The Final Battle (Legion) [Paperback]

William C. Dietz (Author)

Book Description

Series: Legion | Publication Date: July 1, 1995

The Confederacy is threatened by an uprising of the Hudathans, an unfeeling cyborg race that has built up its forces through stolen technology, and their only opponents are the members of the Legion.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Ace (July 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044100217X
• ISBN-13: 978-0441002177
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #512,878 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 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even better than Legion of the Damned, July 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Final Battle (Legion) (Paperback)

It really shows that sometimes sequals are better tan the originals. READ THIS BOOK, it is some of the best military SF i've ever read!

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Hudathans strike back - with cyborgs of their own, April 2, 2004

By 

Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Final Battle (Legion) (Paperback)

Thirty years ago, as recorded in William C. Dietz's earlier novel Legion of the Damned, the Human Empire managed, thanks to the remarkable legionnaires and in particular the cyborgs in its ranks, to overthrow a corrupt and ineffective imperial government and defeat the powerful space fleet of the aggressive Hudathans. Admiral Poseen-Ka and thousands of his defeated soldiers were imprisoned on Worber's World, and mega-merchant turned hero Sergi Chien-Chu, the new leader of the victorious empire (now organized as the Confederacy of the Sentient) did not pursue a murderous assault on the Hugathan home world. This was a mistake. The Hugathans see any intelligent life form as a threat to their survival, a threat that must be eliminated. Their bitter defeat only strengthened their resolve, and they used what they had learned in the first war to prepare for the new offensive against the Confederacy. A major part of the new game plan involved the implementation of their own cyborg army, and the best and brightest of the Hudathan soldiers were given the honor of being killed and resuscitated in the metallic form of the Regiment of the Living Dead.

The Final Battle is a great read, but it does have its weaknesses. It takes a while to get into the novel, as we are reintroduced to a few major characters from the earlier book, men and women who are to some degree shadows of their old selves, and newly introduced to new heroes such as the half-human, half-Naa son of the famous William Booly. The young Booly eventually matures into an interesting character, but his role seems to fade as the ultimate conflict approaches; indeed, many important characters and plot points seem to fall away as the end approaches. Dietz is at his best in describing the intense action of the wars and skirmishes that take place, and the remarkable prison break that puts the Hudathans back into the game is a great example of this. I continue to have a little trouble accepting Poseen-Ka's eminence in the Hudathan war plans, though; he is a slow and methodical leader who goes against the aggressive nature of his race as a whole, a man who basically lost the first war single-handedly, and yet he regains immense power in the Hudathan military.

My biggest problem with this book concerns the position of the Clone Worlds. Their position inside the Confederacy is viewed as crucial, and much is made of the split between the world's three rulers in this regard, but - unless I just missed something - the Clones aren't even a factor in the pivotal events. All you get out of this particular storyline is an oversexed relationship between a clone and an aging human warrior. There is, in fact, a good deal of unnecessary sex in this book, sex that serves no real purpose whatsoever. When you have two important leaders continually making goo-goo eyes at each other when they are supposed to be laying the groundwork for the mutual survival of their worlds, that - to me - is a problem.

The second half of the novel does come across as a little rushed, and I'm still wondering where a few seemingly important sub-plots wandered off to, but The Final Battle still stands as an oftentimes gripping military science fiction adventure. Those who enjoyed Legion of the Damned should enjoy this second Legion novel, but the first novel is clearly the better of the two.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Second Hudathan War, January 12, 2012

By 

Arthur W. Jordin (Smyrna, GA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Final Battle (Legion) (Paperback)

The Final Battle (1995) is the second SF novel in the Legion series. The initial work in this sequence is Legion of the Damned.

In the previous volume, Norwood was the senior surviving officer on Worber's World. The Hudutha had bombed every major city and were working over the planet in overlapping strips. She went to the Hudutha and asked for terms of surrender.

Unfortunately, the Hudutha did not take prisoners without good reasons. They were very paranoid and assumed that their enemy would retaliate against them if they escaped death. They imprisoned her, but continued butchering the population of the planet.

Meanwhile, St. James was leading the Camerone Day celebrations. He read the history of the Camerone incident and then dismissed the troops for the festivities. He wished Marianne was there to celebrate with him.

Booly was leading a patrol the next morning. Booly rode Villian as the patrol leaves the fort. Naa spies watched them pass by in the village and out in the desert. The Naa had a surprise waiting for them.

On Earth, Marianne met Scolari and Chien-Chu at a party thrown by the Emperor. They were summoned from the party to advise the Emperor on the situation at Worber's World. The Emperor got conflicting advice from Marianne and Scolari.

