In Her Name: Redemption (In Her Name: Redemption, #1-3)

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In Her Name: Redemption (In Her Name: Redemption #1-3)

by Michael R. Hicks (Goodreads Author)

4.35 of 5 stars 4.35 · rating details · 533 ratings · 73 reviews

This trilogy collection contains the first three novels of the bestselling IN HER NAME science fiction & fantasy saga: EMPIRE, CONFEDERATION, and FINAL BATTLE... PUBLISHER'S NOTE: This book was formerly titled "IN HER NAME (Omnibus Edition)." EMPIRE This is the coming-of-age story of Reza Gard, a young boy of the Human Confederation who is swept up in the century-long...more This trilogy collection contains the first three novels of the bestselling IN HER NAME science fiction & fantasy saga: EMPIRE, CONFEDERATION, and FINAL BATTLE... PUBLISHER'S NOTE: This book was formerly titled "IN HER NAME (Omnibus Edition)." EMPIRE This is the coming-of-age story of Reza Gard, a young boy of the Human Confederation who is swept up in the century-long war with the alien Kreelan Empire. Nightmarish female warriors with blue skin, fangs, and razor sharp talons, the Kreelans have technology that is millennia beyond that of the Confederation, yet they seek out close combat with sword and claw, fighting and dying to honor their god-like Empress. Captured and enslaved, Reza must live like his enemies in a grand experiment to see if humans have souls, and if one may be the key to unlocking an ages old curse upon the Kreelan race. Enduring the brutal conditions of Kreelan life, Reza and a young warrior named Esah-Zhurah find themselves bound together by fate and a prophecy foretold millennia before they were born. CONFEDERATION Banished from the Kreelan Empire, Reza is once again a stranger in a strange land as he returns to the human Confederation. Befriended by a marooned Confederation naval officer leading a desperate fight against the Kreelans on a distant colony world, she reunites Reza with Nicole Carr . With their help, he fulfills his childhood dream of becoming a Confederation Marine. Reza will need all the help he can get, for dark forces are at work at the heart of the Confederation, and Reza becomes a pawn in a lethal power struggle that leads him back to the planet Erlang. There, a heartbreaking reunion awaits him, along with the discovery of an ages-old power that the Kreelan Empire will stop at nothing to control. FINAL BATTLE Reza awakens in a hospital on Earth after having been in a coma for months. Charged with murder and high treason, he finds himself the scapegoat for a daring plot to assassinate the President of the Confederation. Escaping with the help of Jodi Mackenzie, who is now hunted for what she knows about the death of the president, Reza discovers that something is deeply wrong with the Empire: the warriors have lost their will to fight. Compelled to step into a trap set for him and Jodi, the two once again find themselves bound for Erlang. But this time it is to meet Tesh-Dar, who has been captured. When Reza and Jodi are taken prisoner and sentenced to death, they can only watch as a human armada gathers for a strike against the Kreelan homeworld. But the human fleet - and humanity itself - will be doomed to utter annihilation unless Reza can reach the Empress in time...(less)

Paperback, 692 pages

Published April 1st 2008 by Imperial Guard Publishing

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Apr 01, 2012 Lisa Hall rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the story of Reza Gard, a human boy orphaned by the war, sent to the equivalent of a work house where he again encounters the Kreelan who killed his parents and is taken to the alien homeworld as part of an experiment to investigate whether humans have 'souls' (in the understanding of the aliens) or whether they are simply animals.

The first chapter is a prologue and reads nothing like the rest of the book. I haven't cried this much while reading since the Horse Whisperer. I don't like sa...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Selenis rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ficção científica, acção, romance, amizade, honra... mas também o pior da humanidade sob forma dos vilões. Sim, num livro onde uma espécie extra-terrestre parece inicialmente, no primeiro livro, ser terrível e insensível ao sofrimento, as personagens mais execráveis, mais odiosas, são humanas.

