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Warstrider #4
Symbionts
Dev Cameron, the senior admiral of the Confederation warfleet, finds his efforts to win the support of the non-human DalRiss made secondary to dealing with the bio-engineered Achievers. By the author of Warstrider: Rebellion.
327 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 1995
11 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
About the author
William H. Keith Jr.
126 books179 followersBill Keith was raised in the mountains of western Pennsylvania, and served in the Navy as a corpsman for many years. In addition to writing fiction and non-fiction works, he is an award-winning illustrator/artist.
He has also published under the psuedonyms:
Ian Douglas (SF series: Heritage, Legacy, Inheritance, Star Carrier, Andromedan Dark)
H. Jay Riker (SEALS:The Warrior Breed series)
Keith Douglass (Carrier and Seal Team 7 series)
Bill Keith
Keith William Andrews (Freedom's Rangers series)
Robert Cain (Cybernarc series)
He has also published under the psuedonyms:
Ian Douglas (SF series: Heritage, Legacy, Inheritance, Star Carrier, Andromedan Dark)
H. Jay Riker (SEALS:The Warrior Breed series)
Keith Douglass (Carrier and Seal Team 7 series)
Bill Keith
Keith William Andrews (Freedom's Rangers series)
Robert Cain (Cybernarc series)
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 15, 2022
Still enjoying the series, although Symbionts seemed a little slower than the first three novels. However, the existentialist theme continues even stronger. Dev has merged with the naga and after 'dying' in a battle that served to break the Confederation away from the empire, ends by joining the DalRiss in an exploratory fleet. Still some good action! This is decent space pulp/cyberpunk as only the 90s could deliver. Still, I might have enjoyed this more about 30 years ago. 2 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2015
Another wonderful story, I really really love this series, everything seems to have it's own pace, reading it, sometimes I would be antsy, looking for action, after a couple pages, here comes what I've been looking for, not enough, just not enough pages.....and you'll be surprised, you are done.......sighhhhh........
Ok..., now comes the story, after what happened to the imperial fleet on book three, the story starts with Dev ship jacking, not getting into a ship, but actually shipjacking the whole ship, with the disparity in everything between the Imperials and the newly recognized Confederation, the answer is to have as many ships as the Imperials, whether by building or stealing.
As for what happened between Dev and the planetary naga, I was really hoping for something, since the nagas can do virtually anything, I was thinking along the lines....since the title of this particular book is symbionts.....maybe just maybe a hybrid man/naga pilot, or a spaceship ran by a naga component, but wishes are that wishes.........
Suffice to say another satisfying read.......oh yeah, something happened in the end......and see yah on book five!!!!!
Ok..., now comes the story, after what happened to the imperial fleet on book three, the story starts with Dev ship jacking, not getting into a ship, but actually shipjacking the whole ship, with the disparity in everything between the Imperials and the newly recognized Confederation, the answer is to have as many ships as the Imperials, whether by building or stealing.
As for what happened between Dev and the planetary naga, I was really hoping for something, since the nagas can do virtually anything, I was thinking along the lines....since the title of this particular book is symbionts.....maybe just maybe a hybrid man/naga pilot, or a spaceship ran by a naga component, but wishes are that wishes.........
Suffice to say another satisfying read.......oh yeah, something happened in the end......and see yah on book five!!!!!
December 15, 2014
This is another good, solid book in the Warstrider series. In the last book, Jackers, the aliens are almost not present at all. I was a bit unhappy about that. In this book however the aliens are back. As a matter of fact, most of the book focuses on the DalRiss and the Confederation trying to communicate with them with the ultimate goal of turning them into allies. Needless to say the Confederation are having somewhat better results than the Japanese with their arrogant we-are-better-than-everyone-and-everything-else attitude.
I quite liked this book. It is probably the best one in the series so far. It is not just another Mechwarrior romp where the bulk of the story is devoted to big machines bashing each other but there is actually a good story behind it. Sure, there is quite a bit of fighting going on but a lot of the book is devoted to the interaction between the DalRiss and the humans from the Confederation. There are plenty of developments going on, character development and other developments. The author have created not one but two alien races with character traits, physiology and way of thinking that are wildly different from both the humans and between the two alien races as well. I find this quite well done.
