m***@sky.com
2018-05-09 03:56:56 UTC
I bought this after seeing that somebody here really likes it, despite the fact that I wasn't impressed with the introduction I could see for free at Baen.com. The introduction isn't representative of the rest of the book: it just gives you some background and sets the scene, so that's OK.
The book is basically SF adventure: our hero links up with one faction of a divided group who have technology significantly in advance of Earth's nations, and eventually triumphs. I enjoyed it, but I'm still slightly disappointed, because the audacious and imaginative premise of the book is - to my mind - almost wasted. This is that Earth's moon is a disguised military starship, stranded after an abortive mutiny, and the mutineers (who are Homo Sapiens, admittedly with modifications due to highly advanced medical technology) have been influences behind the scenes of Earth's history for millennia. We are given only brief references to their conspiracies (and nothing that convinces me that such a secret could have been kept for so long). The plot pretty much justifies the mutineer's society being frozen for these millennia, but I would still like to have seen something more of it. There is a secret Antarctic base which is only seen as a backdrop to fight scenes. I'm left with the feeling that there's a great worldbuilding book out there somewhere - and this isn't it. Also, I keep getting flashbacks to Stargate SG-1 - but I don't mind that. (Some action in Colorado, characters who are the reality behind Egyptian Gods, life extension by taking over people's bodies).
The book is basically SF adventure: our hero links up with one faction of a divided group who have technology significantly in advance of Earth's nations, and eventually triumphs. I enjoyed it, but I'm still slightly disappointed, because the audacious and imaginative premise of the book is - to my mind - almost wasted. This is that Earth's moon is a disguised military starship, stranded after an abortive mutiny, and the mutineers (who are Homo Sapiens, admittedly with modifications due to highly advanced medical technology) have been influences behind the scenes of Earth's history for millennia. We are given only brief references to their conspiracies (and nothing that convinces me that such a secret could have been kept for so long). The plot pretty much justifies the mutineer's society being frozen for these millennia, but I would still like to have seen something more of it. There is a secret Antarctic base which is only seen as a backdrop to fight scenes. I'm left with the feeling that there's a great worldbuilding book out there somewhere - and this isn't it. Also, I keep getting flashbacks to Stargate SG-1 - but I don't mind that. (Some action in Colorado, characters who are the reality behind Egyptian Gods, life extension by taking over people's bodies).