What do you think?
Rate this book
Imperials #1
The High Ground
Emperor’s daughter Mercedes is the first woman ever admitted to the High Ground, the elite training academy of the Solar League’s Star Command, and she must graduate if she is to have any hope of taking the throne. Her classmate Tracy has more modest goals — to rise to the rank of captain, and win fame and honor. But a civil war is coming and the political machinations of those who yearn for power threaten the young cadets. In a time of intrigue and alien invasion, they will be tested as they never thought possible.
356 pages, ebook
First published July 5, 2016
44 people are currently reading
1000 people want to read
About the author
Melinda M. Snodgrass
69 books220 followersMELINDA M. SNODGRASS
Melinda Snodgrass was born in Los Angeles, but her family moved to New Mexico when she was five months old making her almost a native. She studied opera at the Conservatory of Vienna in Austria, graduated from U.N.M. with a degree in history, and went on to Law School. She practiced for three years, and discovered that while she loved the law she hated lawyers so she began writing.
In 1988 she accepted a job on Star Trek: TNG, and began her Hollywood career. Her novels, The High Ground, In Evil Times and The Hidden World are available from Titan Books. She is the executive producer on the upcoming Wild Cards shows being developed for Hulu. Her passion (aside from writing) is riding her Lusitano stallion Vento da Broga.
Melinda Snodgrass was born in Los Angeles, but her family moved to New Mexico when she was five months old making her almost a native. She studied opera at the Conservatory of Vienna in Austria, graduated from U.N.M. with a degree in history, and went on to Law School. She practiced for three years, and discovered that while she loved the law she hated lawyers so she began writing.
In 1988 she accepted a job on Star Trek: TNG, and began her Hollywood career. Her novels, The High Ground, In Evil Times and The Hidden World are available from Titan Books. She is the executive producer on the upcoming Wild Cards shows being developed for Hulu. Her passion (aside from writing) is riding her Lusitano stallion Vento da Broga.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
August 29, 2016
An old-school military SF book set around the space service military academy, the High Ground, and dealing with issues of gender, race, class and empire/colonialism.
The Empire is a human creation where several conquered alien races are second class citizens. Probably actually third class, as there is a human aristocracy as well (with an amusing/terrifying origin). There's an interesting element to the Empire in that the problem isn't resource scarcity, it's a scarcity of humans. The means by which humans are responding to the massive demands for procreation and what that does to the role of women in this society permeate the book and make depressing reading for any feminist. But there's a change coming: the Emperor has only been able to produce daughters and rather than have the Imperial line pass to his hated cousins, he has rammed through a law that allows his eldest daughter to inherit. Which means she has to go to the High Ground and not alone either. The small group of women that then enter the prestigious and aristocratic academy shake things up considerably.
The story follows the Princess Mercedes and a scholarship attendee at the academy, Thracius (Tracy), the son of a tailor. They're both brilliant at what they do and have similar stakes in being very different from the typical academy cadets. In a lot of ways this is your typical military academy book, with hostile and supportive instructors, enemies and allies among the cadets and the always entertaining path towards military competence (and distinction) from otherwise feckless characters.
I have many thoughts about this book. Firstly, and importantly, it's a really entertaining story that I would recommend to anyone looking for a simple SF romp and as the clear first element in a whole series of these.
Also, the world-building is interesting. Even the good guy characters have some pretty repulsively imperial and classist attitudes, particularly towards the alien underclass. The culture is relatively believable in that it's basically a Spanish aristocracy with an American constitution and a lot of hints of Brazilian ancestry. There are people of all races present (although I don't think there's enough Indian or Asian people in terms of percentage) and there's no human-to-human racism. Racism in this book is dealt with in terms of aliens and the conquered peoples. The role of women in this society is clear back to the 19th century though with chaperones, the outlawing of contraception and the attitude that women belong in the home making babies as cannon fodder for the Empire's conquests.
This is a feminist book though, but it's a depressing one. It's feminism at the point of the suffragette movement or the feminism of Rosie the Riveter. It's centuries in the future and women are back to being only as valuable as the products of their uterus, unless for politically expeditious reasons. And it's the same old tired fights. So when a bunch of cadets experience their first time in a space fighter simulator and a woman cadet turns out to be a natural and everyone is amazed, I don't find that as uplifting as I think I'm supposed to. Because this happened 500 years before the events of this book and we moved past it. And this book never does.
In fact, the marketing material in the back of the book implies that the Princess is going to be struggling with her marriage in the next book. Yawn.
The Empire is a human creation where several conquered alien races are second class citizens. Probably actually third class, as there is a human aristocracy as well (with an amusing/terrifying origin). There's an interesting element to the Empire in that the problem isn't resource scarcity, it's a scarcity of humans. The means by which humans are responding to the massive demands for procreation and what that does to the role of women in this society permeate the book and make depressing reading for any feminist. But there's a change coming: the Emperor has only been able to produce daughters and rather than have the Imperial line pass to his hated cousins, he has rammed through a law that allows his eldest daughter to inherit. Which means she has to go to the High Ground and not alone either. The small group of women that then enter the prestigious and aristocratic academy shake things up considerably.
The story follows the Princess Mercedes and a scholarship attendee at the academy, Thracius (Tracy), the son of a tailor. They're both brilliant at what they do and have similar stakes in being very different from the typical academy cadets. In a lot of ways this is your typical military academy book, with hostile and supportive instructors, enemies and allies among the cadets and the always entertaining path towards military competence (and distinction) from otherwise feckless characters.
I have many thoughts about this book. Firstly, and importantly, it's a really entertaining story that I would recommend to anyone looking for a simple SF romp and as the clear first element in a whole series of these.
Also, the world-building is interesting. Even the good guy characters have some pretty repulsively imperial and classist attitudes, particularly towards the alien underclass. The culture is relatively believable in that it's basically a Spanish aristocracy with an American constitution and a lot of hints of Brazilian ancestry. There are people of all races present (although I don't think there's enough Indian or Asian people in terms of percentage) and there's no human-to-human racism. Racism in this book is dealt with in terms of aliens and the conquered peoples. The role of women in this society is clear back to the 19th century though with chaperones, the outlawing of contraception and the attitude that women belong in the home making babies as cannon fodder for the Empire's conquests.
This is a feminist book though, but it's a depressing one. It's feminism at the point of the suffragette movement or the feminism of Rosie the Riveter. It's centuries in the future and women are back to being only as valuable as the products of their uterus, unless for politically expeditious reasons. And it's the same old tired fights. So when a bunch of cadets experience their first time in a space fighter simulator and a woman cadet turns out to be a natural and everyone is amazed, I don't find that as uplifting as I think I'm supposed to. Because this happened 500 years before the events of this book and we moved past it. And this book never does.
In fact, the marketing material in the back of the book implies that the Princess is going to be struggling with her marriage in the next book. Yawn.
August 27, 2016
I thought this was a very fun book. YA-ish in content if not in tone, which makes sense since it is very much a coming of age tale for our two heroes, Mercedes and Tracy. It's a fully realised world (if sometimes odd; a juxtaposition of 20th century culture with 16th century Spanish mores and hierarchies - there's an explanation for this but I'm not sure it worked all that well for me - and yet, I didn't care all that much, as I loved the characters and the writing). Lots of commentary on class and social differences, and pointed analysis of the other when it came to discussing the alien populations. I will eagerly read the next book, mostly because Snodgras is a skilled writer who moves the story forward brilliantly.
September 19, 2018
A nicely engaging military academy story, which Snodgrass calls "merely the first act in my five-act drama." So, lots still to come as the characters leave the academy, The High Ground, and proceed to the next stage of their lives.
Although the story itself is pretty basic, ultimately I liked both the mix of characters and the Colonial Spanish influenced world (although I admit to referring to the character list a few times.) The whole class based social structure was infuriating, and really had me squarely on the side of the main character, Tracy. I also am onside with all those conquered races now serving the Solar League, so hopefully there will be more pushback from them in later books.
Definitely in for act 2, In Evil Times.
Although the story itself is pretty basic, ultimately I liked both the mix of characters and the Colonial Spanish influenced world (although I admit to referring to the character list a few times.) The whole class based social structure was infuriating, and really had me squarely on the side of the main character, Tracy. I also am onside with all those conquered races now serving the Solar League, so hopefully there will be more pushback from them in later books.
