The Sundering: Dread Empire's Fall

Walter Jon Williams

Oct 2009 · Dread Empire's Fall Series Book 2 · Sold by Harper Collins

About this ebook

“Space opera the way it ought to be [...] Bujold and Weber, bend the knee; interstellar adventure has a new king, and his name is Walter Jon Williams.” -- George R.R. Martin

Following The Praxis, Walter Jon Williams’ critically-acclaimed mix of space opera and military science fiction, the conflict grows for the fate of humanity…and the universe.

The Dread Empire of the Shaa is no more, following the death of the last oppressor. But freedom remains elusive for the myriad sentient races enslaved for ten centuries, as an even greater terror arises. The Naxids—a powerful insectoid species themselves subjugated until the recent Shaa demise—plan to fill the vacuum with their own bloody domination, and have already won a shattering victory with superior force and unimaginable cruelty. But two heroes survived the carnage at Magaria: Lord Gareth Martinez and the fiery, mysterious gun pilot Lady Caroline Sula, whose courageous exploits are becoming legend in the new history of galactic civil war. Yet their cunning, skill, and bravery may be no match for the overwhelming enemy descending upon the loyalist stronghold of Zanshaa, as the horrific battle looms that will determine the structure of the universe—and who shall live to inhabit it—for millennia to come.

Ratings and reviews

I read the first book in this series and quite enjoyed it to a large degree, good space opera. This follow novel, Sundering I was unable to finish, and that is quite a rarity for me, however the characters I found to become more and more unsympathetic, with what were, for me, unrealistic reactions to events that began to seem contrived solely for the purpose of creating additional personal conflict in a novel that already had plenty. There was also a lack of consistency with elements of one alien species that, for me, put glaring holes in the plot line and called into question the entire premise of the interstellar conflict. On the other hand, many elements of the story were solid and fascinating, realistically portrayed space battles and technical details that I personally find only add depth and realism to any story. It may be that I'm simply to critical a reader, and others may find far more enjoyment from these novel than I did.

About the author

Walter Jon Williams is a New York Times bestselling author who has been nominated repeatedly for every major sci-fi award, including Hugo and Nebula Awards nominations for his novel City on Fire. He is the author of Hardwired, Aristoi, Implied Spaces, and Quillifer. Williams lives near Albuquerque, New Mexico, with his wife, Kathleen Hedges.