With new alliances forged and old regimes fractured, Merlin—the cybernetic avatar of Earth’s last survivor and immortal beacon to humanity—and the colonies of Safehold have many adventures ahead in Through Fiery Trials, the continuation of David Weber’s New York Times bestselling military science fiction series.
Those on the side of progressing humanity through advanced technology have finally triumphed over their oppressors. The unholy war between the small but mighty island realm of Charis and the radical, luddite Church of God’s Awaiting has come to an end.
However, even though a provisional veil of peace has fallen over human colonies, the quiet will not last. For Safehold is a broken world, and as international alliances shift and Charis charges on with its precarious mission of global industrialization, the shifting plates of the new world order are bound to clash.
Yet, an uncertain future isn’t the only danger Safehold faces. Long-thought buried secrets and prophetic promises come to light, proving time is a merciless warden who never forgets.
“Vast, complex, intricate, subtle, and unlaydownable….The biggest thing in science fiction since Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series.” — Dave Duncan on the Safehold series
Safehold Series
Off Armageddon Reef
By Schism Rent Asunder
By Heresies Distressed
A Mighty Fortress
How Firm A Foundation
Midst Toil and Tribulation
Like A Mighty Army
Hell’s Foundations Quiver
At the Sign of Triumph
10. Through Fiery Trials
Author has dropped the ball, seems less interested in writing and seems to be resting on his laurels. Pretty much done purchasing any more of his stuff as it seems his attention has moved to things other than writing
Weber continues the saga in fine form
This is a good way for readers to join David Weber’s Safehold series. He adds a brief summary of the narrative thus far. Readers will examine two recurring themes: 1) the dilemma of holding “false” beliefs; 2) the advantage of technology innovation in human conflicts. At this point, Safehold is experiencing quasi-modern weapons up to but excluding electricity. More than Steam Punk, David Weber cares about portraying rigorous technological accuracy.
Unfortunately this book was very disappointing. It was just filler for the next book. I would have been fine reading just the last few chapters. I have read all the other safehold books and this one is the worst of the series. The book could have been cut in half to include what happens in the next book. David Weber usually does much better.
The 10 th book in an ongoing series set on the planet Safehold. This planet was settled by the last colony ship to leave Earth before the Ghana massacred all human life in the solar system. The story begins with the founders disagreeing on how the colony should be established and governed. Most thought to hide this world by restricting technology to medieval levels and creating the Church of God Awaiting to oversee all matters of change. They wrote the doctrine as rules everyone must live under and erased the memories of the colonists. Every change in how thing’s were done must be approved by the Church as fitting in established doctrine, no improvements outside the Rules allowed. One founder disagreed with this plan and sets up one of her own, to begin a little over 800 years in the future. A vast epic on man’s spirit and search for a better way of life despite harsh odds against him.
he Safehold series has always been technically detailed but ultimately the characters and the desire to see them overcome meant I overlooked how some of the later books have dragged getting caught up in too much detail and minutia. I have found myself in the last book skipping parts that did not include the main beloved characters because what was happening in these other sections was more often or not summarised by one of the main characters in their discussions, so I didn’t really miss out on anything.
Now I know that David Webber has become concerned about properly wrapping up his popular series as well as finishing some of his older works that have to date been left a little unfinished.
When the last Honor Harrington book came out, it felt like it rushed to the finish and I felt a little disappointed.
I feared that this next book in the Safehold series would also follow this pattern.
Have no fear, that is not the case but unfortunately in this case David has swung to far in the opposite direction.
No time has passed on from the last book and I ended up skipping 50% of this book to get to the real point for me as a reader which was…..are the Archangels returning.
I won’t spoil it for you but at this rate it is going to take years for the characters to resolve defeating the plan of the archangels, getting rid of the orbital defense system and cranking up the technology distribution to prepare to defeat the Gbaba.
I want to read all about that, not economics and intimate detail of the roll out of the technology they can away with before the orbital system reacts.
David please in your next book of this series try to strike a balance between the very slow pace in this book and the too fast finish of the Honor Harrington series.