A Mighty Fortress

Safehold Series, Book 4

By: David Weber

Narrated by: Jason Culp

Length: 35 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

Young Cayleb Ahrmahk has accomplished things few people could even dream of. Not yet even thirty years old, he’s won the most crushing naval victories in human history. He’s smashed a hostile alliance of no less than five princedoms and won the hand of the beautiful young Queen Sharleyan of Chisholm. Cayleb and Sharleyan have created the Charisian Empire, the greatest naval power in the history of Safehold, and they’ve turned Charis into a place of refuge for all who treasure freedom.

Their success may prove short-lived. The Church of God Awaiting, which controls most of Safehold, has decreed their destruction. Mother Church’s entire purpose is to prevent the very things to which Charis is committed. Since the first attempt to crush the heretics failed, the Church has no choice but to adopt some of the hated Charisian innovations for themselves. Soon a mighty fleet will sail against Cayleb, destroying everything in its path.But there are still matters about which the Church knows nothing, including Cayleb and Sharleyan’s adviser, friend, and guardian— the mystic warrior-monk named Merlin Athrawes. Merlin knows all about battles against impossible odds, because he is in fact the cybernetic avatar of a young woman named Nimue Alban, who died a thousand years before. As Nimue, Merlin saw the entire Terran Federation go down in fire and slaughter at the hands of a foe it could not defeat. He knows that Safehold is the last human planet in existence, and that the stasis the Church was created to enforce will be the human race’s death sentence if it is allowed to stand.The juggernaut is rumbling down on Charis, but Merlin Athrawes and a handful of extraordinary human beings stand in its path. The Church is about to discover just how potent the power of human freedom truly is.

Listen to more in the Safehold series.

©2010 David Weber (P)2010 Macmillan Audio

Another amazing entry in the Safehold series.

I can't get enough of these books. The naval battles in this one were great.

wonderfully enjoyable

love this series, the narrator, and author. With your time to follow the whole series.

Top notch entertainment

Narration is superior With him adopting many voices, many Dialects. The plot continues to thicken With introduction to new baddies.

Excellence

Excellent story, as expected. I ignored the world around me as it unfolded. Good job.

solid entry in the series

if you've like the series so far, this continues the trend. universe is consistent and appropriately self-limiting. good action.

great story

innovation continues and the mighty fail, wonderful story that I can not wait to continue.

Very enjoyable!

Any additional comments?

I enjoy the detailed political intrigue and political philosophizing. I am not in a hurry to get to the Gbaba and to the end of the story. Sure there is some repetitive use of terms and phrases that become a bit funny - descriptions like sardonically, serenely and crooked smiles are WAY over used. But that didn't stop me from enjoying a complex story with lots of interesting reflections, along with some of the very best and very worst of human behavior despite the efforts of Langhorn and gang.

A winner

Having recently found David Weber's work. I find his books engrosing. I recommend beginning with the first book. I doubt it would make as much sense without.
Jason Culp is a pleasure to listen to. I hope to find more titles he narrates.

speaker pronunciations wrong @ times

Good book. The speaker got some of the naval sail pronunciations wrong, as well as the word ”valet” other VB than that, he did a great job.

Great listen

In depth descriptions being the narrative to life. Keep it up. Safehold continues to become more real.