Fateful Lightning (The Lost Regiment, No. 4)

Rating:
Summary: Perhaps his best one yet!!!
Review: A wonderful, entertaining book. More realistic than any of the others so far. It resolves several key points, yet also leaves a perfect trail to the next book. The ending is one of the best parts, by far the most realistic and yet still dramatic one yet. The resolution of the Hawthorne problem in particular was a long time coming. Also, for this one several detailed maps were provided. The only very minor criticism is the presence of the aerosteamers. Still, there presence provides a new thrill. An enchanting book.

Rating:
Summary: This is about the comeback of the series
Review: Andrew Lawrence keane and the survivors of the regiment and the losing Republic must now cope with Hans Shuder's apparent death. Now that an assasin's bullet has ended the Merki advanceby30 Days. He and every single human must find a way to destroy the Hordes or the Republic and all the dreams of the people will be extinguished.This book is a must read! Tons of adventures! Will make you cry,laugh and hope all at the same time!

Rating:
Summary: Good followup to the previous three in the series
Review: Excellent story . Only criticism is the lack of continuity in some of the names of the characters. E.g Mantu the youngest son of Jubadi (the Merki Horde Qar Qarth - Books 2and 3) becomes Mupa. Jim Hinsen , the renegade 35th Maine soldier, becomes Dale Hinsen.Olivia , Chuck Fergusons bride, becomes Valencia later in Book 5 as well. Small things that mar the continuity of an excellent read.

Rating:
Summary: Scorched Earth.
Review: Four amazing books so far. Or, if you prefer (As I do), one very long book, a sort of "War and Peace" of the sci-fi genre. No matter how you look at it, this developing tale by Forstchen only gets better. He is not afraid to kill off some of his main characters to add realism to the story, and he is not afraid to surprise the reader with tactics that are rather unexpected. "Fateful Lightning" presents a massive migration of Rus toward the land of Roum, pursued by the relentless Merki hordes. The humans will burn the land behind them, poisoning wells and setting traps for their foes, so that by the time of their final confrontation we can realistically see that the Merki, in spite of their great superiority in numbers, are overextended and will not be able to withstand a severe blow from the humans. The humans are at the end of their rope, too, but one of the most endearing characters in the series will have a shot at saving his people by refusing to obey orders. And Muzta, one of my favorite characters, will also have a chance to save his own people. Again, the battles are almost unforgettable: the horror of war, the worst of men, and the most noble in them is presented by Forstchen in a gripping, spectacular way. Hawthorne becomes a sort of Dark angel of the battlefield, and the Roman Marcus figures as a key participant by now. Four out of four. And it only gets better.

Rating:
Summary: Scorched Earth.
Review: Four amazing books so far. Or, if you prefer (As I do), one very long book, a sort of "War and Peace" of the sci-fi genre. No matter how you look at it, this developing tale by Forstchen only gets better. He is not afraid to kill off some of his main characters to add realism to the story, and he is not afraid to surprise the reader with tactics that are rather unexpected. "Fateful Lightning" presents a massive migration of Rus toward the land of Roum, pursued by the relentless Merki hordes. The humans will burn the land behind them, poisoning wells and setting traps for their foes, so that by the time of their final confrontation we can realistically see that the Merki, in spite of their great superiority in numbers, are overextended and will not be able to withstand a severe blow from the humans. The humans are at the end of their rope, too, but one of the most endearing characters in the series will have a shot at saving his people by refusing to obey orders. And Muzta, one of my favorite characters, will also have a chance to save his own people. Again, the battles are almost unforgettable: the horror of war, the worst of men, and the most noble in them is presented by Forstchen in a gripping, spectacular way. Hawthorne becomes a sort of Dark angel of the battlefield, and the Roman Marcus figures as a key participant by now. Four out of four. And it only gets better.

Rating:
Summary: A terrific original concept that is brilliant in scope!
Review: I read the original three volumes and believed that the author was done, because I never saw another volume. Just recently I realized I had missed four volumes!!! I could not put them down. Characters are believable with battle scenes that remind me of Viet Nam. I enjoy the military very much, recognizing all the elements in the Hordes versus Keane. I only wished that he would spell Civil War names correctly, JEB Stuart and not JEB Stewart. I still enjoy this series very much and I am glad that it continues.

Rating:
Summary: THE SERIESI HAS NO EQUAL.
Review: ive been reading fantasy for 40 years and not very easy to impress. this author has impressed me. the fight between the humans and nonhuman predatory tribes is spell binding. the author tells the story with a realism that will have the reader checking his backtrail. the strengths and weaknesses of mankind are accurately portrayed. it' refreashing to read a book that doesn't show the lead characters as super human. the indominable spirit of man to survive is the hallmark of this syoryline. but it hard to remember that this is fictionl , the story is so grippig and realisticly written. a must for fantasy readers !!!!!D

Rating:
Summary: casting for a 'lost regiment' film
Review: LET'S FACE IT,WITH THE TECH AT OUR DISPOSAL,A MOVIE OF THE LOST REGIMENT COULD HAPPEN...CGI ETC...WITH A LOT OF GREAT SI FI BOOKS,THERE IS A POINT WHEN YOU BEGIN DRAWING UP THE IDEAL CAST...WELL,FOR MY MONEY MICHAEL BIEHN AS KEANE!!SEAN CONNERY AS KAL,COME ON,MOVIE MOGULS WAKE UP!THE DOWN SIDE IS TUGAR BURGER DEALS FROM MCDONALDS!!!THE FILM WOULD HAVE TO AT LEAST TRY AND CAPTURE THE DARK FEELING OF THE BOOK,THE SENSE OF MENACE...THANKS FOR THE BOOKS,WILLIAM!

Rating:
Summary: SHOWALTER'S LAST STAND
Review: THAT SEGMENT OF THE BOOK IS ONE OF THE MOST DRAMATIC EVENTS IN THE HISTORY THAT I HAVE EVER READ THE SERIES . SPANING ABOUT 8 YEARS NOW .

Rating:
Summary: Emotionally exhaustive... the finest of the series to date.
Review: The land of the Rus had for nearly five war-torn years endured torments of such terrible magnitude that half of her people lay dead beneath her soil and, yet, not since the Yankees first arrived to liberate the people from the manipulation of the church, the tyranny of the boyars, and the terror of the Tugars had she confronted a more desperate hour. Caught before the murderous fury of the Merki advance, Colonel Andrew Keane, leader of the forces of the human coalition of the Rus, Roum, and thousands of Cartha refugees, had bought a precious respite of thirty days through the assasination of the Merki Qar Qarth allowing the Army of the Republics to evacuate east and prepare for one last stand against the coming darkness. A fierce page turner that will undoubtedly shock even those familiar to this magnificent series, "Fatefull Lightning" will consume the full breath of your immagination with a passionate flare and dramatic intensity surpassing even that of "Rally Cry." A truly momentous spectacle invested with a fearfully graphic tone that remains true to the format, the book, nevertheless, envelops the full compass of exitement up to the breathtaking conclusion. A book that should be the standard by which all action sci-fi/fantasy novels are measured.

... the additon of campaign maps are a great asset when following the procession of events throught the story and help project the physical world of Valennia into a perspective which is far easier to understand than just the narration used in the previous two volumes.