Jerusalem Fire

Written by R. M. Meluch

Narrated by Christopher Lane

Does Jerusalem Stand?

It was the question all human star travelers asked one another. The ancient city of Jerusalem, holy to three human religions, had become the touchstone for anyone not yet absorbed into the Na’id Empire, under its twin banner of Galactic Dominion/Human Supremacy.

Iry—A planet out of myth, whose very existence could bring down an empire.

Alihahd—The captain was a notorious rebel runner. To most of the known galaxy he was a legend without a face, to the rest, a face without a name. He was called Alihahd. “He left.” It was the word Na’id enforcers heard when they demanded to know where the rebel had gone—always one step ahead—as if he knew his enemy very well. Hero, villain, coward. Three times a legend on both sides of the same war.

Praise for R. M. Meluch:

“This book stands out as exceptional. Space opera that becomes a powerful examination of conflict from a one-sided view that expands, unfolding with unexpected twists and turns.” —Janny Wurts, author of the Wars of Light and Shadow series (for Jerusalem Fire)

“Enough action and suspense for three novels…. A treat for military SF buffs with a sense of humor.” —Booklist

“Meluch is an excellent writer, and has a firm grasp of military tactics, character development and storytelling. A good substitute for those waiting for David Weber’s next Honor Harrington novel.” —Sacramento Book Review

“While Meluch depicts combat and warrior culture as well as any writer in the subgenre, the true joy of this outstanding effort…lies in its inspired use of current speculation on the origins of the universe, quantum singularities and even the old chestnut of time travel…. Meluch shows particular skill in creating memorable characters while exhibiting a refreshing ruthlessness in subordinating them to the logical ramifications of the plot.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Jul 4, 2017
• ISBN: 9781536669763

R. M. Meluch

R.M. Meluch sold her first short story at age seventeen. The Ninth Circle is her sixteenth published novel. She has worked on an archaeological dig in Israel, hacked a piece off the Berlin Wall, and tracked Alexander the Great around Greece and Egypt.

Reviews for Jerusalem Fire

[boyboffin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An odd book, very inconsistent, but when it comes together its best bits are rather good.

[reading_fox · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An intreguing start, you wonder where the author is taking the story, but as hints appear you gradually realise this is something much more profound then it first appears. Alihahd is the name of a rebel runner in humanities refound 2nd empire. The name means simply "he left" cunning and determined he managed to aid those who didn't share the ruling Na'id's desire for an amalgamated humanity. The overall aim of reducing sexual, racial, and religious tension sounds wise, but their methods leave much to be desired. When Alihahd's luck finally runs out he finds himself crashlanded on an isolated planet along with few companions. Then the tall delicate aliens arrive. I groaned at this point, expecting the very worst in B movie overwhelming human jingoism. How wrong I was. It is a fascinating account of social and cultural differences and acceptance. Then the Na'id trace Alihahd to this long lost planet of Iry and in a climatic few chapters past and presen secrets and strategies are revealed. Some are more or less obvious, some twists will leave you staggered. Powerfully written characters will grab you, and the lightly detailed world is fascinating. It is divided into a few sections featuring Alihahd and then Ben and finally the reminiscenses of Shad Ali. The details of Ben's prior life occupy about a quarter of hte book and seem to have little relevance to the rest - esspecially the ending - yet they are also interesting.The action is fairly constant hroughout but it is much slower reading than I expecting. There are a few remaining plot points that don't get resolved but overall it's fascinating commentary on what it means to be human and just how odd some of our social conventions are.