Change of Command

The Serrano Legacy #6

by Elizabeth Moon

New York Times bestselling author of Rules of Engagement Elizabeth Moon continues her grand epic as enemies from both without and within strike at the heart of the Familias Regnant.

After the suppression of the New Texas barbarians, Esmay Suiza and Barin Serrano hoped for a respite to develop their relationship. But there is time for neither rest nor pleasure as events around the galaxy push all the great powers towards war.

When Speaker Lord Thornbuckle is assassinated, his daughter Brun finds herself trapped in the machinations of politics and power—with the true villain behind her father’s death keeping an ever-watchful eye on her every move…

Meanwhile, the shadowy criminal empire of the Benignity, having already sabotaged the controversial “rejuvenation drugs” that fuel the Familias’ longevity, is now poised to spread its influence and corruption directly into Familias government.

On the planet Copper Mountain, the once-hunted Pilar Bacarion has quietly assumed command of a military prison. But she has far greater ambitions in she will carry out Lepescu's plan to gain control of the Fleet and crack the very foundations of the government.

But for Esmay and Barin, a long-forgotten betrayal is about to be revealed, a secret that in one moment entangled the fates of both the Suiza and Serrano clans—and made them mortal enemies.

“A thoroughly excellent adventure.”— Booklist

“Political intrigue, mutiny in space, and ideological battles of war and weapons lend variety to this fast-moving space opera set in the distant future.”— Library Journal

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Fiction, Military Fiction, Space, Science Fiction Fantasy, Fantasy

452 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Elizabeth Moon was born March 7, 1945, and grew up in McAllen, Texas, graduating from McAllen High School in 1963. She has a B.A. in History from Rice University (1968) and another in Biology from the University of Texas at Austin (1975) with graduate work in Biology at the University of Texas, San Antonio.

She served in the USMC from 1968 to 1971, first at MCB Quantico and then at HQMC. She married Richard Moon, a Rice classmate and Army officer, in 1969; they moved to the small central Texas town where they still live in 1979. They have one son, born in 1983.

She started writing stories and poems as a small child; attempted first book (an illustrated biography of the family dog) at age six. Started writing science fiction in high school, but considered writing merely a sideline. First got serious about writing (as in, submitting things and actually getting money...) in the 1980s. Made first fiction sale at age forty--"Bargains" to Marion Zimmer Bradley's Sword & Sorceress III and "ABCs in Zero G" to Analog. Her first novel, Sheepfarmer's Daughter, sold in 1987 and came out in 1988; it won the Compton Crook Award in 1989. Remnant Population was a Hugo nominee in 1997, and The Speed of Dark was a finalist for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, and won the Nebula in 2004.

Reviews

[Faith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lord, what a mess. There were entirely too many POVs in this book and some of them I really could have done without. There's no identifiable main plot thread...except maybe the shenanigans regarding Bunny's estate? And there was no coherent focus on any character or group of characters - everyone is kind of doing their own thing. I found Esmay and Barin to be totally uninteresting in this book, and there was not enough Heris. (There was barely any Heris).

While there were moments of excitement and immersion, overall the book felt scattered. It was more set up for a climax than a story in itself. I'll finish out the series to see what happens, but I have to say that I'm disappointed. I suspect that, when I come back to the series upon rereads, I'll just stick to the first three.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread..

[Celia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lord, I'm annoyed that the library didn't have the fifth book in this series, because jumping from the fourth book to this, the sixth, made things very difficult indeed. There were some dramatic things that occurred in book five, and it's a little difficult to catch up with everything that's happened in the character's lives. However, people discuss this often enough that it soon falls into place.

Esmay Suiza's relationship with Barin Serrano has progessed to the point where they're discussing marriage. However, Esmay isn't really the focal point of this book - or rather, she shares that focus with Brun, who has returned as a major character, as she gets heavily involved in the growing political struggle between Rejuvenants and Agists.

This book jumped around a bit too much for my liking - rather than staying mostly with one or two characters' viewpoints as previous books have done, this leapt around all over the universe - little headings indicated whether we were on this planet, that planet, this ship, that ship... it was all a bit scattered. I think this book may be setting up various threads for a very strong 7th book - or at least, I hope so, because I've been really enjoying this space opera, and want to continue doing so.

