The Ninth Circle

September 19, 2011
Meluch makes her fifth trip (after 2008’s Strength and Honor) to the universe of the spacegoing warship U.S.S. Merrimack, a futuristic Roman Empire, and a nasty bunch of insectoid aliens. This time out, the Merrimack’s crew are up against space pirates, disgraced former Roman soldiers who take one of the crew members hostage. The pirates are just pawns in a larger game involving the commander of the Merrimack, the new Roman emperor, and the planet Zoe, where the discovery of DNA-based life raises theological questions and creates some highly desirable galactic real estate. Meluch piles on the hard science, but her scientist characters are over-the-top milksops, and the action sequences are oddly inert. This installment is clearly targeted at existing fans of the series, and newcomers will find it tricky to get up to speed.

November 15, 2011

Exiled after a hazing gone fatally wrong, a unit of Palantine Empire soldiers steals a spaceship and resorts to piracy, calling themselves the Ninth Circle. At the same time, members of the rival Terran Empire's space battleship, U.S.S. Merrimack, join a scientific expedition to the planet Zoe, where they make an unexpected discovery--the presence of DNA-based life. When both Terran and Palatine forces meet up on Zoe, the political standoff threatens a delicate truce and the fate of a peaceful world. VERDICT Meluch's fifth series installment (after Strength and Honor) takes a personal approach to military sf. The author concentrates on her protagonists' interactions rather than battles. Still, the action is fast and furious, and combats are inevitable. A good variation of the standard military sf that will attract readers who enjoy David Drake, Timothy Zahn, and David Weber.

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