Humanity pushed its way to the stars—and encountered the Gbaba, a ruthless alien race that nearly wiped us out. Earth and her colonies are now smoldering ruins, and the few survivors have fled to distant, Earth-like Safehold, to try to rebuild. But the Gbaba can detect the emissions of an industrial civilization, so the human rulers of Safehold have taken extraordinary measures: with mind control and hidden high technology, they've built a religion in which every Safeholdian believes, a religion designed to keep Safehold society medieval forever. 800 years pass. In a hidden chamber on Safehold, an android from the far human past awakens. This android, Merlin, emerges into Safeholdian society to begin the process of provoking technological progress, which the Church of God Awaiting has worked for centuries to prevent. To conceal his formidable powers he finds a base of operations in Charis, a mid-sized kingdom with a talent for naval warfare, where he plans to make the acquaintance of King Haarahld and Crown Prince Cayleb, and maybe, just maybe, kick off a new era of invention. Which is bound to draw the attention of the Church…and, inevitably, lead to war. It's going to be a long, long process. And David Weber's Off Armageddon Reef is going to be the can't-miss Sci-Fi epic of the decade.
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"I had never read anything by this author before. The sheer scope and complexity of the story immediately reminded me of my initial impression of Dune when I read it for the first time. The writing was smooth, other than a slightly irritating habit of using real names which are spelled in various ways. I found myself stopping to figure out the "real" name that was being used, and this distracted from the story. That is a very minor criticism of a book that shines as a whole." — Sally (4 out of 5 stars)
"I had never read anything by this author before. The sheer scope and complexity of the story immediately reminded me of my initial impression of Dune when I read it for the first time. The writing was smooth, other than a slightly irritating habit of using real names which are spelled in various ways. I found myself stopping to figure out the "real" name that was being used, and this distracted from the story. That is a very minor criticism of a book that shines as a whole."
“Wyman rises nicely to the near Herculean challenge of performing this 30-hour epic. His clear, expressive reading never falters while he skillfully navigates his way through a labyrinth of plot twists and multiple characters. Whether describing high-tech space battles or the covert activities of courtiers and spies, Wyman brings Weber's intricate world of Safehold to life.
Oliver Wyman delivers this compelling novel with consistency throughout all 30 hours. His range of character voices and accents, as well as his gripping narrative tone, keeps listeners fully engaged.
" The first two chapters are slow. Saying that they are glacially slow is an afront to self respecting glaciers. But persevere- it is worth the slog. If you survive that first bit you will be rewarded by a fun tale. I look forward to continue to read the series. "
" It took a few chapters to get into this book but once underway I absolutely loved this book! It's one of those books where you want to know what happens next so much that your eyes speed indecently quickly over the text. It's a long book, but one I didn't want to end. Historical adventure novel meets sci-Fi. Although the two genres have a lot in common so not such a jarring meeting as you might think. "
" While the premise is novel and interesting, and while I really like Weber's work, I found this novel to be a bit slow. Normally I can't put down one of his books till it's done. In this case, I was interested enough to slowly plod through it. It's a decent book. But the safehold series as a whole really starts engaging with the sequel (By Schism Rent Asunder). "
" Great introduction to a new SF series "
" I'm a bit nonplussed. The premise of the story, both the epic background and this chapter of that tale are great. And there's some good stuff here as well. But this thing drags! It's bogged down by overwrought dialogue which renders the characters almost indistinguishable from one another. A savage editor would have done wonders, especially if more character could be teased out of each character. I think I'll take a swing at the next book, but I'm less enthused than I should be. "
" A fun read. The ending leads you to believe that this is the first in a series. "
" Alot of potential with this one. Very enjoyable. "
" I have read most of webbers stuff and really enjoy his writtings, the only reason I can't rate this series as a five is the weird way he spells peoples names, it detracts from the story line. Otherwise it is a well worth read. "
" A spellbinding start to a new series. This story must, by definition, span multiple generations, with the avatar Nimue being the only continuing character. I can't help but conjecture about how the plot will unfold, and how long it will take before the ultimate confrontation with the Gbaba. "
" After reading the back cover I was a little concerned that this would be riff on organized religion. I was pleasantly surprised to find that religion, corrupted and out of control, is the target but that honest, humble faith is supported. A good action read that also can make you think. "
" Stunning in its depth and scope, ranging from political maneuvering, hard sci fi, galleons battles with broadside cannon fire, an industrial revolution, in depth characters. It sounds messy, it works seamlessly. "
" Not exactly what I was thinking it would be. It is a good story, but a little too long. Many descriptions of people and places are too detailed. "
" A very enjoyable read and an interesting universe. Character development is virtually nil but the author has a great grasp on the overall story, political intrigue, and foremost naval warfare. "
" Love the concepts surrounding this new series. Waiting for the next one. "
" The premise of this story is pretty cool; there's just something a little off about the execution that I can't quite put my finger on. Really a 3.5/5 rating. "
" Yet another stellar Weber series sucks me in..The man is a writing and creative maniac. "
" This book was an awesome sci-fi read. "
" Excellent series - usual Weber style and completeness... "
" Interesting mix of Arthurian legend with a futuristic society. Love the way Nimue is guiding the development of the Safehold kingdom. "
" Weber created another fascinating world. "
" I couldn't even finish this book. It was very boring. "
" Initially the book took sometime to get into but it was worth it. "
" Love the concept. A bit slow in points but a great read. "
" The start of the book was a little hard to follow, but after awhile it settled down and was a very good read. It even brought a tear to my eye when the king died. "
" Always been a big Weber fan but this book really piqued my interest in a subject I've never given much thought to namely religious reformation of all things. How you may ask??? Well read the dang book and be as impressed as I am/was/will be. "
" Similar to the Honor Harrington in the beginning with his description of naval battles. I am a big fan of the Harrington series and all of his other books so I will give this a chance. "
" A very interesting mix of science fiction elements and a society similar to the one at the time of the Reformation. "
" Another interesting back ground story. I like the main character and what she(he?) has to go through to get her(his?) work done and be successful. The writing is good,characters good, and story is good, so GOOD! GREAT, DOOM! "
David Weber is a science fiction phenomenon. His popular Honor Harrington space-opera adventures are New York Times bestsellers and can’t come out fast enough for his devoted readers. He lives in South Carolina with his wife and their three children.
Oliver Wyman is an actor and award-winning audiobook narrator. He has won five Audie Awards from the Audio Publisher’s Association, fourteen Earphone Awards, and two Listen Up Awards from Publisher’s Weekly. He was named a 2008 Best Voice in Nonfiction & Culture by AudioFile magazine. He has appeared on stage as well as in film and television, and he is a veteran voice actor who can be heard in numerous cartoons and video games. He is one of the founders of New York City’s Collective Unconscious theater, and his performances include the award-winning “reality play” Charlie Victor Romeo and A. R. McElhinney’s cult classic film A Chronicle of Corpses.
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