Definitely in for act 2, In Evil Times.
September 3, 2016
3.5
Not entirely sure how I feel about this book. On one hand, this is a good scifi adventure, engaging, fast-paced, combining the military school story with elements of a YA romance. We witness the development of two characters at polar extremes of the social scale, one the daughter of the Emperor, the other the son of a poor taylor. The Bildungsroman aspect works very well, both protagonists having to re-evaluate themselves and the world around them. Yes, they do make mistakes and come across sometimes in an unflattering light, but then they are the product of their education and society, so far, and it is always hard to break the mold. Mercedes and Tracy are well portrayed, as are some of the other protagonists, and I couldn't help but liking and rooting for them.
No, the problem was with the setting. Snodgrass gives us a universe where humanity has colonised the stars but also regressed to an archaic social model, one with a small ruling aristocracy that oppresses majority of the population. Not only have women's rights been curtailed, but they have been reduced to being seen as pretty objects only valued for their reproductive capabilities. What annoyed me is that this civilisation has not always been like this, since based on what seems to be our 20-21st century, so what happened? How come there aren't any traces of this cataclysmic change?
What I did find interesting were the aliens. We are introduced to a few races that have been defeated and now used as servants/slaves, but there are allusions to much more. Tracy becomes progressively aware of their hidden potential, and although he is learning to see them differently, his journey is still far from achieved. The Cara'ot are especially intriguing with their views on adaptation/evolution, and what exactly are they up to? The beginning of the book gives us a glimpse of a possible alien threat, or is it, and how are the Cara'ot involved?
Not entirely sure how I feel about this book. On one hand, this is a good scifi adventure, engaging, fast-paced, combining the military school story with elements of a YA romance. We witness the development of two characters at polar extremes of the social scale, one the daughter of the Emperor, the other the son of a poor taylor. The Bildungsroman aspect works very well, both protagonists having to re-evaluate themselves and the world around them. Yes, they do make mistakes and come across sometimes in an unflattering light, but then they are the product of their education and society, so far, and it is always hard to break the mold. Mercedes and Tracy are well portrayed, as are some of the other protagonists, and I couldn't help but liking and rooting for them.
No, the problem was with the setting. Snodgrass gives us a universe where humanity has colonised the stars but also regressed to an archaic social model, one with a small ruling aristocracy that oppresses majority of the population. Not only have women's rights been curtailed, but they have been reduced to being seen as pretty objects only valued for their reproductive capabilities. What annoyed me is that this civilisation has not always been like this, since based on what seems to be our 20-21st century, so what happened? How come there aren't any traces of this cataclysmic change?
What I did find interesting were the aliens. We are introduced to a few races that have been defeated and now used as servants/slaves, but there are allusions to much more. Tracy becomes progressively aware of their hidden potential, and although he is learning to see them differently, his journey is still far from achieved. The Cara'ot are especially intriguing with their views on adaptation/evolution, and what exactly are they up to? The beginning of the book gives us a glimpse of a possible alien threat, or is it, and how are the Cara'ot involved?
June 29, 2019
It started well enough, though it was so YA. Nothing wrong with that, but I really feel like this should not be marked adult. Nothing makes it so. They act like 14 year olds. We see them at school, soccer game, bullying. Make them 20, make it adult, or make them actually 14. I felt that the book was conflicted.
And then it just got depressing, and I started skimming, I checked book 2 how her life will be and it will suck, and still suck in book 3. Rather depressing.
I guess she could not make it YA, cos they are older in the next one. But an adult book can still be about kids, just make the writing less YA then.
And then it just got depressing, and I started skimming, I checked book 2 how her life will be and it will suck, and still suck in book 3. Rather depressing.
I guess she could not make it YA, cos they are older in the next one. But an adult book can still be about kids, just make the writing less YA then.
August 17, 2021
Is like GOT, but in space. Co-edited by GRRM. But less gruesome, more for youths. Still gruesome though.
I think not v highly rated because the story is quite linear, and very standard tropes like academy, bully battle, invasion, betrayal.
Can see some GOT-level politiking here as well. I guess GRRM did spray some of his magic in.
I think not v highly rated because the story is quite linear, and very standard tropes like academy, bully battle, invasion, betrayal.
Can see some GOT-level politiking here as well. I guess GRRM did spray some of his magic in.
July 5, 2016
I'm grateful to the publisher for an advance copy of this book.
Six hundred years in the future, enabled by the discovery of how to fold space, humanity has spread out across the Galaxy. Old Earth is abandoned, a violent, inhospitable place, its climate ruined, and of interest only to eccentrics and romantics.
Progress.
In other ways things have gone backwards - the Galaxy is ruled by the Emperor of the Solar League under whom an extensive aristocracy flourishes.
Like aristocracies everywhere, they are arrogant, entitled and more ornamental then useful (for certain values of "ornamental"). But they do have power.
Women are treated as breeding units, forbidden any autonomy and tyrannised by the Church. Aliens whose planets have been conquered by the human race are mistrusted and kept down (in a sly vignette Snodgrass shows us how under this hierarchical model even the lowest class humans have somebody to look down on: a perfect illustration of colonialism and racism).
If that makes the book sound rather worthy, it's not. I mean, it is (what's wrong with being worthy?) but it is first and foremost a story, and a well-told one. In a blend of SF, YA, school story and even fairytale ("the Princess and the Tailor's son") Snodgrass drives the plot though two enthralling - if often very annoying - protagonists, Tracy (the tailor's son - and a pretty mean stitcher himself) and Mercedes (the daughter of the Emperor). Of course, they fall in love, despite their different status and of course, this causes problems (a princess and a dirty intitulado?) But there's more going on here. There is the whole dynamic of an able, but poor, man who has an opportunity to make his mark when he wins a scholarship to the elite Academy, the High ground of the title but who is forced to defer to a bunch of often incompetent toffs. Even when he saves the day he risks being blamed for whatever has gone wrong, and can't take any credit.
Similarly for Mercedes - ostensibly a pampered, privileged daughter of power, she has no autonomy, no say over her life - she never wanted to join the High Ground, but is forced to, the first woman ever, yes, but not of her choice: it's all for for reasons of politics. yet she wants to make a success of it, not to be a token woman, to graduate: but that seems to mean having to be twice as good as the boys (while hobbled by impractical clothing). The same as the men but backwards and in high heels, as it were. There is a hilarious scene where Mercedes beats the male cadets hands down in a space fighter simulator. They're furious. It must be rigged, mustn't it? One can't help thinking of the recent tedious sulking by male gamers (so, OK, perhaps this future isn't so far from our present as you'd think...)
It's an enjoyable read. Through all their trials and setbacks, Tracy and Mercedes remain vivid, real characters, teenagers learning about life in a world they don't control and can't (much) influence (not even the all mighty Princess). This is the first volume of a series and rightly it concentrates on establishing the world and drawing the characters. There are some hints of wider things going on (in the prologue, in the mentions of Hidden Worlds and missing ships, and in the closing part of the book, where feudal politics suddenly and violently intrudes into the lives of the pair) but this is largely a character study: think Romeo and Juliet in space, with a dash of Hogwarts mixed in.
Finally, for a book that takes a swords-and-honour culture (unless you're one of the peasants, who can't afford honour) the culture was (for me) refreshingly different as the chivalric titles and general ambience are Spanish rather than Anglo. Not only did that add a dash of the exotic (again, there's humour when it's explained what the titles are derived form!), but it also avoids the impression, whenever a new character appears with a resounding title, that he (it's generally he) is clothed in furs and has just come in from a snowstorm.
The only slight drawback for me was the sheer numbers of aristocratic characters with florid titles: it's hard at times to keep up with who everyone is and whether or not they are Tracy's allies or enemies (actually that's not so hard, he has few friends). Aristocrats - what use are they?
Six hundred years in the future, enabled by the discovery of how to fold space, humanity has spread out across the Galaxy. Old Earth is abandoned, a violent, inhospitable place, its climate ruined, and of interest only to eccentrics and romantics.
Progress.
In other ways things have gone backwards - the Galaxy is ruled by the Emperor of the Solar League under whom an extensive aristocracy flourishes.
Like aristocracies everywhere, they are arrogant, entitled and more ornamental then useful (for certain values of "ornamental"). But they do have power.
Women are treated as breeding units, forbidden any autonomy and tyrannised by the Church. Aliens whose planets have been conquered by the human race are mistrusted and kept down (in a sly vignette Snodgrass shows us how under this hierarchical model even the lowest class humans have somebody to look down on: a perfect illustration of colonialism and racism).
If that makes the book sound rather worthy, it's not. I mean, it is (what's wrong with being worthy?) but it is first and foremost a story, and a well-told one. In a blend of SF, YA, school story and even fairytale ("the Princess and the Tailor's son") Snodgrass drives the plot though two enthralling - if often very annoying - protagonists, Tracy (the tailor's son - and a pretty mean stitcher himself) and Mercedes (the daughter of the Emperor). Of course, they fall in love, despite their different status and of course, this causes problems (a princess and a dirty intitulado?) But there's more going on here. There is the whole dynamic of an able, but poor, man who has an opportunity to make his mark when he wins a scholarship to the elite Academy, the High ground of the title but who is forced to defer to a bunch of often incompetent toffs. Even when he saves the day he risks being blamed for whatever has gone wrong, and can't take any credit.
Similarly for Mercedes - ostensibly a pampered, privileged daughter of power, she has no autonomy, no say over her life - she never wanted to join the High Ground, but is forced to, the first woman ever, yes, but not of her choice: it's all for for reasons of politics. yet she wants to make a success of it, not to be a token woman, to graduate: but that seems to mean having to be twice as good as the boys (while hobbled by impractical clothing). The same as the men but backwards and in high heels, as it were. There is a hilarious scene where Mercedes beats the male cadets hands down in a space fighter simulator. They're furious. It must be rigged, mustn't it? One can't help thinking of the recent tedious sulking by male gamers (so, OK, perhaps this future isn't so far from our present as you'd think...)
It's an enjoyable read. Through all their trials and setbacks, Tracy and Mercedes remain vivid, real characters, teenagers learning about life in a world they don't control and can't (much) influence (not even the all mighty Princess). This is the first volume of a series and rightly it concentrates on establishing the world and drawing the characters. There are some hints of wider things going on (in the prologue, in the mentions of Hidden Worlds and missing ships, and in the closing part of the book, where feudal politics suddenly and violently intrudes into the lives of the pair) but this is largely a character study: think Romeo and Juliet in space, with a dash of Hogwarts mixed in.
Finally, for a book that takes a swords-and-honour culture (unless you're one of the peasants, who can't afford honour) the culture was (for me) refreshingly different as the chivalric titles and general ambience are Spanish rather than Anglo. Not only did that add a dash of the exotic (again, there's humour when it's explained what the titles are derived form!), but it also avoids the impression, whenever a new character appears with a resounding title, that he (it's generally he) is clothed in furs and has just come in from a snowstorm.
The only slight drawback for me was the sheer numbers of aristocratic characters with florid titles: it's hard at times to keep up with who everyone is and whether or not they are Tracy's allies or enemies (actually that's not so hard, he has few friends). Aristocrats - what use are they?
March 25, 2019
Ahoy there me mateys! This here be a combined review of the first two books in the Imperials saga. While I try to post no spoilers, ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .
So basically I have to review these books together because I literally read book one then picked up book two and read that as well. Seriously this series should have more love! The first book centers around the elite training academy of the Solar League. Okay so space training academies are rampant in sci-fi but the brilliance of this one is how the material is handled.
First of all ye follow two people from completely different backgrounds. Mercedes is the fairly spoiled daughter of the Emperor, and his heir, who is looking towards marriage. Only her father gives her an ultimatum that she must join the academy in preparation for ruling. The problem? Women are not part of the military. She will be the first. Mercedes has absolutely no interest and throws a temper tantrum. But her father and the needs of the country leave her no choice.
The other point of view is Tracy who comes from a working class background. His father is a tailor to the wealthy and wants Tracy to increase his station. Basically the only way out is to earn it and Tracy has been offered a scholarship to attend the academy. He doesn’t want to go and plans on refusing it. He hates the ruling elite and wants nothing to do with upper-class society. He wants to go to a regular university and manage his own future path. But familial duty weighs heavily as does his father’s expectations and sacrifices.
So of course they both end up going to the academy. Mercedes has to deal with being a female pioneer and the politics of her position. Tracy has to deal with internal prejudices and the intricacies of social status. Both end up wanting to tackle the challenge and thrive. But that’s not all! Add in aliens, action, and sabotage.
Besides being an entertaining book, there are also the larger pictures of racism and imperialism. The humans in this book have won control over all the alien races and have subjugated them. The society is highly stratified by class and position and gender. It harkens back to Spain in terms of culture and language. The politics seem more in line with modern American to this reader at least.
I absolutely loved the various alien cultures and want to learn a lot more about them. Also while there is romance in these novels, it doesn’t take center stage and certainly doesn’t go in the expected direction. As always, I love watching women make waves and succeed. Ultimately book one was wonderful and I loved every second.
So what about book two? Well here be spoiler territory and I will not ruin it. Let’s just say that the events of book two take place years after graduation when both Mercedes and Tracy have their assignments. One of the fascinating things is that the tone has shifted significantly. The first book dealt with coming-of-age stories filled with hope, learning, growth, and change. It felt that way. In the second installment, gone are the naive students and in place are adults reacting to the world around them and trying to influence it.
The scope of this novel is larger as well. The first book dealt with the years of training at the academy. The second spans a larger amount of time. And chaos is coming. This book is about setting up the larger conflict to come. But so much of this book is also about looking at changes in society and people as time passes. This is also book of consequences – large and small. I found both the character studies and the plot to be of equal interest. I loved the conflicts about found worlds. I loved the aliens. I love the set-up for the war to come. Ultimately I loved book two almost as much as book one!
Book three of the five books series is out now and I be planning on reading it. I wish I already had the entire series in me cabin. This be a good one so far and I recommend that the crew join me on this journey. Arrrr!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
So basically I have to review these books together because I literally read book one then picked up book two and read that as well. Seriously this series should have more love! The first book centers around the elite training academy of the Solar League. Okay so space training academies are rampant in sci-fi but the brilliance of this one is how the material is handled.
First of all ye follow two people from completely different backgrounds. Mercedes is the fairly spoiled daughter of the Emperor, and his heir, who is looking towards marriage. Only her father gives her an ultimatum that she must join the academy in preparation for ruling. The problem? Women are not part of the military. She will be the first. Mercedes has absolutely no interest and throws a temper tantrum. But her father and the needs of the country leave her no choice.
The other point of view is Tracy who comes from a working class background. His father is a tailor to the wealthy and wants Tracy to increase his station. Basically the only way out is to earn it and Tracy has been offered a scholarship to attend the academy. He doesn’t want to go and plans on refusing it. He hates the ruling elite and wants nothing to do with upper-class society. He wants to go to a regular university and manage his own future path. But familial duty weighs heavily as does his father’s expectations and sacrifices.
So of course they both end up going to the academy. Mercedes has to deal with being a female pioneer and the politics of her position. Tracy has to deal with internal prejudices and the intricacies of social status. Both end up wanting to tackle the challenge and thrive. But that’s not all! Add in aliens, action, and sabotage.
Besides being an entertaining book, there are also the larger pictures of racism and imperialism. The humans in this book have won control over all the alien races and have subjugated them. The society is highly stratified by class and position and gender. It harkens back to Spain in terms of culture and language. The politics seem more in line with modern American to this reader at least.
I absolutely loved the various alien cultures and want to learn a lot more about them. Also while there is romance in these novels, it doesn’t take center stage and certainly doesn’t go in the expected direction. As always, I love watching women make waves and succeed. Ultimately book one was wonderful and I loved every second.
So what about book two? Well here be spoiler territory and I will not ruin it. Let’s just say that the events of book two take place years after graduation when both Mercedes and Tracy have their assignments. One of the fascinating things is that the tone has shifted significantly. The first book dealt with coming-of-age stories filled with hope, learning, growth, and change. It felt that way. In the second installment, gone are the naive students and in place are adults reacting to the world around them and trying to influence it.
The scope of this novel is larger as well. The first book dealt with the years of training at the academy. The second spans a larger amount of time. And chaos is coming. This book is about setting up the larger conflict to come. But so much of this book is also about looking at changes in society and people as time passes. This is also book of consequences – large and small. I found both the character studies and the plot to be of equal interest. I loved the conflicts about found worlds. I loved the aliens. I love the set-up for the war to come. Ultimately I loved book two almost as much as book one!
Book three of the five books series is out now and I be planning on reading it. I wish I already had the entire series in me cabin. This be a good one so far and I recommend that the crew join me on this journey. Arrrr!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordp...
May 8, 2017
Not bad, but not different
This is a very well written book. The problem is that it's a well-written book that hits every expected beat dead-on and never veers away. From the generic future setting with nobles, where humanity went out into the stars, found all sorts of aliens that just happened to be their tech level and decided "fuck it, let's conquer them", to the fact women have basically few rights because apparently conquering aliens requires non-stop baby making, to a princess entering a military academy and falling in love with the commoner scholarship student, to assassination attempt, to political marriage - you've read this story before, and will read it again.
This is a very well written book. The problem is that it's a well-written book that hits every expected beat dead-on and never veers away. From the generic future setting with nobles, where humanity went out into the stars, found all sorts of aliens that just happened to be their tech level and decided "fuck it, let's conquer them", to the fact women have basically few rights because apparently conquering aliens requires non-stop baby making, to a princess entering a military academy and falling in love with the commoner scholarship student, to assassination attempt, to political marriage - you've read this story before, and will read it again.
August 5, 2016
I loved this book! It wrapped me up in the exquisitely built world and the fascinating characters. The story raced along and kept me guessing. As the first book of five (guaranteed, as the publisher contracted all five!), the romance will still take time to build and overcome the substantial obstacles. AND I AM SO ON BOARD WITH THIS, PEOPLE.
Damn!
My greatest regret is I have to wait until next July to get the next book. My only solution is to make you all read it, too, so we can commiserate.
Seriously one of the best SFR/Space Opera series I've read.
Damn!
My greatest regret is I have to wait until next July to get the next book. My only solution is to make you all read it, too, so we can commiserate.
Seriously one of the best SFR/Space Opera series I've read.
July 23, 2017
Gratuitous foul language and way too much tedious romance for my juvenile taste, bleh, but decent premise and cast, very good military college and space action (the author is not hesitant about killing or traumatizing major characters). The supposedly enslaved aliens are a particularly nice touch, as they obviously have something up their multilimbed sleeves. The "blindly arrogant aristocracy vs. rising middle/lower class" bit is overdone but the author cleverly plays it for laughs by having all the snotty titled nobility basing their claims on descent from today's Fortune Five Hundred corporations, e.g., "Duque de Argento y Pepco." Will definitely try the sequels, in the hope that the author doesn't get bogged down in the snogging, etc.
February 15, 2019
Audiobook review
I had seen this book in passing when I was looking for other books narrated by Nicole Poole , I have to admit the cover and blurb didn't catch my attention and I scrolled past it. Then I saw one of my blogger friends review this one and her review made me curious and combined with the fact it was narrated by Nicole Poole, I decided to give this one a try. I wasn't quite sure what to expect form this book, but I definitely had a great time listening to it.
The High ground is told in mostly dual point of views from Tracie and Mercedes. The first two chapters have other point of views, but after that it sticks with those two. Tracie is one of the lower born citizens, but thanks to a scholarship he gets the chance to attend The High ground, a prestigious school for the elite to become officers for space combat. Tracie wants nothing to with the elite nobles and doesn't plan to attend.
Mercedes is on the totally opposite side as Tracie when it cums to social class. She is the heir to throne. Her father only got female kids and he changed the law so Mercedes can be the heir. Now the first step she has to take is attend the High Ground as all nobles have to attend. But Mercedes doesn't want to attend The High Ground.
So we start with two opposites in social class who both have no intention of joining the elite school, but then a chance meeting changes everything. And they both end up at The High ground. Most of the story takes place at The High ground and it's a bit of an academy style story set in space, which was fun.
This book is full of social and cultural complexities and most of the focus is on that. The differences between the high and low born, the way they threat each other, how Tracie doesn't quite fit in because he's a scholarship student, how Mercedes doesn't quite fit in because she is the heir and the first female to attend The High ground. There are lots of social complexities, decisions that have to made, who they have as friends and who not. It was all well thought out and the author's world building really shines in the way she brings this futuristic civilization to live.
The pacing is quite gentle, with the focus on the social intricacies. It kept my attention the whole time, but when it sped up toward the end I really couldn't stop listening. There is quite an action packed part at the end and the consequences and implications of what happens are heartbreaking. And it feels like this book has a lot of set ups and hints and foreshadowing for future events, but at this point it's hard to predicts where it will go. I am excited to find out where the story goes next.
I enjoyed following Tracie and Mercedes along as they try to find their way and place at the academy The High ground. See who they make friends with and most of all how they interact with each other. There is a bit of romance as well, it's nicely woven in between the other parts. I also liked how different these two characters are. Tracie might be a low born, but he is proud and has to find out how to fit in and make a place for himself among the nobles. While Mercedes is quite isolated due to her position and politics play a role in almost everything she does. And while for the most part she seems okay or even happy with her role, there are moments where you really see the struggle it is. And when she slowly realizes what being a ruler entails and the difficult decisions they have to make, I really felt for her. She has to make some difficult decisions toward the end of the book.
Besides the two main characters there is a huge cast of side character. Everything from family members, to other students, to teachers, to important nobles, to the alien servants. The big amount of side character could be a bit overwhelming for me and at times I struggled with remembering who was who. And in some cases only the narration of their voices reminded me of who they were. Other times it took me a while to remember it until the right cue came along. It does make sense why there are so many characters involved, but it could make it difficult to remember everyone at times. There are some great side characters, but mostly every character has it's role and place and with the big amount of them, it's hard to really get to know many very well.
The author did a great job with the world building, both the social aspect of it as well as the space part of it, although the latter we see less of than the former. Most of the story takes place aboard a space station and a lot of the focus is on the space part, but it's also still pretty small scale for now as most of what we see is the planet and the space station. It's also a lot about the social order of this futuristic society, their social norms and how it works and that gets shown really well to the reader. And it's also about the solar league which humans lead, the aliens they have enslaved and the way their elitism creates enemies as well as those who want to keep the social order in place. There are a multitude of alien species around. I especially liked Donald, who is Tracie's servant. There are hints about how not all aliens are happy with their enslaved position, but besides mere hints, it doesn't go much further. I can see how throughout the series that might change.
Nicole Poole really did an awesome job with the narration. I am still pretty new to audiobooks and this was the first time I picked up another audiobook series by a narrator I already knew and I was surprised how already knowing the narrator and their style made it so easy to slip into the story. I really like Nicole Poole's narration style and how she gives each character their own voice and vibe just be the way she does their voices. This story has a lot of Spanish words in it and she handled those great as well. It was easy enough to figure out what most of the Spanish words meant form the context too and I thought it added some flavor to the story, although there never was an explanation why English and Spanish are the two common langues now. I am really glad I picked this up as audiobook as I think that helped me enjoy the story more.
To summarize: after a review by a blogger friend and seeing Nicole Poole narrate this book i decided to listen to the audiobook of this book. I really enjoyed this story, with it's focus on the social complexities of this futuristic society, but also a well done developed world with well done sci-fi elements. I enjoyed reading about Tracie and Mercedes, who are on opposites sides of the social ladder, but who form a connection nonetheless. They both end of at the prestigious High Ground academy and it was interesting to see them find their way and the challenged they faced. they both face very different challenges too and I liked seeing the perspectives of two such different characters. There is a huge cast of side characters and I struggled at times remember who was who. There is a lot of hints and foreshadowing that I think will become relevant in later books. The pacing is quite gentle, which works here, but toward the end things sped up and I had to know what would happen. Nicole Poole's narration was awesome. The audiobook was pleasant to listen to and I like how everyone has a different voices and vibe due to how she narrates them. She also handled the Spanish words well. All in all this was a great science fiction read and I am glad I picked it up and am eager to see how the series continues.