Reza Gard é a personagem condutora do livro. Vamos seguindo a sua vida e evolução deste o planete onde vê os pais morrerem às mãos de uma guerreira Kreelan ao planeta orfanato onde é acolhido, e depois pelo...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Neda Stojkovic rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: sf, fantasy

I really wanted to like this book. It has a lot of elements that I thought I would love, prior to actually reading it. Story is very good, but its execution is far from even borderline. There are some ok characters, but most are pretty two dimensional, villains are all evil-lordish, good guys are all epitome of virtue, and high-powered to boot. Not very smart, though, they always fall into very simple plots that would shame any half-smart villain out there. Dialogues are uninspired and there are...more

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May 01, 2012 Gerold Whittaker rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook

The Omnibus edition contains the first three novels of the In Her Name science fiction & fantasy saga including: Empire, Confederation, and Final Battle.

Empire: Reza Gard, a recently orphaned human is captured and taken to the Kreelan homeworld - the Empire - to live and train as one of them. In a "buddy" system they call the "Tresh", he is partnered with a young Kreelan trainee warrior whom he hates - yet depends on for his very existance. Over the years Reza's relationship with his tresh e...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Phoenix Reads rated it 5 of 5 stars

It had been a long time since I read science fiction, but I decided to expand my reading to new genres and picked up Empire (In Her Name: Redemption, #1) by Michael R. Hicks. I found it to be a wonderful blend of epic fantasy and sci fi.

So read it, loved it, and immediately bought Confederation, and Final Battle.

Michael Hicks created the world of Earth after it had taken to space, having built far-flung, loose colonies that behaved similar to our own nations here on Earth - mistrusting, not nece...more It had been a long time since I read science fiction, but I decided to expand my reading to new genres and picked up Empire (In Her Name: Redemption, #1) by Michael R. Hicks. I found it to be a wonderful blend of epic fantasy and sci fi.

So read it, loved it, and immediately bought Confederation, and Final Battle.

Michael Hicks created the world of Earth after it had taken to space, having built far-flung, loose colonies that behaved similar to our own nations here on Earth - mistrusting, not necessarily ready to help or support one another, and having fierce differences of opinion.

Humans were not sure they were the only sentient species in the universe and had not given up looking.

I love the characters, which Michael Hicks is a master at creating, a massive number of them as the series progressed, and some wonderful key players such Ichiro Sato.

But the best characters in the series were among the Kreelans, a society whose ideals were so foreign that it was easy to hate them. And yet, the author managed, at a point, to gain my understanding for them and even empathy. Imagine a society of female warriors, whose lives were totally dedicated to battle. And they were so skilled at war that there was no one left anywhere to conquer - they have taken on every sentient society they found and annihilated them.

To die in battle was the ultimate glory to the Empress. So they fought and were happy to die in her name. Until they found the humans, they had the problem of having no more wars to win. So this war-like society was excited to have a new game of war to play with what they felt were somewhat worthy opponents. Even though the humans were Neanderthals when it came to technology. Nor did they have their powerful magical skills. So the Kreelans had to use ancient technology to even the odds. Because if the win was easy, it was not honorable.

You ask, were there only females in this strange society? Well, no. But to tell you about that would be a spoiler.

So we had a clash of two completely different societies - the Kreelans who had terrible powers, and who did not find killing immoral, and the humans who found killing abhorrent but a necessary evil of war - a war in which they were powerless to win.

I was riveted to the entire exciting series. (less)

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Aug 22, 2012 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Michael Hick delivered a real winner with the book "In Her Name". It is really three books in one, "Empire", "Confederation" and "Final Battle", or better known as "The Redemption Trilogy".

Although it is defiantly a work of science fiction, it can also be labeled a love story.
The books follow the life of Reze Gard. Reze is born into a century old war with the alien Kreelan Empire. He is swept up as a young boy and brought up by the aliens and, of course, falls in love with one. He is then banish...more

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Jan 19, 2012 Visi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Purchased the first 3 on a whim after reading a sample, and it wasn't a bad set of books. I read them as an omnibus and have the "last" book (which is actually a prequel, and free!) sitting waiting, although I'm not sure if I'll ever get around to reading it.

