In the Heart of Darkness - Eric Flint and David Drake

   1998; 445 pages.  Book 2 (out of 6) in the “Belisarius Saga” series.  New Authors? : No.  Genres : Alternate History; Historical Fiction; India; Byzantine Empire.  Overall Rating : 8*/10.

 

    The Malwa are coming!  And they’re threatening to overrun the eastern part of the (Byzantine) Roman Empire!  Quick, send somebody to give them misinformation about our armies there, to scare then by vastly overstating our strength!

 

    Not a problem, sir.  We’ll send General Belisarius to their empire in India, and have him fake becoming a turncoat.  The Malwa will never suspect they’re being duped.

 

    The traitors are coming!  Our spies say a group of plotters plan to assassinate the Emperor Justinian in Constantinople and overthrow the Roman government!  Quick, tell General Belisarius to take command of the loyal Roman armies in that area!

 

    Um, sir.  He’s already on his way to India.

 

What’s To Like...

    In the Heart of Darkness is the second book in a 6-book series co-authored by David Drake and Eric Flint.  The series is based on a historical military commander of the 6^th-century Byzantine Empire.  The authors imagine an alternate timeline wherein Belisarius is aided by an entity from the future.

 

    There are two main plot threads, as hinted at in the introduction.  The setting for the first part of the book takes is almost exclusively India, with just a few cutaways to the Empress Theodora and Belisarius’s wife Antonina, back in Constantinople.  Both those ladies are badass dudettes, neither of whom you’d want to get into a fight with.  In the second half of the book, Belisarius returns to Constantinople to deal with the coup d’etat.

 

    I enjoyed the settings in both India and the Eastern Roman Empire in the 6^th-century.  They felt real to me, and introduced me to empires and historical figures that I knew little or nothing about.  In the Heart of Darkness is an ambitious blend of Historical-Fiction and Alt-History, two of my favorite genres.

 

    Most of Belisarius’s successes are due to his own well-reasoned unpredictability, but he occasionally gets advice from “Aide”, a futuristic spirit, probably computer generated, hiding out in an amulet Belisarius wears on a chain around his neck.  Aide’s insight is valuable, but limited.  His chief contribution is gunpowder, something unknown in our 6^th-century world.  But his attempts to get Belisarius to make mechanized rocket launchers is fruitless because back then the manufacturing technology was quite limited.

 

    The ending, detailing the resolution of the coup d’etat, covers about the last quarter of the book, yet didn’t feel drawn out because it was exciting and action-packed, with the future of the Byzantine Empire hanging in the balance.  The Epilogue updates a number of plot threads, and presumably sets up the next book in the series.

 

Kewlest New Word ...

    Bolides (n., pl.) : very large meteors which explode in the atmosphere.

    Others: Talus slope (n.); Debouched (v.); Epicanthic (adj.), Dacoits (n., pl.).

 

Ratings…
    Amazon: 4.6*/5, based on 487 ratings and 83 reviews.

    Goodreads: 4.21*/5, based on 2,682 ratings and 52 reviews.

 

Excerpts...

    “How do you get off this foul beast?” hissed the Empress.

    “Allow me, Your Majesty,” said Maurice.  The hecatontarch came forward with a stool in his hand.  He quieted the horse with a firm hand and a few gentle words.  Then, after placing the stool, assisted the Empress in clambering down to safety.

    Once on the ground, Theodora brushed herself off angrily.

    “Gods—what a stink!  Not you, Maurice.  The filthy horse.”  The Empress glowered at her former mount.  “They eat these things during sieges, I’ve heard.”

    Maurice nodded.

    “Well, that’s something to look forward to,” she muttered.  (pg. 229)

 

    “I know that crowd, Maurice.  I grew up with them.  Forty thousand Hippodrome thugs can swamp less than a thousand soldiers—but not without suffering heavy casualties.  Especially in the front ranks.”

    She pointing (sic) toward the mob.

    “I guarantee you, Maurice, they know it as well as we do.  And every single one of that crowd, right this very moment, is making the same vow.”

