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Exodus: Empires at War #3
The Rising Storm
They're Back, and They want to End us.
The Ca'cadasan Empire is at the gates, and they mean to destroy the human race. But we will not go quietly into the night.
The saga continues, as Sean Ogden Lee Romanov finds himself the uncrowned leader of the New Terran Empire. After two thousand years the old enemy has found them, but the humans are no longer the technologically inferior species they once were. A thousand years of Empire has forged a mighty military that has never lost a war. The Ca'cadasans are still slightly ahead in tech, are much larger, and have never failed in a conquest. There is dissension within as Parliament wants to put their own man in charge, and Sean is woefully unprepared for the task that awaits him. Time is running out, and if the Empire and the species are to survive the new man must be installed and humanity must rally behind him. New technologies are on the horizon, the technologies on which the course of the war could turn, for better or worse. War rages across the stars on a Galactic scale. The third book of a series that will span over a century of time and tens of thousands of light years of space.
The Ca'cadasan Empire is at the gates, and they mean to destroy the human race. But we will not go quietly into the night.
The saga continues, as Sean Ogden Lee Romanov finds himself the uncrowned leader of the New Terran Empire. After two thousand years the old enemy has found them, but the humans are no longer the technologically inferior species they once were. A thousand years of Empire has forged a mighty military that has never lost a war. The Ca'cadasans are still slightly ahead in tech, are much larger, and have never failed in a conquest. There is dissension within as Parliament wants to put their own man in charge, and Sean is woefully unprepared for the task that awaits him. Time is running out, and if the Empire and the species are to survive the new man must be installed and humanity must rally behind him. New technologies are on the horizon, the technologies on which the course of the war could turn, for better or worse. War rages across the stars on a Galactic scale. The third book of a series that will span over a century of time and tens of thousands of light years of space.
528 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 23, 2013
50 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
Doug Dandridge
75 books142 followersDoug Dandridge was born in Venice Florida in 1957, the son of a Florida native and a Mother of French Canadian descent. An avid reader from an early age, Doug has read most of the classic novels and shorts of Science Fiction and Fantasy, as well as multiple hundreds of historical works. Doug has military experience including Marine Corps JROTC, Active Duty Army, and the Florida National Guard. He attended Florida State University, studying Biology, Geology, Physics, and Chemistry, and receiving a BS in Psychology. Doug then studied Clinical Psychology at the University of Alabama, with specific interests in Neuropsychology and Child Psychology, completing a Masters and all course work required for a PhD. He has worked in Psychiatric Hospitals, Mental Health Centers, a Prison, a Juvenile Residential Facility, and for the his last seven years in the work force for the Florida Department of Children and Families. Since March of 2013 he has worked as a full time writer. Doug has been writing on and off for fifteen years. He concentrates on intelligent science fiction and fantasy in which there is always hope, no matter how hard the situation. No area of the fantastic is outside his scope, as he has completed works in near and far future Science Fiction, Urban and High Fantasy, Horror, and Alternate History.
Doug has published 34 books on Amazon, with over 230,000 sales with 5,000 reviews averaging 4.6 stars. He will be publishing his first traditionally published book in 2018, followed by the second book of the contracted series. Also in the planning stages are post apocalyptic and alternate history series.
Doug has published 34 books on Amazon, with over 230,000 sales with 5,000 reviews averaging 4.6 stars. He will be publishing his first traditionally published book in 2018, followed by the second book of the contracted series. Also in the planning stages are post apocalyptic and alternate history series.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 30, 2016
repetitive
June 8, 2013
This is a great book. With few exceptions this is very much my style of book. Two empires are hurling themselves against each other in war and the battles are plentiful, both on the ground and in space. The scale of things is sufficiently grandiose without going all overboard as some books do. The physics are believable, for a science fiction book that is. It is a relatively long book which I quite like. 528 pages according to the Calibre page count plugin (Adobe Digital Editions algorithm). Sure, this one is often a bit generous with the pages but it still means it is a book on the longer side compared to many Sci-Fi novels.
The plot and the action is well written and very enjoyable to read. Quite a bit of the book is centered on one of the frontier colonies which the Ca’cadasans have recently invaded and, naturally, a lot of focus is on getting the uncrowned emperor back home to be crowned. A task that, for various reasons, seems to be a very difficult proposal indeed. When it is not thwarted by the Ca’cadasan’s then the author throws in a little romance just for good measure.
Other parts of the book deals with the situation on the “home front” which is more one of espionage, sabotage as well as plain old political treachery for personal gain. A lot of this I do not like as usual but, luckily, it is far from a dominant part of the book. The plotting and scheming of the politicians and their attempt to put this dimwit cousin on the thrown still frustrates me enormously though. There are other parts telling the story of the new technological advances, which not everyone are happy with it seems, and their potential impact on the war with the Ca’cadasans. These parts are interesting and I hope this part of the story will need to some nasty surprises for the Ca’cadasans in future books.
I am certainly looking forward to the next book in the series though I hope that this book will resolve the matter of the Emperor in the first few chapters though. After three fairly long books I am a wee bit tired of reading about various reasons for him not getting back on the throne. I am especially annoyed by the do-not-want-to-go-back-because-there-is-a-war-to-fight nonsense. Just get him back and kick the political assholes and well as the dimwit cousin in the behind, be done with it and get in with the war…please.
Bottom line, this was a very enjoyable book for me.