[Carolyn F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series although I do feel the book was bogged own with the machinations of the bad guys and for the chairman to have so much power that he could affect the structure of the military was a little much in my opinion. But overall I enjoyed the book.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

These books were fun to read, but I much prefer Paks, Remnant Population and Speed of Dark (though that one made me mad at the end)

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sixth book in the Serrano Legacy by Elizabeth Moon. In this one as Esmay Suiza and Barin Serrano plan to marry Esmay's family fears that her marriage to an offworlder will damage their position. Barin Serrano's family fears that his marriage to a Landbridge of Altiplano will damage his career and their reputation. Esmay and Barin do not care and will not let their families or even Fleet stop them from eventually getting married.
Meanwhile, the Rejuvenants fear the backlash caused by bad drugs and they want to ensure that nothing interferes with their pursuit of long life or the profit that comes from promising it to others. Neighbor states fear the aggressive expansion of the Familias Regnant, fueled by population growth and extended lifespan. Within the Regular Space Service, those who have received experimental rejuvenations fear they may have been given bad drugs on purpose. Some plot mutiny because of dissatisfaction with Fleet policies and the policies of the Familias Regnant.
This book is another great read in this series and I recommend it and the entire series.

[Dalen · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were a lot of swirling plotlines going on in this book, but most of them were fairly enjoyable so I'm OK with it. It seems like the author felt bad about making the stereotypical Texans the bad guys in the last book, so in this book she has some good stereotypical Texans. She also gives some nice moments in the middle of the galaxy crumbling into a potential devastating war, like Ronnie and Raffa and their colony, the resolution with the New Texan women, and Barin and Esmay getting married despite all the craziness. I also appreciated that the structure of the swordmaster's confession follows the corporate confession from the BCP. Overall I think this was a significant step up from the previous book (with much less rape).

[Emily VA · Rating 4 out of 5]

While infinitely better than the prior book in the series, this book had a LOT of threads interweaving and many of them seem barely or completely unresolved at the end. Also, would NOT advise starting here - while I think the prior book might be safely skipped, there’s too much carryover from earlier books in the series to enter this world here without confusion and/or missing a lot of the nuance.

[Caleb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this one in 2011 but ragequit because a cool character from the series died in the first few pages. Just wasn't in the mood for a while, and then forgot about it until recently. Pulled me right back in like an old habit... I didn't realize until now it only took me less than 8 days to finish (of only roughly 2 hours a day).

This one was different from previous in the series. Perspectives changed often, which was a little jarring and yet still interesting -- we got to see Moon's universe from many different viewpoints we hadn't tried before. I particularly liked the Benignity of the Compassionate Hand, antagonists that aren't just mustache-twirling villains. Still, this rapid shifting gave the book a more 'scattered' feel, which was not helped by the abrupt ending. (I suppose it wasn't helped by the 5 years since I read the previous books. I may have to read books #4 and #5 again someday.)

Zark, that abrupt ending though! I follow a few authors that tend to wrap up a little faster than I'd prefer, but wow, this one wasn't many steps away from "then the badguy died and they lived happily ever after, the end." If there wasn't another book after this one I'd take two stars off! With that in mind, there's a lot of intriguing setup (and introduction of new characters) that I hope will pay off in the next book. If not, I may be disappointed... there's a few events in this one that feel too convenient, and some enemies whose motivations feel too shallow.

I've enjoyed Elizabeth Moon's Serrano Legacy / Familias Regnant books so far because it's a different take on space opera. In this case while majoring in opera, space also took a bunch of different esoteric electives like horseback riding, fox hunting, hot air ballooning, fencing, and royal intrigue. It's a fun contrast from the other space series I read from David Weber and Lois McMaster Bujold -- there's a lot of shared elements (Space Military), but this one is not JUST about what happens in Space Military. Also, Moon was a computer specialist in the Marine Corps in real life -- this gives her some interesting perspectives on everyday life among the enlisted.

Nearly forgot -- who's that supposed to be on the cover? Hardly anyone even holds a gun in this book, let alone fires it. Esmay, star of previous books, never saw combat beyond arguments. Is that Margiu? I'm not even sure she unholstered hers.

