Chris Kennedy and James L. Young Present Those in Peril (The Phases of Mars Book 1)

Welcome to the third and final installment of this year's Memorial Day Event, Day Late/Dollar Short Edition. My apologies, but as a Lyft driver in Detroit during the Movement Music Festival weekend, I was wiped by the holiday and, seeing as I hadn't done my review ahead of time the way I had planned it out months ago, I ended up sleeping when I should have been writing. I assure you I hadn't intended for that to happen, but I also had slept an average of about four hours a night for three days in a row and, when I got home from a memorial service on Memorial Day I sat down for "just a minute" and woke up five minutes after I should have left for work. Oops.

At any rate...

Today's review (that should have happened yesterday) is Those in Peril, and anthology edited by Chris Kennedy and James L. Young. I did Chris's Bio on Sunday and I'm extremely lazy, so you can feel free to look there if you want to know more about him. If you haven't read it, you probably should. He's an impressive guy.

The other editor of the anthology is James L. Young. He served in the Army after completing his degree at West Point. He served from 1997 to 2003. He was an armor officer, attaining the captain at the end of his career and was the Executive Officer of the First Stryker Brigade (C 1/14). He says he was stationed in both Korea and Germany. I wonder if he got any cool electronics for cheap, being that close to Japan. I would have if it would've been me.

Oh, and just to take note, the following authors of stories in Those In Peril are veterans or currently serving:

Kacey Ezell (her bio is actually here) is active duty US Air Force.
Stephen J. Simmons is a veteran of the US Navy.
Joelle Presby is a US Navy Veteran.
Phillip Wolrab is a veteran of the US Army.
Doug Dandridge is a veteran of the US Army.
Philip S. Bolger is a veteran of the US Army.
Justin Watson is a veteran of the US Army and a West Point graduate.

If I missed anyone, it is because I didn't see a reference to your service in your bio and I didn't do any real research. If this happened it is totally my fault and I apologize.


So first, a few thoughts on Those in Peril as a whole: I really enjoyed it. Then again, it's an Alternate History anthology featuring navies and naval combat and I've loved Alt Hist since I was first introduced to the concept. With the exception of the first story, it appears to have been set up in chronological order. I loved that about it. There is no continuity per se as each story has a separate Point of Departure and they don't work as a continuous story. That's okay though, and it's a lot easier to follow a bunch of different stories if they're in a definable order and you can get your brain to follow things in a logical order, if that makes sense.

Anyone who follows this blog ought to know that I'm a big fan of the Dama. She's one of the main authors in the Four Horsemen Universe and I'm a member of the fan club.  So when Those in Peril opened with "Naked," a story by Kacey Ezell I got excited, especially since I really liked Minds of Men, the first book in her Pscyche of War series and this is a story set in the same universe. I was not disappointed. Psychic women and warfare go together like peas and carrots or Forrest and Jenny. I read this one twice just because I could.
her Pscyche of War series and this is a story set in the same universe. I was not disappointed. Psychic women and warfare go together like peas and carrots or Forrest and Jenny. I read this one twice just because I could.

Up next is "Captain Bellamy's War,"by Stephen J. Simmons. a story in which the English pirates in the Bahamas declare independence and found their own nation. You can't beat a story that includes the phrase "Admiral Blackbeard." It's just not physically possible. But...

But...

It's a short. It needs to be a novel.

I WANT THIS TO BE A NOVEL.

*POUT*

*SIGH*

I guess Mick Jagger was right.

I can't always get what I want.

*WHINE*

NOT FAIR!!!

Well...

If Stephen J. Simmons gets it written and published, I promise him one guaranteed sale.

After that, we get "A Safe Wartime Posting" by Joelle Presby. It's the story of a guy sent out to keep the president's nephew from getting himself in trouble and features a setting with the US and Germany allied in fighting World War I. I really enjoyed this one. I could totally see Woodrow Wilson pulling a stunt like this, too.

"Beatty's Folly" by Philip Wohlrahb is another story about the US fighting against the British during World War I. It features an angry Theodore Roosevelt and that's a concept that should be more than a little bit frightening. It's predicated on the fact that France assisted the South during the US Civil War and kept the fighting going until 1867. The US supports a rebellion in Ireland. Lots of stuff goes boom. It's a good time.

