A Desert Called Peace: A War on Terror Novel That Doesn’t Read the Same Anymore
Rereading Tom Kratman’s A Desert Called Peace in 2026, when the world doesn’t feel nearly as black and white as it did back in 2014.
Rereading Tom Kratman’s A Desert Called Peace in 2026, when the world doesn’t feel nearly as black and white as it did back in 2014.
By Schism Rent Asunder trades naval battles for politics and theology. Still good, still growing its cast, but this is where the brakes go on.
By Heresies Distressed is where Charis starts hanging churchmen and the naval war turns into a ground war. The momentum is well and truly back.
A review of Beyond the Rift by John Ringo and Lydia Sherrer. The series finale sticks the landing, mostly, then runs out of pages to close it properly.
A review of Behind the Veil by John Ringo and Lydia Sherrer. Book three is where the alien plot finally pays off, and it’s the best entry yet.
Off Armageddon Reef opens with humanity losing an extermination war, then hides the survivors in a fake Dark Age. A book I’ve reread several times.
A review of Through the Storm by John Ringo and Lydia Sherrer. Great Lynn material, but the middle book trades the alien plot for fame, bullying and doxing.
A review of Into the Real by John Ringo and Lydia Sherrer. The AR gaming premise is fine, but the hidden-identity story underneath is the real reason to read it.
Lost Destiny is the best of the Blood of Kerensky trilogy. Tukayyid earns its reputation, and the Clans lose to their own certainty as much as to ComStar.
Blood Legacy is the middle of the Blood of Kerensky trilogy and it refuses to be a bridge. Luthien is one of the best battles Stackpole ever wrote.
Lethal Heritage by Michael A. Stackpole drops the Clans on the Inner Sphere and rewrites BattleTech overnight. Great book, wrong place to start.
Unlike the previous installment this story has much more action. Aiden has assumed the identity of a Freeborn warrior, named Jorge. Freeborn warriors, unlike the genetically engineered Trueborn, are born…
No Price Too High widens the Warp Marines’ war to a whole planet with real ship combat. A worthy sequel that I gave 8.8 out of 10 and pretty much inhaled.
Decisively Engaged starts the Warp Marine Corps series with aliens, small unit combat and a Boxer Rebellion plot that bugged me. Highly recommended.
The Silver Ships and Libre are a cute, sweet pair of books with an infallible hero. Don’t expect amazing writing, tech or battles, but they’re likable.
OK considering I’ve only just finished writing my review for book one its somewhat startling when you find all of your negatives being addressed in the first 1/2 dozen chapters…
Stranger in a Strange Land is Heinlein’s hefty, difficult classic about a Mars-raised man on Earth. It’s a book I’ve grokked a bit more on every re-read.
The Stars My Destination is Bester’s fast, frantic Monte Cristo in space. I’ve read it many times and still find something new on every re-read.
Old Man’s War is Scalzi’s page-turner about a 75-year-old who joins the army to be made young again. I really liked it and gave it 8/10.