A Call to Duty cover art

A Call to Duty

Book I of Manticore Ascendant

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A Call to Duty

By: David Weber, Timothy Zahn
Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer
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About this listen

Growing up, Travis Uriah Long yearned for order and discipline in his life...the two things his neglectful mother couldn’t or wouldn’t provide. So when Travis enlisted in the Royal Manticoran Navy, he thought he’d finally found the structure he’d always wanted so desperately.

But life in the RMN isn’t exactly what he expected. Boot camp is rough and frustrating; his first ship assignment lax and disorderly; and with the Star Kingdom of Manticore still recovering from a devastating plague, the Navy is possibly on the edge of budgetary extinction.

The Star Kingdom is a minor nation among the worlds of the Diaspora, its closest neighbors weeks or months away, with little in the way of resources. With only modest interstellar trade, no foreign contacts to speak of, a plague ravaged economy to rebuild, and no enemies looming at the hyper limit, there are factions in Parliament who want nothing more than to scrap the Navy and shift its resources and manpower elsewhere.

But those factions are mistaken. The universe is not a safe place.

Travis Long is about to find that out.

©2014 Words of Weber, Inc. & Timothy Zahn (P)2014 Audible Inc. Fantasy Fiction Hard Science Fiction Science Fiction Space Opera Royalty

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All stars
Most relevant
A deep dive into an age when the RMN didn't have the best tech in its stellar neighborhood, when most of the officers were noble fops and the Kingdom didn't even believe in having a Navy.

The story of Travis Long provides an interesting look into the formative years of the power that would come to dominate the Post Diaspora Space Lanes and what went into making it a force to be reckoned with.

An interesting look into a beloved universe

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Great characters, great setting and his usual high standard story line. I recommend this book to all of his fans and I am going to get the next 2 in the trilogy right now. 10/10

Classic Timothy Zahn

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Ok so its not Honour but the world is great amd just a vibrant. Interesting to hear about the start of the Star Kingdom.

Well worth a read, looking forward to the next one!

Really good read!

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Where does A Call to Duty rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

high

What did you like best about this story?

the beginnings of RMN, and the seeds of political conflict or greed we see in later books, the mix is done well if not unexpected...

Any additional comments?

the book is a good listen, I only hope it continues within this series

good

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it started ok. fairly standard character set up. the middle was a little rigid but sticking with it pays off well. the final twist explains the raison d'etre for the book and the series. Nice.

slow to start but worth sticking with

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