So, it may not be the best story ever written, but it does carry on the Asimov Robots storyline. If you can quote the three laws of robotics, you gotta read this whole series. It will not knock your socks off or anything, but you will enjoy it.

A good work. If you are Asimov's fan you will find a new murder investigation involving the 3 robotics laws of Asimov, this time in a new planet inhabited exclusively by robots. There is other interesting themes: New alliens species, a radical tool for stelar traveling (more radical and without technical explanations- or speculations). If you are a new asimovian robots reader, you will enjoy this book and will find a good introduction for the 3 robotics laws.
The more i liked: A amnesiac man interacting with unknown robots who can not lie and with a attractive girl.
Te murder resolution is not so good like in asimov books.

This was the first sci-fi book I read ever, in fact it's the first "real" book I read when I was young. I fall in love with Asimov at this very moment. I love the story. This was my first contact with the three laws of robotics I love so much. I think it's a good book to learn more or introduce you to Asimov style. I lose my original copy of this book 10 years ago al least. I just brought this electronic copy. I start read it and feel the same joy today. A must read.

Second books of trilogies are notoriously weak--maybe because you don't get the thrill of discovering a fictional world for the first time *or* the satisfaction of (hopefully) seeing the plot threads wrapped up. _Enigma_, the second book in Kube-McDowell's "Trigon Disunity" trilogy, is no exception. It takes forever to get moving, bogging down for nearly half its length following its bland, seemingly unlikable hero--Meritt Thackery through early adulthood and into the business of surveying the galaxy.

Character has never been Kube-McDowell's greatest strength, and this book is no exception. Thackery doesn't grab your attention or, for most of the book, engage your emotions. I found myself wanting *someone* to solve the huge, multi-faceted mystery at the center of the story . . . but not caring a bit whether it was him or someone else.

Then, about the halfway point in the plot, _Enigma_ begins to pick up speed. The Mystery (and the solving of it) takes center stage, and Kube-McDowell ratchets the pace up to the headlong rush that he sustained throughout _Emprise_. By the end of the book, the Mystery has been satisfyingly solved (revealing a very clear but even bigger Problem to be worked out in _Empery_), and (glory be!) Merrit Thackery has become an interesting character.

My overall judgement of _Emprise_ goes for this one, too: It's similar in flavor and tone to the works of Arthur C. Clarke, and well worth a look for those who like Clarke's cool, austere, galaxy-spanning style of storytelling.

Brooding flavor, some times pessimistic. I would almost call this high adventure, but for the somber tones and mystery. I just happened to pick this book up on vacation and still have not read Emprise (1st book) or Empery (3rd book).

Michael McDowell's ghoulish serial soap opera continues as Blackwater makes plans to build a levee to prevent future floods from occurring. Meanwhile more horrible accidents and illnesses plague the Caskey family. Are these tragedies linked to the Caskey's most recent addition, as one family member has come to believe? Recommended.

It's evident that Kube-McDowell cut his literary teeth watching nebbish tv shows and mediocre movies. The plot structure carries the story as well as can be expected, but the language and characters are pedestrian at best. Where Kube-McDowell strives for passion, he loses control and becomes hackneyed. If the author can't truly care for his characters, why should I? Not recommended.

Emprise is a novel that feels more like three novellas flying in loose formation. The first is an intimate tale about a group of scientists trying to make sense of a message from an alien civilization. The second is a sprawling story about the political intrigue that follows once they figure it out. The third is a classic "first contact" story, with a twist that sets up the two books to follow.

Oddly enough, this structure works in the book's favor: Each of the three stories works well at 100 pages or so, and none of them (I think) could carry a full-length novel. The interwoven characters and contrasting textures add interest--it is (for you fellow SF fans in the audience) a little like reading condensed versions of _The Andromeda Strain_, _Foundation_, and _Childhood's End_ in rapid succession. Kube-McDowell keeps the ideas flowing thick and fast . . . fast enough, for the most part, to cover the flatness of most of the major characters. I kept reading less because I cared about the people than because I wanted to see what rabbit was coming out of the hat next.

_Emprise_, at its best, is good enough to stand next to middle-of-the-pack novels by Arthur C. Clarke (say, _The Fountains of Paradise_ and _Imperial Earth_). It's worth a try for SF fans who like Clarke's austere, idea-heavy, emotion-light style of storytelling. [Kube-McDowell, by the way, improved markedly in later works: his _The Quiet Pools_ is as good as Clarke's best.]

I've never cared for the political or religious ideas that Kube-McDowell appears to favor. His characters portray attitudes toward their fellow humans that I believe are unfortunately typical of most politicians: they are the only ones capable of rational thought--the rest of us need to be controlled for our own good. Even more unfortunately they are sometimes right. One of the hallmarks of a great writer is that he can present characters and situations that I would normally find distasteful, but pull me in regardless. Emprise is a great story. I've read it three times now....

I'm in agreement with some of the other readers...spends way too much time describing politics and not enough with the technology. In addition, in trying to describe the sociological effects of this "trigger" device (which is used to explode munitions containing nitrates) the author seems to overlook the fact that humans have been killing each other with edged weapons for thousands of years. This kind of lapse makes the story rather laughable as this component is not offered to display effects the trigger has on societies. In addition, it is offensive to see the gun lobby portrayed the way it is in this book. This book is clearly anti-gun and anti-American in the way it portrays our government and our established laws. Mr. Clarke, quit lending your name to works that don't deserve it!

If you're looking for Clarke-style sci-fi because Clarke's name is on it, you'll be disappointed. If you're a hardcore physics buff, you'll probably be disappointed as well (the science part of things in this book is quite wishy-washy). However, this book is as superb a social commentary as you'll read, and a thought-provoking piece on the nature of science and scientific discovery, although considerably less so than the social aspect.

The basic premise is that a group of scientists accidentally discovers a way to disable all conventional explosives. Even though the gun lobby has been portrayed fairly negatively and the gun debate is a little lopsided as a result, people with an open mind and any intelligence whatsoever should be able to appreciate the brilliance of the way in which the debate has been presented and to see both sides of the coin equally well. It is a mind-expanding discussion indeed. Of course, because of the strongly political nature of the debate, your reaction to the book might vary from disgust to ecstasy, but it is nevertheless a great book. The ending is classic Clarke: brilliant and open-ended. And again very mind-expanding.

For those who enjoy stretching their knowledge of science to the limits, here's some serious mind expansion from the all time SF guru, Arthur C. Clarke. "Trigger" is built around wave physics and how much more can happen in that field - someday, sometime.

The non-scientifically inclined reader will also enjoy the book's extensive examination of the issues around gun control and ownership - the prime target of the authors. Using the Columbine High shootings as a case in point, they repeatedly engage with the many arguments put forward by proponents of the 2nd Amendment to prevent arms control initiatives.

But the scientific jewels hidden along the way are what make this a real delight. First, there is the Trigger - a wave-emitting device that automatically detonates any kind of explosive material, rendering any conventional arms and munitions more dangerous to the user than to their intended victims. The resulting reversion of security forces to pre-gunpowder weapons such as crossbows and maces may sound amusing, but certainly worth more than a passing thought.

Then comes the intellectual high point of the book - the concept that everything can be defined in terms of energy and information. This is totally mind blowing - if you take the concept of zooming in and out for more or less detail on a subject and couple it with the Heisenberg Uncertainty principle, that's what the guru is postulating. To quote " Information organizes and differentiates energy". The kick is in the converse - if you can remove information from a subject, you destabilize it - it ceases to exist! From this exquisitely neat hypothesis arises the Jammer - the antithesis of the Trigger - instead of blowing up arms and ammunition, it simply makes them cease to exist!

Just these alone would have been more than enough for any Arthur C. Clarke fan - but the authors leave the reader salivating for more right at the end - the discovery of a biological Trigger that can zero in on any specific DNA pattern and vaporise it - the Killer.

Overall, a taut thriller-class read with some elegant physics for those so inclined - what more can one ask for ?

The one word that characterizes all the books of the Black Fleet Crisis Trilogy? BORING!!!!!!!!!! The book moves too slowly and is simply too inconsistant. Luke Skywalker runs off to become a hermit at Darth Vader's old retreat rejecting his Academy, his family and pretty everything else. Only a mysterious woman who is able to enter his stronghold induces Luke to leave with promises about his lost mother. Leia is shown much more as the Chief of State, an idea that did have merit, while Han Solo is shown more as the family man. The problem is, is that the story moves so slowly. The characterizations are weak: Princess Leia, the people's leader refuses to learn the names of her bodyguards preferring to ignore their existance. That is totally contrary to Princess Leia, Han Solo is done all right but that is because he really has nothing to do. Luke is done terribly. The Black Fleet crisis marks the epitome of stupid Jedi power Luke. It took Zahn coming back into the fold to save the expanded universe after the Black Fleet Debacle. The Lando adventure has possibilities but it too drops by the wayside due to just too much non-sensical writing. Perhaps this story should have been a one or two book set not a trilogy, at time it feels like the auther was just trying to fill space. In any event, this book needed some major editing and marked a dark period of Star Wars literature that not even the Jedi Academy Trilogy (horrible as it was)reached.

While looking at the story outside of what would be considered Star Wars cannon, it is not that bad. However, any serious Star Wars fan will be so distracted by the utter lack of knowledge McDowell displays in regards to the Star Wars universe.

Examples: Coruscant is portrayed as a Garden planet? Lucas Arts clearly indicated that Coruscant was one big city, long, long ago in it's X-Wing series. This book was written recently enough to have gotten this right. This is one minor example of lack of continuity in this book.

The other aspect of this book that killed it for me was how the main cast was mischaracterized. I thought Leia's portrayal was especially bad. A very strong female character was completely weakened.

To close, I was so disappointed with this book I am seriously considering not reading the rest of the trilogy. What really surprises me is that Lucas Film let this book be written with all of the cannon errors.

Luke going to Vader's castle, Luke doing research on his mother, the Jedi's frying that Star destroyer at the expense of their fellow Jedi-all that was friggin tyte!
It's been about 5 yrs since I read this book but those were the parts that I do remember about this trilogy.

This book was written as a reply to Josh McDowell's book "Evidence that Demands a Verdict." McDowell is a Christian apologist who writes primarily for teenagers. If McDowell's book is for "kids," then Ledo's is for "kidders." I don't want to be too hard on Ledo because his light-hearted intent is clearly stated at the beginning of the book. McDowell's book is clearly not very scholarly, and Ledo responds in the same vein. The two books both share the unfortunate quality of religious bias and intransigence. Neither will allow the other side a micron must less an inch in the debate about theism. Although Ledo makes some very good points, these are offset by wild claims (Jesus never existed, he was a woman, a homosexual, etc.) that damage the valid points that he makes. Another problem is the way that he references his source material. At the end of each chapter there is simply a list of source materials used with no indication of which source corroborates which claim must less pagination. Anyone wanting to verify his claims or seek further information is out of luck.

Bottom line: if you are a confirmed atheist you will like the book. If you are a confirmed theist you will hate (and dismiss) the book. If you are interested in an unbiased presentation of the arguments for and against theism, you've come to the wrong place.

I gotta admit, trying to follow the geneology and general timetables of this book is a daunting task for someone looking for some "light" reading. But the book is presented in a fashion that allows the more casual reader to digest the point of each short chapter then move on. For the more inquisitive, (more energetic, or perhaps disgusted christian), references are numerous. Have at it! The book accomplishes what I would assume to be it's intent. In my eyes, it's a fairly simple and well thought out, well researched review of an atheist's perspective of christianity. It raises some points that any true Christian should begin to question. And these were not mentioned in my catechism days. Who wrote "The Lord's Prayer" anyway?

