In Her Name

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Mistress Of The Ages (The First Empress, Book 3) by Michael R. Hicks

Posted by tjhapney on August 17, 2015
Posted in: Book Review, Science Fiction. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 4 Comments

MistressDescription/Blurb:

In the final volume of THE FIRST EMPRESS Trilogy, the Kreelan warrior priesthoods, once charged with teaching and preserving the tenets of the Way, have sown the seeds of their own destruction by allying themselves with the Dark Queen and letting loose the ancient evil of Ka’i-Nur.

All that stands against the looming darkness is young Keel-Tath and a handful of surviving priests and priestesses of the Desh-Ka. Battered and bloodied from their own brief, vicious civil war, their honor and swords are now bound to the Child of Prophecy, come what may.

Review 5 of 5 Stars

I have been waiting for this book since I read the last page of the second book in The First Empress trilogy. As expected, the author did a fantastic job with this story. I’ve fallen in love with the universe and the characters he has created. Not only did I enjoy reading this story, but it couldn’t have come at a better time. I was really looking for some distraction and it fit the bill very nicely as it whisked me away to the Kreelan empire to watch as Keel-Tath prepared to confront her nemesis. It was also intriguing enough to drag me away from my summer fun for which I have to give it some credit. When a story starts traveling with me everywhere I go, I consider it a win.

In this story we get a lot of action as one would expect from a warrior race. This is a sweeping epic that casts you from one side of the universe to the other in the blink of an eye. Needless to say a lot of characters die given that Kreelan society is entirely a warrior society that follows The Way, the Kreelan code of conduct. The Dark Queen’s forces are blessed with overwhelming numbers as Keel-Tath’s forces prepare to respond to the threat offered in this latest installment of the series. I was surprised and pleased with the turns the story took, but don’t want to give away too much since we’re so far along in the series. Pretty much everything was well done. The foreshadowing for the very end wasn’t as subtle as I had expected and I had a pretty good idea what was going to happen with that, but it did leave the doorway open for another book in this quite enjoyable series.

Michael Hicks has done a great job. There’s battle, strategy, plotting, trickery, love and much more to keep you interested. I was pleased with the story and the outcome of the arc as a whole. I can’t wait to see what the next story in this epic series brings to the table. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Michael R. Hicks gives away the first book of the trilogies that start this series so if you want to check it out, it won’t cost you a thing.

 

Serial Expectations

Posted by tjhapney on June 11, 2013
Posted in: Random Thoughts. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

I was talking/writing with someone I know today about how we develop expectations about what we see or read, especially when it comes to a series. With a book blog, even though it’s a voluntary labor of love that you have put upon yourself, once you get going you have people contacting you for reviews, blog tours and the like and you end up with things on your schedule (so to speak) to read that you didn’t necessarily search out for yourself. It’s actually cool and I have read some really good books that way. Presently, I’m doing my best to work my way through the commitments I have made, but I bought/pre-ordered Dust by Hugh Howey the other day and I swear I can hear it calling to me as I read the other books on my list.

I loved Wool and cannot wait to read Dust, though perhaps the waiting is good for me because once I have read it and it’s over I’ll have to wait a while to find another book that truly draws me to it. I have a few fairly new authors right now that really draw me in and I can’t wait for them to put out new books.  Hugh Howey is one of them because I was just blown away by the Wool series. Michael R. Hicks is another and the last time I read one of his books from the In Her Name series, I ended up re-reading the whole series and reading the current book again before I could even get around to reviewing it. I’m hoping Dust will be like that too. I also keep an eye out for Christian Cantrell’s stuff because Containment was a good read and Peter Cawdron’s stuff because of the unique perspectives he offers in his books with Monsters being the most recent one I have enjoyed reading. So I’m currently reading a book I was requested to read and it’s really pretty good. The author might even be one I start looking out for, but when I’m standing at the sink washing dishes and such I still find myself wondering what will be there when I open Dust.

I hope the distraction is worth the wait, but the book I’m reading is good enough to not put down as an orphan and I can’t read Dust until it comes out in August so I’ll have to wait. However, I wait with happy expectations of what I will find when I open Dust.

Forged in Flame (In Her Name: The First Empress, Book 2) by Michael R. Hicks

Posted by tjhapney on May 31, 2013
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forged

Original review posted Friday, May 3, 2013

Description: This is the second book of the First Empress saga, following From Chaos Born.

