March to the Stars (Weber, David)

Stranded on Marduk with his Royal Marine protectors, spoiled prince Roger MacClintock experiences a change in attitude during a long journey back to civilization across a sea filled with dangerous monsters and well-armed enemies.

In their third outstanding military SF novel about a spoiled, foppish princeling's coming of age while marooned on the primitive planet of Marduk after a bungled assassination attempt, Weber and Flint (March Upcountry; March to the Sea) show Prince Roger developing into a thoughtful and highly competent (not to mention dangerous and charismatic) leader, who can inspire loyalty among both his Marine bodyguards and the Mardukan troops who have lent a hand or four. Parallels with Prince Hal in Henry IV are probably intentional, adding a certain gravitas to the many exceptionally well-done battle scenes, especially one that recalls the scale of Tolkien's Helm's Deep, which Roger wins by exercise of intelligence rather than strength. The prince and his followers discover that the original assassination attempt is part of a wider plot, as is a particularly loathsome example of cross-cultural contamination affecting the dominant Mardukan society. As Roger and company prepare to leave the planet, readers can look forward to seeing how the authors will retell Henry V. It should be one hell of a St. Crispin's Day.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The dynamic duo of Weber and Ringo continue Prince Roger McClintock's adventures, which are coming to constitute a military sf classic. During an ocean crossing, McClintock and his diminished band of marines and Mardukans rescue the beautiful Princess Pedi--beautiful by Mardukan standards, that is, and enough so to mate with D'Nai Cord, Roger's shaman advisor. Upon arriving near the imperial base, the marchers find one local realm violently opposed to them and discover that it has been suborned by a faction in the empire that is slimier than any Mardukan faction and has overthrown Roger's mother and declared him an outlaw. Fortunately, Princess Pedi is the daughter of another local potentate, who helps Roger beat the tar out of his rivals and take the spaceport, after which the allies have to deal with a hit squad from the bad guys. Humans and Mardukans fight side by side, and soldiers' deaths are died. Pure entertainment for military sf buffs, who will easily turn all 500-plus pages of it. Roland Green
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