Devil's Due (Destroyermen)
ByTaylor Anderson
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Readers` Reviews
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
betty dickinson
Taylor Anderson's 12th and best read so far, is a great multi-disciplinary and multi- faceted scholarly informative primer that seamlessly and creatively interweaves and merges together both World War Two History with Science and Science Fiction. Descrying both the formation and development of the "Spear" and of the "Tip of the Spear" as only few individual writers and storytellers can and successfully do. Devil's Due correctly answers for now all of a Civilization's "Yesterday/Today", "This for That", "Here to There" and the "Why-Because" questions in a completely novel, enduring, compelling, captivating and enthralling layman's manner that has certainly now has claimed and manifestly become Taylor's very own signature SOP and identifying trademark. Putting into words and then transferring and expressing them into a well written textual form from a treasure trove of one's own lifetime of acquired knowledge, understanding and familiarity is a skillset that makes the Destroyermen Saga good History, good Science and Tin Canny Terrific Science Fiction!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
arlith
Great book. Finished it in two days. Wish it was longer!
This series has been compared to "The Lost Regiment" series. That's sort of saying every detective show is like Magnum P. I. …cause they're about detectives. Destroyermen is by far the better series. Has many side stories not just the big picture…unlike TLR series.
This series has been compared to "The Lost Regiment" series. That's sort of saying every detective show is like Magnum P. I. …cause they're about detectives. Destroyermen is by far the better series. Has many side stories not just the big picture…unlike TLR series.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
amylyn
While completed none realistic, this book and the entire series is very entertaining. The detail is great with out being overboard. The book is easy to read and builds nicely on the past books in the series. The author has done a great job on the details associated with the Walker, a flush deck destroyer. As a navy vet myself it is nice to see that general military details are fairly on spot as well. Overall I have really enjoyed this series and look forward to the next book.
Blood In the Water (Destroyermen) :: Firestorm: Destroyermen :: Deadly Shores (Destroyermen) :: Straits of Hell (Destroyermen) :: Into the Storm (Destroyermen)
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
pudji tursana
Anderson's latest in the Destroyermen series is s good as ever. While some may want more detail about the entire scope of the war, the focus on a single theater lent itself well to a tightly packed story.
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
tcbelli
Not his best work. I understand that, when a series gets this long, an author needs to spend some time "reviewing" what has happened. This also helps new readers to the series if this is their first book.
But this book moves forward very little and seems to spend most of its time in the past. I found it very very difficult to even finish. Had to really start just scanning the material to even get there.
I used to preorder this series. I think next time I will wait and see.
But this book moves forward very little and seems to spend most of its time in the past. I found it very very difficult to even finish. Had to really start just scanning the material to even get there.
I used to preorder this series. I think next time I will wait and see.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
shahin
Anderson's latest in the Destroyermen series is s good as ever. While some may want more detail about the entire scope of the war, the focus on a single theater lent itself well to a tightly packed story.
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
mikes
Not his best work. I understand that, when a series gets this long, an author needs to spend some time "reviewing" what has happened. This also helps new readers to the series if this is their first book.
But this book moves forward very little and seems to spend most of its time in the past. I found it very very difficult to even finish. Had to really start just scanning the material to even get there.
I used to preorder this series. I think next time I will wait and see.
But this book moves forward very little and seems to spend most of its time in the past. I found it very very difficult to even finish. Had to really start just scanning the material to even get there.
I used to preorder this series. I think next time I will wait and see.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
adrianna
“Devil’s Due” is the 12th volume in The Destroyermen epic, and is absolutely true to its ancestry. Many “alternate history” books and series are centered on either how cool it would be if we could go back to year Y with modern technology T, or on what history might look like if a single event had not happened as it did. Taylor Anderson has cast The Destroyermen in a different paradigm.
You know all those extinction events that led to massive changes in the flora and fauna of Terra? Well, what might it look like if there were a parallel timeline on which those events hadn’t happened? I’ll give you a clue: Homo Sapiens would not necessarily be the apex predator. He has even taken a different slant on the out-of-season technology by using a pair of Wickes class destroyers, the USS Walker and USS Mahan, which were relics in 1942 when they and their crews were caught up in the fur ball of the Japanese conquest of Indonesia, Java, Borneo, and the Philippines. Fighting for their lives against a Japanese battle cruiser, they take cover in a really weird-looking squall, and when they come out, they are in the same where, but a different when – or something.
The Destroyermen find themselves caught up in a war of unimaginable savagery between two species that are about as anti-stereotypical as you could hope to find. Anderson’s development of the personalities of his characters – and their cultures - is subtle and deliciously unexpected, not only in the depth, but the consistency and the… flavor. His heroes are larger than life, and yet touchingly, hauntingly, precisely life like. None of them are bulletproof, either, nor omniscient. They make mistakes and they die, sometimes in those sudden, stupid ways that people die in war, or when fooling around with machinery that is just one step more advanced than perhaps it ought to be. (The technology the Destroyermen have brought to this screwy world gives them an edge for a while, but technology is remarkably portable and subject to unintended propagation.)
His villains are every bit as consistent, believable, and true to life as his heroes. Maniacs are maniacs even in their private thoughts and soliloquies, which Anderson allows us to eavesdrop on with a subtlety we may not even notice at first. In short, Anderson’s masterful artistry shows us the hearts and souls with which he has imbued his fantastic cast, and that is what makes the story.
By virtue of his knowledge of history, weapons, warfare, and the evolution of tactics, Anderson writes of strategy and tactics that ring as true as a Springfield Armory rifling machine. Devil’s Due and its prequels could be a textbook on the symbiosis of tactics and technology. It is a clinic on what warfare has been like at it evolved from clubs and spears to aircraft and automatic weapons. However, the technology is no more the story of The Destroyermen than the big boat was the story of Noah.
Anderson’s battles are things of deafening noise, choking smoke, terror, horror, burnt flesh and heroism. They aren’t for the faint of heart or the young and tender, but there is a simple, frank truth to them – a reality – that keeps them from being cheap, gore-filled shock literature. Much of human nature, good, bad, and all the grays in between is exposed on the battlefield, and Taylor Anderson writes of it all with a power than will scoot your chair across the floor, make your ears ring, and leave you exhausted.
The most remarkable thing about Anderson’s epic, though, is in the tiny details. Now, he doesn’t do like some authors and list the technical specifications of a firearm just to show off, though he is clearly expert enough to do that to the satiation of any buff. There will be a word or two in a sentence, or a phrase in a paragraph that covers the stark ribs and stringers of the narrative like the linen that covered the bones of Eddie Rickenbacker’s Spad. Texture is the word I find most descriptive. Anderson has created a whole world that can not only be experienced through his descriptions of the scenery, sounds, smells, and tastes, but is also felt in the texture he gives it through all those details that are actually all around us all the time, but to which we have grown habituated and jaded.
The Destroyermen is not fluff, but it most certainly is not of the lurid shock genre, either. It’s a literary porterhouse, with a loaded baked potato, an exquisitely crisp, salad (bleu cheese, thanks) and a frost-covered glass of… whatever you like.
As for “Devil’s Due,” it’s all those things, brought to us by a style that has been honed and balanced like the finest Damascus steel blade. We tread along incredibly complex plot lines that intersect and diverge like trails in dense woods and over rugged mountains. We brush past characters we met long ago, who, true to themselves, have come to this point by their own paths. We nod, look them in the eye, and wonder what will become of them, and when we find out, it’s right and true. We are proud to have known them, even if only briefly at a lonely LP in a hostile jungle. Anderson writes of the warrior ethos in understated terms that, like a whisper, overwhelm with their power.
Read “Devil’s Due” where you can laugh out loud, let your heart twist in your chest, and shout at the pages, “Give ‘em cold steel, Boys!” Oh, and have some tissues handy, because while it’s not all sadness, it is all intimately personal and right here.
Well done, Taylor. Keep ‘em coming.
You know all those extinction events that led to massive changes in the flora and fauna of Terra? Well, what might it look like if there were a parallel timeline on which those events hadn’t happened? I’ll give you a clue: Homo Sapiens would not necessarily be the apex predator. He has even taken a different slant on the out-of-season technology by using a pair of Wickes class destroyers, the USS Walker and USS Mahan, which were relics in 1942 when they and their crews were caught up in the fur ball of the Japanese conquest of Indonesia, Java, Borneo, and the Philippines. Fighting for their lives against a Japanese battle cruiser, they take cover in a really weird-looking squall, and when they come out, they are in the same where, but a different when – or something.
The Destroyermen find themselves caught up in a war of unimaginable savagery between two species that are about as anti-stereotypical as you could hope to find. Anderson’s development of the personalities of his characters – and their cultures - is subtle and deliciously unexpected, not only in the depth, but the consistency and the… flavor. His heroes are larger than life, and yet touchingly, hauntingly, precisely life like. None of them are bulletproof, either, nor omniscient. They make mistakes and they die, sometimes in those sudden, stupid ways that people die in war, or when fooling around with machinery that is just one step more advanced than perhaps it ought to be. (The technology the Destroyermen have brought to this screwy world gives them an edge for a while, but technology is remarkably portable and subject to unintended propagation.)
His villains are every bit as consistent, believable, and true to life as his heroes. Maniacs are maniacs even in their private thoughts and soliloquies, which Anderson allows us to eavesdrop on with a subtlety we may not even notice at first. In short, Anderson’s masterful artistry shows us the hearts and souls with which he has imbued his fantastic cast, and that is what makes the story.
By virtue of his knowledge of history, weapons, warfare, and the evolution of tactics, Anderson writes of strategy and tactics that ring as true as a Springfield Armory rifling machine. Devil’s Due and its prequels could be a textbook on the symbiosis of tactics and technology. It is a clinic on what warfare has been like at it evolved from clubs and spears to aircraft and automatic weapons. However, the technology is no more the story of The Destroyermen than the big boat was the story of Noah.
Anderson’s battles are things of deafening noise, choking smoke, terror, horror, burnt flesh and heroism. They aren’t for the faint of heart or the young and tender, but there is a simple, frank truth to them – a reality – that keeps them from being cheap, gore-filled shock literature. Much of human nature, good, bad, and all the grays in between is exposed on the battlefield, and Taylor Anderson writes of it all with a power than will scoot your chair across the floor, make your ears ring, and leave you exhausted.
The most remarkable thing about Anderson’s epic, though, is in the tiny details. Now, he doesn’t do like some authors and list the technical specifications of a firearm just to show off, though he is clearly expert enough to do that to the satiation of any buff. There will be a word or two in a sentence, or a phrase in a paragraph that covers the stark ribs and stringers of the narrative like the linen that covered the bones of Eddie Rickenbacker’s Spad. Texture is the word I find most descriptive. Anderson has created a whole world that can not only be experienced through his descriptions of the scenery, sounds, smells, and tastes, but is also felt in the texture he gives it through all those details that are actually all around us all the time, but to which we have grown habituated and jaded.
The Destroyermen is not fluff, but it most certainly is not of the lurid shock genre, either. It’s a literary porterhouse, with a loaded baked potato, an exquisitely crisp, salad (bleu cheese, thanks) and a frost-covered glass of… whatever you like.
As for “Devil’s Due,” it’s all those things, brought to us by a style that has been honed and balanced like the finest Damascus steel blade. We tread along incredibly complex plot lines that intersect and diverge like trails in dense woods and over rugged mountains. We brush past characters we met long ago, who, true to themselves, have come to this point by their own paths. We nod, look them in the eye, and wonder what will become of them, and when we find out, it’s right and true. We are proud to have known them, even if only briefly at a lonely LP in a hostile jungle. Anderson writes of the warrior ethos in understated terms that, like a whisper, overwhelm with their power.
Read “Devil’s Due” where you can laugh out loud, let your heart twist in your chest, and shout at the pages, “Give ‘em cold steel, Boys!” Oh, and have some tissues handy, because while it’s not all sadness, it is all intimately personal and right here.
