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By Schism Rent Asunder (Safehold #2)
by
David Weber
The world has changed. The mercantile kingdom of Charis has prevailed over the alliance designed to exterminate it. Armed with better sailing vessels, better guns and better devices of all sorts, Charis faced the combined navies of the rest of the world at Darcos Sound and Armageddon Reef, and broke them. Despite the implacable hostility of the Church of God Awaiting,...more
Mass Market Paperback, 736 pages
Published
June 2nd 2009
by Tor Science Fiction
(first published July 22nd 2008)
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This sequel to the truly great Off Armegeddon Reef is a pretty good book, but it suffers in comparison to the first book because it is a little too talkative, much slower paced and because David Weber spends a lot of the time on diplomatic scenes and negotiations, imperial matters and church related activities, spycraft and setting up the plot lines of the various main characters. I understand that he needs to set up these various scenes to set the stage for the epic battles ahead, but I think ...more
I really enjoyed the first book in the Safehold series. This book has less action and a lot more political detail and analysis. It covers a shorter time period and is more of a bridge to the next book (which I've already ordered), I think, than a story in its own right. I loved the union of Cayleb and Sharleyan (I apologize if I get the spelling wrong, I'm listening to the series), and I'm glad that Cayleb & a few others now know more of Merlin's real background, & was nicely surprised by the r...more
This is the second book in the Safehold series.
The premise is that what is left of the human race is hiding on a planet. All of the colonists were reprogrammed to forget their past and to accept a church that bans most technology. This was done so that they would not advance enough to catch the attention of murderous aliens. Though there were two factions in the starting group where one group totally disagreed with what was done and one person from this group has survived to try to ...more
The premise is that what is left of the human race is hiding on a planet. All of the colonists were reprogrammed to forget their past and to accept a church that bans most technology. This was done so that they would not advance enough to catch the attention of murderous aliens. Though there were two factions in the starting group where one group totally disagreed with what was done and one person from this group has survived to try to ...more
After my shaky start with the series (the first pages of Safehold #1 - "Off Armageddon Reef" did not draw me in), I'm finding myself enjoying this series quite a bit.
The story is progressing nicely - if a bit predictably at times. The beautiful young queen who feels rebellious towards mother church & the handsome young king who is deeply embroiled in the same rebellion are going to get married? Who would've guessed?
However, there are a few twists that I was not ...more
The story is progressing nicely - if a bit predictably at times. The beautiful young queen who feels rebellious towards mother church & the handsome young king who is deeply embroiled in the same rebellion are going to get married? Who would've guessed?
However, there are a few twists that I was not ...more
Staggeringly uneven. I maintain that the ideas behind it, the principle, and quite a few scenes are profoundly good. But it keeps tripping over hokey writing and too too too much verbiage. I want some realistic, succinct dialogue. I don't want every conversation to be approached with the characters intimating what they're about to say, and then describing their every thought on every thing, aloud.
We were steadily cruising towards a 5 star rating for the better part of 300 pages, ...more
We were steadily cruising towards a 5 star rating for the better part of 300 pages, ...more
OK, so I've been dragging my feet finishing this book, not because I didn't like it, but because I know I can't get my hands on the sequel very quickly, since all three library copies are checked out, and two are overdue....
The second installment in the Safehold series, the last outpost of humanity, whose original colony leaders set themselves up as "Archangels" and created a phony religion to deliberately supress the development of any technology. But the Archangels had ...more
The second installment in the Safehold series, the last outpost of humanity, whose original colony leaders set themselves up as "Archangels" and created a phony religion to deliberately supress the development of any technology. But the Archangels had ...more
Competent and well-written, with an intriguing premise (what if a Reformation was artificially engineered by a millenia-old human in an android body?). And Weber really knows how to write this sort of stuff by now.
And that's the problem. The book is under-edited - there's too much stuff where nothing much happens, too much talk-talk, too much diplomacy and not enough derring-do - and the pace is slow. And on a personal level, I feel like I have read all of these characters, or variat...more
And that's the problem. The book is under-edited - there's too much stuff where nothing much happens, too much talk-talk, too much diplomacy and not enough derring-do - and the pace is slow. And on a personal level, I feel like I have read all of these characters, or variat...more
Another great book in the series. I am hooked. This series may be technically science fiction but it doesn't feel like typical science fiction. It is basically about 1) politics (between rival kingdoms and the church that controls all nations on the planet), 2) warfare and technological developments that give one nation a military advantage over another but which predate modern technology, and 3) a super-human robot with the memories of a deceased human who must hide the fact that he is not h...more
Big crazy scifi/fantasy/history crossover. I read the first book a while ago, and some of the particular relationships evaded my memory as I read this one, but mostly I picked it back up as I went along.