It took me a couple of weeks and while it sped along, I don't think I'll bother going back to read it again, and it's not a set of books that left me thinking about it afterwards. Almost 3 days after I finished it, I couldn't actually remem...more

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Sep 02, 2011 Kevin Mackey rated it 5 of 5 stars

For those who like their science fiction writ large, with well-imagined worlds and peoples, yet grounded in human (so to speak) emotions and drives, sit back, allocate a reasonable amount of free time and dive into the worlds of the Kreelan and the Humans.

A star-spanning war, an implacable enemy with its own reasons for fighting it, millennia of loss and seeking at the heart of the Kreelan Empire, corruption and integrity within the human confederation, and the search of a human boy raised by Kr...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Michael Griffith rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I found that I was enthralled with the book shortly after picking it up. I really enjoyed Reza, and actually found the Kreelan's interesting. Their honor code did have its ups and downs but it reminded me of the Japanese Samurai Code, and their culture was very much like Feudal Japan in my eyes. All in all the only problem i have with the book so far is that the end of Empire stinks in my opinion. But hopefully it will turn around. Ok the ending did finally turn around as I completely finished a...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Graham Maxwell rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi

Well, it kept me through nightshifts, and kept me reading. Kindof disappointing, given an average review by me for the "First War" series of books, that the ideas in the original books seemed even less worked than their reverse-engineered prequel.

But...

Maybe I expect too much. It's natural for an author to warm to a subject given time spent. In fact, George Lucas did the opposite to Mr Hicks, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory in his later prequels. And I payed more for that disappointmen...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Kenisha rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's a coming of age story. We see Reza struggle to survive first among humans, then among the alien invaders that "adopt" him.

There are a plethora of characters in this series. Either they love Reza or they hate him (and are probably evil scum). It's pretty much that cut and dry, no villains out for sympathy. Which not every story needs, and you will absolutely love to hate the bad guys.

A bit too melodramatic at some points, but with enough pulsing action to keep one interested. Fight scenes...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Tom Cameron rated it 3 of 5 stars

In Her Name is a science-fiction trilogy detailing the end of a war between the Kreelan Empire and the Human Confederation. My reaction to it was mixed. I found that the first book in the series, Empire, was breathtaking. The second book, Confederation, was also very good but the final book in the novel, Final Battle, was a bit of mess.

There were two problems that got worse as the trilogy progressed, narrator comments and the mixing of fantasy into a science-fiction universe.

The first issue both...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Mike Nemeth rated it 5 of 5 stars

I wrote this review on Amazon after first finishing the collection. I titled it "my new favorite author." One thing I would say after consuming the work, however. It took a lot out of me. It was like I was back in Fairbanks as a kid stuck in a cabin with no car to get to town reading Heinlein. I was truly in the land of the Kreelans. Transport isn't strong enough a word. This guy Hicks knows how to make writing appear easy. I'm so freaking jealous but at the same time totally happy he's doing it...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Elena rated it 4 of 5 stars

I purchased this book on a whim. It was, and may still be, offered for free on Kindle Books. The Ominbus Edition contains all three books in the trilogy: Empire, Confederation and the Final Battle.

I LOVED EMPIRE! I was quickly sucked into the story of Reza, a boy that grows up in a world of Human vs. Kreelan war. He has an orphan, that only has a few ties to the human world. One being his fried Nicole. He is then kidnapped by the Kreelans and forced to live among them into adulthood. Once I got...more

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Mar 16, 2013 Snafu77 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Summary:
Epic book, a must read. A space opera with fantasy and romance thrown in

Plotline:
Huge plot expertly told with the threads brought together. The 2 weaknesses of the this book are too few characters are explored and the goodies are really good, and the baddies really bad. Would have been better if it was a bit murkier.

