Guardian of Night

Guardian of Night

3.57 of 5 stars 3.57  ·  rating details  ·  46 ratings  ·  8 reviews
A NEW HOPE FOR CIVILIZATION—A LAST STAND FOR EARTH

For alien Commander Arid Ricimer there was no going home. His species was winning the war with Earth, but the civilization he had fought for was gone, destroyed from within by ideologues and bureaucrats. So he does the only thing that makes sense to a person of integrity—he attempts to defect to Earth with his officers and

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Paperback, 352 pages
Published February 7th 2012 by Baen (first published February 2nd 2012)
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Cassandra
I really liked this book. Excellent, really imaginative sf with interesting science and fantastic aliens. They talk with smells, just for a start, and the smell-language is remarkably well thought out. The characters are solid, real people. Daniels doesn't dwell on their back stories, but by the tics and quirks he gives each individual he fleshes out beautifully the effect their past has on their personalities and on the present.

The basis for the book is that everybody's in a mess, both humans...more
Peter Darbyshire
I never know what to say about Tony Daniel's work because, unlike many other SF writers, he resists categorization. Sure, this is a typical SF novel about humanity besieged by an invading, technologically advanced alien race. Sure, it's a typical SF novel about an alien artifact. Sure, it's a typical SF novel concerned with the extrapolation of current research, especially all things quantum. Only it's not a typical SF novel at all. It takes all the genre conventions and tropes and does so much...more
Ada
this book was so imaginative. alien laughter that smells like strawberries?! & kicka** rebel poet with a salman rushdie hit on his head. totally exciting psycho assassin & the three male leads are smart, funny, daring, sexy -- this should freakin' be a movie. yes the basic premise is red october but that's it -- this is sooo much bigger and more eloquent with an undeniably surprising & triumphant ending. i liked the book R.O. for the smart strategies but Guardian made me love these c...more
John
Aliens (who communicate with smells, not sounds) have left Earth half devastated and are now coming back to complete the job. But one is a turncoat, and has a superweapon to boot. Top drawer plot, pretty interesting cast, and first rate tech/science here---but it's all wrapped up in waaaayy too much tedious "character development," flashbacks and scenes that do not advance the story.

Still, pretty stimulating military SF!
Gwyn
I wanted to like this book, but just couldn't. The concept's not bad, but the book suffers from two things that plague so many science fiction books (and are why I read so little science fiction): poor characterization and excessive "telling."

You can tell the characters are basically sound, but the author moves them through the story with puppet-like stiffness, failing to bring them to life or make the reader care about them. Information on the setting, the technology, and on the alien culture...more
Ebrien
May 11, 2012 Ebrien rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Hard sci-fi readers
Enjoyed this one. Listened to the audio. It was very well narrated. I'd read some early reviews comparing it to Hunt for Red October. Agreed, but loved that one as well. Enjoyed the hard sci-fi elements tremendously. Being from Oklahoma and having lived in Dallas, I could appreciate the locales. Special place in my heart for the red earth of Western Ok. Good book. There were some elements I liked that Daniel had written of previously in his works, Metaplanetary and Superluminal, that he covers i...more
Bill
An excellent scifi version of Clancy's Hunt for Red October.
Spt
Feb 18, 2012 Spt marked it as to-read
Sci fi
Jude-marie
Apr 24, 2013 Jude-marie is currently reading it
Tony Jakel
Apr 21, 2013 Tony Jakel is currently reading it
Adam
Apr 18, 2013 Adam marked it as to-read  ·  review of another edition
Gary Berg
Apr 14, 2013 Gary Berg marked it as to-read
Shelves: sf
Dan
Apr 03, 2013 Dan marked it as to-read-soon
Daniel
Mar 27, 2013 Daniel marked it as to-read
Mike
Mar 24, 2013 Mike marked it as to-read  ·  review of another edition
Shelves: science-fiction
Norman Vrugt
Mar 20, 2013 Norman Vrugt marked it as to-read
Shelves: wishlist
Mary
Mar 20, 2013 Mary marked it as to-read  ·  review of another edition
Darik
Mar 12, 2013 Darik added it
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Hunt for Alien October. 2 6 Mar 19, 2012 05:34pm  
Guardian of Night (Paperback)
Guardian of Night (ebook)
Tony Daniel is an author of science fiction novels, short stories, and radio dramas.

For the comic book author, see Tony S. Daniel.
More about Tony Daniel...
Metaplanetary Superluminal Devil's Bargain (Star Trek: The Original Series) A Dry, Quiet War (Great Science Fiction Stories) Earthling

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