The Council Wars
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The Council Wars is an in-progress
book A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bound together and protected by a cover. The technical term for this physical arr ...
series by
John Ringo John Ringo (born March 22, 1963) is an American science fiction and military fiction author. He has had several ''New York Times'' best sellers. His books range from straightforward science fiction to a mix of military and political thrillers ...
, published by
Baen Baen Books () is an American publishing house for science fiction and fantasy. In science fiction, it emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, and military science fiction. The company was established in 1983 by science fiction publisher ...
. It is a combination of
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
,
military science fiction Military science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction that features the use of science fiction technology, mainly weapons, for military purposes and usually principal characters who are members of a military organization involved in military a ...
, and
high fantasy High fantasy, or epic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot.Brian Stableford, ''The A to Z of Fantasy Literature'', (p. 198), Scarecrow Press, Pl ...
. The Council Wars series explores the chaos that ensues after a high tech civilization collapses on Earth. While the story uses spells and dragons, these magical items are revealed to use technology leftover from the previous generations like
genetic engineering Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including t ...
,
nanotechnology Nanotechnology, also shortened to nanotech, is the use of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale for industrial purposes. The earliest, widespread description of nanotechnology referred to the particular technological goal o ...
,
force fields Force field may refer to: Science * Force field (chemistry), a set of parameter and equations for use in molecular mechanics simulations * Force field (physics), a vector field indicating the forces exerted by one object on another * Force field ( ...
, and
teleportation Teleportation is the hypothetical transfer of matter or energy from one point to another without traversing the physical space between them. It is a common subject in science fiction literature and in other popular culture. Teleportation is oft ...
.


Background

The series is set several thousand years in the future, in a society with advanced
nanotechnology Nanotechnology, also shortened to nanotech, is the use of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale for industrial purposes. The earliest, widespread description of nanotechnology referred to the particular technological goal o ...
,
teleportation Teleportation is the hypothetical transfer of matter or energy from one point to another without traversing the physical space between them. It is a common subject in science fiction literature and in other popular culture. Teleportation is oft ...
, and other technologies which effectively are magical in the sense of Clarke's law made real, all controlled and coordinated by an
artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech re ...
called Mother. Initially the world is a near Eden. War has been gone for millennia. The most aggressive, curious or adventurous humans have left Earth to explore space or terraform new worlds. The abundant power and technology allows long lives, powerful genetic engineering that includes the ability to turn into a
merman Mermen, the male counterparts of the mythical female mermaids, are legendary creatures, which are male human from the waist up and fish-like from the waist down, but may assume normal human shape. Sometimes they are described as hideous and other ...
or
dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the ...
, the ability to have homes on mountain tops in the Himalayas or in deep volcanos, and free flight. Despite—or perhaps because of—an idyllic world, technology is stagnant, no great art has been produced in generations, and the human population is dropping slowly. There are
elves An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes "ligh ...
and
dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
s as in many fantasy novels. But the elves are the results of long-ago military
genetic engineering Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including t ...
programs and the dragons are genetically engineered sentients, originally designed by
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
. Mother, who controls all the systems on Earth, as well as in near-Earth space and the
Wolf 359 Wolf 359 is a red dwarf star located in the constellation Leo, near the ecliptic. At a distance of approximately 7.9 light years from Earth, it has an apparent magnitude of 13.54 and can only be seen with a large telescope. Wolf 359 i ...
colonization project, is controlled by a Council of thirteen Key Holders who can change system directives and, if unanimous, change even her kernel-level programming. The Council has split into two philosophical factions, and is in a battle for whose ideals will dominate the future of the human race. When one of the Council members dies without a clear successor to their Key, the faction split becomes numerically balanced. That faction split leads to war: something humans have not had for over a millennium. The two factions split into open war only after the faction advocating extensive changes to society to reverse the decline in population fails to persuade the rest of the council and resorts to violence. In the struggle for power, Mother's protocols forces her to split the available power between the voting members of the Council Members. This results in her being forced to cut off all the power to everyone else, including all the computer-controlled nanotech that have made their lives of leisure possible. This includes explosives as well as any new power sources that may come online. Because of the protocols that are defined in her kernel-level code, Mother simply siphons off any energy above a certain level, such as an explosion, high-pressure gas, or a new hydroelectric dam etc. The result: Humanity plunges immediately from
utopia A utopia ( ) typically describes an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book ''Utopia (book), Utopia'', describing a fictional ...
to the Dark Ages. This event is known as "The Fall." The series follows the resultant chaos and destruction that follows, and the war itself. The war ends up being fought on two planes; not just with advanced technology, but with
sword A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed ti ...
s,
cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
, and legions.


