March to the Stars (Prince Roger Series #3)

Science fiction icon David Weber (the Honor Harrington series) teams up with Airborne-soldier-turned-author John Ringo (A Hymn Before Battle) in their third novel about Prince Roger Ramius Sergei Chiang Alexander MacClintock, Heir Tertiary to the Throne of Man. March to the Stars continues the adventures of Roger and the Bronze Barbarians that started in March Upcountry and continued in March to the Sea as they battle their way across the remote planet of Marduk in their bid to return home to Earth. Through the course of these first three novels, Roger has grown from a spoiled brat into a true leader of men and aliens alike. March to the Stars takes the Bronze Barbarians of the Imperial Guard across the Eastern Ocean of Marduk, facing giant sea monsters and pirates, and eventually to a spaceport held by humans of questionable loyalties. The naval battle with Mardukian pirates contains some swashbuckling heroics worthy of Errol Flynn himself, and Roger learns that not everything is as it seems on either Marduk or Earth. Fortunately, he's got the Bronze Barbarians and the Basik's Own at his back.

Collaboration is a tricky art form, and the resulting work can often feel rough and blocky, with the writers' differing styles at odds. Weber and Ringo deliver a work with a smooth blending of style, serving up a sum that is indeed greater than its parts. Readers should be warned, however, that by the end of the story they will likely be tempted to scoop up other works by these authors to satisfy their reading needs while waiting for the next novel in the series. --Ron Peterson