War, Magic, and Infantry
582956
Harry Turtledove is known for his work in "alternative history".  In this genre, some major or minor event is plausibly different from historical fact, and the fictional course of events that follow is dramatically different from reality.  Recent Turtledove works are in a series which addressed US and world history based on the Confederacy winning the US Civil War, with a continuation into World War I.  He has continued with a new series loosely based on World War II, but in a fantasy environment.  Into the Darkness and Darkness Descending begin the series of which Through the Darkness is the third volume.  Set in the fictional world of Derlavai where the descendants of the on-time ruling empire are an often despised minority, the Algarvains and the Unkerlantians seek to establish a hegemony where they, the proper successors to empire, rule.  A long war ended with Algarve denied its proper place and even stripped of some of its possessions.  Unkerlant was plagued by a bloody civil war during the period, and the surviving king is not happy with his place in the world.  By the way, in this world they have magic instead of physics, ensorceled crystals instead of radio, dragons instead of airplanes, magic sticks and magic "eggs" instead of guns and bombs.  In spite of the differences in the world, the people are still people and they function and react just the way Europeans did in the middle third of the Twentieth Century.  They fight, they die, they muddle through, they love.  Turtledove creates a hugh cast of characters who people his world, and then tells the story of the war through its impacts on them.  He designates some of his characters as "viewpoint" characters and tells the story through their impressions and actions.  There are a lot of viewpoint characters-at least one in each major population group.  And a very lot happens to them.  Turtledove tells the story well, and with enough significant, although sometimes whimsical, differences from geography and history to keep the reader's interest.  Finland as a desert and North Africa with polar cold are examples of the whimsey.  All of the regular characters, especially the "viewpoint characters", are  interesting people, and their stories are interesting, too.  The series, however, is much too long.  Three volumes is enough, but there is at least one more, maybe two or three.  Over that much real time this reader would prefer to read several different stories.  The series is very well done for what it is, and the first three volumes, read sequentially, are engrossing.  Maybe the fourth (and fifth, etc.) will come along soon enough that the reader will remember the characters in the early volumes.
975282
An Iraq War story with a twist. Even in a war zone, amidst chaos and car bombs magic happens. Sergeant Child is one of the few people who can see the fairy tale creature among all the destruction. She gets deployed to be part of a "Covert Ops." A new world opens for Child as she befriends the creature who is part of the US military surveillance. A magical and sad story of war and fall-outs and betrayal in parallel, intermixing worlds. Ste. Just narration of the story is flawless.
1930210
I stumbled upon this book at Megacon, and haven't been able to leave it out of my campaigns since. Have you ever been DMing a game when one of your PCs has asked you if they could do Full-Scale Seige Warfare, or perhaps fly through the air on a Wyvren into battle? What about that warrior who decides to Build a Trebuchet, or even a chariot to destroy those orcs? 'Warriors' is alot of fun for a Warrior-Intensive Dungeons and Dragons game! It adds new Classes, Skills, and some pretty nice Magical Items into the campaign!
1056657
Bookworm magic series continues.  This book combines the battles (no spoiler specific language) and backhistory adding depth without slowing down the pace.  Good Read
4633770
This is a very detailed, involved combat survey of the 29th Infantry Division in Normandy, along with the British 3rd Infantry Division. The author spends a lot of time discussing how these 2 formations were commanded, how the component units were used, and how the commanders of these formations interacted with their subordinates and superiors. He contrasts everything from the American army's aggressiveness vis a vis the British army's caution, discusses everything from their weaponry and training to the state of their replacements and how they were deployed. He also does a pretty comprehensive overview of their opponents.