    She laughed, harshly.  “‘Victory!’  is just their official battle cry.  The real one—the private, silent one—is: you first!  Anybody but me!”  (pg. 414)

 

Kindle Details…

    In the Heart of Darkness does not appear to be available as a standalone e-book, although you can purchase it as part of a 2-book bundle that includes Book One, An Oblique Approach, for $8.99.  Curiously, the other five books in the series are all available as discrete e-books, and cost $6.99 apiece.

 

“God, my husband has the worst taste in generals!”  (pg. 51)

    The use of profanity is light; just 8 instances in the first 25% of the book.  Most of those were of the milder ilk, but one was an f-bomb, which always feels out of place to me when the setting is the ancient world.  The expletive f**k simply wasn’t around until the 16^th century or so.  Other R-rated stuff includes several allusions to “adult situations”.

 

    The authors use a lot of historical technical jargon in the text, such as “negusa nagast”, a title for an Ethiopian prince.  I liked the “realism” it imparted to the text, but a glossary of historical terms would have been handy.  Typos were sparse; just a couple of plural/singular slips: introduction/introductions and resident/residents.  And there was a chase scene which went on way too long.

 

    More serious is the fact that the first half of the book (set in India) seemed completely irrelevant to the second half (set in Constantinople).  I got the feeling I was reading something that was originally conceived as two separate novellas, then got squished together to make a full-length novel.

 

    But if you like reading about diplomatic intricacies and you persevere through the never-ending chase, you’ll be treated to a great finish, replete with lots of thrills-&-spills, and where the bad guys are just as resourceful as the good guys.

 

    8 Stars.  One last thing.  I think this is one of those series where you really want to read it in order.  I didn’t.  Learn from my mistake and buy the Books-One-&-Two bundle at Amazon.

Redliners - David Drake

  1997; 388 pages.  New Author? : No, but this is the first book of his I’ve read where there isn't a co-author.  Genre : Science Fiction; Military; Action-Thriller.  Overall Rating : 5*/10.

    The military has a word for them: Redliners. 

    It refers to combat troops who have witnessed such horrors, or been subject to such wartime ordeals, that psychologically they’ve been stretched to the point where they can snap any second.  They aren’t fit to be returned to combat duties in the future and placing them back in a civilian environment is just asking for a disaster.

    Major Arthur Farrell’s command, the Company of strikers known as C41, are Redliners.  They were sent into a advance-strike commando raid, suffered jaw-dropping casualties,  somehow and achieved their tactical goals, only to have higher-ups abort the overall mission and recall what was left of C41.  Their losses were in vain, and things got worse when they learned the enemy they had slaughtered consisted of civilian children.

    The conventional wisdom about what to do with Redliners is to send them on some easy and safe missions in the hopes that with time they’ll forget the horrors that caused them to redline.  The success rate of this isn’t impressive, but hey, what are the alternatives?

    Well, there is one other option, much more risky and unpopular than the conventional wisdom approach.

    Send them on a suicide mission and hope that most of them get killed, but not before they wipe out lots of the enemy.

What’s To Like...

    If you like lots of fighting, detailed tactics, and a gritty “War Is Hell” depiction of military life, then you’ll love Redliners.  The story could easily be set in Afghanistan or Iraq, but by putting it in a Science-Fiction setting David Drake can create all sorts of additional perils.  Here the plants and the ground are just as deadly as an enemy alien with a laser gun.

    The aliens here are called the Kalendru, and it is said that they ‘understand the concepts of “master” and “slave” but not of “equals”’.  It’s therefore a intergalactic fight to the death, and  sadly, conflicts such as this are a “kill or be killed” situation.  David Drake doesn’t prettify it in any way.  The good guys aren’t perfect, they can make mistakes.  The bad guys have some human qualities, but no matter what, they have to be killed.

    I liked the concept of forcing hardened soldiers and civilians to merge into a single unit, and then watching them somehow learn to coexist and cooperate with each other in order to survive.  It’s a slow, difficult process, but neither group has any choice in the matter.  There are a slew of characters from both groups for the reader to meet and greet.  Don’t get too attached to any of them; quite a few won’t be around by the end of the tale.

    The book is mostly in the 3^rd-person POV, although there’s a Prologue, Epilogue, and Interlude sections, which are in the 1^st-person.  There’s blood and gore, lots of killing, and oodles of cussing.  The action starts immediately, and never lets up.  It is a standalone novel, and not connected with any other of David Drake’s books.

    I enjoyed learning what calling a war-buddy “snake” means, and I thought the “null sacks” were neat.  It’s always a plus when Tchaikovsky’s music gets some ink.  Via Google, I learned that “Redlining” has several meanings, depending on what field it applies to.  Here, the dictionary definition that is most apt is “beyond the recommended safety limit”.

    Things build to a suitably climactic and exciting ending.  I wouldn’t call it “twisty”, but I did find it to be “bittersweet”, and that’s a plus.  I primarily think of David Drake as a Fantasy writer, but it was a interesting to see what he can do in the Military Science Fiction genre as well.

Kindle Details...

   ANAICT, Redliners is always free at Amazon.  David Drake is a prolific Sci-Fi and Fantasy author, writing both alone and with other authors.  He offers a half-dozen or so of his books for free, which is very generous of him.  The rest of his e-books are in the price range of $5.24 - $9.99, and a couple ‘bundles’  at $8.99.   Finally, it should be mentioned that he offers a 2^nd Edition of Redliners for $5.38, and with a note on the cover that it “includes all new content”.

Excerpts...

    “I didn’t understand how quick you had to be to survive,” Lock said softly.  He turned his face from Meyer.  His eyes were on the forest, but she wasn’t sure they were focusing.

    “When the savages came out of the trees I just looked at them,” Lock said to the forest.  “And one of them grabbed Alison.  And I said, I said, ‘What are you doing?’ and he cut her head off.  Like that.  And he grabbed me and you killed him.” (…)

    He began to cry.  “You were trying to keep us alive and I didn’t understand,” he said through tears.  “I’m a lawyer, Ms. Meyer.  I don’t belong here and I didn’t understand.”  (loc. 2939)

    Abbado got along better in the forest than Gabrilovitch did.  Both sergeants viewed the vegetation as an enemy, but the fact didn’t particularly bother Abbado.  To him, enemies were something a striker fought or avoided; it didn’t matter whether they had bark or pale gray skin.

    Gabe found the forest’s malevolence unnatural, even supernatural.  Imagination made Gabrilovitch a good scout, whereas Abbado’s two-valued logic – kill it or run – had struck Blohm as simple-minded during the year and a half he’d known the man.  (loc. 3480)

 Life was a series of tradeoffs.  Until you died.  (loc. 2157)

    For all its thrills and spills and realism, Redliners lacks one essential component: an overall, coherent plotline.  In theory this is a story about the colonization of a new planet by us Earthlings; in practice that never gets started because of the life-threatening dangers as soon as the ship lands.  I thought that the non-stop fighting would eventually end and the book would get on with setting up the groundwork of civilization, but that never happened.

    The ending at least brings a closure to the book-long fighting, and does a decent job of that.  But it doesn’t change the fact that there Is. No. Plot.

    David Drake is a Vietnam vet, and I read somewhere that writing Redliners was a catharsis for him in dealing with that experience.  I haven’t verified this, but it would give cause to the prolonged fighting, and the many casualties.  In any case, David Drake is a skilled writer, and I found myself turning the pages despite wondering where the heck the plotline was.

    Hey, if it helped him come to grips with the Vietnam struggle, more power to him and this book.  The fact that this is an always-free book, and that the cover of the second edition promises that it “includes all new content”  indicates to me that Mr. Drake is aware that this book might not resonate with everyone.

    5 Stars.  Add 3 stars if you read Military Science-Fiction stories for the Military more than the Science-Fiction.  You’ll have a blast reading this book.  Literally.

