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alesia_charles's review against another edition
5.0
ETA September 2020: This series is an excellent antidote to certain current political events, being unabashedly pro-Marines while totally not worshipping either political leaders or officers. (Officers do get respect based on their level of competence, if they have any.) Come for the "band of brothers" vibe, stay to see a staff sergeant (later a gunnery sergeant) out-competent everyone in the vicinity.
Oh, wow. These books have been published for over a decade and I hadn't read them until this month! Woe is me!
But at least this two-for-one volume is still in print - a fact that by itself says something about its quality (or at least its popularity).
So, what's to love about this story? Well, the worldbuilding. In this distant future, Humans have been recruited by a Confederation of "more highly evolved" species to fight against the "Others," an aggressive and uncommunicative species that's attacking this Confederation. Two additional species have also been recruited and serve in a joint Navy and Marines, each presenting its own set of problems: one has strong hedonistic tendencies, and the other is perfectly willing to eat anything (including its own species, but Human tastes good too). That's interesting background.
Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr is so tough that she doesn't have to prove it. (Awesome. At one point a fighter pilot trying to freak out the Marine realizes that she's fallen asleep during his wild maneuvers.) She knows her job and gives it all she's got - complications involving new lieutenants, two-star generals, recruiting a *fourth* species to aid the Confederation, journalists, and glory-seeking captains, posing variously serious problems.
No long, loving descriptions of weaponry here - nor excessively detailed political analyses. This is military SF the way I remember Pournelle doing it: the people are front and center, the tech is just what helps them get the job done. The situations - alien planets and species and stuff - are described as the characters find them, with all the detail they need to work the problems (but not mounds of extraneous information).
I will be acquiring the sequels for my personal library. This is how military SF ought to be done.
Oh, wow. These books have been published for over a decade and I hadn't read them until this month! Woe is me!
But at least this two-for-one volume is still in print - a fact that by itself says something about its quality (or at least its popularity).
So, what's to love about this story? Well, the worldbuilding. In this distant future, Humans have been recruited by a Confederation of "more highly evolved" species to fight against the "Others," an aggressive and uncommunicative species that's attacking this Confederation. Two additional species have also been recruited and serve in a joint Navy and Marines, each presenting its own set of problems: one has strong hedonistic tendencies, and the other is perfectly willing to eat anything (including its own species, but Human tastes good too). That's interesting background.
Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr is so tough that she doesn't have to prove it. (Awesome. At one point a fighter pilot trying to freak out the Marine realizes that she's fallen asleep during his wild maneuvers.) She knows her job and gives it all she's got - complications involving new lieutenants, two-star generals, recruiting a *fourth* species to aid the Confederation, journalists, and glory-seeking captains, posing variously serious problems.
No long, loving descriptions of weaponry here - nor excessively detailed political analyses. This is military SF the way I remember Pournelle doing it: the people are front and center, the tech is just what helps them get the job done. The situations - alien planets and species and stuff - are described as the characters find them, with all the detail they need to work the problems (but not mounds of extraneous information).
I will be acquiring the sequels for my personal library. This is how military SF ought to be done.
saphirablue's review
4.0
I really like this one. I like the world this is set in. I love the characters. I love the plots. I've been highly entertained while reading this. ♥
The world/universe is not something incredible new - two sides fighting each other. But, I like how the world is build with old races that feel that they are above war and therefore need to add young races to the Confederation who will fight the war for them. And humans being one of the three younger races to do so. And since humans have been the first, the military and the names for things are human - with some names and things slowly getting changed when the other two younger races, the Krai and the di'Taykan, have been added. I love it.
I also love the Krai and the di'Taykan a lot. I mean, we don't get to know that much about the Krai in these two books but what we see of them? Fascinating. They basically have the most indestructible digestive system. Things can be deadly for every other races to eat? The Krai can eat it.
