Conventions of War

The Dread Empire's Fall Trilogy, Book 3

By: Walter Jon Williams

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki

Length: 22 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

“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)

At last, the climactic final episode of the Dread Empire’s Fall trilogy - what started with The Praxis and The Sundering comes to a brilliant conclusion in Walter Jon Williams’ epic space adventure.

Working on opposite sides of the galaxy - one in deep space, the other undercover on an occupied planet - and haunted by personal ghosts, Captain Gareth Martinez and Lieutenant Lady Caroline Sula fight to save the Empire from the vicious alien Naxid. In a desperate, audacious bid to stop the Naxid fleet, Martinez makes a move that could win the war…and lose his career. Meanwhile, Sula’s guerilla tactics may not be enough to stop the Naxid - until she tries one deadly final gambit.

©2005, 2015 by Walter Jon Williams (P)2021 by Blackstone Publishing and Skyboat Media, Inc.

Why are you reading this?

Why are you reading this and not already listening to it? You must’ve read or listened to the first two books. If you have any apprehension then let me put your mind at ease. This book was the best one yet!

Great conclusion to an awesome series.

really enjoyed the latest book in the series. I hope to read more of Williams in the future

military sci-fi, with court intrigue

like many books, I could wish for this one to continue. the author paints amazingly detailed pictures with his words, but they never seem to verbose or detract from the action. no weird unobtainium, science is good. All in all great read, good story, good series. can't wait till I can get the next installment.

poorly conceived and plotted

so, the galactic conquerors dont believe in innovation? have they never had to put down a revolution in a couple thousand years? wouldnt thier own people see how terrible their rulers are at everything and rebel and over and over?

we are supposed to believe that? its amatuerish. and thats the thing about these books, its like the author went with the first idea he had without thinking it through or going any deeper.

martinez kills an entire planet and doesnt feel almost any guilt about it or recieve any backlash? really?


why is Sula, a street rat, so intelligent and competent? why didn't she show this competence in dealing with her terrible life? is there anything she cant do? she got the best score in the universe on her military exams? really? with no background and almost no experience? and she can hack computer systems? and lead revolutions and captain spaceships? all this, coming from "the fabs"?

the state of computer security in this world is nearly non-existent. please dont write about tech you dont understand, its embarrassing. how does sula know anything about it? how are sula's untrained ideas enough to get around the security protocols? this is a deeply corrupt society, wouldnt there be some hefty competent security? nope. sula's first ideas are enough to get around it all.

why does sula know so much about revolutions? why are all her ideas successful? because everything in these novels so easy for the MCs. when you make the enemies so deeply unskilled you reduce the emotional stakes.

ive never quit reading a book during the climax before, but thats just what these books are worth.

martinez's feelings about sula are creepy. okay, she's pretty. we get it. can we talk about something else?

i respect this author. his books can be great, but these are trash. nope nope nope.