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Empire's Corps #12
They Shall Not Pass
Despite the escape from Meridian - and a strike at the heart of Wolfbane - enemy forces are still advancing on all fronts. The Commonwealth, worn down by a year of hard fighting, is reaching the end of its tether, while Admiral Singh - having secured control of Wolfbane - is searching for the breaking point that will shatter the Commonwealth once and for all. Time is needed, time to bring new weapons and tactics into service, but time is the one thing the Commonwealth doesn't have.
Now, with enemy forces closing on the industrialised world of Corinthian - Admiral Singh’s former base of operations - Colonel Stalker decides to make a stand. The Commonwealth will meet its enemies on the ground and destroy them - or die trying. They will not pass as long as a single marine remains alive.
But how much of Corinthian - and the Commonwealth - will survive the nightmare to come ...?
Now, with enemy forces closing on the industrialised world of Corinthian - Admiral Singh’s former base of operations - Colonel Stalker decides to make a stand. The Commonwealth will meet its enemies on the ground and destroy them - or die trying. They will not pass as long as a single marine remains alive.
But how much of Corinthian - and the Commonwealth - will survive the nightmare to come ...?
380 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 7, 2016
142 people are currently reading
147 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 17, 2016
I have enjoyed this series since book one, and here we are already at book twelve. I think is the best series by Nuttall; he has three or four series ongoing.
The war between the Commonwealth and Wolfbane has been going on longer than either side had anticipated. Both side are having equipment and personnel problems. Admiral Singh is now the governor as well as military leader of Wolfbane.
Colonel Stalker, Commander of the Commonwealth’s military, tells his officers the Commonwealth will fall in the next two years due to lack of equipment, combat spaceships and the falling apart of the Commonwealth’s worlds. He has designed a desperate battle plan in a win or lose situation. He plans a land battle on the industrialized world of Corinthian. Admiral Singh was once in Command of Corinthian so Stalker anticipates she will take risks to retake Corinthian. Stalker will command this battle himself, and, my favorite character, General Yannie will command Division One.
The book is well written. Nuttall does an excellent job in writing battle scenes. His description brings the battle to life including all the carnage of battles. The pace is fairly fast and the action is non-stop. Nuttall continues to develop the key characters. Nuttall’s battle tactics and strategies left something to be desired. Oh well, I am an armchair strategist.
Jeffrey Kafer does an excellent job in narrating the series. I am pleased that the same narrator has done the entire series.
The war between the Commonwealth and Wolfbane has been going on longer than either side had anticipated. Both side are having equipment and personnel problems. Admiral Singh is now the governor as well as military leader of Wolfbane.
Colonel Stalker, Commander of the Commonwealth’s military, tells his officers the Commonwealth will fall in the next two years due to lack of equipment, combat spaceships and the falling apart of the Commonwealth’s worlds. He has designed a desperate battle plan in a win or lose situation. He plans a land battle on the industrialized world of Corinthian. Admiral Singh was once in Command of Corinthian so Stalker anticipates she will take risks to retake Corinthian. Stalker will command this battle himself, and, my favorite character, General Yannie will command Division One.
The book is well written. Nuttall does an excellent job in writing battle scenes. His description brings the battle to life including all the carnage of battles. The pace is fairly fast and the action is non-stop. Nuttall continues to develop the key characters. Nuttall’s battle tactics and strategies left something to be desired. Oh well, I am an armchair strategist.
Jeffrey Kafer does an excellent job in narrating the series. I am pleased that the same narrator has done the entire series.
July 24, 2016
For his 12th novel in The Empire's Corps, prolific novelist Christopher Nuttall continues the battle between the emerging Commonwealth of free planets and the better armed and militarized force headed by the planet Wolfbane. Colonel Stalker, who's about to become a father, returns as head of the badly outclassed Commonwealth force. He gambles on a ground war ploy to weaken the more sophisticated Wolfbane forces. Think Stalingrad. Stalker figures former foe Admiral Singh, now in charge of Wolfbane's fleet, will stop at nothing to retake the world of Corinthian, where she had previously started her ill-fated empire. In Nuttall's version of this future, the empire that grew up around earth has collapsed under its own corruption and sent the many planets colonized by humanity into a downward spiral. Some recovered from the the ensuing civil wars and unrest to form smaller, more manageable governments. But the economics proved intensely difficult. Everything had been controlled. The market was not free under the Empire, but heavily controlled. Independence proved near impossible for many planetary systems. The Commonwealth had begun figuring it out, allowing free trade and innovation to rule. But danger lurked in every direction. All Stalker wanted was a couple years to get stronger to be able to protect his alliance before the pirates and would-be rekindled empires attacked. So he dug in his meager forces at Corinthian's capital city under a force field the Commonwealth's scientists had developed. Singh couldn't bomb the city from space without nuking the entire world into rubble. She had to land an army. And it gets bloody. Nuttall is at his best describing warfare from the trenches. His narrative rolls along, dragging the reader through the battlefield foot by bloody foot. It's intense. He doesn't pull any punches. People die. A lot of people die. And they're maimed. Horribly. That's all I'll reveal about that. Excellent entry to the series.
March 18, 2016
Nuttall has managed to keep this 12th book in this Space Opera / Marines are the 'salt of the earth and the galaxy' series on track and not too bloated. His "action" scenes continue to be well written. He gives women equal billing, at least in the good guys' and gals' military and associated civilian populations.
He adds a philosophy coda, using revisionist history, to prove that politicians are venal and immoral. Ignore if you can.
He adds a philosophy coda, using revisionist history, to prove that politicians are venal and immoral. Ignore if you can.
April 20, 2018
With The Empire's Corps series book 12 - They Shall Not Pass, we are now back on-track and up to date with the overall series and the progress of the ongoing war. The conflict between the Commonwealth and Wolbane has lasted longer than either side has considered. Following on from the events of Never Surrender - The Empire's Corps, Book 10; Colonel Edward Stalker is envisioning losing the war within two years, decides this is the time to take the offensive and baits an elaborately trap using the CEF and advanced Commonwealth technology to force Admiral Singh's mobile forces into a long-range space confrontation and the Wolfbane ground forces into a small-scale fixed-destination ground conflict.
There is a pivotal moment in the ground battle (and possibly the overall war) centred around a new character, who in the beginning you may be drawn to but by the end, waiting to see their demise, you are surprised they are still alive and having any effect on the outcome. I love the chapter opening quotes via Professor Leo Caesius - and how they relate to the ongoing story in the current book, even when they are directly relating events that have happened elsewhere and earlier in time.
Moving around the Rim of the Empire from planet to planet, off the beaten path so to speak - some of the previous books of The Empire's Corps series seem to be interludes in the action where the reader is given plots and characters that at first seem to be unnecessary diversions, but in fact turn out to have a direct bearing on the direction of the series overall arc. This may seem to be a criticism, but upon reflection, I realise how each book stands alone as a demonstration of how individual human stories intersect with the conduct of war. I love grand space opera, end of civilisation epics and far-future ground wars, which The Empire's Corps series has in abundance.
There is a pivotal moment in the ground battle (and possibly the overall war) centred around a new character, who in the beginning you may be drawn to but by the end, waiting to see their demise, you are surprised they are still alive and having any effect on the outcome. I love the chapter opening quotes via Professor Leo Caesius - and how they relate to the ongoing story in the current book, even when they are directly relating events that have happened elsewhere and earlier in time.
Moving around the Rim of the Empire from planet to planet, off the beaten path so to speak - some of the previous books of The Empire's Corps series seem to be interludes in the action where the reader is given plots and characters that at first seem to be unnecessary diversions, but in fact turn out to have a direct bearing on the direction of the series overall arc. This may seem to be a criticism, but upon reflection, I realise how each book stands alone as a demonstration of how individual human stories intersect with the conduct of war. I love grand space opera, end of civilisation epics and far-future ground wars, which The Empire's Corps series has in abundance.
June 30, 2020
Soldiers are people too.
Excellent read with a engaging storyline. Sometimes good people end up on the winning side, sometimes not. Because they are on the losing side doesn't mean they are bad - or good. It means they were on the losing side. The characters in the story are sometimes good, sometimes not. Excellent portrayals of how people are - and the choices they sometimes must make.
Excellent read with a engaging storyline. Sometimes good people end up on the winning side, sometimes not. Because they are on the losing side doesn't mean they are bad - or good. It means they were on the losing side. The characters in the story are sometimes good, sometimes not. Excellent portrayals of how people are - and the choices they sometimes must make.
April 7, 2021
Cool. Another character that went through a life changing experience got reverted back to an earlier state in order to cause drama and tension. The author should really just drop these little side passages if they're so temporary. The professor's wife is a D-List character but her experience during the embassy siege was completely wiped out by this book.
Just further cements that the only way to progress as a character in this series is to join the armed services.
Just further cements that the only way to progress as a character in this series is to join the armed services.
April 27, 2024
3.5 stars
This book is argely an extended battle sequence, and while the battle does end here, at the end, we are left with the impression that it will have little effect on the war. Given the results, this seems unlikely to me. But at least we're seeing progress in the main story line of the series (without which, this would be a 3-star book.)
The combat narratives are done well, with believable vignettes, but I'd like a bit more.
This book is argely an extended battle sequence, and while the battle does end here, at the end, we are left with the impression that it will have little effect on the war. Given the results, this seems unlikely to me. But at least we're seeing progress in the main story line of the series (without which, this would be a 3-star book.)
The combat narratives are done well, with believable vignettes, but I'd like a bit more.
January 6, 2019
Land battles were obsoleted?
Wars on planets were obsoleted by kinetic warheads - rods from space was term Jerry Pournelle used. Unfortunately technology keeps on advancing, and the invention of force fields meant land wars were again possible, to Admiral Singh’s astonishment.
Wars on planets were obsoleted by kinetic warheads - rods from space was term Jerry Pournelle used. Unfortunately technology keeps on advancing, and the invention of force fields meant land wars were again possible, to Admiral Singh’s astonishment.
January 17, 2023
Great book love the story and the narration it is a great book series I am looking forward to listening to the next book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I highly recommend this book
December 26, 2016
The Empire’s Corps series from Christopher Nuttall continues and this, the 12th instalment, is another good book in the series. As usual it is well written with good characters and good military action. This particular instalment is quite action filled. More so than a lot of the books in this series.
Most of the action takes place on the ground of the planet Corinthian although there are some space action as well.
This is an all out frontal war. Words like slaughter easily comes to mind. Even with the grand scale of the battle the author manages to intermingle several personal stories in the grand storyline. As is the habit of the author he also involves a touch of politics, human reasoning, feelings and real life consequences of peoples actions in the mix.
Although I prefer space action in favor of ground action the author has yet again managed to make me enjoy a book slightly out of my comfort zone as far as science fiction goes. Whether it is the enjoyable characters, the well done combat scenes or the equally well done “glue” that ties the different elements together I cannot say. Probably it is a bit of everything.
Most of the action takes place on the ground of the planet Corinthian although there are some space action as well.
This is an all out frontal war. Words like slaughter easily comes to mind. Even with the grand scale of the battle the author manages to intermingle several personal stories in the grand storyline. As is the habit of the author he also involves a touch of politics, human reasoning, feelings and real life consequences of peoples actions in the mix.
Although I prefer space action in favor of ground action the author has yet again managed to make me enjoy a book slightly out of my comfort zone as far as science fiction goes. Whether it is the enjoyable characters, the well done combat scenes or the equally well done “glue” that ties the different elements together I cannot say. Probably it is a bit of everything.
March 12, 2016
Terran Marine Corp
Another entertaining story centred on Stalkers Stalkers,I enjoy most of Chris's writing but the empire corp are by far my favourite, Avalon is still engaged in a struggle to the end with Wolfbane and in danger of losing the war of attrition, so the Marines assisted by the CEF bait a trap to draw the wolves into a fixed ground conflict hoping to buy precious time to close the naval imbalance with their superior new designs and technological advances,but this could easily backfire, and a major defeat will place Admiral Singh and the wolves within touching distance of victory over the Commonwealth, the last best hope for humanity in this sector.
Another entertaining story centred on Stalkers Stalkers,I enjoy most of Chris's writing but the empire corp are by far my favourite, Avalon is still engaged in a struggle to the end with Wolfbane and in danger of losing the war of attrition, so the Marines assisted by the CEF bait a trap to draw the wolves into a fixed ground conflict hoping to buy precious time to close the naval imbalance with their superior new designs and technological advances,but this could easily backfire, and a major defeat will place Admiral Singh and the wolves within touching distance of victory over the Commonwealth, the last best hope for humanity in this sector.
May 25, 2016
Two and a half stars. I loved this series though the first eight or so books, now not so much. Things seem to be going nowhere slowly. This book starts off slow picks up to an amble in the middle and then lies down for a nap... If it wasn't for the varied cast of interesting and developed characters I don't know if I could have finished. The first person narratives from the battle-line are the redeeming quality for this installment. Something needs to happen to keep this series going, but it has drifted so far off course it seems hardly worth the effort.
May 3, 2016
Another solid hit in the Empire
Another good book from Nuttall in his Empire's Corps series. I was glad to see the COL come out of the background in this book. I am also still waiting for a book on the Slaughterhouse and the emperor that was headed there...
Another good book from Nuttall in his Empire's Corps series. I was glad to see the COL come out of the background in this book. I am also still waiting for a book on the Slaughterhouse and the emperor that was headed there...
June 30, 2016
Great continuation of main story. Waiting for next book. Will most likely be a filler book, vs continuation of the story, but still a good read.
November 9, 2016
Took 100 years to read this book, not recommended. Just kidding it was decent.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews