By Schism Rent Asunder: A Novel in the Safehold Series (#2) (Safehold, 2)

If anything this book feels more like Weber is working to advance the world building and setting up for bigger conflicts. It is clear that Weber has a long term goal for the series but all the setup in this issue comes off as a little unsatisfactory when put next to the epic battles that closed out the previous installment. On the bright side for readers who like political maneuvering and Machiavellian schemes this book will hit the right notes and by the end there is a fairly complex web set up. A lot of time is devoted to looking in on the "great game" of politics on Safehold and the various factions attempts to prepare for the conflict that is just on the horizon. Unfortunately by the end of the book that conflict is still just on the horizon.

We get the same basic cast of characters as in the first book with the exception of a handful of new players. This helps some because instead of whole sections devoted to introduction of a character Weber can now focus on developing and fleshing those characters out. While the main cast was pretty robust by the end of Armageddon's Reef the supporting cast still felt a bit flimsy and much of that is resolved here. In particular you get really good development in Calyeb, the new king of Charis. He really comes into his own as the strong ruler of men Weber seemed to be gunning for and feels more like the Henry VIII analogue that Weber wanted. And more importantly we get Prince Nahrman as a major player. In a book focused on scheming and plotting this is the character to watch. He comes off as pure id and is simply a pleasure to follow, every moment the story is with him you can't help but enjoy the man's guile.

There is one issue in the characterization that bumps against all this good development. Weber chose to write in a romance between Cayleb and Queen Charleyan and has the same weakness that hurts most sci-fi writers I have read, he simply cannot write believable romance. The two characters fall in love at the drop of a hat and their coupling comes off as entirely forced. While I do enjoy them together once there are paired off, and probably would have had no problems with their relationship had they been initially presented as a couple, I just do not buy the love story. This is a pretty big problem since a large portion of the book is dedicated to their falling in love.

To be clear this isn't a bad book, it's just a deviation from Off Armageddon Reef and really Weber's normal style in general. For fans of Weber or the first book I would say stick with this series, he is clearly building to something massive that you will not want to miss.

With all due respects to my fellow reviewers, I have to say that this is one of the best military/political science fiction books that I've read in many, many moons! This is not a book for the majority of "young adults." Rather, it is a book for people with a basic knowledge of Renaissance Europe and England. And yes, it also helps if you know who Machiavelli was and have read some of his works.

"By Schism Rent Asunder" was the first book in this series that I read and I loved it! I served in the US Army in Military Intelligence (amongst other specialties) - not as a "spymaster", but as an analyst, and there are more than a few in-jokes that had me trying to keep from falling down and rolling on the floor (as the saying goes...). Seriously! And there is at least one bit of humor directed to Hitchcock fans that I caught on my second reading. No hints except to say that this is a "slap your head" when you finally find it... [And Ranger Jim is laughing his fool head off!]

IMO, David Weber just keeps on getting better with every new series!

Buy this book!

Imagine a scenario where a massively powerful alien race has wiped out the human race everywhere they could find it in the galaxy. They found their prey by the tech signatures emanating from human enclaves. The last 3,000 humans have taken refuge in a ship that has found a secluded earth-like planet aptly named Safehold, perfect for human habitation. BUT....how do the leaders of this expedition plan to keep the aliens from finding them? They set up a pre-tech culture and an artificial all-powerful church whose primary mandate is to prohibit any kind of tech development. Then, before they send the settlers down to their new home, they completely wipe their memories of a former life. This series describes what happens as a result of the artificial constraints. I am currently on book 3 of ten (800 years in the future) and I am completely ensnared by David Weber's incredibly meticulous and inventive mind! HIGH RECOMMEND!!!

This is the second book on the story of Merlin, King Cayleb and the adventures on Safehold. Weber continues to surprise the reader with his depth of the characters. The twist and turns laid out in the plot keep us turning the page with expectation. This second book is worthy of the story started in the first book of the series, Off Armageddon Reef. Well written and a fun read.

I was at the library and saw all the Weber books. Thinking of trying a new author, I saw the Honor series. However, they didn't have the first one, so I looked for a book that seemed to be standalone. I picked up By Schism Rent Asunder. It was a simple story with a good writing style -- except for the idiotic naming conventions. That only names are treated that way makes it even more annoying.

The biggest problem is that, in writing as if it's the beginning of the industrial revolution, he picks up a 19th Century writing style. He goes off into wandering of way too detailed depictions of science, technology and politics that ruin the flow of the story. I have no problems skimming those pages, you shouldn't either.

The exposition of how the colony was created was straightforward and the book seemed like a simple starting point. It wasn't until I came on to Amazon to look for the sequel that I realized it wasn't the first book. From what I've read about the first, skip it; the book's not only not needed it's truly dumb in how the Gbaba war was fought. Starting the series with this book skips that but gives you the context.

However, as with too many modern authors, Weber doesn't seem to realize that series books should be a tad more self-contained. The ending was so poor as to be laughable. It wasn't even good as a cliff-hanger. It was truly annoying.

Weber has a nice writing style when he sticks to the plot, which is the only thing saving this book and giving it three stars. The naming conventions take away from the flow of reading, as do the in depth tangents.

I just finished reading this one, and I do agree with those above. It plodded in too many places and is similar to the Harrington series, in that I began to lose interest in the over politicization. Not that that's why I stopped reading Harrington... There is enough action sprinkled through to keep me going to the next book and promise in the series to keep me coming back again. It does have the feel of a loooong story, especially if we're ever to get back to the Gbaba. That would make this a multi generational series - of which if the stories keep me interested, I'll be waiting to see. To me though, the one disappointing aspect, and I know it would make 'Merlin's' job a lot harder, is that I had hoped Nimue would remain Nimue, and that I do hope at some point she can shed her facade of masculinity. But that's author's purview.
Overall, it's a good book in a good series with characters you can believe and empathize in. I'll be spending again for the next one...

Books arrived in good order and a great read.

good read fair pricing sci fi fantasy

I like SIFI

a good read and can be reread