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Jerusalem Fire
Does Jerusalem Stand?
It was the question all human star travelers asked one another. The ancient city of Jerusalem, holy to three human religions, had become the touchstone for anyone not yet absorbed into the Na’id Empire, under its twin banner of Galactic Dominion/Human Supremacy.
Iry—
A planet out of myth, whose very existence could bring down an empire.
Alihahd—
The captain was a notorious rebel runner. To most of the known galaxy hewas a legend without a face, to the rest, a face without a name. He was called Alihahd. “He left.” It was the word Na’id enforcers heard when they demanded to know where the rebel had gone—always one step ahead—as if he knew his enemy very well. Hero, villain, coward. Three times a legend on both sides of the same war.
It was the question all human star travelers asked one another. The ancient city of Jerusalem, holy to three human religions, had become the touchstone for anyone not yet absorbed into the Na’id Empire, under its twin banner of Galactic Dominion/Human Supremacy.
Iry—
A planet out of myth, whose very existence could bring down an empire.
Alihahd—
The captain was a notorious rebel runner. To most of the known galaxy hewas a legend without a face, to the rest, a face without a name. He was called Alihahd. “He left.” It was the word Na’id enforcers heard when they demanded to know where the rebel had gone—always one step ahead—as if he knew his enemy very well. Hero, villain, coward. Three times a legend on both sides of the same war.
- GenresScience FictionFiction
336 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1985
5 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 28, 2010
Not a bad story, but clunky--even allowing for its vintage. Included the obligatory--for that era--disection of anyone stupid enough to believe in any form of god--even a bit preachy in places--but also doubted the doubters, too.
Eighty pages in Meluch goes on a forty page digress for a character who ends up being . . . nothing. Before she abandoned her protag I'd already figured out who he really was, evenm though she did a gradual reveal through the last hundred pages of the book. Nice, quirky ending.
Eighty pages in Meluch goes on a forty page digress for a character who ends up being . . . nothing. Before she abandoned her protag I'd already figured out who he really was, evenm though she did a gradual reveal through the last hundred pages of the book. Nice, quirky ending.
December 29, 2023
I'm not quite sure how I feel about this book. I was recommended it a long time ago, and only recently found a copy. It wasn't at all what I expected. Technically the writing was good as were the character interactions to a lesser extent, but it's either aged a bit or the nuances of the story went over my head. Was a bit hit and miss, just based on how I felt reading it.
6.5/10
6.5/10
November 30, 2022
This was a very good book, the intrigue is set in front of the reader like a delicious appetizer, the pace is quick and what follows is a compelling story. Meluch creates an interesting future of interstellar empires and questionable utopias, her world building was impressive given the page count. The character study that is the protagonist was intriguing and mutli-layered, there's interesting surface details, and a mysterious underside that is hinted at. It's the strongest part of the book and when it develops...buckle in.
Meluch also delves into "murky" waters of religion, fanaticism, race, and human supremacy in such a way that it would take forever to untangle all of these elements. Her conclusions were a bit opaque to me.
Meluch also delves into "murky" waters of religion, fanaticism, race, and human supremacy in such a way that it would take forever to untangle all of these elements. Her conclusions were a bit opaque to me.
Want to read
December 21, 2016From B&N blog: "Originally published in 1985, DAW is republishing Meluch’s remarkable military SF novel, and it’s not hard to see why—it’s as exciting and relevant today as it was 30 years ago. In a galaxy dominated by the totalitarian and oppressive Na’id Empire, a man called Alihahd—which means “he left” in the Na’id language—defies the empire and ferries rebel refugees to safety. An inveterate drunk, Alihahd is a man running from his own past and trying to atone. When his ship is attacked, he ensures the safety of his passengers and is rescued himself by a damaged pirate ship, which soon crashes on the legendary planet of Iry. As he seeks a way off planet, Alihahd’s backstory is slowly teased out, as is his connection to the ancient Earth city of Jerusalem, emblematic of the entirety of human civilization; it was the center of a desperate battle against the Na’id’s attempts to unify human civilization. Drawing comparisons to Frank Herbert’s Dune in its philosophical scope, Jerusalem Fire is the unexpected sci-fi masterpiece you’ve never read."
September 8, 2021
I read this for the first time when I was 11. It was at our local library. I have since read it a dozen times, to tge point that I have worn out 2 copies. I still get the same thrill from reading it. Alihad is one of my favorite characters in all of literature. I wish I could say more, but I can't think of a way to do the review justice that wouldn't partially ruin the story for new readers. If you like redemption tales, even those realized second-hand, read this book. Masterful.
