This is an interesting combination of a first contact story, a combat science fiction story, and a love story. It is very different from the other science fiction I’ve read recently, and I enjoyed it a lot. The book has a good beginning and ending, but is slow in the middle. I’m glad I kept…
Tag: combat
Hell’s Faire
The final book in the Earth based Posleen war series. This should really have been part of the previous book (When the Devil Dances), but that would have made it a 1,100 page book. I’ve seen some complaints that these two books needed editing, but I feel that’s not totally fair. They didn’t feel padded,…
When the Devil Dances
The humans are still getting their arse kicked, and it seems like the Posleen might be learning something approximating reasonable tactics. If this book was just that, then it would be a disappointing addition to the series (A Hymn Before Battle and Gust Front come before this book). However, there is also some interesting science…
Gust Front
This is the sequel to A Hymn Before Battle, and its a better book to be honest. That’s fair enough given Hymn was Ringo’s first book. This book spends less time on the politics of incompetent officers (although there is a bit of that), and introduces a little bit more of the political intrigue running…
A Hymn Before Battle
This is an interesting book in that it lays down a reasonably believable scenario and then doesn’t really resolve it. Its obviously setting up for a series, and while the local micro plot is resolved, there is clearly a larger story arc that wants telling here. The book isn’t happy or uplifting, it is downright…
Broken Angels
This book is very different from Altered Carbon, as noted by many other online reviews. I found it very slow going, for a few reasons: it is quite long; it is very different from Altered Carbon in a way that almost feel like a bait and switch (Altered Carbon is a film noir detective novel,…
Zoe’s Tale
This is a retelling of the events of The Last Colony from the perspective of Zoe, the teenaged adopted daughter of the colony leaders. The story makes the teenaged female narrator quite believable, although that is a little annoying at times. There is a lot of introductory material, and then a relatively rapid wrap up…
Ender’s Game
I’ve read this book before, many years ago. I figured I should re-read it, given how much I love the short story. Unfortunately, I think the short story is better than the novelization. The novel tends to try to explain too much, although the last chapter is a worthy addition. I’m sure I’ll still read…
The Last Colony
All of the Old Men’s War books (Old Man’s War and The Ghost Brigades) have started slowly and built up to a climax. That’s been good because its given some time for background which makes the second phase of the book all the more fully formed. This book is the same, although I think the…
The Ghost Brigades
This book is a really good sequel, and just as good as Old Man’s War. While some of the characters reappear, the story stands on its own and is quite entertaining. I enjoyed this book a lot. There’s something about bright green genetically engineered super soldiers killing aliens that makes me happy. [award: nominee prometheus…