The Hegemony is of course still the big bad enemy and again the book builds up to a confrontation between the Confederation and the Hegemony at the end. Given the book’s name I would say it is not much of a spoiler when I write that the DalRiss as well as the Naga play an important role in foiling the Hegemony’s plans. The ending, part of it at least, was perhaps intended to be a bit of a shocker but I have to say that I was not entirely surprised.
This is a good solid book. It is much more intelligent than a lot of the books out there that focuses on military hardware. The name Warstrider was suitable for the first book, which gave the series its name, but now I would say that it is mildly misleading. This book series is about so much more than just Warstriders.
I quite liked this book. It is probably the best one in the series so far. It is not just another Mechwarrior romp where the bulk of the story is devoted to big machines bashing each other but there is actually a good story behind it. Sure, there is quite a bit of fighting going on but a lot of the book is devoted to the interaction between the DalRiss and the humans from the Confederation. There are plenty of developments going on, character development and other developments. The author have created not one but two alien races with character traits, physiology and way of thinking that are wildly different from both the humans and between the two alien races as well. I find this quite well done.
The Hegemony is of course still the big bad enemy and again the book builds up to a confrontation between the Confederation and the Hegemony at the end. Given the book’s name I would say it is not much of a spoiler when I write that the DalRiss as well as the Naga play an important role in foiling the Hegemony’s plans. The ending, part of it at least, was perhaps intended to be a bit of a shocker but I have to say that I was not entirely surprised.
This is a good solid book. It is much more intelligent than a lot of the books out there that focuses on military hardware. The name Warstrider was suitable for the first book, which gave the series its name, but now I would say that it is mildly misleading. This book series is about so much more than just Warstriders.
November 13, 2014
Imaginative...
... and creative; there is more imagination and creativity in one book of this series than in other author's entire work. If you enjoy hard sci-fi, you won't be disappointed.
... and creative; there is more imagination and creativity in one book of this series than in other author's entire work. If you enjoy hard sci-fi, you won't be disappointed.
March 28, 2024
Warstrider tome 4 : Symbionts
Lu en anglais
Un roman de science-fiction militaire et de cyberpunk.
Quelques centaines d'années dans le futur, la puissance dominante est le Japon impérial, auquel est subordonnée l'Hégémonie, une fédération de 57 nations et de 78 mondes. Aux frontières, l'insurrection (la Confédération) est débutée en réaction au contrôle et au racisme de l'empire qui veut réserver les postes les plus importants à des Japonais.
Suite à une attaque sur un vaisseau de transport de l'Hégémonie, Dev cameron apprend que les DalRiss, une race extraterrestre, ont attaqué une base de l'hégémonie sur une de leurs planètes. Et comme on dit : l'ennemi de mon ennemi est mon ami; la Confédération envoie une expédition pour s'en faire des alliés dans leur combat contre l'Hégémonie. Les DalRiss sont une race dont le contrôle de la biologie est fabuleux et leurs vaisseaux spatiaux utilisent une mode de transport instantané, bien supérieur à ceux des humains. Et, point positif, Dev Cameron les a aidés à empêcher leur anéantissement par les Xénophobes, une race extraterrestre qui maitrise la chimie à un niveau incroyable.
Un roman axée en partie sur les problèmes de communication avec des extraterrestres, les DelRiss, aveugles, qui fonctionnent en symbiote avec d'autres formes de vie. Mais l'Hégémonie n'est pas resté inactive et Del cameron élabore un plan audacieux qui met en jeu de nouvelles ressources. Et, bien sûr, avec des batailles spatiales comme dessert.
Des humains connectés, des liaisons homme-machine, des extraterrestres mystérieux, une écologie surprenante. L'histoire de base est inspirée de la révolution américaine.
Tout cela écrit par un ancien vétéran du Vietnam, ce qui ajoute de la crédibilité à l'environnement militaire, aux tactiques et aux combats, sans compter une science plutôt crédible. Plusieurs de ses meilleurs romans sont publiés sous le pseudonyme Ian Douglas.
Très intéressant avec un regard sur des évolutions et des écologies différentes. On peut dire que le roman mélange la science-fiction militaire avec la hard science et le space opera.
J'ai beaucoup aimé même si la fin pousse le bouchon un peu loin, mais qui sait !
Lu en anglais
Un roman de science-fiction militaire et de cyberpunk.