"Martha Coston and the Farragut Curse" by Day Al-Mohamed is the story of Martha Coston and her invention of signal flares. I like this story because it brings up a good point about naval warfare and history in general: It is often the usung person that saves the day. In this case, it's a woman who knows a lot of chemistry. It also helps that she's no one's fool and pays attention to what is going on around her. Hold on: Could I have enjoyed this story so much because I like sciency females? Nahh...

"The Blue and the Red: Palmerston's Ironclads" is another story about the English and Americans trying to kill each other on the water, only this time with a twist: The main character is a reporter who gets captured. I had fun  with this one. Often in military history and/or fiction we read about the bond between all warriors but something that nearly always gets left out is that people outside the military form bonds too. This is a story (at least in some ways) about the bond between reporters. It features plenty of fighting to keep your bloodlust sated too.

"Far Better to Dare" by Rob Howell is the US vs. Spain ala the Spanish and American War only later in history and with better technology. We get a view from the deck of an American battleship. I find it interesting as well that they Americans in the story are able to identify only the class of their enemies and not the exact ships. It's the type of thing I'd seen in Star Trek a million times but I hadn't considered that it would work that way in the real world. That's a good bit of added realism that was really cool.

"Off Long Island: 1928" by Doug Dandridge is the story of a British and American war set in the late 1920s and a particular battle contained therein. I like this story a lot, both for the action and because the author included a conversation at the beginning that really helped place this story in context of a war that never actually happened. I really wish that there was a novel to go with this one.

Ahoy! A new Sarah Hoyt novel has been sighted off the port bow! That has me excited because I'm a fan and it's been awhile. "For Want of a Pin" is the story of a young girl from Portugal (where Hoyt grew up) fleeing an invasion by France and headed to Brazil. It's more character driven than combat driven, but I've always liked that about Hoyt's writing and this story is no exception.

"Nothing Sufficient Can Be Said to Describe It" by Meriah Crawford is the story of a man and his Grandaughter conversing about a battle he has been researching. Maybe it's just the historian in me, or maybe I'm going soft in my old age, but I really enjoyed this one. This story really has an episodic feel to it because of the letters and the breaks between them. I enjoyed it.

"Corsairs and Tenzans" Philip S. Bolger is the story of the US and Japan united in Alliance against Nazi Germany. I find the concept of an "Oahu Pact" to be fascinating. This is another one I'd like to see turned into a novel. I don't really like Germany's chances in a naval war against either country, quite frankly, but it'd be fun to watch them get taken down. Yamamoto Isoroku having a conversation with Chester Nimitz gave me goosebumps.  Well done Bolger!

"For a Few Camels More" by Justin Watson is the story of a Japanese submarine and her crew doing mercenary work after the end of the Second World War. This one has plenty of suspense and intrigue to go along with some actual combat. I have a soft spot for mercenary stories to begin with but this is a good story because of more than just that.

NATO Capitalist Running Pig-Dogs versus the Soviet Red Menace! "Per Mare Per Terram" by Jan Niemczyk is a story of the fight I wanted as a kid. It is also the story of the fight I feared would come as a kid. I'm from Detroit and we were a major industrial target. The thought of extreme heat followed by a mushroom cloud was on that freaked me out from way before I was old enough to actually be thinking of any such thing. Niemczyk may have set his story a couple of decades later, but it still scratches that itch for me.

Reading the blurb after the story, I realized that this was part of a novel. I went to Amazon to buy said novel. Then I realized that it wasn't there because it's a web novel, so I clicked the link. I couldn't get access. Does anyone know how I can access this novel? I need to know how it ends.

Anyone who reads the blog knows that I'm a James Young fan. Stories like "Fate of the Falklands" are why. The Falklands War is not something that is well known by American audiences but it should be. The fight doesn't turn out the way you'd expect (I mean, it's alt hist right?) but this is a damn good story. I've read it twice. I'll probably read it again.

All in all I really enjoyed this anthology. There may have been a few more stories centered around a war between the US and UK than was technically necessary, but I think that's just me whining because it made the work harder to review. (Seriously, two stories about the US and UK fighting are easy to differentiate if you've read the whole story. They're not so easy to differentiate in a paragraph as part of a review. Hopefully I did a decent job.) That much having been said, it's still a great book that's worth your time and money. I'm really looking forward to To Slip the Surly Bonds, the next anthology in the series.

Bottom Line: 4.5 out of 5 Sixteen Inch Shells

Those in Peril (The Phases of Mars Book 1)
Chris Kennedy and James L Young ed.
Theogony Books, 2019

Those in Peril (The Phases of Mars Book 1) is available for purchase at the following link:

My apologies

To anyone looking for the Memorial Day post of my three part Memorial Day event:

Sorry.

I fell asleep after I went to a memorial this morning and was supposed to leave for work an hour ago. I'll get it tomorrow. I'm really embarrassed.

Chris Kennedy's Occupied Seattle

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This is the second installation of my Memorial Day weekend binge of reviews of books written by veterans of the American armed forces and featuring the United States Armed Forces in action. Mr. Kennedy is a former Naval Aviator. He flew the A-6E Intruder bomber off of carriers as well as the EP-3E reconaissance aircraft. He flew during the Kosovo conflict and during Desert Shield and Storm. He retired after 20 years as a Commander. Oh, and yes it's more Speculative Fiction than Science Fiction, but who gives a rip? It's a good book.

(Astute readers will notice that this is precisely the same paragraph I used before I reviewed Red Tide last year, almost like it was cut and pasted. What a weird coincidence. Oh, and I just got home from church and need to leave for work in a bit so this may be a little shorter than normal. My apologies to Mr. Kennedy. I hope he doesn't mind.)

WARNING WARNING WARNING: Reading Chris Kennedy's Occupied Seattle before you have to be someplace is contraindicated. It is also a bad idea to think you'll get to bed on time while reading this one. I mean seriously, you might want to contact your significant other and inform them that you'll be missing for probably about half the time it would normally read a book. Why only half? Because you'll be so engrossed you'll be done in half the amount of time that you usually would. Yeah, it's that good.

I like the way the plot works in this one. Speaking as a dude with a history degree who has done a lot of reading of military history, a lot of crap in war happens because something weird happens somewhere. Seriously, the mass bombing of London, and thereafter Germany, during World War Two happened because a German bomber got lost and jettisoned its bomb load over a civilian area (as opposed the the RAF base it was meant for). I seriously doubt that the Pentagon would plan to repel an invasion look anything like what happens in Occupied Seattle but the scenario contained in the book is actually believable.

Equally as important to the plot of Occupied Seattle is the old adage that no plan survives contact with the enemy. Contingency planning is a good thing, but the other guy gets a vote in how things go too. Neither side gets everything to go right, but the plot hinges on the small things that add up to big ones. It makes sense. War is a very human endeavor and things go wrong all the time. It's good to see a book that uses that very premise.


It's not my first time noting this, and I should probably be used to it by now, but it's always surprising to read a work written by a flyboy that does ground combat this well. The combat in Occupied Seattle is fast paced and frequent. This is the story of the US repelling a Chinese invasion of Seattle. There needs to be fighting. Kennedy does it well. I mean, Asbaran Solutions is still the best written ground combat I've read, but I think Kennedy will be okay with that, since he wrote Asbaran Solutions too. And that's saying something: I'm a huge Tom Kratman fan and he's a former infantry officer. I know good military fiction when I read it, and Kennedy has the technique down.

Of course, you'll get some sea and air combat as well. Kennedy does that superbly, but that's what he's experienced with in the real world, so it's kind of what I expected. That's not to say it was done well; far from it. I enjoyed those parts of the book immensely. I just knew that I would. 

I love the characters in this book as well. Whether it's two twins trying to outdo each other, or a pilot running a ground unit, they're well thought out and make sense. No one is perfect, not even the members of the military in the book. I can think of one particular Master Chief that doesn't quite fit the stereotype too. That's okay. People are people and they don't always fit into neat little boxes.

The civilians in the book act right as well. Americans are not lemmings who would follow an invader to their own doom. They wouldn't take an invasion lying down and they don't. Oh,and of course the American citizenry has a high incidence of firearms ownership and a large number of veterans mixed in. Kennedy nails the attitude of the common man perfectly.

I remember taking a writing class in college and my professor informing me that I used too many characters. I also know I've read a ton of books that had and needed a Dramatis Personae in the back. Kennedy manages to avoid all of that. There are enough characters here to make the story work but not enough to create needless clutter.

And that's it because I was supposed to leave here five minutes ago.

Bottom Line: 4.75 out of 5 Expended Rounds

Chris Kennedy
Occupied Seattle
Theogony Books, 2015

Occupied Seattle is available for purchase at the following link:

Memorial Day Event Part One: David Guenther's Zombie Airman

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Welcome once again to the Jimbo's Awesome Science Fiction and Fantasy Reviews Memorial Day Event!

This year, I'll be reviewing three books in three days all of which were written by veterans and feature the US Military in action. It's an awesome chance to highlight some of the people who have put their asses on the line to keep mine and read some military science fiction and/or fantasy in the process. And I mean, I love our veterans almost as much as I love a good book and I love a good book almost as much as I love my kids. So this a totes legit thing, right?

But enough about me, let's talk about David Guenther, author of Zombie Airman and a longtime veteran of the United States Air Force. (I may be crazy, but I think that might be why it's Zombie Airman and not Zombie Soldier or Zombie Marine.)David served from 1982 to 2003, retiring at the rank of Master Sergeant (E-7). He was a 1T191 Aircrew Life Support mechanic and was deployed for Display Determination (part of Desert Storm), Desert Storm itself, Operation Southern Watch and Operation Enduring Freedom. Guenther had a part in saving many pilots after they had punched out. He worked on the C141B Air Lifter, C-5 Galaxy, F-16, A-10 (just like my buddy Swen!), OV-10, F-111E, B-52, KC-135, KC-10 and T-37. He sent me a list of places he's been stationed as long as my arm and I'm not going to list them all because I want to get to the review part of the review sometime today, BUT he also served at Eielson AFB, where my grandfather had served as a young man decades earlier, and I think that's really cool. He also, at least if I'm interpreting this right, did some work providing SERE training to our pilots.

Oh, and did I mention that I'm reviewing one of his books today?

Zombie Airman is starts in the right place and it FREAKING STAYS THERE. Seriously folks, how many times have we been "treated" (I'm looking at you TWD) to a story where our hero gets hurt,  conks out and wakes up like a month after the whole world has gone to Hell. Not this book. We're there right at the start and the whole book is set in the first few days after things break down. It gets ugly quickly, which makes sense in a zombie story, but we get to see it get bad instead of seeing it after it's already bad. I really like that aspect of it.

Something else that has always driven me crazy (Once again looking at you, TWD) is that writers of zombie stories always seem to assume that the military is going to go tits up in the apocalypse. NEWSFLASH: The military has plans and supplies for when Shit Hits the Fan and the training and knowledge to use both. So not only did Guenther hit on a logical way to start clearing zombies and fixing things, he found probably the only logical way. The military (especially after eighteen years of war) is made up of survivors and people how know how to get things done. If anyone survives the zombie apocalypse it's going to be the military. This is the second series I've seen where the whole world hinges on the reactions of the military. Hopefully this turns into a trend.

A huge part of what makes this book work is not just the military though, it's the characters. One of my favorite characters is named Gloria. She's a smart, tough, woman with some world experience and knowledge of the streets. She's hard when she needs to be, but she's a good person too. She is helpful to those around her that deserve it (yes, I said that) and knows when to clear out to keep herself and those that matter safe. Seriously. Gloria is the kind of person you can trust. She is the kind of person you want at your back whether it's the Zombie Apocalypse or just an average Sunday when you're trying to deal with a situation.

One of the strengths of Zombie Airman is that the characters (that haven't been turned) have a tendency to act in a logical and intelligent manner unless they're in a panic. I like that. We all know the commercial where the people in the horror movie skip past the started car and go hide behind the chainsaws, right? You don't get that here. These are smart people acting in a rational manner doing things to help themselves.  And sometimes, they act normal in other places. Something a lot of non-military writers writing military fiction (even the writers who do it well) forget is that normal stuff still matters. It makes sense that a character who has been through a lot and gotten all icky is going to want to eat a meal and take a shower. Guenther puts that in here.

Well, unless it's Caleb. Sort of. I mean, he deals with things in a mostly rational manner except that he seems to be a boy off on a lark. He's the zombie airman in the title. I like the kid despite his brash manner. And I get his sacrifice. I know all about the horrors of letting someone else drive my vehicle. He seems to get through it though. I'm proud of him.

Zombie Airman showcases a new type of zombie that we've not seen before. I don't want to spoil too much but I've definitely never seen zombies do some of the things they do in this book. I really enjoyed that. I mean, there are certain things that zombies have to be, and they're all of those but they're more than just the shambling horde screaming "Braaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiins." Also, at least in one aspect they're kind of reminiscent of vampires, even if they don't suck blood. There is at least one other major difference that I'm not going to spoil because I suck. If you really want to know, buy the book or check it out on Kindle Unlimited. I encourage it. It's worth your time and your loot.

Zombie Airman is also a book that doesn't shy away from political realities. There are some things in here that make sense in a real world context that I wish didn't. The world Guenther builds is based closely on our own in the present day, with all of the warts and foibles that you would expect. Guenther's years as a leader appear to have given him a good working knowledge of human nature as it manifests in legitimate interactions. 

Having said that, I do have one minor complaint about Zombie Airman: Guenther uses a lot of military abbreviations. Military people have a tendency to do that. There are a lot of things in the military that need abbreviating. I'm not so sure that something that works perfectly well in an After Action Report works as well in a novel though. I'm thinking that this would be a better book with just a few minutes work using find and replace and either putting "Airman First Class" where it says A1C, or maybe just deleting it in a lot of places. The book would just read more cleanly that way and the story would still be just as awesome since it wouldn't be changing anything there.

And the story itself is awesome. Zombie Airman is action packed and fun. There are definitely some moments that are kind of icky, but it's a freaking ZOMBIE NOVEL. If you want squeaky clean fun, go watch a Disney movie. There is a ton of action-packed hardcore violence of the type that it would take to survive in an environment full of things that want to eat you. Guenther's characters are not bloodthirsty and savage, but they don't waste their time handwringing when they should be fighting. These are the people I'd want at my side if it all went down. Happily though, I'm stuck with only reading about them.

Bottom Line: 4.5 out of 5 Infected Victims

Zombie Airman
David Guenther
Self Published, 2018

Zombie Airman is available for purchase at the following link:



https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F31TCVB/

Richard Hummel's Radioactive Evolution

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I like mashups. They make me happy. So, say, if someone were to cross some LitRPG with a bit of Post Apocalyptic Fiction and maybe toss in a medical technology angle, I think I'd probably enjoy that. Uhh..

Wait...

Richard Hummel already did that.

Radioactive Evolution is a successful mix of all of the above. I really enjoyed this one. And for more than one reason.

I'm a fan of zombie fiction (and I've got a review coming as part of my Memorial Day event that is exactly that) but sometimes I think that modern day authors have forgotten that it's possible to do PA Fic without zombies. I'm glad to note that Richard Hummel remembers.

The Earth of Radioactive Evolution is not a friendly place, even if Jared, our main character, is a pretty friendly dude when he can be. The fact remains that most of humanity lives in the ruins of what went before. Radiation is so pervasive that humans that live on the surface have to have regular boosters of nannites in order to protect themselves from the radiation. The good news here is that they energy provided by the nannites powers their bodies and they have no need for food as long as they're someplace with a high radiation count. I'd hate to be an unaugmented human there, but as long as a person gets the nannites they need, they're okay. Of course, it's not always easy to get the boosters...

So yeah, conflict happens and the people on the surface suffer. They people of the Cities, which are in the sky, appear to be much better off. People on the ground resent them, even though they're the ones who make the boosters. So far, we don't know much about the people of the Cities and they're kind of cardboard cutouts, but this is the first book in a series and I'm thinking that Hummel didn't want to give up all of his secrets in the initial volume. That makes sense. Keeping some things to reveal later is how an author keeps his readers interested. I approve.

Part of what really kept me in this book is the LitRPG angle. Players of just about any MMORPG will recognize the process of improving a character and gradually becoming immune to what were once deadly threats. It doesn't matter if we're talking about a Young Kodiak in the West Commons or a Gorilla in Stranglethorn Vale, at some point the deadly threat becomes chump change. That happens here. Radioactive Evolution is a story of survival. It is a story of character progression and accepting responsibility.

It is also, however, a story of RPG style progression and building a character through fighting and gaining experience. The book refers to the process as absorbing and assigning nannites, but that's basically how it works. I like the method of progression too. If you played World of Warcraft during Vanilla or Burning Crusade and can read Radioactive Evolution and not scream "OH MY GOD TALENT TREE" at least once you're either superhuman or not paying attention. New abilities get added as Jared and Scarlet level up. And get this: It's not an artifact that gets taken away at the end of the expansion either.

*SIGH*

Nope. Not bitter. Why are you asking?

I don't really like to do spoilers, but if I don't mention that Jared finds himself a dragon to bond with early in the story then I'm not doing my job here. Scarlet is just too much a part of the story to leave out of a review. She's more intelligent than a human. She can evolve using nannites as well and she does... a lot. She has this weird function, where she's the carrier of ancient lore, but also doesn't know much about humanity. She's Spock mixed with Kess, with a side of Worf and maybe just a touch of Odo.  (If you're not a Star Trek fan you don't get that. I feel bad for you.)

Fans of the Post Apocalyptic genre will be familiar with the Mad Max type thing where what's left of the world consists of only one type of environment. I'm happy to say that's not the case here. We see cityscapes, wilderness, military compounds, flight and even underground tunnels. There's a lot of variety in places and things. Jared and Scarlet are constantly moving and experiencing different things and different threats. The threats are great, but so are the rewards.

And there are most definitely threats. If you feel safe at just about any point in this story, you're not paying attention. Even some of the things that shouldn't be dangerous are. Jared and Scarlet can run. They can hide. They can fight. The one thing it never makes sense to do is relax. Something is always out there. Something is always watching. In the world of Radioactive Evolution, getting lazy means taking unnecessary risks.

It's fun to watch the two grow together too. They start off not knowing much about each other. They start off not knowing much about each others' species. By the end of the book, they're very much friends and, while they still don't understand each other perfectly, they're getting figuring things out between them. They're learning to relate to others better as well.  I can't wait to see how close they get in the future.

And there will be a future. Or, maybe it's closer to the truth to say there already IS a future. The next book is already out and, while I'm not real sure if I like the fact that the titles are so close together (I recently received a link to the book. It's called Radioactive Revolution and when I first looked at it, I thought it was the same book) I really am excited to read it. There is a lot of story left to be told. I'm guessing there will be more than one sequel, but I haven't read the new one yet so I can't say for sure.

Seriously folks, this one is worth your time and money (Although Kindle Unlimited users can get it for free as part of your subscription). I'd definitely encourage you all to check it out.

Bottom Line: 4.75 out of 5 Nannite Boosters

Radioactive Evolution
Richard Hummel
Hummel Books, 2018

Radioactive Evolution is available for purchase at the following link:

Happy Stuff, Sad Stuff

(Author's Note: I'm typing this on my phone. I'll do my best to make it look like it was typed by an adult and not written in crayon by a three year old but my odds of success are dubious. )

So Chewbacca has joined his Princess in Heaven. This is a travesty. I've not met Peter Mayhew in person, but everything I've heard about him says that he was a gentle giant, kind to all and especially his fans.

Just as importantly to those of us who didn't know him personally, he was a larger than life icon. For many of us, he was a part of our childhood. Who didn't love Chewbacca as a kid? You'll be missed Mr. Mayhew. Take good care of our Princess.

In related (but much happier) news...

May the Fourth Be With You!

It's Star Wars Day! Let your Geek Flag fly!

Yes, we' re all a little melancholy because we lost one of our heroes. We should still celebrate. Let the greats never be forgotten! Wear your Star Wars gear! Post a meme! Play a Star Wars video game. Read a Star Wars comic. THIS IS ONE OF ONLY TWO DAYS OF THE YEAR THAT IS ALL ABOUT GEEKS! PARTY LIKE ROCK STARS!

Oh, did I mention days that are all about geeks? Do you know what today is?

(No, 90s R+B fans, it's not our anniversary.)

IT'S FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!

SUPPORT YOUR LCS!

(That's Local Comic Shop for all of you mundanes out there.)

Go get your free stuff and enjoy the party! I'm about to take my daughter out for it.

No links today because I know all of you are on the way to your LCS to support local businesses.

Have fun!