I know they have technologically superior weapons, but 18,000 to 70 odds are just too much to overcome and there's no way that could happen. Now, I'm sorry, but that just seems freaking impossible and implausible to me. And bizarrely, while the Marines take casualties, they slaughter a zillion aliens and win the battle. The major battle is 18,000 technologically deficient aliens against 70 Marines. The troop sets off through what turns out to be hostile territory, picks up a few alien allies, but runs into a huge alien army intent on destroying them. Roger is a rich, spoiled brat, but an heir to the throne and must be protected at all times and returned to the empire. Thus, they're forced to land on the opposite side of the planet and walk for up to six months to go take the port by force since they would have been shot out of the sky if they had been seen coming down from space. However, their ship gets sabotaged and they're forced to land on a strange planet with one port, held by an enemy force. Prince Roger MacClintock of the Empire of Man has been sent by his Empress mother to another planet with a contingent bodyguard company of royal marines. It's far too one sided of a victory to be remotely believable. On the other hand, it drags at times and the conversations can seem unnecessary and arbitrary and a little too long winded and the main battle is just too much to be believable. On one hand, it had a lot of action, which was good, and it had some interesting characters whom you could come to enjoy seeing in a series, of which this is the first book. Along the way, Ringo and Weber find occasion to quote Kipling’s “Grave of the Hundred Dead.” Roger will have to grow up quick. When Roger and his personal guard troops find themselves stranded on a jungle planet rife with warring barbarian tribes, they must march thousands of miles and attack a spaceport to get back home. He could well be a character in a Forester novel.

He is a whiney young man who is never taken seriously, but he has potential abilities for which he at first gets no credit. The series protagonist, Prince Roger, is third in line to inherit the throne. The Empire of Man series is a clever blend of the two narrative tropes. Ringo seems more influenced by the works of Rudyard Kipling. Forester’s Hornblower model to interstellar warfare. John Ringo got his start with Hymn before Battle, the first volume of the Posleen War novels. Weber is best known for the original Honor Harrington series. Baen, 2001.ĭavid Weber and John Ringo are the A-Team of Baen Books for military science fiction.

March Upcountry by David Weber