Books of 2011: Prince Roger and the Empire of Man

I am currently operating on a rather large backlog--I re-read Weber and Ringo's "Empire of Man" series a month and a half ago, and am just now getting around to writing about it. And there are some that go further back than that... can you say "S-L-A-C-K-E-R"?

But anyway, here's my short review of the series, which currently consists of:

• March Upcountry
• March to the Sea
• March to the Stars
• We Few

This series is really your standard "Young royal who needs to do a lot of growing up is forced into circumstances where he/she grows up."  Prince Roger is said royal, and he starts out as a stuck up brat.  He and his Royal Marine bodyguards are on a ship which is sabotaged and they are marooned on a backwater planet, Marduk, which is a mean, jungley place, with critters who have sharp pointy teeth and angry dispositions.  The locals are huge four armed lizard men (well, salamander would probably be a better description, but...) some of whom are recruited by the stranded humans as they fight their way across the planet to the only starport.  Lots of "well, with the technology the locals have available here, we could make this kind of weapon..." takes place, building all the way up into very large caliber revolvers for the Mardukan Calvary.  With said weapons, lots and lotsa blood and carnage are leaked off of the page, as is typical by anything John Ringo is involved in.  Then, in We Few, we get to go back to Earth as Prince Roger and company get to learn what has been happening in their absence. 

So, it's pretty good, certainly entertaining if you like books about building armies and then smashing them into other armies.  I feel like Prince Roger himself turns a little too badass in the later books, with other characters saying over and over "We'd follow him to HELL!" (not in exactly those words, but it does get old).  I guess I'd prefer it if instead of saying how awesome and unstoppable he is, they'd just get on with the mayhem and destruction--show don't tell, please.

I rate the series a good solid 7.5/10, and I look forward to see what else may come from this series.