Customer Reviews

The Risen Empire: Book One of Succession

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

In the far future, people wear nanotech uniforms that will each second reform themselves to the wearer's shape, pilots will "fly" vessels less than a millimeter in diameter, AI's will take over planet-wide information systems and devices and form a "compound mind", and cultures will war with each to death and destruction. All of this is semi-interesting in its own right and is handled extremely deftly in this work, but it still is standard science fiction. But also in the future? The dead will rule, empathy will be treated with drugs as a side-effect, and oh yes, one of the more interesting characters/narrators will be a house. This is poetry.
While there was once a time when I read mostly science fiction, I long ago moved into fantasy when looking for lighter reading and while I still dipped into the pool now and then, I never was impressed enough to wade back in fully, though I sometimes found things I liked quite a bit (Dan Simmons' Hyperion series for instance). If I thought there were more books out there like this one, I'd throw on my goggles, suit, and fins and jump in for an extended stay.
As mentioned, the science part of Risen Empire is smoothly handled--the jargon never gets in the way, the devices themselves and their application are fascinating, and it's all tied so tightly into what's happening that you never feel lost or confused in a sea of technological jibber-jabber. Even better than the science, though, is the human side of this novel. The political premise, that one empire, ruled by the dead--eternals tightly tied to the emperor who alone can grant that immortality--is slowly stagnating and is starting to face internal dissent by some of the living is wonderful. Politics and social analysis is given nearly as much space as the technology, and while some will find it mere digression slowing down the "operatic" parts of the space opera, I personally found it as or possibly more interesting. Even better are the human relationships, the main one between a senator fighting the emperor back "home" and the starship captain fighting for the emperor on a light-years away where the Emperor's sister has been taken captive.
Westerfeld cuts back and forth among the attempted rescue of the hostages, the political maneuvering back at the Empire, and flashback scenes that flesh out the main characters' individual histories as well as their relationship's history. Again, some will be off-put by this structuring, wanting more "action". I think it heightened the suspense of the rescue mission, helped make the characters three-dimensional (all too rare in both science fiction and fantasy), and made for a more interesting and stimulating reading due to the fractured structure. Subplots abound in the story beyond the main story--the hostage crisis that is the opening move in the new war between the Empire and its old enemy the Rix--who seek to "seed" artificial compound minds on industrialized worlds. Along with the war, the reader is introduced to a possible mutiny attempt, a spurned love-interest, a secret that may or may not bring down the Empire, a Helsinki-syndrome in yet another hostage situation, a sentient house, and more. All of them juggled nicely and neatly, even if all are not of the same story quality.
Very little is resolved at the end of this book, and if there's a complaint, it's that the book itself is pretty slim and so I wonder at the need to divide it into two as is seemingly going to be the case. But that's a minor if annoying flaw, and it will not prevent me from picking up the second book as soon as it comes out. After all, I want to see what happens to that house.

OK. So you have to buy two books, instead of one to get the complete story. This book, while not up to the level of Alastair (no relation) Reynolds or M. John Harrison's brilliant Light, is so crammed full of ideas and oblique perspectives that the first volume ended at just the appropriate place to let it simmer and percolate in the old subconscious for a bit. ("Brilliant Light." Ha ha.) The anticipation of a return to the universe of The Risen Empire, alone justifies this approach.

If this were not as good a novel, then I probably would have been testy about having to buy two (rather short) volumes. Of course, I would not have bought the second.

This book is full of poetic images, like the dead cat farm, that are scattered as if thrown away. I enjoyed it so much that if I had been able to finish it in one swell foop I would have been left regretting that it ended so soon.

It faintly embarrassing that I now love Space Opera this much. It is out of character that this sub-genre, which, except for Nova, never really interested me, has now become vital literature in the wide spectrum of science fiction. I'm a slipstream/new wave kind of guy. What am I doing reading this stuff? (Having a great time - that's what.)

(I apologize for the second sentence of the last paragraph.)

This is an interesting, articulate novel which just about fits into the space-opera subgenre, I think. It has a cast of dozens, if not hundreds, but the two main characters are compelling enough to make up for the (few, infrequent) points where my attention wandered. Shiny space-battles, with just enough tech description to be understandably believeable and not enough to bore. And it has politics. Complicated politics.

Also, fascinating look at the social problems caused by a wealthy, immortal (undead) elite for their still-living compatriots.

