Star Commandos

Rating:
Summary: Superb series start!
Review: Star Commandos 1 -- the adventure does indeed begin with two former adversaries thrown together in a survival scenario. Griffin develops superb characterization that explains in depth the motivation and personalities of Varn, the ex-War Prince, and Islaen, the commando, bringing them into a partnership to last the series and beyond. Against the backdrop of the recent Federation-Empire war, with its disparate philosophies, Griffin presents the two main characters in a newer battle to save innocent colonists from the dual threat of local predators and greedy developers. She succeeds admirably. A wonderful introduction to the series with two fine characters who keep the reader constantly engaged.

Rating:
Summary: This Is a Guilty Pleasure
Review: The latest galactic conflict between the militant Aucturians and the Federation has resulted in the Aucturian defeat. Islaen Connor, who had been one of the most effective Commandos in leading the resistance against the invaders on the planet Thorne, finds herself at a crossroad. She must either leave the service that she loves or accept a desk job that will remove her from the star roving that she enjoys. Her current assignment is as leader of a small group that is investigating an illegal colony on a little known world.

When returning to her rooms she catches sight of a spacer who seems familiar. Closer examination reveals that her supposition is right. A man, a gallant enemy she thought disgraced and dead for his failure to follow a genocidal order from his superiors, is also planeted at this spaceport.

This space opera would not have been out of place serialized in some of the pulp magazines of the forties and fifties. The writing is clunky in places, the emotions bathetic, and there is nothing particularly new and exciting in this story.

But the action is nonstop and sometimes reading about Good and Noble characters defeating Bad and Evil villains can be comforting. The reader needs to turn off lit-crit sensibilities and dive right in for an exciting ride.

Rating:
Summary: This Is a Guilty Pleasure
Review: The latest galactic conflict between the militant Aucturians and the Federation has resulted in the Aucturian defeat. Islaen Connor, who had been one of the most effective Commandos in leading the resistance against the invaders on the planet Thorne, finds herself at a crossroad. She must either leave the service that she loves or accept a desk job that will remove her from the star roving that she enjoys. Her current assignment is as leader of a small group that is investigating an illegal colony on a little known world.

When returning to her rooms she catches sight of a spacer who seems familiar. Closer examination reveals that her supposition is right. A man, a gallant enemy she thought disgraced and dead for his failure to follow a genocidal order from his superiors, is also planeted at this spaceport.

This space opera would not have been out of place serialized in some of the pulp magazines of the forties and fifties. The writing is clunky in places, the emotions bathetic, and there is nothing particularly new and exciting in this story.

But the action is nonstop and sometimes reading about Good and Noble characters defeating Bad and Evil villains can be comforting. The reader needs to turn off lit-crit sensibilities and dive right in for an exciting ride.