Homefall (The Last Legion, Book 4)

Rating:
Summary: Another enjoyable book in the series
Review: A very good read, nothing very deep or thought provoking, but a very enjoyable book. Fans of The Honor series by David Weber or the Starfist series by David Sherman should enjoy. Again, not a deep book, but very enjoyable and quite funny at times (but only when it is intentional)

Rating:
Summary: Lets get a little realism in here shall we?
Review: Having bought and read all four of the Lost Legion books, I think I'd like to apply for a refund. These books, especially this last one, are simply a warmed over mishmash of plots and escapades stolen right out of Cole's and Bunch's Sten books. In fact, once or twice, I almost expected to see Sten and whats-his-face and the rest of the Mantis crunchies pop up to topple a government or three, blow up a battleship or six and outsmart every government official and hostile intelligence officer in the galaxy WITHOUT working up a sweat! I especially like the way our two heroes manage to talk their hardbitten, tough as nails, regular officer commanding general in to authorizing this ridiculous "circus" recce mission in about half an hour. The middle of this book is the toppling govts, etc, as they try to find out what happened to the Confederation and the conclusion is a ridicuolous all-out firefight as the Circus (elephants, tigers, horses, midgets, clowns and all) fights its way through a huge bloodthirsty mob--killing about 5,000 people while taking about 10 casualties of their own--to their spaceship and takes off for home and safety. Oh yes, on their way, they blow up another gigantic battleship and a few patrol-craft and blow away a few hundred (thousand?) more morons blocking their path.

This book is the weakest of a weak series by the author. I suggest you save your money. If you want to, pick it up (cheap)at a used book store as its not the worst thing out there. The first two books aren't too bad though if you can find them used. Pick them up for a lazy day at the beach.

I would suggest sticking to the first three or four of the Sten books if you want to read about govts overthrown, battleships blown up, and all sorts of other nasty special ops stuff that is somewhat more plausibly done than this book.

Rating:
Summary: Homefall a trip not to remember
Review: I really liked the series of the last legion but I have to agree with my peers. This book wasnt the best of the series. If you think to much about the story or the plot you wont be happy with the book. The ending is terrible...It was like Chris had to hurry up and end the book because his dead line was up or something. Read it lightly...but you should read it just so you have idea what happened to the Confederation (if you havent figured it out anyhow) and why none of the ships returned that set off for the Cumbre system.

Rating:
Summary: Homefall by Chris Bunch
Review: If you liked the first three books in this series you will like this one.Moves along at a good pace,continues to develop the main characters,and adds just enough new characters to keep everything interesting.Well worth the money!

Rating:
Summary: Good space opera
Review: In the distant future, mankind has colonized many planets in different galaxies spread across the vast universe. Some of these planets joined together to form The Confederation, an empire whose goal is to keep the peace even when members are at war. The Legion, one of the Confederation's Strike Forces, is dispatched to the ore rich Cumbre system when they become involved in a civil war and fight off the encroachment of two enemy empires. Throughout these engagements, The Confederation has remained ominously silent and some think that the organization no longer exists.

Two soldiers Garvin and Njangu need to know what happened to the Confederation and its homeworld of Centrum. They obtain the approval to take a spaceship disguised as a traveling circus out into space to see if they can gather any Intel about why there has been no communication from the Confederation. To perfect their disguise, they land on a world inhabited by real circus performers and recruit several acts to intermingle with their own. Once that is accomplished, the action really begins.

Chris Bunch has created an action packed space opera that has the required number of space battles, adventures, and narrow escapes. HOMEFALL has plenty of daring do but the heart of the novel lies the colorful cast of characters, who though at seem zany, know how to pull together when times get tough. Fans of military science fiction and action adventure serve will find this novel most pleasing.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Good space opera
Review: In the distant future, mankind has colonized many planets in different galaxies spread across the vast universe. Some of these planets joined together to form The Confederation, an empire whose goal is to keep the peace even when members are at war. The Legion, one of the Confederation's Strike Forces, is dispatched to the ore rich Cumbre system when they become involved in a civil war and fight off the encroachment of two enemy empires. Throughout these engagements, The Confederation has remained ominously silent and some think that the organization no longer exists.

Two soldiers Garvin and Njangu need to know what happened to the Confederation and its homeworld of Centrum. They obtain the approval to take a spaceship disguised as a traveling circus out into space to see if they can gather any Intel about why there has been no communication from the Confederation. To perfect their disguise, they land on a world inhabited by real circus performers and recruit several acts to intermingle with their own. Once that is accomplished, the action really begins.

Chris Bunch has created an action packed space opera that has the required number of space battles, adventures, and narrow escapes. HOMEFALL has plenty of daring do but the heart of the novel lies the colorful cast of characters, who though at seem zany, know how to pull together when times get tough. Fans of military science fiction and action adventure serve will find this novel most pleasing.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Instead of Golden Fleece; slimy sack of sheep shearings
Review: The quest for the Confederation begins. The vehicle is a recon done by circus. What could be more unthreatening than a circus? Like any quest tale, our heroes encounter travails and setbacks. A breakaway segment that purports to be the Confederation, a system where they are ignoring the fact that the Confederation has fallen, a government that has spawned an ultimate machine politics, and on and on. Each stop is more bewildering than the last. This is Bunch's best book so far. The Sten books were good, but this is the best of his series and his work so far. Bunch still needs to work on the depth of his characters. I mean, too many of his characters are very thin and their motivation is not really explained. You want a good read that makes the time fly, this is IT. Homefall delivers the action without insulting your intelligence. The ending is believable, though not welcome. Watch this series. Cumbre is looks to be a Byzantine Empire in the making. After the fall of Rome, civilization in Europe shifted to Constantinople. So it seems with this series.