In this novel, Moolu Rasha Anguar is President of the Confederacy of Sentient Beings. He was elected to the office after Chien-Chu died of a massive heart attack.

Sergi Chien-Chu is a very wealthy merchant. He had been the first President of the Confederacy. After his death, his wife Nola paid the costs of boxing his brain. Now he is a cyborg often called Jim James.

Natalie Norwood is a General in the Confederate Army. She is serving on Battlestation Alpha XIX in orbit around Worber's World.

Ian St. James is a General in the Confederate Legion. He commands the Legion Military Academy.

D. A. Axler is a Colonel in the Legion. She works for St. James.

Marianne Mosby is a General in the Legion. She has won numerous awards for courage under fire.

William B. Booly, Jr., is a senior cadet in the Legion Military Academy. He is a half-breed with a human father and a Naa mother.

Parker is a Corporal in the Legion. He has been promoted to sergeant several times.

Niman Poseen-Ka is a Hudathan POW on Worber's World. The former War Commander of Hudathan forces attacking the Confederacy has been a prisoner for two decades.

In this story, Norwood and her command are keeping a vigilant eye oh the Hudathan POWs on Worber's World. The enemy seems to be keeping busy, but is not improvising weapons for a breakout Unfortunately for the Confederacy, something is going on underground.

A Hudathan scout ship had dropped a globe filled with microrobots into a meteorite swarm. The globe had fallen out of the sky with the many meteors and reached the surface. There they spread and dug into the ground.

The microrobots combined to make small factories. These manufactured weapons, armor and support gear. One made an android that contacted the POWs and passed on the plan to Poseen-Ka.

At the next quarterly onplanet inspection, the Hudatha ambush the Confederation party. Despite the surprise, Norwood and her troops fight their way back to the LZ. Poseen-Ka personally shoots Norwood and the other two Confederate survivors.

Meanwhile, Hudathan ships are attacking Battlestation Alpha XIX. These ships overwhelm the Confederate bastion. After all the humans are dead, Poseen-Ka is taken back to the Hudathan capital for a courtmartial, but is cleared of all charges. He is promoted to Sector Marshal and joins the attack against the Confederacy.

Anguar visits the Clone Hegemony. The three clone worlds are very Earth-like planets inhabited by hundreds of clones types. He meets the three Alpha clones -- Marcus-Six, Pietro-Six, and Antonia-Six -- who rule the Hegemony. He asks them to join the Confederacy.

Marcus tends to accept alliance with the Confederacy, but his fellow clone leaders are not that willing. Pietro and Antonia meet with the Hudatha and agree to assist them. Antonia is less than enthused with the agreement after the meeting.

On Earth, senior cadet Booly has climbed to the top of Danjou Hall. From there, he can see the way over the rooftops to the headquarters building. He is planning on raising the cadet banner on a flagpole over that building.

He starts by climbing down to cross over to the next building. On the way to the flagpole, Booly knocks out and ties up two plebes who are trying to waylay him. After raising the flag, he crashes into the Commandant and collides with a cadet waiter. He returns to his quarters with cuts and bruises, but with a feeling of satisfaction.

The next day, Booly graduates from the Academy. His parents give him his blue kepi and shoulder boards. They invite him to a banquet, but he has other plans.

Bill meets Riley and other friends for dinner and drinks at the Kepi Blanc. Other recent graduates are also there, including the bully Kadien and his toadies. Although they don't like Kadien, Booly and Riley accept an invitation to accompany him to the Cess Pool, an offlimits dive in Tijuana.

After a fight with some marines, Kadien's farewell kick, and the beating from the marine MPs, Booly is taken back to the Academy. The next morning, he is awakened by Parker for his summary courtmartial. Parker suggests that he be apologetic about everything except the fight with the marines.

Colonel Axler baits him into loosing his temper, but he does not loose control of his body. She points out that his temper is often his worst enemy. Then she fines him three months pay and sends him to Alpha-001 in the Clone Hegemony.

Mosby is also going to Alpha-001 to take command to the Legionnaires there. Booly meets her on the ship. He also visits his soldiers on the ship, including the four Trooper II cyborgs.

This tale brings the Hudatha back against the Confederacy. The Clone Hegemony is too involved in internal struggles to fight the Hudatha. Yet Sergi has brought other sentients into the Confederacy defense.

Naturally the Confederacy is not defeated or there wouldn't be a sequel. The next installment in this series is By Blood Alone.

Recommended for Dietz fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of armed conflict, heroic actions, and determined sentients. Read and enjoy!

-Arthur W. Jordin