Well done, Taylor. Keep ‘em coming.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
myles
Twelfth in the Destroyermen military science fiction series that takes place in an alternate plane and revolving around an American destroyer that passed through a time warp during World War II.
My Take
Ya gotta love Sandra for her bravery and outspokenness when she confronts Kurokawa. Scary, but brave. She's the epitome of what the story, the series, is about — good versus evil. Now, Dennis Silva, could be considered the epitome of how Anderson livens up the contrast between the virtue and the vice with his antics. Always a mischiefmaker, but one who has grown through his interactions with others such as Chief Gray and with Reddy's confidence that he'll do what needs to be done. However irregular it may be, lol.
In Devil's Due, there's quite a bit of introspection as a number of characters come to realize how they've changed. All that technology that has changed the Lemurian Homes and land bases. The soldiers who have died and those on active duty, all those children needing their parents and the lengths to which the Lemurians and Americans will go to keep the children safe. The pragmatic changes that have come over Courtney Bradford. Bekiaa is challenged by an army that doesn't understand how real war is. Lawrence has his own thoughtful moment as he recognizes his heart and his sentimentality, all foreign concepts to him, once.
You'd like to think Kurokawa would change, but the idiot is too far gone, but he does at least acknowledge true courage when he sees it. So much has changed for the Grik as well. Their leaders have discovered their rank-and-file are much more intelligent than they thought.
I love how innovative the Allies are, how quickly they progress, how creative the Lemurians are. Of course what adds to my respect is that they're the good guys. That they're already planning for a good future for everyone. If only the rest of any world would be this thoughtful…and as caring as the Gentaa is with their elderly.
Lange, a.k.a., ahem, Chartier, Horn, Brassey, and Pokey's antics onboard the Savoie are scary and tricksy, oh, so very tricksy! It's a nice bit of revenge, and the result is too fantastic. Especially with the help of their Grik prisoner, lol.
And the crew of the Walker are snarkin' away at Earl, as we discover the sabotage the entire Alliance is in on. And…shock…Earl gives up on that Coke machine!
Thankfully, there were more survivors of the Amerika. Even better, they found good coffee! Doesn't make up for what the Donaghey's crew thinks of the food stores on the Matarife. And I'm pretty curious as to why they think it's so bad??
As for the enemies, where these League officers get off with their "outrage" is beyond me. Nor am I sure how Muriname's designs on Sandra and Diania wouldn't be physically painful, and it's rather scary to consider.
Battles are always terrifying. Not knowing who will win, who will die. And Sandra and her fellow prisoners have more to worry about in the hands of the Japanese. Not least of which is the "dame famine" all the human males have been suffering through, especially the Japanese who are threatening the pregnant Sandra and Diania. And Adar is starving himself to death.
The characters have some interesting views about who's bad, worse, and yet worse. Garrett's sees the League as the worst, and I have to agree. Especially after his experiences with them.
It certainly has taken long enough — and thank goodness for that third person global subjective point-of-view — for the Japanese to begin to see the truth about Kurokawa!
The Story
Still reeling from the Battle of Mahe, the Alliance dives into repairs. Fast. For that mad Kurokawa is holding Sandra, Adar, and others prisoner and has the League battleship Savoie against which the Walker hasn't a chance.
The League's trickery has been exposed but the threat still looms. Especially when the Allies discover they're allying with the Holy Dominion. And General Esshk is gathering the Final Swarm to take the Alliance down.
There's danger everywhere, and Matt wants, needs, to rescue his wife and their unborn baby. But…the war must take precedence.
The Characters
For the full character list, see my review on KD Did It.
Capt Matthew "Matt" Reddy is in command of the USS Walker. The peg-legged Juan Marcos is the chief steward and makes the worst coffee. Earl Lanier is the obese cook with a Coke machine obsession. Lt Tab-At "Tabby" is the engineering officer. Isak Reuben is the chief engineer. Lt Ed Palmer is the comm officer. Min-Sakir "Minnie" is the bridge talker. Chief Quartermaster Patrick "Paddy" Rosen is first officer and OOD. Lt Pam Cross is their surgeon. Ensign Laar-Baa-Ra, a pilot, is in training to become a bridge officer. Imperial Marine Corporal Neely is also on the bridge. Chief Boatswain's Mate Jeek is securing the watertight doors and rigging pumps. Gunner's Mate Pak-Ras-Ar "Pack Rat" takes his BAR forward in the boarding action. Cmdr Brad "Spanky" McFarlane is Matt's XO and the Minister of Naval Engineering. Lt Sonny Campeti is in charge of the Ordnance Division.
Lady Sandra Tucker Reddy is Matt's pregnant wife, being held captive by Kurokawa along with Chairman Adar; Kapitan Leutnant Becher Lange is so angry with the loss of his ship and Kapitan von Melhausen; Gunnery Sergeant Arnold "Gunny" Horn; Diania; and, two Repub crew-'Cats: Ru-Fet "Ruffy" and Eaan-Daat "Eddie". Corporal Tass and Minaa, a Shee-ree, were in the firefight.
The Allies are…
…based at Baalkpan where Alan Letts is Chairman of the United Homes as a stand-in for Adar. Karen is his wife and the assistant minister of medicine. Allison Verdia is their daughter.
Henry Stokes is the Director of the Office of Strategic Intelligence (OSI). The Busted Screw is an open-sided tavern owned by Pepper, a 'Cat with Lanier as a silent partner. Laap-Zol-Jeks is the chief machinist at the Baalkpan Boiler and Machinery Works.
The Empire of the New Britain Isles is…
…what we know as Hawaii. Lord Bolton Forester is the ambassador to the Alliance. Lt Bachman is Bolton's aide. Governor-Empress Rebecca Anne McDonald is their ruler. Sir Sean Bates is prime factor and chief advisor to the Governor-Empress.
The Filpin Lands are…
…what we know as the Philippines. Lord Meksnaak, the High Sky Priest, has been left in charge as the acting governor. His closest diplomatic advisor is Heraad-Naar.