Keel-Tath, the child who would unite her people as foretold by an ancient prophecy, has grown to be a young warrior in the confines of the Desh-Ka temple, where she has been sheltered by her old friend and mentor Ayan-Dar from the clutches of Syr-Nagath, the Dark Queen. But when Keel-Tath is forced to choose between sanctuary and her honor, she goes into exile, leaving behind a broken-hearted Ayan-Dar.

Captured and bound in chains by those who serve the Dark Queen, she is rescued from an unspeakable fate by a warrior from the shadows. Thus begins Keel-Tath’s perilous journey to the ends of her war-ravaged world, through deadly wastelands and even deadlier seas, unaware that some of those she holds most dear stand ready to betray her…

Review 5 of 5 Stars

This was a fantastic book. I don’t know that I can give this book a better recommendation than that after I read it and was not ready for the story to be over, I reread the entire series and then read this book again before even writing the review for it.  It made for a long time between reviews for the blog, but I really enjoyed the time of self-indulgence that I took to bury myself in Mr. Hicks’ universe. Long before the Redemption and The Last War trilogies, this story takes us back to the rise of the First Empress before humans are a consideration in the universe or story.  Keel-Tath’s struggles in her bid to fulfill the prophecy that may save her people from destruction are fascinating, riveting and very well written.  The characters are flesh and blood and I love the story on many levels. I’m sure this series will remain with those others that I read again from time to time like visiting old friends. Michael R. Hicks has done an amazing job of world building in this series from the very start and I can’t wait to read the next book. If you enjoy good fantasy/military science fiction this will be right up your alley.

From Chaos Born (In Her Name: The First Empress, Book 1) by Michael R. Hicks

Posted by tjhapney on May 31, 2013
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chaosOriginal review posted Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Description: 

CHAOS

For long ages, the Kreelan race has been ruled by war. Only the priests and priestesses of the ancient martial orders prevented total annihilation as countless times civilizations arose, only to collapse again into savagery.

RISE OF THE DARK QUEEN

Near the end of the Fourth Age, a powerful warrior from a brooding fortress deep in the Great Wastelands began her bloody rise to power. Syr-Nagath, known as the Dark Queen, began a brutal war of conquest across the face of the Homeworld, secretly planning to destroy the martial orders and resurrect the dark ways of her race’s apocalyptic past.

A CHILD FORETOLD

What the Dark Queen did not anticipate was the birth of Keel-Tath, a child unlike any other. A child foretold in an ancient prophecy, who was destined to wield the powers of the ancient orders and unite her race.

A child the Dark Queen must kill, no matter the cost…

Review 5 of 5 Stars

From Chaos Born is the first book in the third trilogy that Michael R. Hicks has done in the In Her Name series and is a prequel that takes us back to the time of the first empress of the Kreelan civilization to observe the beginning of the changes to the Kreelan culture and honor system that will eventually lead them to human space far in the future.  I really enjoyed it and it was interesting to see the societal struggles that this race faced as it was developing and reaching for the stars in an endless cycle of destruction. Syr-Nagath, the Dark Queen, is truly a brutal character with no redeeming qualities as far as I could tell.  Of course, though, in its slanted way this story is about good trying to triumph over evil as has been the rest of the series.  This is a story of hope for an embattled people who have carried on for generations watching their civilization rise and fall. In Keel-Tath there is hope and prophecies of greatness as well as warnings of dire events to come.  Since this is a beginning to a story that we’ve already witnessed in the current books of this series I was really glad to see that it didn’t founder and the storytelling was as strong and imaginative as in the previous books. Can’t wait to read the next one when it comes out.

Final Battle (In Her Name: Redemption, Book 3) by Michael R. Hicks

Posted by tjhapney on May 31, 2013
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finalOriginal review posted September 2, 2012

Description: In the final book of the In Her Name: Redemption trilogy, Reza Gard awakens in a hospital on Earth after having been in a coma for months. Charged with murder and high treason, he finds himself the scapegoat for a daring plot to assassinate the President of the Confederation.

Escaping with the help of Jodi Mackenzie, who is now hunted for what she knows about the death of the president, Reza discovers that something is deeply wrong with the Empire: the warriors have lost their will to fight. Compelled to step into a trap set for him and Jodi, the two once again find themselves bound for Erlang.