Premise:
Ultimately one human mates with an alien and they have a sone. Hmmm.

Writing:
Patchy in a few places but mostly you are their in the action. Brilliant.

Ending:
Massive en...more

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May 10, 2010 Donna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010, kindle-lendable, fantasy

While this book is definitely science fiction, it really goes beyond that classification. We follow Reza Gard, a human raised in the alien culture that humanity has been fighting for 100 years. The first part deals with his being captured and becoming part of the alien culture, the second part focuses on the human society, and the third part brings everything together for the final resolution.

It's a cliche, but it really was one of those can't-put-it-down books. It is very well written, with a l...more

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Jan 13, 2012 Casey Ressler rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read all four of these books as an omnibus. Incredible writing, I cant believe these books are not more popular, not only in the science fiction genre but in general appeal. It's almost hard to classify this book as only science fiction, its more like a thriller, drama, romance. I loved every minute of it. I have been staying up late every night because I literally could not stop reading. I think this book would appeal to anyone not just someone into science fiction. This ranks highly among my...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Linda Hawley rated it 5 of 5 stars

The author's gift is in creating SciFi worlds but grounding the story in the inter-dynamics of the characters. Hicks does such a good job in the characterizations of the main characters that they didn't leave me even when I wasn't reading the books. About midway through the series, the characters and story began to haunt me (in a good way). This is a very good series that I would recommend not only to SciFi junkies, but also to those who haven't read the genre before. It's well written with a ve...more

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Jun 13, 2013 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars

This series is excellent. It is the kind of book that stays with you for a long while. What I love most about this book is that it really gets you into the minds and society of the "enemy." An extremely violent alien race attacks humanity - what on earth is there to understand about that except evil? You may be surprised... this book has it all - action, adventure, feeling, romance (the strangest damn romance I've ever seen in a book, but romance nonetheless), philosophy, grit - and best of all,...more

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Apr 22, 2011 Raquel Mirna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Loved it :)

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Sep 15, 2011 Hollie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I think the best single word I can come up with the describe this book is mesmerizing. It wooed and captured me under its spell until I was so absorbed that my own life faded into the background. This is always the case with the books I love the most, and results in me sifting through by libraries looking for something relatively boring or previously read to give me time to decompress.

On Amazon, this book is described as a mix of sci-fi, fantasy, and romance. It IS all those things, plus myster...more I think the best single word I can come up with the describe this book is mesmerizing. It wooed and captured me under its spell until I was so absorbed that my own life faded into the background. This is always the case with the books I love the most, and results in me sifting through by libraries looking for something relatively boring or previously read to give me time to decompress.

On Amazon, this book is described as a mix of sci-fi, fantasy, and romance. It IS all those things, plus mystery and thriller and drama, but it is all those things, in their truest form, intertwined so masterfully as to be so much more than the sum of its parts. Hicks navigates through different worlds, cultures, characters, and scenes with seamless ease and grace. His prose is both complex and effortless, engaging your mind and heart and sweeping them along with those of his characters. To my own tastes, the story was so well balanced as to approach perfection.

I know everyone doesn't share the same tastes, but I can't believe these books haven't caught like wildfire among the sci-fi/fantasy readership. Hicks manages to combine space-faring and advanced alien warfare with sword and sorcerer fantasy, but that's been done before, what he manages to do so well is make it seem natural. (On a side note, I love the obvious influence Star Trek had on his work; it's obvious, but still such a organic part of the world building) He was also able to build the character development of a lifetime, do an amazing job, while also balancing a huge cadre of other cast members and their stories, do it in less than 700 pages, and without making the reader feel they missed anything.

I won't go into every strength I feel this book possessed, as that would be a very long review, and as with most books that I love, I'm not sure that I could really pin down the elements that really speak to me. Every book has weaknesses, but in the immediate wake left by this story upon my being, I cannot perceive of any. What I am left feeling I can only describe as shock and awe.

