Customer Reviews

Empire From the Ashes

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Empire From the Ashes (2003) is an omnibus edition of the Dahak series. It contains Mutineers' Moon, The Armageddon Inheritance, and Heirs of Empire. These novels are among Weber's earliest works.

Before Honor Harrington there was Commander Colin Maclntyre, USN. On a routine training mission to the moon, he discovered that the Moon wasn't a natural body, but rather a 3000 kilometer diameter warship, the Dahak. Moreover, the artificial intelligence that guided the ship had been waiting patiently -- 51,000 years -- for a crew, so it immediately impressed Colin as its commander.

In Mutineers' Moon, Colin has to fight the original mutiny as well as human terrorists and fanatics. Moreover, there were the long lost empire itself.

In The Armageddon Inheritance, Colin must fight against an invasion of genocidal aliens, the Achuultani. These aliens periodically swarm through the galaxy exterminating all other races. Earth can't resist them, so Colin searches the long lost empire for assistance.

In Heirs of Empire, Colin's children are shipwrecked during their midshipman cruise on a primitive planet, where they face an implacable theocracy that wants them dead. Meanwhile, back in the capital, an unknown enemy is threatening the empire.

These novels are space opera, of the "find a starship and see the galaxy" variety, with simple plots but lots of action. The scope of these novels is much like the Lensman series, huge fleets fighting in space, but without the colliding planets. Moreover, the technology is more generic and less detailed than in the Honor Harrington series.

Recommended for Weber fans and anyone who enjoys largescale space opera.

"Mutineer's Moon" was one of Dave's earliest books (i here insert my usual disclaimer that i am his brother), and one of his better premises. ("Path of the Fury" (q.v.), from the same period, is, i think a better book, but "Moon" is excellent.)

We grew up on a diet of classic SF that has certainly shaped David's writing -- perticularly, in reading this book, i am reminded that we had access to the complete works of Edward E. ("Doc") Smith. "Doc" would begin with a relatively basic premise (Dick Seaton discovers a way to produce all sorts of energy from ordinary copper; the Arisians and the Eddoreans work to thwart each other in shaping the Universe), and then, from book to book, both the super-scientific wonders and the stakes would grow and grow. It is in the "Dahak" books that this influence on David most clearly shows, with entire moons used as weapons, ships the size of small planets, huge orbiting space defence fortresses, entire mountains resculpted to provide weapons mounts and weapons so powerful that a single bomb can destroy an entire world

David's opening premise here, that the Earth's Moon... isn't, so to speak, is grandiose enough, and would serve as the basis for an excellent novel without much added material... but it's just the beginning.

From the moment when astronaut Colin MacIntyre's spacecraft is snatched over Luna's Farsideby "impossible" means and he is conveyed into what appears to be a huge complex of caverns inside the Moon, the action begins accelerating and doesn't stop, as we learn that much of what we "know" of our world, our ancestors and our history is either false or the result of the conflicts of hidden forces of which we know nothing.

And then we discover that those forces are merely the result of panic reactions to the REAL coming menace. And the race is on.

As in Smith, the stakes and the action constantly escalate; at one point the entire Earth is essentially one huge incredibly-armed fortress, energised by a powersource which may well break its controls and ravage the planet almost as badly as the attackers whose coming has necessitated it.

At the same time that Colin and his cohorts are fighting off the menace of the Achu'ultan, they are struggling to rebuild a huge stellar Empire which apprantly perished mysteriously, leaving hardware and technology behind, but no living worlds.

Much of David's strength as a writer lies in the sweeping concepts of his works; a lot also is the fact that his characters (while not necessarily "real") are fun to know, and do it is here -- particularly the character of Dahak, the computer controlling the huge warship of the same name who, over many thousands of years, has gradually become self-aware, and is definitely a "character".

Book One -- "Mutineers' Moon" -- chronicles Dahak and Colin's first meeting, as a result of which Colin finds himself in command of the huge ship and (nominally) Imperial Governor of Earth (which, of course, has no inkling that the Empire exists, much less than an Imperial Governor has just been appointed). Warned of the menace of the oncoming Achu'ultanii, Colin has to organise Earth's defence -- but first he has to defeat the leaders of the ancient mutiny that sets the whole story in motion.

"The Armegeddon Inheritance" is the story of Colin's further adventures and of the beginnings of the rebuilding of the ancient Imperium, as Colin accidentally grants himself a rather large promotion.

"Heirs of Empire" jumps tenty or so years forward from the end of "Inheritance", to a time when Colin and Jiltanith's son and daughter and a couple of their friends suddenly find themselves stranded on a backward world where change or advance is literally heresy -- burn-at-the-stake type heresy -- and where the enclave of Imperial Technology they need to reach to get themselves rescued is the Sanctum Sanctorum of the oppressive religion.

