A Hymn Before Battle

Rating:
Summary: When the going gets tough, who are you gonna call?
Review: A Galactic Empire of 14 trillion beings flourishes in the galaxy around Earth. Comprised of four races (the Himmit, the Darhal, the Indowy, and the Tchpth) that have never known violence or war (most war-centered races die out long before attaining deep space travel), the Empire is helpless when the previously unincountered war-like Posleen begin invading their outer worlds some 175 Terran years ago. by 2001 on Earth, the Empire has seen 70 worlds fall and still hasn't found it in themselves to become soldiers in any really useful capacity. The Empire decides that they must do the unthinkalble and turn to a war-like race that hasn't even explored most of their own star system yet - us.

They know that this can be a dangerous proposition, but feel that they can control this backward race and keep them in check. It also happens that Earth is fifth in line for invasion by the Posleen. But, little did they know the sleeping dragon that they had awoken when they send the soldiers of Earth into a battle against unspeakable odds.

John Ringo's first effort is a great beginning to a universe we'll be seeing a lot of in the future. Ringo is to army-based combat science fiction what David Weber is to Naval-based fare. The book is half a story of the first battle between Human soldiers and the Posleen and half a set-up for the universe it is set in, preparing the reader for what will be a long line of great stories. Part David Weber; Part Heinlein; this book is a great start to John Ringo's career.

Rating:
Summary: Good military, but poor writing
Review: The good part of this book is Ringo's feel for the military. It's quite clear, once you get past the dull and boring beginning, that he's been there, and knows what he's talking about. The bad part is that the writing itself lacks sparkle. Maybe as Ringo continues on-- this is his first novel-- he will improve, but for this first try the prose is servicable, but clumsy. Overall conclusion: if you like military sf, you'll like this one; if you're looking for literary, fergittaboutit.

Rating:
Summary: Good start to a series?
Review: This book starts out a bit too long, and jumps around a bit too much for me. By the end of the book, there are several loose ends left dangling (what happens to the Navy, Sharon, and her kids?), and while he doesn't say so, I get the impression that this is the first in a series.

The reason I say that is that the book doesn't end by wrapping up all the loose ends, and the ending is the aftermath of a major battle, not a campaign, and certainly not the war. He entices us with the behind-the-scenes tidbits, but doesn't expand or resolve them.

The first 80% of the book is prep work, introducing the characters and situations, with the planetary assault and battle being the last part.

All in all, a good start, and the recommendation by David Weber helped to sell me (I'm waiting for the next Harrington book!). A light, relaxing beach read.

Rating:
Summary: More BAEN Webcrack
Review: Baen books has done it to me again! Find an author who REALLY knows how to tell a story. Get you hooked. Tell you your next fix will be in April.

If you like military science fiction in the mold of Heinlein, Weber and Drake.....BUY THIS BOOK!!!

Rating:
Summary: Way to Go!!
Review: Since I liked the subject (humans doing aliens' fighting), I ordered this book and have never regretted it. I was unable to put it down. John Ringo's first effort will definitely stay on my shelves with the select few: BuJold, Drake, Eric Flint, Heinlein, and Andre Norton. If I kept every book I liked, there wouldn't be room in my house for me. Since I only keep the ones I really like, there is room for A Hymn Before Battle

Rating:
Summary: Makin it Real
Review: Perhaps the most difficult obstacle that a Military Fiction book must face is the sense of realism. This is a still more daunting task when you are presenting a military story in a Science Fiction milieu. For a first time writer this is often an impossible task. Many of the well-known authors in Military Fiction are technically competent, but often it is in their later novels that they finally show character development. In Military Science Fiction the list of authors who are technically competent as well as who posses the ability to create characters that one cares for is vanishing small.

This is not the case with John Ringo and "A Hymn Before Battle". The fact that the reader immediately feels the protagonist is "real", carries this book over the initial first time writer jitters. Lt. Michael O'Neal comes to life in this book. By the time you finish you will be able to tell a police sketch artist how to draw him.

