Out of the Dark

August 2, 2010
Expanded from a short story that first appeared in George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois's anthology Warriors, this trilogy kickoff blends elements of military science fiction and dark fantasy. In the very near future, Earth has been targeted for colonization by a galactic empire known as the Hegemony. Deemed "lunatic local sentients" by a survey team that witnessed King Henry V and his troops slaughtering the French at Agincourt, humankind has essentially been written off as bloodthirsty, expendable barbarians. When the Hegemony's henchmen, the doglike Shongairi, show up to conquer Earth, the resistance is beyond anything they had ever imagined, especially when vampires appear to help the humans. Weber pulls off this conceit in audacious style with a focus on military-powered action that will thrill fans of his Honor Harrington series, and he keeps the pedal to the metal right up to the almost unbelievable conclusion.

October 15, 2010

The alien Shongairi have launched an attack on Earth, bent on either conquest or destruction of a world they consider too primitive to join the interplanetary Hegemony. In the southeastern United States, Dave Dvorak and his extended family flee to their reinforced cabin in the mountains, where they become a center for resistance to the alien invaders. In Romania, Master Sergeant Stephen Buchevsky seeks refuge for his small group of stranded U.S. soldiers and finds an unlikely set of allies as Earth's vampires join forces to fight a common enemy. This series launch offers a unique blend of military sf and vampire fiction, and the multiple points of view, including that of the invading forces, make for a fast-paced read. VERDICT With likable characters and plenty of military detail, this should appeal to Weber's ("Honor Harrington" series) large fan base as well as followers of the military sf of John Ringo and Eric Flint.

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