But this time it is to meet Tesh-Dar, who has been taken prisoner. Captured and sentenced to death, Reza can only watch as a human armada gathers for a strike against the Kreelan homeworld. But the human fleet – and humanity itself – will be doomed to utter annihilation unless he can reach the Empress in time…

Review 5 of 5 Stars

Altogether this has been a great series and I was thoroughly disappointed when I reached the end of Final Battle, the last book in Michael R. Hicks’ In her Name: Redemption trilogy because I truly didn’t want the story to end. Reza is a fantastic character who is incredibly interesting and easy to empathize with while reading. There’s a lot going on in this book and I think Mr. Hicks did a great job of wrapping it all up, though I can only hope that there’s another book after this one that will delve into other issues that would lead to a spoiler alert if I were to discuss them here.  Once again there’s lots of action, intriguing characters and a gritty feel to the portions of the story that need it.  These stories are filled with so much that it has become more difficult to review them for those who have not read the others in the series as I truly don’t want to give away too much and take away from the reader’s enjoyment of their own discoveries and realizations. This is great science fiction / fantasy (as there are some elements that could be considered fantasy by some) and I thoroughly recommend it.  Mr. Hicks is a very good writer and I greatly enjoyed this book and the series as a whole.  So 5 stars for Final Battle and 5 stars for the In Her Name Redemption trilogy as a whole. If you’re looking for something fresh and well thought out that will whisk you away to another place and time this may well be a story for you.

Confederation (In Her Name: Redemption, Book 2) by Michael R. Hicks

Posted by tjhapney on May 31, 2013
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confederationOriginal review posted Sunday, August 26, 2012

Description: In Book 2 of the In Her Name: Redemption trilogy, Reza Gard has been banished from the Kreelan Empire and is once again a stranger in a strange land as he returns to the human Confederation. Befriended by a marooned Confederation naval officer leading a desperate fight against the Kreelans on a distant colony world, she reunites Reza with Nicole Carré. With their help, he fulfills his childhood dream of becoming a Confederation Marine.

Reza will need all the help he can get, for dark forces are at work at the heart of the Confederation, and Reza becomes a pawn in a lethal power struggle that leads him back to the planet Erlang. There, a heartbreaking reunion awaits him, along with the discovery of an ages-old power that the Kreelan Empire will stop at nothing to control.

Review 4 of 5 Stars

Confederation, Book 2 of the In Her Name: Redemption trilogy has us following Reza Gard as he tries to acclimate to being human.  I enjoyed the book, but didn’t find it to be as gripping as Empire, the first book in the trilogy. However, it is a necessary piece in an evolving story. There’s a lot of exploration of the human attachments that Reza makes and though he is still the proud and dangerous warrior that we know him to be, he is also out of his element in his dealings with his own kind shall we say. That isn’t at all unexpected at this point in the story and though I completely understood the reasoning behind all of that and how it affects the story arc, I just wasn’t as drawn in by this volume as I was with Empire and the fascinating Kreelan culture. Book 2 is more about exploring humans at their best and worst and there’s a lot of character and relationship building taking place to set up for the third book. As with the other books in this series by Mr. Hicks it was quite enjoyable and I dove into the next one right away. It really picks up after the second half of the book and propels the reader forward toward the third book, but the start of this one was a little slower paced. I’m further ahead in the reading than I am in the reviewing, but can comfortably say that this series will be one I read over in the years to come and will wait expectantly for new stories in the fascinating universe created by the author.

 

Empire (In Her Name: Redemption, Book 1) by Michael R. Hicks

Posted by tjhapney on May 31, 2013
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EmpireOriginal review posted Thursday, August 16, 2012

Description: Empire is the coming-of-age story of Reza Gard, a young boy of the Human Confederation who is swept up in the century-long war with the alien Kreelan Empire. Nightmarish female warriors with blue skin, fangs, and razor sharp talons, the Kreelans have technology that is millennia beyond that of the Confederation, yet they seek out close combat with sword and claw, fighting and dying to honor their god-like Empress.

Captured and enslaved, Reza must live like his enemies in a grand experiment to see if humans have souls, and if one may be the key to unlocking an ages old curse upon the Kreelan race. Enduring the brutal conditions of Kreelan life, Reza and a young warrior named Esah-Zhurah find themselves bound together by fate and a prophecy foretold millennia before they were born.

