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A Hymn Before Battle (Posleen War #1)

by John Ringo, Marc Vietor (Narrator)

3.94 · rating details · 1,606 ratings · 77 reviews

With the Earth in the path of the rapacious Posleen, the peaceful and friendly races of the Galactic Federation offer their resources to help the backward Terrans?for a price.Humanity now has three worlds to defend.As Earth's armies rush into battle and special operations units scout alien worlds, the humans begin to learn a valuable lesson: You can protect yourself from y...more

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Published by Brilliance Audio (first published 2000)

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Military Science Fiction

23rd out of 125 books — 156 voters

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Sep 15, 2011

Stephen rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, galactic-civilizations, science-fiction, space-battles, 2000-2005, military-fiction, warriors, war-sff

MILITARY SF that hits the G-SPOT and causes a FULL ON HAPPY!! Interesting POLITICS, unique ALIEN CULTURES, intelligent PLOTTING, engaging CHARACTERS...oh yeah, and lots and lots of:

4.5 stars. I’ve said before that I like military SF, but it is not the sub-genre that I intend to settle down with and spend the rest of my life. Therefore, I am fairly prudish and selective about the books I engage with in this category. Well book bachelors and bachelorettes, this book is definite...more

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Sep 15, 2008

Matt rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Lovers of military pulp science fiction, most of whom have already read it

Shelves: science-fiction, war

In full disclosure, I've bumped into the author a couple of times online as we have certain interests in common. I hope he remains willing to talk to me after this review.

The biggest problem with the book is that it’s not really to my taste. Along with Jerry Pournelle, John Ringo is one of the main figures in the pulp military science fiction. You might think that's right up my alley, but really not so much. I just can't get into it. Whether it denounces the horrors of war or it...moreIn full disclosure, I've bumped into the author a couple of times online as we have certain interests in common. I hope he remains willing to talk to me after this review.

The biggest problem with the book is that it’s not really to my taste. Along with Jerry Pournelle, John Ringo is one of the main figures in the pulp military science fiction. You might think that's right up my alley, but really not so much. I just can't get into it. Whether it denounces the horrors of war or it glamorizes the glory or war or even just promotes the necessity of martial virtue, I just have a hard time getting into war fiction. I can and sometimes do enjoy it, but never at the level of light reading that the 'pulp' style promotes.

I didn't have a lot of problem reading 'A Hymn Before Battle'. The prose is reasonably good and the story is fast moving and generally quickly paced. But on the other hand, while it wasn't painful to read neither could I really enjoy it or get excited by it. There were just too many problems in the way. Sure, the characterization was generally shallow, but that's to be expected of pulp fiction. The bigger problem I had was with the ultra-technology, which is both over the top and not at all well realized in my opinion. The actual implications of technology like hand held missile launchers that can reach a significant fraction of the speed of light, hand held surface to orbital weapons and so forth just didn't seem well considered. In particular, it is a well known dictum of military theory that the more lethal the weapon the further the units must be dispersed when in battle. But the tactics of the book seem more rooted in modern tactics at best and at worst table top ancient war gaming than in anything actually implied by consideration of the theoretical technology. It was like reading 'Ender's Game' where Ender never realized that "the enemies gate was down", and instead defeated his enemies by inventing formations.

There are large numbers of instances where the technology seems to possess the power of plot. We can tell the protagonist from the expendable red shirts because their ultratech battlesuits provide only a tiny fraction of the protection granted to main characters. Ordinary humans end up surviving things that would kill most superheroes outright, and I couldn't for a second believe the technology and not the writer was what saved the protagonist. At one point, a main character survives a 10 megaton explosion from a distance of 30 meters.

