fantasy book reviews science fiction book reviewsStorm Surge by Taylor Anderson epic fantasy book reviewsStorm Surge by Taylor Anderson

Storm Surge (2013), the eighth book in Taylor Anderson’s DESTROYERMEN series, is exactly what I was expecting, which means that while I enjoyed checking in on Captain Reddy and his crew and alliances in the alternate earth they found themselves in during WWII, I continued to wonder how long Anderson can draw out this war. Sure, world wars take years, so it’s not that I find the plot unrealistic (excepting the part about the parallel universe), but it’s just that I don’t really want to read about the same war for 154 hours (which is how long the series, so far, takes when reading it in audio format).

Well, it’s not all war, of course. Storm Surge starts at a baseball game in Manila — the Americans have taught their national sport to the Lemurians, the cat-like creatures they’ve allied with against the dinosaur-like Grik in this world were evolution produced those races instead of humans. Captain Reddy is healing from the wounds he took in the battle that ended the previous book, Iron Gray Sea. His forces are spread over half this world as they work on various projects, negotiate with allies, escape capture, discover secrets, develop new weapons, etc. As soon as Reddy is ready (sorry), they’ll strike a massive campaign that they hope will end the Grik empire and its alliance with a bad “Jap” who has also crossed over into this alternate Earth. Reddy has an ethical dilemma approaching: if they can develop a nerve gas, should they use it? Reddy hates the idea, but realizes it may save more lives in the long run.Destroyermen (Book Series) by Taylor Anderson

I love Anderson’s characters; the Destroyermen and their new friends are wonderfully portrayed and it’s fun to see their little quirks, listen to their bantering with each other, and watch them develop as they find themselves in leadership positions in this new world. Some of them die, including in this book, and it’s sad to see them go. For many fans of the series, just this interaction with these terrific people will be enough to make them love Storm Surge.

However, I found myself getting impatient with the pace of the story and the numerous battle scenes. Each battle is excellently described and they’re all different and exciting, but it’s just that I’m tired of the war. The characters say they’re tired of it, too, so I’m sure they wouldn’t blame me for feeling this way. Like them, I’m ready for the war to be over and to move on to another phase of life such as Courtney Bradford’s explorations of the Galapagos Islands, something he’s anxious to do but that hasn’t panned out because they’re always preparing for war, at war, or recovering from war. At the end of Storm Surge, there are devastating loses and encouraging triumphs. But it doesn’t look like the war is going to be over any time soon….

I continue to listen to Tantor Audio’s version of the DESTROYERMEN series read by William Dufris. A few of his voices for the Lemurians are annoying, but overall his narration continues to be excellent. Storm Surge is 18 hours long.

Published in 2013. In the Pacific, as USS Walker is repaired and updated after a previous battle and Matt Reddy is healing from his wounds, planning begins for a bold raid on the very heart of the Grik Empire. But time is running out for the Alliance army in Indiaa, and the Allied forces in the west must gather in an unprecedented land, air, and sea campaign to destroy the mighty Grik battle fleet and break through to their relief. All other plans go on hold when the attempt proves more difficult—and more heartbreakingly costly—than anyone imagined. Meanwhile, the struggle continues on other fronts near and far: in the jungles of Borno in distant southern Africa and in the Americas, where the Allies are finally learning the terrible truth about the twisted Dominion. The Alliance is on the offensive everywhere, but their enemies have a few surprises, including new weaponry and new tactics…and a stunning geographic advantage that Reddy never suspected. Until now.

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  • Kat Hooper

    KAT HOOPER, who started this site in June 2007, earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience and psychology at Indiana University (Bloomington) and now teaches and conducts brain research at the University of North Florida. When she reads fiction, she wants to encounter new ideas and lots of imagination. She wants to view the world in a different way. She wants to have her mind blown. She loves beautiful language and has no patience for dull prose, vapid romance, or cheesy dialogue. She prefers complex characterization, intriguing plots, and plenty of action. Favorite authors are Jack Vance, Robin Hobb, Kage Baker, William Gibson, Gene Wolfe, Richard Matheson, and C.S. Lewis.

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