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The General #9
The Heretic
David Drake’s legendary Raj Whitehall/The General series, stunningly reborn! In a world of muskets, bows and arrows, and reptile riding nomads, a young warrior fights against a totalitarian computer devoted to stasis.
ABEL DASHIAN'S WORLD DOESN'T NEED A HERO
Duisberg is one of thousands of planets plunged into darkness and chaos by the collapse of the galactic republic, but where other worlds have begun to rebuild a star-travelling culture, Duisberg remains in an uneasy balance between mud-brick civilization and bloodthirsty barbarism.
The people of Duisberg have a god: Zentrum, a supercomputer from the ancient past. Zentrum has decided avoid another collapse by preventing civilization from rising from where it is. And because even a supercomputer and the powerful religion which it founded cannot block all progress, Zentrum has another tool: every few centuries the barbarians sweep in from the desert, slaughtering the educated classes and cowing the peasants back into submission. These are the Blood Winds, and the Blood Winds are about to blow again.
This time, however, there's a difference: Abel Dashian, son of a military officer, has received into his mind the spirit of Raj Whitehall, the most successful general in the history of the planet Bellevue--and of Center, the supercomputer which enabled Raj to shatter his planet's barbarians and permit the return of civilization.
One hero can't stop the tide of barbarians unless he has his own culture supporting him. To save Duisberg, Abel must break the power of Zentrum.
With the help of Raj and Center, Abel Dashian must become . . . THE HERETIC!
About The Heretic:
“More than once, I envied Abel’s ‘gift’. If you count having the voice of a computer and the recreation of a famous general in your head as a gift. . .An interesting relationship that elevates [the novel] to something unique. . .I loved the battles and I found Abel to be an engaging character. I adored Golitsin, his priest friend.”—SF Crowsnest
About the Raj Whitehall series:
“[T]old with knowledge of military tactics and hardware, and vividly described action. . .devotees of military SF should enjoy themselves.”—Publishers Weekly
“[A] thoroughly engrossing military sf series . . . superb battle scenes, ingenious weaponry and tactics, homages to Kipling, and many other goodies. High fun.”—Booklist
About David Drake:
“[P]rose as cold and hard s the metal alloy of a tank … rivals Crane and Remarque …” –Chicago Sun-Times
“Drake couldn’t write a bad action scene at gunpoint.” –Booklist
About Tony Daniel:
“[D]azzling stuff.”–New York Times Book Review
“[His work] teems with vivid characters and surprising action.”–Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Daniel proves that the Golden Age of science fiction is right here and now.”–Greg Bear
“[A] large cast of utterly graspable humans, mostly military and political folks, of all ranks and capacities and temperments. Daniel has a keen eye for the kinds of in extremis thinking and behavior that such a wartime situation would engender. . . .Following in the footsteps of Poul Anderson and Greg Bear. . .”—Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine on Daniel's Guardian of Night
ABEL DASHIAN'S WORLD DOESN'T NEED A HERO
Duisberg is one of thousands of planets plunged into darkness and chaos by the collapse of the galactic republic, but where other worlds have begun to rebuild a star-travelling culture, Duisberg remains in an uneasy balance between mud-brick civilization and bloodthirsty barbarism.
The people of Duisberg have a god: Zentrum, a supercomputer from the ancient past. Zentrum has decided avoid another collapse by preventing civilization from rising from where it is. And because even a supercomputer and the powerful religion which it founded cannot block all progress, Zentrum has another tool: every few centuries the barbarians sweep in from the desert, slaughtering the educated classes and cowing the peasants back into submission. These are the Blood Winds, and the Blood Winds are about to blow again.
This time, however, there's a difference: Abel Dashian, son of a military officer, has received into his mind the spirit of Raj Whitehall, the most successful general in the history of the planet Bellevue--and of Center, the supercomputer which enabled Raj to shatter his planet's barbarians and permit the return of civilization.
One hero can't stop the tide of barbarians unless he has his own culture supporting him. To save Duisberg, Abel must break the power of Zentrum.
With the help of Raj and Center, Abel Dashian must become . . . THE HERETIC!
About The Heretic:
“More than once, I envied Abel’s ‘gift’. If you count having the voice of a computer and the recreation of a famous general in your head as a gift. . .An interesting relationship that elevates [the novel] to something unique. . .I loved the battles and I found Abel to be an engaging character. I adored Golitsin, his priest friend.”—SF Crowsnest
About the Raj Whitehall series:
“[T]old with knowledge of military tactics and hardware, and vividly described action. . .devotees of military SF should enjoy themselves.”—Publishers Weekly
“[A] thoroughly engrossing military sf series . . . superb battle scenes, ingenious weaponry and tactics, homages to Kipling, and many other goodies. High fun.”—Booklist
About David Drake:
“[P]rose as cold and hard s the metal alloy of a tank … rivals Crane and Remarque …” –Chicago Sun-Times
“Drake couldn’t write a bad action scene at gunpoint.” –Booklist
About Tony Daniel:
“[D]azzling stuff.”–New York Times Book Review
“[His work] teems with vivid characters and surprising action.”–Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Daniel proves that the Golden Age of science fiction is right here and now.”–Greg Bear
“[A] large cast of utterly graspable humans, mostly military and political folks, of all ranks and capacities and temperments. Daniel has a keen eye for the kinds of in extremis thinking and behavior that such a wartime situation would engender. . . .Following in the footsteps of Poul Anderson and Greg Bear. . .”—Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine on Daniel's Guardian of Night
287 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 15, 2013
15 people are currently reading
271 people want to read
About the author
Tony Daniel
104 books75 followersTony Daniel is an author of science fiction novels, short stories, and radio dramas.
For the comic book author, see Tony S. Daniel.
