Humanity pushed its way to the stars – and encountered the Gbaba, a ruthless alien race that nearly wiped us out. Earth and her colonies are now smoldering ruins, and the few survivors have fled to distant, Earth-like Safehold, to try to rebuild. But the Gbaba can detect the emissions of an industrial civilization, so the human rulers of Safehold have taken extraordinary measures: with mind … mind control and hidden high technology, they’ve built a religion in which every Safeholdian believes, a religion designed to keep Safehold society medieval forever.
800 years pass. In a hidden chamber on Safehold, an android from the far human past awakens. This “rebirth” was set in motion centuries before, by a faction that opposed shackling humanity with a concocted religion. Via automated recordings, “Nimue” – or, rather, the android with the memories of Lieutenant Commander Nimue Alban – is told her fate: she will emerge into Safeholdian society, suitably disguised, and begin the process of provoking the technological progress which the Church of God Awaiting has worked for centuries to prevent.
Nothing about this will be easy. To better deal with a medieval society, “Nimue” takes a new gender and a new name, “Merlin.” His formidable powers and access to caches of hidden high technology will need to be carefully concealed. And he’ll need to find a base of operations, a Safeholdian country that’s just a little more freewheeling, a little less orthodox, a little more open to the new.
And thus Merlin comes to Charis, a mid-sized kingdom with a talent for naval warfare. He plans to make the acquaintance of King Haarahld and Crown Prince Cayleb, and maybe, just maybe, kick off a new era of invention. Which is bound to draw the attention of the Church…and, inevitably, lead to war.
It’s going to be a long, long process. And David Weber’s epic Off Armageddon Reef is can’t-miss sci-fi.
Safehold Series
1. Off Armageddon Reef
2. By Schism Rent Asunder
3. By Heresies Distressed
4. A Mighty Fortress
5. How Firm A Foundation
6. Midst Toil and Tribulation
7. Like A Mighty Army
8. Hell’s Foundations Quiver
9. At the Sign of Triumph
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David Weber is one of my all time favorite authors, and the Safehold series one of my favorite series.
While clearly sharing some similar ideas with his previous Muninteer’s Moon series of novels, Off Armageddon Reef takes off in unexpected and exciting ways.
Great book by a master of sci-fi!
Almost a thousand years ago the Gbaba, an alien species, destroyed the last vestige of Earth and every human being alive at the time. Or so they were lead to believe. Those few that were chosen to be the seed of man’s resurrection were hidden on a planet named Safehold. Here begins their story.
As the initial novel in the author’s “Safehold …
Love this series of books. I highly recommend them.
Read books in sequence, wonderful!!!
Beginning of Safehold series. Very satisfying
Love the twist for the main character. Great plot. I’m ready to read the others in the series.
If you enjoy intricate world building, this is most definitely a book for you.
Different from what you would expect from a David Weber sci-fi. Politics and religion definitely becomes a part of this new series.
To complicated, to slow to get to anywhere. I quit reading.
part of the excellent Safehold series. Read them all!
Typical Weber, boring, great characters, poor story line. If you like to read conversations its’ OK. But does not move faster than cold molasses. Sorry David, but you aint’ no Heinlen as they say down south.
The beginning of a very good, intriguing series.
Great story with a strong woman protagonist. Unique world setup which has very intriguing concepts. A good read but allow plenty of time to understand what is going on and why things occur when they do. The maps help but should be more detailed. I referred to them a lot since they are also unique to this setting.
great book great series
First, in a series, it is a well thought out story. A world defined by strict religious limits. Lots of action as an embattled small nation has to contend with religious strife and scheming neighbors, while an ancient ancestor recently out of hibernation provides support. Characters are well defined and essential to the storyline.
Outstanding beginning to a consistently wonderful series. Weber is one of the best, and he never disappoints. Highly recommended.
I loved this book, David Weber does it again!
Weber is very goo at creating believable world and exciting conflictss. He is a master of military science fiction. The conflict over how humans survive the extinction of Earth by fleeing to a distant planet is poignent, tense, and exiting.
David Weber has always been one of my favorite writers. Great story, great characters, immediately started the second book in the series.
This is extremely detailed and verbose. World building and tangled politics for those that love theology based cultures.