Review: Live Free or Die by John Ringo

Live Free or Die by John Ringo

Baen Books, February 2010

Genre: Science Fiction

Unabridged Audiobook Narrated by Mark Boyett

Official Description:

First Contact Was Friendly

When aliens trundled a gate to other worlds into the Solar System, the world reacted with awe, hope and fear. When the first aliens to come through, the Glatun, turned out to be peaceful traders, the world breathed a sigh of relief.

Who Controls the Orbitals, Controls the World

When the Horvath came through, they announced their ownership of us by dropping rocks on three cities and gutting them. Since then, they've held Terra as their own personal fiefdom. With their control of the orbitals, there's no way to win and Earth's governments have accepted the status quo.

Live Free or Die

To free the world from the grip of the Horvath is going to take an unlikely hero. A hero unwilling to back down to alien or human governments, unwilling to live in slavery and with enough hubris, if not stature, to think he can win.

Fortunately, there's Tyler Vernon. And he has bigger plans than just getting rid of the Horvath.

My Thoughts:

Live Free or Die is an excellent example near-future science fiction. Ringo imagines both how aliens react to Earth and how Earth reacts to aliens with a believable flair. The main character, Tyler Vernon, is a hero written to appeal to a target audience: science fiction fans. Vernon is a web comic writer and general techie who due to changing circumstances ends up in a small town working odd jobs. He's easy for the target audience to relate to because he's one of them. Tyler Vernon is a geek well-placed and with the ingenuity and courage to step out of the crowd to discover a resource that Earth has to offer the aliens in orbit.

In a comical turn of events maple syrup turns out to be an intoxicant for one of the visiting species. I will never think of maple syrup the same way again! This turn of events allows Ringo to focus on the economic effects of an alien invasion on Earth and what lengths governments will go to try and have some control.

I also appreciated the more traditional science fiction aspects of the alien world and technology that help move along the plot and Earth's rebellion and technological revolution (led by Tyler Vernon).

The all-encompassing planning of Tyler Vernon doesn't ring as completely realistic but I was kept pretty well distracted from that by his dry sense of humor and good natured charm. I think that the reactions of the characters around him rang very true. I found Live Free or Die to be a fun and witty science fiction novel though it has the appropriate dark undertones for a captive Earth at the mercy of Aliens. I would certainly recommend this book and look forward to the sequel!

I listened to this as an audiobook which was definitely enjoyable. I thought the narrator did an excellent job of making the voices distinct. However, I was glad as a listener that there weren't too many female characters for him to voice since his attempts at feminine voices were pretty bad (I was less thrilled as a reader but it didn't detract from my enjoyment). This was a fun book to listen to and I think it transfered pretty well to the medium but someday I'll probably track down a paper copy and see how the experience differs.

Written as Part of the Speculative Fiction Challenge

Other May Reviews from the Speculative Fiction Challenge

Book Post Feb 23- Mar 1

 This week I was able to get some quality reading time in:

Emerald Sea by John Ringo

This is the sequel to There Will Be Dragons which I absolutely loved.  I posted a bit about this book along the way. I still felt the loss of the character development but in the end it didn't really detract too much from my enjoyment of the book.  I was a bit more miffed by his treatment of formerly strong female characters, especially Daneh and Rachel, who were given tasks that took place far from the action in a side plot line that kind of trickled into oblivion.  Also a thorn in my side was the several chapter dragon training montage that didn't really bring anything new to the theme of dragon training.  I suppose that it was set-up as an echo of the focus on the military training that Herzer received in the first novel, which would make it more interesting as a literary device. But it did just sort of halt the momentum of the novel which was set as a journey compared to the previous novel's stationary setting in a city.  However, the novel was almost entirely redeemed by the numerous and exquisite combat sequences.  How could you pass up a great naval battle with mermaids, krakens, and swimming dragons?  Emerald Sea didn't capture my heart like it's predecessor but it was still overall a good read and I look forward to picking up the next book in the series.

Also included in my paperback edition was a short story in the same world about a young woman, Megan captured by the other side and forced to join the opposite leader, Paul's personal harem.  The general topic was an old clique but the writing and character development was superb.  Ringo was successful in portraying a strong young woman forced to make difficult choices and her changing options and motivations.  I hope to see this new protagonist play a role in future books in the main series!

High Five by Janet Evanovich

Stephanie Plum's wild adventures continue!  This time with odd jobs for Ranger thrown in.  This book's guest oddling was a midget whose door was destroyed when she apprehended him, so he lives with her while she tries to find a missing relative and find a job that fits her skills in Ranger's wide range of opportunities.  Number of Cars Lost, Stolen or Destroyed: Three.  But the Buick is still fine.  Favorite minor character: the Teenage Sheik.  This book made me laugh very hard.  