The Hammer - S.M. Stirling and David Drake

   1992; 290 pages.  New Authors? : No, and no.    Genre : Science Fiction; Military Fiction.  Book #2 (out of 7) of the “General” series.  Overall Rating : 8*/10.

    It’s been two years since the events of the first book in this series, wherein Raj Whitehall made a name for himself by saving the Civil Government’s butt.  Twice, even.  Now, Governor Barholm deems it’s time to go on the offensive and reclaim the long-lost southern territories.  And who better to lead the near-suicidal campaign than the current hero?

   For Raj, it is a lose-lose situation.  Defeat will mean his head will be cut off and stuck on a pole in enemy lands somewhere.  Success will increase his fame and popularity.  But the Civil Government grows fearful when their military leaders get too popular.  And they have ways of eliminating such figures.

What’s To Like...

     The “Warhammer” style is identical to the previous book in the series, The General, reviewed here.  The odds are overwhelmingly against Raj; the only thing he’s got going is the computer in his head and a small, but well-trained army.

    The tone is once again gritty, but the use of violence seems to blend better with the storyline here.  Some of the good guys die; some of the bad guys get away.  But you can probably guess the outcome, since Tewfik isn’t in this book.  There’s a pair of gay lovers/commanders in Raj’s elite inner circle.  That’s kinda daring and kewl, given that The Hammer was written in 1992, before the Gay Rights movement had really taken off.

    There is some humor amongst the gore; particularly the worship of the Almighty Computer.  I still like saying “Endfile” instead of “Amen”.

    This is an R-Rated book – for the violence, the cusswords, the merciless retributions, and the adult situations.  Some of us think that’s a plus.

Kewlest New Word...

Panjandrum  (n.)  :  a person who has or claims to have a great deal of authority or influence.

Excerpts...

    “I can’t interfere in Messer Staenbridge’s household,” she pointed out gently.

    “Oh, I take care of that.  I got Gerrin to promise I could come as long as I healthy – now he and Barton trying to get me pregnant again so I have to stay home.”

    “You don’t like that?” Suzette said, surprised.

    “Oh, I like the trying, just don’t want it to work.”  (pg. 18)

    How are we doing, Center? Raj thought bitterly.

    better than expected, Center replied.

    Raj stiffened in surprise; the machine voice sounded almost jovial.

    if the enemy reacts perfectly, both in making a plan on the basis of statistically-insignificant intelligence and in execution of that plan, then they could successfully attack us tonight.  in that case, I will begin to believe in a god myself.  A pause, perhaps a heartbeat long. theirs.  (pg. 126)

 “Goodwill and artillery will get you more than goodwill.”  (pg. 54)

    One giant plus – the editing and proofing is greatly improved from Book 1.  I think I only caught one typo here.

    The Hammer focuses more on Raj and less on (the computer) Center.  Maybe it was just because Raj has learned to listen to the electronic advice.  Maybe there’s only so much you can do with a computer personality.  Either way, I liked the switch.

   The ending wraps up the immediate storyline nicely, although it is also somewhat of a cliffhanger, as Raj heads back to the capital to face the judgment and jealousy of the civil authorities.  With seven books in this series, I have a feeling that each one will cover a campaign by Raj and highlight the increasing tension between the army and the government.  We shall see.

    The writing is a bit more polished.  The irksome typos have been virtually eliminated.  But, as with any “middle” book in a series, there isn’t a lot of advancement in the “big picture” – how the exploits of Raj are going to impact the history of his own nation.  8 Stars.  As before, add one star if war-gaming is your cup of tea.

The Forge - S.M. Stirling and David Drake

   1991; 323 pages.  New Author? : Yes and No.  Book #1 (out of 7 or so) of the series “The General”.  Genre : Science Fiction; Space Opera.  Overall Rating : 8½*/10.

    Raj Whitehall is the Chosen One; the Avatar.  His task :  to reunite the planet Bellevue, and reverse the downward trend of its civilization.  The odds are staggering.  The enemy has a bigger and better army than Raj’s ragtag crew.  And jealous colleagues – both military and political – wouldn’t be too unhappy to see Raj fail.

    But he’s been chosen by God.  Well, actually it was a computer that wormed into his head.  And although it can crunch data and spit out probabilities with dazzling speed, it too has its limitations.  Good luck to you, Raj.  Here’s hoping your head doesn’t end up on a pole.

What’s To Like...
    The setting is on a foreign planet, after the collapse of a pan-galactic federation.  The level of arms is roughly Civil War era – swords and cannons; rifles and knives.  Instead of horses, there are giant dogs to ride into battle.

    According to Wikipedia, David Drake developed the outline for the story, and S.M. Stirling fleshed it out.  The Forge certainly has a Stirling “feel” to it.  The action is fast-paced, and the warfare is downright brutal.  There is blood and gore, rape and child molestation, and plentiful cussing.  And this was all by the good guys.  War is hell.

    The computer-in-Raj’s-head is nicely done.  Raj’s thoughts are in Italics, input from the computer in Bold.  This makes it easy for the reader to follow.  The enemy general, Tewfik, is a formidable foe; one might even say that he’s a more-skilled commander than Raj.  And Suzette, Raj’s wife, will make you wonder who’s side she's on, and if the smartest one in Raj’s own household is female.

    I had mixed feelings about the treatment of religions.  The worship of the computer is ingenious, but the other religions found here are “real world” – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.  The first two have only cameo roles; but the bad guys here are all stereotyped Islamic fanatics.  Given the prevalence of anti-Arab hatred in the world today, one wonders why Stirling felt compelled to “fan the flames” instead of inventing some otherworldly religions.

Kewlest New Word...
Loggia (n.) : a gallery or room with one or more open sides, esp. one that forms part of a house and has one side open to the garden.
 

Excerpts...

    The trees left a narrow slit of moonlight down the crown of the dirt road; the men of the 5^th advanced up the sides by sections, alternating right and left.  There was surprisingly little noise, but then these were hunters, after all; part of a boy’s training back home was to be sent out with a rifle and one round, with a beating and no supper if he came back without game.  (pg. 104)

    “They’ve got better engineers, we’ve got better mechanics . . . I’m glad it’s Jamal in charge, though.”
    “Why?” Gerrin asked, glancing up from a whispered consultation with Kaltin Gruder.
    “Tewfik’s a saber general, feint, feint, off with your head.  Jamal . . . I’ve studied his campaigns in the east, and down against the Zanj.  He uses the hammer-hammer method; walk up to someone and start whipping on them with your hammer.  If it breaks, you send back to stores for a bigger hammer.”  (pg. 265)

“Revenge tastes better as dessert than appetizer.”  (pg. 273)
    The two main battles are sketched out via maps in the back of the book.  If you’re into war-gaming (moving a thousand little individually-painted figures around a giant battleground arrayed upon a table), then you’ll love the maps.  I didn’t need them – Stirling’s recounting of the battles is clear and well-done.  And I’m not a war-gamer, although I have stood and watched the activity at my local D&D store.

    There is one major weakness to The Forge - the proofreading.  It is atrocious, and that’s putting it nicely.  I thought I was reading a self-published Kindle effort.  Lead/Led; rein/reign; compell/compel; excell/excel; (Spellcheck is fighting me on these); plauge/plague; spurrs/spurs; weasles/weasels; panneled/paneled; anymore/any more; seige/siege; troup/troupe; survivers/survivors; lept/leapt; spunged/sponged; “cleanly” used as an adjective.  And the biggest one of all, the planet Bellevue misspelled as “Bellview” on the back cover.    Holy Slop-Job, Baen Books.  I thought being picked up by a publishing company meant professional editing.

    8½ Stars.  Subtract two stars if the horrors of war offend you; add one-half star if, unlike me,  you’re not a grammar Nazi.