What do You think about March Upcountry (2002)?
This book is the first part of a four book series. I believe that the series really should have been five books, but I'll get into that when I review the last book, We Few.The story's that of a spoiled princeling whom no one likes. Sent into the boonies on a show the flag mission, his ship is sabotaged and he goes down on a backwards planet that, while technically belonging to the Empire, is actually in the hands of the enemy. He and his bodyguards have to make their way cross-country to the port, take it out of enemy hands, steal a ship and make it back home. Somehow.His bodyguards don't think much of him. The only one who does is his valet, who's the only one who's been with Prince Roger through everything. In this book, the beginning of the trek, Roger displays some of his spoiled qualities, as well as some of his finer qualities -- such as his shooting -- and begins to grow into a man rather than a spoiled brat.Although frankly, I think that he was spoiled in a different way than we normally mean the term. It wasn't so much that he got everything he wanted and turned arrogant, but that everyone bungled his upbringing, causing an otherwise outstanding young man to rot away on the vine, as it were.This venture will either be the making of him -- or the death of him.
—Dixie A.
David Weber is the best at far reaching epic science fiction military writing that I have ever read. This story is no exception either.This is the first of four books.In this book, Roger, the third child of the empress, is shuffled off (so he thinks) to get him away from the center of things. Roger is a your typical spoiled, self-centered brat, a personal servant and a tutor that travel with him. With his is his personal guard, the as well as his bodyguards, the Bronze unit. These bodyguards, all excellent marines and dedicated to their duty, have little respect for Roger.Has they travel to their destination, their ship is severely damaged and must land on the nearest planet. As they enter the system in route to the planet Marduck they discover that the Saints are in the system. The Saints are Eco-socialists trying to bring back all planets to their original form and will use all force necessary to do it.The ship makes it way to the planet and lands, a bit haphazardly and the Bronze Barbarians manage to get Roger and his staff off of the ship and onto the ground but thousands of miles away from the only modern star port on the planet. Unfortunately, the plant is only at the Iron-Age of development and straddled with warring factions of 8 foot tall 4 armed inhabitants. The environment is mean, the people are tough and Roger and his people have a limited time to get to the star port before they die from lack of proper nutrients.So, we have a spoiled brat, two civilians, a guard company that dis-likes the person they are trying to guard and they have to traverse half a planet to get to their goalWill they make it? Will they manage to battle their way through a million barbarians to reach the Star port and hope it's not in the hands of the Saints? There's only one way to find out.
—Steven Sheeley
This is a very long audio book but it's entertaining. The story is engaging although it did drag at some places. It's basically about the making of a hero from a spoiled prince. This is sciene fiction for the most part. There are a gazillion characters but somehow you get to know them. I suppose that is what makes Mr. Weber a good author. I don't know that anyone else could have written that many personalities and have me keep them straight. The story evolves around a group of marines that are escorting their prince to some diplomatic post. Due to a traitor and an unsolved plot twist, the group are blown light years off course and everything went to hell from there. Prince Roger is human as are the marines protecting him so they were not happy to land on a planet that is primative and dangerous. Although marine terminology was used constantly, I was able to follow most of the lingo. At any rate, this is not my genre but it was quite enjoyable. I may even borrow book 2 since this one ended in a cliffhanger of sorts.This is a great story for readers of all ages.
—jD
