Crown of Slaves - Weber/Flint

[leebase]

Crown of Slaves by David Weber and Eric Flint. Weber has invited Flint to collaborate in a spin off series in the Honor Harrington universe. I was very much looking forward to this collaboration as I enjoyed Flint's 1632 series (well, I'm still reading).

There are 12 books in the Honor Harrington main story line. There are two spin off series with two book each, the second one being the Saganami series.

I do think someone could read this book as the first book. Even though I'd read the complete 12 book main story line, I found myself as lost as anyone new at first. The start of the book is some ways back from where the story line had progressed in the main line. But, as confusing as the start felt with all the characters being thrown at you (and there are a LOT) -- the book eventually settles down to a gripping pace that makes the book hard to put down.

Genetic slavery is the main plot line of the book. The bad guys are into creating humans designed for specific work -- as slaves, and the good guys want to end slavery. But as much as that's the back drop, the main parts of the book are about spies. It reads like a great military spy thriller set in space with genetically modified humans instead of aliens.

The character development is superb. There are a good half dozen fully developed main characters that you follow, and a host of peripheral ones. I've heard someone describe books like this as "competency porn". The good guys are really smart and win the day through intellect, courage, and special abilities. It's like super heroes without going to the extreme of super man. I love a good "competency porn" read

Any fan of the Honor Harrington books will enjoy this one.

Happy reading,

Lee

[AnemicOak]

I like anything from the Honorverse to varying degrees and I liked this one fairly well. I think the spy thriller description is a pretty accurate one for the most part.



The short stories, Promised Land by Jane Lindskold (in The Service to the Sword) and From the Highlands by Eric Flint (in Changer of Worlds) give some nice extra background info for this story. The first is about Ruth's mother and Prince Michael and how they first meet and the second has some background about Berry.


Also for folks that don't know Crown of Slaves is available as part of the Baen Free Library...
http://www.webscription.net/p-92-crown-of-slaves.aspx

[John F]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

...

Also for folks that don't know Crown of Slaves is available as part of the Baen Free Library...
http://www.webscription.net/p-92-crown-of-slaves.aspx

Is that the full book?

[Wetdogeared]

FYI, fans of the Honor Harrington Series are also grateful to Dahak, and his site http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/

[rhadin]

Originally Posted by John F

Is that the full book?

I believe it is. If memory serves me correctly, I first read the free ebook version then went and bought the hardcover version for my library and I don't recall any differences.

For David Weber fans, he is starting a new trilogy that is supposed to be Honor Harrington like. The first book is called Out of the Dark and is scheduled for release September 28th. The Publisher's Weekly blurb (from the Barnes & Noble website reads:

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.

Here is a link for preordering from B&N.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by John F

Is that the full book?

Yes, it is.

Originally Posted by rhadin

For David Weber fans, he is starting a new trilogy that is supposed to be Honor Harrington like. The first book is called Out of the Dark and is scheduled for release September 28th. The Publisher's Weekly blurb (from the Barnes & Noble website reads:

Here is a link for preordering from B&N.

Thanks for the heads up.

[leebase]

For those who don't know, the fifthimperium site appears to be legit -- it's a collection of cd's that appeared in Baen hard backs that have LOTS of free ebooks. I got almost the entire Honor Harrington series that way. I have something like 277 ebooks from the site -- a real treasure trove.

I think I bought Crown of Slaves and Torch of Freedom, though. I was feeling the need to contribute to the authors -- and at $6 each from DRM free epub, they are very reasonably priced.

Lee

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by leebase

For those who don't know, the fifthimperium site appears to be legit --

Yep it's completely legit, Baen knows all about it.

[jgaiser]

Originally Posted by Wetdogeared

FYI, fans of the Honor Harrington Series are also grateful to Dahak, and his site http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/

Yes... Darn him, I now have more Honor Harrington books than I know what to do with...

The "Mission of Honor" cd from the site has all 12 Honor books along with anthologies and the currently discussed "Crown of Slaves".

[jgaiser]

Originally Posted by leebase

I think I bought Crown of Slaves and Torch of Freedom, though. I was feeling the need to contribute to the authors -- and at $6 each from DRM free epub, they are very reasonably priced.

And I agree... Baen's is a fabulous site for those that love SF/Fantasy and there prices are unbeatable. I even occasionally drop a donation on books in the Free library.

[bill_mchale]

Baen, Eric Flint, David Weber and other Baen authors all subscribe to the view that if people are downloading copies of your book, even if it is for free, it will result in more sales in the long run.

--
Bill

[Solicitous]

Originally Posted by leebase

For those who don't know, the fifthimperium site appears to be legit -- it's a collection of cd's that appeared in Baen hard backs that have LOTS of free ebooks. I got almost the entire Honor Harrington series that way. I have something like 277 ebooks from the site -- a real treasure trove.

I think I bought Crown of Slaves and Torch of Freedom, though. I was feeling the need to contribute to the authors -- and at $6 each from DRM free epub, they are very reasonably priced.

Lee

Well a good idea which I support fully is, if you download the released cds and read just one book, spend the measly $6 and purchase the ebook that provided the cd. My feeling is (even for the free books) I will donate money for the ebook if I felt it was good (so far have not come across a bad one, but no doubt that will happen in time). The ebooks are good, cheap, DRM-free, variety of formats. At times I just can't get my over the cheezy covers some of them have haha

Now isn't the fifthimperium site run by the brother of one of the authors of Baen people? IIRC there is some connection, so it's not like it is a random fan providing them.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Solicitous

Now isn't the fifthimperium site run by the brother of one of the authors of Baen people? IIRC there is some connection, so it's not like it is a random fan providing them.

Not sure. Dahak, who runs it, is a member here but I don't know what, if any, affiliation he has with any of the Baen folks.

[leebase]

I agree about the cheesy covers

Lee

[rhadin]

Originally Posted by bill_mchale

Baen, Eric Flint, David Weber and other Baen authors all subscribe to the view that if people are downloading copies of your book, even if it is for free, it will result in more sales in the long run.

--
Bill

Well, I can vouch for the accuracy of that belief. I had never rad a David Weber novel before downloading the freebies from Baen. I always found the covers off-putting and I was never much into military scifi. But Honor Harrington hooked me, and I immedately began buying new Weber releases in hardcover. I've bought 7 or 8 so far and always preorder a forthcoming book as soon as I learn of it. So here is one convert.