Iron Gray Sea: Destroyermen

Once again Taylor Anderson has kept me rivited to my chair, so much so my brother threatened hose me down just to see me move! the plot twist were great and the development of the crew and Mi-Anaka as well as the britts were astounding. I wont ruin the book for those of you that hate to be told what it's about but rest assured it is well worth the price. Any one who likes alt history will love this book
Thank you Mr. Anderson for many enjoyable hours

Tyson Curtis

I have finished "Iron Grey Sea" the latest book in the 'Destroyermen" series and I thought it was great! I will agree that the first half of the book bounces around bringing readers up to date on the current situation of what has become a "two-front war" for Matthew Reddy's crew and their Lemurian allies. The sudden introduction of new technology has dramatically altered the tactics. The author added an element I was spectulating about before this book when a new character was introduced that "American Navy" wise outranks Lieutenant Commander Reddy. I thought the "cast of characters" added to the front of the book was a necessary addition, fighting a world war takes a large cast of characters and I believe "Taylor Anderson" is doing a remarkable job of keeping the characters and the various fronts aligned and true to the original storyline concept. Much of this alternate earth is unexplored by the "allies", and we have to learn, adjust and explore the situations through the eyes of the characters. That said the second half of the book had several thrilling battles and yes cliff-hangers as well! I am anxiously awaiting the next installment. Please use this forum to honestly rate the book after you have read it! The author doesn't set the prices, the publisher does. In my opinion the current trend by publishers and authors to add a "Co-author" and thus produce more books causes the storyline to suffer in quality. That is definitely not the case for this author and series. the store's $ 16.44 seems like a pretty fair price for a new Hardcopy based on today prices, and very soon there will be bargains in the used book market. It's a great book and a great series!

Without dropping any spoilers on the book, I have to consider this one a hit!

Taylor has brought this story from the beginning where Walker and her crew were just finding their bearings, to this installment, where the characters depth is revealed and the story draws to a boiling point. The Alliance has grown and the adventure turns with each page.

The revelation and detail to the technology involved only serve as a bonus for the military buff of the period.

to go from ships with sails to steel steamers in just a few months is ludicrous,i didn't know being a sailor gave you the knowledge to be a ship builder,the simple thinking of the alliance is getting old ,to let them keep getting burnt by some lizards is getting on my nerve,

This is the best of the series so far. Taylor's grasp of the technical detail and how it is woven into the story is excellent, not just the physical, but the social and organizational detail as well. His understanding of the effects of small details and their propagation on the story line shows a degree of historical and engineering knowledge not seen in the genre since H. Beam Piper. There are a number of interesting technical developments and plot twists in this volume; which are logical from the previous works in the series, but unexpected. Can't wait for the next book in the series.

Fans of alternate history, WWII-era science fiction, etc will all be pleased at Mr. Anderson's latest. He is one of the few authors working for the Big Six publishers that I will still buy, and its because of his great storytelling. Solid characters, creative concepts, I love it all.

I look forward to his next and give this one an enthusiastic 4-star.

Side note: please disregard the 1-star reviews being posted as a protest against the publisher's pricing. These folks haven't even read the book, they just mistakenly think they are making some kind of strike against the publishers when in reality they are only hurting the author's livelihood.

Second side-note: if you have read this, please post a review of the book itself, whatever your opinion of it is. If you want to mention that you are dissatisfied with the pricing (as am I) then do so in the text. But rate the book honestly - the review will be up here long after the prices go down.

This series began well, continued to entertain, and I enjoyed this installment as much as any, but...Mr. Anderson, its time to bring the series to an end. What remains of the long suffering crew should be rewarded with a return to their "real" world and let the original inhabitants slug it out on their own! By all means keep up the excellent writing, but it is time to, pardon the pun, "turn the page".

I have been waiting for this book as I enjoyed the first too. Almost didn't buy it because of the cost. I got it on Kindle. Because there is a large font first letter at the start of each chapter it skipped a page. Gratefully reviewers wrote me that you have to change to a smaller font and that page will display.
I like the story but it goes pretty slow in places with love lives and mundane story line. Will I get the next one? Not for $12.99.

Unlike past books in this series which held your attention almost from cover to cover.

This book in the series is too drawn out. Too much detail in writing about the characters rather then the story line and action (love life, political and empire standing etc.).

I am half way through reading and still waiting for any real type of battle or confrontation that kept me coming back for more. I hope the second half of this novel is a lot more interesting.

The author left us with several cliffhangers in his last book in this series and so far, after half a book, he has only briefly scraped over one with a few paragraphs.

In laymen's terms... It's a little boring...

Hope this author gets back on track.

Being a big fan of the Destroyermen series, I was looking forward to this book. I was very disappointed. Previous volumes pretty much had self-contained story lines. This volume has multiple unfinished hanging story lines virtually requiring you to purchase the next in the series to find out what happens. I like series, but each volume should be able to stand alone. This does not. I somehow feel cheated and would return the book if possible.

Destroyermen: Iron Gray Sea by Taylor Anderson is the latest installment in a series that proposes an alternative history for World War II. The book is richly imagined, with the sort of detail and authority that Anderson has brought to all of his work.

As a gunmaker as well as a forensic ballistic archaeologist, Anderson speaks from a position of knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject matter that makes the story not only authentic, but also far more exciting.

Anyone looking to jump into a series like this should start at the beginning, given that this is nowhere near the first book, and a great deal has happened. For anyone having trouble keeping track of exactly who is doing what, Anderson decided to include a character list, which some may find handy to refer back to as they read.

With such a vast canvas to cover, Anderson has several story lines that run parallel to each other. He pays equal attention to all of them, which gives the reader the perspective of not only the nominal 'hero' of the piece, but also opposing viewpoints. This is a wise choice, as there are always more to a war than 'good guys and bad guys,' as Iron Gray Sea proves.

Among these threads are the former IJN Command, or "Lord" Sato Okada's search for the destroyer Hidoiame.

Matthew Reddy and his sweetheart Lieutenant Sandra Taylor have plans of a matrimonial nature, and the now Commander Alan Letts continues to tinker with the development of new weapons.

In the meantime, the alliance attempts to launch an offensive attack in the Indi-aa, all the while the 'other side' plots their own attacks. Among them are the "General of the Sea" Hisashi Kurokawa, and the Grik, who find assistance from General Halik. And all the while, the Holy Domininion plot and scheme, and numerous other traitors add their plans to the mix.

There were only several places in which Anderson didn't quite carry off the book, and those were in the wrapping up of several threads, as well as the fact that it felt as if he was perhaps trying to cram too much into this volume. Aside from those quibbles, the book is a robust read, with interesting characters, and a plot that will keep one turning pages to find out what happens next.

(Reviewed for A Book Obsession..)

If you've read the previous novels, this is more-of-the-same, but you know that's meant in the good way. The story continues to propagate like a blast wave- as much as I enjoy the story I'm beginning to read it as much to witness the inevitable collapse under its own mass as I am for the characters & adventure.

If you're new to the series, this isn't the one to start with. Where you might have gotten away with that with 'Firestorm' & you could have done it easily with any of the preceding titles, 'Iron Grey Sea' is too complex. I imagine Anderson must have a twenty mule team driver in a past life to give him a talent for co-ordinating so many threads. His writing can be likened to a Gatling gun; each chapter is a barrel spitting out a bit of story.

My only complaint is the price, a complaint not unique to this book. Folks, we're being robbed. Where a hardcover & paperback have expenses in material & shipping, electronic media have virtually no expenses. Unlimited copies for no more cost than for one. I understand the author needs to eat & the publisher isn't running a charity but PLEASE! The paperback is $5 cheaper & the hardcover only $2 more! If they had a gun they'd be arrested for robbery!

In short, a good book. Go find it at your local library.

** SPOILER ALERT **

In this, the 7th volume of the Destroyermen series, the war is now bigger than ever, on land, air and sea. The fantastic action is on two fronts: the Grik/Japanese alliance in India and with the bloodthirsty Dominion on the other. We find the Walker and her crew returning from their battle with Dominion forces trying to take over the Empire of New Britain's colonies on the West coast of North America. While within the Empire a new treat strikes in a bold bid for power.

This book follows the growing threat from the counter strike by the Grik/Japanese alliance with new super weapons in India and the momentous action builds quickly throughout the book as new Girk leaders begin to maneuver in India. The Alliance creates a second fleet to deal with the threat from the Dominion in the East. The hunt for the destroyer Hidoiane and her tanker by the USS Walker begins in the South China Sea as the action mounts in to a huge surface action.

This is a great series for any science fiction fan with great characters and a noble fight for survival against pure evil, a must read!

I am a big fan of this series. They are very well written with lots of very well researched and believable cultural, naval, and scientific details. This book was no exception. The need for new industry and technology in an ever expanding war is very realistic and I love how new cultures and peoples keep getting added. The take on how evolutionary biology shaped the various cultures is very interesting as well.

My only complaint about this book was that after waiting so long for it to come out it feels like the plot didn't move forward a whole lot. I'm not trying to give away spoilers here. While there was a lot of action and in one region a lot happened, this book ended where I was hoping it was going to start off from. The Grik are a very fascinating and implacable foe and I am looking forward to the back pocket plan Captain Reddy has been saving. I definitely want to see more of what is going on in Dominion controlled lands and with the new culture we meet in South Africa. Sigh. Now we have to wait for another sequel. I will definitely buy and read the next one, I just hate waiting! I must work on patience.

Mr. Anderson actually started going with too many branches to the story with "Firestorm", the 6th book of the series. I understand his desire to continue the story and he certainly has written himself into enough branches that this series could go on indefinitely. I understand the desire to keep a good thing going also from his perspective as I am sure this series has been a cash cow for him (well deserved I might add).

The books have been excellent so far, but I find myself now at a crossroads with the series and really getting a bit tired of waiting for the next book, and hoping there will be some conclusion to some of the threads. This 7th book of the series was the first book I purchased immediately instead of waiting. I wanted to see how this story would turn out.

I find myself finally getting into each branch, several pages into the story-line and then having to re-think and re-invest in the next branch, wondering the whole time what comes next in the previous story-line. I have even been guilty of skipping over chapters to continue the current story-line and then going back to the skipped chapters. This has an adverse affect sometimes though as I find out things from the other story-line I hadn't covered yet. Sorry to ramble.

I said all that to say this; This story has gotten too big and too spread out. We did not need yet another front, yet another bad guy, yet another story-line, and yet another lack of any conclusions. That is, unless the author was willing to resolve some issues, even if it meant making this long book, twice as long. My favorite story-line, Walker has suffered from some neglect because of this and when are we gonna get some conclusions?

I like a long series as much as the next guy, but really, 7 novels in and we should be wrapping up. Actually wish it would have wrapped up with book 6 and then maybe made a couple of other series later in the future that were exclusively on the Grik story-line, or Walker the next generation, or What's up with the Dominion now or the Imperials etc. Well you get the point.

I may be in the minority, but I am ready for some kind of conclusions to the story and not a half story to sell the next book, or a half story because the author is going in too many directions. I am in agreement with above posters that says each book should be able to stand on it's on and 6 and 7 from the series, especially this last one, do not stand on their own. I can see the author's vision for this alternate earth, but it has simply gotten too big and a bit impersonal now. This 7th book is seriously suffering from "The Empire Strikes Back" middle movie syndrome.

I may get book the next book in the series, book 8, later after it comes out. I also may not, but if I do, it will not be right away, like book 7. Also if I do decide to continue the series and book 8 is like this one, I believe I will be moving on. Which is a shame to me, because I would really like some conclusions. Has been such a fantastic series, however this does need some wrap-up and conclusions and not just a small part of 5 or 6 mini novels that seem like maybe the story has gotten too big for the author or that the author wants to be sure we buy the next book.

I'd enjoyed the previous books in this series, but I just couldn't finish this one. There are just too many story threads going at once. As soon as one thread gets interesting, the narrative jumps halfway around the world to another one, usually much less interesting. The character who made me care most about the early books (LCDR Matt Reddy, the intrepid destroyer commander) barely appears, his thread being mostly about him fretting that he's thousands of miles away from the real action.

Also, many chapters don't even move the story forward; they're just dreary battle scene and endless technical exposition. And now there are not one, not two, but three different villains! It's just too much.

I know I'm in the minority on this one. SF fans today are quite happy to devour bloated multi-volume stories that move forward like a drunken snail. But some of us need a little more discipline in our storytelling.

I picked this series up originally for a friend of the family but they decided not to read them so I thought I would instead. I have thoroughly enjoyed the series so far and eagerly await each new book. The basic idea behind the series is credible enough to make you accept it but also enough to satisfy more fantasy or altered time readers. The characters are likable or bad enough to want you to hate them and grabs the action is non stop. As for the newest book, Iron Gray Sea. It starts drawing things closer and closer together as you wonder what will happen next to your favorite characters. The action is there but the interaction between people isnt left behind either. Anderson leaves you wanting more at the end and I eagerly wait for the next in this series.

Great book! I've read the entire series up to #8 so far, they are all really good. Series progresses well, doesn't slow down in the middle like some longer book series. some are 5 stars, some are 4.5 stars, but overall great book and great series.

I gave the first five books in this series five stars, this one gets four. Why? It is starting to get just to many sub plots and Reddy and crew are, so far, being turned into just another one. I still enjoyed this one but I can see it is going to get even more complex withe the addition of the "Real People".

I am a fan of this series and have read all the books in the series. However, this one was not the best. The overall story did not really move much forward. There seemed to be alot of pages of fill information. Some of the story is getting old. The Walker gets shot up and barely survives. Crazy Japanese commander is still crazy. Finally I really don't care for all the cliff hanger type endings of the various subplots. Clearly you are meant to buy the next, book but after six books so far, when do we reach some closure? The same war against the same enemy fought in the same style book after book is getting a little old.

As usual the author creates a very realistic suspension of disbelief. The story and characters entrance and makes for a quick and exciting read.
My only critique, it finishes to quick and I want more.

Taylor Anderson honestly never disappoints. I was worried that it was going to be too short for how much I paid for it, but it was as always, action packed. This series could probably continue infinitely, and I cannot wait for the next book to come out!

Iron Gray Sea: Destroyermen
Taylor Anderson
Roc, Jul 3 2012, $25.95
ISBN: 9780451464545

The Human-Lemurians alliance invades Saa-lon and Indiaa to take the war to the Grik at a time when the eastern front against the Holy Dominion remains perilous especially the air assault on New Britain. However, the alliance is unprepared for the strength of the feral Grik who with the help of Kurokawa prepared for two years for a different fight as they deploy surprising operational strategy and modern technology trapping the enemy military.

In the Empire of New Britain Isles, treachery and assassination shakes up the confidence of the people in their leadership. At sea, recently married Lieutenant Commander Matthew Reddy leads his USS Walker crew to search to destroy the much larger rogue Japanese destroyer Hidoiame that has devastated Allied ships in the north.

The latest Destroyermen alternate military thriller (see Firestorm and Rising Tides) is an action-packed tale as the Alliance faces a tri-front war. The key to this entry and the entire series is not everything goes well for the allies who are in trouble against the Grik at sea and on land; against the Dominion in the air; and against the Hidoiame at sea. With a superb shocking twist and a cast of seemingly quadrillion (scorecard included), fans will enjoy the world war on another earth.

Harriet Klausner

The Destroyermen series has been one of the most enjoyable alternate universe sets I have ever read. The characters seem real, the military details are very refreshing, and the overall storyline is fascinating.