ISBN: 0-671-31985-X Order from: Amazon.com Barnes & Noble.com
A fast but very predictable adventure, full of battles and travelogue, and clear set-ups for future installments.
Reviewed by David on January 10, 2002
Genre: Science Fiction (Military, Intrigue, War, Coming of Age)
Synopsis: Prince Roger of Empire of Man is several very competent people away from the throne. Which is regarded as fortunate, as the Prince is self-indulgent, stubborn and frivolous.
The Prince himself is far more interested in hunting and partying than politics. Unfortunately, politics come to him. An assination attempt disables his spaceship far from friendly ports, and the Prince and his guards, a Marine company are stranded on a low-technology planet.
Thus begins this quest to survive and return to civilization for the royal brat and his well-trained but once complacent bodyguards.
Full Review: While competently written, this battle and adventure-filled book suffers from two major flaws.
First, the plot, along with characters is highly predictable. There are very few elements of the book which have not appeared in numerous other novels, including in those by David Weber. The characters are also predictable, most fulfilling stereotypes and thus attracting little interest or sympathy.
The other major flaw is the lack of clear closure. While the Prince clearly matures in this book, few larger issues are resolved and the book very clearly is a set-up for a (possibly lengthy) series. This diminishes its entertainment value as a stand-alone novel.
Regretably, this collaboration between two competent military writers turns out to be very pedestrian. The reader's time would be better spent in seeking out other, more entertaining or intriguing science fiction.
Overall: 4.5; Plot: 4.5; Characters: 5; Style: 5; World-building: 6; Originality: 4;
Copyright date 2001, Baen Publishing Enterprises (Baen), May 2001, Cloth, 514 pages
ISBN: 0-671-31985-X Order from: Amazon.com Barnes & Noble.com