[Daniel Bratell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Several substories, a plentitude of characters, and it's easy to become all confused about who is who and what story is currently going on. The individual stories are interesting though and the book is well written and it's easy to just keep going. Still, it's a bit of a mess.

Then we have the end, and it's not enough of an end. Was this and the next book supposed to be one book and it was split up for some reason?

Not much at all about Heris Serano and Lady Cecilia, the characters that made the first couple of books so good. And not much of Esmay Suiza, the character that made book 4 so interesting. Instead it's a mix of lots of characters, few of them interesting in themselves.

And a bit of deus ex machina to kill off a few of the unfinished stories. Also to be able to split a longer book into two?

[Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay. It's been pointed out by numerous people that villains think of themselves as the heroes of their own story. But the main villain here has no redeeming qualities at all. That's a little tough to take. Power-hungry, controlling, no sense of humor, sees women as objects and men as tools ... yeah.

Also, it seems like this book and its sequel, Against the Odds, should have been one book but were split in half for logistical reasons.

Also also, sometimes it seems like Esmay is kind of the universe's woobie/chew toy. Bad stuff just keeps happening to her and people keep thinking she must be completely untrustworthy, for no reason.

[Ted Bade · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was surprised by this book. Instead of a story with a main character and an adventure, it was more a tale related to that particular universe, bringing in most of the characters from the previous books in this series, each wit ha short tale related to the events that were going on at that time in this universe. A few situations are brought up, but nothing is really resolved.

I find this odd for Ms. Moon's novels. It was still a good story, worth a read if you are working your way through the series.

[Yves · Rating 2 out of 5]

The alternating chapters (much too choppy) made this good story a miserable read but the storyline saves it a bit. So much interesting detail that would have defined the structure of the Families and the interstellar order is missing so the reader just has to duct-tape and cobble together an incomplete view as best he is able. Little juvenile too. Disappointed.

[Monty · Rating 1 out of 5]

..Just doesn't make sense to me.

Suspension of disbelief for story/plot and world building issues became so close to impossible as to kill enjoyment in listening to the audiobook, all the worse with it being the Graphic Audio version, which more often than not imo makes up for many faults in books.

I can not recommend any of the books in this series past the first three.

[Anatoly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost 4 stars. Unfortunately, I felt that the last third or so of the book suffered from pacing and directional issues.

[Brandon Mehl · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bridge to the finale. Covers too many characters too quickly trying to setup final conflicts and resolutions.

[Lossecorme · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is trying so hard, and yet it doesn’t hold together well. This is one of Ms. Moon’s earlier series, and it feels like her style is still developing here. The previous books in the series mostly followed their respective protagonists, though they started to expand a bit to a larger number of perspectives. In this book, complex story telling with many independent characters explodes onto the page. The book jumps around dozens of perspectives, and though the author does an excellent job of making the reader care about a character in a matter of lines there are just too many points of view. It’s clear from having read her later series that Ms. Moon eventually finds a stable middle ground, balancing complex plots with a manageable number of protagonists, but she’s not there yet with this story.

In addition, while the other books in the series stood fairly well in their own, this one is clearly the first half of a larger story that will finish in the seventh book. The fact that very little was resolved isn't so much a problem, but there wasn't a plot line that tied the book together. There are two main story lines, one that starts out strong and peters out at the end, and one that builds slowly and sporadically before suddenly being something very big. It's clearly all building to the last book, but on its own this one feels a bit disjointed.

As far as Esmay, she is very much a background character in this book, and her plot line feels rather thin. If being Landbride was so problematic, why didn’t she hand off the role immediately after assuming it? And why on earth did Fleet insist Barin pay for the women from New Texas? Yes there are plot reasons for this, but it still all feels a bit contrived. It was nice to see Heris briefly, but she had less page time than Esmay.

All that said, in the end I did enjoy the book. I'm just hoping that things come together and resolve in book seven.

[Daggry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is perhaps the least propulsive read in the series, as it switches from one plot thread to another among the many extended from previous installments. It does make sense for the penultimate book to be this way, if the final is a grand series resolution, but that doesn’t make it smooth going.

