Customer Reviews

Mercenary (Bio of a Space Tyrant)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a great sequel to Piers Anthony's first book in his Bio of a Space Tyrant Series (Refugee). Though out of print in the mass market paperback edition, it is well worth purchasing in Trade Paperback or Hardback, or even better, in used condition.

This second book deals with the Tyrant's adventures in the military after he survives his perilous journey as a refugee in the previous book. It explores his rise as a miliary figure, and the beginning of his many relationships and alliances, and it sets the stage for his entrance into politics in the next book in the series: Politician. Don't be fooled, though, this book stands alone, on its own.

Anyone who doubts that Piers Anthony can write Sci-Fi as proficiently as he writes Fantasy should give this series a try. It is one of the best Sci-Fi series I have ever read. It is enjoyable from the first pick-up to the last put-down; it doesn't take any investment of effort to get involved, and you are never bored.

For new-found fans of Piers Anthony Sci-Fi I would also recommend the following Piers Anthony Novels: The Split Infinity Series (fantastic half sci-fi/ half fantasy storyline), the Cluster Series (fantasic imaginative exploration of alien cultures), the Omnivore/Orn/Ox series (which explores alien worlds with human explorers).

Other books that seem to relate to the ideals in the Bio of A Space Tyrant Series: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (by Robert Heinlein) and Citizen of the Galaxy (by Robert Heinlein).

I read for the first time in high school, and after so many years I still loved it. It brought back some old character friends. I think the best part of the book for me back in high school was that it showed me that sometimes there are choices in life that can make big differences in the future. Hope (main character) has to make several choices as grows, but thanks to understanding that those around him can help him he makes the right ones. I don't want to spoil the book, enjoy!

The big smoke is not all it is cracked up to be, either is the army.


The kid from the first book survives long enough to grow up and work on Jupiter, which just happens to not be amazingly better than a moon. He also gets drafted into the army, and starts what turns out to be a promising military career, with a big of help and sneakiness.

Here in book two, Hope has little prospects for surviving. No money, not a resident, etc. The only way to go is to join the Navy.

His rise through the ranks is meteoric through the help of the mysterious organization QYF and an officer who has an idea of assimilating the most effective command structure ever seen. Of course the only problem is in getting Hope high enough in rank in order to be able to have them in his command.

The fact that a Hispanic is rising to great heights in the navy has not gone unnoticed and the powers that be feel it's time to remove him. So they give him an almost impossible job, Destroy the Pirates of the Belt. His solution is both bold and surprising.

Full of battles and strategy, I'd give it more stars but five is all I'm allowed.

I did not like this book as much as I liked Refugee.
Here Hope Hubris finds out the hard way that Jupiter is not the paradise it was made out to be. While Mr. Anthony sticks to the theme of refugees the book is great. Now he models our hero's experiences on Mexican migrant workers in the US. Indeed, Hubris starts out as fruit picker before he is drafted into the army.
Again, the setting of the story is just great. Jupiter is corrupt, the army is corrupt and covertly racist. The promised paradise turns out to be a Potemkin facade. Still, Hubris falls under the influence of some very competent officers and is pushed upwards towards his own command.
The main weakness of the book is the characterisation of Hubris himself: he is not sufficiently scarred by his experiences in the refugee bubble. Either there is a ploy from the author, or just a miss. The only hang-up he has is a slight sexual one (he cannot harm a woman). So, the book misses a bit on the psychology of Hubris, which harms it, since that should be such a vital part of explaining his later actions.

I've been recently reading novels from my past, especially those I recall enjoying. I felt like revisiting this series, seeing if I remember correctly.

Back cover of book:

Scourge of the Ecliptic

He was driven by violent injustice from his home moon of Callisto - and set forth to claim the epic destiny that would blaze across worlds and time. He saw his family destroyed, his sister carried off into sexual slavery, his beautiful lover killed - and he swore revenge against the murderous pirates who held the Jupiter planetoids in a stranglehold of terror.

Fired by raw courage, steeled by young might, he rose in the Navy of Jupiter to command a personal squadron loyal to the death. And it was death they faced - against piratical warlords of the Jupiter Ecliptic who laughed at the young commander's challenge...until they met the merciless fury of the warrior who would annihilate all obstacles in his path to immortal renown as the

Tyrant of Jupiter!

End back cover of book.

Hope Hubris narrates his experiences prior and during his naval career. The bonds developed preceding his military service will serve him in forging a nucleus of officers to hopefully help his goal of eradicating piracy. The strategy and tactics involved in the space battles are fascinating. I highly recommend this book if you found the first volume decent especially if you like space battles.

Thank you.

This is a fantastic novel that although I read it a number of years ago, I am still amazed by the craftmanship involve in this book. Throughout this series, Piers Anthony leads his readers into his imagination of the future colonization of the solar system and the rise to power of an incredible man. Anthony projects the United States and the rest of the world of the 1980s into the future, although in recent years we hav seen the fall of the Soviet Union, the issues discussed in this novel still face our world even today.

This and the others in the series are very good. Read them. Now. Or i'll... j/k. But really, the storyline is about a Hope Hubris, and his diary. Written in the 24th Century, this is a good Science Fiction.

Though this book does have it's good points, like the battles fought both individually and as part of the Jupiter Navy by the main character, there is too much truely gratuitous sex. Sex in books is fine and sex between main characters often serves to show the reader something important about them. In this book, Anthony sets up political situations that can only be solved by sex, such as the loophole that marrying another officer in the Jupiter Navy allows you to bring that officer into your unit, or raping a pirate girl allows you to claim her for your own. As in volume one of the series, Refugee, the sex is handled obviously and clumsily.

Little improvement is made on the style of the book over that found in Refugee. The greatest benefit to this book's story is that it is not a seemingly endless stream of pirate attacks. There is a good variety of events in this book, some of which are quite memorable, such as the songs sung by migrant workers or the comparison of space battle tactics to those of ancient Europeans. Still, the overall writing style seems simplistic and of course the gratuitous sexual content makes the otherwise interesting parts less palatable.

Scourge of the Ecliptic

He was driven by violent injustice from his home moon of Callisto and set forth to claim the epic destiny that would blaze across worlds and time. He saw his family destroyed, his sister carried off into sexual slavery, his beautiful lover killed - and he swore revenge against the murderous pirates who held the Jupiter planetodis in a stranglehold of terror...

Fired by raw courage, steeled by young might, he rose in the Navy of Jupiter to command a personal squadron loyal to the death. And it was death they faced-against piratical warlords of the Jupiter Ecliptic who laughed at the young commander's challenge...until they met the merciless fury of the warrior who would annihilate all obstacles in his path to immortal renown as the Tyrant of Jupiter!