Additionally, the story has a bad case of the 'Humans are Special' trope which is exaggerated to such a degree it’s just about monkey ego porn. Now, in this Ringo is hardly the only science fiction author at fault, as we can site similar instances by Niven, Brin, and others (otherwise it wouldn’t be a trope). However, in 'A Hymn before Battle' the 'Humans are Special' trope is achieved by making all the other races in the galaxy fundamentally flawed to such an incredible degree it feels like humanity versus the galaxy's special ed. Students. In ‘A Hymn before Battle’, every other species in the galaxy is riding the short bus, and at best could be considered a sort of idiot savant. But even worse, the idiot savant warrior race isn't even particularly good at it.

The non-linear structure does nothing really to enhance the story. The backstory it provides isn't really interesting enough to serve as a story on it's own, and the non-linear structure seems little more than the author's recognition of that. The only reason to shuffle the story around is to parcel out the boring parts into smaller peices.

The story isn't all bad and there are some juicy hints of cleverly crafted interstellar intrigue that are likely to play out in the sequels, but there isn't enough here that is consistently good to make me want to slog through the sequels for the big payoff - especially when I have some pretty good ideas about what some of those big payoffs are going to be.

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Oct 01, 2007

Kelsey rated it

· review of another edition

A really good apocalyptic hard sci-fi series. Earth faces alien invasion without time to prepare adequately, and allies who may or may not be trustworthy. The series details the brutal struggle against an encroaching canninbalistic horde, on other planets, in space, and finally on Earth. The series predictably gets darker as it progresses, and it is definitely hard/military sci-fi. The books refer to the R&D, training, and brutal combat involved in the struggle, but also contain vivid characters...more

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Sep 15, 2008

Adam rated it

· review of another edition

A bit jumpy, and mildly entertaining. Insufficient character development, excellent military empathy.

The deeper into the book I got, the more I empathized with the main characters. I found myself cursing under my breath at the politicians, the underhanded dealings, the insecure, power-mongering higher-ranked military personnel and the questionable motives of our new alien benefactors. The author does an excellent job in portraying the foolishness that costs lives, the greed that t...more

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Aug 05, 2008

Jimmy rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Anyone over the age 15 who enjoys either sci-fi or military thrillers.

Recommended to Jimmy by: I actually found the 4th book on a free book shelf in Iraq and w

Shelves: john-ringo, military, sci-fi

This book is the beginning of the Legacy of the Aldenata. It lays out a very plausible different future for humanity than the path we are on now. Right about the time the global war on terror is starting in our universe, earth finds out that a cannabalistic, carniverous alien race known as the Posleen are on their way to make serve man. On rye with a side of bacon that is. These vicious aliens have advanced technology, a voracious appetite, and they breed like, well rabbits. It will take ev...more

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Mar 27, 2011

Andreas rated it

· review of another edition

Alien invasion stories have been done before, but to my knowledge never quite with this much desperation, lack of hope, or heroism on the part of the defenders. This is rich military SF with a keen eye for the strategic dimension and human psychology as well as kick-ass fun. The “original” series consists of the following.

* A Hymn Before Battle
* Gust Front
* When the Devil Dances
* Hell’s Faire

The first novel is a sort of “eve of the war” story. I...moreAlien invasion stories have been done before, but to my knowledge never quite with this much desperation, lack of hope, or heroism on the part of the defenders. This is rich military SF with a keen eye for the strategic dimension and human psychology as well as kick-ass fun. The “original” series consists of the following.

* A Hymn Before Battle
* Gust Front
* When the Devil Dances
* Hell’s Faire

The first novel is a sort of “eve of the war” story. I was put off by the cover for quite a while but eventually decided to give it a shot. Good thing too. Aliens have contacted Earth and told them of an ongoing war, and that the Posleen, a very powerful race with a behavior like a cannibalistic Mongol horde, is only five years out from Earth. The Galactics will help, if humans help them fight. The other races are pacifistic in the extreme. There is action (of course) in the form of skirmishes and the defence of an allied planet, and we are introduced to Mike O’Neal, later leader of an elite Armed Combat Suit unit and the main hero of the story.