I had seen this book in passing when I was looking for other books narrated by Nicole Poole , I have to admit the cover and blurb didn't catch my attention and I scrolled past it. Then I saw one of my blogger friends review this one and her review made me curious and combined with the fact it was narrated by Nicole Poole, I decided to give this one a try. I wasn't quite sure what to expect form this book, but I definitely had a great time listening to it.
The High ground is told in mostly dual point of views from Tracie and Mercedes. The first two chapters have other point of views, but after that it sticks with those two. Tracie is one of the lower born citizens, but thanks to a scholarship he gets the chance to attend The High ground, a prestigious school for the elite to become officers for space combat. Tracie wants nothing to with the elite nobles and doesn't plan to attend.
Mercedes is on the totally opposite side as Tracie when it cums to social class. She is the heir to throne. Her father only got female kids and he changed the law so Mercedes can be the heir. Now the first step she has to take is attend the High Ground as all nobles have to attend. But Mercedes doesn't want to attend The High Ground.
So we start with two opposites in social class who both have no intention of joining the elite school, but then a chance meeting changes everything. And they both end up at The High ground. Most of the story takes place at The High ground and it's a bit of an academy style story set in space, which was fun.
This book is full of social and cultural complexities and most of the focus is on that. The differences between the high and low born, the way they threat each other, how Tracie doesn't quite fit in because he's a scholarship student, how Mercedes doesn't quite fit in because she is the heir and the first female to attend The High ground. There are lots of social complexities, decisions that have to made, who they have as friends and who not. It was all well thought out and the author's world building really shines in the way she brings this futuristic civilization to live.
The pacing is quite gentle, with the focus on the social intricacies. It kept my attention the whole time, but when it sped up toward the end I really couldn't stop listening. There is quite an action packed part at the end and the consequences and implications of what happens are heartbreaking. And it feels like this book has a lot of set ups and hints and foreshadowing for future events, but at this point it's hard to predicts where it will go. I am excited to find out where the story goes next.
I enjoyed following Tracie and Mercedes along as they try to find their way and place at the academy The High ground. See who they make friends with and most of all how they interact with each other. There is a bit of romance as well, it's nicely woven in between the other parts. I also liked how different these two characters are. Tracie might be a low born, but he is proud and has to find out how to fit in and make a place for himself among the nobles. While Mercedes is quite isolated due to her position and politics play a role in almost everything she does. And while for the most part she seems okay or even happy with her role, there are moments where you really see the struggle it is. And when she slowly realizes what being a ruler entails and the difficult decisions they have to make, I really felt for her. She has to make some difficult decisions toward the end of the book.
Besides the two main characters there is a huge cast of side character. Everything from family members, to other students, to teachers, to important nobles, to the alien servants. The big amount of side character could be a bit overwhelming for me and at times I struggled with remembering who was who. And in some cases only the narration of their voices reminded me of who they were. Other times it took me a while to remember it until the right cue came along. It does make sense why there are so many characters involved, but it could make it difficult to remember everyone at times. There are some great side characters, but mostly every character has it's role and place and with the big amount of them, it's hard to really get to know many very well.
The author did a great job with the world building, both the social aspect of it as well as the space part of it, although the latter we see less of than the former. Most of the story takes place aboard a space station and a lot of the focus is on the space part, but it's also still pretty small scale for now as most of what we see is the planet and the space station. It's also a lot about the social order of this futuristic society, their social norms and how it works and that gets shown really well to the reader. And it's also about the solar league which humans lead, the aliens they have enslaved and the way their elitism creates enemies as well as those who want to keep the social order in place. There are a multitude of alien species around. I especially liked Donald, who is Tracie's servant. There are hints about how not all aliens are happy with their enslaved position, but besides mere hints, it doesn't go much further. I can see how throughout the series that might change.
Nicole Poole really did an awesome job with the narration. I am still pretty new to audiobooks and this was the first time I picked up another audiobook series by a narrator I already knew and I was surprised how already knowing the narrator and their style made it so easy to slip into the story. I really like Nicole Poole's narration style and how she gives each character their own voice and vibe just be the way she does their voices. This story has a lot of Spanish words in it and she handled those great as well. It was easy enough to figure out what most of the Spanish words meant form the context too and I thought it added some flavor to the story, although there never was an explanation why English and Spanish are the two common langues now. I am really glad I picked this up as audiobook as I think that helped me enjoy the story more.
To summarize: after a review by a blogger friend and seeing Nicole Poole narrate this book i decided to listen to the audiobook of this book. I really enjoyed this story, with it's focus on the social complexities of this futuristic society, but also a well done developed world with well done sci-fi elements. I enjoyed reading about Tracie and Mercedes, who are on opposites sides of the social ladder, but who form a connection nonetheless. They both end of at the prestigious High Ground academy and it was interesting to see them find their way and the challenged they faced. they both face very different challenges too and I liked seeing the perspectives of two such different characters. There is a huge cast of side characters and I struggled at times remember who was who. There is a lot of hints and foreshadowing that I think will become relevant in later books. The pacing is quite gentle, which works here, but toward the end things sped up and I had to know what would happen. Nicole Poole's narration was awesome. The audiobook was pleasant to listen to and I like how everyone has a different voices and vibe due to how she narrates them. She also handled the Spanish words well. All in all this was a great science fiction read and I am glad I picked it up and am eager to see how the series continues.
July 18, 2020
I recall reading at least one Star Trek novel by Melinda Snodgrass and enjoying it. I’ve since heard good things about her sci-fi novels, so thought it was time to give one a try.
The High Ground is the first in her “Imperials Saga”, which I think is a trilogy. It could almost be YA except there are some themes going through it that suggest maybe not.
Anyway this is space opera of a fairly familiar type. We are way into the future and conquered space is led by humans but with a very rigid class system. There are the rich and influential and way below them are everyone else, poor humans and conquered aliens. Into this mix we have the Emperor’s daughter, Mercedes and Tracy who comes from a working class background and is scorned by the rich and powerful. They end up going to “The High Ground” an elite training academy for those to the manor born and a handful like Tracy on a scholarship.
Amongst the tough training and arrogance of those in power, Mercedes and Tracy become friends and that develops into something a little more. But the tough environment they find themselves in is about to fall apart as there are those that want change and will fight for it.
I was a little disappointed and underwhelmed to be honest. The slight romance thing felt a little off and the rest felt like I had already read too many versions of it, and most of them better. The most interesting thing here was actually the alien servants rather than the people. It did warm up towards the end and I “might” read the next one, but with fairly low expectations.
The High Ground is the first in her “Imperials Saga”, which I think is a trilogy. It could almost be YA except there are some themes going through it that suggest maybe not.
Anyway this is space opera of a fairly familiar type. We are way into the future and conquered space is led by humans but with a very rigid class system. There are the rich and influential and way below them are everyone else, poor humans and conquered aliens. Into this mix we have the Emperor’s daughter, Mercedes and Tracy who comes from a working class background and is scorned by the rich and powerful. They end up going to “The High Ground” an elite training academy for those to the manor born and a handful like Tracy on a scholarship.
Amongst the tough training and arrogance of those in power, Mercedes and Tracy become friends and that develops into something a little more. But the tough environment they find themselves in is about to fall apart as there are those that want change and will fight for it.
I was a little disappointed and underwhelmed to be honest. The slight romance thing felt a little off and the rest felt like I had already read too many versions of it, and most of them better. The most interesting thing here was actually the alien servants rather than the people. It did warm up towards the end and I “might” read the next one, but with fairly low expectations.
October 26, 2017
This is so YA. Characters are teenagers forced into military service, there's a love triangle, the entire political system is palpably corrupt, a looming evil is on the horizon -- despite the cover art, it's YA.
Note that I don't mean this as a criticism, just an observation.
Another observation-- we know from the conceit of the book that our main characters are gonna end up being very good at military and political stuff. But right now they're just learning, and it was fun to have characters who didn't really WANT to be there. Mercedes wanted to make an advantageous marriage and be a mom and not have to worry about the empire, and Tracy wanted to be an accountant. SORRY KIDS, YOU GONNA BE GENERALS. LEARN TO FIST FIGHT.
Note that I don't mean this as a criticism, just an observation.
