Off Armageddon Reef
David Weber
Tor, Jan 2007, $25.95
ISBN: 0765315009

They came in war in the second half of the twenty-fourth century and by the end of the second decade of the twenty-fifth century, the Gbaba Empire had eradicated almost all of humanity. To save mankind from extinction, Admiral Pei Kau-zhi begins Operation Ark in which he and several of the remaining survivors give up their lives as a diversion so a few people can escape in a relatively low tech vessel that would be difficult for the Gbaba to detect and destroy.

Those chosen to live receive false memories, but two of the surviving leaders Chief Administrator Langhorne, and psychologist Bedard add additional servitude directions into the implant without permission. The lesser beings are to worship the Operation Ark’s command staff as gods.

By 2499, the colonists have made it to a safe haven planet Safeholden where they outlawed most technology and employed an orbital surveillance program that destroys anything that emits tech spoors. However, by the Year of the Gods 890, centuries after the Command staff deities died, a Personality-Integrated Cybernetic Avatar arises using the name of Nimue Alban, a human who died during the Operation Ark diversion. Her task is to undo the harm caused by the long dead Langhorne and Bedad, but society is male dominant.

As he has done with Honor Harrington, David Weber creates a terrific universe that readers will believe exists as the few remaining humans create a male theocracy on Safeholden that seems so genuine medievalist. Nimue Alban is a terrific protagonist who understands a female will be ignored as women have no rights; she must decide whether to take her chances as a distaff rabble-rouser or switch gender by Merlin into a man. Fans of the author will appreciate his terrific opening tale that as always is epic in proportion, much more than the write up above.

Harriet Klausner