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Feb 19, 2011 Lala rated it 5 of 5 stars

Book 1 (Empire): 09/30/2010 to 02/01/2011
Book 2 (Confederation): 02/01/2011 to 02/09/2011
Book 3 (Final Battle): 02/09/2011 to 02/15/2011

It took me so long to finish Book 1 because I only 'read' it when I had my hands full (literally) and 'read' via my Kindle's text-to-speech feature. When I went on vacation 2 weeks ago, I decided to give it the attention it deserves and started reading it properly.

I didn't like how Book 1 ended because the scenes leading to it didn't seem to have concluded the w...more Book 1 (Empire): 09/30/2010 to 02/01/2011
Book 2 (Confederation): 02/01/2011 to 02/09/2011
Book 3 (Final Battle): 02/09/2011 to 02/15/2011

It took me so long to finish Book 1 because I only 'read' it when I had my hands full (literally) and 'read' via my Kindle's text-to-speech feature. When I went on vacation 2 weeks ago, I decided to give it the attention it deserves and started reading it properly.

I didn't like how Book 1 ended because the scenes leading to it didn't seem to have concluded the way it should have. But then, I couldn't help thinking what would happen next after the unexpected ending, so I started reading Book 2 right away - I didn't have high expectations because of my earlier disappointment, but I got hooked right away. It was a bigger hook than Book 1.

I've heard it mentioned that some indie books look professionally written and edited. This is one such book. I can't help thinking how much intelligence and creativity it took to write these books - that's how impressed I was.

One of my favorite aspects of the story-telling is how one segment is shown from different vantage points, providing very good coverage, like the author thought of everything, making each segment fully drawn.

The characters are also fully developed, which let the readers get to know each of them, and have feelings for each of them, both good or bad.

There was some violence, common to scenes in war stories, but there's a particularly violent scene in Book 3 toward the end that made me cringe (just a warning).

I am not a sci-fi book reader, and as a first sci-fi read, I couldn't have picked a better book. There were some terminologies (sci-fi and military-sounding) that I couldn't picture, but I rode with it and I didn't get lost.

It felt like one big book (instead of 3) because the endings of Books 1 and 2 were abrupt, like there should be another scene to continue the story. They didn't feel like endings. It worked for me since I have the Omnibus edition so I could continue reading, but I wonder how people who bought separate books felt about it.

After finishing Book 3, I wanted to start over again, because I didn't want to let go yet (and I didn't read Book 1 properly). That's how much I got attached to the story. There are 2 prequels that I'm sure to get.

PS, Kindle edition issue: Some French characters (letters) didn't translate well on my Kindle. These are few and the words were still deciperable, so it's minor.(less)

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Jul 24, 2011 Al rated it 5 of 5 stars