Another observation-- we know from the conceit of the book that our main characters are gonna end up being very good at military and political stuff. But right now they're just learning, and it was fun to have characters who didn't really WANT to be there. Mercedes wanted to make an advantageous marriage and be a mom and not have to worry about the empire, and Tracy wanted to be an accountant. SORRY KIDS, YOU GONNA BE GENERALS. LEARN TO FIST FIGHT.
February 21, 2023
This whole book could have been written just as well in very earthly setup of colonization (alternative) history for catholic Spain court or something similar. Although there are references to scifi elements even aliens, they all can be easily replaced with some analog from earth's history.
And somehow women tend to master "household" horror genre much better than men: whole society in this book needs help - racism, women equality, dictatorship are just some of the plat describing terms.
And somehow women tend to master "household" horror genre much better than men: whole society in this book needs help - racism, women equality, dictatorship are just some of the plat describing terms.
July 21, 2017
Does not break any new ground recycling the military school/coming-of-age sci-fi genre. Another case of a lower-class brilliant youngster trying to find a place in a caste-ridden monarchical system overcoming prejudice and economic/social constraints. At least the various tropes are assembled well and the main characters are well-drawn and engaging. Most of the plot elements could be seen coming from a mile away, but despite lack of surprise, remains a tale well-told.
Most interesting elements are the alien races, subjugated and taken-for-granted. We have plenty of intimations that the next books in the series will explore these. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
Most interesting elements are the alien races, subjugated and taken-for-granted. We have plenty of intimations that the next books in the series will explore these. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
December 26, 2018
This book is written from two viewpoints – and is one of the reasons why it works so well. We get an insight into Mercedes’ life and the strains of being the first young woman ever admitted to a male bastion – Solar League’s Star Command – to prepare her for the task of ruling in her father’s stead. And no – this isn’t your classic female heroine panting to knock down the barriers to women having more freedom in society, as Mercedes was perfectly happy with her court life and spending time with her highborn female companions. She is appalled when her father informs her that she will be attending The High Ground.
Her desperate reaction is also mirrored by another reluctant candidate from the other end of the social scale. Her father’s skilled but poor tailor is thrilled when his only son, Tracy, is selected as a scholarship student to attend The High Ground. Tracy isn’t so impressed – he hates the whole rotten system and has no intention of being part of it on any level, until he realises the problems it will cause his father if he walks away.
Snodgrass has been very canny in selecting both these characters as it means we see two lives at both extremes of this rigid, very hierarchical society, both with their own constraints and pressures that oddly, end up being similar even though the causes are quite different.
I’m aware that I’ve given the impression that this is one of those stories all about the social structure with lots of chat, meaningful looks and not much else – it isn’t. In amongst the classes and the difficulties of fitting in, there is plenty of action – and when it all properly kicks off with a life or death event pulling in both main characters and most of their friends and foes, I simply couldn’t put this one down.
I really enjoyed this one and am delighted to find yet another talented female author writing my favourite kind of fiction – I’m definitely going to be tracking down the next book in this series.
9/10
Her desperate reaction is also mirrored by another reluctant candidate from the other end of the social scale. Her father’s skilled but poor tailor is thrilled when his only son, Tracy, is selected as a scholarship student to attend The High Ground. Tracy isn’t so impressed – he hates the whole rotten system and has no intention of being part of it on any level, until he realises the problems it will cause his father if he walks away.
Snodgrass has been very canny in selecting both these characters as it means we see two lives at both extremes of this rigid, very hierarchical society, both with their own constraints and pressures that oddly, end up being similar even though the causes are quite different.
I’m aware that I’ve given the impression that this is one of those stories all about the social structure with lots of chat, meaningful looks and not much else – it isn’t. In amongst the classes and the difficulties of fitting in, there is plenty of action – and when it all properly kicks off with a life or death event pulling in both main characters and most of their friends and foes, I simply couldn’t put this one down.
I really enjoyed this one and am delighted to find yet another talented female author writing my favourite kind of fiction – I’m definitely going to be tracking down the next book in this series.
9/10
September 10, 2017
MELINDA'S EMPIRE
Ho, hum, another Galactic Empire. All New! All Fresh! Not.
In this one, as you can readily discover nearby, the aging Emperor, having failed to produce a Son and Heir on six successive wives, rams through a law to allow his eldest Daughter to inherit. Radical concept: an Empress who's not just a brood mare! So I hesitated after I picked this one up from the New Books shelf in Santa Barbara *..... But Robyn's review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... and comments swayed me, and I'm glad she did. So far it's silly, but clever & very well-written. Snodgrass is definitely well-read in Prior Art: the tailor's son wins the Princess's heart, with a quick midnight overhaul of her wretched Official Uniform at Starfleet Academy. Which fairy tale is that?**
OK, the ending is abrupt, melodramatic, and another Sharp Lesson for the Princess that her Dad-Emperor can be a cold-hearted SOB in the face of rebellion and treason. Gets pretty manipulative & heavy-handed, and so drops my rating by half a star or more. 3.3 stars, I'll say, and I'm not sure I'll go on in the series.
-----
* this is designed to generate Envy. The SBPL has an exceptionally great New Book section -- it's like browsing a big, totally FREE bookstore. Plus, you get to visit SB! Eat your hearts out, midwesterners.
** "Seven With One Blow"
Ho, hum, another Galactic Empire. All New! All Fresh! Not.
In this one, as you can readily discover nearby, the aging Emperor, having failed to produce a Son and Heir on six successive wives, rams through a law to allow his eldest Daughter to inherit. Radical concept: an Empress who's not just a brood mare! So I hesitated after I picked this one up from the New Books shelf in Santa Barbara *..... But Robyn's review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... and comments swayed me, and I'm glad she did. So far it's silly, but clever & very well-written. Snodgrass is definitely well-read in Prior Art: the tailor's son wins the Princess's heart, with a quick midnight overhaul of her wretched Official Uniform at Starfleet Academy. Which fairy tale is that?**
OK, the ending is abrupt, melodramatic, and another Sharp Lesson for the Princess that her Dad-Emperor can be a cold-hearted SOB in the face of rebellion and treason. Gets pretty manipulative & heavy-handed, and so drops my rating by half a star or more. 3.3 stars, I'll say, and I'm not sure I'll go on in the series.
-----
* this is designed to generate Envy. The SBPL has an exceptionally great New Book section -- it's like browsing a big, totally FREE bookstore. Plus, you get to visit SB! Eat your hearts out, midwesterners.
** "Seven With One Blow"
October 25, 2016
There is a lot that is familiar in The High Ground. The setting is a military academy named The High Ground.. Trace, one main character is there on a charity scholarship. Mercedes, the other main character, is the daughter of the Emperor. The first meeting between the two is accidental and neither knows who the other is. That changes as the two arrive on the first day. The Emperor has no sons and has made his daughter his heir. She is the first woman to go to the High Ground. Trace dislikes the upper class and did not want to take the scholarship. Both are a little off balance and find that they have more in common than you would suppose.
The action is predictable but very well done. Everything in the story helps set the stage for the next book in the series. In Evil Time, book 2 in The Imperials Saga will come out in July of 2017. I look forward to seeing both Trace and Mercedes again. After how the book ended it will be interesting to see how the two interact after they leave The High Ground.
The action is predictable but very well done. Everything in the story helps set the stage for the next book in the series. In Evil Time, book 2 in The Imperials Saga will come out in July of 2017. I look forward to seeing both Trace and Mercedes again. After how the book ended it will be interesting to see how the two interact after they leave The High Ground.
August 8, 2020
I liked this book. I like me some military fiction/space opera, and it's nice to see one that's more feminist (authorially, the world is pretty dang patriarchal). It's nice seeing a future that's not so anglo or white, though it is raising questions for me about how we've wound up with a Hispanic future, as opposed to Chinese or Indian or something (weird how anglo just seems normal, though...). Some bits of the way the "necessity" to populate the universe are depicted seem a bit implausible, but I guess humanity in general is implausible, so. Overall, an enjoyable read and I'll probably pick up the next one.
July 24, 2016
It was quite disorienting to encounter a space opera that doubles down on the nineteenth-century-style empire trope by actually including nineteenth century religion, cultural attitudes about (human) gender, and obsession with the threat of the Other. The dash of the more modern fear of genetic engineering really read like more of the same.
It was an interesting and absorbing story, once I got over the shock, but ultimately not convincing enough in plot or politics for me to give it more than 3 stars.
