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Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
Format: Bargain Price
Label: Tor Books
Manufacturer: Tor Books
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 608
Printing Date: January 09, 2007
Publishing house: Tor Books
Release Date: January 09, 2007
Sale Popularity Level: 6248
Studio: Tor Books
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Rated by buyers 
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There were so many interesting directions this story could have taken. It took none of them. They were just teases. Instead it was utterly straightforward and predictable with not a single unexpected event. The book would have just been boring except that the ignored potential was infuriating.
Rated by buyers -
The plot of this novel has a lot in common with Weber's 1632 series, and from what other reviewers are saying, some of his other series as well. There is a person or small group from a future/higher technology stranded in a society at a medieval tech level. How do they cope, how does their knowledge affect the much larger society?
The similarities aside, Weber creates a unique viewpoint here. The protagonist is just an AI recording of a dead person in an artificial body.
The last remnants of the human race have exiled themselves to a single planet, hiding from an alien menace. The leaders of this group create a religion prohibiting technological advance so that the aliens will not be able to find them from their electronic emmisions.
The protagonist awakes in a very different world 800 years later.
Rather than glossing over the similarties in the plot to the arthurian myth, Weber embraces it fully. The protagonist (also aware of the similarities) names itself Merlin as it tries to bring the human race back to a spacefaring technology level. It is hoped that with foreknowledge the humans can this time beat the alien menace.
I really enjoyed the premise, rewriting Arthurian myth as sci-fic has been done many times but this is the most original I have seen. The 'shock and awe the rustics' with technology is always amusing, especially when the rustics turn out to not be so rustic after all and improve on the technology.
The book did drag a bit in the middle as we are introduced to hords of side characters, their motivations and the various factions in this world. Hopefully this will pay off in future installments of the series. For now though there were some just amazing fight/battle scenes. You really do not want to be around when Merlin risks turning off his reflex and strength governors and moves from more than human to superhuman.
In the end a good book with a great premise that will hopefully pay off more as the series continues.
Rated by buyers 
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The Gbaba (who don't actually appear in this book, but may show up in a sequel) have destroyed Earth and all the human-occupied worlds they can find, but a few ships have escaped to a far corner of the Galaxy and founded a small human colony on a world they call Safehold. To prevent the Gbaba from ever detecting this colony, the founders thereof establish a religion in which God forbids use of any power other than wind, water, or muscle.
But the leaders get too full of themselves, and establish themselves as archangels, and treacherously bomb the small enclave of their opponents, destroying all opposition, they think.
With such a beginning, it should come as no surprise that the Church of God Awaiting becomes permeated with corruption. (What God is supposed to be awaiting is never made clear.)
However, the opposition has created a well-hidden base in which, some 890 years later, one PICA (Personality-Integrated Cybernetic Avatar) wakes up, establishes a surveillance network, and picks the best kingdom to support.
Up to this point (page 84) the action is rather mild, but now things start popping, starting with Nimue (the PICA) foiling an endeavor to assassinate Prince Cayleb. (Most of the names of persons are familiar names spelled wierdly, for example Zhames Makferzahn = James MacPherson; once, Father Wylsynn's name accidentally occurs in print as Wilson.) From page 86 thru the end (page 778) the action is nonstop and great fun.
I am eagerly looking forward to By Schism Rent Asunder, the second book in this series, and to further sequels which I hope will be forthcoming.
watziznaym@gmail.com
Rated by buyers 
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Interesting story, but too much detail. Over 600 pages but once the author gets past the background, the story only covers about 2 years of events. At this rate it will take 500 novels for Merlin to guide humanity back to technology and defeat the aliens. That is the story I was interested in. Why can't authors yesterday seem to tell a complete satisfying story in a single novel?
It seemed like an updated version of H Beam Piper's "Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen" except all Kalvan had was his guts, brains, and clothes on his back.
Rated by buyers -
I liked the book and will read the sequels if I remember to get them.
Some critical comments:
1. The book did not mention that it was sequel oriented and I didn't notice until about half way through.More notice would have been nice by the publisher on the cover.
2. The author fell in love with his characters and the book is 100 to 150 pages too long. Drop those pages and you have a tight book. As it is, you get lost, bored and simply don't care for all the details. It does not move the story along and that is a critical flaw for any author.
Otherwise, he is a good writer and I enjoyed the story. What more can you ask of a book.
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