For the comic book author, see Tony S. Daniel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
September 2, 2014
Shortly after the death of his mother, six year-old Abel Dashian wanders into a locked storage shed. He has a fair idea what he’ll find in there: nishterlaub. Forbidden articles of old and broken technology packed away behind lock and key. Abel is a precocious young lad; he turns the key, ducks into the room and begins exploring. The priests know it’s there, right? They collected it and put it away. So long as he doesn’t actually try to use any of it (lock aside), he won’t be acting against Stasis. Six year-old logic, right? When a pair of voices begin to speak to him, Abel assumes it’s the nishterlaub, which it is, in a way. He’s actually being spoken to by a computer and the reconstructed intelligence of a famous general.The General, Raj Whitehall. They take Abel on a tour of the shed, explaining this item and that, and based on his reactions, decide he is the one they have been waiting for, the boy who will become the man who will change the course of history.
It’s a lot for a young boy to take in. Convinced he’s gone mad, Abel attempts to bash himself over the head with a stone. Center, the computer, repairs the damage and Abel leaves the shed with a terrible headache and two permanent guests.
A handful of years at a time, the story skips forward, showing us glimpses of Abel’s rise within the ranks of the Scouts, a militia unit attached to the military. It’s not the career his father, Joab Dashian, Military Commander of the district, wanted for him, but there is no doubt Abel has found his niche. Along with his own natural pluck, Center and Raj ensure Abel is an exemplary scout. He is brave and resourceful.
During his first foray out of the district, the Scouts run into Redlanders. These are the nomads of the desert and perceived as the enemy. Recent history of his planet tells of the Blood Wind, a periodic invasion of Redlanders that wipes out those living in the Land (as separate from the desert). The Blood Wind can be and is described as Zentrum’s punishment of the wicked. Zentrum is their equivalent of God, by the way. He’s not a god, though, he’s another computer.
The longer history of the planet is more complicated and, as the story progresses, we learn of the events that plunged Duisberg back into the era of muskets and spears and why Zentrum strives to keep them there through the use of a condition known as Stasis. Advancement and innovation is not allowed. Fighting the Redlanders is allowed, but is presented as a futile exercise. The only way to stop a Blood Wind is through new weaponry and tactics, the very acts against Stasis that condemn the wicked to suffer and die.
Abel continues to mature and fight the Redlanders. Center continues to collect data. By the time Abel is seventeen and a lieutenant in the Scouts, everything is almost in place. A daring trip into the desert secures the final details. Another Blood Wind is due and with the help of Center and Raj, Abel intends to stop it.
A revival of David Drake’s General series, ‘The Heretic’ is Cowboys and Indians on another planet. Just replace the horses with weird, feathered reptiles and you’re set. The Farmers, those of the Land, have superior weaponry and tactics, but the Redlanders have the numbers and superior mounts. Every clash has an uncertain outcome. There are wins and losses on both sides. Beneath it all, there is the suggestion of politics, helping and hindering both sides. Then there is Stasis, Zentrum’s grand plan and Center and the general’s scheme to stop it.
Center often extrapolates a likely outcome based on available information and through this device, the reader is treated to scenes outside of Abel’s view. More than once, I envied Abel’s ‘gift’. If you count having the voice of a computer and the recreation of a famous general in your head as a gift. He has to be careful and cannot reveal the fact he is a heretic, by idea and action and he doesn’t always count himself as fortunate to have the company. But it’s an interesting relationship and what elevates this novel from just another from the ashes story to something unique and interesting.
All in all, I enjoyed ‘The Heretic’. It’s not something I might have picked out myself, but I’m always on the lookout for new takes on post-apocalyptic fiction. I loved the battles and I found Abel to be an engaging character. I adored Golitsin, his priest friend. I’ve already mentioned my jealousy regarding Abel’s two helpers. Discovering a world already known by fans of David Drake was a bonus and Tony Daniel’s take on it, the story of Abel and the questions posed by the conclusion, will ensure I look out for the next instalment. ‘The Heretic’ is just the beginning of a new adventure, and the battles within are only the first of a much longer war.
Written for and originally posted at SFCrowsnest.
It’s a lot for a young boy to take in. Convinced he’s gone mad, Abel attempts to bash himself over the head with a stone. Center, the computer, repairs the damage and Abel leaves the shed with a terrible headache and two permanent guests.
A handful of years at a time, the story skips forward, showing us glimpses of Abel’s rise within the ranks of the Scouts, a militia unit attached to the military. It’s not the career his father, Joab Dashian, Military Commander of the district, wanted for him, but there is no doubt Abel has found his niche. Along with his own natural pluck, Center and Raj ensure Abel is an exemplary scout. He is brave and resourceful.
During his first foray out of the district, the Scouts run into Redlanders. These are the nomads of the desert and perceived as the enemy. Recent history of his planet tells of the Blood Wind, a periodic invasion of Redlanders that wipes out those living in the Land (as separate from the desert). The Blood Wind can be and is described as Zentrum’s punishment of the wicked. Zentrum is their equivalent of God, by the way. He’s not a god, though, he’s another computer.
The longer history of the planet is more complicated and, as the story progresses, we learn of the events that plunged Duisberg back into the era of muskets and spears and why Zentrum strives to keep them there through the use of a condition known as Stasis. Advancement and innovation is not allowed. Fighting the Redlanders is allowed, but is presented as a futile exercise. The only way to stop a Blood Wind is through new weaponry and tactics, the very acts against Stasis that condemn the wicked to suffer and die.
Abel continues to mature and fight the Redlanders. Center continues to collect data. By the time Abel is seventeen and a lieutenant in the Scouts, everything is almost in place. A daring trip into the desert secures the final details. Another Blood Wind is due and with the help of Center and Raj, Abel intends to stop it.
A revival of David Drake’s General series, ‘The Heretic’ is Cowboys and Indians on another planet. Just replace the horses with weird, feathered reptiles and you’re set. The Farmers, those of the Land, have superior weaponry and tactics, but the Redlanders have the numbers and superior mounts. Every clash has an uncertain outcome. There are wins and losses on both sides. Beneath it all, there is the suggestion of politics, helping and hindering both sides. Then there is Stasis, Zentrum’s grand plan and Center and the general’s scheme to stop it.
