How Firm a Foundation
Safehold Series, Book 5
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- اطلاعات
- نقد و بررسی
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نقد و بررسی
October 15, 2011
The island empire of Charis struggles for survival against the powerful Church of God Awaiting, unable to gain ground against the church's superior numbers. At the heart of Charis's effort is a secret known only to the Emperor Cayleb, the Empress Sharleyan, and Merlin Athrawes, the avatar of a woman killed a thousand years ago in a hopeless galactic war against an alien race intent on exterminating humans. Though the world of Safehold has remained hidden from the aliens by forswearing most forms of high technology, Cayleb and his companions know that the only way to survive their inevitable discovery is to acquire the technology necessary to defeat their enemy, despite the church's brutal punishments for what they consider heresy. When Merlin finally makes a shattering discovery about what lies beneath the distant Temple in the church's city of Zion, the war takes on an even more desperate significance. VERDICT With each installment in this epic sf/fantasy blend, Weber sharpens his storytelling skills. The sixth volume (after Out of the Dark) creates a unique world in which medieval trappings serve as a buffer against an alien threat and generations live in blissful ignorance of the danger than lurks beyond the stars. Series readers and the author's wide fan base will want this.
Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
September 15, 2011
Weber's immensely popular Safehold series continues. The corrupt Church of God Awaiting is reeling, baffled by its recent losses in battle against the Charisian Empire. With drastically reduced revenue due to the lack of tithes from several unsympathetic empires, the Church faces deep cost-cutting measures. A bold plan is needed to restore the Church to glory, not to mention to achieve its expansionist goals. Meanwhile the Charisian Empire, knowing it got lucky in its naval confrontation with the Church, casts about for a strategy to defeat, conclusively and permanently, the larger and (ultimately) better-equipped Church on its own ground. Weber's series mixes hard sf and old-fashioned naval adventure in a manner that has galvanized readers. It should be pointed out, however, that this latest installment assumes a detailed knowledge of the series' characters and story lines; a glossary helps newcomers a little but not much. The author's tendency to give awkward spellings to familiar names (Dunkyn, Tymythy, Ehdwyrd), too, could cause some readers to become distracted, pulling them out of the book at points where serious concentration is required to follow the story. Still, while this is definitely not the book to recommend to newbies eager to jump on the Weber bandwagon, it's certain to give the ravenous audience a full and satisfying meal. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Weber's quick rise to the top of the sf sales heap is big news in a genre whose authors rarely visit best-seller lists. Weber now has a reserved seat at the table, and his publisher is planning a promotion campaign for his latest that will ensure he stays put for some time.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)
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