Hell Hath No Fury (Book 2 in New Multiverse Series), 2

This is an excellent fantasy/scifi book , leaves you wanting the 3rd book in series

This is the second in the "Multiverse" series by Dave Weber and Linda Evans and follows on from the excellent "Hell's Gate." Tells the story of contact and increasingly of conflict between two civilisations, both spanning multiple universes. Between one and two centuries before the events of these novels, portals start to open between different versions of the planet earth - apparently between parallel timelines. Most of the different universes are not inhabited by intelligent life, but two have human civilisations. Both start to explore the new worlds to which their homeworlds are suddenly connected. At first neither finds any sign of intelligent life. Then on a world new to both civilsations, a lone scout from a military survey party of the Union of Arcana encounters a single member of an armed civilian survey party from the world called Sharona. Nobody, including the reader, would ever know for certain who shot first, because one was killed and the other mortally wounded. At first each side believes it has been attacked. Both civilisations now spread over hundreds of worlds, and their cultures have more in common than either realises, but their technology is utterly different. Sharona's is broadly similar to our science, and their engineering and construction abilities are in most respects about where our Earth was in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including railways, machine guns and heavy artillery. They don't have radio but do not need it because their scientists have discovered how to train people to use certain psionic talents such as telepathy. Arcana, by contrast, has very little of what we would call engineering - the most advanced weapon they which does not use psi-abilities/magic is the crossbow - but they have formidable weapons of a completely different type. Firstly they have trained creatures from their world, such as flying, fire-breathing dragons, which are just legends in ours: and their magical/psionic talents, while operating on different principles, are far more powerful than those of the Sharonians, and include the ability to store energy and information in crystals so as to be able to use them like a handgun or a laptop computer. So when these two utterly different civilisations find themselves at war, each is able to inflict surprise after surprise on the other. At the start of this book the two civilisations have made a temporary truce after a series of clashes of arms. Negotiations are under way, which the decent people who are a majority of both sides want to succeed. Unfortunately both sides have their share of wicked individuals. On the Arcanan side, a country called Mythal is ruled by a hereditary caste of magic users called the shakira caste, who resent the fact that the Union of Arcana constitution gives the other castes some rights and restrains the power of the shakira. An evil conspiracy of these shakira has some of its people in key positions among the the Union of Arcana army units a

Hell Hath No Fury is an excellent read; even better than Hell's Gate. I am really looking forward to the next one, if it ever comes out.

David Weber has proved that he is one of the best Sci Fi writers in his generation, and he is on track to equal the best of the best in Science Fiction history. His new series depicts a collision between two vastly different civilizations. One, more like ours, but with elements of magic and one that depends more on magic, but has some practical science as well. The second of his Multiverse series continues from where the first left off and offers hints about the nature of the multiverse that may decide the ultimate outcome of the clash of civilizations. If you have not read the first of these two books, don't read this one until you do. If have read it you should already by hooked beyond escape. Weber's prose is dynamic. His action and battle scenes are as good as anyone's. Although some of his characters may seem to be too good to be true, or too bad to be believable, he makes them both seem real. Best of all he paints a very realistic picture of both of the civilizations he has created. I can't wait until the next in this series. This series has the potential to match his Harrington series. It is fast paced and absolutely captivating. You shouldn't miss it.

This book hits the nail on the head of every criteria for a 5 star book you care to name. Believable and emotionaly provoking characters? Check Well thought out and executed battle scenes? Check Intruiging and original plot? Check Bad guys that are Realy bad and good guys that are realy good? Check Thought provoking political debates? Check Believable civilizations? Check And of course the centerpiece of any sci-fi novel. Inteligent, Well thought out, magic and technology. In short, this is among the best books I have read in Years. 5 stars