga could dive straight into this and enjoy the story even without reading part one.
There is lots going on in this one. Varied and diverse sub plots while keeping the flow of the story moving along nicely. The only criticism I have is that it ended too abruptly. Maybe I just need to get on with the next instalment, but I would have liked a little more of the loose ends filling out before they were tied up.
March 5, 2014
Written in 1984 by Piers Anthony Jacob. How Hope Hubris (a man) became a Captain in the Navy; covers time from his age 15 to 25(?). Carefully crafted book so as to not alienate minorities.
Hope has two characteristics that are unique. One, that he can tell when someone is lying, and assess their characteristics like Sherlock Holmes, if he focuses on it. Two, he is not, or cannot be subject to any addictions.
He is led by QVD (whatever that is, we don't find out) through promotion after promotion. He finds Spirit, his sister. He cries. He fights. He wins. Again and again.
Hope has two characteristics that are unique. One, that he can tell when someone is lying, and assess their characteristics like Sherlock Holmes, if he focuses on it. Two, he is not, or cannot be subject to any addictions.
He is led by QVD (whatever that is, we don't find out) through promotion after promotion. He finds Spirit, his sister. He cries. He fights. He wins. Again and again.
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