Quelques centaines d'années dans le futur, la puissance dominante est le Japon impérial, auquel est subordonnée l'Hégémonie, une fédération de 57 nations et de 78 mondes. Aux frontières, l'insurrection (la Confédération) est débutée en réaction au contrôle et au racisme de l'empire qui veut réserver les postes les plus importants à des Japonais.
Suite à une attaque sur un vaisseau de transport de l'Hégémonie, Dev cameron apprend que les DalRiss, une race extraterrestre, ont attaqué une base de l'hégémonie sur une de leurs planètes. Et comme on dit : l'ennemi de mon ennemi est mon ami; la Confédération envoie une expédition pour s'en faire des alliés dans leur combat contre l'Hégémonie. Les DalRiss sont une race dont le contrôle de la biologie est fabuleux et leurs vaisseaux spatiaux utilisent une mode de transport instantané, bien supérieur à ceux des humains. Et, point positif, Dev Cameron les a aidés à empêcher leur anéantissement par les Xénophobes, une race extraterrestre qui maitrise la chimie à un niveau incroyable.
Un roman axée en partie sur les problèmes de communication avec des extraterrestres, les DelRiss, aveugles, qui fonctionnent en symbiote avec d'autres formes de vie. Mais l'Hégémonie n'est pas resté inactive et Del cameron élabore un plan audacieux qui met en jeu de nouvelles ressources. Et, bien sûr, avec des batailles spatiales comme dessert.
Des humains connectés, des liaisons homme-machine, des extraterrestres mystérieux, une écologie surprenante. L'histoire de base est inspirée de la révolution américaine.
Tout cela écrit par un ancien vétéran du Vietnam, ce qui ajoute de la crédibilité à l'environnement militaire, aux tactiques et aux combats, sans compter une science plutôt crédible. Plusieurs de ses meilleurs romans sont publiés sous le pseudonyme Ian Douglas.
Très intéressant avec un regard sur des évolutions et des écologies différentes. On peut dire que le roman mélange la science-fiction militaire avec la hard science et le space opera.
J'ai beaucoup aimé même si la fin pousse le bouchon un peu loin, mais qui sait !
October 5, 2017
This was the last good book in this series. I really dislike how suddenly the Naga lost the ability to heal and nearly replace Dev's body due to the author wanting to railroad the plot in a certain direction.
From what the Naga were able to do both with Katya and Dev's body in the previous books, and their abilities to heal Dev, creating another body from the stored images of him should have been easy. Hell, the Naga practically rebuilt Dev from the waist down repairing his spine and replacing crushed vertebrae as well as damaged nerves.
It pisses me off when an author decides he wants a story to go a certain way and ignores capabilities already established in earlier books. Such heavy-handed plot driving is irritating. Had I known that this was the last good book in the Warstrider series I would have stopped here.
From what the Naga were able to do both with Katya and Dev's body in the previous books, and their abilities to heal Dev, creating another body from the stored images of him should have been easy. Hell, the Naga practically rebuilt Dev from the waist down repairing his spine and replacing crushed vertebrae as well as damaged nerves.
It pisses me off when an author decides he wants a story to go a certain way and ignores capabilities already established in earlier books. Such heavy-handed plot driving is irritating. Had I known that this was the last good book in the Warstrider series I would have stopped here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2017
This is the 4th book in the Warstrider series by William H. Keith Jr. a.k.a. Ian Douglas. In this one Dev and Katya are sent to Alya to try to forge an alliance with the DalRiss against the Empire. Dev is still haunted by his contact and temporary merging with the Naga but finds even more may be asked of him in order to secure the alliance with the DalRiss and defeat the Empire. This book is another example of first rate Military Science Fiction and I recommend it to all fans of William H. Keith Jr. a.k.a. Ian Douglas.
January 3, 2019
Excellent ending
The story built itself well. The use of tech and biological aspects was well balanced. The battle sequences were excellent. b
The story built itself well. The use of tech and biological aspects was well balanced. The battle sequences were excellent. b
May 7, 2021
Better than the last one
June 24, 2015
ABR's original Symbionts audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
Dev Cameron, the reluctant hero, has saved the day on Herekles, but not won the war. The Imperium has overwhelming firepower and is determined to eliminate the rebellion. Douglas continues to dig deeper into the mind and heart of the Imperium led by an advanced Japanese culture. They are rigid and dictatorial, but they have maintained peace for hundreds of years. The listener gets a sense of why certain groups would rather keep the status quo than fight. It may not be the fairest system, but it is safe.
