How Firm a Foundation

Safehold Series, Book 5

By: David Weber

Narrated by: Charles Keating

Length: 28 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

The Charisian Empire, born in war, has always known it must fight for its very survival. What most of its subjects don’t know even now, however, is how much more it’s fighting for. Emperor Cayleb, Empress Sharleyan, Merlin Athrawes, and their innermost circle of most trusted advisers do know. And because they do, they know the penalty if they lose will be far worse than their own deaths and the destruction of all they know and love.

For five years, Charis has survived all the Church of God Awaiting and the corrupt men who control it have thrown at the island empire. The price has been high and paid in blood. Despite its chain of hard-fought naval victories, Charis is still on the defensive. It can hold its own at sea, but if it is to survive, it must defeat the Church upon its own ground. Yet how does it invade the mainland and take the war to a foe whose population outnumbers its own 15 to one? How does it prevent that massive opponent from rebuilding its fleets and attacking yet again?

Charis has no answer to those questions, but needs to find one… quickly. The Inquisition’s brutal torture and hideous executions are claiming more and more innocent lives. Its agents are fomenting rebellion against the only mainland realms sympathetic to Charis. Religious terrorists have been dispatched to wreak havoc against the Empire’s subjects. Assassins stalk the Emperor and Empress, their allies and advisers, and an innocent young boy, not yet 11 years old, whose father has already been murdered. And Merlin Athrawes, the cybernetic avatar of a young woman a thousand years dead, has finally learned what sleeps beneath the far-off Temple in the Church of God Awaiting’s city of Zion.

The men and women fighting for human freedom and tolerance have built a foundation for their struggle in the Empire of Charis with their own blood, but will that foundation be firm enough to survive?

Listen to more in the Safehold series.

©2011 David Weber (P)2011 Macmillan Audio

Best Narrator Ever!

What made the experience of listening to How Firm a Foundation the most enjoyable?

This series has been a great listen. Charles Keating has breathed new life into the characters.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Merlin, of course. What a curious hybrid of old lore and tech.

What about Charles Keating’s performance did you like?

His voice just fits.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Too many to list.

Great Story!

Great story and addition to the continuing saga of Safehold. However, I whish y'all would pick one reader all the way through. Although Mr. Keating was a great reader, he hardly had any inflection in his voice to indicate the various characters as did the first reader of the first two books in the series. Otherwise, well done ....

Narrator not good, but book ok

Would you listen to another book narrated by Charles Keating?

No. You would think the narrator would at least listen to some of the previous book before narrating. It's annoying when the characters get new pronunciations of their names.

Another solid Safehold story

The story is mirroring the Honor Harrington saga more closely. The undermanned but technologically superior benevolent monarchy takes on the bigger foe. The bad guys are power mad and tyrannical, just like we see with the Peeps in the Honorverse. The pacing and focus on politics is similar, as is the large cast of characters.

That said, the story is credibly written and well narrated. I do root for the good guys and was sad when I came to the end of the story.

another hit by David Weber

well I enjoyed the story and the narrator's voice was very pleasant some of the other narrators of this series of books are much better at shifting accents and characterizations in their readings. overall though I did enjoy it

Disappointing performance...

The Safehold series itself garners the highest of praise from me. While some may find the descriptive detail throughout as frustrating or excessive, I truly enjoy not only the sense of learning I get as new processes and ideas are described, but also the full picture I'm then able to form in my head of the events taking place in the story.

The unfortunate choice of reader for this installment leaves much to be desired however. The previous change on reader caused a bit of frustration at first, but that was quickly overcome as the reader still delivered on many of the aspects of reading I would hope for. On the other hand, Mr. Keating's performance often felt so lifeless that remaining involved in the story was itself a difficult task. I often had to repeat sections I had just listened to in order to retain the information presented within the drone of the reading.

Giving each character their own voice and their own personality gives the readers more of a true feeling of connection to them as well as making it easy to distinguish the change in speaker.
Properly stressing words and conveying emotions makes a story feel real and allows another source of connection.
Unfortunately, these were the parts of Mr. Keating's reading that were most lacking.

While I patiently wait for the eventual return of Oliver Wyman, I would still hope the readers in the meantime can do their best not to take away from such a great series.

love it

Don't care for the narrator for this book. I really enjoyed the previous 4 books in the series and I guess I have grown to expect that same narrator. Mr. Keating just doesn't seem into the story and I felt bored by his lack of feeling. Love the story though. Another great one for David Weber.

Excellent continuation

I've been listening to this series and I'm disappointed in this choice for the narrator. even though the previous narrators have younger sounding voices, this narrator has a gravely voice that doesn't fit the younger 20/30 something characters. *sigh*

My Favorite Series

What made the experience of listening to How Firm a Foundation the most enjoyable?

This is my favorite Sci-Fi serial that I am currently involved in. Waiting impatiently for the next in the series.

How could the performance have been better?

Charles Keating is a skilled performer but not for this series. Recommend returning to a narrator in an earlier serial.

Best Sci-Fi series ever.

Mr Weber takes a distant future and brings it home to today. Tyranny, religion polarizing groups, and economic facts of life are all timeless topics that he weaves flawlessly. I wait in anticipation for each new installment. Bravo Mr Weber, Bravo.