Most of the threads were both interesting and convincing. The notable exception is Raffa and Ronnie: I’m not prepared to believe that two scions of powerful ruling Families ended up where they did, even given the unexpected circumstances. Raffa in particular seems to be acting out of character, and this dovetails with regressive gender stuff that frustrated me even while I reminded myself that Moon was writing this in the 1990s. So…3.5 stars. And thank goodness I have book seven on hand to start immediately.

[Lucy Takeda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d actually give this a 3.5-3.75. There was a page I reread three times, trying to figure out which character was speaking. Hobart is just a conceited, cruel bully. Some of the enemies in the Harrington universe actually have an explanation for their actions, and demonstrate a sense of honor.
Cecilia is my favorite character in this series, and she is rather a side-lined character in this novel. A major political character in the series has been murdered, and the folks in charge are much too happy to ascribe it to a group they don’t approve if. The Serranos are not willing to let things just drop, especially when Hobart starts threatening and bribing assorted family members.
I’ll certainly keep reading!

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Characters are fleshing out and there's a more diverse plot than before. But really? It's pretty average and not unpleasant. It's certainly not what it began as, and my original fascination for the series has had to undergo a massive transformation.

Still, it's decent. Space opera, social conditions, the question of immortality, control, etc.


Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews might be interested in reading my SF (Very hard SF, mind you), I'm open to requests.

Just direct message me in goodreads or email me on my site. I'd love to get some eyes on my novels.

Arctunn.com

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Duh, Duh, Duunh. (That's supposed to be the suspense notes.) So I'm reading and liking this book and just trying to figure out why and where we're going on this journey? Where's the space battles? All politics and families this and that and family politics. And all the threads... and near the end... Duh, Duh, Duunh. Plot twist. New characters and new plots galore. How does it all tie together? Will Esmay and Barin ever get together? More questions than answers here. Can't wait for the next in the series.

[Cfabrication · Rating 3 out of 5]

An awful lot of plots.

On one hand, this shows the messy overlapping and conflicting goals that people have. On the other, it makes the book a little hard to follow.

Some of the individual scenes are further explored in other books of Moon's. (E.g., a life raft appears with much more detail in Cold Welcome.)

I found myself wondering if splitting the book and developing the separate plots more would have helped, but that would have undercut the simultaneity of the action.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked up this book because I’ve enjoyed the author. I wish the cover had told me it was book 6 in a series, because it was not easy to figure out what to care about; there was so much water under the bridge. There were a lot of characters and without the backstory, it was difficult to care about any of them. Some parts of the story were still compelling and interesting, but none of the plot lines started or wrapped up within this book.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The head of the Familias is assassinated and a rival takes over and starts firing all of the senior Fleet staff and hiding the assessment of senior NCOs for dementia. There is a rebellion. Heris Serrano and Esmay Suiza are again in the middle of battles. This book is not as interesting, but actually sets stuff up for the next book (and last in the series) Against the Odds.

[Kate H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a big fan of fantasy and science fiction novels especially if they are long and have several books in the series. I really enjoy a series of books that I can immerse myself in and I first picked up an Elizabeth Moon novel because it was long and part of a multi-novel series. I continue to read her books because I find them engrossing and highly enjoyable.

[Falynn - the TyGrammarSaurus Rex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good instalment in the series. Took a while to get going, and jumps around between even more different characters than the previous books! but overall I enjoyed it. Except for the cliffhanger ending! On to the next...

[annapi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lord Thornbuckle, leader of the Familias government, is assassinated. Both Esmay's and Barin's families oppose their plans to get married. The Conselline family seizes power, and anti-rejuvenants are plotting. This is a nice mix of politics and action in Moon's continuing space opera saga.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am totally loving this series. Each book, with all its characters and crossovers and action-packed craziness, is reeling me in further and further. But I have to add - nice to see Cecilia and Herris again....poor Esmay. Can she ever catch a break?

[Tim · Rating 1 out of 5]

All over the map. Ostensibly a Suiza/Serrano story but they ultimately come off as minor characters. Actually there are no major characters in this mishmash of a story. Very disappointing follow-up to the wonderful Rules of Engagement.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still love the writing style, plotting, and setting, I wish I'd not dropped this series earlier.