Symbionts is book 4 in the Warstrider series. Perhaps you are reading this because you’ve read the first three and are not sure if you want to continue on, or perhaps you just want reassurance the author has continued to stick to the story. By all means, keep with it. Symbionts is as good as the first three, perhaps a little more political with deeper levels of culture and backstory. But how many pulse cannon attacks can you write about, before that gets dull too. There is certainly plenty of action to keep the military SciFi going, but that is not the real power of this novel.
Dev is deeply damaged by his connection with the Naga. His mind has been altered in an irreparable way and he is fighting to keep his humanity. Katya is there for him, but being stretched thin. It is an interesting love story, more about sticking with someone you love when they are in deep conflict, not just when it is easy.
David Drummond reads this book as he did in the previous three, with his clear and enjoyable baritone. Certainly at this point, it would be unimaginable to change narrators. He has his quirks as this reviewer and others have mentioned in previous reviews. That is irrelevant now; Drummond is the voice of the Warstrider stories, period.
Douglas to his credit, wraps this book up at the end, giving a sense of closure to this particular book. Warstrider feels like a series of novels with familiar characters, not one long story, with breaks between books. Symbionts is as good as the first three, better in some ways, as a love story, and by giving us greater depth of understanding about the characters and future culture. It is not quite as action packed as the previous books, but you will not be disappointed.
Audiobook provided for review by the publisher.
Dev Cameron, the reluctant hero, has saved the day on Herekles, but not won the war. The Imperium has overwhelming firepower and is determined to eliminate the rebellion. Douglas continues to dig deeper into the mind and heart of the Imperium led by an advanced Japanese culture. They are rigid and dictatorial, but they have maintained peace for hundreds of years. The listener gets a sense of why certain groups would rather keep the status quo than fight. It may not be the fairest system, but it is safe.
Symbionts is book 4 in the Warstrider series. Perhaps you are reading this because you’ve read the first three and are not sure if you want to continue on, or perhaps you just want reassurance the author has continued to stick to the story. By all means, keep with it. Symbionts is as good as the first three, perhaps a little more political with deeper levels of culture and backstory. But how many pulse cannon attacks can you write about, before that gets dull too. There is certainly plenty of action to keep the military SciFi going, but that is not the real power of this novel.
Dev is deeply damaged by his connection with the Naga. His mind has been altered in an irreparable way and he is fighting to keep his humanity. Katya is there for him, but being stretched thin. It is an interesting love story, more about sticking with someone you love when they are in deep conflict, not just when it is easy.
David Drummond reads this book as he did in the previous three, with his clear and enjoyable baritone. Certainly at this point, it would be unimaginable to change narrators. He has his quirks as this reviewer and others have mentioned in previous reviews. That is irrelevant now; Drummond is the voice of the Warstrider stories, period.
Douglas to his credit, wraps this book up at the end, giving a sense of closure to this particular book. Warstrider feels like a series of novels with familiar characters, not one long story, with breaks between books. Symbionts is as good as the first three, better in some ways, as a love story, and by giving us greater depth of understanding about the characters and future culture. It is not quite as action packed as the previous books, but you will not be disappointed.
Audiobook provided for review by the publisher.
November 26, 2016
Summary: Some interesting concepts, 3 way symbiosis etc, good military SF, good plot, highly readable, a good book with a satisfactory conclusion (although I note that at least one more book in the series is to come)
Plotline: Sort of works possibly could have been strengthened, a few things didn't quite work, but nice flow
Premise: Generally good, but again some weaknesses
Writing: Simple descriptive, highly readable.
Ending: A good and fitting conclusion
Pace: Never a dull moment!
Plotline: Sort of works possibly could have been strengthened, a few things didn't quite work, but nice flow
Premise: Generally good, but again some weaknesses
Writing: Simple descriptive, highly readable.
Ending: A good and fitting conclusion
Pace: Never a dull moment!
May 18, 2015
another great military sifi book cant wait till the next book loved it
September 11, 2016
This series just keeps getting awesomer...author keeps adding onto what has gone before..
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews