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Editorial Reviews
In Taylor Anderson's acclaimed Destroyermen series, a parallel universe adds a extraordinary layer to the drama of World War II. Now, as Lieutenant Commander Matthew Reddy and the crew of the U.S.S. Walker continue their battle for both freedom and survival, the stakes become much more personal...and much more perilous.
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Keep writing them, I'll keep reading them
WWII USS Walker Navy destroyer Captain Matt Reddy leads his crew to Hawaii. They and his new friend New British Imperial Navy Commander Jenks face a difficult task of rescuing two women from a traitor. For Reddy and Jenks the abductions are personal as Nurse Tucker and Princess Rebecca are the victims. However, their effort to obtain help from the Honorable New Britain Company fails. The pair realizes the New Britain Company is dishonorable and must be destroyed before a velvet coup d'etat occurs. Reddy also must forge the Grand Alliance with the New British Empire; though he loathes the latter's slavery policy as an inhuman abomination.
The pact with the Empire angers the displaced Holy Dominion colonial Spaniards. Worshippers of a blood sacrificial form of Catholicism, they vow to slaughter Matt and his crew. Meanwhile Reddy's junior officers are delegated to having responsibilities that lead to unfortunate and in some cases avoidable deaths. The leaders learn under this under the baptism of fire, but face the moral aftermaths of sending people to die.
As the war remains heated in this parallel Destroyermen universe, the officers of the USS Walker obtain a taste of decision making in combat when they know they will send young people to their deaths. Adding to that gut wrenching horror is inexperience leads to errors compounding the deadly count. Eisenhower understood this when he ordered D-Day knowing thousands of young men would never go home and as president carefully used the military something his successors never learned. Besides the anguish of sending people to die even for a worthy cause, Taylor Anderson provides an incredible battle at sea that will have readers in awe rereading it and ponder nature's involvement in the war with the destruction of Talaud Island.
Harriet Klausner
The pact with the Empire angers the displaced Holy Dominion colonial Spaniards. Worshippers of a blood sacrificial form of Catholicism, they vow to slaughter Matt and his crew. Meanwhile Reddy's junior officers are delegated to having responsibilities that lead to unfortunate and in some cases avoidable deaths. The leaders learn under this under the baptism of fire, but face the moral aftermaths of sending people to die.
As the war remains heated in this parallel Destroyermen universe, the officers of the USS Walker obtain a taste of decision making in combat when they know they will send young people to their deaths. Adding to that gut wrenching horror is inexperience leads to errors compounding the deadly count. Eisenhower understood this when he ordered D-Day knowing thousands of young men would never go home and as president carefully used the military something his successors never learned. Besides the anguish of sending people to die even for a worthy cause, Taylor Anderson provides an incredible battle at sea that will have readers in awe rereading it and ponder nature's involvement in the war with the destruction of Talaud Island.
Harriet Klausner
Taylor Anderson has joined the ranks of Harry Turtledove and John Ringo as a master of alternative history fiction. His latest book wraps up neatly the threads spun in his last book, and now his fans are left dealing with the implications. Others have detailed the plot, and I see no need to go into it, but suffice it to say that any history buff, military buff, and World War 2 buff can and should read and enjoy these books! Like many of his fans, I will now wait in breathless expectation for the next book in the saga. Well done, Mr. Taylor, Well done!
There is something in this book to satisfy a variety of tastes in SF: military, parallel universe, "modern" techs' affect on more primitive society and more. War is not a glorious, romantic adventure, but it does bring out the absolute best, and worst, traits in human behavior like no other activity invented by mankind. As the "Destroyermen" series has progressed, Taylor Anderson has become ever more adept at showcasing these different faces of armed conflict via continually evolving, multi-dimensional characters. The majority of the beings in these books are sentient non-humans and he does a decent job of getting inside some of their heads in a believable way (I doubt its even possible for any relatively sane human to imagine and describe totally alien thought patterns), even introducing a surprising new race to the mix in this book.
The technical details and operational descriptions of service aboard a destroyer bring an added layer of authenticity to all the books of this series, and there is no let up in "Rising Tides". My own service was in the Naval Aviation community in the Vietnam War; my squadron twice deployed aboard U.S.S. Enterprise and plied some of the same waters as Matt Reddy's U.S.S. Walker, but life aboard a nuclear carrier is very different from life aboard even a modern destroyer let alone a WWI vintage four stacker. Immersed in this book I feel the vibrations, smell the mix of odors and hear the sounds whether in the ship's day-to-day routine or the heat of combat.
There are fewer "flashback" references to events in earlier books of the series which suits me. The Kindle edition does have some "typos" but so do many hard and soft cover books. I've enjoyed every book in the series but I think this is my favorite.
The technical details and operational descriptions of service aboard a destroyer bring an added layer of authenticity to all the books of this series, and there is no let up in "Rising Tides". My own service was in the Naval Aviation community in the Vietnam War; my squadron twice deployed aboard U.S.S. Enterprise and plied some of the same waters as Matt Reddy's U.S.S. Walker, but life aboard a nuclear carrier is very different from life aboard even a modern destroyer let alone a WWI vintage four stacker. Immersed in this book I feel the vibrations, smell the mix of odors and hear the sounds whether in the ship's day-to-day routine or the heat of combat.
There are fewer "flashback" references to events in earlier books of the series which suits me. The Kindle edition does have some "typos" but so do many hard and soft cover books. I've enjoyed every book in the series but I think this is my favorite.
A great continuation in the series
Although alternate history series have been done many times, this premise has enough unique features to make a very interesting series. Anderson continues to expand the cast of characters and plot elements in the fifth book of the series, with Captain Reddy and his crew making their way to the homelands of the British Imperial colonies, just in time to become deeply involved in a plot by the Dominion, a Spanish empire in central America.
The net is getting a little wide, with offensives in Ceylon and intrigues in Hawaii, so each plot thread gets a little underchanged in terms of coverage. The most interesting plot thread to me was the recovery of the Santa Catalina, a WW2 freighter with a load of P40 fighters that came to this world at the same time as the USS Walker. The description of the native lifeforms in that swamp was a real highlight of the book.
It is a pleasure to read a book with continuing and well-plotted action scenes. Around the middle, there were a few back to back meeting descriptions that had me worried there might be an outbreak of Weber Disease, but I'm please to say Anderson shows no sign of infection, despite the jacket blurb by Mr. Roberts Rules of Order himself.
The net is getting a little wide, with offensives in Ceylon and intrigues in Hawaii, so each plot thread gets a little underchanged in terms of coverage. The most interesting plot thread to me was the recovery of the Santa Catalina, a WW2 freighter with a load of P40 fighters that came to this world at the same time as the USS Walker. The description of the native lifeforms in that swamp was a real highlight of the book.
It is a pleasure to read a book with continuing and well-plotted action scenes. Around the middle, there were a few back to back meeting descriptions that had me worried there might be an outbreak of Weber Disease, but I'm please to say Anderson shows no sign of infection, despite the jacket blurb by Mr. Roberts Rules of Order himself.
A Roaring, Exciting Addition to the Series
Here in volume 5 of the Destroyermen series, Anderson again resumes the very fast pace he held in the first two or three volumes but which lagged a bit in the fourth. Interestingly, much of the action in this book takes place remotely from the focus of the first four.
The reason for the faster pace this time out is that the author doesn't weight the story down with constant flashbacks to remind the readers of what's come before as he did in volume four. In fact, although I have read all five books within a short period of time, I got lost a time or two wondering what previous actions had led to certain dialogs. I think it's time for the author to include a Players List and a glossary so that even constant readers can, from time to time, refresh their memories about who is who and how their previous adventures led to their current relationships.
The series now has grown significantly in texture and complexity. We've met several new sentient or semi sentient species, another human faction and the world itself has expanded to encompass an area from east Africa east to Panama but mostly within about 20 degrees of the equator. Still, there is a lot of area and action along that band with a good deal more of the world left if the author wishes to expand there.
My personal preference would have been for the series to stick to the interaction and internal action of the alien (alternate Earth) species with the first band of humans, but the series has delved well into the tensions among the three or four (depends how you count them) human factions. That said, the author does a fine job writing about the drama within the various human factions as well as keeping the kettle boiling reminding us that all humans as well as their alien allies are under threat from an uber enemy plotting in league with yet another human faction for domination.
I did have a few problems with the behavior and attitudes of the 'good guy' humans. At one point, they shoot an unarmed alien under a truce flag. Another time they kill a party during a peace treaty negotiation and finally, another 'good' human accepts a challenge to a sword fight but then pulls a pistol and dispatches his challenger that way. While I found those scenes to sully the stainless nature of the good guys here, it's insufficient for me to subtract a star.
Five solid stars for this volume and the series as a whole.
The reason for the faster pace this time out is that the author doesn't weight the story down with constant flashbacks to remind the readers of what's come before as he did in volume four. In fact, although I have read all five books within a short period of time, I got lost a time or two wondering what previous actions had led to certain dialogs. I think it's time for the author to include a Players List and a glossary so that even constant readers can, from time to time, refresh their memories about who is who and how their previous adventures led to their current relationships.
The series now has grown significantly in texture and complexity. We've met several new sentient or semi sentient species, another human faction and the world itself has expanded to encompass an area from east Africa east to Panama but mostly within about 20 degrees of the equator. Still, there is a lot of area and action along that band with a good deal more of the world left if the author wishes to expand there.
My personal preference would have been for the series to stick to the interaction and internal action of the alien (alternate Earth) species with the first band of humans, but the series has delved well into the tensions among the three or four (depends how you count them) human factions. That said, the author does a fine job writing about the drama within the various human factions as well as keeping the kettle boiling reminding us that all humans as well as their alien allies are under threat from an uber enemy plotting in league with yet another human faction for domination.
I did have a few problems with the behavior and attitudes of the 'good guy' humans. At one point, they shoot an unarmed alien under a truce flag. Another time they kill a party during a peace treaty negotiation and finally, another 'good' human accepts a challenge to a sword fight but then pulls a pistol and dispatches his challenger that way. While I found those scenes to sully the stainless nature of the good guys here, it's insufficient for me to subtract a star.
Five solid stars for this volume and the series as a whole.
WIlliam Forstchen Someone took your story
If you have read the WIllaim Forstchen Lost Regiment series you will see that this story line is very close to Taylor Anderson's Destroyermen series. Savage enemies set in an alternative universe. Forstchen did it quite a few years ago and did it better.
The 5th book in the Destroyermen Series is yet again another great book by Taylor Anderson. I simply couldn't put it down. The hardest part will be having to wait for his next book. I put aside 3 other books that I was reading when this one came in. I will guard the books of this series forever, and have already deligated a place for them on my book case.
Things Are Seldom What They Seem
Things seem pretty straightforward at first, when USS Walker, an aging naval destroyer, gets caught up in a freakish storm at the beginning of Taylor Anderson's "Destroyermen" series. Skippered by Lieutenant Commander Matthew Reddy, the ship and its crew are fleeing from relentless pursuit by the Japanese shortly after the attacks at Pearl Harbor. Suddenly, the bewildered men find themselves in an utterly changed world.
Sure, the physical geography looks familiar. The ship is still in the area around what we today know as Indonesia. But the seas are teeming with plesiosaurs and other voracious creatures which should have been extinct millions of years ago, and the islands are infested with equally nasty creatures resembling velociraptors.
By the end of the first book, "Into the Storm", these stranded men -- and woefully few women -- have allied themselves with another intelligent, seafaring species, the Lemurians. Although technically primates, they quickly gain the nickname 'Cats due to their obvious feline characteristics. They are, for the most part, very peaceable -- and yet, their species faces annihilation at the claws of an ancient enemy -- the Grik.
A central plot element of the "Destroyermen", the Grik are berserk, velociraptor-like warriors who attack in swarms and eat their enemies. To them, the world is divided into "hunter" and "prey". So initially, the books have a basic "mammals good, lizards bad" type of ethos. Pretty cut and dry. If it has a tail, a long snout and razor-sharp teeth, and it's armed, shoot first and ask questions later.
But a funny thing happens as the series progresses. It turns out that a mighty Japanese battlecruiser called Amagi has also gotten caught up in the freak storm, and they end up on the side of the Grik. But, although the Japanese commander is insane, not all of the Japanese are necessarily evil. Some are just caught in a situation they can't escape without ending up on the dinner table.
Next, a member of another race of Grik-like beings known as the Tagranesi turns up on an island populated by human castaways. But Lawrence, as he's been named, is peaceable and, amazingly, can even speak English -- though proper pronunciation is hampered by his lack of lips. He is the protector of a real-life princess named Rebecca Anne McDonald from the island nation of New Britain. Yes, other humans have been swept into this bizarre parallel universe over the centuries.
So now we have "good" humans and "bad" humans, plus "good" lizards and "bad" lizards.
But soon the situation gets more complex still, as the New British turn up. Naturally, they're looking for the princess. There are two major factions -- the supporters of the Governor-Emperor, and members of the HNBC (the Honorable New British Company). Even as the protagonists are preoccupied with the ongoing war against the Grik, the HNBC agents kidnap the princess plus a few other important characters -- most notably Sandra Tucker, Matthew Reddy's love interest and de facto fiancee.
Thus, at the start of book five of the "Destroyermen" series, called "Rising Tides", Captain Reddy is now in hot pursuit of the kidnappers. With him is Commodore Jenks, a New British loyalist who has become a trusted friend and ally of the Americans. Somehow, Reddy has to rescue his friends and destroy the HNBC, hopefully without starting a war with the New British Empire itself. He doesn't need the distraction -- not when he'd rather be fighting the Grik.
However, as we'll learn in the new book, there is yet another human empire to the east, and they are inimical to everything the Americans and the New British believe in ....
I enjoyed this book as much as the others in the series. The plot is divided into a number of different parallel storylines. Besides Captain Reddy's expedition, there is the ongoing campaign against the Grik in the west. There is the continuing saga of the kidnapping victims, as they fight for survival. There is an expedition to exploit an exciting and vitally important find on the island of Jaava. And finally, there is the attempt to salvage submarine S-19 from the beach of a volcanic island which increasingly -- and disturbingly -- reminds people of Krakatoa, the volcano which exploded devastatingly in 1883 in our own universe, but not the other.
The various human and Lemurian characters continue to grow, needing to take on new roles as emergencies demand from them all the resourcefulness they can muster. They have to face moral questions as well. Should Captain Ready and the USS Walker attack the HNBC with all guns blazing? Is it acceptable to eliminate a deadly enemy, even under the flag of truce? A parallel question arises one chapter later: Is it wise to show mercy to the pitiful remnants of a vanquished foe? The New British have some customs which Americans and Lemurians both find extremely distasteful. Can they overlook this and make common cause, hoping that the New British will learn from example and end these customs?
And then there is a practical question: When is it prudent to simply give up the mission before more people get killed?
This is a pretty serious novel, with some serious battle sequences, but there is some levity as well. One of my favorite scenes involves an odd "parrot-lizard" creature which learns to talk -- unfortunately, its first words came from the quintessential drunken sailor, Dennis Silva. This critter will never say "Polly wanna cracker."
And then there's the kudzu. It looks so innocent ....
All I can say is, Taylor Anderson has a wonderful imagination when it comes to the various weird and wonderful life forms in this new world.
My only complaint about this series? Just that I'll probably have to wait another year to see what happens to our friends next. I'm seriously looking forward to it.
Sure, the physical geography looks familiar. The ship is still in the area around what we today know as Indonesia. But the seas are teeming with plesiosaurs and other voracious creatures which should have been extinct millions of years ago, and the islands are infested with equally nasty creatures resembling velociraptors.
By the end of the first book, "Into the Storm", these stranded men -- and woefully few women -- have allied themselves with another intelligent, seafaring species, the Lemurians. Although technically primates, they quickly gain the nickname 'Cats due to their obvious feline characteristics. They are, for the most part, very peaceable -- and yet, their species faces annihilation at the claws of an ancient enemy -- the Grik.
A central plot element of the "Destroyermen", the Grik are berserk, velociraptor-like warriors who attack in swarms and eat their enemies. To them, the world is divided into "hunter" and "prey". So initially, the books have a basic "mammals good, lizards bad" type of ethos. Pretty cut and dry. If it has a tail, a long snout and razor-sharp teeth, and it's armed, shoot first and ask questions later.
But a funny thing happens as the series progresses. It turns out that a mighty Japanese battlecruiser called Amagi has also gotten caught up in the freak storm, and they end up on the side of the Grik. But, although the Japanese commander is insane, not all of the Japanese are necessarily evil. Some are just caught in a situation they can't escape without ending up on the dinner table.
Next, a member of another race of Grik-like beings known as the Tagranesi turns up on an island populated by human castaways. But Lawrence, as he's been named, is peaceable and, amazingly, can even speak English -- though proper pronunciation is hampered by his lack of lips. He is the protector of a real-life princess named Rebecca Anne McDonald from the island nation of New Britain. Yes, other humans have been swept into this bizarre parallel universe over the centuries.
So now we have "good" humans and "bad" humans, plus "good" lizards and "bad" lizards.
But soon the situation gets more complex still, as the New British turn up. Naturally, they're looking for the princess. There are two major factions -- the supporters of the Governor-Emperor, and members of the HNBC (the Honorable New British Company). Even as the protagonists are preoccupied with the ongoing war against the Grik, the HNBC agents kidnap the princess plus a few other important characters -- most notably Sandra Tucker, Matthew Reddy's love interest and de facto fiancee.
Thus, at the start of book five of the "Destroyermen" series, called "Rising Tides", Captain Reddy is now in hot pursuit of the kidnappers. With him is Commodore Jenks, a New British loyalist who has become a trusted friend and ally of the Americans. Somehow, Reddy has to rescue his friends and destroy the HNBC, hopefully without starting a war with the New British Empire itself. He doesn't need the distraction -- not when he'd rather be fighting the Grik.
However, as we'll learn in the new book, there is yet another human empire to the east, and they are inimical to everything the Americans and the New British believe in ....
I enjoyed this book as much as the others in the series. The plot is divided into a number of different parallel storylines. Besides Captain Reddy's expedition, there is the ongoing campaign against the Grik in the west. There is the continuing saga of the kidnapping victims, as they fight for survival. There is an expedition to exploit an exciting and vitally important find on the island of Jaava. And finally, there is the attempt to salvage submarine S-19 from the beach of a volcanic island which increasingly -- and disturbingly -- reminds people of Krakatoa, the volcano which exploded devastatingly in 1883 in our own universe, but not the other.
The various human and Lemurian characters continue to grow, needing to take on new roles as emergencies demand from them all the resourcefulness they can muster. They have to face moral questions as well. Should Captain Ready and the USS Walker attack the HNBC with all guns blazing? Is it acceptable to eliminate a deadly enemy, even under the flag of truce? A parallel question arises one chapter later: Is it wise to show mercy to the pitiful remnants of a vanquished foe? The New British have some customs which Americans and Lemurians both find extremely distasteful. Can they overlook this and make common cause, hoping that the New British will learn from example and end these customs?
And then there is a practical question: When is it prudent to simply give up the mission before more people get killed?
This is a pretty serious novel, with some serious battle sequences, but there is some levity as well. One of my favorite scenes involves an odd "parrot-lizard" creature which learns to talk -- unfortunately, its first words came from the quintessential drunken sailor, Dennis Silva. This critter will never say "Polly wanna cracker."
And then there's the kudzu. It looks so innocent ....
All I can say is, Taylor Anderson has a wonderful imagination when it comes to the various weird and wonderful life forms in this new world.
My only complaint about this series? Just that I'll probably have to wait another year to see what happens to our friends next. I'm seriously looking forward to it.
