Out of the Dark

By: David Weber

Narrated by: Charles Keating

Length: 16 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

The launch of a new science-fiction adventure series - by the New York Times best-selling author of the Safehold series and the Honor Harrington series.

The Galactic Hegemony has been around a long time, and it likes stability - the kind of stability that member species like the aggressive, carnivorous Shongairi tend to disturb. So when the Hegemony Survey Force encountered a world whose so-called "sentients" - "humans", they called themselves - were almost as bad as the Shongairi themselves, it seemed reasonable to use the Shongairi to neutralize them before they could become a second threat to galactic peace. And if the Shongairi took a few knocks in the process, all the better.

Now, Earth is conquered. The Shongairi have arrived in force, and humanity’s cities lie in radioactive ruins. In mere minutes, more than half the human race has died.

Master Sergeant Stephen Buchevsky, who thought he was being rotated home from his latest tour in Afghanistan, finds himself instead prowling the back country of the Balkans, dodging alien patrols and trying to organize scattered survivors without getting killed. And in the Southeastern US, firearms instructor and former Marine Dave Dvorak finds himself at the center of a growing network of resistance - putting his extended family at lethal risk, but what else can you do?

On the face of it, Buchevsky's and Dvorak's chances look bleak, as do prospects for the rest of the surviving human race. But it may well be that Shongairi and the Hegemony alike have underestimated the inhabitants of that strange planet called Earth...in David Weber's Out of the Dark.

©2010 David Weber (P)2010 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"Weber pulls off this conceit in audacious style with a focus on military-powered action that will thrill fans of his Honor Harrington series, and he keeps the pedal to the metal right up to the almost unbelievable conclusion." ( Publishers Weekly)

Really enjoyed 90% of this one.

Ok, I'll pile on with the other reviews: The ending sucks. That said, I really, really enjoyed most of the book. The narration was good and the story was great, up to that horrible ending.

Brilliant!

A truly entertaining and original story. Narrated by one of the best, this is a must listen

David Weber Does It Again

Absolutely phenomenal, wonderful storyline. As always David Weber gives us a great read, absolutely love and I am looking forward to the next book.

Author is great, narrator not so much

Great writing by David Weber no surprise there love the work. Narration was monotone without adequate pause for punctuation. Charles Keating read it like it was a chore to be done and it shows. Change of narrator is in order. At least make the attempt at different voices as well as cadence.

great story

it took some time to get used to this narrator but the story is worth it

Was really enjoying this up till the end.

This is a great novel, but the ending seriously ruined it for me.

I think the performance could have benefitted from multiple voice actors.

A must listen

I loved this book it was entertaining and I can not wait for the next in this amazing series , to the author of this amazing story. thank you to the narrator you did amazing work in bring the story to life with spoken words 👏

Was totally hooked until the end...

The story was solid and a very interesting take on the alien invasion story. The ending sadly threw it all away. I was ready to buy the next book in the series but the ending killed it for me. Still a very good book overall.

great story, a bit long winded, hard left turn

I'm all for twists in a story, but this one? seriously?
went from being a militaristic Sci Fi to straight up fantasy in 30 seconds. I still feel the whiplash. not sure if I like this twist.

Silly ending

I felt like the ending was a cop out by the author. It started out as science fiction and ended up as fantasy.