Good military Sci-Fi with a lot of action!
356528
I love Sci-Fi books especially military Sci-Fi.  I have read about 15 of the books written by Evan Currie  and they are very good stories.  I have read the entire series of On Silver Wings and I enjoyed the books.

Captain Sorilla Aida is a fighting maniac with superior fighting skills and an intellect to match. With her battle suit and her implants she is a super human that can hold her own in any confrontation that she runs into.  The RossEl are taking over a small moon inhabited by billions of sentient aliens.  Her job is to find out why they want the moon and how to stop them.  She is sent in with with a minimal crew and most of them are green recruits with limited battle skills.  Their job is to organize the local aliens into a rebellion force and try to stop the RossEl from capturing the entire moons population or worse yet, destroying the moon entirely.  What she finds amazes even herself and it can help turn the war with the Alien Alliance in Earths favor, especially when it comes to the advanced weapon technologies that are used by the RossEl aliens

This was a good story and full of action.  I enjoyed the story and I recommend the book, especially if you are a fan of the series On Silver Wings.  There are some typos in the book and some use of the wrong words but there are not a lot that I marked during my reading.  Since I liked the book so much and will continue to purchase newly released books in the series, I rate this at 5 stars.
2567128
What I really enjoyed about this 2nd book in the series was the continued expansion of scope through related story lines and characters. I felt that the author handled the logistics of an expanding conflict nicely, and in a way the held my interest without getting bogged down. I also was happy to find that Mr. White can orchestrate space battles with actual tactics that kept me wrapped up in the action. Too many authors write space battles the way many fantasy authors write magic battles: they just make up whatever rules suit them, disregard common sense in favor of getting from point A to B, and the rules are subject to change/modification whenever convenient later in the book. While Mr. White is not (yet?) near the level of a Weber/HonorHarrington space battle, he's going in the right direction.

One critical flaw in the space fighting is that in order to maintain the Chessori threat/plot, the author has backed himself into a corner where no matter how smart his characters are, they are NOT allowed to think of the obvious solution: let the darn AI's pull the trigger when the crew is incapacitated. Everything else supports how simple thise would be to do, from altering AIs for fast-jumping, to the AIs already doing targeting. Trying to ignore this is sometimes difficult for me, as its a "suspension of disbelief" killer.

When authors write a series, one thing that is usually very annoying in subsequent books is the re-telling/re-hashing of events from prior books. Rarely is it ever integrated well enough to make you actually want to read it...you can only hope it is consolidated enough to allow fast skimming. Mr. White, however, managed to hit upon a re-telling dynamic that really worked well for me in its initial use: the introduction of Mike to the special forces team. I enjoyed watching the new earth warriors learing about Mike and the larger picture of what was happening in space. Unfortunately, the author over-used this technique with other characters at various points throughout the book, and the continued re-hash of past events just felt like filler material. I would say that some of these examples weren't intended so much to bring new (or forgetful) readers up to speed, but instead as a way to get new characters up to speed as to why they should like/respect/be-in-awe of a main character. I would suggest, Don't tell them, show them. IE- don't tell your reader, show them.

And the last big fault I kept having to skim over was the lame group-hugging/eyes brimming stuff that surrounded every "Knighting", and many of the sequences involving the Queen. Knights were supposed to be rare...but if left to her own devices, apparently the Ellie will knight everyone whe comes in contact with...and even some she has never even met. You may say that the empire is now critically short on knights and we need to re-stock. Ok, fine...its never said, but I could grasp that. But at this point the dynamic is broken for me...to much forced emotional garbage surrounds every Knighting, I just want it to end. Please, no more knights. There was something about these hollow encounters that brought back memories of Jordan's Wheel of Time, where once per chapter everone would sit around a table for tea and "her eyes popped....the Aes Sedi's eyes popped and bulged back...everyones' eyes popped at all the eye popping".  Well, this isn't that bad, but its not good. It seems like all the women turn to simpering teenagers for some reason.

Anyway, I gave it 4 stars, I liked it and look forward the next book.
1305458
Siege of Titan takes place in a realistic near-future world, with very well thought out technology that is based on more modern thought that seem very plausible.  The beginning was a bit slow for me, but as it goes along, the action picks up.  I really enjoyed it, and am looking forward to reading its sequel.

The book reminded me a lot of a combination of Ender's Game and Starship Troopers.  A large portion of the book follows the training of the Space Marines as they are being transported to their first assignment.  The training was well thought out, and it's clear that Michael has a background in martial arts.  I wonder though, how much use hand to hand combat would really be in space combat, but Micahel does a good job of forcing the characters to rely on it rather than firearms (which really could pose a danger inside a space vehicle).