Review 5 of 5 Stars

I read the In Her Name: The Last War series before beginning on the Redemption trilogy so I could read it in chronological order and am really glad I did.  I feel it gave me a better understanding of the Kreelan culture before beginning Empire. That said, the character building and overall storytelling involved in this book was fantastic. The story is compelling, harsh and brutal at points while allowing the reader to love the same characters who sometimes make the harshest decisions as well as delivering a love story to rival some of the classics. It’s so easy to tell someone why you didn’t like a book, but when a writer produces a story that really has that extra something so captivating that it draws you in to where you sit up all night reading even knowing full well that you have to be up early for work and that you’ll be tired all day it’s harder to express. How do you share that with someone else?  So, I’ll do my best to tell you that it was heartwarming and fascinating to follow Reza. You share his fears, friends, struggles, accomplishments, love and heartbreak as he grows up in the alien culture of the Kreelans that become more his family than any he had ever known. Mr. Hicks has created a host of interesting and complex characters to draw the reader into this story. Tesh-Dar became a favorite character while reading The Last War trilogy and I was glad to see her and other intriguing characters were explored much more in depth in Empire. It was a great read and I’ll be sad when I run out of books in the series.  Mr. Hicks has done an outstanding job of telling his tale. If you love great storytelling I’m sure you’ll enjoy Empire.

Dead Soul (In Her Name: The Last War, Book 3) by Michael R. Hicks

Posted by tjhapney on May 31, 2013
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Dead SoulOriginal review posted Monday, August 13, 2012

Description: Three years after the brutal first contact encounter with the alien Kreelan Empire, the human Confederation is desperate for a victory. With over a dozen worlds under siege by legions of Kreelan warriors, President McKenna orders the Confederation military to deliver a victory to give humanity hope.

Ichiro Sato and his wife Steph, Roland Mills, Valentina Sikorsky, and the irrepressible General James Sparks are once again at the sharp end of the spear in a mission to take back the colony of Alger’s World from the alien invaders before the Kreelans have exterminated the human population.

But the overwhelming firepower that they plan to bring to bear on the Kreelans may not be enough. For leading the invasion of Alger’s World is Ku’ar-Marekh, a warrior priestess who is feared even among her own kind. With her spirit trapped between life and death, she is called Dead Soul…

Review 4 of 5 Stars

I was completely sucked in by the first two books.  Though I enjoyed this one, it wasn’t quite as much of a draw for me.  I wasn’t as drawn in by Ku’ar-Marekh, the Kreelan warrior priestess that was the Kreelan focus for this volume and I really don’t feel that I need to be told multiple times that she cannot feel any emotional attachment in great detail.  I got it.  I would have really liked to see more about Tesh Dar, the warrior priestess from the first book as she was a very interesting character and I had hoped she would be back in business by the last book in the trilogy, but we did get more time with the Empress this time and that was pretty interesting.  I will say that I read the prequel series first after having read Mr. Hicks’ Foreword at the beginning of Empire from the Redemption trilogy because I wanted to read the story in chronological order so there may be more of what I’m looking for in that story line later, but I can’t say at this point as I have just begun reading Empire. Additionally, things with the main human characters all wrapped up a little too quickly in the last chapter of the book like it was an afterthought.  Other than Ku’ar-Marekh and the final few pages, I enjoyed the read and continue with my recommendation of the series, but do have to say that the third book, in my opinion, wasn’t quite as good as the first two; however, that may not be the case for others.  I really like Mr. Hicks’ storytelling style and think he’s a very good writer. If you enjoy an science fiction adventure of the military flavor you could certainly lose yourself in the series for a couple of days.

Legend Of The Sword (In Her Name: The Last War, Book 2) by Michael R. Hicks

Posted by tjhapney on May 31, 2013
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legendOriginal review posted Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Description: Six months after the alien Kreelan Empire launched its invasion of human space, the Confederation of Humanity, a coalition of human worlds banding together for self defense, is rapidly growing.

Unfortunately, not all human worlds want to join the Confederation. Some, like Saint Petersburg, don’t believe the tales of alien invaders, and think that the formation of the Confederation is nothing more than a veil over Earth’s expansionist ambitions. With a powerful navy built in secret and armed with nuclear weapons, Saint Petersburg is preparing to launch their own offensive against Earth before the Confederation becomes too powerful.

The Confederation heavy cruiser Yura, commanded by Ichiro Sato, is part of the fleet the Confederation sends to preempt Saint Petersburg’s attack. Drawn into a deadly trap, the Confederation fleet and its Marines are fighting for their lives when Kreelan warships, led by the enigmatic warrior priestess Tesh-Dar, materialize out of hyperspace.

As Tesh-Dar and her warriors wreak havoc on the two human fleets and Saint Petersburg itself, Ichiro, Roland Mills, and a Confederation spy known as SCARLET are faced with desperate choices from which they learn the true meaning of sacrifice.

Review 5 of 5 Stars

I finished Legend of the Sword, the second volume in Michael R. Hicks’ In Her Name: The Last War series yesterday. The second book was as good as the first so I started on the third one and am about halfway through it at this time, but that’s a review for later. I’m really enjoying this series. The Kreelan priestess Tesh-Dar is fascinating as is the entire culture that Mr. Hicks has brought forth here. Not very long after the first book ends we rejoin our characters as the crisis is picking up between the Confederation and the totalitarian government of Saint Petersburg.  Just in time for the fun the Kreelans arrive to join the party.  We are introduced to some interesting new characters who keep things exciting and moving along, as well as giving the reader a few new characters to follow that will tug at your heart. This is military science fiction, but it’s so much more. What I’ve read so far has been really well done and Mr. Hicks is an excellent storyteller. There’s lots happening all the time and you have to pay attention because he does a really good job with character relationships and wrapping things up. If you skim through parts, when you get to the wrap-up you’ll feel like you’re missing a piece (I say this from guilt of trying to see what was going to happen next to a particular character lol). This would be a fantastic science fiction action flick. I heartily recommend it for summer reading if you enjoy action with a great story.

First Contact (In Her Name: The Last War, Book 1) by Michael R. Hicks

Posted by tjhapney on May 31, 2013
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First contactOriginal review posted Monday, August 6, 2012

Description: Young Midshipman Ichiro Sato joined the Terran Navy to escape a tyrannical father and find freedom among the stars. He had no idea when he boarded the survey starship Aurora for his first assignment that he and his crew would make humanity’s first contact with a sentient alien species. In an uncharted star system where Aurora’s crew discovers two planets inhabited by a non-human civilization, Aurora is disabled by gigantic alien starships before she can escape. Boarded by nightmarish blue-skinned warriors with claws and fangs, the aliens learn all there is to know about the ship, including all its stored information about humanity, before the crew is slaughtered in a series of ritual combats. Ichiro, the sole survivor, is returned to Earth as a messenger to warn of the aliens’ coming invasion of human space.

For that is the Way of the Kreelan Empire, an ancient and dying race that has waged war across the galaxy for a hundred thousand years, slaughtering every sentient species it has encountered in a desperate search for the One, a savior foretold in an ages-old prophecy who can rescue them from looming extinction. For the Kreelans, who will die out in a handful of generations, the conflict with humanity will be The Last War.

With Earth leading a fragile coalition of military forces to mount a defense against what many believe is nothing more than a hoax, Ichiro again finds himself at the sharp end of the spear aboard a Terran destroyer. Together with journalist Stephanie Guillaume, Legionnaire Roland Mills, and the irrepressible General James Sparks, Ichiro and the other men and women of the coalition put their lives on the line against an enemy none of them could ever have imagined.

Review 5 of 5 Stars

First Contact from Michael R. Hicks’ In Her Name, The Last War series was a great science fiction read…and I do mean great. I really enjoyed it and have happily moved on to the next book in the series to continue reading this fantastic story. The book description does a good job of describing what is going on in the book, but in no way leads readers to believe that the book is going to be as good as it really is. This is a great story and is really well-written. I enjoyed it from start to finish and was irritated with myself when I could no longer stay awake to read more. The book is filled with action and battle, as well as great characters and the story doesn’t stumble at any point in the telling.  The Kreelan Empire, its culture and characters are fascinating with the author doing a superb job of world and character building. I’ve been pretty lucky lately on my book choices and this one was no exception.  The characters have depth and you find yourself feeling along with them. I even cried a little at one point. All in all this was a great story and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys excellent world building and characterization with almost non-stop action.  At no point in the book was I bored and often I was irritated when the reading was interrupted. So, if you’ve got some free time, find a place to hole-up and enjoy the journey.