Governor

Ascent to Empire, Book 1

By: Richard Fox, David Weber

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis

Length: 20 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

For more than fifty years, the Terran Republic and the Terran League have been killing one another.

The death toll has climbed ever higher, year after year, with no end in sight. But the members of the Five Hundred, the social elite of the Republic's Heart Worlds, don't care.

Rear Admiral Terrence Murphy is a Heart Worlder. His family is part of the Five Hundred. His wife is the daughter of one of the Five Hundred's wealthiest, most powerful industrialists. His sons and his daughter can easily avoid military service, and political power is his for the taking. There is no end to how high he can rise in the Republic's power structure.

All he has to do is successfully complete a risk-free military "governorship" in the backwater Fringe System of New Dublin without rocking the boat. But the people sending him to New Dublin have miscalculated because Terrence Murphy is a man who believes in honor. He believes in duty—in common decency and responsibility. He believes there are dark and dangerous secrets behind the façade of what "everyone knows."

Terrence Murphy intends to meet those responsibilities, to unearth those secrets, and he doesn't much care what the Five Hundred want. He intends to put a stop to the killing.

Terrence Murphy is coming for whoever has orchestrated fifty-six years of bloodshed and slaughter, and Hell itself is coming with him.

©2021 Words of Weber, Inc. and Richard Fox (P)2024 Podium Audio

Governor

I love the world building, and the story. How long do I have to wait for the next one?
The narrator does multiple voices very well, kudos!

excellent story

the characters & the plot were well developed. Great story line. Looking forward to the next book.

Terence Murphy

I like the characters. If you don’t like the people in the story, there is no point in reading it. I waited a long time for this audiobook and it was worth it. Now is the time for the second book to FINALLY come out. There are SO many layers of things I’m waiting to see.

When corruption, danger, hubris, and honor meet, you get a riveting story

I enjoyed this quite a bit. In real life or this epic sci-fi, the best and worst in our human nature are often in direct conflict, though we rarely get to see and understand the machine behind the curtain. Great storytelling, the detailed strategy and tech details of a battle we have come to expect from Weber-involved works, and a successful collaboration that kept me glued to my player. The performance was fantastic and kept me in the world.

Excellent character development and descriptions.

The author creates an inspiring story that makes you feel for the "fringe". The author also creates well rounded characters that you may expect in a series like this, not some wacko, crazy character but relatable and likeable characters. I also applaud the author in his avoidance of sexual content or a ridiculous amounts of foul language. I would say its PG-13 which is just fine. Too many authors are substituting good writing with curse words and bedroom action.

Could not get enough

This is one of the most intriguing novels about military space combat and politics that I have read or listened too. 

Like any of Webers books and you will like this one.

David Weber has a certain formula and style to his writing.
As his fans would expect this book has great character development, lots of operatic space battles and political intrigue to keep us entertained.
Looking forward to the next one in the series.

Excellent writing and narration!

Great plot and sub plots, enthralling characters and an explosive political climate, and Murphey has a match 😁

A really fun science fiction book on a grand scale

Just a really solid book that builds a very interesting world. can't wait for book two.

Good Story

I always seem to like Richard Fox’s stories. Well worth listening to it even if it was hard to follow at times