Hell's Foundations Quiver (Safehold Series #8)

by David Weber Narrated by Oliver Wyman

Overview

Centuries ago, the human race fought its first great war against an alien race-and lost. A tiny population of human beings fled to distant Safehold. Centuries later, their descendants have forgotten their history; for them, life has been an eternal Middle Ages, ruled by the Church of God Awaiting, whose secret purpose is to prevent the re-emergence of industrial civilization.

But not all of Safehold's founders were on board with this plan. Those dissidents left behind their own secret legacies. One of those is Merlyn Athrawes, cybernetic avatar of one of Earth's long-dead defenders, now reawakened after a thousand years to restart human progress and reclaim our place in the universe. Merlyn has intervened in the small Safeholdian realm of Charis, seeding it with ideas and innovations and helping it to rise to challenge the hegemony of the Church.

It's been a long and bloody fight, but aided by a stream of inventions—breech-loading rifles, signal rockets, claymore mines, new approaches to manufacturing and supply—Charis and its few allies seem to have finally gained the upper hand. Now major realms have begun to consider switching sides.

To all these ends, Merlyn Athrawes has been everywhere, under multiple disguises and wielding hidden powers. The secret of who and what he is has been closely held. But a new player has arrived, one who knows many secrets—including Merlyn's own.

A Macmillan Audio production.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

08/17/2015
Weber’s strong eighth Safehold military SF novel (after Like a Mighty Army) is certainly not a suitable entry point into the series, but confirmed fans will appreciate the battlefield action and political maneuvering that fill these pages. On a distant planet, humans built a religion around antitechnology beliefs to protect themselves from discovery by more advanced aliens. Centuries later, Merlin Athrawes and Nimue Chwaeriau, two copies of a long-dormant android, continue the push to revive high technology, providing leadership to those in the Empire of Charis who are fighting against the repressive Mother Church. The Imperial Charisian Army is triumphing over the Army of God on all fronts, though the naval battles are not so one-sided. These setbacks begin to disrupt the unity of the church-ruling Group of Four. The battles and intrigue keep things moving, but Weber does slow the pace considerably every time he inserts lengthy passages on military engineering. (Oct.)

Library Journal

★ 09/15/2015
In Weber's eighth series entry (after Like a Mighty Army) about a world torn between rebels advocating a return to industrial civilization and the rulers who defend the strict mores of the Middle Ages, there is a great deal of advancement in plot and character development. Even as the Empire's forces advance steadily across Siddarmark, it's clear the Mighty Host of God Army isn't yet done. With an increasing number of allies joining cybernetic avatar Merlyn's inner circle, and thus linked with instantaneous communication, the series is moving quickly back to its sf origins. Technical detail and historical weapon development will thrill military history buffs, but fortunately, the larger plot doesn't get dragged down in the facts. VERDICT Series fans will find this rewarding reading a reminder that Weber's series continues to be lively. Newcomers should start with the first volume, Safehold; the time it takes to read this 8,000-page (so far) epic is completely worth it.—JM

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169455557
Publisher:	Macmillan Audio
Publication date:	10/13/2015
Series:	Safehold Series , #8
Edition description:	Unabridged

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