Center often extrapolates a likely outcome based on available information and through this device, the reader is treated to scenes outside of Abel’s view. More than once, I envied Abel’s ‘gift’. If you count having the voice of a computer and the recreation of a famous general in your head as a gift. He has to be careful and cannot reveal the fact he is a heretic, by idea and action and he doesn’t always count himself as fortunate to have the company. But it’s an interesting relationship and what elevates this novel from just another from the ashes story to something unique and interesting.
All in all, I enjoyed ‘The Heretic’. It’s not something I might have picked out myself, but I’m always on the lookout for new takes on post-apocalyptic fiction. I loved the battles and I found Abel to be an engaging character. I adored Golitsin, his priest friend. I’ve already mentioned my jealousy regarding Abel’s two helpers. Discovering a world already known by fans of David Drake was a bonus and Tony Daniel’s take on it, the story of Abel and the questions posed by the conclusion, will ensure I look out for the next instalment. ‘The Heretic’ is just the beginning of a new adventure, and the battles within are only the first of a much longer war.
Written for and originally posted at SFCrowsnest.
February 22, 2015
I had so much hope and good feeling towards this book when I found out about it and so much utter disappointment when I read it. If you are a fan of the Raj Whitehall series, please do not buy this book. It does not belong with the others. This is mostly because it was not well written. In fact, I was left wondering if Tony Daniel had read all of the existing stories or not. I also had to wonder if he had read any of them more than once. Additionally, I wondered if Tony Daniel had even taken a creative writing course which is probably an unfair suspicion.
If I were rating just the first third of the book, I would give it three stars. I liked that part. The author was covering ground fairly well trodden by David Drake and S.M. Stirling, but he was writing differently enough to keep it interesting. If Tony Daniel had maintained this level of writing the book would have come out to be an acceptable addition to the series. BUT the writing dropped off more and more as the story progressed.
For me the turning point from "I like this." to "Why the hell am I reading this?" came when the Mary Sue entered the tale. Never mind that the author had introduced a perfectly acceptable female character who could easily have developed into the female counterpart of the hero. He certainly didn't mind that. In fact he threw her away right after he introduced her. She was interesting. She had a back story I would have enjoyed reading about. She was positioned with clear motive to support the hero. The history and introduction of her people had her set up to be awesome! But no. Tony Daniel at some point said, "I have a better idea." and he didn't. He fell back on what many authors have done with too many stories. He forced the readers to accept a new character that didn't have much to recommend her just so he could have a standard, unattainable love interest. Bernard Cornwell did this so much better with his Sharpe series that it doesn't rate going over where Tony Daniel went wrong.
I think what Mr. Daniel really needed was a beta that was worth their salt. Someone needed to stand up and ask some hard questions like: "Why are you including all of this stuff that does not move the story forward?" I'm not talking about a paragraph or two or even a page or two. I'm talking about entire chapters worth of text that I skimmed over because it was as dull as dull can be. He could have knocked out an entire section of this book and it would have made the story better. It would have done so not by improving the plot, but by shortening the tale. And the little side adventures he sends his character on by having Center, the sentient computer, show him how machines of the past worked were redundant in what they presented. The first time it happened was fine, but when he does it again and again it gets old. I wanted to scream, "I get the point! Now just tell your story!"
The last two thirds of the book seem to focus on trying to get the reader to see how wicked and evil the main villain is and how corrupt the rulers of the world are. Fine. No problem. At least until you consider how poorly this was done. The bad guy the hero has to face off against really isn't that interesting. He isn't smart. He's ruthless, sure, but not smart. Worse than being boring, the reader is never left in doubt as to whether or not the hero will succeed in defeating this enemy. It's obvious from the get go that he is going to win and suffer very little while doing so. It becomes even more obvious after the Mary Sue joins in. Hell, she could have won this war in a week and had enough time to write her memoirs while doing it.
Honestly, I think Tony Daniel came under some sort of deadline and just rushed through to the end. The last portion of the book reads as if he phoned it in. Other indicators of this deadline theory of mine are his repeated wrong word usage and the occasional slip up where he uses the word 'horse' instead of the invented animal 'dont'. If he had had time to run his chapters by a proper beta reader and an editor I think he would have crafted a much better book. I think he was also worried about word count which is really important in modern novels. Sadly, the author could have written the story in a much more interesting way and probably increased his word count in doing so. Instead of telling the reader what was happing he could have taken the readers along on the adventure and shown us what was happening. A missed opportunity never to be regained.
In short, this was a poorly written book I wish I had not read. The only reason I could call this a page turner is that I was trying to get to the good parts. There were far too few to make it worth the trouble. Alas.
If I were rating just the first third of the book, I would give it three stars. I liked that part. The author was covering ground fairly well trodden by David Drake and S.M. Stirling, but he was writing differently enough to keep it interesting. If Tony Daniel had maintained this level of writing the book would have come out to be an acceptable addition to the series. BUT the writing dropped off more and more as the story progressed.
For me the turning point from "I like this." to "Why the hell am I reading this?" came when the Mary Sue entered the tale. Never mind that the author had introduced a perfectly acceptable female character who could easily have developed into the female counterpart of the hero. He certainly didn't mind that. In fact he threw her away right after he introduced her. She was interesting. She had a back story I would have enjoyed reading about. She was positioned with clear motive to support the hero. The history and introduction of her people had her set up to be awesome! But no. Tony Daniel at some point said, "I have a better idea." and he didn't. He fell back on what many authors have done with too many stories. He forced the readers to accept a new character that didn't have much to recommend her just so he could have a standard, unattainable love interest. Bernard Cornwell did this so much better with his Sharpe series that it doesn't rate going over where Tony Daniel went wrong.
