Iron Empires: Faith Conquers

Rating:
Summary: Great to see this back in print.
Review: I first bought the individual issues of this story off the rack back in '94, and ever since then, I have been telling anyone who would listen that this is a fabulous work. As great as Moeller's painting skills are, his writing here is what grabs you. His intricately detailed universe are reminiscent of DUNE in some ways, and his rich layers of plot and subplot keep things interesting and engrossing from start to finish. If you like stories involving corrupt and scheming priests, blazing military action, a no-nonsense anti-hero, and a horrifyingly insidious alien invasion, you will love "Faith Conquers." Bring on the feature film, somebody!

Rating:
Summary: An enjoyable discovery
Review: This seems to be the first in the "Iron Empires" series - certainly my first, and certainly not the last one I'll read.

The story holds together well, and has everything needed for a good long run. There's a galactic war going on, and our hero (named Faith - for real) is assigned to a theocratic world. There are traitors, good guys, and lots of SF hardware to work with. The story shows ordinary originality, but very good development and pacing.

The art is what caught my eye, though. It appears to be painted work, acrylics or maybe gouache, very well done, and well printed. The style has a posed look that somehow makes every picture seem important - a good thing, when the sequence of pictures carries the story.

It's clear that this artist learned a lot from Howard Chaykin's work. The style and craftmanship are there, without being slavishly derivative. Come to think of it, things like the corrupt theocracy may be Chaykin-inspired too. Well, good artists have been learning from each other probably since the Lascaux cave art. This work was educated by Chaykin's, but stands on its own.

I like this one, and I'm coming back for more.

Rating:
Summary: Faith Conquers
Review: When I first began reading 'Faith Conquers', I thought "This would make a great movie." Later, I thought: "This IS a great movie." In 'Faith Conquers' (as well as in the second Iron Empires book 'Sheva's War'), Chris Moeller has created a universe that is as effortlessly immersive as it is entertaining. His great painted artwork and technical designs mesh perfectly with his distinctive characters and compelling story.

It does not take long to feel at home in this world, and Moeller thankfully avoids the use of lengthy exposition in favour of genuine storytelling. In the tradition of 'Blade Runner' and Shirow's 'Appleseed' manga, the reader becomes an observer within a fully-realized universe, watching the story unfold while remaining aware that this is only one corner of a much larger tapestry. If there is any flaw in either book, it is that the reader is left wanting more than the tantalizing glimpse of the worlds that they have visited.

I highly recommend both 'Faith Conquers' and 'Sheva's War' to fans of intelligent, fast-paced science fiction. The stories have heart and soul along with high-tech action, suspense, and intrigue. You will want more! As an added bonus, 'Faith Conquers' includes the extremely hard-to-find Iron Empires short story "The Passage", appearing here in colour for the first time.