The Empress of Mars

By: Kage Baker

Narrated by: Nicola Barber

Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

When the British Arean Company founded its Martian colony, it welcomed any settlers it could get. Outcasts, misfits, and dreamers emigrated in droves to undertake the grueling task of terraforming the cold red planet - only to be abandoned when the BAC discovered it couldn't turn a profit on Mars.

This is the story of Mary Griffith, a determined woman with three daughters, who opened the only place to buy a beer on the Tharsis Bulge. It's also the story of Manco Inca, whose attempt to terraform Mars brought a new goddess vividly to life; of Stanford Crosley, con man extraordinaire; of Ottorino Vespucci, space cowboy and romantic hero; of the Clan Morrigan; of the denizens of the Martian Motel, and of the machinations of another company entirely - all of whom contribute to the downfall of the BAC and the founding of a new world. But Mary and her struggles and triumphs are at the center of it all, in her bar, the Empress of Mars.

Based on the Hugo-nominated novella of the same name, this is a rollicking novel of action, planetary romance, and high adventure.

©2009 Kage Baker (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Most writers’ alternate universes are fun to visit, but Kage Baker’s is one I wouldn’t mind moving to: the Barsoom of Edgar Rice Burroughs... seen through the eyes of a writer far more poetic, vastly more scientifically literate, and with an infinitely superior sense of humor. Even as science-fictional taverns go, the Empress of Mars is memorable, a joint I hope I’ll be able to return to many times.” (Spider Robinson)

great story, good characters

I really enjoyed this book......it is not the space opera type. I found the story plausible and the character interesting. Going to check now to see if there is a sequel.

Loaded with quirky characters

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The way characters frequently held conversations that should have been confidential in loud voices in public places really stretched credulity--that's a lot of naive characters!

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I'd have made the plot a little less dependent on loose talk.

What does Nicola Barber bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Character voices/accents are fun.

Did The Empress of Mars inspire you to do anything?

Stay on earth.

Any additional comments?

It was still fun to see how it all worked out. I did come to care about the characters and their outcomes, so overall--a success.

Good story well told

A very good story well told. Original with good characters. Would love to see more books of a similar nature, maybe set in the same universe.

Great ideas with little character interest.

What would have made The Empress of Mars better?

While there are several interesting characters in the story, I don't feel I got enough to really care about any of them or their aspirations.

Would you ever listen to anything by Kage Baker again?

Yes. This is only the first of her works I've tried. I'll give another one a try.

Which character – as performed by Nicola Barber – was your favorite?

Ottorino Vespucci, black sheep of a rich family with romantic notions about the Martian frontier based on Spaghetti Westerns.

Any additional comments?

This book reads like a collection of tales, published as individual short stories, which it may well be.

Not impressed

This story was way too jumbled for me…no cohesion at all. The main schemes were good (development of space, colonizing planets, terraforming Mars), but the multitude of story lines was at best chaotic. It was hard to learn who was who and what the focus was of each character. “Hey, lets throw this in the book…oh wait how about this…and maybe this too. No, it doesn’t matter if it makes sense or not, let’s throw it in anyway. Yikes!! I thought the narrator did well with what she was given.

I never learned why I was supposed to care.

I never learned why I was supposed to care about the protagonist. I assume the protagonist was the title character, I never even got involved enough to know that for sure.

I was disappointed in this book.

I struggled to finish this book. There wasn't much action or science fiction. no new imaginative technology. sorry.

I was not in the right "Head Space" for this one

I loved Kage Baker’s “Garden of Iden” so much, I was eager to read more!

Sadly, I did not enjoy this story as much – it felt too jumbled to me and I had a hard time keeping it all straight. I liked the main schemes in the book (the development of space, colonizing planets, terraforming Mars), but the multitude of storylines confused me and I never really learned who was who, who wanted to do what, and what the purpose of certain plots were all about… like the blue bees for example: I didn’t get it.

I still can’t figure Mr Cochevelou out and who the Hell was Vespucci again??? I guess I was not in the right mood. Too bad.

Unremarkable

Narator's childlike voice makes it hard to listen to.
Story unremarkable to science fiction. Could be anywhere anytime.