I think what Mr. Daniel really needed was a beta that was worth their salt. Someone needed to stand up and ask some hard questions like: "Why are you including all of this stuff that does not move the story forward?" I'm not talking about a paragraph or two or even a page or two. I'm talking about entire chapters worth of text that I skimmed over because it was as dull as dull can be. He could have knocked out an entire section of this book and it would have made the story better. It would have done so not by improving the plot, but by shortening the tale. And the little side adventures he sends his character on by having Center, the sentient computer, show him how machines of the past worked were redundant in what they presented. The first time it happened was fine, but when he does it again and again it gets old. I wanted to scream, "I get the point! Now just tell your story!"
The last two thirds of the book seem to focus on trying to get the reader to see how wicked and evil the main villain is and how corrupt the rulers of the world are. Fine. No problem. At least until you consider how poorly this was done. The bad guy the hero has to face off against really isn't that interesting. He isn't smart. He's ruthless, sure, but not smart. Worse than being boring, the reader is never left in doubt as to whether or not the hero will succeed in defeating this enemy. It's obvious from the get go that he is going to win and suffer very little while doing so. It becomes even more obvious after the Mary Sue joins in. Hell, she could have won this war in a week and had enough time to write her memoirs while doing it.
Honestly, I think Tony Daniel came under some sort of deadline and just rushed through to the end. The last portion of the book reads as if he phoned it in. Other indicators of this deadline theory of mine are his repeated wrong word usage and the occasional slip up where he uses the word 'horse' instead of the invented animal 'dont'. If he had had time to run his chapters by a proper beta reader and an editor I think he would have crafted a much better book. I think he was also worried about word count which is really important in modern novels. Sadly, the author could have written the story in a much more interesting way and probably increased his word count in doing so. Instead of telling the reader what was happing he could have taken the readers along on the adventure and shown us what was happening. A missed opportunity never to be regained.
In short, this was a poorly written book I wish I had not read. The only reason I could call this a page turner is that I was trying to get to the good parts. There were far too few to make it worth the trouble. Alas.
August 8, 2018
I think I enjoyed this book more than the first time I read it. I found the sequel and decided to reread it before reading book 10. The character development was pretty decent, overall, and was fairly believable. It starts off kind of slow, but the pace does pick up as the book progresses. Some of the dialects in this book were harder to read and understand [completely] than in the original five books of the series. Whereas I would probably have rated between 2.6 stars and 2.8 stars rounded up, I think this time I would rate it 3.3 stars to 3.4 stars, rounded down to 3 stars.
I did like the concept [idea?] [plot device?] that is involved in this story. I thought it was pretty original the first time I read it, and I still think it is pretty original reading it a second time around.
It was funny how it suddenly 'hit me' while I was reading, but the techniques used by Center to calculate future probabilities and determine the most accurate, "truest" forecast possible, is based on Isaac Asimov's Foundation trilogy. I did not read Asimov's famed trilogy until recently [within the past year], otherwise I would like to think I have caught on to this sooner. Had I never read the Foundation trilogy, I would never have picked up on this. Had I read Asimov’s trilogy before reading the “General” series of books, I would like to think I would have recognized the connection between the series.
The book jumps around a bit with the new "chosen one's" life. It starts when the hero is six, then jumps to when he's twelve, then seventeen, then into his early twenties. I was okay with it. I thought it gave some good background to the main hero so that he was more 'understandable' to the readers [not that he always has to be]. The 'major' downside to this, though, is that it does take the story a bit of time to get its momentum going to the 'big finale' at the end.
I was sad about what happened to Abel's good friend, Golitsin.
I did enjoy reading the book a second time around. I think I enjoyed it more than the first time. This is not to say it does not have its "problems," but the problems it did have [much of which seemed more 'mechanical' in nature] did not take away from my reading enjoyment I am glad I took a chance to read it a second time.
I did like the concept [idea?] [plot device?] that is involved in this story. I thought it was pretty original the first time I read it, and I still think it is pretty original reading it a second time around.
It was funny how it suddenly 'hit me' while I was reading, but the techniques used by Center to calculate future probabilities and determine the most accurate, "truest" forecast possible, is based on Isaac Asimov's Foundation trilogy. I did not read Asimov's famed trilogy until recently [within the past year], otherwise I would like to think I have caught on to this sooner. Had I never read the Foundation trilogy, I would never have picked up on this. Had I read Asimov’s trilogy before reading the “General” series of books, I would like to think I would have recognized the connection between the series.
The book jumps around a bit with the new "chosen one's" life. It starts when the hero is six, then jumps to when he's twelve, then seventeen, then into his early twenties. I was okay with it. I thought it gave some good background to the main hero so that he was more 'understandable' to the readers [not that he always has to be]. The 'major' downside to this, though, is that it does take the story a bit of time to get its momentum going to the 'big finale' at the end.
I was sad about what happened to Abel's good friend, Golitsin.
I did enjoy reading the book a second time around. I think I enjoyed it more than the first time. This is not to say it does not have its "problems," but the problems it did have [much of which seemed more 'mechanical' in nature] did not take away from my reading enjoyment I am glad I took a chance to read it a second time.
January 3, 2024
This was my first book by these authors. It was a weird book set on a primitive mostly desert planet, but I enjoyed it enough to look for more of these in the future.
May 7, 2021
Observe. With the pointer on the 3rd star of mediocrity, the finger descends, but a distraction of unknown origins off somewhere to the left causes the finger to slip and hit just the one star. Thus fate guides all happenstance. Yeah thought about rating this higher but experience suggests no one reads any but the one-star or the 5-star review, with some situational minor deviation. Thus logic suggests that a one star review is more likely to be read than a 3 star review. Besides, can't really recommend this book. While advertised as space opera, it really isn't. While theoretically cut from the same cloth as the earlier books in this series, it really isn't. While relatively linear without a lot of introspective drivel and a fast read, there was just something missing here. The central protagonist is surprisingly thin, while the characters all around him are only more so. While the monk living in the mud and Rostov held some possibilities of interest they were never fully fleshed out nor were they around very long. The cumulative battle scene was considerably less than anticipated in execution. Just didn't do it, I'm afraid. Ho hum.