And the di'Taykan? OMG. I love them. They can show their emotion/feelings with their hair. Which moves. I love them. I love them. I love them. Also, their comfortableness with sex and the fact that they produce pheromons that are enciting to most other races? Awesome.
And, the snark/teasing/ribbing for both races that comes from this and they give the humans for their characteristics? Awesome.
I love Torin. She's so awesome. Kickass. Taking names. Vulnerable. Enjoying her job. Being there for her people but also kicking their butts if necessary. I love it.
Also, Marines in space!!!! ♥
Yeah, there have been a few things that I've been not that fond of/didn't like (like, that once again my favourite supporting/minor characters got killed off or the kind of love story with Ryder) but they didn't manage to make me like the book less. :)
I'm so looking forward to read more about Torin and her adventures.
The world/universe is not something incredible new - two sides fighting each other. But, I like how the world is build with old races that feel that they are above war and therefore need to add young races to the Confederation who will fight the war for them. And humans being one of the three younger races to do so. And since humans have been the first, the military and the names for things are human - with some names and things slowly getting changed when the other two younger races, the Krai and the di'Taykan, have been added. I love it.
I also love the Krai and the di'Taykan a lot. I mean, we don't get to know that much about the Krai in these two books but what we see of them? Fascinating. They basically have the most indestructible digestive system. Things can be deadly for every other races to eat? The Krai can eat it.
And the di'Taykan? OMG. I love them. They can show their emotion/feelings with their hair. Which moves. I love them. I love them. I love them. Also, their comfortableness with sex and the fact that they produce pheromons that are enciting to most other races? Awesome.
And, the snark/teasing/ribbing for both races that comes from this and they give the humans for their characteristics? Awesome.
I love Torin. She's so awesome. Kickass. Taking names. Vulnerable. Enjoying her job. Being there for her people but also kicking their butts if necessary. I love it.
Also, Marines in space!!!! ♥
Yeah, there have been a few things that I've been not that fond of/didn't like (like, that once again my favourite supporting/minor characters got killed off or the kind of love story with Ryder) but they didn't manage to make me like the book less. :)
I'm so looking forward to read more about Torin and her adventures.
ctgt's review
4.0
This is actually the first two books in the Confederation series. I really liked the first and enjoyed the second although I thought the second book dragged just a bit. In some ways the author uses pretty familiar tropes, bad-ass Staff Sergeant Kerr who leads her troops while trying to shield them from the upper echelon. The twist is her troops are human as well as alien. Several alien species have joined forces with humanity to battle the Others. So this in itself makes for an interesting dynamic as you get to know the differing species and how they interact. One thing not changed is the humorous banter among the troops.
"It was an adjective, not a verb," Corporal Hollice interrupted. "Not that you morons would know what that means." A raised hand cut off the protests of his fireteam and those other squad members close enough to hear. "Don't bother proving it."
"This is a new low. We're arguing about grammar."
"If the dead has a large family, an internment on Dornage can take many days."
Kleers took another three steps and reached for some more fruit. "Can't say as I'm surprised."
"How do the Krai treat their dead?"
"We cook them and we eat them."
Thinks Deeply walked in silence for a moment or two. "And that is a sign of respect?" she asked at last.
"Well, I'd have to say that depends on who does the cooking."
All in all a pretty enjoyable start to a series.
"It was an adjective, not a verb," Corporal Hollice interrupted. "Not that you morons would know what that means." A raised hand cut off the protests of his fireteam and those other squad members close enough to hear. "Don't bother proving it."
"This is a new low. We're arguing about grammar."
"If the dead has a large family, an internment on Dornage can take many days."
Kleers took another three steps and reached for some more fruit. "Can't say as I'm surprised."
"How do the Krai treat their dead?"
"We cook them and we eat them."
Thinks Deeply walked in silence for a moment or two. "And that is a sign of respect?" she asked at last.
"Well, I'd have to say that depends on who does the cooking."
All in all a pretty enjoyable start to a series.
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