Main characters

Herzer Herrick is the main character in the books, although he is not the only viewpoint character. Herzer is the classic "fighter" of fantasy novels: huge, muscular, skilled, and brave. Prior to The Fall, Herzer suffered from a degenerative disorder that was destroying his muscles and his ability to control them. As a result, he was fairly emaciated, slurred his words, and twitched. Herzer's parents were unable to deal with this emotionally and effectively abandoned him, granting him his "freedom" at age fourteen. Herzer's other friends and acquaintances drifted away at the same time. Shortly before The Fall, Dr. Daneh Ghorbani was able to cure him by using
nanites A molecular machine, nanite, or nanomachine is a molecular component that produces quasi-mechanical movements (output) in response to specific stimuli (input). In cellular biology, macromolecular machines frequently perform tasks essential for l ...
to essentially rebuild his entire brain, one section at a time. Herzer has a dark side: early in ''There Will Be Dragons,'' he finds himself sexually excited by the idea of rape. Although he gets these feelings under control, he likes sexual dominance games. Herzer also enjoys the rush of combat and of victory. He doesn't specifically enjoy killing people, but he doesn't mind it. Bast is a Wood Elf who is more than thousand years old, and possesses many supernatural abilities, including superhuman strength and speed, as well as the ability to hold breath underwater for a very long time. She becomes the lover of Herzer, and helps him come to terms with the dark side of his sexuality. She has a playful and mischievous personality, and is very flirtatious, but also possesses wisdom and helps others in overcoming their inner demons (such as Herzer and Daneh, who suffers from the after-effects of rape). She often speaks in
broken English Broken English is a name for a non-standard, non-traditionally spoken or alternatively-written version of the English language. These forms of English are sometimes considered as a pidgin if they have derived in a context where more than one ...
, refers to herself in the third person, and uses strange grammar reminiscent of
Yoda Yoda () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' universe, first appearing in the 1980 film ''The Empire Strikes Back''. He is a small, green humanoid alien who is powerful with the Force and is a leading member of the Jedi Order until ...
; this is obviously by choice (likely as a way of amusement), since she has been shown to speak normally on other occasions. Edmund Talbot was a reenactor prior to The Fall, living his life mostly as if he were a swordsmith in the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
or the
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
. Edmund was known by nearly everyone in the reenactor community, to the extent that the town of Raven's Mill spontaneously sprang up around his (period) house. After The Fall, Edmund has both the skills and the equipment to survive in a pre-industrial world, and to help others to survive as well. He may well have been the only person left in the world who actually knew anything about leading troops on a sword-and-shield battlefield. Edmund is Herzer's mentor and is often the brains directing Herzer's brawn. Edmund is well known for keeping his plans to himself. John Ringo modeled Edmund Talbot after
Charles Martel Charles Martel ( – 22 October 741) was a Frankish political and military leader who, as Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of the Palace, was the de facto ruler of Francia from 718 until his death. He was a son of the Frankish statesma ...
. Daneh Ghorbani was Edmund's wife, but she left him more than ten years before The Fall. Since the fall, she has become Edmund's common-law wife (the books contain no evidence of a formal ceremony). Daneh was a doctor before The Fall, specializing in (genetic) Change-related complications. Since The Fall, she has been studying historical medical texts and re-inventing medical techniques. She is probably the best-educated doctor in Norau, if not the world. Rachel Ghorbani is Edmund and Daneh's daughter. Rachel and Herzer attended the same school and have been friends since they were quite young; Herzer had a crush on her for all that time. However, Rachel could not deal with Herzer's illness emotionally and saw him less and less frequently before he was cured. Since The Fall, she has been training as a doctor and is now one of the most competent in Norau. Rachel is completely asexual. Miles Arthur Rutherford or, as he is better known, "Gunny" Rutherford is one of Edmund's oldest friends, a fellow reenactor specializing at first in as a Roman Centurion, then later as a Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant, deciding that the latter learned from the former and improved upon it. Born and raised in the lawless area known as Anarchia, and, after spending decades living as a Roman Centurion would have and at least hundred and fifty years as a Marine Gunny would live, he is tough as nails, about the hardest man introduced and the primary guiding force in Herzer's development as a Blood Lord. Megan Travante is the daughter of Joel Travante, who runs the real spy and counter-espionage operations of the UFS. Megan was in Ropasa (present-day Europe) at the time of The Fall and survived fairly well, eventually finding work as a maid. While washing clothes in a stream, she was kidnapped by Paul Bowman for his harem. Megan eventually killed Paul, seized his key, and escaped with most of the women from the harem. When she met Herzer Herrick, they were both thunderstruck—love at first sight. By the beginning of ''East of the Sun, West of the Moon'', Megan and Herrick are engaged to be married. Megan's story involves many psycho-sexual aspects that mirror Herzer's. She falls in love with Paul Bowman during her time in captivity, even as she hates him. This is a case of
Stockholm syndrome Stockholm syndrome is a condition in which hostages develop a psychological bond with their captors. It is supposed to result from a rather specific set of circumstances, namely the power imbalances contained in hostage-taking, kidnapping, an ...
and links to themes in several of Ringo's books that many women supposedly want to be dominated sexually. Megan's recovery from rape trauma delays the consummation of her relationship with Herzer for a very long time. Megan essentially supplanted Rachel Ghorbani as a viewpoint character in ''East of the Sun, West of the Moon''.


Council Members (Key-Holders)

There are 13 Keys in total, each separate key must be owned by only one person under no direct influence of another person, all orders to Mother (the Net's controlling A.I.) are based on majority votes of the Key-Holders. Certain rules and regulations had been enacted by earlier Councils of Key-Holders, meaning to win the war, restore the utopian society before the war, and remove the many overlapping protocols in place reducing world technology to a medieval level, all 13 Keys need to be used by one side.


New Destiny Key-Holders

Initial Key-Holders * Paul Bowman, Leader of New Destiny; a charismatic Fascist (assassinated, Key taken by Megan Travante) * Chansa Mulengela * Celine Reinshafen - genetic engineer/
mad scientist The mad scientist (also mad doctor or mad professor) is a stock character of a scientist who is perceived as " mad, bad and dangerous to know" or "insane" owing to a combination of unusual or unsettling personality traits and the unabashedly amb ...
* Tetzacola Duenas (killed in initial council attack, Key taken by Sheida; presumably given to Tanisha) * Said Dracovich (killed in initial council attack, Key taken by Ungphakorn) * Minjie Jiaqi (assassinated and Key taken by Patala) * Demon, lone actor Subsequent Key-Holders * Ragspurr (presumably given Cantor's Key) * Reyes Cho (killed by Herzer, Key currently still on body in orbit of Planet Earth) * Patala (assassinated by Celine on Paul's orders, Key given to Lupe) * Lupe Ugatu * Jassinte Arizzi


Freedom Coalition Key-Holders

Initial Key-Holders * Sheida Ghorbani, Chairman of the Freedom Coalition * Ungphakorn * Ishtar * Aikawa Gouvois * Javalantungs Cantor (killed in initial council attack, Key "thrown" to Sheida, but implied recovered by New Destiny, given to Ragspurr) Subsequent Key-Holders * Tanisha (Presumably given Key of Tetzacola, or Said; resigned) * Elnora Sill (gained Tanisha's key upon her resignation, assassinated) * Edmund Talbot (refuses other spare Key (Tetzacola/Said) after initial council attack, but gains Elnora's key after her assassination) * Megan Travante (took Key after killing Paul Bowman)


Neutral Key-Holder

* The Finn (initial Key holder)


Books

# ''There Will Be Dragons'' (2003,
Baen Free Library book
# ''Emerald Sea'' (2004,
Baen Free Library book
# ''Against the Tide'' (2005, ) # ''East of the Sun, West of the Moon'' (2006, )


Series Future

John Ringo has said publicly that he plans on finishing the series, but sales were relatively low for him, causing them to fall to the back burner in priority. A working title for the fifth book is ''On Hero's Trail''. He has also spoken of a possible sequel. Whereas the Council Wars series is the "Wizard War" common before the fall of a civilization in fantasy, the sequel would take place long after the fall. In this future time, the ramifications of the war, and the damage done to Mother have impaired the rebuilding of the world. To fix Mother would require tampering with her kernel level programing, requiring all 13 keys. As of ''East of the Sun, West of the Moon'', one key is effectively lost for some thousands of years as it orbits the Earth. It has been suggested that only a kernel level programmer from her earliest days would be able to fix it, requiring Mother to kidnap a programmer from the past.


References


External links


Series List
on
Baen Baen Books () is an American publishing house for science fiction and fantasy. In science fiction, it emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, and military science fiction. The company was established in 1983 by science fiction publisher ...
website * on SciFan {{DEFAULTSORT:Council Wars, The Science fiction book series Novels by John Ringo Military science fiction novels Teleportation in fiction Novels about artificial intelligence Novels about genetic engineering Nanotechnology in fiction Science fantasy novels Apocalyptic novels