Expansive & adventurous, to be sure, and compelling enough that I spent a huge chunk of the last weekend reading it. And argh! I wish there were a sequel already, which was pretty much exactly what I said with the last one. The plot keeps rolling in fun weird directions.
I thin...more
Expansive & adventurous, to be sure, and compelling enough that I spent a huge chunk of the last weekend reading it. And argh! I wish there were a sequel already, which was pretty much exactly what I said with the last one. The plot keeps rolling in fun weird directions.
I thin...more
A sequel to Armageddon's reef, This takes a look at religious fundamentalism at an extreme. Add in super science and a malevolent alien race bent on annihilation of everything not them and you have the back drop to this series.
I love it myself
I love it myself
Following on from Off Armageddon Reef the book foloows the on-going storyof Merlin Athrawes (nimue Alban) whose relationship with the King of Charis is growing stronger. Having helped the fleets of Chairs defeat the combined fleets assembled by the Churcgh of God Awaiting, he must now consolidate he position of Charis.
The stance taken by the people of Charisleads to the Archbishop of Charis coming out in support of the local church leading to the schism of the title. By the end of the boo...more
The stance taken by the people of Charisleads to the Archbishop of Charis coming out in support of the local church leading to the schism of the title. By the end of the boo...more
I love David Weber. I love how great he is at making a full universe, filled with backstory and tons of characters. This book is no exception.
If I have a criticism it is that he is pretty darn black and white. His evil characters may as well have big black tophats and pointy, oiled moustaches. They are not only evil, but self-righteously so, and also have lots of secret moral failings, like use of whores (a favorite of Weber's). His good characters are soooo good. They never d...more
If I have a criticism it is that he is pretty darn black and white. His evil characters may as well have big black tophats and pointy, oiled moustaches. They are not only evil, but self-righteously so, and also have lots of secret moral failings, like use of whores (a favorite of Weber's). His good characters are soooo good. They never d...more
Wow. Buy this book and its predecessor Off Armageddon Reef. I was drawn into this world. Its revisiting the reformation. The title is from lyrics in the the song The Church's one foundation by Sam Wesley. The verse By Schism rent asunder , By Heresies Distressed Its asking questions about faith and the church. Yes this is literature bringing a mirror to religious thought. I can hardly wait for the next novel By Heresies Distressed. I am worried if the author will
be able to finish the work or...more
be able to finish the work or...more
In this second volume in a series about a human species surviving under the control of a totalitarian code affecting not only morality but information and technology, Weber follows the strong first effort by pulling you right along without pause. Less combat focused than the first book (Off Armageddon Reef), this story focuses more on the political maneuverings of society.
Weber again creates good characters and makes you care about them while spinning a cautionary tale relevant to o...more
Weber again creates good characters and makes you care about them while spinning a cautionary tale relevant to o...more
INTRODUCTION: Multiple New York Times bestselling author David Weber, lovingly known by the many fans congregating on his forums at Baen's Bar as MWW—“Mad Wizard Weber"—does not need an introduction. I have been a big-time fan of Mr. Weber's work since the early 90's and I have read and re-read multiple times all of his novels. Even in the short time between receiving the ARC of “By Schism Rent Asunder” and writing this review, I've read the novel three times and it will likely be my favori...more
David Weber has written another great book. "By Schism" picks up very nicely and is a good solid read. The story in the series is extremely interesting and the characters are developing nicely. While this second book really doesn't have any unexpected plot developments and is mostly moving the story along, its a story worth reading.
Pick up the book, you will not regret it.
Pick up the book, you will not regret it.
I can't stop reading. After the first book I wanted the next immediately, and in fact checked out both the second and third at the same time. That's good, because I'm done and want to continue. I was surprised by some events in the book in a good way. I wanted to see Sharlean's reaction to the revelation of Merlin, even if it could only be the "seeing visions" version. I am absolutely on Cayleb's side in that respect: he has to tell her.
