Review: War's Edge: Blood & Steel

Title: War's Edge: Blood & Steel 

https://www.amazon.com/Wars-Edge-Ryan-W-Aslesen-ebook/dp/B096T7371W/

 

Author: Ryan Aslesen

Rating: 4/5

Comments:

This is the sequel to Dead Heroes.  https://curmudgeon-book-reviews.blogspot.com/2021/05/review-wars-edge-dead-heroes.html

This is my third review of a Ryan Aslesen book, and it's another good mil-sf read, I guess I'm a fan.  The war is heating up and the action is good. 

If I had one quibble it's that his space combat sequences are way too close to wet navy narratives.  There's references to "listing" and such where I had Newton in the back of my mind going "it doesn't work like that."

Other than that, you've got the POV shifts to other characters who are there for some reason I haven't fathomed yet.

Bedroom Activities: none

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FTB/Explicit/None – Fade to black bedroom activities vs “Onscreen” vs No activities

Review: War's Edge: Dead Heroes

Title: War's Edge: Dead Heroes

Author: Ryan W. Aslesen

Rating: 4/5

Comments:

This is from the same author as War Whore (link to review) and I picked it up based on the strength of that novel.  

The first half is a fairly standard "boot camp" experience which is not groundbreaking but it works. The second half covers the protagonists first deployment, and I got a very Vietnam War vibe from it.  Again, not a problem, just familiar.

All in all, good action, good characters.  There was some POV switching that was apparently there just to give us a broader view of the story, because honestly they didn't get enough screen time for me to care about them.

Bedroom Activities: FTB limited, one "on-screen" but not detailed enough to warrant an Explicit rating.

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FTB/Explicit/None – Fade to black bedroom activities vs “Onscreen” vs No activities

Review: War Whore

Title:  War Whore: A War’s Edge Stand Alone Novel (Berserkers)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08S5KNGWY/

Author: Ryan W. Aslesen

Rating: 4.5/5

Comments

This is pretty standard mil-sci fi, but it’s good standard military sci-fi.  You can always tell when an author has served, and is drawing on their own experiences, it just adds a ring of authenticity to the narration.

This was my first book by this author, but I intend to see what else he has written.  I hate it when people say “if you like X, then you’ll like this” so I won’t say that.  What I will say is it reminded me of the first time I read Hammer’s Slammers, and that’s a very good thing indeed.

Bedroom Activities:  None (reference to pre-book fun, non-explicit)

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FTB/Explicit/None – Fade to black bedroom activities vs “Onscreen” vs No activities