The second novel covers the assault on Earth. As before, Ringo has a knack for describing the political and strategic dimensions, and is not afraid of throwing disastrous screwups, unexpected developments and plain old bad luck into the mix. The United States is hunkering down, but the question is: Will the line hold for the defenders to marshal their forces?

The third novel of the series is a middle book to bridge the gap between the first Posleen assault on Earth (covered in “Gust Front”) and the climactic conclusion to the war (covered in “Hell’s Faire”). Characters are developed and the stage is set for a whopping showdown. The action scenes are great, as in all Ringo’s work, and the humor just keeps getting better. It’s quite ironic that a story about alien invasion and massive destruction, suffering and pain can make me laugh out loud so much. Ringo is good at capturing the inner essence of characters. This three-dimensionality is welcome, and few authors pull it off so well. He is also very good at developing his characters as they go through events in their lives. Masterful.

The fourth novel picks up exactly where When the Devil Dances left off. In the afterword, Ringo says that the last two should only have been one, but 9/11 gave him serious writer’s block and plans had to change. He even suggests gluing them together. The conclusion is very exciting and satisfying. While many loose ends are tied up, other fundamental questions about the various aliens, which were only hinted at in the earlier books, are now dredged up and given new focus. Why didn’t the Galactics warn Earth earlier? Why did they give intelligence to the Posleen? To answer these questions the Universe is already much expanded, with several more novels written solo and in collaboration.

http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=271 (less)

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Mar 04, 2009

CeAire rated it

· review of another edition

This person definitely has a military background with minute detail included about military organizations and strategies. However, the otherwise very action-packed novel gets lost in that very detail. He not only describes an action (such as lots of liquid traveled through some large plumbing pipes which the characters had to navigate through), but he describes everything from the circumference of pipes (in specific meters) to the volume of liquid (in liters or gallons) that can be passed throug...more

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Dec 15, 2011

Jamie rated it

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Shelves: sci-fi

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 26, 2010

Shaun Thomas rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Shaun by: Jeff Cousens

I'm not usually a fan of military fiction in general. I do enjoy Peter F. Hamilton and his space operas, but they're much different animals. But the universe presented here is an intriguing one. Apparently the universe is only "peaceful" because all of the sentient races are cripplingly unwavering pacifists. And as expected, someone waltzed in and started beating the crap out of them. So naturally, even though we're not ready, they turn to us for aid while acknowledging our aggressive ...moreI'm not usually a fan of military fiction in general. I do enjoy Peter F. Hamilton and his space operas, but they're much different animals. But the universe presented here is an intriguing one. Apparently the universe is only "peaceful" because all of the sentient races are cripplingly unwavering pacifists. And as expected, someone waltzed in and started beating the crap out of them. So naturally, even though we're not ready, they turn to us for aid while acknowledging our aggressive nature.

There's a lot to like, here. The characters must struggle against typical military and government bureaucracy, a highly suspicious galactic hierarchy, manufacturing difficulties . . . the list is endless. It's a lot of conflict and a good choice to spur the reader to desire resolution.

Unfortunately Ringo bites off too much. I kept getting bogged down in the military jargon, and even skimmed entire pages that just went on and on about formations, troop movements, or other concepts I was unfamiliar. Either he really knows his stuff, or he's regurgitating his research, and I found it distracting. He also introduced several plot threads, one of which is started very early in the book and never heard from again. I now have several theories concerning the plans for humanity in the overall structure once the Posleen (the alien antagonists, here) are defeated. None of them are good, and we're clearly being manipulated into being some kind of oppressive force by the sneaky Darheel, who basically own the entire galaxy.

You'd never know this except in the back of your mind, as the remainder of the book concentrates almost exclusively on the military action. It's good action, but I kept wondering when the 400 pages of war would move aside for the machinations. I also don't know why an recognizance team was dispatched only to waste the entire trip, considering a major military action took place before they ever returned. I'm sure the next book explains this, but maybe not. It's hard to say at this point.