I enjoyed this book. It's space opera that assumes you do, actually, have a functioning brain.

This is really terrific science fiction. A most intriguing plot that goes back and forth between the military aspects of the story, which are plausible, thrilling, and filled with imaginative and cool technological creations, the other half of the book deals with the political maneuverings involved in the decision to go to war with a rival faction of humanity. The books shifts between a multitude of characters' viewpoints, settings, and also flashbacks, but the author effortlessly keeps it together and it is not difficult to keep track of everything. Westerfeld is an excellent writer who paints vivid imagery concisely and keeps the plot rolling and the reader thouroughly entranced. Character development is exemplary for a science fiction novel and some morality themes are seamlessly worked in, adding depth without slowing the book's momentum. My only problem with the book is that it ends abruptly- this is not a stand alone novel by any means! You are forced by the publishers' apparent greed to buy two books (and this first volume is rather slim - a little over 300 pp!)Still, I will capitulate since I have to see how the rest of the story plays out, highly recommended book for sure.

The Risen Empire is creative, epic, and very captivating. Well, let me put a disclaimer on that: the plot was very compelling, but the language was cumbersome at times. Westerfeld has a great grasp of language and has a very detail-oriented and descriptive style. Westerfeld also has managed to create some very interesting technologies, weapons, ships, etc. and provides us with a vivid image of how each works and how each fits into the fictional politics and economy.

The problem occurs when the two collide: sophisticated explanations of technology sometimes get lost in flowery language, making some passages (lasting as long as a few ages) difficult to get through. I found that the pace was broken in this way about two or three times throughout the novel.

But that's a small criticism for a book as enjoyable as this. For those that like to dig into sci-fi technology, this book is a gem. It also has solid military sci-fi elements and good action. For those who like character stories, there is a wonderful (but very bizarre) relationship that occurs near the end... good stuff.

This bizarre character-based space opera (a space soap-opera?), is filled with characters who simply do what they do. There are no heroes and no villains. The story, told from multiple points of view (whose pov you're now entering is clear from the chapter titles), involves a botched hostage rescue attempt and preparations for war, a planet-wide takeover by an AI. And, oh yes, a love story or two. The tech described is fascinating, too.

But reader, beware! Unfortunately this brief (340 page) book stops in the middle. You will need to read the "sequel" (aka volume 2) to learn the rest.

Risen Empire takes place in a well imagined distant future with fast paced action, an economy of words and well develped charecters. Most of the negative reviews were because the book was not advertised as a first in a trilogy, but I can easily forgive the fact given the quality of the story telling. Hope book 2 lives up to my expectations.

I love good Sci-Fi: books that realistically explore what humanity can and might build, and, more importantly, show the continual struggle to define what it means to be human, a struggle that no amount of technological sophistication can make lighter. This novel is most definitely "good sci-fi." Westerfeld weaves multiple complicated sub-plots clearly and elegantly. My only gripe is that nowhere on the jacket cover is it made clear that this is but the first in a series (it is). The second installment cannot come soon enough.

It's so refreshing to read a space opera that zooms along full of adventure, battles, excitement, romance and disaster which is also witty and smart. At times it was hard to remember that it was a space opera. Yes there's an emperor (with a collection of dead cats and wacky theories about the influence of cats on human history) but he presides over a constitutional monarchy with a sophisticated and savvy senate. In fact, _Risen Empire_ is as much a political novel as it is a space opera. Economics, public opinion and party machinations send the plot careening along every bit as much as the emperor's shenanigans, military hardware and the love interest. I could not put this book down and am waiting with bated breath for volume two.

I grew up loving Science Fiction, but I stopped reading the books and novels because they were so unoriginal. This book could serve to bring me back to the genre. It has the following:
1. Flawed, human heroes. I am quite tired of superheroes in SF. I refuse to read those books where the characters are the "best, of the best, of the best, of the best, of the best- and unmatched in everything that they attempt to do".
2. Great technology, fully explained and described by the author.
3. Politics and Religion.
4. 3-dimensional enemy, the Rix.
5. Actual descriptions of places, environments, and locales. Too much early SF was carried strictly by dialog.
6. Exciting, detailed action scenes.
This 2 book set is a movie waiting to happen

The SF community should beg this Scott Westerfeld fellow to write more SF novels.