The writing here, while not bad, is often a mere recital of unit designations, weapon and vehicle types, numbers of soldiers who became casualties, and officers killed, wounded, captured, or relieved. There are occasions when he tries to lighten the text a bit, but for the most part this is pretty serious stuff. I enjoyed it a great deal, but those who aren't interested in the nuts-and-bolts history of a battle from the point of view of the commanders will probably not enjoy this book that much.
2387293
I like military, vampire and war stories of my life time. I really enjoy special military units that are used to go in and take over well known problem areas. I recommend this series one of my favorite. Plan on checking to see what comes next.
2078010
I appreciate the fleshing out of the world these books provide, and for the most part this one is great. It is definitely at its strongest in battle, much like Lieutenant Caine. The one stumbling point was a romantic interlude towards the middle of the book. It really broke the flow of the narrative, and seemed shoehorned in. Otherwise, a fun read.
770862
*I received this book for free in exchange for a review*
  Dawn of the Magi by Donald Morrison mixes old and new magic to create a thrilling tale of rebellion and sacrifice!  We are introduced to Trina, a super solider for the Empire.  Trina is able to conjure magic, making her the perfect slave for the Empires bidding.  When on a mission to a small mining town, Trina is drawn by the power of a creature believed to be gone from this world.  When she comes face to face with the power, the mind control is gone.  Trina is all but a shell, no memories of her life before the Empire.  Code, a fighter for the resistance, finds Trina in the mine and swears to protect her from harm.  Together, they set out of a quest, to find the Magi and protect them from the hands of the Empire.
  An element to this story that I really enjoyed was the mixing of old and new fantasy/magic.  There are soldiers in mech suits with mini cannons, while the average towns person is carrying a sword.  I think that really illustrates to the reader the power and control the Empire has, compared to those who are lesser in society.  While Code and Trina are on their journey, they also meet others who are part of the resistance.  Terrin, the King of Montrose, is my favorite character of the book.  A drunk womanizer, but a witty and hilarious aristocrat that brings comedic relief to even the most serious situations.  He would get upset when his white robes became stained with blood or would ponder where he could get a pint of mead.  I also found myself drawn to Code - he was a fierce fighter, and wanted to protect those he cared about.  I felt that Code was more of the main character than Trina at some points.  While Trina had the gift of magic that would help the resistance, Code was making plans and persuading others to join the cause, (more front and center),
  Morrison does a great job of giving back story to the Magis plight.  It shows some believe there is a right and a wrong way, while others prefer to create another world entirely.  Hundreds of years had passed since the war of magic, but that pain was not forgotten.  There was also quite a bit of action throughout the story as well.  On the opening page we get to see Trina, the super solider, in action.
Dawn of the Magi was different from other fantasy novels by bringing the contemporary and traditional elements together.  It was an exciting read and I can only hope there will be a second book.  I believe there is more to the story of Code and Trina, and Magi itself.
  If you are into Fantasy, Suspense, Drama, or Contemporary Psychological Horror I highly suggest taking a look at Morrison's work.  Check him out on Amazon to see his other novels, or visit his Facebook page!
2438880
My friends and I have been running a World War 1.5 setting on this system for a while. The core character creation rules are great for creating PC for a wider sweeping setting, but the sheer amount of pre-built GM PCs have a lot to build a wide amount of stories based on singular experiences during the war; The Hunting of Gavrillo princip, two men in the trenches desperately attempting to counter snipe each other before the night raids, and many other 1-Shot vignettes that ring across the desperation of the first-ish World War.  Also there were airships. Like big old honking dirigibles. Armor plating in hydrium to make up for the shortfalls of hydrogen. Yeah you could accomplish these by taking PC or Monster Dice and replacing them with a D12 or D hundred, depending on the scale of ship and the size of its guns.  This game seriously has a pre-built NPC for nearly every niche in human society and then some for animals and Cryptids.  Add some other source books and baby you got a stew going.
1728234
Sex, War, and the Tarot: That is the subtitle I mentally add to Alan Richardsons novel The Lightbearer.

It starts with the landing of Allied paratroopers in Normandy just after midnight on June 6, 1944, a meticulously planned operation that ended up scrambled by Murphys Law.

In the novel, a transport aircraft carrying some of the pathfinders goes astray (as some did) causing one Private Michael Horsett to land far off-target. Horsett is taken in by a group of French Thelemite magicians  all female.