One of my good friends, a literate, book-reading friend, says he likes his movies tightly edited and concise, but he prefers his books by the pound. If that friend enjoys the occasional science fiction/fantasy adventure as well, then do I have a book for him! Michael R. Hicks' In Her Name is a monster of a paperback and an absolute steal for the price. (It's also available in Amazon's Kindle edition at a budget price.) I estimate In Her Name to be at least two pounds of solid entertainment.
For...more One of my good friends, a literate, book-reading friend, says he likes his movies tightly edited and concise, but he prefers his books by the pound. If that friend enjoys the occasional science fiction/fantasy adventure as well, then do I have a book for him! Michael R. Hicks' In Her Name is a monster of a paperback and an absolute steal for the price. (It's also available in Amazon's Kindle edition at a budget price.) I estimate In Her Name to be at least two pounds of solid entertainment.
For those who might be a little shaky on genre distinctions, science fiction involves devices like faster-than-light travel, exotic weaponry, alien species, and all the sorts of Star Wars features that most of us are familiar with. Fantasy adds the elements of spiritualism, magic, mysterious powers, and suchlike.
In Her Name features a galaxy-wide war of vast dimensions between humans and a race of reptilian warrior bipeds who are ferocious and merciless fighters. (Think of Whorf, the Klingon, or the samurai warriors of Japan.) One of these warriors notices a human child survivor during the aftermath of a battle which human forces lose. For whatever reason, the warrior remembers this child, and it is later kidnapped from an orphanage and enrolled in warrior training on the alien world (to see if it has a soul, actually). The child thrives after a difficult start, becoming completely acculturated to the alien society. Eventually, however, the child, Reza Gard, cannot stay with the alien race and must return to human society, where he likewise thrives...up to a point. After all, who would trust a person who has gone over to an enemy no one understands?
The galactic war builds to a final conclusion, where Reza finds his fate is to be the culmination of the fate of his people--but which people?
I won't spoil the tale with further details, and in a book this size there are many. The basic outline is not a new one. Anyone at all familiar with Joseph Campbell's seminal study of mythology, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, will recognize the story of the person who sacrifices himself to save his people. (Indeed, even Christianity embodies this pattern.) In Her Name adds the notion of two peoples, however, one being non-human, and does it with meticulous and convincing veracity.
That was what I liked best about the book: the author's complete and convincing rendering of a non-human culture, to the point that the reader comes to understand and respect it, even honor it--even root for it! That is no mean feat of imagination, and it makes what could have been a purple-prose space opera into a delightful recreation.
Another feature that makes the book a great read is the style in which it is written: it is clear, elegant, and serves the story. When one is describing, let's say, the code of an alien warrior race or the feelings of attraction of a human for one of the saurians, it would be easy for the prose to become an overwrought, technicolor mishmash of hyperbole. But Mr. Hicks has a sure hand with this. Even when describing something totally fantastic, it is done so smoothly and gracefully that one accepts it at face value: the willing suspension of disbelief is alive and well in this novel.
A third positive feature that absolutely needs to be mentioned is the immaculate editing. The text reads as cleanly as any you will find, better, in fact, than most traditionally-published efforts.
The bottom line is that In Her Name is highly recommended to those who love the sci-fi/fantasy genres, or are even tempted to try them. There is little profanity but some gore, so perhaps the very young might hold off (though the movies they see are far, far worse). The most difficult thing a young reader is likely to find with this book would be holding it off the ground.

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Sep 12, 2008 Liviu rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: genre-sf, 2008_release_read, review_fbc, t2_recommended_2008

In Her Name is a mixture of military space opera and epic fantasy that works very well.

I bought the book after the author brought it to my attention after a chance online encounter - the 4 chapters excerpt on the author' site below decided me quickly that I want to read it and I recommend anyone interested in it to check them out and decide for themselves.

Structurally the book is split in several parts that follow the main character Reza Gard from a very young boy in a middle of a brutal war w...more In Her Name is a mixture of military space opera and epic fantasy that works very well.

I bought the book after the author brought it to my attention after a chance online encounter - the 4 chapters excerpt on the author' site below decided me quickly that I want to read it and I recommend anyone interested in it to check them out and decide for themselves.

Structurally the book is split in several parts that follow the main character Reza Gard from a very young boy in a middle of a brutal war with terrifying alien invaders to the fulfillment of his extraordinary destiny years later.

The roughly 6 main parts are quite distinct in character, ranging from plucky exploited orphans fighting back against their corrupt "guardians" to epic fantasy with prophecies, blood curses, spirits, coming of age as an warrior in a society that practices combat as sport to hard core military sf, political and military space opera and much more

It seems an odd mixture and the transitions are disconcerting for a while - you think you have it figured out and suddenly there is a left turn in the book - but it works for two main reasons.

First - the author style is very engaging - even emotional if you want - which makes you keep turning page after page to find out what happens next and lets you live the book.

Second - the main character Reza Gard human by birth, alien by upbringing, who struggles to straddle two mutually incompatible societies, a scientific, more or less democratic and individualistic human one, and a fantasy like - if you want in the sense of sufficiently superior technology will seem like magic - which is communal, blood bonded, hierarchic, based on honor and place.

