The Armageddon Inheritance

This book is the middle one in a trilogy, commencing with Mutineer's Moon and ending with Heirs of Empire. Weber wrote these in the early 90s and never extended these, as of 2007. He has certainly been busy writing much else in science fiction. But it turns out that this year, 2007, he has recast this trilogy in a new series, that starts with "Off Armageddon Reef". The latter just came out, in hardcover, and is ubiquitous in many bookstores. A far more numerous presence than those earlier books, when they first came out. The overlap in the basic premises between the trilogy and OAR is striking. Out there in space is a genocidal race, deploying immense fleets. A mortal threat to humans. The opening chapter in OAR talks about 24th century humans, being destroyed on its worlds by far more numerous fleets. In Armageddon Inheritance, we see in a different universe how this conflict might have gone otherwise. Here, the enemy fleets are millions strong. But Weber writes ingeniously, in the tradition of grand space opera, of an embattled human fleet, that takes them on and wins, at least for now. Readers of OAR who gritted their teeth at the human defeat can read a different conclusion. I do wonder at the coincidence of "Armageddon" in this book's title and in OAR. The plots clearly overlap. Was this recurrent word an explicit hint to the reader? If you have read OAR, but not this trilogy, and are waiting for Weber to write more in the new series, then you should check out these books.

The Armageddon Inheritance is the second book in a series that so far stretches three books. The series begins with Mutineers' Moon and concludes, so far, with Heirs of Empire. Often middle books are just a bridge from a great beginning to a great ending. Not so with Armageddon Inheritance. This is, in my opinion, the best of the three books in this series. This is also a relatively short novel, a mere 344 pages (Baen paperback edition). I don't think that this is an accident. David Weber is a fun author who has a great deal of talent. I do believe, however, that his best books are his shortest ones. This is true with his Honor Harrington series as well. Strip the fat away and there is only a lean mean story left.This book takes place after the suppression of the fifty one thousand year old mutiny by Anu, see Mutineers' Moon. Humanity, with the great Spaceship Dahak captained by Colin MacIntyre in the lead, must prepare for the imminent invasion of the Achuultani. The Achuultani are to humanity what locus are to corn. Get enough of them together and Humans and everything they rely upon to exist ceases to exist. The Achuultani's only purpose seems to be to sweep the Galaxy in cycles stretching millennia and exterminating all life. I can't tell you why, but you can find out in the book. The book is handled as a split novel. Half of the book covers Colin and crew aboard Dahak searching for aid from a possibly extinct Imperium and Horus staying on earth preparing for the imminent invasion. The novel is non-stop and very exciting. The book has two climatic points that would have served as a books climax by themselves. I can't really tell you what happened after all but I can tell you that enough of humanity survives to provide a third book in the series. I can also strongly recommend this book. It would be helpful to read the first book before attempting to enjoy this one but I do not think it is necessary. Have fun!

This was my first DW book, and it made a lot more sense after I read Mutineers' Moon. In this book, Senior Fleet Captain Colin MacIntyre, having defeated the mutineers and restored the Imperial Planetoid Dahak to working order, goes off to find as much of the Fifth Imperium Battle Fleet as he can, because the Achuultani have returned, and this time, they're going to finish the job. But at the first few stops he makes, certain clues lead Colin to suspect an unthinkable conclusion--maybe the Achuultani aren't the only danger to the Imperium this Galaxy holds! Finally, Colin decides the heck with it and sets sail for the capital system, where he's sure to find someone who can help him, right? Those who are into Solar geography will be pleased or outraged as Weber "juggles borders," while tipping a hat to Arthur C. Clarke's 2001. The battle scenes are very realistic (as far as the word "realitic" can apply between starship battles) and the human interest is very touching. Those readers who are active Whovians will recognize the obvious ripoff--the names have been changed to avoid copyright infringement. For those of you who like battles, bureaucracy, alien enemies, and imponderables like how a Galactic Imperium fifty-odd thousand years ahead of us can fall apart in a matter of months--without the Achuultani's help--then this book is for you!

What a book! Imaginative, well written, funny in places, sad in others. Why aren't David Weber's books published in England? I have to go to America to buy them! The storyline of this book was great, revolving around Colin MacIntyre's journey across the Galaxy to find more Imperial Starships to fight off the genocidal Achuultani, culminating in a really great ending. (I won't say what happens though!) The characters developed in Mutineer's Moon are explored in greater depth in this second volume of his series. Anyone reading this review- don't. Just go and buy the book. I'll give you all the encouragement you need.

This was the first David Weber book I read, and it is still my favorite of all books I have ever read, and that number is legion. In the military sci-fi triumvirate of Drake, Stirling and Weber, Mr. Weber reigns supreme. When the sublight parasite battleship Nergal refuses assistance and lands on her own power after a fierce battle, your heart will swell as if John Williams had written a score to the prose. When frightened morons sabotage installations out of spite while the greatest enemy humanity has ever known is bearing down on them, your hands will clench with rage. And when the heavens are ablaze with gravitonic fire and starships are burning in the blackness of space you will flip pages faster than a Porsche 911 Turbo. Not only will you read about glory and duty and honor, but the true cost of aggression and war. Only David Drake can match the horror of a battlefield's aftermath; while so many books and TV shows and movies show a joyous celebration with diverse liquors and singing and such, in reality people are dead and families are shattered. Too many hours of DOOM can make you want to kill, but only an author of Mr. Weber's prodigious talent will send you off to fight with courage and with sadness. I wish I had space to discuss the incredible universe he has created, with the dead Fourth Imperium living on in ghostly remnants or of the valiant struggle the ageless Imperials have waged to safeguard humanity through millenia of loneliness. If you read only one book in your life, read this one. And then read the rest. You won't regret it