Cally's War (Legacy of the Aldenata Book 6)

I really enjoyed this book.

I love John's universe and Julie did a great job breathing life in to Cally. It was a real page-turner for me.

I don't expect every one of John's books to be exactly the same. Obviously some people do.

Having author's team up has been a serious boom to Sci Fi. Fresh new writers can stretch their wings in an existing universe that already has a fan base begging for more. Experienced writers can get a different viewpoint of their world while keeping it internally consistent for their fans.

The result is more and better books for the fans.

Not to mention that two creative people who work well together will usually turn out something that is more than just the sum of their efforts.

Cally's War was very fast, deadly, and every thing I expect from John's Posleen world.

Finally I would like to say that I don't like one star reviews that pan some thing for either being:

A) Not an exact repeat of the previous formula

or

B) Being a different cup of tea.

It is fine to say some thing isn't your cup of tea and use your review to let other know what to expect, but not to one star pan it because it wasn't exactly what you were expecting unless there was some serious misrepresentation going on.

You don't pan a Drama for not being funny enough. Or a Kiddy movie for not having enough blood.

Cally's War was very clear about what it was going to be about. It is high stake espionage in the Posleen universe by someone who is walking the edge.

Oh, and some time people fall in love and that makes all the difference in the world.

So far, the worst book in the Posleen Wars series. No action, bad charachters, bad dialogue, no useful insights to the main story, and an obnoxious protagonist who spends most of his time in really lame ad useless sex scenes, all while pretending she's not a youngster anymore. Save your money.

John Ringo's comments and feedback were good to read. I don't know if I speak for a majority of reviewers, but the title and the cover art lead us to believe that there will be Posleen blood shed at some point.

If you're looking for an in-depth view on the life of a spy - a mid-aged, female, expert spy - then this is a great book. Well written. Just be ready for a spy novel.

It is unfortunate that, having read the fine books leading up to this one, that I formed expectations regarding how good it would be...
Well, I fooled myself. I'd like to say that I only have myself to blame, but it would be a lie. I blame Ringo for pawning off the writing of this book (and the trashing of beloved characters) to someone else. Clearly, he was too busy to come up with something remotely resembling a good plot, so instead turned to pitiful s&m sex and the torture of women. It has become obvious that John Ringo has some serious issues with women and has let them infect his writing. There is no plot here, unless you count destroying a loyal following of fans. It is too bad that, unlike wine, this author does NOT get better over time.

I want my money back. This book is pathetic.

Apparently unlike my esteemed colleague, I have actually read this book in it's entirety through Baen's Webscriptions service.

"Cally's War" is the story of Cally O'Neal, daughter of Mike O'Neal, the hero of John Ringo's "Legacy of the Alldenata" series. It picks up perhaps 40 years after her supposed death at the end of that series.

We find Cally operating as a highly capable assassin with an underground movement. While she is the consumate secret agent, she has, well, issues...

This story strives to tell how a deadly woman regains some sense of her humanity while struggling for her life in a deadly race against the opposition.

Cally's War is not for the faint of heart, but is a very well written and excellently characterized tale.

I highly recommend it.

I had mixed feelings about this when I bought it - I already knew it wasn't like the previous books but I did expect better.

Firstly, the plot was not sufficiently well connected. The overall picture was fine but the detail was lacking.

Secondly, there was far too little romance to make that subplot believable. Ye gawds - Pryce/Steward sees Cally being gang raped and just sits there and watches, despite the fact that she destroyed her chance to escape to save his life. Eww. And then they gratuiously kill Pryce in an accident for no good reason.

Many prior reviews contain the heart of the matter; this is not a military SF novel. If you want that, spend your money on something else. No one expects an author to write the same stuff for his entire life. The mistake with this novel was positioning. If you don't over analyze human nature, it make perfect sense that there was a great expectation that this novel would tell where the puppet strings lead and how humanity's destiny would play out. To be fed a rather deviant sex story is a tad shocking and disheartening that the larger story will ever be told.

In the Posleen Universe, two factions are waging a covert war. Unlike the clear-cut carnage of the separate Mike O'Neal series, this action/ espionage/ romance deals with the evolving growth (and disintegration) on a very personal level of protagonist Cally O'Neal. It is adult in its explicit violence, and in the psychology involved, but that realism merely enhances the quality.

A recommended read, despite the cover. (Which is usually beyond the control of the author anyway.)

Excellent read. Pulled me in from the first chapter until the last. Fleshed out the world after the Posleen invasion and reintroduced us to an older Cally O'Neal. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys well defined characters and good plots.

Beware once you start reading John Ringo books you won't want to stop.

In the Posleen Universe, two factions are waging a covert war. Unlike the clear-cut carnage of the separate Mike O'Neal series, this action/ espionage/ romance deals with the evolving growth (and disintegration) on a very personal level of protagonist Cally O'Neal. It is adult in its explicit violence, and in the psychology involved, but that realism merely enhances the quality.

A recommended read, despite the cover. (Which is usually beyond the control of the author anyway.)

Excellent read. Pulled me in from the first chapter until the last. Fleshed out the world after the Posleen invasion and reintroduced us to an older Cally O'Neal. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys well defined characters and good plots.

Beware once you start reading John Ringo books you won't want to stop.