It was an interesting and absorbing story, once I got over the shock, but ultimately not convincing enough in plot or politics for me to give it more than 3 stars.
August 7, 2016
3.75 stars
I found the world-building a bit confusing, and wish it had been more detailed. The writing could be pretty flat, and only the two main characters had any depth. There were pacing issues, but the action at the end made up for the sluggishness throughout. This spent a lot of time setting up the relationships and challenges that both Tracy and Mercedes will have to face in future installments, but if you enough space operas, this should entertain. I will read at least the next book, which won't be out until July of '17.
I found the world-building a bit confusing, and wish it had been more detailed. The writing could be pretty flat, and only the two main characters had any depth. There were pacing issues, but the action at the end made up for the sluggishness throughout. This spent a lot of time setting up the relationships and challenges that both Tracy and Mercedes will have to face in future installments, but if you enough space operas, this should entertain. I will read at least the next book, which won't be out until July of '17.
September 29, 2018
Ender’s game with a little more realism. I enjoyed the Bildungsroman in space parts a lot, as well as the treatment of human political reactions to encountering aliens. Not sure I really want to continue with the series though, since it just seems inevitable that everything goes badly and gets really sad.
August 1, 2016
Well thought out, but with some parts that were much to predictable.
September 11, 2022
I'll start off by saying that I really did enjoy this book. It was very fun. However, there were some issues:
Stylistically, the author writes like a middle schooler who just learned about metaphor for the first time. The light is never just turned on, it always blazes into life like a torch on a winter night. The writing is annoyingly flowerly, especially at the beginning. As the plot heats it gets a bit more concise.
Speaking of the plot, there are some pacing issues. We spend forever with almost nothing happening then The final climax feels like it comes out of nowhere. It isn't built up or hinted at very well.
The main character Mercades is enjoyable but annoyingly inconsistent at times. She definitely isn't your typical warrior princess. She has no interest in being a warrior and would rather just wear pretty dresses and dance with boys. However, when push comes to shove, her true metal comes out. She can fight and be fearless when it is called for. I actually like this about her but I did find her winy at times. Her lack of political acumen makes sense because she was never meant to inherent, but she is just so obvious at times. She was raised in this political landscape, but is somehow completely shocked by the violence and plots that surround her. Someone she comes across as both a mary sue and a total incompetent. I'm interested to see her development in future books.
Tracy is well written as an annoying teenage boy. However, he is supposed to be some kind of genus to get a scholarship spot at the Higher Ground and we never really see that. He comes across as an whiny, angry, and bitter. He never really develops or changes very much.
There isn't much to say about other characters because they get little character development. It's hard to tell them apart and keep them straight. I'd love to have seen them developed more.
The narrating characters both lacks a strong distinct enough voice to carry the story.
I found myself comparing this book to Dangerous Education which has similar themes but feels so much more gritty and real. Mercedes just isn't as interesting a heroine as Gal.
The world building was really interesting. I think it was a good concept, but more explanation was needed. We don't see nearly enough of the history or reality of subgrating whole alien races. I'm looking forward to seeing more of this in future books. They never really explain what hidden worlds are. They use the term frequently and you can infer from context. I get what the author was trying to do, but I ultimately just found it annoying.
I appreciated that this book didn't shy away from the existence of sex as many young adult novels do.
The world is basically a pro life utopia (aka a dystopia) where women's sole role in life is to bear as many children as possible. They seem to have few rights and aren't allowed to work outside family owned businesses. Contraception and premarital sex are banned. Men frequent prostitutes. These are important themes to explore, but they are never fully realized. The girls we see seem to like the system. There doesn't seem to be any movement to advocate for more rights. In fact, Mercedes and her ladies in waiting soly want to marry and bear children. They resent getting an education and more power. This feels very off to me.
Stylistically, the author writes like a middle schooler who just learned about metaphor for the first time. The light is never just turned on, it always blazes into life like a torch on a winter night. The writing is annoyingly flowerly, especially at the beginning. As the plot heats it gets a bit more concise.
Speaking of the plot, there are some pacing issues. We spend forever with almost nothing happening then The final climax feels like it comes out of nowhere. It isn't built up or hinted at very well.
The main character Mercades is enjoyable but annoyingly inconsistent at times. She definitely isn't your typical warrior princess. She has no interest in being a warrior and would rather just wear pretty dresses and dance with boys. However, when push comes to shove, her true metal comes out. She can fight and be fearless when it is called for. I actually like this about her but I did find her winy at times. Her lack of political acumen makes sense because she was never meant to inherent, but she is just so obvious at times. She was raised in this political landscape, but is somehow completely shocked by the violence and plots that surround her. Someone she comes across as both a mary sue and a total incompetent. I'm interested to see her development in future books.
Tracy is well written as an annoying teenage boy. However, he is supposed to be some kind of genus to get a scholarship spot at the Higher Ground and we never really see that. He comes across as an whiny, angry, and bitter. He never really develops or changes very much.
There isn't much to say about other characters because they get little character development. It's hard to tell them apart and keep them straight. I'd love to have seen them developed more.
The narrating characters both lacks a strong distinct enough voice to carry the story.
I found myself comparing this book to Dangerous Education which has similar themes but feels so much more gritty and real. Mercedes just isn't as interesting a heroine as Gal.
The world building was really interesting. I think it was a good concept, but more explanation was needed. We don't see nearly enough of the history or reality of subgrating whole alien races. I'm looking forward to seeing more of this in future books. They never really explain what hidden worlds are. They use the term frequently and you can infer from context. I get what the author was trying to do, but I ultimately just found it annoying.
I appreciated that this book didn't shy away from the existence of sex as many young adult novels do.
The world is basically a pro life utopia (aka a dystopia) where women's sole role in life is to bear as many children as possible. They seem to have few rights and aren't allowed to work outside family owned businesses. Contraception and premarital sex are banned. Men frequent prostitutes. These are important themes to explore, but they are never fully realized. The girls we see seem to like the system. There doesn't seem to be any movement to advocate for more rights. In fact, Mercedes and her ladies in waiting soly want to marry and bear children. They resent getting an education and more power. This feels very off to me.
September 16, 2018
I enjoyed this book by Melinda M. Snodgrass a lot until the ending. I did think the ending was realistic, but it wasn't the way I wanted it to end. So on the whole I enjoyed the book. It's a story of cadets at The High Ground which is the elite training academy for officers in this world. At least one year of the training academy is required for the eldest son in each aristocratic family. A few students from the lower class are given scholarships each year. The aristocrats look down on them and scorn them whenever they can.
In this book Tracy is one of the scholarship students and he doesn't want to go to the academy, but there aren't really any other choices for him unless he wants to become a tailor like his dad. Also in this class of cadets the Emperor's oldest daughter Mercedes is the first woman admitted to the academy. Her father has only daughters so he has gotten the laws changed that say that the succession only goes to the eldest son. Now his eldest daughter is named heir to the throne, but first she must graduate from the High Ground. Neither Tracy nor Mercedes want to be at High Ground, but they both have to persevere and succeed.
The beginning of the book gives foreshadowing of bad things to come for this empire from what looks like some sort of alien race. I don't really know if that was necessary at the very beginning of this book. I guess by the end of the series I might know what I think of that.
There are many things I like about this book. I like that there are aliens in the book. These are races that were conquered by the empire. Most people in the empire treat them as though they aren't very intelligent. They work as servants and have very little power. However, there's lots of evidence in the book that they are much more than they seem.
Women are also treated much differently than men in this society. That's because they needed women to have large families to help increase the population. Women are expected to get married and have children. When Mercedes enters High Ground it causes all sorts of tremors through the empire. Women aren't supposed to learn how to fight or how to govern an empire.
All in all, even though I didn't like the ending too well this is a good book. And it caused me to think about government, society, aristocracy, hereditary government and groups of people who have little or no say about what happens to them. That's not to say the book isn't entertaining. It's very entertaining and fun to read. After all, it's my favorite science fiction genres combined--space opera and military science fiction!
In this book Tracy is one of the scholarship students and he doesn't want to go to the academy, but there aren't really any other choices for him unless he wants to become a tailor like his dad. Also in this class of cadets the Emperor's oldest daughter Mercedes is the first woman admitted to the academy. Her father has only daughters so he has gotten the laws changed that say that the succession only goes to the eldest son. Now his eldest daughter is named heir to the throne, but first she must graduate from the High Ground. Neither Tracy nor Mercedes want to be at High Ground, but they both have to persevere and succeed.