I am trying to get caught up on my reviews. I could have sworn I wrote one for this book but obviously I didn't. This will be quick. This is the second book in Weber's Safehold series. It's a good read and does a good job of advancing the plot. (For a summary of the plot of this series, see my review of the first book, 'Off Armageddon Reef'.) I don't really have much more to say. This was a fairly quick read. Nothing momentous - like the titular naval battle at the end of the first book - happen...more
Absolutely nothing happens in this book. I wouldn't be surprised if you could skip directly from book one to book three and not miss a beat. This is the first of his books I have ever been dissapointed with. I bought it the day it came out and nearly returned it a day later once I had finished it because I was so upset with how stupid it was.
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I have to rate this book very similar to the first one in the series. The premise and the overall story are great and I want to read more. But the story gets lost in long pages and pages of boring chit chat. Some of this is okay, but do the characters really have to think things through in their head before actually speaking? If this was real life everyone would sit around with a blank stare on their faces for a minute before every sentence. After a while it gets maddening and you can easily ski...more
Second book of three so far. Another great read. The characters and the story are really good. There is just enough action to keep it interesting but not so much that's fighting is all they do. This opens the story to be continued with the fallen King. His Son has to take over and is let in on the secret of Merlin.
Weber did a great job here. I really love his writing for the evocative battles, yet this book didn't have many --- what it did have was characters making important, honorable (and hard!) decisions, and making some stirring speeches.
This is the second novel in Weber's "Safehold" series; don't read this one without reading the first, and don't expect all the loose ends to be tied up neatly by the end of the book.
5 stars out of 5.
This is the second novel in Weber's "Safehold" series; don't read this one without reading the first, and don't expect all the loose ends to be tied up neatly by the end of the book.
5 stars out of 5.
This is the second in the Safehold saga and I enjoyed it as much as the first as it continues the story line begun in Off Armageddon Reef. The kind of book I can "sink into" and hate to stop reading..
ISBN - 9780765315014, Science Fiction, Pages - 510, Print Size - R, Rating - 5
All books reviewed are from the library or purchased by the reviewer.
ISBN - 9780765315014, Science Fiction, Pages - 510, Print Size - R, Rating - 5
All books reviewed are from the library or purchased by the reviewer.
"By Schism..." is the first of what looks like being several sequels to Weber's "Off Armageddon Reef". Similar to S.M. Stirling and David Drake's "The General" series, the basic plot set-up is guided recovery from a fall from interstellar civilization back to (in this book) a Middle Ages level of technology. In this case, the guide is an android with the personality of a pre-Fall military officer, and the Fall was intentional in order to hide from an alien race int...more
Sequel to Off Armageddon Reef, and very obviously the middle book in a series, but good nevertheless.
In this book, now King Cayleb is building an empire in part to protect himself from the all-powerful Church that rules Safehold.
In typical Weber style, he builds a tapestry of characters and places, and no one character seems to take center stage although Cayleb and Merlin come close.
Even minor characters intrigue you in this particular novel. The concept of...more
In this book, now King Cayleb is building an empire in part to protect himself from the all-powerful Church that rules Safehold.
In typical Weber style, he builds a tapestry of characters and places, and no one character seems to take center stage although Cayleb and Merlin come close.
Even minor characters intrigue you in this particular novel. The concept of...more
Did I miss something here, is this another "young adult" book being marketed at us "more mature" readers? The plot was predictable, the characters so black and white. The only thing that kept me reading was the enjoyment of the engineering problems encountered and solved during the artillery development. This will probably be by last David Weber.
A little heavy on specific workings of artillary, but now I know why a rifled barrel is superior to a smooth bore, and the difference between a galley and a galleon. However, the story is still engaging, despite bogging down at times.
Lots and lots of setup for the third book. There didn't really seem to be any overarching plot threads, but Weber's moving people and countries around. Not too much shakeup in the status quo. I am looking forward to the next book, though.
This book was ok, but I hope all the maneuvering and posturing throughout this one result in some epic battle in the next. The changes made on Safehold were sweeping, but boring. Merlin barely had any need of his special 'skills', and I think that was the best part of Off Armaggedon Reef.
To me this book did not really go anywhere or move the over all plot of the series forward enough to warrant a whole book. I think it should have been part of the first book and not a stand alone book.
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David Mark Weber is an American science fiction and fantasy author. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1952.
Many of his stories have military, particularly naval, themes, and fit into the military science fiction genre. He frequently places female leading characters in what have been traditionally male roles.
One of his most popular and enduring characters is Honor Harrington...more
More about David Weber...
Many of his stories have military, particularly naval, themes, and fit into the military science fiction genre. He frequently places female leading characters in what have been traditionally male roles.
One of his most popular and enduring characters is Honor Harrington...more
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