A Mighty Fortress - Weber

leebase · 08-08-2010, 04:13 PM

A Mighty Fortress - by David Weber is the fourth book in the Safehold series. I've listened to the series via audible.com If you haven't tried audible yet, I highly recommend it. I've been working at home for the last couple of years so I don't listen to nearly as many audible books as when I commuted. But now that my job has ended, I'm sure I'll be commuting again and audible books make the commute enjoyable.

The premise of the Safehold series is that Earth and all of the planets we've inhabited have been wiped out by an even more advanced alien race. One ship survives to start a colony on the planet of Safehold. The founders decide to start a society with no technology to keep the human race off the radar of that advanced civilization. They create a religion which forbids technological advancement....and fast forward 900 years.

So now you have a society based on man/beast/wind power with a corrupt world ruling religion (it's so easy to just imagine the Catholic church). Turns out there was a faction of the founders that did not want to forever keep man in the dark and so one "person" living in a Pica (robot body that looks human with the complete transfer of mind/personality of the human) wakes up to begin the task of reintroducing technology back to mankind.

This is the fourth book in the series. A must read for anyone who read the first three books. I would not recommend starting with this book though. Weber does a wonderful job weaving politics, military technology, religion, sailing into a very interesting story. This is one of the type of books for folks who LIKE the details. It is not fast paced, action action action. There are great action scenes, great battle scenes, great political scenes. But it's all built up to by really going into the details on how they build up the technology, how they build up and handle the political and societal issues, how they build up the church issues.

For someone like me -- this is a book that packs a lot of value for the price. I can imagine quite a few folks would be bored if they weren't really enjoying the details.

Lee

pwalker8 · 08-08-2010, 05:56 PM

I certainly enjoy the series. I have both the audible books and the ebooks. The first two books were a bit more fast paced. These last two seem to be more setting the scene for future books, with just a bit of action thrown in. This is definitely a series that you want to read through, or listen to, in order.

Strether · 08-08-2010, 06:07 PM

Readers should be warned, though, to consider it as an ARC copy. A proofreader's eye never looked at this. I paid $12.99 at Amazon and, barring one ARC book I bought from Baen, it the worst-proofed e-book I ever read. If I hadn't been so hooked on the series and wanting to know what happened next, I would have returned it.

Jim

nikkers · 08-09-2010, 07:18 AM

It is a great series BUT!!! Weber seems to have lost the plot or shuold I say a good editor as well as the proof reader. Any one would think he was being paid by the word . In A Mighty Fortress he has got too into describing the world and the politics rather than plot development and characters.In the early Harrington novels he had her as Hornblower in space. His battles were gripping . With death rides to rival Douglas Reeman's teary flag waving patriotism. Here when he tries the navel battle is pedestrian and borrrring. Unlike Off Armaggedon Reef. Compare Weber to Louis McMaster Bujold for action humour and weight of book

leebase · 08-09-2010, 10:34 AM

As I mentioned, if you aren't into the details of the politics and the building of the tech -- this book could definitely get boring. For me, though, I like that kind of stuff. I also listened via audible instead of reading. The production values for the audible book were, as usual, first rate. Jason Culp was the narrator, and even with the very large cast of characters, he made each one distinct and interesting.

This was a "world building" book with some action here and there. It certainly was not like any of the early Honor Harrington books in terms of pacing.

Lee

nikkers · 08-10-2010, 12:56 AM

I think he needs a good editor .Since Jim Baen died he and some of the other SF authors seem to have verbal diarrhea .