While the main villains are a bit cartoonish, most secondary characters are very well drawn and the style of the book, the intensity of Reza's struggles to allow both societies to survive somehow despite their mutual incompatibility make this an excellent book and a big positive surprise for me.

The ending is very well done bringing together all the threads of the novel and the seemingly insoluble problem of co-existence finds a fitting resolution.

Highly, highly recommended

Link for excerpt:

http://www.kreelanwarrior.com/(less)

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Sep 03, 2008 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

In Her Name is an ambitious novel by Michael R. Hicks. In its 667 pages, it has it all and then some. Set in the future (a long ways away in the future), it features an epic battle between good and evil, human and alien. Reza Gard is at the center of the action.

When we first meet him, he is a small child. A soon-to-be orphaned child. The Kreelans (the blue-skinned violence-loving aliens) are attacking. He witnesses much, but is ultimately spared by one of the warriors (all warriors are female, b...more In Her Name is an ambitious novel by Michael R. Hicks. In its 667 pages, it has it all and then some. Set in the future (a long ways away in the future), it features an epic battle between good and evil, human and alien. Reza Gard is at the center of the action.

When we first meet him, he is a small child. A soon-to-be orphaned child. The Kreelans (the blue-skinned violence-loving aliens) are attacking. He witnesses much, but is ultimately spared by one of the warriors (all warriors are female, by the way) Tesh-Dar. This brief encounter has an impact on them both physically and emotionally. (Though it's much more emotional for Tesh-Dar).

When we next meet Reza, he is an orphan, one of many thousands orphaned who are "being taken care of " by the government. They're given the bare necessities, but are forced to work in the fields all day and subjected to some tormenting off-hours if they're unfortunate. Here Reza meets an older girl (more than a few years older), Nicole. The two become fast friends (with a hint of much more should Fate allow) after he rescues her from near-rape. But these months of happiness won't last long. First, the two are separated when Nicole comes of age and leaves to study at school. Then Fate steps in to prevent their future reunion...

Around the age of 12, Reza's planet--Hallmark, the planet for orphans--is attacked from space. The Kreelans for some reason or another have decided to conduct an experiment. They want to watch these human children; learn more about these humans, their society, their nature, etc. Reza is one of the children kidnapped by the aliens before that planet is destroyed. (Reza along with every other human on the planet is presumed dead.) The experiment is to see if humans have souls. If humans are merely animals. Or if perhaps they're more than that. If their blood can be made to "sing" like the Kreelans' own.

Reza is a child prisoner without much hope, it's true, but he's ever-determined and very spirited. He proves more than a handful for his guard, Esah-Zhurah. But his grit and fiery nature prove to be a little endearing. With the support of Esah-Zhurah and Tesh-Dar, he's allowed to live. Not only is his life granted for the duration at least, but he's allowed to join with the Kreelans in their training. Esah-Zhurah becomes his tresh--his trainer and partner. Reza from that day forward is to be raised Kreelan. Taught their ways, their language, their culture, their values, their skills on the battle field. He is to become one with them.

We don't learn much about this process, we've got the fast forwarded version of it all, but we do see Reza as a young man in his early twenties face his first true challenges. (That makes it seem like his training was nothing; it wasn't. It was a miracle to most that he even survived his training, his battles, etc.) The Empress of the Kreelan Empire is tiring of the experiment, and time is limited. Reza has proved an amusing experiment to some, but all good things must come to an end, right. Well, Reza's made a few friends--including Esah-Zhurah--who aren't quite willing to let his life end thusly. Who are willing to risk their own lives to prove that this human at least has a soul, a worthy soul at that.

I won't divulge too much more than that. But it's an intriguing story. The novel has quite a few strengths, but it's not without its weaknesses either. The plot is complex--very complex--and the cast of characters is lengthy. The span of the novel covers several decades. At times we're part of the action, but in other places we get brief hints of what has occurred in all those missing years. There are places I wanted more, and places I wanted less. The basic story was good; the amount of details was rich. I most enjoyed studying this alien culture--rich in mythology, religion, politics, etc--and the evolution of the relationship between Reza and Esah-Zhurah.

The novel introduces many characters. It was always introducing new characters. And at times it was difficult to follow. Let me clarify, it wasn't that it was confusing. It was that it took a bit of patience on the part of the reader in remembering who was who and what their role was and how they fit into the bigger picture. There were a few characters that you weren't quite sure how they fit in, but sure enough, they'd reappear later on and contribute to the action. Nicole, for example, is one of the major characters introduced (or reintroduced) in the second half of the novel along with Jodi and Eustus. Most of the villains, most of the "bad guys" are humans in this book. And it's always interesting to see how authors can craftily get human readers cheering for the aliens.

Complex and complete is how I'd describe the novel. I'm not one to pick fault at a novel for language, violence, sex, etc. Especially seeing how the audience for this one is adult and assumed mature enough to handle anything and everything. But I thought I'd mention it here since I review books for children on this site as well. This one isn't for kiddies as it has graphic sex and violence and "colorful" language.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews(less)

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Apr 12, 2010 LaVerne rated it 5 of 5 stars

I know everyone says the same thing about a great book, it was so good I couldn't put it down. Well this was so good I resented having to put it down. For those of you who love epic fantasy sci/fi, especially Dune or Avatar fans, then you absolutely must read this book.
Long after I stopped reading about the world of the Kreelan warriors and the characters Hicks has created I am still thinking about them. He brought this world to life for me and I think you would enjoy visiting it.

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Jul 21, 2012 Alicia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A truly unique sci-fi world. I don't feel compelled to read the 2nd book - but only because the emphasis is on blood/war/Klingon culture-style - & I prefer a Sheri Tepper style social emphasis. The 1st book was really well-written, & it's admirable that the author has been so successful purely on his self-published Kindle platform.The result is that the book does not follow a cookie-cutter publishing formula, & that is refreshing.

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Mar 24, 2011 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-ebooks, read-in-2011

Great epic science fiction. I love books that create other worlds so vividly. It is a long book, actually three books in one volume. So it did require quite a while to read it. Good character development for the protagonists. I thought that the antagonists were portrayed a little too evil at times. They appeared to have no redeeming qualities and I don't think that is completely realistic. I read the kindle version. Editing, spelling and grammar were good. There were a few formatting problems wi...more

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Mar 20, 2009 Betsy the Quilter rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-books, fantasy, favorites

What a great book!!!

I started reading this on my Kindle and could not stop. It's really an epic, tracing the life history of one human caught up in an intergalactic war. Yes, it's science fiction, but it's also an examination of cultural differences and how they affect our actions. AND it's a love story with Romeo and Juliet overtones...

Can you tell I liked it? Great job, Mike.

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Jun 01, 2012 Kirkus MacGowan rated it 5 of 5 stars

I wrote individual reviews for each of the three books but felt compelled to leave one for the entire series.

The first two I gave four out of five stars as they were good books and well written. On their own, they were worth the read, but bringing all three together really told the whole story.

An epic story with an epic ending with an epic romance. Five stars was an easy choice.

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About Michael R. Hicks

Born in 1963, Michael Hicks grew up in the age of the Apollo program and spent his youth glued to the television watching the original Star Trek series and other science fiction movies, which continues to be a source of entertainment and inspiration. Having spent the majority of his life as a voracious reader, he has been heavily influenced by writers ranging from Robert Heinlein to David Weber, a...more

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Books by Michael R. Hicks

Confederation (In Her Name: Redemption, #2)

Final Battle (In Her Name: Redemption, #3)

Season Of The Harvest (Harvest Trilogy, #1)

First Contact (In Her Name: The Last War, #1)

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