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Author: Fred Saberhagen
Cover Artist: David Egge
Publisher: Tor
Binding: Paperback
Publication Date: 1991
I had heard from a little Internet birdie that The Berserker Throne was as good as any place to dive into Fred Saberhagen’s Berserker series, and so when I found a free copy online at Baen’s Free Library I decided to give it a chance. And, well, I’m glad that I did.
Chen Shizuoka stages a prankish demonstration during the Holiday of Life festival in the name of the recently exiled Prince Harivarman. Unfortunately, moments after the demonstration goes through without a hitch, the Empress of the Eight Worlds is assassinated. Meanwhile, Anne Blenheim, the newest commander to the Fortress where the Prince is being held, clearly sees him as a conspirator in the atrocious events. Not to mention that Beatrix, the Prince’s wife he never actually divorced to marry the Empress, is back and a bit scorned. But during one of his time-passing archeological digs in some old houses, he discovers an abandoned yet operable berserker, a sort of android that has been plaguing their kind for many years. Now he has a choice; use the information inside the berserker to destroy the rest of them or bully his way back into power?
The Berserker Throne is fast-paced, opening with the Holiday of Life festival and within a few pages, having Chen chased through the streets by unseen forces, enlisted into the Templars, and being transplanted off the planet. The writing is crisp and clean, with strong descriptions and a substantial amount of historical details. Clearly, as this book is somewhere toward the middle of the series, a lot might need explaining but it never felt like too much at once. Saberhagen has a way of presenting a future that is both ahead of the times and a bit archaic; it’s a refreshing take on the space opera genre, and he even manages to throw in some fantasy bits along the lines of royalty and Templar soldiers/knights.
Chapters are divided between Chen, Harivarman, Anne Blenheim, and several other characters, making the reading a fun if disjointed affair. Saberhagen’s two strongest characters—the exiled Prince Harivarman and stern Commander Blenheim—are wonderfully deep, and when together in a scene, dripping with emotion. Chen is a typical youngster, lost in the world and running away from everything, but he does what he’s meant to do—stir up trouble and act confused. Later on, several characters introduced in the beginning of The Berserker Throne come out to play bigger, more important roles. It was a nice surprise.
I haven’t read any other books in this series, but after enjoying The Berserker Throne so thoroughly, I think I’ll have to put them on my list of future reading. There are deadly robots, spaceships, betrayal, and much more. Check it out online for free, and if you really like it, there are plenty of other books in the series to keep you busy.
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