08-08-2010, 04:13 PM	#1
leebase Karma Kameleon Posts: 2,934 Karma: 26616647 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: iPad Mini, iPhone X, Kindle Fire Tab HD 8, Walmart Onn	A Mighty Fortress - Weber A Mighty Fortress - by David Weber is the fourth book in the Safehold series. I've listened to the series via audible.com If you haven't tried audible yet, I highly recommend it. I've been working at home for the last couple of years so I don't listen to nearly as many audible books as when I commuted. But now that my job has ended, I'm sure I'll be commuting again and audible books make the commute enjoyable. The premise of the Safehold series is that Earth and all of the planets we've inhabited have been wiped out by an even more advanced alien race. One ship survives to start a colony on the planet of Safehold. The founders decide to start a society with no technology to keep the human race off the radar of that advanced civilization. They create a religion which forbids technological advancement....and fast forward 900 years. So now you have a society based on man/beast/wind power with a corrupt world ruling religion (it's so easy to just imagine the Catholic church). Turns out there was a faction of the founders that did not want to forever keep man in the dark and so one "person" living in a Pica (robot body that looks human with the complete transfer of mind/personality of the human) wakes up to begin the task of reintroducing technology back to mankind. This is the fourth book in the series. A must read for anyone who read the first three books. I would not recommend starting with this book though. Weber does a wonderful job weaving politics, military technology, religion, sailing into a very interesting story. This is one of the type of books for folks who LIKE the details. It is not fast paced, action action action. There are great action scenes, great battle scenes, great political scenes. But it's all built up to by really going into the details on how they build up the technology, how they build up and handle the political and societal issues, how they build up the church issues. For someone like me -- this is a book that packs a lot of value for the price. I can imagine quite a few folks would be bored if they weren't really enjoying the details. Lee

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08-08-2010, 05:56 PM	#2
pwalker8 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,195 Karma: 70314280 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Device: iPad Pro, iPad mini, Kobo Aura, Amazon paperwhite, Sony PRS-T2	I certainly enjoy the series. I have both the audible books and the ebooks. The first two books were a bit more fast paced. These last two seem to be more setting the scene for future books, with just a bit of action thrown in. This is definitely a series that you want to read through, or listen to, in order.

08-08-2010, 06:07 PM	#3
Strether Guru Posts: 747 Karma: 2825929 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Fresno Device: Kindle 1; iPad Air; iPhone 7; Kobo Libra; Kindle Oasis 3	Readers should be warned, though, to consider it as an ARC copy. A proofreader's eye never looked at this. I paid $12.99 at Amazon and, barring one ARC book I bought from Baen, it the worst-proofed e-book I ever read. If I hadn't been so hooked on the series and wanting to know what happened next, I would have returned it. Jim

08-09-2010, 07:18 AM	#4
nikkers tragic Posts: 55 Karma: 1010096 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: 160km from a bookshop Device: IPAQ classic	It is a great series BUT!!! Weber seems to have lost the plot or shuold I say a good editor as well as the proof reader. Any one would think he was being paid by the word . In A Mighty Fortress he has got too into describing the world and the politics rather than plot development and characters.In the early Harrington novels he had her as Hornblower in space. His battles were gripping . With death rides to rival Douglas Reeman's teary flag waving patriotism. Here when he tries the navel battle is pedestrian and borrrring. Unlike Off Armaggedon Reef. Compare Weber to Louis McMaster Bujold for action humour and weight of book

08-09-2010, 10:34 AM	#5
leebase Karma Kameleon Posts: 2,934 Karma: 26616647 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: iPad Mini, iPhone X, Kindle Fire Tab HD 8, Walmart Onn	As I mentioned, if you aren't into the details of the politics and the building of the tech -- this book could definitely get boring. For me, though, I like that kind of stuff. I also listened via audible instead of reading. The production values for the audible book were, as usual, first rate. Jason Culp was the narrator, and even with the very large cast of characters, he made each one distinct and interesting. This was a "world building" book with some action here and there. It certainly was not like any of the early Honor Harrington books in terms of pacing. Lee

08-10-2010, 12:56 AM	#6
nikkers tragic Posts: 55 Karma: 1010096 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: 160km from a bookshop Device: IPAQ classic	I think he needs a good editor .Since Jim Baen died he and some of the other SF authors seem to have verbal diarrhea .