Either way, it's a very strong work with great dialog, compelling situations, and enthralling descriptions. There were just too many particulars that prevent me from giving this my highest rating.

What I found most amusing about this book was that the cover had almost nothing to do with the content. I know T&A sells, but the character I presume is on the cover appears rarely compared to O'Neil, the main protagonist through our journey.(less)

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Aug 24, 2010

Michael Barnette rated it

· review of another edition

I just finished 'A Hymn Before Battle' and I have to say I greatly enjoyed the book.

The first half was beyond slow. Not much happened other than character introductions and a lot of people talking, which bugged the crap out of me since it rode along on the rule about never doing 'info dumps' in fiction. The action in the last half more than made up for the slow start/info dumping. Granted it wasn't done like a new author's info dumps, but still... On the other hand, I can understand...more

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Sep 19, 2011

Robert Modean rated it

· review of another edition

The opening salvo in Johh Ringo's Posleen War series is as strong an entry as I've ever seen. It's solid throughout with strong characterizations, well written three dimensional characters, action, intrigue, and sub-plots galore. In fact it's that last item that keeps this book from garnering a full five stars - JR likes his sub-plots and give the detailed level of his writing they have a tendency to bog the book down. That's okay, though, because once he gets you into a battle scene against the...more

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Oct 23, 2010

Jay Javier rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-list, military-fiction, science-fiction

The first 3/4 was SLOW... I like the premise but unlike other books I've read in this genre, the ensemble cast of characters here failed to capture my interest and empathy. I also felt that the pacing was disjointed and staggered through a few immensely drab scenes. Heinlein's Starship Troopers had fewer action scenes but I got a better handle of the character's motivations. Harold Coyle's Team Yankee did an even better job of shifting POVs from person to person waging the same battle, some with...more

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Nov 17, 2010

Ed Stapleton rated it

· review of another edition

Excellent military sci-fi book. This is the first in an incredibly good series entitled "Legacy of the Aldenata" and is well worth the time to read. Good story line, tactics, and interesting ideas about needing to watch what your "friends" are doing as much as your enemies in any geo-political situation. Good action scenes, desperate battles to save humanity, all the great stuff expected in a good quality action sci-fi sereis. If you liked David Drake and David Weber novels t...more

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Jul 20, 2009

Sandy rated it

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Shelves: sci-fi

Similar to Huff's Confederation series.
All previous military personnel are being recalled to duty. Micheal O'Neal is one of the first, and one of the privilaged to know why. The planet Earth has been contacted by an alien race, who needs their help to fight an intergalactic war before the enemy wipes out all the planets in our solar system. Now humans must figure out how to interface alien technology with their own and mess ideas and tactics to win an ongoing war we have no hope of surv...more

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Oct 22, 2011

Ken rated it

· review of another edition

This is a first novel in a genre that I did not even know existed. Author John Ringo employs the military fiction adventure genre of writers such as W.E.B Griffin, and crafts space opera type tales of the early science fiction scene. I prefer the more psychedelic/psychological types of science fiction by writers like Philip K. Dick, Ursula K. LeGuin, and John Brunner, and I have never been a fan of Military Fiction.

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Mar 27, 2011

Jon rated it

· review of another edition

The first hundred pages were an atrocious author-insert fantasy. Then it developed into a reasonable sci-fi military romp, if you can deal with the jingoism. (If you think Starship Troopers is "fascist", stay far away.) The thick coating of Sluggy Freelance fandom illustrates the basic idea: nothing happens because it's good for the plot or fleshes out the characters, but because it's cool.

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Dec 06, 2010

Omar Alani rated it

· review of another edition

Excellent book. The military jargon got me at first. The buildup was a bit slow at the beginning, but when the action started it doesn't let go.
The story is brutal but not gory. It gives the reader the perspective of a man off the military, a man that doesn't brood on his losses, pushes forward and is ready to sacrifice everything to achieve victory.

I have not read anything like these books

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Jul 15, 2010

Chompa rated it

· review of another edition

I read that this was John Ringo's first book and that kind of surprised me. It was fairly well written, but not up to some of his later work. It's a good story and while it is an ensemble cast of characters, it isn't too hard to keep track of the players. Some of the characters are more interesting than others and the main character - Mike O'Neal is one of the most interesting. At times the descriptions of technology and/or processes gets a little heavy. I'm continuing with the second book....more

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Nov 01, 2011

Stutley Constable rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

Not great literature but good for a rainy afternoon. As military science fiction goes this one is middle of the road like the rest of the John Ringo books. It has its moments but it is not great. The characters are interesting and human but they lack dimensionality. The bad guys are just not that interesting. The best story in this series is Watch on the Rhine.

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Apr 14, 2009

Peter McC rated it

· review of another edition

I beaut sci fi series with a touch of the "red neck" in the hero. A book that supports those folk with a nuclear shelter and the arms to defend it.

Despite this, the tech available to the troops is wonderful. I want one of those suits.

Sadly, the co-operative stories Mr Ringo has written have been pretty pale in comparison.

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Sep 12, 2010

Kathy Davie rated it

· review of another edition

I don't know. Lots of action, battle, spying behind the lines, gadgets(!) and what a hopeless feeling I get from it. I plan to read the next in the series if only because a. I want to know what happens next, and b. the two short stories which I've read were incredible. So, I have hopes...

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Jul 25, 2011

Milton Soong added it · review of another edition

[Audio book] Are you a lover of Sci-fi since childhood, who grewup on juvenile stuff with ray guns and bug eyed monsters, then later in life graduated to more sophisticated stuff? Books that make you think? Well this is NOT one of those book. THis is book about cardboard characters and fighting bug eyed aliens. I'll probably give it more stars if I am still twelve, but I am not.....

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Jan 25, 2009

Kate rated it

· review of another edition

While I admit that this may not be the best book ever written (it's certainly got some flaws, and if you don't like military SF you're going to hate it), this is my comfort reading. (Yes, I understand that makes me deeply weird.)

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Jul 23, 2011

Ruth rated it

· review of another edition

c2000. Not the first combat sci-fi that I have read but one of the better ones. Liked the humour but some of the more techie stuff went write over my head. Not sure that I could recommend to my normal crew but certainly would recommend for fans of the genre.

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Jul 26, 2011

Bradleyb rated it

· review of another edition

This novel had some pretty sweet action set pieces wrapped up in a confusing, jargon-heavy narrative that skipped around too often to get too fond of any of the main characters. In fact, I was having a very difficult time retaining names between plot skips, although my lengthy downtimes with the book didn't help either. There were 3 basic plot threads, but only the main one felt like it had satisfying payoff. I knew I had to get through the book to see how the giant battle played out, but now...more

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Mar 19, 2011

Roger Ivie rated it

· review of another edition

Took me bloody forever to get into the book. I was still ambivalent a third of the way through. However, I did eventually get sucked in and will continue reading in this series.

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Nov 03, 2011

Ratforce added it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction-military, weber-david

Because you enjoyed the Honor series, you might be interested in trying A Hymn Before Battle by John Ringo which also deals with military actions in outer space.

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Jul 09, 2011

Cedar Sanderson rated it

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Shelves: books-that-own-me

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 01, 2010

Fred rated it

· review of another edition

A military perspective on sci fi, really interesting. But the novelty factor also means the next books won't be anything worth reading if there's nothing new to see.

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Aug 19, 2009

Micki Whitesides rated it

· review of another edition

It wasn't a bad read. It was alittle sluggish from the get go but once the battles started it was really exciting. If you can make it through the beginning and character development, then this is a good sci-fi, alien battling, kick ass book.

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A Hymn Before Battle (Posleen War #1)

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