Genre: Science Fiction
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Ace (December 4, 2012)
How I got this book: Bought
Links: Amazon Goodreads
Blurb from Goodreads:
The roots of the Legion of the Damned lie deep within the mythology of the future. But now, national bestselling author William C. Dietz goes back to the Legion’s early days with the story of one recruit’s rebirth and redemption…
Hundreds of years in the future, much has changed. Advances in medicine, technology, and science abound. Humanity has gone to the stars, found alien life, and established an empire.
But some things never change…
All her life, Lady Catherine Carletto (called Cat) has lived for nothing but the next party, the next lover, the next expensive toy. Until, in a bloodthirsty power grab, Imperial Princess Ophelia and her cadre of synth assassins murder her brother the emperor, and go on to purge the galaxy of his friends and supporters—including Cat’s family. The Carlettos are known to be staunch supporters of the Emperor and Carletto Industries has been in the forefront of his pet project—developing cybernetic technology for use by the masses.
Now Cat, one of the last surviving Carlettos, is on the run. And, like countless others before her, she finds her sanctuary among the most dangerous of society’s misfits.
Welcome to the Legion.
Cat Carletto vanishes, and in her place stands Legion recruit Andromeda McKee. A woman with a mission—to bring down Empress Ophelia—or die trying.
My rating: 4/5 Stars – A good read. I really enjoyed it.
Review:
I’m not a regular reader of military science fiction, but Andromeda’s Fall caught my eye, and I’m extremely glad that I gave it a try. Even though I’ve never read Dietz’s Legion of the Damned series, I found this book very accessible; I slipped easily into the world of the Legion and its cyborg soldiers and didn’t want to leave.
One thing the story does exceedingly well is capture the gritty, merciless reality of war. While not overly gory, certain battle scenes pack a brutal punch, especially those that demonstrate the suicidal bravery of the legionnaires. I also love the main character, Catherine/McKee. She’s a doer, not whining about her circumstances, but doing whatever she needs to do to survive. As she finds herself in the midst of a war that’s far from black and white, she’s forced to make some difficult moral choices and decide how far she’s willing to go to achieve her ultimate goal.
Spurts of action intermixed with worldbuilding and character development keep the pages turning at a steady pace, and the ending is perfect. I can’t wait to see where McKee’s story goes from here. Overall, I highly recommend this book for both scifi buffs and dabblers alike.
Reading Order:
- Andromeda’s Fall
- Andromeda’s Choice
- Andromeda’s War – expected December 4, 2014
Andromeda’s Fall is also available on Audible! Listen to an excerpt below.
