March to the Sea FROM THE PUBLISHER
It wasn't so much that Prince Roger and his surviving remnant of elite bodyguards are marooned on a barbarian planet. Or that they have been on continuous operations for so long they are getting shocky. Or that they still have half a planet to cross. Or that they are basically out of ammunition for their plasma and bead rifles are just about out of cash. Sure, those are all problems, but they're not the real problem.
No, the problem is Roger is in love. With one of his bodyguards. And the romance is not going well. Damnbeast? Sure. Vampiric moths? Okay. Screaming waves of barbarians? No problem. But when you have Nimashet Despreaux and Prince Roger Ramius Sergei Chiang MacClintock at sword's point, that's real danger.
And it's just the beginning.
To get to the distant port that is their only way off the planet, they'll be forced to battle enraged monsters, displaced mercenaries, religious fanatics, and a barbarian horde to shame the Huns. Along the way, they'll have to recreate the Reformation, the Renaissance, and the Industrial Revolution. And do it all in a context their four-armed, horned, grizzly-bear-sized native allies can handle.
It will strain all their experience and knowledge, as the most elite, the most multitalented, and above all, the toughest bodyguards in human space. But the really hard part will be keeping Roger and Nimashet from killing each other.
FROM THE CRITICS
Library Journal
Stranded on the hostile planet Marduk and charged with the protection of Prince Roger, Tertiary Heir to the Throne of Man, the Bronze Battalion of the Empress's Own company of elite soldiers makes its tortuous way toward the sea and their only hope of returning home. This fast-paced sequel to March Upcountry continues the odyssey of men and women caught in a struggle for survival and determined to maintain their courage and humor in the face of overwhelming odds. Coauthors Weber (the Honor Harrington series) and Ringo (A Hymn Before Battle) excel in depicting the lives and times of soldiers both on and off the battlefield. With particular appeal to fans of military sf, this title belongs in most sf collections. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Sequel-or, better, the second installment of what has metamorphosed into a series-to March Upcountry (p. 372). Young, sulky Prince Roger, nephew of the Empress of Man, has been cast away on a hot, unpleasant world swarming with intelligent but barbaric natives, along with a company of space marines who're sworn to preserve his life. To escape the planet, they must cross thousands of miles of hostile territory, tackle hordes of belligerent natives, capture an enemy base-and, oh, yes, teach the talented but untested Roger how to be a real marine. Meanwhile, their numbers are dwindling, their high-tech equipment's deteriorating, and the ammo's running out. Another doorstopper with abundant action, lively if predictable complications, and no end in sight: thinly stretched and increasingly tedious.
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