The plot and the action is well written and very enjoyable to read. Quite a bit of the book is centered on one of the frontier colonies which the Ca’cadasans have recently invaded and, naturally, a lot of focus is on getting the uncrowned emperor back home to be crowned. A task that, for various reasons, seems to be a very difficult proposal indeed. When it is not thwarted by the Ca’cadasan’s then the author throws in a little romance just for good measure.
Other parts of the book deals with the situation on the “home front” which is more one of espionage, sabotage as well as plain old political treachery for personal gain. A lot of this I do not like as usual but, luckily, it is far from a dominant part of the book. The plotting and scheming of the politicians and their attempt to put this dimwit cousin on the thrown still frustrates me enormously though. There are other parts telling the story of the new technological advances, which not everyone are happy with it seems, and their potential impact on the war with the Ca’cadasans. These parts are interesting and I hope this part of the story will need to some nasty surprises for the Ca’cadasans in future books.
I am certainly looking forward to the next book in the series though I hope that this book will resolve the matter of the Emperor in the first few chapters though. After three fairly long books I am a wee bit tired of reading about various reasons for him not getting back on the throne. I am especially annoyed by the do-not-want-to-go-back-because-there-is-a-war-to-fight nonsense. Just get him back and kick the political assholes and well as the dimwit cousin in the behind, be done with it and get in with the war…please.
Bottom line, this was a very enjoyable book for me.
November 12, 2019
Still reading, lowered expectations
Dr Jennifer is interesting. She follows her boyfriend Marine captain from system to system as he's redeployed and is on planet during a horrific battle in which her boyfriend dies. She is described as the captain's woman? Very 1910-ish. Within days she is thinking to herself how sexy the prince is. She wants to just be friends for the moment, while she gives him come-hither and comfort-me looks. Is she 30 plus or 13? Shallow portrayal or typical female reaction? You be the judge.
The Prince is a sensitive guy, hitting on her before her boyfriend's body has cooled. He's OK with waiting for her to drop panties, for at least a week or two. In the meantime let's have staff served dinners, etc and did he mention that he's the emperor now, with a palace and everything. What's with the writer's view or understanding of women. She's scary immature and social climbing, while he's entitled and full of himself. It's a match made in heaven.
It jumps out at you, when every woman in uniform is a normal person. As leaders, they lead. As soldiers, they fight. As scientists, they explore. It's just that in the romantic area, they get stupid. The shame is that these normal women are written well. They are what I imagine a politician, commander, captain, scientist, admiral or lieutenant, would be. They are admirable, scared and tough, thinkers and doers.
The battle descriptions, unit organization and operational doctrine are sensible, feel very realistic and fall in line with modern doctrine. You won't find much better anywhere, I think. There's no teenage bravado (except for the emperor, just doing what emperors do?). The scientific explanation for the technology is logical (it may not line up perfectly with modern theory but who cares and who knows how far off true it really is). The writer has a good imagination and gives a good underpinning to the equipment available to all sides and the tactical and operational necessities limiting the characters' choices. It makes it much more easy to follow both the battles and the characters.
On the non-battle front, some characters make questionable decisions. The shape shifters aren't treated as threat number one or maybe two. Security is so loose, it made me wonder whether the writer intends for the humans to go extinct from stupidity.
The good parts are fun. The romantic relationships are just badly sexist.
Dr Jennifer is interesting. She follows her boyfriend Marine captain from system to system as he's redeployed and is on planet during a horrific battle in which her boyfriend dies. She is described as the captain's woman? Very 1910-ish. Within days she is thinking to herself how sexy the prince is. She wants to just be friends for the moment, while she gives him come-hither and comfort-me looks. Is she 30 plus or 13? Shallow portrayal or typical female reaction? You be the judge.
The Prince is a sensitive guy, hitting on her before her boyfriend's body has cooled. He's OK with waiting for her to drop panties, for at least a week or two. In the meantime let's have staff served dinners, etc and did he mention that he's the emperor now, with a palace and everything. What's with the writer's view or understanding of women. She's scary immature and social climbing, while he's entitled and full of himself. It's a match made in heaven.
It jumps out at you, when every woman in uniform is a normal person. As leaders, they lead. As soldiers, they fight. As scientists, they explore. It's just that in the romantic area, they get stupid. The shame is that these normal women are written well. They are what I imagine a politician, commander, captain, scientist, admiral or lieutenant, would be. They are admirable, scared and tough, thinkers and doers.
The battle descriptions, unit organization and operational doctrine are sensible, feel very realistic and fall in line with modern doctrine. You won't find much better anywhere, I think. There's no teenage bravado (except for the emperor, just doing what emperors do?). The scientific explanation for the technology is logical (it may not line up perfectly with modern theory but who cares and who knows how far off true it really is). The writer has a good imagination and gives a good underpinning to the equipment available to all sides and the tactical and operational necessities limiting the characters' choices. It makes it much more easy to follow both the battles and the characters.
On the non-battle front, some characters make questionable decisions. The shape shifters aren't treated as threat number one or maybe two. Security is so loose, it made me wonder whether the writer intends for the humans to go extinct from stupidity.
The good parts are fun. The romantic relationships are just badly sexist.
March 2, 2019
Sigh. Why does every damned author think they have to do romantic plot lines? My only hope is the stupid Emperor and the Doctor get together fast so we can not have this stupid plot line going for too long. Other than that, still enjoyable series.
February 13, 2018
Better than the first 2.
January 22, 2019
Good series maybe underdeveloped in some aspects
January 22, 2024
Enjoyed the series.
March 18, 2015
The story continues the pattern set before.
May 2, 2014
Much more coherent than the previous books, thrilling military space opera.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews