Governor

by David Weber

Other authorsRichard Fox (Author)

Ebook, 2021

Status

Available

Call number

Fic SF Weber

Publication

Baen

Description

"For more than fifty years, the Terran Republic and the Terran League have been killing one another. The death toll has climbed ever higher, year after year, with no end in sight. But the members of the Five Hundred, the social elite of the Republic's Heart Worlds, don't care. Their star systems are light-years from any threat of attack. Their children are sheltered from the "mandatory service" that falls so heavily on the Fringe Worlds' backs. Their trade connections with the Rishathan Sphere bring them wealth and influence. And their contracts to build ships, fighters, missiles, and all the other sinews of war have made them the wealthiest human beings in the history of the galaxy. Rear Admiral Terrence Murphy is a Heart Worlder. His family is part of the Five Hundred. His wife is the daughter of one of the Five Hundred's wealthiest, most powerful industrialists. His sons and his daughter can easily avoid military service, and political power is his for the taking. There is no end to how high he can rise in the Republic's power structure. All he has to do is successfully complete a risk-free military "governorship" in the backwater Fringe System of New Dublin without rocking the boat. Without dredging up any lunatic Fringe conspiracy theories. Without undercutting the Five Hundred's stranglehold on wealth and power. But the people sending him to New Dublin have miscalculated, because Terrence Murphy is a man who believes in honor. Who believes in duty-in common decency and responsibility. Who believes there are dark and dangerous secrets behind the façade of what "everyone knows." Terrence Murphy intends to meet those responsibilities and unearth those secrets, and he doesn't much care what the Five Hundred want. He intends to put a stop to the killing. Wherever that takes him, he will go. Whatever that costs him, he will pay. And whatever that requires, he will do. Terrence Murphy is coming for whoever has orchestrated fifty-six years of bloodshed and slaughter, and Hell itself is coming with him. A new novel in the world of In Fury Born, one of David Weber's most celebrated novels"--… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member jamespurcell

Another very good book from David Weber and his associates. Excellent characters, a corrupt government ruled by aristocrats, really bad villains, and a lively storyline extends this author's skills into another series that will hopefully continue. He mines history, British in this case, nicely for

prototypes from our world that extend well into the future. The English use of dominion troops in WW2 was particularly egregious. Dropping an Australian Division into Singapore just prior to its surrender was a very notable example of their, anyone but us, mentality. Hopefully, the next book is in the works. Talking, thinking velociraptors portend some interesting military challenges ahead.

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LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey

Hmm. Not one of his best... The first third of the book reads like a late Honor book - heavy on the politics and corrupt politicians and capitalists, mixed with lots of battle-by-the-numbers, pages of accelerations and vectors and blah. Oh, and plots - by the bad guys and the good guys and everyone

in between; everyone is lying to almost everyone else. A bit before the halfway mark - at the Silver Tree - the story finally gelled and became interesting. Lots more battles, but now I knew who was in them and cared what happened (I still skimmed the numbers, as always, they're not worth the effort to me). And the Council has quite thoroughly shot themselves, and possibly the Federation, in the foot - the end is not exactly a cliffhanger, but the story is nowhere near resolved. I'll probably read the whole series, but I doubt I'll bother to reread unless it gets a lot better. It's too grim for good fluff and too convoluted for me to really enjoy the story.
Oh - and if this really is the Fury universe, it's a lot of years or a lot of light-years away. The tech is the same(ish, anyway), the conflict between the Heartworlds and the Fringe is similar... But Alicia was living in an Empire that was dealing with pirates and raiders; here we have a Federation and a League locked in an extended war for decades. I don't see how either could turn into the other - and if one is that much later, the tech should have improved a bit! - but it seems unlikely there would be another human polity, in contact with the Rish, and with the same Heart vs Fringe conflict. Maybe there will be an explanation later, but as is it's pretty weak.

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LibraryThing member kmartin802

This space opera begins in new series in the same universe as the Honor Harrington series. Its star is Admiral Terence Murphy. He's from a military family and he is a member of the Five Hundred - the most powerful families in Terran Republic.

According to his father-in-law, one of the wealthiest

industrialists of the Five Hundred, Terrence is a sure bet for a life in politics. He's presentable, has a useful heritage, and he's something of a fop who will surely follow the guidance of more capable men.

However, the Five Hundred has severely underestimated Terrence Murphy. His assignment to be the governor of New Dublin, a fringe world, is supposed to give him some experience and built some political points. But when he runs a rescue operation to Inverness, another fringe world, which has been attacked by the Terran League, his priorities change.

The Terran Republic and the Terran League have been at war for more than fifty years. The Five Hundred has found multiple ways to profit from the war and it isn't bad for them. The taxes and soldiers commandeered from the fringe worlds have both paid for it and staffed the spaceships that are fighting it. New Dublin is sick of it and on the verge of declaring independence from the Terran Republic. And they are not alone.

The Terran League has plans, a secret alliance with the alien Rish, and a secret base building a massive fleet. They also have plans to change the war by moving the fight deep into the Terran Republic's planets. But Terrence Murphy finds out about the plans. Now all he has to do is convince the Five Hundred what is happening which is against all their entrenched beliefs and profit margins.

This was an excellent space opera. I am looking forward to more of this series.

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