The Bush League Critic

Some things you just like. Taylor Anderson's Destroyermen series is one of those things for me. The books entertain me... and sometimes, entertainment is all I'm after. His latest installment - Distant Thunders - didn't disappoint me in the least.

This blurb is from Into the Storm, the first book in the series:

Pressed into service when World War II breaks out in the Pacific, the US Walker—a Great War-era destroyer—finds itself retreating from pursuing Japanese battleships. Its captain, Lieutenant Commander Matthew Patrick Reddy, desperately leads the Walker into a squall, hoping it will give them cover—only to emerge into an alternate world. A world where two species have evolved: the cat-like Lemurians and the reptilian Griks—and they are at war.

With its power and weaponry, the Walker’s very existence could alter the balance of power. And for Reddy and his crew, who have the means to turn a primitive war into a genocidal Armageddon, one thing becomes clear. They must determine whose side they’re on. Because whichever species they choose is the winner.

I read the original trilogy (Into the Storm, Crusade and Maelstrom) last year and absolutely loved it.  I was worried about the "cheese" factor when I first picked them up, but I couldn't have been more wrong. It was like The Philadelphia Experiment meets Land of the Lost... while neither of those works exactly instill any feelings of "Wow!" on their own, the hybridization of the two can be quite fascinating; let me tell you.

Anderson has a Master's Degree in history and is a forensic ballistic archaeologist, so you're probably never going to read better battle sequences that combine WWII technology with Bronze Age cultures. Did I mention naval battles? No? Well, he's no slouch in that department either. Realistic and entertaining as hell. God, I'm a sucker for a well-written naval battle.

Combine all that with a boatload (heehee) of characters that are easy to give a damn about (as well as a few that are just as easy to hate) and all you would need is a compelling plot to make it completely enjoyable. Well, guess what?... it has that too! Definitely one of those - "maybe just one more chapter before I turn off the light" - type of reading experiences.

I know I didn't really review Distant Thunders, but that's only because it's not a complete story. This book was the start of a new sub-series that starts immediately following the explosive aftermath of Maelstrom - the stunning conclusion to the first sub-series. So it was a lot of setup and teasing. Entertaining and consistent with the quality of the first three books, but ultimately incomplete. I usually hate that kind of serialized shit, but I'm willing to make an exception in a few cases. If I have an ounce of willpower, I'm going to wait until the series is complete before picking it back up again.