Scan barcode
fudgepopz's review against another edition
5.0
Listened to graphic audio version.
Huge improvement over the first book. The new main protagonist named Bookbinder is much more likable than the previous books main character Britton.
Huge improvement over the first book. The new main protagonist named Bookbinder is much more likable than the previous books main character Britton.
kimikat273's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
4.0
I really didn't know what to expect with this book - military content isn't my usual thing - but I thought I'd give it a go and I ended up quite enjoying it!
The main character is Colonel Bookbinder, who finds out he can wield magic and is shipped to a base on another plane. (For 'plane' read 'world'!) I enjoyed his story arc, going from resigned penpusher to born leader over the course of the book. However, part way through the tale, the point of view suddenly flips to another character, Oscar Britton, which I found quite jarring. The reason for this becomes clear towards the latter part of the book, but I really wasn't interested in him and was happy when the story returned to Bookbinder. I can understand why the shift in POV is necessary, but maybe Britton's story could have been told in shorter chunks, interspersed by frequent check-ins with Bookbinder.
In conclusion, I enjoyed the book, but can only give 4 stars due to the change in POV.
The main character is Colonel Bookbinder, who finds out he can wield magic and is shipped to a base on another plane. (For 'plane' read 'world'!) I enjoyed his story arc, going from resigned penpusher to born leader over the course of the book. However, part way through the tale, the point of view suddenly flips to another character, Oscar Britton, which I found quite jarring. The reason for this becomes clear towards the latter part of the book, but I really wasn't interested in him and was happy when the story returned to Bookbinder. I can understand why the shift in POV is necessary, but maybe Britton's story could have been told in shorter chunks, interspersed by frequent check-ins with Bookbinder.
In conclusion, I enjoyed the book, but can only give 4 stars due to the change in POV.
tani's review against another edition
4.0
I won a copy of Breach Zone, so of course I had to get on reading this one right away! I liked this book better than the previous one, mostly because I was much more fond of Alan Bookbinder as a main character than I am of Oscar Britton. Something about Britton just rubs me the wrong way. I don't hate him, but he's definitely not my favorite, either. Bookbinder, on the other hand, was great. I loved watching him grow into his role as a leader of men. I also loved seeing more of the world as magic as made it, and the other creatures (beings?) from the Source. It was a fun and action-packed ride, and I'm looking forward to reading the next book really soon.
azaehringer's review against another edition
2.0
Myke Cole has a way of making his protagonists come off as big pussies. I'm tired of reading nonstop whining and complaining coming from these Army officers and the like. I'm done with this series.
merrysociopath's review against another edition
4.0
Un seguito che riesce a essere migliore del libro che lo precede e che apre la serie Shadow Ops. In Fortress Frontier a Oscar Britton, protagonista e punto debole di Control Point, viene riservato solo un ruolo di supporto, mentre il protagonista vero e proprio è Adam Bookbinder, un militare da scrivania che, di colpo, diventa latente e viene spedito alla Forward Operating Base. Fast Forward di qualche mese e la storia di Bookbinder si ricollega al punto in cui avevamo lasciato Britton alla fine del primo libro: i contatti con la nostra dimensione sono stati interrotti e i goblin attaccano la FOB con violenza sempre maggiore, e starà a Bookbinder salvare quelli che sono ormai i suoi uomini.
L'idea vincente di questo libro è spostare il focus su un personaggio che è più coerente, meglio caratterizzato e più interessante di Oscar Britton. Inoltre espande, come mi auguravo, il mondo tratteggiato nell'episodio precedente e apre molti possibili e interessanti scenari per il futuro. La prosa di Cole non è ancora lo stato dell'arte (ad esempio scrive "overwhelming" tre volte in tre pagine per descrivere le sensazioni di Bookbinder appena arrivato alla FOB), ma il ritmo è ancora una volta serrato e non c'è mai un momento di noia.
Ora ho la certezza di trovarmi tra le mani una serie di grande intrattenimento e con un ottimo potenziale, aspetto il terzo con ancora più interesse.
L'idea vincente di questo libro è spostare il focus su un personaggio che è più coerente, meglio caratterizzato e più interessante di Oscar Britton. Inoltre espande, come mi auguravo, il mondo tratteggiato nell'episodio precedente e apre molti possibili e interessanti scenari per il futuro. La prosa di Cole non è ancora lo stato dell'arte (ad esempio scrive "overwhelming" tre volte in tre pagine per descrivere le sensazioni di Bookbinder appena arrivato alla FOB), ma il ritmo è ancora una volta serrato e non c'è mai un momento di noia.
Ora ho la certezza di trovarmi tra le mani una serie di grande intrattenimento e con un ottimo potenziale, aspetto il terzo con ancora più interesse.
wyrmdog's review against another edition
4.0
Many sequels suffer from being a bridge between the first chapter and the last (often particularly egregious in a trilogy), foundering in what they think they ought to do, rather than what naturally grows out of what came before. This one does not. It not only embraces its role as a bridging story, but does so in a way that feels organic and sensible. It doesn't read like a second installment obligation.
Every bit as fun as the first, this book expands the world with the introduction of Colonel Bookbinder. His growth over the story is fun to watch (though it does start out painful) and his magical ability shows how Cole is expanding the mythos of his setting.
Also of interest to me is how Cole has decided to show another side of the situations and dilemmas faced by Britton in the first book. Sure we watch a man struggle with a fundamental change to his life and expectations just like Britton in the first book, but the reactions of the characters to it are different, nuanced, and make for a more interesting story than might otherwise be. The characters have believably conflicting goals and values, drives and fears.
And some characters we may have put into a convenient bucket step out and show us why we must walk the proverbial mile.
Make no mistake, this is pulp fiction fantasy at every level, but it rises above the schlock with entertaining characters, interesting world-building, and fantastic event-handling. It never forgets what it is, or what it's doing, and it manages to combine elements of hopeless battle in a foreign land along with an epic quest and even includes elements borrowed from the techno-thrillers of the 70s. Hard choices are never avoided or neatly curtailed.
Plus it has some great uses of magic and monsters. Can't beat that.
Every bit as fun as the first, this book expands the world with the introduction of Colonel Bookbinder. His growth over the story is fun to watch (though it does start out painful) and his magical ability shows how Cole is expanding the mythos of his setting.
Also of interest to me is how Cole has decided to show another side of the situations and dilemmas faced by Britton in the first book. Sure we watch a man struggle with a fundamental change to his life and expectations just like Britton in the first book, but the reactions of the characters to it are different, nuanced, and make for a more interesting story than might otherwise be. The characters have believably conflicting goals and values, drives and fears.
And some characters we may have put into a convenient bucket step out and show us why we must walk the proverbial mile.
Make no mistake, this is pulp fiction fantasy at every level, but it rises above the schlock with entertaining characters, interesting world-building, and fantastic event-handling. It never forgets what it is, or what it's doing, and it manages to combine elements of hopeless battle in a foreign land along with an epic quest and even includes elements borrowed from the techno-thrillers of the 70s. Hard choices are never avoided or neatly curtailed.
Plus it has some great uses of magic and monsters. Can't beat that.
boredpanda's review against another edition
4.0
Second book in the Shadow Ops series consumed! Another wild ride, though a little more fragmented than the first. It makes sense later in the book. The first quarter of the book, we get to know Bookbinder. A pencil pusher dropped in at the deep end when he discovers he's not like everybody else. We reconnect with Britton and his gang later in the book and there are some pretty cool twists in there.
Did I mention there are snakes? Lots and lots of snakes. And goblins.
Off to read the third book now. :)
evanmc's review against another edition
3.0
Man, 75% of this book was great. The arc of Alan Bookbinder was one I identified with and felt connected to the whole way through. His growth as a character, and particularly the glances at his inner monologue were great. But man, it was VERY jarring in a bad way when the story flipped to Oscar Britton and his cohorts. It threw me completely out of that connected feeling I had with Bookbinder. I understand why, as a plot point, we had to know some of Britton's story line, but I feel it was shoehorned into this book, and the novel as a whole suffered for it. This sin't to say Oscar's story line was uninteresting, just that the way it worked with the overall book was disappointing. Also, Oscar's thinly veiled desire for Therese was handled a bit....awkwardly. Not a convincing portrayal of that emotion in my opinion. This was a 4 star book, easily, for the Bookbinder arc. But the shoehorning of Britton's story brought it down to a 3 for me.
toynbees's review against another edition
4.0
This series is so unique, and it hooked me from the start. I love the world building, the characters and everything else about it. This is probably my favourite book in the trilogy, or a close tie with the first.
jarichan's review against another edition
5.0
Military Fantasy? War mir ein ganz neuer Begriff als mir Coles Buch empfohlen wurde. Aber als Fan von Fantasy und bestimmten Bereich des (US-) Militärs musste ich einfach zugreifen. Nur schon wenn ich das Cover anschaute, lief mir das Wasser im Mund zusammen. Deshalb dauerte es auch überraschend lange, bis ich endlich dazu kam, die "Shadow Ops"-Reihe zu beginnen.
Während ich "Grenzfeste" las, dachte ich des Öfteren, dass es sich nach einem zweiten Teil anfühlt. Geschehnisse wurden angesprochen und auch Verbindungen zwischen Personen. Dennoch las sich das Buch sehr gut, auch wenn ich an einigen Stellen etwas nachgrübeln musste. Aber alles in Allem hatte ich keinerlei Probleme, mich in diese Welt hineinzufinden.
Nur um dann bestätigt zu bekommen, dass ich versehentlich nach dem zweiten Band gegriffen hatte...
Aber ich las trotzdem weiter, weil es einfach zu spannend. Ich mag das militärische Umfeld, die Ränge, die Ausrüstung, der Umgang miteinander. Vor allem aber mag ich Bookbinder, dessen Welt in einer einzigen Sekunde völlig auf den Kopf gestellt wird und der sich nicht nur plötzlich mit völlig neuen Fähigkeiten konfrontiert sieht, sondern auch ganz plötzlich mehr Verantwortung hat, als er es sich gewöhnt ist. Ja, Bookbinder war mir -vielleicht auch seines Namens wegen- von Anfang bis zum Schluss sehr sympathisch und ich hoffe natürlich, dass er auch im ersten Band vertreten ist.
Um diese Reihe geniessen zu können, sollte man jedoch ein gewisses Interesse am US-Militär, dessen Strukturen und ihren Abläufen haben. Wer ein solches Umfeld nicht mag, der wird sich kaum mit der Reihe anfreunden können, auch wenn Cole viele neue Ideen in die Welt der Fantasy bringt. Ich persönlich frage mich seit dem Lesen, wie es wohl wäre, wenn man plötzlich magische Fähigkeiten entwickelt, diese dann aber unweigerlich in militärische Dienste stellen muss.
Denn Cole, der selbst viel Erfahrung im amerikanischen Militär aufweist, zeichnet hier, auch wenn es vielleicht anders scheinen mag, kein rein positives Bild des Militärs. Dies zeigt sich durch den Antagonisten Britton, der eigentlich ein netter Kerl ist, aber nur den Fehler gemacht hat, dass er frei sein wollte. Trotz seiner Fähigkeiten. Auch Bookbinder hinterfragt immer wieder, ob die Gesetze der USA denn auch sinnvoll sind.
Mich hat die Lektüre stark beeindruckt und natürlich werde ich baldmöglichst Band eins nachholen und mir dann auch den dritten Teil zulegen.
Während ich "Grenzfeste" las, dachte ich des Öfteren, dass es sich nach einem zweiten Teil anfühlt. Geschehnisse wurden angesprochen und auch Verbindungen zwischen Personen. Dennoch las sich das Buch sehr gut, auch wenn ich an einigen Stellen etwas nachgrübeln musste. Aber alles in Allem hatte ich keinerlei Probleme, mich in diese Welt hineinzufinden.
Nur um dann bestätigt zu bekommen, dass ich versehentlich nach dem zweiten Band gegriffen hatte...
Aber ich las trotzdem weiter, weil es einfach zu spannend. Ich mag das militärische Umfeld, die Ränge, die Ausrüstung, der Umgang miteinander. Vor allem aber mag ich Bookbinder, dessen Welt in einer einzigen Sekunde völlig auf den Kopf gestellt wird und der sich nicht nur plötzlich mit völlig neuen Fähigkeiten konfrontiert sieht, sondern auch ganz plötzlich mehr Verantwortung hat, als er es sich gewöhnt ist. Ja, Bookbinder war mir -vielleicht auch seines Namens wegen- von Anfang bis zum Schluss sehr sympathisch und ich hoffe natürlich, dass er auch im ersten Band vertreten ist.
Um diese Reihe geniessen zu können, sollte man jedoch ein gewisses Interesse am US-Militär, dessen Strukturen und ihren Abläufen haben. Wer ein solches Umfeld nicht mag, der wird sich kaum mit der Reihe anfreunden können, auch wenn Cole viele neue Ideen in die Welt der Fantasy bringt. Ich persönlich frage mich seit dem Lesen, wie es wohl wäre, wenn man plötzlich magische Fähigkeiten entwickelt, diese dann aber unweigerlich in militärische Dienste stellen muss.
Denn Cole, der selbst viel Erfahrung im amerikanischen Militär aufweist, zeichnet hier, auch wenn es vielleicht anders scheinen mag, kein rein positives Bild des Militärs. Dies zeigt sich durch den Antagonisten Britton, der eigentlich ein netter Kerl ist, aber nur den Fehler gemacht hat, dass er frei sein wollte. Trotz seiner Fähigkeiten. Auch Bookbinder hinterfragt immer wieder, ob die Gesetze der USA denn auch sinnvoll sind.
Mich hat die Lektüre stark beeindruckt und natürlich werde ich baldmöglichst Band eins nachholen und mir dann auch den dritten Teil zulegen.