Emerald Sea

Rating:
Summary: Ringo's Best So Far
Review: Emerald Sea has something Ringo's work has been missing for some time -- sheer whimsy. It's FUN.

The prequel to this wonderful book, There Will Be Dragons, read a bit like a Ren-Faire recreationist's dream of saving the world when technology fails (and TWBD will become known as the prequel, I am sure -- while a fine book, it never even aspired to the wonder of Emerald Sea).

In contrast, reading Emerald Sea is a complete immersion in the sense of wonder to which all speculative fiction aspires, and which so few manage to achieve.

This book is more focused than There Will Be Dragons, and the focus works. The main character is definitely Herzer Herrick, who has come into his own as a mature warrior between the two books. Herzer has completely left behind his "poor little abused rich kid" origins, and become an interesting, thoughtful, warrior with tremendous depth. While favorites from the earlier book are present, particularly Duke Edmund, the book moves to a new part of the world -- above and underneath the waters off the Florida coast.

Add in some classic-feeling-but-original elements like a wood-built dragon-carrying aircraft carrier and a really nasty set of underwater monster-villains, and you've got a blazingly original fantasy-with-scientific-underpinnings. Then you've got tons of innovative little low-powered future-tech nifty-bits like the quantum-surveillance gadgets. And did I mention the really cool underwater monsters?

I won't go more into plot or neat things, because I don't want to dilute readers' enjoyment. Trust me, they're there.

Yet the book doesn't take itself too seriously. You need only read the Prologue to realize that Emerald Sea won't match your preconceptions. It's going to lead your mind down unexpected and delightful twisted paths.

This book is a HUGE and welcome departure for Ringo. While there's plenty of Ringo's trademark conflict and mayhem, Emerald Sea has depth of character, surprisingly original ideas, and a sense of unadulterated sheer whimsy which will surprise and delight Ringo's earlier fans, and should give him a whole new set.

Rating:
Summary: Heavy, Hard-Hitting, AWESOME
Review: First there was There Will Be Dragons and now we have Joanna in Emerald Sea. John, you've got to get Joanna some Chocolate! Seriously, Folks, I had a lot of Hee-Hee moments reading about Launching and Recovering Dragons from a Sail powered Dragon Carrier. I'll be anxiously awaiting the next fix er, I mean book.

Rating:
Summary: Undersea action and anti-environmental propaganda
Review: In the distant future, mankind had created paradise. But too much paradise and not enough fertility caused a decline in human population and a loss of mankind's exploration. Hoping to head off human extinction, one group of leaders, 'New Destiny,' proposed a daring plan--a plan to recreate work and abolish paradise. It was a noble plan, well meant, but New Destiny's leaders couldn't win their argument fairly and resorted to poison and war. The result was an end to paradise all right, but the new world was nothing that anyone could have predicted. Communities sprung up around reenactment camps and a sort of feudal aristocracy battled the immoral forces that New Destiny now command.

Duke Edward Talbot, along with his family and the Blood Lord Herzer Herrick set off to the carribean to persuade the merfolk to join their alliance against the dictatorship of New Destiny. The mer hoped for neutrality and New Destiny sent its own persuasive forces. Command of the sea is vital as the alliance controls most of North America while New Destiny rules Europe/Asia. An ancient elf-girl and a mercenary rabbit provide some help, but New Destiny has infiltrated the alliance and learns their plans almost before they can be conceived.

Author John Ringo serves up more military action in a sequel to THERE WILL BE DRAGONS. The action moves from land to sea as Edward's forces launch a dragon carrier to battle the orca-based reconfigured humans of New Destiny.

Unfortunately, Ringo can't keep his politics out of his writing. His strong anti-environmentalism (he interupts a battle to engage in a long explanation of how global warming wasn't a problem, how carbon sinks (supposedly not understood by scientists but fully understood by an SF writer) soak up more carbon than anyone can imagine, is completely unnecessary to the plot, boring readers who agree with him and annoying readers who think he's smoking funny stuff.

If you're like me, you read Ringo for the fast-paced action. EMERALD SEA delivers plenty of that and Ringo fans will want to grab this latest additon. Some selective trimming of Ringo's pet political causes could have made the book even better but that doesn't mean it isn't a solid SF offering.

Rating:
Summary: John Ringo - Another Good One
Review: John Ringo has continued his series that began with "There Will Be Dragons." Once again a stellar book. John Ringo has taken fantasy and added his own sci-fi twist to it. It follows the old saying that goes something like, "Science so advanced it seems to be magic."

Where is the option for 6 stars?

Rating:
Summary: John Ringo - Another Good One
Review: John Ringo is one of the best in the world writing science fiction, from the Legacy of Aldenata series to the Council wars (which this is #2 in the series). If you want a good (make that GREAT) read, then get this book and the one before it... or anything else with Ringo's name on it. Ringo is mentioned in the same sentence as David Weber, Lois Mcmaster Bujold, Eric Flint, etc. I know I am forgetting others.

The person that gave this 1 star is a pultroon.

Rating:
Summary: FAST PACED EXCITEMENT FROM START TO FINISH
Review: The jacket cover describes EMERALD SEA as a `fast paced sequel' to THERE WILL BE DRAGONS. Now normally book jackets are good only for displaying nice looking pictures of scantly clad women and keeping coffee stains off the book cover, but not so in this case. Dang if they didn't get it right this time. This book is either so fast paced or so damn engrossing that it took me less than a day to finish it, and no it's not some tiny volume with really big print!

All the major characters are back from THERE WILL BE DRAGONS with a few more thrown in for good measure. You too can thrill to the exploits of Lt. Herzer Herrick the Blood Lords Blood Lord. Wonder what is going on with Rachel (Ms. Asexual) Talbot and of course Bast (definitely NOT Ms. Asexual) the Amazon Wood Elf. And last but not least...

LOVE that bunny! Hey any being whose prime directive is to kill telemarketers can't be all bad, even if he is a bloodthirsty, traitorous, drunk!

Good sequel, nice buildup for a follow up volume. We will have to wait and see what number three brings. Unfortunately third volumes and their successors haven't been Mr. Ringo's strong suit, but while there's life there's hope. At least you can enjoy this one.

As a note there is a short story appended to at least the hardbound copy. Just to forewarn you I didn't like this one at all! The author tells you about it in the book but let me tell you it is depressing and has a really poor ending. It was so poorly done, especially the ending that you have to wonder why it was there in the first place. In fact I disliked it to the extent it almost tainted the entire book for me, but that is for you to decide for yourself.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND EMERALD SEA.

Rating:
Summary: Continuation of an epic series...
Review: The story of the conflict and characters introduced in There Will Be Dragons is continued in Emerald Sea.

The people you love, hate and love to hate are all back - along with new characters in interesting situations.

As with the first book in the series, there is a solid plot and excellent characterisation. Villians that are human and heroes that are as well. Look for the author to poke gentle fun at himself and the previous volume.

Buy the book, heck buy two of them and an extra There Will Be Dragons so you can loan them out. Its a new twist on Science Fiction/Fantasy bluring the lines of both.

Rating:
Summary: Ringo has outdone himself - again
Review: This book has science-fictionally plausible dragons; literally slimy badguys; fannish in-jokes to make you howl; and a mini-lop rabbit. The body count's a bit low for a Ringo book, but quantity is made up for, with quality. Oh, yeah - AND, there's cute mermaids. Two thumbs up, and a pair of big toes as well.

Rating:
Summary: A great, fun read.
Review: This has become one of my all-time favorite series. John Ringo writes a hell of a story that is fun and yet dark at the sametime. If you are looking for "Great Literature", I suggest you seek else where, but if you are looking for a fun read this (and There Will Be Dragons) is it.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Read
Review: This Romping sequal keeps the appeal of the first book while filling the reader in with more information about the world the story is told in. The book is somewhere between the High Fantasy of LOTR and the humor of Mary Gentle's Grunts.