Shadow's Edge by Brent Weeks

Sequel to Way of the Shadows.  I really enjoyed reading this book!  Each of the main characters was given strong motivations that made their actions make sense in the scope of the character development and movement.  I love that even though Kylar was trying to give up the life of a wet boy he just couldn't because he kept seeing people that the city would be better without.  And that for the sake of his friendship with Jarl and Logan he is willing to give up his dream to return to his former home and use his skills.  The scenes of Logan in prison, being stripped down to his most elemental self were also amazing in their realism.  I can also appreciate the set-up of the conflicts that will need to be resolved even though it was cruel to be left there!  I'm definitely looking forward to acquiring the next book.  Brent Weeks also gets bonus points for being a fellow Oregonian (Not that I knew until after I finished this book)!

Currently Reading: 
Wolf Hunting by Jane Linskold
Fifth in her series, Wolf.  Firekeeper, Blind Seer, and Derian are off on another adventure.  So far another fabulous book from Linskold.  The third book of the series was so-so but everything else has been amazing.

Meandering and a Book

 This weekend sped past.  On Saturday I went to a Lindy Hop Workshop with Syncopated Rhythms at the Tango Berretin.  I really enjoyed the section on swing out variations and stylings.   The hops and slides were also fun to learn and practice.  I was a bit disappointed by the workshop on tricks and dips which was primarily on jumps.  I knew most of the jumps, though they did teach some interesting variations on the standard jumps and toss outs as well as a new and interesting dip. Plus after having an ankle injury, I just don't find jumps that fun or interesting.

Between the workshop, my regular dances and the Olympics; my reading post this week is just my current book-

Emerald Sea by John Ringo
Yep, I'm still working on this one.  I'm a bit less impressed than I was with the first book in the series, so far.  I'm sticking with it because the writing is still very good and I still have some hope that the author will work in some more character development.  The characters are a bit stagnant so far and it is driving me crazy.

Book Post Feb 9-15

 Late Again but I have been reading:

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein

This book is an absolute favorite.  It was the first Heinlein book that I ever read and I re-read it about once a year.  I'm still fascinated by the unique perspective that Heinlein presents on the human condition and I love how the character of Valentine Michael Smith grows and develops and changes as his exposure to human culture increases.  If you haven't read it, you definitely should!

Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich
Four to Score by Janet Evanovich

The continuing adventures of Stephanie Plum, Bond Apprehension Agent.  Not very heavy reading but thoroughly enjoyably and absolutely hilarious.  

Currently Reading: Emerald Sea by John Ringo

The sequel to There Will be Dragons, takes two years later in the timeline and so far, is the same mix of action, intrigue and engaging characters that made me love the first book.

Book Post Feb 2-8

 A bit late, but not that it matters since this probably is the world's most pathetic book post.

There Will Be Dragons by John Ringo

A fascinating look at a future society terribly dependent on technology and what happens when a political struggle ties up all the energy that powers that technology.  The future of human civilization is in the hands of historical re-enactors and anyone with enough strength to grab the power.  I loved the conflict and struggle within the plot and the characters.  One of the most poignant moments is when one of the main viewpoint characters realizes that even though he would readily go back to the way things were, he would miss the new world because of the new passion that he had discovered for life through the hard work.

That's it for this week.

My big disappointment of the week was that I bought a new book from a favorite author that I thought was the first of a series- that's what it means when the book is first in the list of books in the series right?  Apparently not since I settled in to read my new book and the first part was a recap for not one but two books.  Seriously?

Then I got distracted by fandom: the reveals for  went up this week and I started reading everything in sight.  I'm lazy and like to wait for master lists with all the fics in one post...

Book Post Jan 26- Feb 1

Being fairly sick this week was bad for both my reading and my writing.  I got nothing written for fandom and a couple of sentences added to my original fiction.  I'm getting tired of this cough! As for this week's reading:

Magic's Silken Snare By ElizaBeth Gilligan

This alternate magical history is set in a fictional Italian city state following a Gyspy magic user married to a Duke.  She goes to court to investigate her sister's death and must walk the line between her Gypsy heritage and what is socially acceptable.  It took me awhile to get into this one but once I did I found it thoroughly engrossing.  The wide variety of subplots was very engaging and added a new spice to what could have been a very predictable plotline.

And...that's it for this week.

Currently reading: There Will Be Dragons by John Ringo
I'm really enjoying it but working and trying to get enough sleep to banish a cold doesn't leave much time for reading.