The Republic of Real People is…
…what we know as South Africa. Major Bekiaa-Sab-At is the Allies' advisor to their ruler, Kaiser Nig-Tak, and has been made a legate. Optio Jack Meek is Bekiaa's Republic aide. Courtney Bradford is Australian and the closest thing the Allies have to a sociologist.
General Marcus Kim is in overall charge of the army. General Taal-Gaak. General Modius commands 3rd Army. Inquisitor Choon is the chief spy. Colonel Lok-Fon is very temporarily in charge of her 23rd Legion. Prefect Bele is the senior cohort commander. Senior Centurion Tinaas-Kus is third cohort. Lt Toryu Miyata had been a junior navigation officer aboard Amagi who was sent to the Republic to deliver an ultimatum.
The Fliegertruppe , a.k.a., the Air Corps, has a handful of Cantets. The Gentaa are rumored to be a hybrid mix of humans and Mi-Anakka.
The Sa'aarans and Khonashi are Grik-like tribes; General Halik is a Hij Grik. Austraal and the Shee-ree are Lemurian tribes. Will is the Maroon who made contact with the Allies first. Andy is a comrade and seasoned warrior.
New United States is…
…a smaller country than what we know. Leftenant Reynolds and Ensign Kari-Faask aimed for NUS to find help for their war with the Holy Dominion. They're currently based aboard the NUS Congress captained by Ezra Willis in the Caribbean where Admiral Duncan is in charge. Commodore Semmes is waiting to see the Donaghey in Santiago.
Cmdr Greg Garrett and the USS Donaghey make contact with NUS. Lt Saama-Kera "Sammy" is his executive officer. Chief Bosun's Mate Jenaar-Laan. Lt (jg) Wendel "Smitty" Smith is the gunnery officer. Tribune Pol-Heena is a Republic officer acting as Marine Lt Haana-Lin-Naar's XO. Another Republic officer, Kapitan Leutnant Koor-Susk, serves as sailing master. Surgeon Sori-Maai is their doctor.
The Battlefields
The occupied Grik City in Madagascar is…
…where the Allies' last battle was at Mahe Island. Generals Pete Alden (of the Army and Marines), Safir Maraan (queen of Aryaal and B'mbaado and in command of Second Corps), and Muln-Rolak (commander of I Corps) are all here. Hij Geerki is a Grik prisoner of Muln-Rolak's, who is currently the "mayor" of the civilian Grik prisoners. Lt Cmdr Mark Leedom is a pilot and COFO of air defenses in Grik City, and Lt Paraal-Taas is his co-pilot. Leftenant Doocy Meek is the Republic's liaison.
The USNRS Arracca has Tassanna-Ay-Arracca as its high chief; he will be commodore of the task force against Sofesshk. The Santa Catalina (Santy Cat) is commanded by Capt Russ Chappelle. Lt Michael "Mikey" Monk is Chappelle's XO and current OOD. Lt (jg) Dean Laney is the engineering officer on his last chance. Chief Bosun's Mate Stanley "Dobbin" Dobson. Kathy McCoy is the surgeon commander. Major Simon "Simy" Gutfeld's 3rd Marines are aboard.
USNRS Salissa is an aircraft carrier commanded by Admiral Keje-Fris-Ar; Capt Atlaan-Fas captains Big Sal. Lt Sandy Newman is his XO. Capt Jis-Tikkar "Tikker" is her Commander of Flight Operations.
The USS Andamaan is a protected troopship. The USS Tarakaan Island is a self-propelled dry dock. Colonel Ben Mallory commands all the army and naval air forces of the Alliance. Second Lt Niaa-Saa "Shirley" is "Flashy Four" and part of the attack. Lt Conrad Diebel is Two and Lt (jg) Suaak-Pas-Ra "Soupy" is Three.
The Enchanted Isles off the coast of Central America is…
…what we know them as the Galápagos where the Allies encountered the Holy Dominion in the Battle of Mahe. General Shinya commands the army. Gilbert Reuben is the "King Snipe" and engineering officer aboard Maaka-Kakja (Makky-Kat) with Second Fleet. Colonel Lassiter is an idiot.
High Admiral Harvey Jenks of the Empire is Commander-in-Chief-East of the Allied Forces. Admiral Lelaa-Tal-Cleraan is his deputy commander. "Tex" Sheider is Lelaa's XO. Sir Thomas Humphries is the governor in Elizabethtown on Albermarl Island.
Major "Blossom" Blas-Ma-Ar is in charge of TF Skuggik Chase following Don Hernan's army. Sergeant Koratin had been an Aryaalan lord. First Sergeant Spon-Ar-Aak "Spook" is with A Company. Whistler is Blas' Marine signal-'Cat.
Colonel Sister Audry leads her Vengadores commanded by Arano Garcia. Teniente Pacal is one of his company commanders and one of Blas' friends.
Operation Outhouse Rat will…
…open up on the next target for the Alliance. Lt (jg) Saansa-Belkaa is a short 'Cat piloting a P-40E Warhawk from the deck of Keshaa-Fas . The USS Tassat, a steam frigate DD, is captained by Jarrik-Fas, and his XO is the Impie Lt Stanly Raj. Naala-Araan's Nakja-Mur is the oldest ship besides Walker and Salissa. Cmdr Perry Brister is in the USS James Ellis (Ellie) as a decoy. Lt Jeff Brooks is the sound man and steps in as the bridge talker. Paul Stites is manning the main battery. Taarba-Kaar "Tabasco" is the cook. Lt Parks is in the fireroom. Lt Rodriguez must take the auxiliary conn aft.
Colonel Chack-Sab-At loves General Queen Safir Maraan and commands the First Raider Brigade. Major Risa Sab-At is his sister and XO, and in this upcoming battle, she's with Major Enrico Galay's 19th Baalkpan. The Impie Major Alistair Jindal is part of the team that lands on the beach along with Capt Abel Cook. Khonashi war captain-turned-major I'joorka of the First North Borneo also storms the beach. Lt N'shoosh and Capt Stuart Brassey commands I'joorka's detachment of Khonashi. Sergeant Ooklak, a Khonashi, is with Brassey. Sergeant Major Moe is an ancient 'Cat and a hunter. Walt "Jumbo" Fisher, a pilot, commands Pat-Squad 22.
Chief Gunner's Mate Dennis Silva and his friend Lawrence, a Sa'aaran, are always together and recently back from a rehab tour. Petey is a tree-gliding reptile, a combination of parrot and lizard who is obsessed with eating. Pokey is a Grik, but on their side.
Lt Nat Hardee captains Lucky Seven and Lt (jg) Rini-Kanaar is his XO. Lt (jg) Haan-Dar "Lucky Handy" commands the Four Boat.
The Enemies
The Japanese are…
…led by the incredibly insane General of the Sea Hisashi Kurokawa who was in command of the Amagi and joined the Grik to take out the Americans. Now the Japanese are based on Zanzibar. General of the Sky Muriname is Kurokawa's XO. Hara Mikawa is Kurokawa's flag captain of the Nachi. Signal Lt Fukui keeps breaking in on Kurokawa. Lt of the Sky Iguri is becoming disenchanted.
Major Maggiore Rizzo is a League representative still on Zanzibar and is unhappy with what has been set in motion. Capitaine Dupont is one of the League pilots.
The League of Tripoli is…
…a fascist alliance of mostly European countries. Capitaine de Fregate Victor Gravois is a fascist weasel leading the plan to sow dissension. He attacked the SMS Amerika, a ship full of wounded, and then gave the Savoie to Kurokawa. Lt Morrisette did his own bit of sabotage. Capitano di Fregata Ciano commands the Leopardo . Oberleuitnant Fiedler has been a POW of the Allies. The Antúnez is an Alsedo class destroyer captained by Capitan de Cobeta Francisco Abuello Falto with Teniente Casales Padillas as his XO. Alferez Tomas Perez Moles is an ensign. Contrammiraglio Oriana is an Italian captain who runs OVRA, the chief party enforcement arm of the League.
The Palace of Vanished Gods in Old Sofesshk is…
…home base for the Celestial Mother, the Grik ruler who is seen as God-on-Earth in the holy city of the Grik, a lizard-like people who eat their own and everyone else. Lord Regent Champion Esshk, Guardian of the Celestial Bloodline and First General of all the Grik, has "Haliked" his army. The Chooser is the Grik who chooses which Grik are elevated to the Hij class; the current Chooser is Esshk's ally, senior advisor, and only confidant. They're planning their own coup. Ign is Second General, Esshk's second-in-command. The Final Swarm is the complete Grik army.
The Holy Dominion is…
…a perverted government where the cruel Don Hernan is the pope's second-in-command and the cardinal who had been ordering the army around. The Blood Drinkers are the toughest, most ruthless soldiers of the Dominion.
The Cover and Title
The cover is bright with its dark colors. A dark royal blue night with lightning strikes reaching out, a green and light yellow sea encompass the ships firing on each other, a red Grik bird diving for the Walker as it plows through the sea on a downward angle. At the top, a banner of three narrow horizontal lines frame the series information in white. The title is yellow with a black three-D outline while the info blurbs and the author's name, in white, are at the bottom.
The title is all about Kurokawa and what the Devil's Due.
My Take
Ya gotta love Sandra for her bravery and outspokenness when she confronts Kurokawa. Scary, but brave. She's the epitome of what the story, the series, is about — good versus evil. Now, Dennis Silva, could be considered the epitome of how Anderson livens up the contrast between the virtue and the vice with his antics. Always a mischiefmaker, but one who has grown through his interactions with others such as Chief Gray and with Reddy's confidence that he'll do what needs to be done. However irregular it may be, lol.
In Devil's Due, there's quite a bit of introspection as a number of characters come to realize how they've changed. All that technology that has changed the Lemurian Homes and land bases. The soldiers who have died and those on active duty, all those children needing their parents and the lengths to which the Lemurians and Americans will go to keep the children safe. The pragmatic changes that have come over Courtney Bradford. Bekiaa is challenged by an army that doesn't understand how real war is. Lawrence has his own thoughtful moment as he recognizes his heart and his sentimentality, all foreign concepts to him, once.
You'd like to think Kurokawa would change, but the idiot is too far gone, but he does at least acknowledge true courage when he sees it. So much has changed for the Grik as well. Their leaders have discovered their rank-and-file are much more intelligent than they thought.
I love how innovative the Allies are, how quickly they progress, how creative the Lemurians are. Of course what adds to my respect is that they're the good guys. That they're already planning for a good future for everyone. If only the rest of any world would be this thoughtful…and as caring as the Gentaa is with their elderly.
Lange, a.k.a., ahem, Chartier, Horn, Brassey, and Pokey's antics onboard the Savoie are scary and tricksy, oh, so very tricksy! It's a nice bit of revenge, and the result is too fantastic. Especially with the help of their Grik prisoner, lol.
And the crew of the Walker are snarkin' away at Earl, as we discover the sabotage the entire Alliance is in on. And…shock…Earl gives up on that Coke machine!
Thankfully, there were more survivors of the Amerika. Even better, they found good coffee! Doesn't make up for what the Donaghey's crew thinks of the food stores on the Matarife. And I'm pretty curious as to why they think it's so bad??
As for the enemies, where these League officers get off with their "outrage" is beyond me. Nor am I sure how Muriname's designs on Sandra and Diania wouldn't be physically painful, and it's rather scary to consider.
Battles are always terrifying. Not knowing who will win, who will die. And Sandra and her fellow prisoners have more to worry about in the hands of the Japanese. Not least of which is the "dame famine" all the human males have been suffering through, especially the Japanese who are threatening the pregnant Sandra and Diania. And Adar is starving himself to death.
The characters have some interesting views about who's bad, worse, and yet worse. Garrett's sees the League as the worst, and I have to agree. Especially after his experiences with them.
It certainly has taken long enough — and thank goodness for that third person global subjective point-of-view — for the Japanese to begin to see the truth about Kurokawa!
The Story
Still reeling from the Battle of Mahe, the Alliance dives into repairs. Fast. For that mad Kurokawa is holding Sandra, Adar, and others prisoner and has the League battleship Savoie against which the Walker hasn't a chance.
The League's trickery has been exposed but the threat still looms. Especially when the Allies discover they're allying with the Holy Dominion. And General Esshk is gathering the Final Swarm to take the Alliance down.
There's danger everywhere, and Matt wants, needs, to rescue his wife and their unborn baby. But…the war must take precedence.
The Characters
For the full character list, see my review on KD Did It.
Capt Matthew "Matt" Reddy is in command of the USS Walker. The peg-legged Juan Marcos is the chief steward and makes the worst coffee. Earl Lanier is the obese cook with a Coke machine obsession. Lt Tab-At "Tabby" is the engineering officer. Isak Reuben is the chief engineer. Lt Ed Palmer is the comm officer. Min-Sakir "Minnie" is the bridge talker. Chief Quartermaster Patrick "Paddy" Rosen is first officer and OOD. Lt Pam Cross is their surgeon. Ensign Laar-Baa-Ra, a pilot, is in training to become a bridge officer. Imperial Marine Corporal Neely is also on the bridge. Chief Boatswain's Mate Jeek is securing the watertight doors and rigging pumps. Gunner's Mate Pak-Ras-Ar "Pack Rat" takes his BAR forward in the boarding action. Cmdr Brad "Spanky" McFarlane is Matt's XO and the Minister of Naval Engineering. Lt Sonny Campeti is in charge of the Ordnance Division.
Lady Sandra Tucker Reddy is Matt's pregnant wife, being held captive by Kurokawa along with Chairman Adar; Kapitan Leutnant Becher Lange is so angry with the loss of his ship and Kapitan von Melhausen; Gunnery Sergeant Arnold "Gunny" Horn; Diania; and, two Repub crew-'Cats: Ru-Fet "Ruffy" and Eaan-Daat "Eddie". Corporal Tass and Minaa, a Shee-ree, were in the firefight.
The Allies are…
…based at Baalkpan where Alan Letts is Chairman of the United Homes as a stand-in for Adar. Karen is his wife and the assistant minister of medicine. Allison Verdia is their daughter.
Henry Stokes is the Director of the Office of Strategic Intelligence (OSI). The Busted Screw is an open-sided tavern owned by Pepper, a 'Cat with Lanier as a silent partner. Laap-Zol-Jeks is the chief machinist at the Baalkpan Boiler and Machinery Works.
The Empire of the New Britain Isles is…
…what we know as Hawaii. Lord Bolton Forester is the ambassador to the Alliance. Lt Bachman is Bolton's aide. Governor-Empress Rebecca Anne McDonald is their ruler. Sir Sean Bates is prime factor and chief advisor to the Governor-Empress.
The Filpin Lands are…
…what we know as the Philippines. Lord Meksnaak, the High Sky Priest, has been left in charge as the acting governor. His closest diplomatic advisor is Heraad-Naar.
The Republic of Real People is…
…what we know as South Africa. Major Bekiaa-Sab-At is the Allies' advisor to their ruler, Kaiser Nig-Tak, and has been made a legate. Optio Jack Meek is Bekiaa's Republic aide. Courtney Bradford is Australian and the closest thing the Allies have to a sociologist.
General Marcus Kim is in overall charge of the army. General Taal-Gaak. General Modius commands 3rd Army. Inquisitor Choon is the chief spy. Colonel Lok-Fon is very temporarily in charge of her 23rd Legion. Prefect Bele is the senior cohort commander. Senior Centurion Tinaas-Kus is third cohort. Lt Toryu Miyata had been a junior navigation officer aboard Amagi who was sent to the Republic to deliver an ultimatum.
The Fliegertruppe , a.k.a., the Air Corps, has a handful of Cantets. The Gentaa are rumored to be a hybrid mix of humans and Mi-Anakka.
The Sa'aarans and Khonashi are Grik-like tribes; General Halik is a Hij Grik. Austraal and the Shee-ree are Lemurian tribes. Will is the Maroon who made contact with the Allies first. Andy is a comrade and seasoned warrior.
New United States is…
…a smaller country than what we know. Leftenant Reynolds and Ensign Kari-Faask aimed for NUS to find help for their war with the Holy Dominion. They're currently based aboard the NUS Congress captained by Ezra Willis in the Caribbean where Admiral Duncan is in charge. Commodore Semmes is waiting to see the Donaghey in Santiago.
Cmdr Greg Garrett and the USS Donaghey make contact with NUS. Lt Saama-Kera "Sammy" is his executive officer. Chief Bosun's Mate Jenaar-Laan. Lt (jg) Wendel "Smitty" Smith is the gunnery officer. Tribune Pol-Heena is a Republic officer acting as Marine Lt Haana-Lin-Naar's XO. Another Republic officer, Kapitan Leutnant Koor-Susk, serves as sailing master. Surgeon Sori-Maai is their doctor.
The Battlefields
The occupied Grik City in Madagascar is…
…where the Allies' last battle was at Mahe Island. Generals Pete Alden (of the Army and Marines), Safir Maraan (queen of Aryaal and B'mbaado and in command of Second Corps), and Muln-Rolak (commander of I Corps) are all here. Hij Geerki is a Grik prisoner of Muln-Rolak's, who is currently the "mayor" of the civilian Grik prisoners. Lt Cmdr Mark Leedom is a pilot and COFO of air defenses in Grik City, and Lt Paraal-Taas is his co-pilot. Leftenant Doocy Meek is the Republic's liaison.
The USNRS Arracca has Tassanna-Ay-Arracca as its high chief; he will be commodore of the task force against Sofesshk. The Santa Catalina (Santy Cat) is commanded by Capt Russ Chappelle. Lt Michael "Mikey" Monk is Chappelle's XO and current OOD. Lt (jg) Dean Laney is the engineering officer on his last chance. Chief Bosun's Mate Stanley "Dobbin" Dobson. Kathy McCoy is the surgeon commander. Major Simon "Simy" Gutfeld's 3rd Marines are aboard.
USNRS Salissa is an aircraft carrier commanded by Admiral Keje-Fris-Ar; Capt Atlaan-Fas captains Big Sal. Lt Sandy Newman is his XO. Capt Jis-Tikkar "Tikker" is her Commander of Flight Operations.
The USS Andamaan is a protected troopship. The USS Tarakaan Island is a self-propelled dry dock. Colonel Ben Mallory commands all the army and naval air forces of the Alliance. Second Lt Niaa-Saa "Shirley" is "Flashy Four" and part of the attack. Lt Conrad Diebel is Two and Lt (jg) Suaak-Pas-Ra "Soupy" is Three.
The Enchanted Isles off the coast of Central America is…
…what we know them as the Galápagos where the Allies encountered the Holy Dominion in the Battle of Mahe. General Shinya commands the army. Gilbert Reuben is the "King Snipe" and engineering officer aboard Maaka-Kakja (Makky-Kat) with Second Fleet. Colonel Lassiter is an idiot.
High Admiral Harvey Jenks of the Empire is Commander-in-Chief-East of the Allied Forces. Admiral Lelaa-Tal-Cleraan is his deputy commander. "Tex" Sheider is Lelaa's XO. Sir Thomas Humphries is the governor in Elizabethtown on Albermarl Island.
Major "Blossom" Blas-Ma-Ar is in charge of TF Skuggik Chase following Don Hernan's army. Sergeant Koratin had been an Aryaalan lord. First Sergeant Spon-Ar-Aak "Spook" is with A Company. Whistler is Blas' Marine signal-'Cat.
Colonel Sister Audry leads her Vengadores commanded by Arano Garcia. Teniente Pacal is one of his company commanders and one of Blas' friends.
Operation Outhouse Rat will…
…open up on the next target for the Alliance. Lt (jg) Saansa-Belkaa is a short 'Cat piloting a P-40E Warhawk from the deck of Keshaa-Fas . The USS Tassat, a steam frigate DD, is captained by Jarrik-Fas, and his XO is the Impie Lt Stanly Raj. Naala-Araan's Nakja-Mur is the oldest ship besides Walker and Salissa. Cmdr Perry Brister is in the USS James Ellis (Ellie) as a decoy. Lt Jeff Brooks is the sound man and steps in as the bridge talker. Paul Stites is manning the main battery. Taarba-Kaar "Tabasco" is the cook. Lt Parks is in the fireroom. Lt Rodriguez must take the auxiliary conn aft.
Colonel Chack-Sab-At loves General Queen Safir Maraan and commands the First Raider Brigade. Major Risa Sab-At is his sister and XO, and in this upcoming battle, she's with Major Enrico Galay's 19th Baalkpan. The Impie Major Alistair Jindal is part of the team that lands on the beach along with Capt Abel Cook. Khonashi war captain-turned-major I'joorka of the First North Borneo also storms the beach. Lt N'shoosh and Capt Stuart Brassey commands I'joorka's detachment of Khonashi. Sergeant Ooklak, a Khonashi, is with Brassey. Sergeant Major Moe is an ancient 'Cat and a hunter. Walt "Jumbo" Fisher, a pilot, commands Pat-Squad 22.
Chief Gunner's Mate Dennis Silva and his friend Lawrence, a Sa'aaran, are always together and recently back from a rehab tour. Petey is a tree-gliding reptile, a combination of parrot and lizard who is obsessed with eating. Pokey is a Grik, but on their side.
Lt Nat Hardee captains Lucky Seven and Lt (jg) Rini-Kanaar is his XO. Lt (jg) Haan-Dar "Lucky Handy" commands the Four Boat.
The Enemies
The Japanese are…
…led by the incredibly insane General of the Sea Hisashi Kurokawa who was in command of the Amagi and joined the Grik to take out the Americans. Now the Japanese are based on Zanzibar. General of the Sky Muriname is Kurokawa's XO. Hara Mikawa is Kurokawa's flag captain of the Nachi. Signal Lt Fukui keeps breaking in on Kurokawa. Lt of the Sky Iguri is becoming disenchanted.
Major Maggiore Rizzo is a League representative still on Zanzibar and is unhappy with what has been set in motion. Capitaine Dupont is one of the League pilots.
The League of Tripoli is…
…a fascist alliance of mostly European countries. Capitaine de Fregate Victor Gravois is a fascist weasel leading the plan to sow dissension. He attacked the SMS Amerika, a ship full of wounded, and then gave the Savoie to Kurokawa. Lt Morrisette did his own bit of sabotage. Capitano di Fregata Ciano commands the Leopardo . Oberleuitnant Fiedler has been a POW of the Allies. The Antúnez is an Alsedo class destroyer captained by Capitan de Cobeta Francisco Abuello Falto with Teniente Casales Padillas as his XO. Alferez Tomas Perez Moles is an ensign. Contrammiraglio Oriana is an Italian captain who runs OVRA, the chief party enforcement arm of the League.
The Palace of Vanished Gods in Old Sofesshk is…
…home base for the Celestial Mother, the Grik ruler who is seen as God-on-Earth in the holy city of the Grik, a lizard-like people who eat their own and everyone else. Lord Regent Champion Esshk, Guardian of the Celestial Bloodline and First General of all the Grik, has "Haliked" his army. The Chooser is the Grik who chooses which Grik are elevated to the Hij class; the current Chooser is Esshk's ally, senior advisor, and only confidant. They're planning their own coup. Ign is Second General, Esshk's second-in-command. The Final Swarm is the complete Grik army.
The Holy Dominion is…
…a perverted government where the cruel Don Hernan is the pope's second-in-command and the cardinal who had been ordering the army around. The Blood Drinkers are the toughest, most ruthless soldiers of the Dominion.
The Cover and Title
The cover is bright with its dark colors. A dark royal blue night with lightning strikes reaching out, a green and light yellow sea encompass the ships firing on each other, a red Grik bird diving for the Walker as it plows through the sea on a downward angle. At the top, a banner of three narrow horizontal lines frame the series information in white. The title is yellow with a black three-D outline while the info blurbs and the author's name, in white, are at the bottom.
The title is all about Kurokawa and what the Devil's Due.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
cleon
I have really loved this series. Most of the other books rate 5 Stars. Seriously, I've been hooked for years.
However, in my opinion this particular book stumbles a bit. Reading on my Kindle, I was 20% into the book and very little (and I mean VERY little) had happened to progress the story. Most of that 20% was recap, as well as long conversations between characters explaining manufacturing and the "war making machine" (i.e. gearing up for war, and further tech developments) of this world.
Now I certainly understand the need to bring new readers up to speed, but if you're going to jump this far into a series without reading the rest of the books, you should expect a few pages of explanation to get your feet under you, but NOT a significant page count dedicated to that purpose. And long conversations between characters just to show the author did his tech development homework? Never really a good thing.
On the other hand, once the story actually got going, it was good -- I'll certainly be coming back for more in the future.
However, in my opinion this particular book stumbles a bit. Reading on my Kindle, I was 20% into the book and very little (and I mean VERY little) had happened to progress the story. Most of that 20% was recap, as well as long conversations between characters explaining manufacturing and the "war making machine" (i.e. gearing up for war, and further tech developments) of this world.
Now I certainly understand the need to bring new readers up to speed, but if you're going to jump this far into a series without reading the rest of the books, you should expect a few pages of explanation to get your feet under you, but NOT a significant page count dedicated to that purpose. And long conversations between characters just to show the author did his tech development homework? Never really a good thing.
On the other hand, once the story actually got going, it was good -- I'll certainly be coming back for more in the future.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
monica alexander
Actual rating closer to a 3.5.
I'm a fan of Taylor Anderson's Destroyermen series, even after this rather disappointing installment I still am. However this book felt too much like filler, very little significant action occurs until well after the halfway point, far too much is devoted to the minutia of preparing for the next engagement - with many forgettable pages. While in the past his books held my attention and I quickly sped through them in utter enjoyment... this one felt more like a chore, it didn't click.
This is a long running series and I am extremely happy that Mr. Anderson has been able to keep to a schedule of publishing a new book every year. However, if he continues to slow down the action as he did for this book (and like a few other writers I know, continues to spend about the first hundred pages every book just repeating the story as a recap) then the series will never be completed and worse... new books will not be something to look forward to.
It's still an enjoyable and important book in the series, a must read for anyone enjoying this series. I only hope that the next installment increases the level of tension, excitement, and action that we'd come to expect from earlier books in the series.
I'm a fan of Taylor Anderson's Destroyermen series, even after this rather disappointing installment I still am. However this book felt too much like filler, very little significant action occurs until well after the halfway point, far too much is devoted to the minutia of preparing for the next engagement - with many forgettable pages. While in the past his books held my attention and I quickly sped through them in utter enjoyment... this one felt more like a chore, it didn't click.
This is a long running series and I am extremely happy that Mr. Anderson has been able to keep to a schedule of publishing a new book every year. However, if he continues to slow down the action as he did for this book (and like a few other writers I know, continues to spend about the first hundred pages every book just repeating the story as a recap) then the series will never be completed and worse... new books will not be something to look forward to.
It's still an enjoyable and important book in the series, a must read for anyone enjoying this series. I only hope that the next installment increases the level of tension, excitement, and action that we'd come to expect from earlier books in the series.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
jina saikia
An excellent continuation of this fine series. Anderson's strategic vision for surviving and thwarting an impressive array of "bad guys" is quite comprehensive and logical. As in many wars, logistics and rapid technological advances are key to strategic and tactical success. Also, as in all wars, carnage reigns with many and horrific casualties the guaranteed results in the many conflicts necessary to produce final victory. The Destroyermen are dwindling: to be replaced by an expanding and often surprising arrays of allies.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
chanelle
This is more like it. I had written a review for the previous book, Blood In the Water, stating that he had jumped around so much between the other war zones that it was hard the keep straight what was what. This time he stayed primarily in the main theater of the Grik war. He moved the story along so well and fast that it was hard to put the book down. I hope Mr Anderson continues this in the next book. He could finish the Grik war and then move against the Doms like the American's did in WW2, first beating the Germans and then finishing the Japanese. Then there is the League, but that's another story.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
kathryn
Anderson delivers again!! You would figure that with as many books/storylines/characters in this series things would slow up sometimes or get disjointed...nope...Anderson keeps you invested throughout the whole book...looking forward to more in the series.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
duane diehl
Anderson, as usual, gets so much right. A true heir apparent to ERB.
But seriously, by book 13, do we need so much exposition? Seriously- constant, continuous, exhaustive, exposition?
Let's move along, shall we?
But seriously, by book 13, do we need so much exposition? Seriously- constant, continuous, exhaustive, exposition?
Let's move along, shall we?
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
elizabeth coleman
Taylor Anderson can write a story and keep it interesting several books into the storyline. This book is one of his best, as interesting as his first. Holds your attention to the last page and there is great comeuppance in it as well. I couldn't put it down.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
catdwm
As ever, a highly satisfying read! Somewhat like a World War II war story but told on an alternate Earth with clever inventive aliens getting better at the humans' technology every year!
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
wayne hastings
I just finished this book. What can I say? I couldn't put it down. I was very sad when I turned the last page because now I have to wait another year ( a whole f***ing year) to get the next volume.
I love this series, and I loved this book in particular. I will always be grateful to John Birmingham for introducing me to Taylor Anderson's master work. God, this guy can write.
I love this series, and I loved this book in particular. I will always be grateful to John Birmingham for introducing me to Taylor Anderson's master work. God, this guy can write.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
jillian woods
I have read every book in this series. I finally got some closure with this book, but it opened new chapters. My only complaint: the books each lead to one dramatic battle at the end. I wish the books would move a little faster.
Please RateDevil's Due (Destroyermen)