Meanwhile, back on Earth and Birhat, a truly nasty plot is going forth, which Colin and friends have to discover and thwart, with the aid of some of the more endearing enhanced dogs written in a while. (Tinkerbell, the Labraweiler -- or is that Rottador -- who is the mother of the first of the superdogs, seems to be based on a huge lovely and loving dog of David's.)

Now if he'd just write a fourth or even a fifth...

This book is defintely worth the read! BUT... this is not a new volume in the series (as I expected), rather all three books compiled in one volume. Come on Mr. Weber! Give us a new novel set in the Empire universe!

Finally I can get rid of my worn out paperbacks!! This book contains Mutineers' Moon, The Armageddon Inheritance, and Heirs of Empire! Not only are these three orignal books now in one large nice hardcover some of David Weber's very best writting, they are in one book! These are the stories (these 3 books) that got me hooked on David Weber and his writing style. For those of you who many not have read any of his works, Weber's writing is full of details, but the action and adventure never stop. The detail rich storylines provide that you'll never be bored! You'll always understand what he is talking about (you won't have to figure it what he's trying to tell you), he explains the technology of his story lines in crips clean sentances that while aren't baby talk don't make you look around for a dictionary for scientists!! Before I ever read a single Honor Herrington, I read Mutineers' Moon, The Armageddon Inheritance, and Heirs of Empire, now available in this one book!!!

This is a great series. The first two books in the series, "Mutineer's Moon" and "The Armageddon Inheritance" are pure Science Fiction. I won't attempt to compete with the review the author's own brother posted below on March 26, 2003.

The third book, "Heirs of Empire" has a different style. It reminds me of Star Trek, where Capt. Kirk is flying through outer space in his futuristic space ship, when suddenly he beams down to a planet that's the Roman Empire, or the Wild West, or Nazi Germany. And guess what? His phaser doesn't work and the Enterprise had to leave orbit because of some nasty Klingons. He has to rely on his wits to survive.

This book is just like that and I love it. The teenage children of the hero from the first two books, get marooned on a more primitive planet. It's sort of a cross between the American Civil War and the European Middle ages. They can't use their futuristic weapons, and have to rely on their wits to survive and go home. There's still the Science Fiction David Webber is known for, since the story keeps flashing back to Dad and an evil plot back on Earth to overthrow the Empire. But it's the story of the kids fighting their way across a world, that makes this story for me.

I would have given this 5 stars except for the ending. I really don't know what the author was trying to do there, but I think he was trying to be creative. I've read quite a few of his many other books, so I know he knows how to end a book correctly. He just chose not to do it with this one. I think he was just trying to be different for the fun of it. I didn't like it. Don't do it again David.

This is space sci-fi at its best! I feel myself lucky to have read all 3 continuously and it has cost me some lost sleep. Mutineers' Moon was great-imagine our moon which turned out to be a planetoid spaceship! The second book, Armageddon Inheritance is the best - an amazing alien enemy, heroism, amazing space battles and of couse my favorite character Dakar who was the ultimate hero. Heirs of Empire is good too but I felt let down by the ending which seems rushed - the adventures of Sean and Company was top entertainment until the abrupt conclusion. Yes we know they were fine towards the end of the book but they deserved a longer story ! Finally when is the 4th book ? Surely this is not the end for Dakar and his human and alien friends !

I had all 3 of these novels in paper back and have worn the covers off them from rereading them, so was glad to see them in one hardback. I have probably read these books 50 or more times over the years, they are great when your favorite writers have nothing coming out, it's 7:00 PM and nothing on the tube, so dig this out, and curl up with an old friend. The war fighting scenes are believable, the leadership tactics make sense, the story line is entertaining. Of course, some of the countries of earth are changing compared to their behavior in the book, but that is the result of this book being several years old. In a general description, this is space opera. I only wish Weber would write more stories about Colin Sean MacIntire and his family and friends. The story line clearly allows expansion, and I am surprized that other writers have not jumped in with some stories about this Empire, such as the survey ships looking for other lost worlds and their experiences. I recommend this book!

The title of this review says it all. This book is a combined reprint of his 3 earlier books: Mutineer's Moon, The Armaggedon Inheritance, and Heirs of Empire. David Weber always seems to do a great job, and this is no exception. Book 1 is incredible in that it supposes that Earth's moon is really a spaceship, and the humans living on Earth are descendants of its crew! Book 2 has an alien race out to destroy all life in the galaxy, and is very well written. Book 3 is less sweeping in its impact, in that, most of it takes place on one planet's surface, but it is still a great read. My personal favorite of the series is book 1 with book 2 right behind. I hope that Mr. Weber decides to continue the series with a final battle between the aliens from book 2.

The trilogy of Dahak, the lunar sized warship with its own intelligence, allied to astronaut Colin McIntyre to defeat the Achu'Ultan is an EXCELLENT story, one of David Weber's best.
Producing an omnibus version is a good idea BUT
a better idea would be Volume Four in the series!

I have read all three books individually and now the compendium. All I can think of is a line from Oliver Twist..."more, please."

Dahak and Colin I are among the best heroes on the market.