The best of the Black Fleet Crisis Trilogy, Tyrant's Test takes us back to the convoluted lives of our heroes. The characterizations of Luke and Leia remain poor, Lando's mission is still annoying but there is a bright spot. Chewie's rescue of Han Solo is one of the few bright points in this trilogy. The daring and insane rescue of a battered and tortured Han Solo by his best friend is truly a memorable scene in an otherwise forgettable book. Chewie becomes much more than just a hairy sidekick, but rather he is more of a brother to Han than Luke is. Luke and the strange woman continue to search for her people and his mother. They finally track down this secretive people, but unknown to Luke (but known to everyone else), his traveling companion lied to him and she was really not a part of the secret society. A slave revolt against the evil Yevetha helps to end the threat to the New Republic and Leia sits triumphant atop the backstabbing political world. The end has Luke and Leia reconciling (froma separation that was totally unnecessary) and Luke returns to his real living family. As for Lando, Luke also took time out of his busy schedule to hop halfway across the galaxy to save his old friend trapped aboard a living ship/seedpod. Sounds kind of Vongish to me. Anyway the Black Fleet Crisis Trilogy is one of the worst in the Star Wars universe. All three books filled with annoying convoluted plot and terrible depictions of the main characters. It simply the worst trilogy of the Star Wars universe, which is saying something considering how bad the Jedi Academy Trilogy is. Kube-McDowell should have spent more time writing and editing his book to be much more streamlines than the clunky and poorly written result that Star Wars fans received.

(first of all, this review is for the trilogy, and not just _tyrant's test_) in general this was an average trilogy, nothing spectacular, but not bad. there was one excellent point in this trilogy, Chewbacca's part of the story. After reading this, Chewbacca seems more human, not so much a big...wookie...and just Han's sidekick. It was nice to see someone explore the character of Chewbacca. But there were two parts of the story I had problems with. One was Luke's part of the story, I mean, how much power does this guy need?! The other major problem i had with the trilogy is all the time spent with characters we don't know, don't want to know, and aren't that important. I think the author could have spent more time developing the plot lines of the characters we know (such as Han's capture or how Leia dealt with it, which really wasn't touched on a whole lot). But they (other than Lando) didn't seem to have a huge role in the trilogy. All in all, if you keep up with the star wars universe, this trilogy is worth the time.

I found it a bit difficult to get into the story at the begining, as it was a bit boring, but once I got about a quarter of the way through the first book, I couldnt stop reading. I honestly dont know why people are talking trash about these books ... I liked them. This trilogy is definitely worth reading, especially if you're a fan. They may not be as good as the original Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn, but what really is?

Anyway, the Black Fleet Crisis, and more specifically this final, climatic chapter of the trilogy, are one of the better Star Wars books I've read so far.

Like its predecessor, Shield of Lies continues bad characterizations, poor plot and long drawn out writing. The Luke out with a strange woman to learn about his mother story line to just annoying. This female character is simply annoying and Luke does not act all that much like a Jedi Master. Jedi Masters can tell when someone is lying to them! As for Leia the drudgery of political life is draining on her. Eventually stories about the running of a government can get boring and after the first book the Leia and political back-stabbing storyline is old and slow and boring. Han finally gets something to do, but due to the ineptness of the New Republic military (can't imagine how they beat the Empire at all) by the evil, is captured by bigoted Yevetha nazi beings introduced in the first book. Chewie has a subplot involving his son's journey into manhood, while Lando's adventure on the ghost ship is really painful to read. This series could have been so much better but a convoluted plot, poor editing and really awful writing make it among te worst set of books in the Star Wars universe.

This is an interesting story. I hope someday Luke learns who his mother really is.

I don't know what the other reviewers are thinking, this is one of the best trilogies in the entire series. A major complaint seems to be that these books are "all talk and no action," well my little friends, I am sorry that your limited intellect cannot stand plot development and intricate story lines. Unlike a LOT of sci-fi books out there, the Star Wars books actually try to have a story, and a MEANINGFUL, LASTING story at that. Not just blazing light saber/death star/dog fight battles. If you don't have the intellectual capacity to enjoy a good story with good plot lines, that is well written and that explores more than just shooting at people, then I recommend something along the lines of "Pokémon" that would seem to fit with your age group. CHEERS!