By Force of Arms (Legion) [Paperback]

William C. Dietz (Author)

Book Description

Series: Legion | Publication Date: June 5, 2000

Having stopped a mutiny against Earth's government, General Bill Booly and his troops face an even greater challenge: a battle for the future of every living being in the universe, against a fanatical human and his killer technology.

"Dietz's expertise in matters of mayhem is second to none."--The Oregonian

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Ace (June 5, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044100735X
• ISBN-13: 978-0441007356
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #491,001 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

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Strong followup to the slightly disappointing By Blood Alone, April 3, 2004

By 

Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: By Force of Arms (Legion) (Paperback)

By Force of Arms, in my opinion, brings a return of vitality to the Legion of the Damned series - a series, I might add, that is not officially identified as a series. I think that is an important point to keep in mind, for this fourth novel (following Legion of the Damned, The Final Battle, and By Blood Alone) does continue a shift in focus from the original concept of "dead" men and women being resuscitated in the form of bimetallic cyborgs to a more political, diplomatic, yet still military foundation. I think this novel is almost as good as Legion of the Damned, but I'm not sure the two should even be compared. That being said, there are a few minor issues that keep me from giving the book five stars, but Dietz provides some masterful futuristic warfare in this exciting exploration of the future of the Confederacy of Sentient Beings.

For the first time in the "series," the action follows quickly on the heels of the previous novel (By Blood Alone), and William Booley III rather than a next generation Booley retains his position of leadership in the new crisis facing the Confederacy. In the last novel, a new race of aliens, the Thraki, entered Confederate space, and thanks to a constant state of duplicity and posturing in the Confederate ranks, took up residence on a planet under the protection of the Clone Hegemony. The Hegemony originally hoped to use the Thraki, with its immense fleet, as an ace in the hole protecting their flank as they conspired to topple the Earth government and gain power for the secret interplanetary cabal they had secretly joined. The Thraki, in turn, hoped to use the Hegemony and, indeed, the whole Confederacy, as a massive shield against their pursuing enemies, the Sheen.

The mutiny now put down and the balance of power restored in the Confederacy, the league of alien planets finds itself between a rock and a hard place, as both the Thraki and the technological Sheen boast military resources they cannot match on their own. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and former President Sergei Chien-Chu has a plan many view as reckless and more than desperate. The Hudathans, who killed untold numbers of beings among Confederacy planets, have been "imprisoned" on their own home world ever since the end of the second Hudathan war, yet their military assets and significant population of renowned warriors could serve to aid the Confederacy in its current crisis. All of this eventually leads to an almost unrecognizable military force led by now-General Bill Booley III and made up of disparate, oftentimes antagonistic soldiers working together for the first time.

The Thraki - Sheen side of the story has its weaknesses and, at times, seems downright silly, and the eventual conclusion of the novel does leave something to be desired, but the bulk of the story is fresh and exciting, and the descriptions of the new Confederate military in action make for some of the most exhilarating (and sometimes quite humorous) accounts of military science fiction I have read. Some clumsy romance once again takes a little something away from the reading experience, but Dietz is an author who knows how to tell an exciting futuristic story.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars This one Disappoints Dietz fans!, May 15, 2001

By 

"scot65" (Hathorne, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: By Force of Arms (Legion) (Paperback)

What happended? For those that have followed this series we have always been able to see the Legion do their best work when the pressure is on and the stakes are high. This time I felt dissapointed and let down. My expectations were high and I was really waiting for it to all come together and then a big "poof"

All done, go home everyone? Sorry, But, that doesn't cut it for me. I have read Dietz because he has always delivered, Fast paced action, exceptional technology and a host of great charaters that make the Legion special. They are usually facing a dangerous & seriously competent enemy.

If anything it would seem that this book was an attempt at an easy way out to end the series. It seems that he was rushed and needed a quick ending. The result is a couple of interesting books that had some potential and then a let down.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Really good addition to the series....But, July 6, 2000

By 

"tms226" - See all my reviews

This review is from: By Force of Arms (Legion) (Paperback)

I do believe this was a good addition to this series. But I think that the series has started to stray from the orginal Legion of the Damned or maybe grow is a better word. More politics, less blood and guts. Never the less, this is a good read for any true fan of military science-fiction.