I wish I could share the smile on my face after I finished this book. To say I enjoyed this, is like saying the Mona Lisa is just a good painting. I have been reading and reviewing this series from the very first book and I am still in love with this series. Usually an author gets tired writing a series and some of the books aren't that good. That is not the case here. Talyor Anderson has things well in hand and juggles several story lines plus introduces a new war with out short changing a character or an event. There appears no end in sight because Anderson has all of the twentith century plus the history of man to play with. Here he includes the largest volcano eruption know to man with a mad catholic church plus one of the best written sea battles I have ever read. The first book of this series was ridiculed for its lack of character developement, I laugh now because now I see there was method to Anderson's story line.
This book picks up where the last one ended and takes off. No story line is dropped. The Griks and the Japanesse are not the main villians, but their story is developed as the book goes on. The meeting of Reddy and his crew and the New Britian side is the main focus here. Let me say that the last 100 or so pages are some of the best action prose going. I found myself lost in this part of the book and lost track of time. New members of Reddy's crew step forward and become heroes. Cats are no longer creatures but living breathing "people" and you cry when they die. Anderson doesn't skrimp on the prose nor does it read like there is an excess words.
This series will become on of the best Syfy series when Aderson is done, mark my words.
There is one thing that I really found interesting and that was how Anderson handle the problem of women. The way it is explain here was refreshingly novel and I had not thought of it this way. Mr. Taylor, I can not wait for your next book. Thank you.
This book picks up where the last one ended and takes off. No story line is dropped. The Griks and the Japanesse are not the main villians, but their story is developed as the book goes on. The meeting of Reddy and his crew and the New Britian side is the main focus here. Let me say that the last 100 or so pages are some of the best action prose going. I found myself lost in this part of the book and lost track of time. New members of Reddy's crew step forward and become heroes. Cats are no longer creatures but living breathing "people" and you cry when they die. Anderson doesn't skrimp on the prose nor does it read like there is an excess words.
This series will become on of the best Syfy series when Aderson is done, mark my words.
There is one thing that I really found interesting and that was how Anderson handle the problem of women. The way it is explain here was refreshingly novel and I had not thought of it this way. Mr. Taylor, I can not wait for your next book. Thank you.
Another great book in one of the best series' I have read. The plot definitely thickens in this one. There are only two negatives:
1) The publisher prices the Kindle edition too high. I would not have bought it at this price if I had not known the series and the author. This level of pricing might discourage new customers and is shortsighted.
2) I have to wait for the next book in the series! <g>
1) The publisher prices the Kindle edition too high. I would not have bought it at this price if I had not known the series and the author. This level of pricing might discourage new customers and is shortsighted.
2) I have to wait for the next book in the series! <g>
Although this is the 5th volume of the "Destroyermen" series, Taylor Anderson's storytelling and writing just continues to improve with each successive installment. I literally couldn't stop reading the book until I finished it. That's usually one of the hallmarks of a 5-star effort!
The story of Commander Matthew Reddy and his dimensionally displaced crew of the U.S.S. Walker immediately picks up where the previous volume "Distant Thunders" left us hanging... Chief Gunner's mate Denis Silva, Lieutenant Sandra Tucker, Princess "Becky," and her tangrenesi special friend Lawrence are castaways on the island that Mr. Silva has determined would have been Yap, in the other universe. More ravenous and thoroughly disgusting monsters are swarming ashore to complete their mating and egg-laying cycle, and only Silva's ingenuity is capable of saving the castaways.
On the island of Talaud, Lieutenant Laumer with his crew of submariners and 'cats are desperately trying to salvage the beached submarine S-19 before the island's simmering volcano "goes Krakatoa." Repairs are being continued while another group of 'cats and sailors are dredging a channel to refloat the sub.
The Grand Alliance is also engaged in reclaiming lands conquored and occupied by the dreaded Grik. General (formerly sergeant of marines)Alden is in the process of destroying an isolated Grik army at Raan'goon, and uses the air assets of Captain "Tikker," the first Lemurian aviator, in the first bombing raid of the war.
Meanwhile, Commander Reddy and the Walker push on Eastward in search of the castaways and the evil Commander Billingsly of the "Company." Accompanied by Commodore Jenks and an Imperial flotilla, Reddy ultimately makes contact with the Emperor of the New British Empire who is also Princess Becky's father, becomes embroiled in the local politics, fights a duel, and conducts a battle on land.
Yet another enemy arises in the form af a society of Spanish origin, also mysteriously translated dimensionally to the bizarre new world. This group is a religiously perverted mixture of blood rituals of the South American indians and Catholicism. And this society is at-odds with the new British Empire as well, and is plotting overthrow. Only intervention by the Walker manages to thwart an invasion attempt.
Phew! Many great subplotsare all intertwined together seamlessly to culminate in a great read! A solid 5-star effort, and highly reeommended.
The story of Commander Matthew Reddy and his dimensionally displaced crew of the U.S.S. Walker immediately picks up where the previous volume "Distant Thunders" left us hanging... Chief Gunner's mate Denis Silva, Lieutenant Sandra Tucker, Princess "Becky," and her tangrenesi special friend Lawrence are castaways on the island that Mr. Silva has determined would have been Yap, in the other universe. More ravenous and thoroughly disgusting monsters are swarming ashore to complete their mating and egg-laying cycle, and only Silva's ingenuity is capable of saving the castaways.
On the island of Talaud, Lieutenant Laumer with his crew of submariners and 'cats are desperately trying to salvage the beached submarine S-19 before the island's simmering volcano "goes Krakatoa." Repairs are being continued while another group of 'cats and sailors are dredging a channel to refloat the sub.
The Grand Alliance is also engaged in reclaiming lands conquored and occupied by the dreaded Grik. General (formerly sergeant of marines)Alden is in the process of destroying an isolated Grik army at Raan'goon, and uses the air assets of Captain "Tikker," the first Lemurian aviator, in the first bombing raid of the war.
Meanwhile, Commander Reddy and the Walker push on Eastward in search of the castaways and the evil Commander Billingsly of the "Company." Accompanied by Commodore Jenks and an Imperial flotilla, Reddy ultimately makes contact with the Emperor of the New British Empire who is also Princess Becky's father, becomes embroiled in the local politics, fights a duel, and conducts a battle on land.
Yet another enemy arises in the form af a society of Spanish origin, also mysteriously translated dimensionally to the bizarre new world. This group is a religiously perverted mixture of blood rituals of the South American indians and Catholicism. And this society is at-odds with the new British Empire as well, and is plotting overthrow. Only intervention by the Walker manages to thwart an invasion attempt.
Phew! Many great subplotsare all intertwined together seamlessly to culminate in a great read! A solid 5-star effort, and highly reeommended.
c'mon-12.99 for a kindle price and paperbacks for 7.99. This is gettin stupid. I love the books and my kindle but why should I pay more for my kindle e-book then a paperback? Price should at least be as low as the paperback.
I've waited until I finished the first five books before I made any comments on this series, knowing that there has to be at least two more books before the series can be complete. The Destroyermen is a fascinating series to say the least. If I have any negative comments about it, It would be that Mr. Anderson takes some "technological" freedom in writing his story, e.g., making fuel oil and gasoline from crude that the characters has to drill for with a dinosaur and steel bits made from the parts of ships. The other odd thing is that they never seem to run out of acetylene and oxygen and other items in order to weld the ship (and other steel things) back together again. But on the other hand, Mr. Anderson spend a lot of time developing characters, events and catastrophe's to the betterment of the story line. Taking the "bronze age" Lemurians into the 20th century to try to protect each other from the Grik who are prolific and terrorizing is a monumental task. Now that they all know that there are others from earth who were stranded in their own time warp: English, Spanish (and probably more I assume) book five lays out the great war that is occurring and will occur replicant of the war that the Destroyermen sailors, marines and nurses left in 1942. Only this time the war is on two fronts (maybe three) when the Lemurians, with help from some of the Destroyermen, who are fighting the Grik in the west, and the Destroyermen who are fighting the Dominion with the help of the free English, in the east. You can see where this story is leading. Subtle religious underpinnings including the Lemurians and the stories of the early English sailors who wrote instructions in Latin and the Grik, who speak english in addition to a Roman Catholic nun who has started to teach the Lemurians the Roman Faith and even more intriguing, the Dominion who are a bastardized Roman sect who enslaves women. Odd indeed.
This is a great series, it will certainly make your mind work overtime trying to visualize the characters. I wish there where drawings of them, I still can't figure them out.
This is a great series, it will certainly make your mind work overtime trying to visualize the characters. I wish there where drawings of them, I still can't figure them out.
This series just gets better and better. Each book sets up the next in an great way, and each can stand alone. Characters are fantastic and the knowledge of the Navy ships and the crews is amazing. It captures the spirit of the time setting, and creates a wonderfull setting in a plausable world. Can't wait for the next one. Love the "cats", even growing interested in the other "lizard/chicken" people!
It took me a while before I decided to try this series, but once I bought the first novel, I couldn't put them down. This new addition to the Destroyermen universe is just as good as the others. If you have a fascination with history and science fiction, I highly recommend buying this series!
Keep it up. Unfortunately, I can read them faster than the author can write them. Got my brother hooked on the stories. Good read.
great series,I can't wait for the next
Don't listen to some of these other reviews.It's a fiction book give me a break.If you can't handle multible plots your in trouble.That's what makes it exicting,I coudn't put these books down.Can't wait for the next one.Keep up the good work T.A.
Great book. It ties together two of his previous works and opens up yet another world requiring exploration. I can't wait for the next installment of Destroyermen.
Anderson's saga just gets better and better. His imaginative world expands to include: a Krakatoa inspired natural disaster, interesting new allies based in New Britain, aka the Hawaiian Islands and a Hispanic conquistador clone with ugly Inquisition overtones as a new enemy. I see many great books in our future. Please write faster and consider a Flintlike 1632 writing team to support and expand the effort.
Another great volume in the series
I am throughly enjoying the Destorymen series and the most recent episode did not disappoint and I look forward to the next installment.