August 7, 2018
As stated on its cover, this book continues 'The General' series started by David Drake and S.M. Stirling. It is a worthy addition to the series - it has the added twist of Raj and Center facing off with a lower-generation computer controlling a planet. I think this twist will open up other alternatives that the previous books did not have.
The book starts out with Raj and Center introducing themselves to a six-year old who still mourns his mother's death. Believing the voices in his head intend to destroy his memories of his mother, Abel tries to stop the voices by bashing his head with a large rock. Over time [say, fifteen years?], the three come to an understanding and Abel agrees to work with Raj and Center to bring 'civilization' back to this planet. The problem with this planet is that when Zentrum decides there are too many people on the 'planet' [continent] [or too many technological advances have occurred] it sends a wave of barbarians to destroy civilization on the planet. This ensures the barbarians become absorbed into 'normal society' and that any progress or improvements in living conditions are stopped. In order to defend against the next 'Blood Wind' Raj and Center provide 'basic' technological improvements to Abel who then presents them to his priest friend Golitsin for the priestly blessing and for the improvements to occur. The 'Blood Wind' is defeated and society is able to breathe a sigh of relief [for three years]. Abel’s friend Golitsin is burned at the stake [with the new weapons] as a heretic.
The book is interesting in that it jumps forward years at a time in the course of Abel’s life. We see him first encounter Raj and Center as a six-year old. Then we see Abel as a twelve year old. And then it jumps to him being seventeen. The last jump is when Abel is at least twenty years of age. Abel truly comes into his own [with Raj and Center’s help] when he is seventeen. He leads a unit into the desert to discover the strength and plan[s] of The Enemy; he takes a map-maker with him so that a detailed map of the desert/badlands/Redlands can be created. He successfully frees two hostages while disrupting the enemy’s camp and escaping; through Raj’s and Center’s help he introduces technological advances that will allow his people to slaughter the ten thousand-strong invading army, and he meets the woman of his dreams. As his punishment for success, his father’s friend and priest sends Abel to a religious academy – the priest intends Abel to be the priest’s revenge for having to burn Golitsin at the stake.
I did not mind the jumping around of ages so much – I did not feel it too away too much from the book. I think it would have been more interesting, on the one hand, if maybe each segment [after age six] were a bit longer. Maybe not – it was a fairly quick read and the book moved forward fairly fast. It seemed like it could have been a bit longer and been just as good if not better. It definitely left it open for a sequel [which it needs, based on the way the story ended], so hopefully the next book builds upon the ideas presented and is a valued addition to the series.
I think the idea of two computers at war with each other through their human agents is a great idea. After this ‘cycle’ of books has run its course, I wonder if the series will be done. Short of having Raj and Center encounter a planet where humanity has not fallen so far due to the collapse of the Tanaki Space Net, I do not see where else the series can go. We have seen Raj and Center build up two separate civilizations and tear one down [in The Chosen] in order for the type of society Center deems appropriate to survive. Plus, how many stories can there be of some sort of civilization fighting against barbarians in an effort to stave off some sort of ‘eternal night’ before it gets truly old and boring? Maybe not old and boring, but seem as if the stories are merely retelling of previous stories? I think what will keep the series going will be how interesting the twists are on the series in terms of the situations presented. Also, possibly extrapolating various cultures and how they might have changed with the fall of the Galactic Empire. By that, I mean possibly looking at Asian cultures and how the collapse of society might have affected them? And how Center and Raj would interact with these other societies? We have seen European-based as well as Arab-based and South American-based cultures after the fall; I am not sure exactly what culture this book is based upon. But I think extrapolating some Asian cultures [and not just Chinese or Japanese or even Korean] would be an interesting read.
Not the best in the series. Not the worst in the series. But, overall, I still enjoyed it.
The book starts out with Raj and Center introducing themselves to a six-year old who still mourns his mother's death. Believing the voices in his head intend to destroy his memories of his mother, Abel tries to stop the voices by bashing his head with a large rock. Over time [say, fifteen years?], the three come to an understanding and Abel agrees to work with Raj and Center to bring 'civilization' back to this planet. The problem with this planet is that when Zentrum decides there are too many people on the 'planet' [continent] [or too many technological advances have occurred] it sends a wave of barbarians to destroy civilization on the planet. This ensures the barbarians become absorbed into 'normal society' and that any progress or improvements in living conditions are stopped. In order to defend against the next 'Blood Wind' Raj and Center provide 'basic' technological improvements to Abel who then presents them to his priest friend Golitsin for the priestly blessing and for the improvements to occur. The 'Blood Wind' is defeated and society is able to breathe a sigh of relief [for three years]. Abel’s friend Golitsin is burned at the stake [with the new weapons] as a heretic.
The book is interesting in that it jumps forward years at a time in the course of Abel’s life. We see him first encounter Raj and Center as a six-year old. Then we see Abel as a twelve year old. And then it jumps to him being seventeen. The last jump is when Abel is at least twenty years of age. Abel truly comes into his own [with Raj and Center’s help] when he is seventeen. He leads a unit into the desert to discover the strength and plan[s] of The Enemy; he takes a map-maker with him so that a detailed map of the desert/badlands/Redlands can be created. He successfully frees two hostages while disrupting the enemy’s camp and escaping; through Raj’s and Center’s help he introduces technological advances that will allow his people to slaughter the ten thousand-strong invading army, and he meets the woman of his dreams. As his punishment for success, his father’s friend and priest sends Abel to a religious academy – the priest intends Abel to be the priest’s revenge for having to burn Golitsin at the stake.
I did not mind the jumping around of ages so much – I did not feel it too away too much from the book. I think it would have been more interesting, on the one hand, if maybe each segment [after age six] were a bit longer. Maybe not – it was a fairly quick read and the book moved forward fairly fast. It seemed like it could have been a bit longer and been just as good if not better. It definitely left it open for a sequel [which it needs, based on the way the story ended], so hopefully the next book builds upon the ideas presented and is a valued addition to the series.
