Citadel

Troy Rising, Book Two

By: John Ringo

Narrated by: Mark Boyett

Of all the hosts of Eurotas, the Troias were the most fell. For they were born of Winter.

Between the Solar Array Pumped Laser and Troy, the two-trillion-ton nickel-iron battlestation created by eccentric billionaire Tyler Vernon, Earth has managed to recapture the Sol system from their Horvath conquerors and has begun entering the galactic millieu. But when the Rangora Empire rapidly crushes humanity's only ally, it becomes clear the war is just beginning.

At the heart of nickel, iron, and starlight are the people, Marines, Navy, and civilians who make Troy a living, breathing, engine of war. Survivors of apocalypse, they know the cost of failure. If this Troy falls, no one will be left to write the epic.

Citadel continues the saga begun in Live Free or Die, following the paths of several characters during the first years of The Spiral Arm Wars, culminating in the First Battle of E Eridani.

Listen to the first book, Live Free or Die.©2011 John Ringo (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"[Boyett's] voice is clear, and he affects slightly different voices to differentiate between the various characters. The overall result is effective, and listeners will be drawn in." ( AudioFile)

another great story, with new characters

So you have to read the first book "Live Free or Die" before this one, if you have then there is no reason you shouldnt be getting this book

The beginning is another view of what happened in the last chapters of the first book and introduces some new characters - you have Butch and Dana or "Comet" as she is called after what happened in the end of the first book and described in detail in the beginning of this book

The story continues more or less and there are a couple more battles ending in one crazy battle - I thought this was very well, there were those parts where it would jump forward months or years in a single chapter but its OK and as Tyler would put it "fiddly bits" - but because of this it was sorta like an abridged book even though it wasnt, its not like stuff was missing or not explained but more like you wish that there had been more of it, and the parts that were skipped were really construction parts with not a whole lot of exciting stuff in there but I am sure something cool could have been done

In this book Tyler is still in charge of most of everything but the government has control over the SAPL and other things Tyler built when there is a battle going on - there have been over a billion people killed in the plague that the Horvath unleashed in the first book and its not really a bad thing - it was mostly old people and people who were in poor health and people with crazy beliefs that didnt want the treatment - it resulted in what is called "johansens syndrome" for all surviving females, its basally that they go into "heat" when they have there period and want sex - and it turned all females into "17 year old males with choice" for about a week every month - this could be removed with gene therapy which was really expensive and was done for all women going into the service or working in space for obvious reasons, they cant have someone they just spent millions on to train get pregnant and have to take time off

highly recommended

Lots of fun

This book is a just plain fun. If you like the idea of a giant battle station hammering aliens into little pieces than your going to like this. Ringo follows a different set of characters in this book even though characters from the first book continue to drive the story. The change in perspective helps to keep things fresh. I can't wait for the next one in this series.

ringo is the best

once I read my first book by ringo I couldn't get enough. I enjoy the story lines and characters. I also live the values that the characters have. It always an enjoyable experience to read or listen to his books. The reader did a very good job also. the right reader can make or vreak a book.

Syrup....

I loved the first two, the idea of all this starting just from syrup is in my mind brilliant. lol, who would've ever thought. The story is great from the characters and the story telling making pictures perfect in the mind as it goes on. looking forward to the 3rd book. Thanks for a great ride so far.

Another great one in the series

If you likes the other book in this series, you will like this one as well. It is just more of the same awesomeness found in the other books.

THE WAR JUST BEGINS

After all that happened Earth's population dropped to 2.5 billion and they are out for blood!!!
For the first time since the gate were placed in orbit, Earth can stand on it's own two legs, but......

The only human ally is being smashed by Rangora Empire, and the Earth is all alone.
Besides, Rangora decided to support Horwath by giving them some of their old style ships.

Political situation is even worse, unlike the Horwath, Earth is not considered to be important or advanced enough to negotiate.

Well, we will have to change their mind on that account.

PS
Being the President of the US became the most dangerous job on all planet. :-)

The story of the sidekicks

Watching superhero movies I always wondered what was happening to the side characters. What were they doing while the hero kicked the bad guy's ass? I wanted to watch additional scenes featuring the sidekick or the underdog. In Citadel I got exactly that. We have characters like Dana, the engineer who became a pilot in spite of being shot at by aliens (or maybe because she was shot at). There is Butch the welder, who's main activities were cutting up junks that were alien ships before and trying to survive the enemy fire. And there is the female military officer, who prefers to have sex with men only after beating them up to release the stress.

The story started kinda slow, I was bored sometimes in the beginning, but it got better later on.

A while ago I have read on a writer's blog that you shouldn't start scenes with dialogue, because it confuses the reader. I agreed at that time, but now I see differently It can work pretty well. Ringo started almost all scenes with dialogue. It created a micro suspense, because I was guessing who was talking, where were they and what were they doing. And Ringo did the dialogues quite well, every character sounded natural.

The "Americans are awesome" attitude irritated me a little bit, especially the figure of Tyler Vernon (appearing only sparingly), who was all-knowing, perfectly aware of what the humanity needed to beat the enemies. (Can someone who read the first book remind me where did he come from? I think he was having several part-time jobs as wood-cutter and book seller, trying to make a living. How comes he became the smartest man in the solar system?)

The story wouldn't be that original, we have read countless space battles and laser guns, but Ringo could put a nice spin in it having Troy as the gigantic battle-station and creating the geez-look-how-man-petawatts lasers.

I don't think I could take Ringo seriously, he had put a load of funny writing in the book, but that's fine, because sometimes I prefer the light reading.

Another brilliant series of books from John Ringo.

Book 2 of the series was even better than the first. Well written, well told and very well enjoyed.

Second Time Listening to this Classic

I love this story. That is why I’m listening to it for a second time - all three parts. I can’t recommend it enough!

"For they were born of Winter"

Welcome to the New Age of warfare. Welcome to Troy!

What happens when you build a two trillion ton battlestation? They will come. John Ringo is back with the eccentric trillionaire Tyler Vernon and his newest invention to save human space. This time it's not just Maple Syrup and big solar array mirrors, it's the largest battlestation ever created. It looks like it's just in time too, as now it's not just the Horvath that want a piece of Terran Proper. The Rangora have decided that they are tired of playing second fiddle and go to war. From the reports it looks like the Rangora have wiped out the Glatun and are now gunning for the newest members of the space age. Will Troy be enough? Can it stand, unlike it's predecessor? Or will this be another Iliad with a Rangoran Achilles conquering a human Hector?

Mark Boyett does a fantastic job continuing the Troy Rising series. Vocal thespianism at it's best.