David Weber & John Ringo, We Few

David Weber & John Ringo, We Few - While marooned for eight months (and three books) with the Empress Own marines on Marduk, Roger Ramius Sergei Alexander Chaing MacClintock learns to survive the hard way while watching most of his comrades die. Death turns Roger from hedonistic "Playboy Prince" to leader of the Bravo Company; his troops would die for him as many already have as "The Basik's Own."

Freed from Marduk, he learns that his biological father and Prince Jackson Adoula of Kellerman overthrew his mother Empress Alexandra, killed his siblings and her grandchildren, blamed Roger for the murders, and used the former ruler as a puppet. Roger and his unit of twelve soldiers, supplemented by a few hundred Mardukans, a ghost and a few other people need allies. However, first he must prove he is innocent before they can confront Adoula and his sire and hopefully rescue his mother. Yet those he needs on his side are apt to kill him before he can say one word to persuade them that he did not kill his siblings or others of his kin and that he is worthy of their support as he is no longer the Playboy Prince, but instead a fighting leader with a cause.

The latest Prince Roger fantasy is an action-packed tale with the freshness that the playboy is back, ready to perform as heroic rescuer. Roger's metamorphosis seems genuine and the support cast is superb, especially his parents, Adoula, the ghost and the hero's pet. Although newcomers would be better off reading the previous novels as references refer to those tales, WE FEW can stand alone as a stirring military continuation of a terrific saga.

Baen, Apr 2005, $26.00

ISBN: 074349881X

Harriet Klausner