I think the idea of two computers at war with each other through their human agents is a great idea. After this ‘cycle’ of books has run its course, I wonder if the series will be done. Short of having Raj and Center encounter a planet where humanity has not fallen so far due to the collapse of the Tanaki Space Net, I do not see where else the series can go. We have seen Raj and Center build up two separate civilizations and tear one down [in The Chosen] in order for the type of society Center deems appropriate to survive. Plus, how many stories can there be of some sort of civilization fighting against barbarians in an effort to stave off some sort of ‘eternal night’ before it gets truly old and boring? Maybe not old and boring, but seem as if the stories are merely retelling of previous stories? I think what will keep the series going will be how interesting the twists are on the series in terms of the situations presented. Also, possibly extrapolating various cultures and how they might have changed with the fall of the Galactic Empire. By that, I mean possibly looking at Asian cultures and how the collapse of society might have affected them? And how Center and Raj would interact with these other societies? We have seen European-based as well as Arab-based and South American-based cultures after the fall; I am not sure exactly what culture this book is based upon. But I think extrapolating some Asian cultures [and not just Chinese or Japanese or even Korean] would be an interesting read.
Not the best in the series. Not the worst in the series. But, overall, I still enjoyed it.
March 23, 2017
Liked the book. I'm a big fan of Drake but this wasn't Drake. The story was short, the characters lacked depth and the plot was a straight line with few complications. The villain was just a bad guy, no personality. It did follow the series but I think it could have used more development. The final section seemed rushed as if he had to get to the end under a certain word count. Worthwhile, but Daniel is not Drake. Not yet anyway. Keep trying!
September 29, 2018
3.5 stars. Not too bad. But a bit of a letdown after waiting so long for this sequel in the series
August 3, 2020
Another excellent Raj novel
If you are this far into the series you will know what to expect and you won’t be disappointed. Raj and Center with their instrument Abel at their best.
If you are this far into the series you will know what to expect and you won’t be disappointed. Raj and Center with their instrument Abel at their best.
March 2, 2014
David Drake’s legendary Raj Whitehall/The General series, stunningly reborn! In a world of muskets, bows and arrows, and reptile riding nomads, a young warrior fights against a totalitarian computer devoted to stasis.
ABEL DASHIAN'S WORLD DOESN'T NEED A HERO
Duisberg is one of thousands of planets plunged into darkness and chaos by the collapse of the galactic republic, but where other worlds have begun to rebuild a star-travelling culture, Duisberg remains in an uneasy balance between mud-brick civilization and bloodthirsty barbarism.
The people of Duisberg have a god: Zentrum, a supercomputer from the ancient past. Zentrum has decided avoid another collapse by preventing civilization from rising from where it is. And because even a supercomputer and the powerful religion which it founded cannot block all progress, Zentrum has another tool: every few centuries the barbarians sweep in from the desert, slaughtering the educated classes and cowing the peasants back into submission. These are the Blood Winds, and the Blood Winds are about to blow again.
This time, however, there's a difference: Abel Dashian, son of a military officer, has received into his mind the spirit of Raj Whitehall, the most successful general in the history of the planet Bellevue--and of Center, the supercomputer which enabled Raj to shatter his planet's barbarians and permit the return of civilization.
One hero can't stop the tide of barbarians unless he has his own culture supporting him. To save Duisberg, Abel must break the power of Zentrum.
With the help of Raj and Center, Abel Dashian must become . . . THE HERETIC!
About the Raj Whitehall series:
“[T]old with knowledge of military tactics and hardware, and vividly described action. . .devotees of military SF should enjoy themselves.”—Publishers Weekly
“[A] thoroughly engrossing military sf series . . . superb battle scenes, ingenious weaponry and tactics, homages to Kipling, and many other goodies. High fun.”—Booklist
* *About David Drake:
“[P]rose as cold and hard s the metal alloy of a tank … rivals Crane and Remarque …” –Chicago Sun-Times
“Drake couldn’t write a bad action scene at gunpoint.” –Booklist
About Tony Daniel:
“[D]azzling stuff.”–New York Times Book Review
“[His work] teems with vivid characters and surprising action.”–Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Daniel proves that the Golden Age of science fiction is right here and now.”–Greg Bear
“[A] large cast of utterly graspable humans, mostly military and political folks, of all ranks and capacities and temperments. Daniel has a keen eye for the kinds of in extremis thinking and behavior that such a wartime situation would engender. . . .Following in the footsteps of Poul Anderson and Greg Bear. . .”—Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine on Daniel's Guardian of Night
About the AuthorThe Army took David Drake from Duke Law School and sent him on a motorized tour of Viet Nam and Cambodia with the 11th Cav, the Blackhorse. He learned new skills, saw interesting sights, and met exotic people who hadn't run fast enough to get away. Dave returned to become Chapel Hill's Assistant Town Attorney and to try to put his life back together through fiction making sense of his Army experiences. Dave describes war from where he saw it: the loader's hatch of a tank in Cambodia. His military experience, combined with his formal education in history and Latin, has made him one of the foremost writers of realistic action SF and fantasy. His books include the genre-defining and bestselling Hammer’s Slammers series, the RCN series including What Distant Deeps, In the Stormy Red Sky, The Way to Glory, and many more. His bestselling Hammer's Slammers series is credited with creating the genre of modern Military SF. He often wishes he had a less interesting background. Dave lives with his family in rural North Carolina.
Tony Daniel is the author of five science fiction books, the latest of which is Guardian of Night, as well as an award-winning short story collection, The Robot’s Twilight Companion. He is Hugo finalist for his story “Life on the Moon,” which also won the Asimov’s Reader’s Choice Award. Daniel’s short fiction has been much anthologized and has been collected in multiple year’s best compilations. Daniel has also cowritten screenplays for SyFy Channel horror movies, and during the early 2000s was the writer and director of numerous audio dramas for critically-acclaimed SCIFI.COM’s Seeing Ear Theatre. Born in Alabama, Daniel has lived in St. Louis, Los Angeles, Seattle, Prague, and New York City. He now lives in Wake Forest, North Carolina with his wife and two children.
