Baen is my favorite mid-sized science fiction publisher. Besides being an invaluable source for space operas and military sci-fi (two of my favorite sci-fi sub-genres), Baen also gives away a lot of free e-books on the theory that exposure is the key to success. I'd say that business policy has worked well for them so far; as near as I can tell, they don't appear to be struggling financially.
Because I like many of the books that come out of Baen - and because I want to do everything I can to help them with that whole exposure angle - I will, from now on, occasionally post capsule reviews of Baen books that don't fit into our three existing book categories. I hope you all enjoy!
Princess of Wands, John Ringo
Premise: Barbara Everette - a southern, Christian, conservative soccer mom - decides to leave her family for a few days to unwind from the stresses of motherhood and discovers that her deep faith has given her the power to battle demons.
Steph's Comments: This is one of the funniest, crackiest books I've read in a while. In the midst of one battle with an evil creature from the bayou, Barbara actually shouts, "Begone in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ! Go back to the Hell you belong in!" That's truly special - and by "special," I mean hilarious. Not only that, Opus Dei is identified as a group of professional demon hunters - and the second part of the book takes place at a sci-fi convention populated with amusing characters who are all too familiar to this con-going fan. The only way this premise could possibly have been improved upon is if Ringo had revealed that the pope is a fifth level adept. That would've satisfied all my the-pope-is-secretly-a-ninja fantasies right there.
On a serious note, this book has more of a pagan sensibility than a Christian one, but Ringo portrays Barbara's Christianity honestly and treats her faith with the utmost respect. Refreshingly, Barbara is not one of those watered-down elite coastal Christians for whom their faith demands nothing; at the same time, she responds to the occasional defensiveness of her pagan compatriots with nothing but Christ-like charity. On the whole, Barbara Everette is an extremely positive Christian character, and goodness knows we need more of those on screen and in print. Ringo does misunderstand why we Catholics invoke the saints in our prayers, but that's really a very small flaw in what is otherwise a wonderfully entertaining novel.
Steph's Rating: 9.0
*****
1632, Eric Flint
Free Library Link
Premise: Due to a cosmic accident, an entire West Virginian town is plonked in the middle of Europe during the Thirty Years War. When the American characters witness the brutality of this period, they decide right then and there to start the American Revolution a little early, in the process winning the support of many of the locals.
Steph's Comments: Despite being an avowed leftist, Flint is a remarkably even-handed writer; the historical detail in this novel is magnificent and largely fair. Particularly commendable is the fact that Flint avoids our modern prejudices by portraying the seventeenth century locals as smart, resourceful, and quite capable of understanding new ideas. I think this is a very strong start to what I'm told is an excellent series, and I look forward to reading more.
Steph's Rating: 8.5
*****
Live Free Or Die, John Ringo
Premise: Humanity is abruptly introduced to other alien civilizations when a gate-building race plonks an FTL portal in the Terran solar system. The first race the people of Earth meet - the Glatun - are peaceful intergalactic traders. The same is not true of the Horvath, who, upon entering Earth orbit, declare that Earth and it's precious resources are Horvath property. Luckily, a down-on-his-luck sci-fi comic strip writer named Tyler Vernon discovers a commodity that the Glatun are willing to buy by the truckload, and he uses his new-found wealth to build weapons that are barely capable of defeating the Horvath and the beginnings of a battlestation that will stand watch over Earth's gate.
Steph's Comments: This is the first in a trilogy of novels about the Troy Battlestation, and it isn't bad. I do feel, however, that Ringo rushes through a lot of his set up, which means the plot in this novel lacks a certain depth. I personally would've liked, for example, for Ringo to have lingered more on the effects of the Horvath plagues, as that was a section of the novel that I found quite riveting. I was entertained by the openly conservative flavor of this book - there are several scenes, for instance, in which Vernon vigorously and humorously defends his rapidly expanding business empire, his new technologies, and his aggressive stand against the Horvath and the human governments that would appease them - but the whole novel feels like it's made up of incomplete fragments of potentially wonderful stories that have been cobbled together into a not entirely effective whole.
Steph's Rating: 6.8
*****
On Basilisk Station, David Weber
Free Library Link
Premise: After failing to work miracles with a poor set of armaments foisted upon her by "progressives" in the chain of command, Captain Honor Harrington and her crew are banished to the remote Basilisk Station, where the dregs of the Manticorian Navy are sent to cool their heels. When Captain Harrington arrives on the Basilisk side of hyperspace, the arrogant sector commander leaves her to fend for herself, which she does quite admirably, earning the respect of Basilisk Station's permanent Manticorian inhabitants and ticking off a lot of people who were previously getting away with breaking the law. In the end, it turns out to be providential that a competent officer has finally taken control of Basilisk, for it is at precisely this time that one of Manticore's rapacious (and socialistic) neighbors tries pull off a plot to take control of Basilisk's one habitable planet.
Steph's Comments: The political intrigue here is quite good. One can see interesting shades of the Cold War both in the Havenite schemers' attempts to manipulate the native population of Medusa for their own ends and in the isolationist elements of Manticorian society who would rather Manticore cede control of Basilisk Station entirely. Fortunately, the good guys come out victorious in a story that sends a loud and clear message on the folly of sticking our collective heads in the sand when an enemy threatens our way of life. True, the multi-page descriptions of the Manticorian Navy's technologies and defenses will probably only appeal to true military sci-fi fans, but it's not hard to see why the Honor Harrington series is one of Baen's more successful long-running series. I am certainly eager to devour more of the "Honorverse".
Steph's Rating: 8.0
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