April 20, 2023
Jerusalem Fire by R. M. Meluch was a surprisingly good book. I should not have been surprised because I have read her Merrimack series and enjoyed it very much. I have had this book on my "to read" shelf for quite some time. I hadn't read it any sooner because of several negative reviews here on Goodreads and the poorly written blurbs on the back cover. I should have known better. If you are a fan of her Merrimack series you should give this truly good stand-a-lone a try.
The cover of this book and some of Meleuch's other works might lead you to believe that this book is action/adventure or even military SF. It is not. If you start reading it with that expectation for a few pages it will seem to meet your expectations, but after that, it will diverge considerably and become a complex story about a man who was once thought a hero and is now thought a traitor. It turns out he is neither. That is not to say there isn't any action because there is. It just isn't the main feature of this novel.
This book is excellent and well worth the read.
The cover of this book and some of Meleuch's other works might lead you to believe that this book is action/adventure or even military SF. It is not. If you start reading it with that expectation for a few pages it will seem to meet your expectations, but after that, it will diverge considerably and become a complex story about a man who was once thought a hero and is now thought a traitor. It turns out he is neither. That is not to say there isn't any action because there is. It just isn't the main feature of this novel.
This book is excellent and well worth the read.
October 31, 2016
https://koeur.wordpress.com/2016/10/3...
Publisher: DAW
Publishing Date: December 2016 (1985)
ISBN: 9780756412203
Genre: SciFi
Rating: 4.3/5
Publishers Description: The captain was a notorious rebel runner. To most of the known galaxy he was a legend without a face, to the rest, a face without a name. He was called Alihahd. “He left.” It was the word Na’id enforcers heard when they demanded to know where the rebel had gone—always one step ahead—as if he knew his enemy very well. Hero, villain, coward. Three times a legend on both sides of the same war.
Review: The publishers description and the cover do not even remotely describe or resemble this novel. This was more about the internal struggles of a man coping with a past while residing on an alien planet within an alien culture. The aliens take up a large portion of the story line, and a particular human whom has embraced the alien path and discarded humanity. The writing is unique in that there are gaps in the human and alien interactions that leaves you wanting for resolution. It forces you to let go and move on, much like life. While the ‘why’s’ are tumbling around your head, the world building, while in a specific place, embraces a descriptive narrative that pulls you into that alien world. The character development is exemplary and builds well with the movement.
“So why you no give 5 stars?”. There were quite a few holes in the story line that were never filled or adequately explained. When Alihahd wrecks in space and is picked up by a swashbuckling rebel, he is drunk. How does he drink a bottle of wine while in a vacuum sealed spacesuit? Also it is never even mentioned why the rebel picked him up, floating in space or how in the heck he even knew he was there, let alone finding a planet that has been lost for 2,000 years. Why did a rabbit eared alien, all of a sudden start chewing on Alihahd’s leg? Did his past catch up with him? Who are the familiars, what is their purpose and where do they come from? This novel poses a lot of questions that may never be answered. Still, really well done SciFi.
Publisher: DAW
Publishing Date: December 2016 (1985)
ISBN: 9780756412203
Genre: SciFi
Rating: 4.3/5
Publishers Description: The captain was a notorious rebel runner. To most of the known galaxy he was a legend without a face, to the rest, a face without a name. He was called Alihahd. “He left.” It was the word Na’id enforcers heard when they demanded to know where the rebel had gone—always one step ahead—as if he knew his enemy very well. Hero, villain, coward. Three times a legend on both sides of the same war.
Review: The publishers description and the cover do not even remotely describe or resemble this novel. This was more about the internal struggles of a man coping with a past while residing on an alien planet within an alien culture. The aliens take up a large portion of the story line, and a particular human whom has embraced the alien path and discarded humanity. The writing is unique in that there are gaps in the human and alien interactions that leaves you wanting for resolution. It forces you to let go and move on, much like life. While the ‘why’s’ are tumbling around your head, the world building, while in a specific place, embraces a descriptive narrative that pulls you into that alien world. The character development is exemplary and builds well with the movement.
“So why you no give 5 stars?”. There were quite a few holes in the story line that were never filled or adequately explained. When Alihahd wrecks in space and is picked up by a swashbuckling rebel, he is drunk. How does he drink a bottle of wine while in a vacuum sealed spacesuit? Also it is never even mentioned why the rebel picked him up, floating in space or how in the heck he even knew he was there, let alone finding a planet that has been lost for 2,000 years. Why did a rabbit eared alien, all of a sudden start chewing on Alihahd’s leg? Did his past catch up with him? Who are the familiars, what is their purpose and where do they come from? This novel poses a lot of questions that may never be answered. Still, really well done SciFi.
August 30, 2013
An excellent SF story.
Alihahd doesn't really exist. He is a legend, running away from who he once was and did. He fights the Na'id Empire, who are intent on making all humans the same and all aliens slaves, but one day his luck runs out. He crashes on the mythical planet of Iry, thought to be just as much a legend as he is. There he meets the Irin warrior priests, a strangely fierce yet benign race. But as he finds himself again on the isolated world, so he brings change to those around him.
Just excellent and some thought-inspiring ideas. Unlike some SF, it was easy to read and didn't warble off into long technical explanations. The ending was great and even if it isn't so much of a mystery who Alihahd once was, the rest of the plotlines mean that you can't help but keep reading. Just excellent!
Alihahd doesn't really exist. He is a legend, running away from who he once was and did. He fights the Na'id Empire, who are intent on making all humans the same and all aliens slaves, but one day his luck runs out. He crashes on the mythical planet of Iry, thought to be just as much a legend as he is. There he meets the Irin warrior priests, a strangely fierce yet benign race. But as he finds himself again on the isolated world, so he brings change to those around him.
Just excellent and some thought-inspiring ideas. Unlike some SF, it was easy to read and didn't warble off into long technical explanations. The ending was great and even if it isn't so much of a mystery who Alihahd once was, the rest of the plotlines mean that you can't help but keep reading. Just excellent!
June 23, 2010
What a book! Probably the most unusual story I've ever read about morality, guilt, and forgiveness. That makes it sound dull and it's anything but that. It's about a general named Shad Iliya and an ancient and powerful civilization called the Itiri and a scoundrel called Harrison White Fox Hall. It's brilliant and witty. It's painful and horrible. It's very, very good.
July 5, 2011
Well written, and once again presents that interesting mix of good bad guys that Meluch loves so much. I didn't rate it higher because it just so happens that he wasn't my favorite type of good bad guy, but hey. Still worth while.
March 4, 2013
Barely made it through this one. Plot wasn't great, and neither were the characterizations
September 29, 2014
Good action story, not too complicated and easy to read!
The mysteries were pretty easy to figure out early on in the book but it didn't detract from the story!
The mysteries were pretty easy to figure out early on in the book but it didn't detract from the story!
June 22, 2011
About Jerusalem. About human race. Adventures in the space.
January 7, 2017
Just couldn't get into it. Maybe will try again another time.
April 26, 2017
“Jerusalum Fire” eBook was published in 2016 (the paper edition was originally published in 1986) and was written by R. M. Meluch (http://rmmeluch.com). Ms. Meluch has published over a dozen novels.
I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in the far future. The Na’id Empire is conquering all of human space and has no concern what so ever for alien species, whether or not they are sapient. The main character is Alihahd, who has sided with the rebels and has been harassing the Na’id.
Alihahd finds himself stranded on the planet Iry. A place of myth. He survives there, taken in by the Itiri. The Itiri Warrior Priests are nearly invincible, yet only a thing of myth in the Na’id Empire. The Itiri spurn the outside world, willing to let the humans battle with themselves.
Alihahd is a troubled soul, wishing to die, but unwilling to take his own life. Over the course of the novel Alihahd struggles with his life.
I was glad when I completed the 9.5 hours needed to finish this 378 page science fiction novel. I thought more than once on calling a Rule of 50 (https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/2015... ), and in hind site I wish I had. Though well written, for the most part I found this novel dull and boring. The cover art one small event in the novel and is not a good representation of the whole. I give this novel a 3 out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in the far future. The Na’id Empire is conquering all of human space and has no concern what so ever for alien species, whether or not they are sapient. The main character is Alihahd, who has sided with the rebels and has been harassing the Na’id.
Alihahd finds himself stranded on the planet Iry. A place of myth. He survives there, taken in by the Itiri. The Itiri Warrior Priests are nearly invincible, yet only a thing of myth in the Na’id Empire. The Itiri spurn the outside world, willing to let the humans battle with themselves.
Alihahd is a troubled soul, wishing to die, but unwilling to take his own life. Over the course of the novel Alihahd struggles with his life.
I was glad when I completed the 9.5 hours needed to finish this 378 page science fiction novel. I thought more than once on calling a Rule of 50 (https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/2015... ), and in hind site I wish I had. Though well written, for the most part I found this novel dull and boring. The cover art one small event in the novel and is not a good representation of the whole. I give this novel a 3 out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews