Customer Reviews

The Fox's Honor

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A fascinating read for the science-fiction buff happily suffering from a debilitating touch of the romantic notion.

In The Fox's Honor, Mr. Alford transports an unbending code of chivalry and honor to a futuristic world light years displaced in time and distance from the Avalon in which such Arthurian ethics were born.

The romantic will not be disappointed in the love story between Sir Devon Rathenberg, alias "The Fox," and Lady Tamar Falkeep, the woman who has stolen The Fox's heart. Denied any chance of a future due to social station and propriety, Sir Devon and Lady Tamar must conceal their love. But when, in a twisted turn of events, The Lady thwarts Sir Devon's planned death, a new course deciding the fate of the Human Galactic Empire is demanded--a course that will take them and their noble houses into collision with the tyrannical faux Emperor Perod.

Neither will the sci-fi buff be disappointed with Mr. Alford's detailed account of escaping the constraints of physical space via null space transportation, meticulous attention to the demands of orbital dynamics, and descriptions of the astro-/aeronautical nuances of intergalactic spacecraft. Those Star Trek afficiandos owning a copy of Hayne's USS Enterprise: Owner's Workshop Manual will demand a similar work from Mr. Alford. I take that back; they won't need one. Mr. Alford, a test pilot himself, renders treatment only an aeronautical engineer's mother could love to the technical aspects of space travel and the vehicles that conquer it.

The Fox's Honor is Book Two in "The Chronicles of the Dragon and The Fox." It's prequel is The End of Honor, and it's followed by A Season of Honor. I didn't need the prequel to enjoy The Fox's Honor. I am, however, driven to purchase the sequel. I suspect you will be, too.

This second in the trilogy Mr. Alford has written about The Dragon and the Fox actually takes place at the same time as much of the action in the first book, The End of Honor. Where before, we were following the tale of John-Mark, the Dragon, now we are with the wily but honorable, Devon Rathenberg the Fox and head of Intelligence as he and his lovely wife, Tamar, struggle to reunite the many planets and stars in the Human Galactic Empire. Because of Mr. Alford's background in Aerospace Engineering and military operations, this book is full of highly technical futuristic detail: from the description of FTL (faster than light) vehicles to life on the space terminals, the reader is carried into a love story, a swash-buckling action-adventure tale and a desperate battle against the evil that seems to follow all human activity. This second book only whets our appetite for the third!

When I read Mr. Alford's background, I knew the technical qualities of his work would be precise, and I was right. But he also puts his knowledge of science to imaginative use; his obvious love of aeronautics certainly serves to enhance his chosen genre and the details in this book. For me, the universe he creates -- futuristic, yet somehow ancient -- is the most intriguing aspect of THE FOX'S HONOR. His exploration of genetic engineering, the nobility and resulting society it produces, is thought-provoking and timely. If you have ever questioned the concept of honor -- how duty and loyalty affect our daily decisions, both large and small -- you should buy this book; it might challenge your way of thinking!

Prince Devon's daring sacrifice saves the Empire from its enemies, while his love for Lady Tamar evokes an even greater conflict. THE FOX'S HONOR provides all the elements of a "can't-be-it-down" book. An Empire in turmoil. A House divided. A code of Honor. Revenge. Betrayal. Intense love. Ultimate triumph. An intriguing adventure story for both men and women who love a good science fiction read! Alford weaves a timeless tale of struggle between good and evil, hauntingly taking me to another story of Redemption. Eileen Rife, author of RESTORED HEARTS Restored Hearts