All in all a really good book.  I'm looking forward to more by this author!
1533196
I have to be honest, you need to remember that this is a teenage Sci-Fi series when you read it, and try not to be too pedantic about some of the issues with some of the dialogue.
Overall, this has some really good things going for it. For those that are old enough to remember, the book is kind of similar to The Last Starfighter, teenage kids that play an online game, flying star fighters against an evil empire and pirates, and if they play well enough (basically getting to the top on the Elite Server), they earn a Scholarship to a secret school. Once there they learn that the school is not all that it seems, thus the reference to The Last Starfighter.
The story is told from the point of Austin Stone, a teenager who has lost his Dad to illness, and his hopes of going to college aren't looking good. In fact his whole future seems a bit bleak due to his financial status.
The school ends up being a front (minor spoiler sorry  but you should have worked this out already!), and the story ends up in space, with the group learning how to fly and fight in Star Fighters called Tridents  just like the game they used to play.
Austin is an interesting character, and although he is written quite well, sometimes his characters personality can bounce around a bit, making him a little hard to really engage with. There are some other really good characters, Skylar, Nubern and Bear, and of course Ryker. The character of Austin explores a lot of different emotions during this story, from growing up, the loss of a parent, and the turmoil of his role as a Star Runner.
One of the interesting things that was done really well was the conflict that Austin has when faced with the reality of the changes from playing a game, to suddenly having to do those things in real life. It is all well and good to shoot ships in a game, but to kill people in real life is totally different, and Thomas covers it really well.
There are other aspects of the dialogue that are a bit cringe worthy, but you can look past it.
For the hard-liners there are going to be some issues that might cause a few people to get irritated, but for those looking for a book just to get immersed into, for a bit of fun, a decent story line, with pretty good characters, then this is definitely worth it.
One thing this really has going for it is the exceptional combat sequences. Thomas may have missed on a few points, but his descriptions of the actual ship to ship combat is just outstanding, you feel like you are sitting in a Trident cockpit being thrown around in the full-on rigors of combat.
This is a lot of fun, something you can lose yourself in for a while and really enjoy, but with a bit of a morale conscious as well, just to give you something to think about. If you liked the new Battlestar Galactica, The Last Starfighter, the combat sequences in Enders Game, things like that, you will really enjoy this. It is good light-weight reading for when you just want to lose yourself in something good, but not too heavy.
2447519
What a good book! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Its not every day you get to read a good sci-fi story about the unsung heroes of any space-faring navy: the men and women who keep the fleet running. Great characters, fun story and nice change from the same old stuff. Yes, we all enjoy reading about epic ship battles and gun fights, but every now and then, its nice for a change of pace! I enjoyed it so much that I just downloaded "The War of Alien Aggression!" Good writing all around.
180419
I really enjoyed this book.  It is a military sci fi book that has good character and story development.  The battle scenes are many, but are not extremely graphic.  There is a good mix of plot and action throughout the story.  I definitely recommend it for anyone who likes sci fi.
1817273
A book for lovers of sci-fi, this book focuses on military strategy and space battles. It started out a little slow, but the farther into the book you get, the faster it goes. Exciting and fun to read, this is NOT a cliffhanger, yet there is certainly room for more stories in this universe. There were a few editing and grammar issues, but not enough to detract from the storyline. A very solid series beginning!
1909235
This novel was good fun.  I was expecting an action packed military scif fi novel and I got it. I also got a rather interesting, philosophical look at what drives people to serve. It's exciting and the fights and battles ring true, and the world building is excellent except for one point which is why it's a four star and not a five. In the world building, I especially loved the Ascended concept and how thoroughly stagnant the society was. While the recruitment and training stuff was a little gratuitously violent, who doesn't love a gritty training process and I especially liked the link system the Crusaders use.

What I didn't like was that the military recruitment process didn't make any sense. I love a "fight to be the best of the best of the best" situation, but a system where 1000 men enter, only 10 pass the process, and the rest are *permanently crippled for life* doesn't make economical sense, especially when recruitment into more elite units also involves participants who fail being crippled in the process. I hope it's a situation addressed in the later novels - the author even acknowledges it as problematic thru one of the characters so I hope so.
2023382
I really enjoy the Plague series Mr. VanDyke has created.  Has the right elements of military action, advanced tech...and a alien species unlike any 'typical' aliens you find in most sci-fi books.

Some times the pace isn't quite what I like...until we get into the military action.