August 5, 2020
The Heretic is the latest in the long-running General series by David Drake and one of several writers. (The original series was co-written with S.M. Stirling. The first book in the latter series was co-written with Stirling, but Drake has switched co-writers since them.) I do not recommend the original series unless you are completely acclimated to Stirling’s early work, which was heavy on the “I have to show you how grotty and violent the world is with graphic eroticized sexual violence.”)
The basic synopsis of the series runs something like this: Once upon a time there was a vast galactic civilization that collapsed, and that collapse slid downward into utter-yet-strangely-copacetic-with-World-History barbarism. And advanced computer AI named “Center” on one barbaric planet decided that it would find a way to restore civilization by using a military leader named Raj Whitehall to go to war and create the ideal conditions to restore civilization. Our Hero Raj’s society was based of the Eastern Roman/Byzantine Empire and Raj himself was based off of a general named Belisarius. Once he Restored Civilization he allowed his personality to be copied and he and Center are spamming the galaxy looking for neo-barb planets to uplift by latching on to some worthy warrior dude.
(Special note: Drake has worked this particular theme of “entity that may or may not be an AI rides mental shotgun inside he skull of some dude at least three times so far. The first was The General series, the next was a fantasy series called Lord of the Isles, and the other one was the Belisarius series co-written with Eric Flint. I prefer the latter two series over The General.)
This time around, Raj and Center end up on a planet which has a surviving AI named “Zentrum” that keeps its human population at a very low level of technology with only few exceptions. The basic society is vaguely Ancient Egyptian and the kid chosen to become Raj and Center’s arms and legs is a boy named Abel Dashian. Since Zentrum is using religion to control its population, Dashian nearly brains himself with a rock the first time Raj and Center contact him because he thinks Raj and Center are demons. This is not the beginning of a beautiful relationship, though eventually they are able to get Abel more or less on board with the entire “restore civilization” gig.
My reaction to this book was somewhat ambivalent. The book is readable but I wasn’t able maintain an interest in any of the characters. Another problem is that I don’t feel that this book stands on its own very well, which is something of a problem in an episodic series where the theme is the same but the setting changes.
The basic synopsis of the series runs something like this: Once upon a time there was a vast galactic civilization that collapsed, and that collapse slid downward into utter-yet-strangely-copacetic-with-World-History barbarism. And advanced computer AI named “Center” on one barbaric planet decided that it would find a way to restore civilization by using a military leader named Raj Whitehall to go to war and create the ideal conditions to restore civilization. Our Hero Raj’s society was based of the Eastern Roman/Byzantine Empire and Raj himself was based off of a general named Belisarius. Once he Restored Civilization he allowed his personality to be copied and he and Center are spamming the galaxy looking for neo-barb planets to uplift by latching on to some worthy warrior dude.
(Special note: Drake has worked this particular theme of “entity that may or may not be an AI rides mental shotgun inside he skull of some dude at least three times so far. The first was The General series, the next was a fantasy series called Lord of the Isles, and the other one was the Belisarius series co-written with Eric Flint. I prefer the latter two series over The General.)
This time around, Raj and Center end up on a planet which has a surviving AI named “Zentrum” that keeps its human population at a very low level of technology with only few exceptions. The basic society is vaguely Ancient Egyptian and the kid chosen to become Raj and Center’s arms and legs is a boy named Abel Dashian. Since Zentrum is using religion to control its population, Dashian nearly brains himself with a rock the first time Raj and Center contact him because he thinks Raj and Center are demons. This is not the beginning of a beautiful relationship, though eventually they are able to get Abel more or less on board with the entire “restore civilization” gig.
My reaction to this book was somewhat ambivalent. The book is readable but I wasn’t able maintain an interest in any of the characters. Another problem is that I don’t feel that this book stands on its own very well, which is something of a problem in an episodic series where the theme is the same but the setting changes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2013
continuation of The General Series, this book takes place on the world of Duisberg, a fallen human colony reduced to pre-industrial times. Due to an extremely dry climate, civilization is concentrated around a single river, much like it is by the Nile in Egypt. Outside The Valley, nomadic barbarians roam the badlands. In an interesting twist, a malfunctioning planetary management computer is attempting to keep things in stasis, eking out survival for humanity, if not progress and success. As in "The Chosen" and "The Reformer/The Tyrant", Center and Raj Whitehall's minds arrive on an interstellar probe to change things. Soon they take control of young Abel, child of the local military commander.
While it is not quite up to the standards of previous installments, particularly "The Chosen", it is nevertheless a fun read for the military science fiction buff. Technological and geographical constraints are skillfully used to create challenges. The characters themselves are not very fleshed out, but serve their purpose well enough.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=1667
While it is not quite up to the standards of previous installments, particularly "The Chosen", it is nevertheless a fun read for the military science fiction buff. Technological and geographical constraints are skillfully used to create challenges. The characters themselves are not very fleshed out, but serve their purpose well enough.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=1667
April 14, 2013
Might give this another half star if that was an option but it is not nearly up to the standards of the first books in the Raj Whitehall series. I have read all of the books so far in the series, which is the reason I got this one. While it is a decent addition to the series, it does fall short of most of the others for me, probably about on a level with "The Chosen".
Decent plot line and good characters for the most part but the Center/Raj entity just did not have the 'personality' I've come to expect with this series, also not character development or vivid battle scenes that make the earlier books so distinctive.
David Drake, Eric Flint and S.M. Stirling are all three masters of both characterization and military action and this book simply does not quite meet the high bar they set in the earlier books.
If you're a fan of the series, it's an entertaining read and I'll continue with it. There's another book coming, though the authors did wind this part of the book up well.
