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1 out of 5 stars
By
clifford
on
07-10-13
groan
This book is just not put together very well. From the writing style to story to character.
What I liked least was the fact that the main character and his friend are in highschool when the story starts. If I make it out right, 6 months later his friend is an internationally known space pilot who cavalierly takes control of Space Shuttles etc.
Mainly, this is a war story. VERY BADLY WRITTEN WAR STORY.
If you want a good book that is totally the opposite of this writing wise, try either Old Man's War or Armour by Steakley.
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8 of 9 people found this review helpful
3 out of 5 stars
By
Augustus T. White
on
01-25-13
Good standard Military SF, Terrible Reader
The title of this review is really all I wanted to say. This is workmanlike military science ficton. Not exceptional, but well over the minimum "fair average quality which would pass without objection in the trade." Like all military SF, it's really an extended essay on the stuff that matters in life: duty, sacrifice, competition, friendship, the value of life, and the fear of death, all illustrated by stories featuring the things that entertain us all: violence, sex, and good triumphing over evil. Buettner has his own slant on all of the above. Good for him. What more could we ask?
Mostly we could ask for a reader who doesn't sound like an idiot with a sinus infection. It grates. I suspect Adam Epstein is trying too hard to channel the personality of the first-person narrator, who is a fairly emotional high-school drop-out. But that doesn't make him (or any real-life high-school drop-out) an idiot. The POV character certainly doesn't behave like like an idiot, and the other characters don't react to him as if he were one. The effect is dissonant, and becomes more so as the narrator gains in rank and experience.
Still worth listening to. Hence the three stars, but the paper book would be a better choice.
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8 of 9 people found this review helpful