Overall, the Plague series in general is a great read...I enjoy reading these while working out on the treadmill or exercise bike!
173884
The seventh Star Marine book by Ian Douglas benefits from many of the same strengths as the earlier books: well though-out future history; nice technological extrapolation; good action sequences.  The plot seems a bit derivative of earlier books and the book could have used a good editor - there are continuity errors and it can be repetitive.  That said, I really enjoyed it and will buy the rest of the trilogy.  Douglas (William Keith) gets the military, writes in a gritty way and isn't afraid to tangle with one of the tougher issues of military sf: how advanced technology will effect the troops on the ground or how war is fought.  The opening scene is a great riff on the first chapter of Heinlein's Starship Troopers, only grittier and brought up to date.  Buy this, but read the ealier books in the series first.
3749744
This book, Semper Fi, is not only good mil-scifi but is great political Sci-Fi.  Mr. Nuttall's vision of what happens to empires when they become too centralized and out of touch with their citizens is perfect speculative fiction.
I particularly like the technique of using excerpts from a fictional history book written by "Professor Leo Caesius" to start each chapter.  I also enjoyed the plot about how to start a planet wide insurgency with limited resources.  Yes, some of it is predicable, but that is easily overlooked when some real surprise plot twists happen.
It's a fun, fast read on one level, but gives one much to think about.  In other words, GOOD sci-fi!
You will enjoy it.  But I recommend starting with "Empire's Corp" and you will be hooked on the series.
128709
I liked it!  It's been a while since I've gotten into a good book and this one captured my attention very early right off the get go.  The only disappointing thing for me is the way the book(s) end seemingly right in the middle of the action.  Then I find that there are going to be 6 or 7 novels in the series.  Aside form that I found the books a very good read.  I was very surprised at the end of book one to see which direction the bad guys turned out to be, or should I say what they appeared to be.  That's all I will say.  No spoilers here.  I wonder if the author has had military training, as well.  I haven't, so wouldn't have a clue, but it seems like the author tells it very well.
1806429
Okay, I thought this book was pretty good as far as books from this genre of Military science fiction go.
Heris Serrano is a very likeable character, as are the rest of the supporting characters in the book like Lady Cecelia, and even her nephew Ronnie.
This book is actually not one about military science-fic per se, but its about an ex-Servicewoman trying to carve out a new life for herself as a civillian. Serrano goes on a self discovery of sorts as she slowly re-immerses herself back into the civillian world and life as Captain of the very saccharine and gag-worthy named "Sweet Delight", Lady Ceceilia's personal craft..
The plot itself centres around a conspiracy that goes up to the highest levels of the government, and is fast moving and fluid. Unlike some books where you find yourself gettting stuck at a particular chapter without motivation to go on, this book is very readable.
I particularly liked the "island" scenes where Ronnie and the rest of the youngsters were left to fight for their lives and fend for themselves. I found Bubble's graudual transformation from rich fluffhead to the calm collected young lady she later became especially interesting, and that angle provides a lot of material for Moon to work with as she continues the series.
Overall, 5 stars for a fine piece of work, and a good first novel in a series that I will definitely continue reading!
452361
Fast paced space war story, with a good amount of plot twists and surprises. Well written and enjoyable book. NOTE: this is the 2nd book in a series, and you REALLY should read the first book first (Fire with Fire) to understand all that is going on
2667109
This is the second book in the Ember War saga and it didn't disappoint.  If you're a fan of military science fiction and good vs. bad aliens, this book - and series - is for you!
1772554
I read a lot, and military sci-fi is my favorite genre. The political games of some senior officers was familiar to an old vet!
3867242
Marko Kloos writes the best ground-based mil sci fi in the business, IMHO.  "Chains of Command" sees Sgt. Moralee promoted from his training billet and given command of a platoon of dropship troopers.  There is some action against the Lankies, who are building up for another push at Earth after they finish mopping up survivors on Mars; but this one sees the NAC track down and attack those who had fled with much of the best military equipment, leaving everyone else to fend off the invaders.  Moralee spends much of the book with his pilot-wife Haylee, and we also get to enjoy the return of MSGT Fallon.

Moralee is not a simple trigger-puller, and the attack on fellow humans, traitors though they may be, is not an easy thing for him to swallow.  But Earth desperately needs the equipment they took for the coming fight.  The traitors' furtive flight is an interesting twist on the usual attempt to save Earth's survivors and humanity's heritage; this is more akin to sneaking out the back in the dead of night, while abandoning the rest to their fate.  At any rate, it is an excellent addition to a great series.