Decent plot line and good characters for the most part but the Center/Raj entity just did not have the 'personality' I've come to expect with this series, also not character development or vivid battle scenes that make the earlier books so distinctive.
David Drake, Eric Flint and S.M. Stirling are all three masters of both characterization and military action and this book simply does not quite meet the high bar they set in the earlier books.
If you're a fan of the series, it's an entertaining read and I'll continue with it. There's another book coming, though the authors did wind this part of the book up well.
October 27, 2013
Drake seems to be training a co-writer to take over his excellent "General" series. This book is engaging and it remains to be seen if the co-author Tony Daniel will be able to produce the same kind of enjoyable military science fiction that Drake has produced for decades.
The premise is that a supercomputer which survived an apocalypse and then gets into suitable young men's minds to train them to be superb military commanders. It works. This is an enjoyable read.
David Drake is Vietnam veteran. If one reads the self descriptions from old editions and from his earlier novels, you will see gradually changing descriptions of his experience in Nam. The way in which he has used his writing is perhaps the most public example of coping with post traumatic stress in in popular novels (as distinct from literature). Even though he wishes he had a "less interesting background", for those of us who were never there, it has produces some excellent light fiction.
The premise is that a supercomputer which survived an apocalypse and then gets into suitable young men's minds to train them to be superb military commanders. It works. This is an enjoyable read.
David Drake is Vietnam veteran. If one reads the self descriptions from old editions and from his earlier novels, you will see gradually changing descriptions of his experience in Nam. The way in which he has used his writing is perhaps the most public example of coping with post traumatic stress in in popular novels (as distinct from literature). Even though he wishes he had a "less interesting background", for those of us who were never there, it has produces some excellent light fiction.
July 26, 2013
I'm a huge fan of the series, and this one was good, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. But, I enjoyed it mainly because it was part of the larger series/universe.
I could nitpick it, but the summary is that the book doesn't pop out at me like the others did. Raj and Center are a bit on the "flat" side of things -- I keep expecting their characters to chime in at points where they don't and their contributions are minimal beyond moving the story forward. They have odd places where Center gives visions that I'm not sure how they fit in with reality. Is Center still giving a vision of how things will progress or did the story jump back to actual happenings?
Pieces just fit a awkwardly in places.
On the other hand, some of the characters are wonderful! I enjoy Able a lot, and his father Joab is a favorite of mine as well.
I could nitpick it, but the summary is that the book doesn't pop out at me like the others did. Raj and Center are a bit on the "flat" side of things -- I keep expecting their characters to chime in at points where they don't and their contributions are minimal beyond moving the story forward. They have odd places where Center gives visions that I'm not sure how they fit in with reality. Is Center still giving a vision of how things will progress or did the story jump back to actual happenings?
Pieces just fit a awkwardly in places.
On the other hand, some of the characters are wonderful! I enjoy Able a lot, and his father Joab is a favorite of mine as well.
April 18, 2013
The Raj Whitehall books (The General, etc.) were some of Drake's best books. I eagerly waited the release of this book and was extremely disappointed. The pacing seemed choppy and the quality was not even close to what you normally get from David Drake. I can only suppose that this was mostly written by the additional author listed on the cover with the concept taken with Drake's permission. i should have waited to get it free at the library instead of wasting money on it.
June 4, 2024
I read this one when it first came out about a year ago (I think?) I found myself reading a few of the chapters online (at the publishers website - Baen books) and I was interested enough to wonder where the plot would turn next. This is an off-shoot of the the David Drake/SM Stirling 'The General' series which I've quite enjoyed. If memory serves, this one was 'fair to middlin' (enough to keep me reading anyway) and I'm looking forward to the next one.
January 7, 2017
As with most of the books in this series, this is a fast fun read. Good characters, new world to learn about, good battles. As with others, this is clearly a 2-book struggle, and I'm looking forward to #10, to finish this installment. I'm glad they keep extending the series, and given the premise, there is NO limit to how many of these they can do. Every world they try to bring back from barbarism presents all new problems with all new heroes and villains. Keep 'em coming, please.
April 10, 2013
This book appears to have been written by Tony Daniel based on the original series by David Drake and has the same feel and flavor of those books.
It is good to see The General series being continued. I enjoyed this book-it was a good read.
It is good to see The General series being continued. I enjoyed this book-it was a good read.
April 26, 2013
I enjoyed this book. It remained consistent with the original General series but with a frsh perspective and I look forward to more in this series as I expect a followup given the finish to the story.
The characters and the settings are interesting and the conflicts are believable.
The characters and the settings are interesting and the conflicts are believable.
July 10, 2013
As military SF goes, this is better than average. From me, that's high praise so if fighting is your thing, this book is for you.
http://opionator.wordpress.com/2013/0...
http://opionator.wordpress.com/2013/0...
August 1, 2013
A decent addition to the series, but that's about it. Not up to the standards of the first books and is obviously mostly written by a new author. Not bad though, and I'd read another - but wouldn't read this one if I didn't already like the series.
May 13, 2013
I'm afraid this series is slipping. While I can't point to anything "wrong" with the book per se, there is definitely the feeling that we've been here before.
May 12, 2013
Decent enough. Good character development and nice to see Raj and Center back in a new adventure.
May 17, 2013
A sequel (certainly implied) is needed and would improve a good storyline.
May 22, 2013
Military SF that's just OK. Stock characters in a stock plot. Would read a sequel, which looks likely, but only if I had no more promising books waiting.
September 19, 2013
I liked the book. However, I wish that it actually ended instead of just stopping. I know the sequel will come out eventually, but still.
October 24, 2014
This was an OK book with a very unsatisfying finish obviously leading up to a sequel or a series ! it was kind of average and nothing special !
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July 19, 2014I rather liked it. There were some very good scenes and words spoken just as I would have done them. I look forward to the next one on this planet and maybe others from the series.
January 18, 2016
David Drake 19s legendary Raj Whitehall/The General series, returns with a new coauthor Dashian leads the army and people to a victory in the Blood Winds war.
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