At Empire's Edge [Hardcover]

William C. Dietz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 6, 2009

From the national bestselling author of When Duty Calls, the first book in an exciting new science fiction duology.

In a far-distant future, the Uman Empire has spread to the stars and beyond, conquering and colonizing worlds, ruling with a benevolent-but iron-fist. The Pax Umana reigns, and all is well. But on one planet, the remnants of a violent, shape-shifting race called the Sagathis are confined, kept captive by xeno-cops, who have been bio-engineered to be able to see through their guises. Still, sometimes one manages to escape.

Zak Cato is a xeno-cop. He's returning a fugitive Sagathi when things go horribly wrong. Cato- the only survivor after the rest of his men are slaughtered-must now figure out who betrayed them and bring the alien in, whatever the cost.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Prolific military SF author Dietz starts a duology with a testosterone-soaked tale of violent retribution. Jak Cato is a member of the Xeno Corps, a cadre of soldiers bio-engineered by the Uman Empire to deal with the shape-shifting Sagathi. A skirmish with the alien Vord forces Jak's ship down on Dantha, an impoverished former prison planet, and Jak gets drunk in a tavern and awakens to learn his entire unit has been massacred. Guilt-ridden and angry, the stubborn Xeno cop hunts the culprits with little concern for collateral damage. Dietz is enthusiastic but clumsy, scattering exclamation points like discarded bullet casings and relying on melodramatic villains. The setting is an unconvincing and unimaginative Rome-in-Space culture featuring a frankly disturbing repeated motif of the loving slave, and the story is too predictable for readers tired of space opera clichés. (Oct.)
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About the Author

William C. Dietz is the author of more than twenty-five science fiction novels.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Ace Hardcover (October 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441017592
• ISBN-13: 978-0441017591
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,024,428 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

William C. Dietz is the best-selling author of more than thirty science fiction novels some of which have been translated into German, Russian, and Japanese. He grew up in the Seattle area, spent time with the Navy and Marine Corps as a medic, graduated from the University of Washington, lived in Africa for half a year, and has traveled to six continents. Dietz has been employed as a surgical technician, college instructor, news writer, television producer and Director of Public Relations and Marketing for an international telephone company. He writes full-time and lives with his wife in Washington State. For more information about William C. Dietz and his work visit: williamcdietz.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not the target demographic, November 21, 2010

By 

A. Boothe (Newark, DE USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: At Empire's Edge (Hardcover)

I have been an avid reader of Mr. Dietz from the first read of one of his Legion of the Damned series. I was so impressed that I own all of them, with the exception of the last, and have searched out some of his books that are out of print. Sadly it seems like I've fallen out of his demographics. The last Legion book as well as At Empires Edge look like they're written for the pre-teen/early teen reader. The books are written with such simplicity I was almost insulted. His over, way over, use of italics and exclamation marks make me believe he feels the imagination is lacking in his readers.
I'm struggling with the decision to get the latest Legion book. I'll not be reading more of the Empire series since it doesn't appear to be aimed at the older audience.
If you like to have every minutia of a story explained for you with italics to make sure you understand that a fist hitting a desk (exclamation mark) makes a sound or the blades of a helicopter makes a sound then the latest Dietz books are for you. If you want a good military sci-fi look up his old books.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Simplistic, September 10, 2010

By 

Brian Rowe (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: At Empire's Edge (Empire Duology) (Kindle Edition)

This book was tough to get through. The story line reads like a dime store detective novel. The aliens are very shallow and not well developed. Ive always wondered at the notion of star spanning empires that have planets where horse and cart are the way to get around.

5.0 out of 5 stars Out of this world entertainment, December 26, 2011

By 

Earl P. Chantrill (Draper, UT USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: At Empire's Edge (Mass Market Paperback)

I am a fan of William C. Dietz, and this book was definitely not a disappointment. Mr. Dietz deftly weaves concerns of our world into his otherworld stories: classic good vs. evil stuff in a very entertaining way. I look forward to reading more of his novels.