The beginning of the book gives foreshadowing of bad things to come for this empire from what looks like some sort of alien race. I don't really know if that was necessary at the very beginning of this book. I guess by the end of the series I might know what I think of that.
There are many things I like about this book. I like that there are aliens in the book. These are races that were conquered by the empire. Most people in the empire treat them as though they aren't very intelligent. They work as servants and have very little power. However, there's lots of evidence in the book that they are much more than they seem.
Women are also treated much differently than men in this society. That's because they needed women to have large families to help increase the population. Women are expected to get married and have children. When Mercedes enters High Ground it causes all sorts of tremors through the empire. Women aren't supposed to learn how to fight or how to govern an empire.
All in all, even though I didn't like the ending too well this is a good book. And it caused me to think about government, society, aristocracy, hereditary government and groups of people who have little or no say about what happens to them. That's not to say the book isn't entertaining. It's very entertaining and fun to read. After all, it's my favorite science fiction genres combined--space opera and military science fiction!
August 14, 2021
I was looking for a book to read and remembered Melinda Snodgrass's interesting sci-fi story from the Dangerous Women anthology, so I started this series. Stories about human contact with aliens are often a way to explore what it really means to be human by putting us in comparison to another species. In this series, humanity doesn't come across very well. The society of the Solar League is aggressive, xenophobic, fractious, parochial, and decadent. I think the characters in this sense are very realistic, with their noble aspects living alongside their flaws, and their personalities reflecting the society that shaped them. Mercedes' attitude to her "lessers" is what you'd expect from someone raised to be obeyed, but she's also genuinely kind, especially to those she could easily mistreat with no consequences. Tracy is usually bitter and resentful, but when he forgets his grievances he's naturally caring and even self-sacrificing. Even the Emperor, who is theoretically in charge of this deeply unfair society and who benefits most from its systemic oppression, is shown to also be a caring father and concerned ruler (to some extent). This certainly isn't any kind of apologia for sexist, racist, or classist oppression, but it recognizes that such societies exist and the people who live in them are human, with all the good and bad that entails.
The story mostly about the social dilemmas Mercedes and Tracy face trying to make places for themselves in a space that is naturally unwelcoming to them, for different reasons. There's all sorts of political intrigue going on, but it's mostly relegated to the background, which I liked. The focus is on the characters and their immediate concerns. There may be civil war or alien attacks on the horizon, but at the moment, they're just students, and they have to make it through the academy first.
Anyways, this book was very good, and I've already started the sequel, which might be even better.
The story mostly about the social dilemmas Mercedes and Tracy face trying to make places for themselves in a space that is naturally unwelcoming to them, for different reasons. There's all sorts of political intrigue going on, but it's mostly relegated to the background, which I liked. The focus is on the characters and their immediate concerns. There may be civil war or alien attacks on the horizon, but at the moment, they're just students, and they have to make it through the academy first.
Anyways, this book was very good, and I've already started the sequel, which might be even better.
April 1, 2023
This book is a high school teen drama/romance. If you go into it with that expectation, then you might like it. If you go in blind like me, only having seen the cover, you might be expecting military SF action. There is very little action.
The High Ground has a rip-roaring pace, but I feel like that pace comes at the cost of development. It's a weird writing style, incredibly blunt and straightforward. It gets the point across, but doesn't radiate passion. It feels like paint-by-numbers in book form. Everything is so tropey. There's the lower class cute boy with the chip on his shoulder who's in love with the princess and they're both trying to navigate this difficult new high school, which is supposed to be a military academy, but comes off pretty gentle in my opinion. Of course there's the handsome jock jackass, etcetera, etcetera.
Here's what's emblematic of my major problem with this book. What sport is played at this orbital future space academy? Soccer. How do they settle arguments? With sword duels, and not laser swords, I mean, like metal sabers.
Hogwarts has its Quidditch. Ender's Game has its Battle Room. There's none of that creative liberty in this book.
I'm extra disappointed because it IS so well written but doesn't live up to its potential. The pacing is exactly what aspiring writers should study, but once mastered, where's the flair? Where's the spark of magic? Not here.
The High Ground has a rip-roaring pace, but I feel like that pace comes at the cost of development. It's a weird writing style, incredibly blunt and straightforward. It gets the point across, but doesn't radiate passion. It feels like paint-by-numbers in book form. Everything is so tropey. There's the lower class cute boy with the chip on his shoulder who's in love with the princess and they're both trying to navigate this difficult new high school, which is supposed to be a military academy, but comes off pretty gentle in my opinion. Of course there's the handsome jock jackass, etcetera, etcetera.
Here's what's emblematic of my major problem with this book. What sport is played at this orbital future space academy? Soccer. How do they settle arguments? With sword duels, and not laser swords, I mean, like metal sabers.
Hogwarts has its Quidditch. Ender's Game has its Battle Room. There's none of that creative liberty in this book.
I'm extra disappointed because it IS so well written but doesn't live up to its potential. The pacing is exactly what aspiring writers should study, but once mastered, where's the flair? Where's the spark of magic? Not here.
March 4, 2017
The story of the oldest daughter of an emperor who has had the laws change to allow her to inherit in a patriarchal society. However she must attend (and graduate from) 'The High Ground', the military academy where all males of the upper class must attend for officer training.
It's also the story of an only son from a lower class family, in a society of large families, who has won a scholarship to 'The High Ground' but is not interested in military service.
As they both commence their military training, the two characters grow and learn in their new roles in society.
In the background of the story, there are hints of a larger battle against an alien force that is conquering the stars and turning matter into crystals. There are also hints that all the alien races that the Earth has subjugated so far are not happy with their treatment as second-class citizens/servants.
An enjoyable and well-paced read, however it did not delve deeply enough into character development and so the conflicts that came up did not always feel genuine. And the decisions that Mercedes made at the end felt a bit contrived.
Another confused element was the story at the end of the prologue that alludes to an identical twin taking the place of his brother. It did not appear to be referenced again in the book and so the scene just feels confusing and out of place.
It's also the story of an only son from a lower class family, in a society of large families, who has won a scholarship to 'The High Ground' but is not interested in military service.
As they both commence their military training, the two characters grow and learn in their new roles in society.
In the background of the story, there are hints of a larger battle against an alien force that is conquering the stars and turning matter into crystals. There are also hints that all the alien races that the Earth has subjugated so far are not happy with their treatment as second-class citizens/servants.
An enjoyable and well-paced read, however it did not delve deeply enough into character development and so the conflicts that came up did not always feel genuine. And the decisions that Mercedes made at the end felt a bit contrived.
Another confused element was the story at the end of the prologue that alludes to an identical twin taking the place of his brother. It did not appear to be referenced again in the book and so the scene just feels confusing and out of place.
March 31, 2018
Eeeh it was ookay
2.5 I expected more. There were plot holes and gaps in the world building and storyline, but what annoyed me the most was the characters. Tracy was a stuck up prig, treating the servants (aliens) like lesser beings even though he was supposed to be see as the only one who treated the servants like people. It made it seem like the author has not idea how one treats those slightly different than you with respect. So racist? Speciesist? And the relationship between Tracy and Mercedes was both too much of the plot and wholly unconvincing. It was both too quick and had no precedence. Wholly based on looks, even though said looks were average. And then it read like a young adult novel, so the random inserts about masterbation and wetness jarring in its feeling of being out of place. It has so much potential but it just fell flat.
2.5 I expected more. There were plot holes and gaps in the world building and storyline, but what annoyed me the most was the characters. Tracy was a stuck up prig, treating the servants (aliens) like lesser beings even though he was supposed to be see as the only one who treated the servants like people. It made it seem like the author has not idea how one treats those slightly different than you with respect. So racist? Speciesist? And the relationship between Tracy and Mercedes was both too much of the plot and wholly unconvincing. It was both too quick and had no precedence. Wholly based on looks, even though said looks were average. And then it read like a young adult novel, so the random inserts about masterbation and wetness jarring in its feeling of being out of place. It has so much potential but it just fell flat.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews