Rating: 
Summary: Look who's coming for dinner!
Review: In A Hymn Before Battle, we were introduced to Galactic Civilization, a la John Ringo. Now the Posleen have come to Earth for dinner...and the main dish is us! In spare and driving prose, Ringo drags the reader (whaddaya mean, they eat _people_?) through hyper-realistically-drawn scene after scene sparing no feelings and holding no punches. This isn't a shootemup space opera, either. There is a ton of critical philosophical thinking that sneaks up behind you and grabs you, just as you begin to feel the hot breath of a Posleen O'olt on the back of your neck. Give yourself time to read this book. Then read it again. You won't want to do things like go to work, go out, or even stop to eat until you're done. Bravo!
Rating:
Summary: A sequel even BETTER than it's dazzling predecessor
Review: In some ways, this was a harder book to read than Ringo's first novel, "A Hymn Before Battle." It was harder NOT because it is a poorer book, but because the writing is better, the characterizations more real, and I came to care very deeply about what happens to whom, and why. Ringo's first book was an absolutely beautiful work, and he has clearly improved his craft for the second one.I do know this. For me, a book with the name "John Ringo" on it has become a "must buy."
Rating: 
Summary: A vast improvement
Review: In this second book, Ringo created a very tense environment. I was eager to about the first invasion force, and the psychological impact on the world. I enjoyed much of the battle sequences. These were all good things. There are still some story threads presented in the first book that are either explored sparingly or not at all. This is unfortunate; I really wanted to get more of an insight into the backroom dealings that will have some impact later in the series. I think there are still some rough edges in his writing, and places for improvement. But this book does create the desire to continue reading and to learn about the fate of our heroes.
Rating:
Summary: A vast improvement
Review: In this second book, Ringo created a very tense environment. I was eager to about the first invasion force, and the psychological impact on the world. I enjoyed much of the battle sequences. These were all good things. There are still some story threads presented in the first book that are either explored sparingly or not at all. This is unfortunate; I really wanted to get more of an insight into the backroom dealings that will have some impact later in the series. I think there are still some rough edges in his writing, and places for improvement. But this book does create the desire to continue reading and to learn about the fate of our heroes.
Rating:
Summary: As good as the last one, but it adds
Review: It's as good as the last one, but adds even more in terms of story and character development. This is easily of the same caliber as David Drake's Hammer Slammer's series. If you're at all interested in military scifi I'd recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: A new and welcome addition to sci-fi military books
Review: John Ringo has, in my firm opinion, have become one of the best new sci-fi authors on the market. Move over Drake and Weber, this author has a lot to offer to fans of military sci-fi. Once I have picked up one of his books I couldn't put it down. At over 700 pages it is a long read, but the story keeps the reader well involved, especially in the second half where it is non-stop action. For someone who is very familiar with the Northern Virginia area, where much of this book takes place, it was weird to read this book. Who would have thought that the greatest invasion of the Earth by the Posleen would occur in Fredericksburg, VA? Mr. Ringo has written a great book in which the reader gets extremely involved as he makes the invasion feel like it is in your back yard. Many times you can almost see the Posleen coming down your street in a massive hoard..... Good job Mr. Ringo. I am not waiting for the third book in this series to come out in paperback, I am going out to get the hardcover now.
Rating:
Summary: A Significantly Improved Sequel
Review: John Ringo's second book in his saga of an Earth threatened by alien invasion is a distinct improvement over his first effort "A Hymn Before Battle". He still needs some more seasoning as an author, but most of the major flaws of his first book have been eliminated and/or reduced to the point that they don't interefere with the enjoyment of a rock-em-sock-em adventure. Our story: In the near future, mankind is approached by the Galactic Federation, which is composed of a number of alien races, none with the psychological makeup to be warriors. Soldiers are needed because an alien horde has been ravening, unchecked through the galaxy. It won't be long before they arrive at Earth. To save dear ole Earth, half-trained expeditionary forces were sent out to learn more of the alien menance, try to delay the horde, and find ways to fight the bad guys. "A Hymn Before Battle" featured recalled former Airborne enlisted man Michael O'Neal, who ended that book as a true hero, who helped gain humanity's first victory over the bad guys. Now a captain, commanding a company outfitted with the new battle armor which he helped design, O'Neal faces bureacratic fights, but the big show is coming. For the aliens are due to arrive by the millions on Earth. And mankind is not yet prepared, with too few modern weapons, officers and generals who are still fighting the last war, and the secret dealings of some of the "good" aliens. The bulk of this novel deals with the alien invasion itself, and Ringo indeed has a talent for writing action scenes. This book benefits by the additional length to expand the back story, characters are much more realistic and human, and although we don't see much more of the "good" alien plotting, a new, yet (presumably) related level of intrigue is introduced. Still, there are flaws, as certain changes in American society have not been fully explored. Some of the problems to this book are merely the result of the poor foundation laid in the first book of this series, "A Hymn Before Battle." Mr. Ringo still needs to work on his characters, (the 8 year old Rambo was just a tad much) although he has made vast strides. This book packs an undeniable emotional punch, and I had a difficult time deciding whether to give this book 3 or 4 stars. (If there was a half star rating, it would have received 3 1/2.) I gave it 3 stars, partly because 2 stars was an overgenerous rating for the first book, but mainly because there are still just a few too many rough edges to merit 4 stars. However, sci-fi action fans will not be disappointed. I look forward to the next volume of this saga, and compliment Mr. Ringo for his improved writing skills.
Rating:
Summary: A Significantly Improved Sequel
Review: John Ringo's second book in his saga of an Earth threatened by alien invasion is a distinct improvement over his first effort "A Hymn Before Battle". He still needs some more seasoning as an author, but most of the major flaws of his first book have been eliminated and/or reduced to the point that they don't interefere with the enjoyment of a rock-em-sock-em adventure. Our story: In the near future, mankind is approached by the Galactic Federation, which is composed of a number of alien races, none with the psychological makeup to be warriors. Soldiers are needed because an alien horde has been ravening, unchecked through the galaxy. It won't be long before they arrive at Earth. To save dear ole Earth, half-trained expeditionary forces were sent out to learn more of the alien menance, try to delay the horde, and find ways to fight the bad guys. "A Hymn Before Battle" featured recalled former Airborne enlisted man Michael O'Neal, who ended that book as a true hero, who helped gain humanity's first victory over the bad guys. Now a captain, commanding a company outfitted with the new battle armor which he helped design, O'Neal faces bureacratic fights, but the big show is coming. For the aliens are due to arrive by the millions on Earth. And mankind is not yet prepared, with too few modern weapons, officers and generals who are still fighting the last war, and the secret dealings of some of the "good" aliens. The bulk of this novel deals with the alien invasion itself, and Ringo indeed has a talent for writing action scenes. This book benefits by the additional length to expand the back story, characters are much more realistic and human, and although we don't see much more of the "good" alien plotting, a new, yet (presumably) related level of intrigue is introduced. Still, there are flaws, as certain changes in American society have not been fully explored. Some of the problems to this book are merely the result of the poor foundation laid in the first book of this series, "A Hymn Before Battle." Mr. Ringo still needs to work on his characters, (the 8 year old Rambo was just a tad much) although he has made vast strides. This book packs an undeniable emotional punch, and I had a difficult time deciding whether to give this book 3 or 4 stars. (If there was a half star rating, it would have received 3 1/2.) I gave it 3 stars, partly because 2 stars was an overgenerous rating for the first book, but mainly because there are still just a few too many rough edges to merit 4 stars. However, sci-fi action fans will not be disappointed. I look forward to the next volume of this saga, and compliment Mr. Ringo for his improved writing skills.
Rating:
Summary: Ringo Rocks & Rolls!
Review: Maybe type a little 3 x 5 telling people "you are OK, just preoccupied and to go away"...You're busy reading something you can't take your eyes off of. Don't start this book unless you've got your lawn mowed, your taxes submitted, and groceries in the frig, as you aren't going to do any of that until this rollercoaster stops. If you want a read that will pull you back into the Posleen- Human universe, then don't miss this. You need to read A Hymn before Battle first, of course, but if you do that, you'll find yourself on Amazon.com reading this review. Stop reading reviews. Order the book.
Rating:
Summary: Thrilling.
Review: Second book in Ringo's Legacy of the Alldenata series, this is definitely his best. Ringo was a soldier in the 1980s and served in the Grenada invasion, so he knows what he's talking about. He knows the military, he knows computers, he knows war, and he knows his s---. And what he doesn't know, he's *smart* about; this is intelligent science-fiction, not in terms of being intellectual (it's not) but in terms of the science making sense and all that. The plot is simple: Earth's being invaded. The first book set everything up, and now the aliens have arrived. On the East Coast of the USA. A year sooner than they were expected. Unprepared soldiers, competent and incompetent officers, brave civilians and a truly kickass ending. I like this stuff. Some old characters, a few new ones who we see again in future books like Tommy Sunday. There's four Posleen books so far, this is by far the best of them. A Hymn Before Battle was Ringo's first and it wasn't hard to see that it was a first novel. If the other books in the foursome were as good as Gust Front, they'd be classics. This one should be.
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