Furthermore, the reader will also be able to feel that they care about Mike O'Neal's wife and children, the members of his scratch platoon, and even a Medevac pilot who makes a brief appearance.

To this Ringo adds military reality. Despite the super suits that the soldiers wear, lack of sleep becomes an enemy as well. As anyone who has served in a combat arm will attest, this is a very real threat. Extended combat operations take their toll on soldiers both physically and mentally. In real life and in this book.

That is the key to this book. All of the action that one expects, plus the added personal touches that makes a book both realistic and memorable. Those who think that Military Science Fiction novels are merely exploding spaceships; would be well advised to read this book. It develops into a real page-turner that leaves you ready for more of Lt. Michael L O'Neal.

Kalilover

Rating:
Summary: Good Story not well Produced
Review: John Ringo's debut novel is a smashing entry into the futuristic battle-tech sub-genre. Vivid, lit all through with a wry sense of humor, the novel races along until the reader is left gasping for more.

But why the HELL can't BAEN BOOKS pony up for a copy editor? Flubs in this book are so unnecessary that it's a shame. "De rigueur" spelled wrong, the German slightly off. A fumbling of pronouns so we don't know, really, just who was given the divorce papers--the protagonist or the general? Some other clumsy sentences, expected of the first timer, that should have been flagged by a decent editing or copy editing. It's that kind of sloppiness that makes me want to wait and buy the next one in paperback.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent debut...can't wait for others
Review: I have been reading this in pieces since it was available online at Baen. Take a little Heinlein, a little Clancy, mix in the imagination of this great new author and you have one of the best new SF books to come along in years. A stunningly realistic book that shows what would happen if today's soldiers wer forced to fight tomorrows war. Ringo accurately portrays the United States military, especially the Airborne warriors and writes a story that is amazingly real.

Read this book and then read it again so you catch all of the action. I sincerely hope that there is more to come from John Ringo.

Rating:
Summary: Airborne!
Review: Buy this book, I gurantee you will love it. (This gurantee has no cash value and can only be traded in for nothing).

As a veteran of the Vietnam era, who served in the 101st Airborne in Vietnam and the 82nd Airborne in Fort Bragg, I found this book to be a highly entertaining tale of the military, its tactics, and what can go wrong when "old soldiers" can not adjust to new tactics brought on by new weapon systems. The jump suits are fantastic (reminds me of Starship Troopers by Heinlein, one of my favorite book as a child and now) and the portrayal of military life is realistic. However, I find it a little hard to believe that humanity could take the alien technology given it, and develop the weapons systems and accompanying tactics in the short period given in the book.

I must admit to some consternation at Mr. Ringo's portrayal of the military in the 1970's as out of control, inhabited by drug addicts, crooks, and substandard soldiers. Of course some of this existed, but not to the extent protrayed in the book. Otherwise, I highly recommend this book....

Rating:
Summary: A Hymn Before Battle
Review: A Hymn Before Battle is an engrossing story that shows that the true heart of warriors will overcome when the chips are down. A deft mixture of good verses evil and a liberal dash of grey in between to keep you guessing. High adventure with that touch of humanity in a masterfully woven fabric from a few main plots and spinkled with subplots to entice the curious of mind. Mind candy of the richest and most stimulatingly decadent mixture of flavors. It is refreshing to see such a new talent showing a maturity, in his writing, that few more published Authiors show after many novels. Those who have been in field conditions will recognize the truth in Johns work, and appreciate his telling an interesting, thought provoking tale in a otherworld settings. It says something that Jim Baen, the Publisher, broke one of his own rules and published John Ringos first novel in hardback first and not paperback. I hope be will be arround for many years to entrance and entertain us. John Ringo while an exceptional story teller now, will only get better with time. There is a new star in the sky and it is called John Ringo.