I was very fortunate to get hold of this book. It is out of print and not available as an e-book on any platform, as far as I can see.
Which is a shameI was very fortunate to get hold of this book. It is out of print and not available as an e-book on any platform, as far as I can see.
Which is a shame, really. Not only is it quite good, but it apparently served as partial inspiration for the Halo series, and the Flood of the Halo Universe is based on the parasitic Vang (Starhammer is book one of a trilogy called The Vang, although they don’t feature all that prominently here).
But back to the book at hand. It tells quite a lot of story in just around 300 pages, albeit a bit nasty around the edges. Some other reviewers here are calling it grimdark so I’ll just run with that.
The basic premise of Starhammer? The protagonist, who is an escaped slave of an alien race (the Laowon), stumbles on a conspiracy centuries in the making and an opportunity to turn the tables big time on his former oppressors.
It is an imaginative romp across a number of planets and environments, with lots of chewy Sci Fi goodness. Probably a product of its time (the novel was first published in the 1980s), but there are a surprising number of crazy big ideas in here, all wrapped up rather conveniently.
Things do get weird, and the grand finale takes place on an artificial planet that is a Mad Max / Borderlands / Hills Have Eyes hybrid of the worst kind.
It’s probably worth noting there are quite a few rape references (thankfully nothing is depicted in detail), since the Laowon make use of it as part of their racial discipline and punishment rituals. It is just another layer of grime in the nihilistic future that Rowley imagines.
All-in-all, an awesome little book that should be better known. We are letting a lot of worthwhile books slip through the cracks and fade to obscurity.
In closing. The novel also features the most ridiculously sized battletanks ever:
The tank was a monster, thirty kilometers in length, riding six pairs of heavy treads.
Not sure if that is a typo, but it certainly ups the wow-factor. ...more
It’s easy to forget, with all that’s going on in the world of Science Fiction, that there have been some pretty darn good series over the years that hIt’s easy to forget, with all that’s going on in the world of Science Fiction, that there have been some pretty darn good series over the years that have subsequently started flying under the radar. Case in point: the Sten series from the 1980s. I don’t know how popular the series was at the time, but I am guessing that the “underrated” stamp is in order at this point.
The novels are only available in omnibus format these days. There are eight of them (collected in three omnibus editions), and they encompass a full story arc (in other words, it is recommended that you read them as close to each other as possible – something which I have never been good at when it comes to book series).
Fleet of the Damned is the fourth entry, so I am now officially halfway. At this point in the story Sten has already gone from slave laborer, to rebel, to Mantis Operative, and to Imperial Gurkha. Fleet of the Damned details his rise to Naval Commander. It is a pivotal entry in the series, as this is also where the conflict between the Empire and the Tahn escalates to full scale war.
When reviewing a mid-point entry in a series, there is only so much one can say about the specific book. Rather, I would urge you to try your hand at the series itself, especially if you like Space Opera with strong Military/Action leanings. These books are surprisingly good and they have aged really well. There is a down-and-dirty, grit-under-the-fingernails feel to the proceedings (the authors have the “used future” feel down pat). The first book in the series is: Sten
As for Fleet of Worlds: the first half of the novel mostly deals with Sten’s naval training and introduces some new characters, as well as showing the Tahn’s strategic maneuverings for the opening salvoes of the coming war. The second half has the space battles and planetary warfare we have come to expect. It does have a gut-wrenching climax and ends on a cliffhanger, but in this case it serves to elevate the book and not to frustrate the reader. Because, let’s face it, if you’ve read this far you are probably in it for the long haul anyway.
In summary (and this is for both this book and the series so far): lots to like. Good characters, interesting aliens, good world building, well depicted action scenes, and a protagonist you really want to root for. Just generally very enjoyable.
Book rating: 4 stars Series rating so far: 4 stars ...more
I can already see I am going to be the odd one out here. Of all Clarke's novels, this was apparently the author's favourite. Interesting, I would haveI can already see I am going to be the odd one out here. Of all Clarke's novels, this was apparently the author's favourite. Interesting, I would have thought it would have been one of those that he felt compelled to write sequels for (2001: A Space Odyssey / Rendezvous with Rama). Anyway, the values at the core of this novel was probably close to his heart.
In all aspects scientifical and philosophical, there is much here to enjoy, and Clarke manages to capture the melancholy of a humanity that has lost their home system to a nova very well.
However, there is something wrong with this novel. And, in fact, it is the same thing that is wrong with the world in many respects. The people. I just didn't identify with too many (if any) of them, and frankly, straight out disliked a handful of them.
And there it is. A good book, it is the master after all, but with some caveats. This won't be a problem for all readers, so probably best to take this whole review with a pinch of salt.
Anachronisms aside, this was more fun than I thought it would be. Essentially a story with futuristic ninjas battling loyalty conditioned alien collabAnachronisms aside, this was more fun than I thought it would be. Essentially a story with futuristic ninjas battling loyalty conditioned alien collaborators in order to obtain a stash of game changing space ships. Yep, it's like that.
Zahn is probably more famous as a Star Wars writer these days, but this showcases he had some writing chops way back when already.
For me, the best part in all of this was the way the story twisted and kinked and offered up all kinds of pleasant surprises as our enigmatic heroes stay one step ahead of the baddies. Fun ending included at no extra cost.
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