The main shooting war is over, so no massive battles with power armor. This is a good Cold War story, where the primary agent is more jaded than James Bond ever got, joys of regeneration technology...

A good read. I enjoyed the different. This provided good insight into the post war Earth and the politics involved. Good fodder for the RPG game based on this Universe in production.

I was looking forward to expanding my understanding of the challenges and intrigue in the new post Posleen universe not a wooden and boring hash. In the earlier novels we glimpse many interesting characters and motives. I was hoping to flesh out these hints only to be very disappointed. I think I'll pass on the next novels

There was way too much attention paid to her changes of clothes, and not enough action, like other Ringo books. The ending was very anti-clamatic, and lackluster. Please John no more of this type, get back to action.

Outstanding illustration of how a proven author can write garbage and still get it published! Cally's War is a pure and simple crotch novel with, at most, 10 pages that might justify its existence. I'd like my $7.99 refund, plus intellectual damages, in a large certified check by 3-01-07 please.

I was unable to finish reading this book. Cally was preoccupied having one night stands and shopping. What happened to the war?

In all fairness I only made it halfway through the book, maybe the second half was better.

Dear Mr. Ringo

After reading you comments about cally's war, I have cancled my advance order for (?) your upcoming title. I have had that on advanced order for about 2 months. And with your attitude I will not be purchasing any of your books in the future. Subbing out a story line is the lowest thing an author can do in my opinion. Either write it yourself or let it die!

While the outlook for the German SS novel looked promising I was under the impression that YOU had wrote it. But since I now find out that its only your name on the book why should I bother.

Im sure the gentleman you have writing it is a very good author. But I was going to purchase it based on your name. Which in my opinion you have destroyed.

This could have been an interesting story. Instead it's insufferably slow going.

I found myself constantly thinking "get to the point already!"

There is no focus. The book skips from one disjointed, confusing and ultimately uninteresting subject/POV to another. The main character is "almost" interestng, but not quite. A minor "surfer dude" character uses a faux accent that might have worked for a few lines, but goes on for a migraine making chapter's worth of:

"Um . . . no. Not like that at all. Just . . . she wears a lot of black, okay? And silver jewelry. She'll probably be wearing, like, lots of silver jewelry. And she has this really cool Celtic knot kind of bracelet tattooed around one wrist. Like, left, I think."

There are some interesting bits in the story, but ultimately not enough to make up for the fact that the main character is uninteresting, the story is boring (how may post apocalyptic worlds/evil galactic civilizations do we really need? Especially badly written ones?)

Fortunately BAEN offers free chapters for most of their books. Go to baen.com and read for yourself.

Personally I think this is bargain bin material. It's a shame, because there are flashes of really good stuff here. IMO, one of the two authors knows how to write. It's just too bad the collaboration was so disastrous.

If you want to read really good stories about galactic civilizations, post apocalyptic earth, etc. try H. Beam Piper, David Brin (Uplift Saga series) or Roger Zelazny (This Immortal).

John Ringo's name should not appear on the outside of this book. He should at most get a "story by" credit on the title page.

Don't waste your money on this garbage. Even waiting for the paperback will only encourage the author and publisher to hack out more of this crap.

Really this book is not worth a review, however...

I have to believe that Ringo received an unsolicited manuscript from Julie Cochrane and thought - what the heck - make money~!

Tack the Ringo name on it and let the newbie writer, who has read the Ringo stuff only in addition to pulp bodice rippers carry the load.

Abysmal writing style and content is one thing - and this IS that...but many major story and plot failures are another...

Notable example: Stewart/Pryce assigned to investigate undercover for a certain and exisiting traitor-leak, but - gosh - turns out that Cally was the spy, and she and Pryce arrived at Titan together~! Huh? What?

Save your money...try the Sten series.

Those that like this drivel are too easily amused and entertained.

This was obviously an attempt at a story like Heinlein's Friday. Unfortunately, It's the opposite of Friday in most senses. Friday was not boring. Friday was not a shallow character. Friday was not strictly a lust object for 14 year old boys.

We start with the Space Bimbo Barbie cover, then we go to a scene of Cally picking up a target in a bar, letting him chain her down and rape and abuse her. Thinking her dead, he unchains her, and she jumps up in best Hai Karate fashion and clobbers him. From a viewpoint of tactics, martial arts and intelligence gathering, it's unfathomably stupid and unbelievable. Next scene, she goes out to pick up a cheap date.

Possibly the character does develop at some point. There was no foreshadowing, no hint of that anywhere here. Nothing to interest anyone who doesn't find degradation sexy. I can't put this Cally next to Mike O'Neal's daughter and find any commonality. She's not a continuation or even a repressed or perverted version, she's simply a sex object with the same name. It's sickening. I gave up.

Oh, yeah, about that first: Cally may be the first blowup doll not made out of latex. She's actually made out of cardboard.

Ringo has been slipping constantly since Gust Front. I think he's done. Perhaps he should team back up with David Weber and get some more lessons.

Don't waste your time.

This book cannot have been written by the same author as A Hymn Before Dying. It's absolutely terrible. Wooden, badly plotted and amateurish. All I can hope is that the co-authorship meant that Ringo simply sold off the characters and the basic background to another writer who wrote a hacked-up melange of romance novel and dumb science fiction.

Yech.