Firemask (The Last Legion, Book 2)

Rating:
Summary: Bunch solo military SF saga continues
Review: Before reading this novel I would highly recommend reading the first book, The Last Legion. Bunch does an adequate job of filling in some blanks for a brand new reader, but to truly grasp the background and implications of the Musth/Cumbrian war it helps to have read The Last Legion beforehand.

I enjoyed this novel quite a bit, finding it solidly written in Bunch's trademark style. Njangu and Garvin, the series' primary characters, are cement-booted cynics forever thumbing their noses at authority while finding purpose and even a little idealism amidst the chaos of war. The Musth aliens are interesting and explored fairly well, with Alikhan the rebel Musth proving to be the most compelling of all. Fans of the Sten series will find Firemask--and the entire Last Legion series--familiar, yet different just the same.

As with The Last Legion, Firemask resolves itself only after pointing the reader in the inevitable direction of the next book. Where the Cumbrian civil war of the first book set the stage for the Musth invasion, so does the Musth invasion set the stage for a showdown with Redruth's combined Larix/Kura armies, which occurs in the third novel, titled Stormforce.

As with my review of The Last Legion, while Firemask is hardly a masterpiece, I think it's a great starter book (starter series?) for teenaged and college aged readers who are ready to break out of reading purely media-related SF like Star Wars or Star Trek. Advanced and/or Hard SF readers may not flip for this novel, but it's a nice entry-level read for someone looking to expand their SF reading horizons.

Besides, Bunch still writes some the most harry-knuckled military SF in the business. Top grit.

Rating:
Summary: Bunch solo military SF saga continues
Review: Before reading this novel I would highly recommend reading the first book, The Last Legion. Bunch does an adequate job of filling in some blanks for a brand new reader, but to truly grasp the background and implications of the Musth/Cumbrian war it helps to have read The Last Legion beforehand.

I enjoyed this novel quite a bit, finding it solidly written in Bunch's trademark style. Njangu and Garvin, the series' primary characters, are cement-booted cynics forever thumbing their noses at authority while finding purpose and even a little idealism amidst the chaos of war. The Musth aliens are interesting and explored fairly well, with Alikhan the rebel Musth proving to be the most compelling of all. Fans of the Sten series will find Firemask--and the entire Last Legion series--familiar, yet different just the same.

As with The Last Legion, Firemask resolves itself only after pointing the reader in the inevitable direction of the next book. Where the Cumbrian civil war of the first book set the stage for the Musth invasion, so does the Musth invasion set the stage for a showdown with Redruth's combined Larix/Kura armies, which occurs in the third novel, titled Stormforce.

As with my review of The Last Legion, while Firemask is hardly a masterpiece, I think it's a great starter book (starter series?) for teenaged and college aged readers who are ready to break out of reading purely media-related SF like Star Wars or Star Trek. Advanced and/or Hard SF readers may not flip for this novel, but it's a nice entry-level read for someone looking to expand their SF reading horizons.

Besides, Bunch still writes some the most harry-knuckled military SF in the business. Top grit.

Rating:
Summary: Better than the first
Review: I liked this book better than the first in the series, which I thought was a little too underdeveloped. The characters in this one were developed a little better, and I thought the interaction with the Musth made for a more exciting story than did the conflict with the Raum. But the book still had problems with the culture and slang that seemed made up and forced, but maybe that is just a personal preference. This one at least made me want to read the next book.

Rating:
Summary: Better than the first
Review: I liked this book better than the first in the series, which I thought was a little too underdeveloped. The characters in this one were developed a little better, and I thought the interaction with the Musth made for a more exciting story than did the conflict with the Raum. But the book still had problems with the culture and slang that seemed made up and forced, but maybe that is just a personal preference. This one at least made me want to read the next book.

Rating:
Summary: typical Bunch
Review: It is enjoyable easy reading. I wish that the author would go into greater detail when discribing future war machines. The main characters are likeable, the plot plausible, and if you like his previous books-read this one.

Rating:
Summary: A fitting second book in this series.
Review: The two con men from the first book are back in the second, and are now in charge. The book continues where the first left off. If you are a fan of the "Sten" series, then this series, at least from the military standpoint continues in that direction. I would have given the book a five rating, but it skips around some, leaving you wanting to skip around to find out what happens. A good read, however.