Review of the Destroyerman series.
The destroyerman series has been a lot of fun to read. I am looking forward to book-6. My only complaint is, why does it take so long to get the books out. Because of this, I usually have to re-read the previous books to remember whats been happening.
I read the entire Destroyermen series over the last few weeks and have been totally taken in by the universe created by the Author. The Navel battles in this most recent book are perhaps the weakest in the series but the character development, world creation, and development are fantastic. Overall the series gets 5 stars as one of the best military sci-fi books I've read.
I've seen Anderson compared to Turtledove, Stirling, and Ringo and in my opinion, there is no comparison. Nothing against those authors--who are fantastic in their own right--but for my money, Taylor Anderson's "Destroyermen" series is top shelf, primo stuff.
Finally, some greater detailing!
The latest installment in the series finally shows us some detailing of the series implacable foe, the Grik. Glad to see this finally taking place as they were becoming far, far to one dimensional antagonists in the tale.
Also interesting to see the other humans on the planet get their detailing. The presence of descendants of the Spaniards also raises some very intriguing possibilities. That's another bunch who need their own fleshing out as their presentation is clearly wanting for it.
I like the topsy turvy aspect of having the Brits being the ones running Hawaii and the Walker's crew having to accept a piece of their "home" being anything but. And it was good to see the Walker finally get the yard time she clearly was in desperate need of.
The different plot lines were held together well enough and it was intriguing to see how each one would be resolved. As expected though, resolution really isn't in the cards here. The risk with that however, is that in stretching the tale across so many books that the telling of it becomes boring.
Anderson hasn't reached that point but it'd be more appreciated if he manages to wrap up this series with the next installment of it.
Oh, and since this is now an established series perhaps the next book in it can afford cover art that actually matches what's in the book!
All that being said, it is a tale well told and definitely worth the read!
Also interesting to see the other humans on the planet get their detailing. The presence of descendants of the Spaniards also raises some very intriguing possibilities. That's another bunch who need their own fleshing out as their presentation is clearly wanting for it.
I like the topsy turvy aspect of having the Brits being the ones running Hawaii and the Walker's crew having to accept a piece of their "home" being anything but. And it was good to see the Walker finally get the yard time she clearly was in desperate need of.
The different plot lines were held together well enough and it was intriguing to see how each one would be resolved. As expected though, resolution really isn't in the cards here. The risk with that however, is that in stretching the tale across so many books that the telling of it becomes boring.
Anderson hasn't reached that point but it'd be more appreciated if he manages to wrap up this series with the next installment of it.
Oh, and since this is now an established series perhaps the next book in it can afford cover art that actually matches what's in the book!
All that being said, it is a tale well told and definitely worth the read!
yet another great book in the series
I enjoyed reading this the 5th book in the Destroyermen series. Taylor Anderson succeeded in running multiple interwoven story lines without losing my interest or confusing the story; not many authors could pull this of well, but he did. I got this book on the first day of release and could not put it down. If you are a fan of alternative history, militaria, and navel themed novels this is a good series. If you have not read the previous Destoyermen books don't get this book start with the first book: Destroyermen Into the Storm. I have turned four other people onto the Destroyermen series and they have thoroughly enjoyed it and like me are impatiently waiting for book 6. Thankfully Taylor Anderson is much better at writing interesting stories than I am at writing interesting reviews. Buy this book.
The novel was very good and kept pace with the on going series on the Destroyermen. The character development is evolving more and more as is the sense of discovery of items from their old world making it through to this new world.
Mr. Anderson handles the difficulties of writing about an alternate reality and universe very well, tying together without too much detail or too little. There are mysteries, but they only make the story better in the long run. Only 4 stars means it is not up there with the best I have read, but the story is great and it is a good read. I am still not tired of the story after this many books, which is a great sign. Keep writing and I will keep reading.
Another book in the Destroyermen series
If you read the other books in this series, you will find this to be a continuation. The author just keeps making it a little more complicated as we begin to learn a little about the Grik. I find the series to be easy escapist reading, and the author's fertile imagination just keeps growing (as does the potential for a longer story).One thing about this book is the author leaves a bunch of things hanging; there is very little completion (you have to read the next book to learn what happens to vaious people, ships, and things).
Anderson delivers another great book
Another great book in the Destroyerman Series. Rising Tides shows a lot of things that were just hinted at in the earlier books. Lots of details on the British Empire and some glimpses of the Holy Dominion. The two human empires in the alternate universe. It is best to fully appreciate book 4 is to read the previous 3 books. Capt Reddy saves the day again. The Grik are finally learning and going to be more dangerous. We finally get to see Hawaii (home of the British Empire). We learn how evil the Dominion is and what their plans are. The Alliance got a new ally and enemy. I can't wait till the next book. Anderson did a great job.
The way series should be written
Unlike some other novel series, Anderson seems to get it right. He put tons of great new story development into this new novel, even though more are sure to come.
Now I somehow have to muddle through another year without a new novel.
Now I somehow have to muddle through another year without a new novel.
The fifth book in the series is well-written (Taylor Anderson' craft is continuing to grow) but the premise of getting creaky. Comparisons to Turtledove are apt, because it's possible to drag a story-line out too long, and that's what's happening in "Rising Tides." The tale is getting crowded with new characters and crises, and it's starting to feel repetitive. I think it's time for the crew of the U.S.S Walker to sail back through The Storm, dock at San Diego and get a much-deserved rest. I look forward to new works from Anderson, but I feel like it's time to move on.
Mr Anderson continues the saga and it is a book you can not put down, I waited months for it to be released and the thing most discouraging was I finished it in 2 days. Can not wait for the follow up to it.
This is a continuation of the saga of a WWII destroyer shifted to an alternate universe and a decent military science fiction read. It complicates the story by introducing new players and solidifies the existing story line with more detail. All of that is good and this is a very good escapist reading for those of us who like military science fiction. The only jarring note is in the epilogue where some modern right-wing revisionist history is mouthed by one of the characters. No one in the 1940s would have called Nazi Germany a "socialist" country -- nor would any rational current historian. Other than that introduction of modern propaganda this is a good read. Looking forward to the next volume, but with worries that the economy of the Lemurians could be crucified on a cross of gold.
OK, let me add a preface to this since there seems to be some who missed my point. My 1 star is NOT on the book or it's author, I am sure it is as good or better then the rest of the series (which I have now RE-READ 4 times), I look forward to reading it in the near future. My point was the $12.99 price for the KINDLE version, which is set by the publisher. As I mentioned in my original 2 cents of my opinion, in the first 3 weeks I went through 12 books, in the $7.99 to $8.99 range and while this may not be a lot to some and more then others it was a bit of a treat for myself. I blame some of it on the features and great functionality of my Kindle. And yes, new book, yes they want a profit, but it would seem they would make more off it in the $7.99 to $9.99 range, as well as help promote the Kindle and other readers. It is a little harder for my budget to justify $12.99 and read it in a day or two. And yes, that is my problem when I get into a good book I burn right through it. If you can drop $13 bucks on it, well that is good for you, some may think I spent too much already on books in 3 weeks, or even buying the Kindle in the first place. And yes there are chat groups on this, and I could write the publisher, but this is a more open and direct place. I apologize to the book itself, the author and ANY who might have missed my point. It is after all just my opinion, and that and $12.99 plus tax would get me the book right? That being said, or re-said for that matter, my original "whining" follows:
After I bought my Kindle on the 3rd of February I burned through 12 books (love the Kindle) in 3 weeks. Six of those were The Lost Fleet series by Jack Campbell, a very good space based sci-fi. Four others were the Destroyermen books prior to this one. Really enjoyed those as well, great series with a bit of a good twist and enough suprises to keep you guessing. As I mentioned 12 books ( other two were Ian Douglas "Star Carrier" series - also good - did I mention I love my Kindle? as well as the free sample feature - very helpful, ) so I am dropping a dime or two on books, but for some reason ( and I am not cheap ) I can just not pony up $12.99 for a e-book paperback, no matter how much I like the series. Guess I will have to wait until the paperback is released later this year, maybe Penguin Publishing will drop the e-book price then. If I get annoyed enough I may wait to look for it in the used book store, that way they will not get anything from me for it. Or, and I hope not, I may forget about it. If I were collecting hardbacks, maybe I could see it - but for the e-book version of a standard paperback, $12.99 - really?
Try a sample reading on these-
The Lost Fleet: Dauntless
Earth Strike: Star Carrier: Book One
After I bought my Kindle on the 3rd of February I burned through 12 books (love the Kindle) in 3 weeks. Six of those were The Lost Fleet series by Jack Campbell, a very good space based sci-fi. Four others were the Destroyermen books prior to this one. Really enjoyed those as well, great series with a bit of a good twist and enough suprises to keep you guessing. As I mentioned 12 books ( other two were Ian Douglas "Star Carrier" series - also good - did I mention I love my Kindle? as well as the free sample feature - very helpful, ) so I am dropping a dime or two on books, but for some reason ( and I am not cheap ) I can just not pony up $12.99 for a e-book paperback, no matter how much I like the series. Guess I will have to wait until the paperback is released later this year, maybe Penguin Publishing will drop the e-book price then. If I get annoyed enough I may wait to look for it in the used book store, that way they will not get anything from me for it. Or, and I hope not, I may forget about it. If I were collecting hardbacks, maybe I could see it - but for the e-book version of a standard paperback, $12.99 - really?
Try a sample reading on these-
The Lost Fleet: Dauntless
Earth Strike: Star Carrier: Book One
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There was no preface matter, which kind of made it a bit hard to bite in to. At this stage in the story, we're following at least four separate plot lines, and it can be a bit cumbersome at times to keep things straight. For instance: two different crews salvaging two different vessels, as well as a group of castaways. One of the salvage crews meets up with the castaways in a manner which felt rather rushed to me, under circumstances I would normally find unbelievable.
The Kindle edition could use a wee bit more editing, as random capitalization appeared in italicized phrases.