Change of Command

Change of Command (1999) is the sixth SF novel in the Familias Regnant series, following Rules Of Engagement. In the previous volume, Brun and Hazel escaped from New Texas. Then Brun convinced the RSS to rescue Hazel's shipmates. Barin vowed to protect the Ranger's wives and the rescue team lifted out with over five hundred women and children. In this novel, Esmay Suiza is Landbride of Altiplano and a Lieutenant in the Regular Space Service. She is planning her wedding to Barin. Barin Serrano is an Ensign in the RSS. He is planning his wedding to Esmay, but the upkeep for the Ranger wives and children is zeroing his paycheck. Charlotte Brunhilde Meager Thornbuckle is back home with her family. She makes her appreciation known to Esmay and Barin. She is not very happy about her children. Now Brun is thinking about going to Guernesi for a rejuv and biosculpt to escape her past. Miranda Meager is glad to have her daughter back alive, but is also very upset by the children. She knows that the children are innocent. Yet she cannot see them without thinking of the New Texas terrorists who forced themselves upon Brun. Cecile de Marktos is a horsewoman, well-known in fox hunting and event circles. She is a rejuvenant and now looks about forty years old. She is an old friend of the Thornbuckles and especially of Brun. Vida Serrano is an RSS admiral, commanding the seventh sector. She is also Barin's grandmother. Ronnie is Lady Cecile's nephew and is married to Raeffaele. They are living on Excet-24, a colony planet. In this story, Esmay and Barin have gained permission to marry, but then someone assassinates Lord Thornbuckle and all Navy leaves are canceled. Bunny's family and friends are shocked and grieving, but his political enemies are taking advantage of the situation. Hobart Conselline sees an opportunity in the death of the Speaker and gets himself elected as temporary Speaker. He replaces a few key ministers and then proposes some key changes in the statutes. Soon he is firmly in charge, but his subordinates never seem to do things the way he wishes. Miranda is not only racked by grief, but has to consider her unwanted grandchildren as well. Lady Cecile offers to find new homes for the boys and takes them away on a rented yacht. She passes them on to Ronnie and Raffa, who are living on a very neglected colony planet. When Cecile returns to Castle Rock, she tries to learn something about the Excet Group that are supposedly providing necessary services for the colony. She discovers that the Conselline Sept controls the Excet Group. As she digs deeper, Cecile finds more colonies that have been mismanaged. Vida is concerned about the mental problems of some senior NCOs in her sector. She knows that a bad batch of rejuvenation serum caused many of the impairments, but she starts hearing that other causes may have also contributed. Then orders come down for the temporary suspension of senior admirals who have received

I enjoyed this book a great deal. It was different from the previous books but just as good. I enjoyed the many story lines they kept me thinking. It setup for a great next book as well. I can understand the other reviews point of view but I disagree. Read this book and draw your on conclusions.

I have to disagree with the many reviews accusing this book of having too many plots and solving none, which almost got me to put off ordering it until the next book in the series came. That would have been a mistake.True, the book is full of plots, and many of them are just setting stage for a sequel. But in setting stage, the book does build things to satisfaction. We see a view of the Compassionate Hand that suddenly make them look like the good guys. We see Brun finally maturing, developing herself into someone that will, I predict, become very important in _directing_ events, instead of being caught on them. We see Luiza and Barin finally maturing their relationships, and also maturing into more senior officers, that will be throughly needed in the future.The main plot, who killed Brun's father, is indeed solved in this book, as are the matters of retribution and dealing with his successor.Now, this book does leave the familias in shambles. Leaderless, with a serious mutiny in his hand, and beset by division in the familias. It also leaves Luiza and Barin in a tight spot in their relationship, this time by no fault of their own. The stage set in this book definitely leaves one eager for the next. I think those who criticized this book were just too enthranced by this stage to recognize this book's internal plots.

This book sets up for the next very nicely. I can't wait for the sequel but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy this one.

Chronologically this novel is a sequel to "Rules of Engagement," but in mood and orientation it is more a sequel to, "Winning Colors." Very little of the book is devoted to the continuing adventures of Esmay Suiza in the Regular Space Service. Like "Winning Colors" it is mostly devoted to the maneuvering within the Familias Regnant. I enjoyed the character development and insights into the government of the Familias, but there is very little military action/adventure. The mutiny on Copper Mountain had some good action and this novel did set up the civil war within the Familias and the Regular Space service for the next novel.