Complications ensue. The Thelemites have their own agenda. Local Resistance fighters have another agenda. Private Horsett, new to war, wants to prove himself as a soldier. And there is a Tarot puzzle built into the text. It is not easy to combine occultism with a thriller plot, but Richardson pulls it off.
3993207
This is the third Antal book I've enjoyed, after reading (or rather, interacting with) Infantry Combat and reading "Proud Legions."
This book was written just before the Gulf War, so I found it interesting that Antal picked the Middle East as the theater of war for a fictional future conflict with an unidentified enemy.
The book plays out much like the old "Choose Your Own Adventure" series that I enjoyed as a grade-schooler, where you have to make choices that lead to branching stories.
In this particular adventure, you are 2LT Jaeger, a young tank platoon commander in charge of 4 M1 Abrams tanks. You are the junior platoon leader in the company, and are initially assigned a reserve role in your first mission.
As the other elements of your company come under fire, you are asked to make decisions which can either save the day or kill you and all under your command. Certainly I enjoy this more from the comfort of my living room reading chair, rather than the turret of a tank in combat! If, however, you do end up making a fatal mistake, Antal writes in some helpful advice on what you did wrong, and invites you to try again.
Having already familiarized myself with Antal's work when reading "Infantry Combat", I passed through the book fairly easily, and was somewhat disappointed at its brevity. There were only two basic missions, unlike "Infantry Combat," which was a little more involved and took you through an entire campaign consisting of several branching possibilities that still led to victory.
All in all, though, it was a fun read, and I recommend it to those who enjoy being armchair generals, like me.
1163886
Nice Alternative History. Roman legions with an elf lieutenant. Soon to fight dwarfs. Away from Rome and on their own. An interesting flawed commander. A book you will enjoy.
3251428
Darkness is a good tribute to the world Modesitt has developed.  A military tale, Modesitt delves into the everyday boredom and gut clenching combat of a company of mounted militia who are pawns in the game of nations.
He also develops the powers Captain Alucius has and introduces the alien danger threatening the Corean world.
Modesitt heroes are ordinary people with extraordinary powers achieving amazing tasks.  Luck, tenacity and skill allows Alucius to not only preserve his life but the life of his men.  But in combat, it is not enough and his men and friends die.
This world is an interesting blend of mechanical technology with magical powers.  Gritty realism where the characters bleed and hurt.
A very fast and enjoyable read and it leaves enough questions to eagerly await the third book.
4387319
This book is a good read about the US Infantry divisions in Europe.  Trying to separate the divisions from their corps and Army-level support does not do justice to the entirety of the combat power a division possessed, including artillery, armor and engineers.
1570602
The Red Knight follows a band of mercenaries who have become employed by a convent. What starts out as another job quickly blows out of proportion and becomes a war for the survival of a nation.

The story uses various POV's to build up to this confrontation. It approaches the confrontation from four clear-cut 'sides'- The Mercenaries/Convent, The Drovers, The Nobles, and The 'Wild'. The book has a ton of action, indeed the book is literally a series of battles, however the book felt and read slow. I would currently not recommend this series to friends, but might change my mind depending on the second book.

Positives:
+ Interesting plot- unique and an interesting contrast as the rapists/killers protected the nuns.
+ Interesting main characters. Interesting world. Interesting magic system. Each felt unique and was detailed enough for me to conceptualize.
+ Takes a slightly different approach to Knights then most fantasy novels. It was interesting seeing squires, pages, archers, etc for each man-at-arms.
+ Only fantasy book I have read that has people yell "Deus Veult!" For CK2 players, it is a nice chuckle.

Neutral:
+/- Ebook does not contain a map. The book was very confusing until I found a map online using google.

Negatives:
- The book is a confusing read (which probably why it was slow for me). It is not that it is more complex than other fantasy novels, it is just that how the information is conveyed is confusing. Examples:
1) Book starts out using 5-6 POV characters. The chapters are relatively short and I had a hard time getting to know a character before we jumped to a different one. This led to confusion. The Queen and the Red Knight were clear, but the rest bled together- I even lost count of Ranald for a bit and didn't realize he was with Hector for a looong time. Some of the names are close as well. There was even a short time where I confused his horse with his tracker (but only for a paragraph). lol.
2) The book uses two different names for each creature of the wild. There is a 'common' name and then the 'wild' name. The issue is that the 'wild' name is used haphazardly. It is not used only on a specific POV but instead is just thrown in. TBH I had no clue which creature was being referred to and could not be bothered to try and figure it out.
3) The book doesn't introduce the magic system. It just jumps right into it. Confusing. We learn more as it goes on, but early on it was not a clear topic.
- This quick 'glance' at each character, mixed with my confusion, made me not care for these side characters. They each needed longer sections early on for me to get to know them.
- Wow. This author really likes to have arrows hitting helmets. Open to a fight scene with arrows and there will be a mention of arrows hitting a helmet. There is one scene where the captain is fighting. He is on a horse and arrows are shot at them. Out of the 10-12 arrows shot, 0 hit the horse, 2 hit his shoulder/breastplate, and 8 hit his helmet. *rolls eyes*
1740698
This book is one that's slightly difficult to review, on one hand, I enjoyed how the author mixed the magic with his historical outlook and plus the action sequences were truly fun to read. The author also mixes a traditional family rivalry into the storyline which works nicely from a narrative standpoint. This is one of those books that will have you flipping pages because it's that fast paced and the storyline will have rooting for one individual or the other (aLa Kane vs Abel).

 The not-so-good thing is that if you are looking for a book that dwells deep into history and the use of magic, you won't find it here. This book is all about action, and focusses on our hero. This book reminded me a lot of Matthew Reilly's techno thrillers but with magic instead of the techno part. Enjoy it for what it: an action-oriented urban fantasy with military magic & what it's not: a boring book.
4580188
I enjoyed the way the author combined magic with Napoleon era fighting ships. The ships made on the backs of dragons made the story line interesting.