Books I Like: Crisis of Empire Series by David Drake

Am I recommending more Baen, books?


For sure!


As I once said, there is a time and place for patterns in literature, and entertainment. For example, Star Wars works, when it follows its mythical pattern of the heroes journey, and fails when you subvert that trope for agenda reasons.




These four books in the Crisis of Empire Series by David Drake - Who actually, only wrote the outline for the arc, as each installment has its own author, follow a very distinct storytelling pattern, and part of the fun in reading them, is discovering that pattern unfold along the way.


The four installments are:

1. An Honorable Defense
2. Cluster Command
3. The War Machine
4. Crown of Empire

Once again, these novels are filled with good female characters, who don't need to be MarySue-d. The final book even has a Princess, who sets out to do whats best for her people, be they human, or alien.

This series, would make for an epic movies franchise. But that's never going to happen. This is Sci-Fi storytelling from, a now Classic, lost era of the genre.

Books I Like: FIFTH MILLENNIUM - THE CAGE

The Cage by S.M. Stirling, and Shirley Meier, and published by Baen Books is one of my favorite books. 

Guess what? There were strong female characters, that aren't MarySues, before we went and got hijacked by SJW/NPC in the Sci-Fi and Fantasy genre. 

There's a reason I pointed out the publisher. Baen is often attacked by NPC's as being 'Right-wing'. At least they were doing so during the whole Sad Puppies, Hugo affair. At least back in the day, Baen was fairly Libertarian and not driven by agendas. 

This novel, and series could hardly be deemed 'Right-wing'. Though, by today's standards, they would be politically incorrect. 

Blurb:

Habiku Smoothtongue corrupted everyone and everything that ever meant anything to Megan Thanesdoom--including Megan herself. But now Megan has returned, and she's not alone. Backed by barbarian warrior Shkai'ra's sword, Megan is ready to claim her rightful status in the world.

This is a book which made a VERY strong impression upon me. Not just in the plot, and narrative, which are very descriptive, and characters which, as I said are two strong female leads, but also the writing style has stayed with me, and helped shaped my own style of storytelling. 

The other thing about this book - Its not afraid, or embarrassed about being sexual. Now given I read this as a teenager, its probably why the book made an impression on me so easily. Don't misunderstand, its not vulgar, just honest and straightforward about it. 

If you can get a copy, I highly recommend it. 

Just a side note: This should not be construed as a review.Just a side note: This should not be construed as a review.