Review by Wokeread -- Masters and Bastards

[Wokeread]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Masters and Bastards" by Christopher J. Penington.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Masters and Bastards is a science fiction and fantasy book by Christopher J. Penington. When Andreas Marset is summoned before the Iberian Imperium, he fears the worst. But the Interrogator lets him go with no further action undertaken. When he is summoned for the second time in less than two weeks, he suspects his life will never be the same again.

Instead of being tried for a crime, he finds himself dining with the Emperor. He soon discovers the Imperium holds him in high esteem due to his extraordinary telepathic abilities and the high scores he got in his military entrance exams. He discovers he has been selected to impregnate the Emperor’s bastard daughter and sire an heir to the throne.

The story is set hundreds of years into the future. The earth no longer exists, having been destroyed in a cataclysmic event. Fortunately, before the destruction, a large intergalactic ship was loaded with genetic material and computer data bases with the history, languages, culture and inventions of the earth and launched into space. This material was utilized by aliens to reproduce the human race in other solar systems. These humans presently live on various planets and are constantly at war with one another.

Although he is a bastard and a lowborn Arpathian, Andreas possesses incredible powers. He is a formidable soldier and a talented psionipath, having studied under a respected mentor. After being called upon to sire the heir to the Iberian throne, Andreas, finds himself in the middle of political intrigues. He is thrust into a world filled with infighting, betrayal and treachery. When the warring humans are attacked by an external alien Vulgaric force, Andreas must take the lead and unite them to ensure their survival.

This book is fast paced and full of action. It has well developed and unique characters. The main character, Andreas is a fascinating protagonist who does not recognize the precise extent of his powers. He frequently feels mystified as those around him seek to use him without disclosing to him all the facts about his heritage that they are aware of.

There are many twists and turns, many of which I did not see coming. The events are very vividly described, especially the war scenes. This makes it easy to follow the story. I found it a bit long, at over four hundred pages, but it was interesting enough to keep me engaged. There were some grammatical errors but these did not really detract from my reading.

What I liked most about the book was the humor that is evident throughout, especially when Andreas and his colleagues kept on being promoted during the war in spite of their objections. Andreas is also a very lovable character - a reluctant super hero!

The only thing I really disliked about the story was the final twist concerning Andreas’ parentage and how its effect was handled in the epilogue. It was quite unexpected and I found it objectionable.

I rate the book 3 out of 4 and recommend it to adults who love science fiction, adventure and fantasy. I would not recommend it to younger readers due to the violence depicted and extensive use of profane language.

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Masters and Bastards
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