Brothers in Arms

Rating:
Summary: Holds Promise
Review: "Brothers in Arms" is a fabulous first book from a new author. As the first book of a series, it shows the beginning of a story that reaches the reader, providing both characters and plot in a realistic fashion. The sci-fi/military style resembles that of author David Weber, but Ben Weaver has added his own twist of flavour to create something unique. In this first book, only the briefest of beginnings is touched upon, giving the bait to hook readers for the next book, wondering "What will happen?" Frustrating, yes - but with the promise shown in "Brother In Arms," I think, worthwhile too. All in all, I cannot wait for the next book of the series to hit the stores.

Rating:
Summary: An avid young reader (18) speaks.
Review: "Brothers in Arms" is a great work. I could tell you about it...but i hate when people do that..lets just sat if you like David Gemmell, Terry Goodkind, or Harry Turtledove you will like this novel. For a first time auther (i think) it is one of the best pieces i have ever read and he can only get better as the series continues. Believe me..read it.

Rating:
Summary: Not a psuedonym of Ben Weaver
Review: An earlier review claimed all the positive reviews must have been written by Ben Weaver himself. Not only is this a serious breach of ethics, but does this earlier reviewer really think there's no one that actually likes the book? If he does, then he's wrong.

I did like the book; it was engaging. The characters were full of shifting traits, and those traits were believable. The Quantum Physics stuff was an an interesting sub-plot to the story of Scott. Being an amateur physicist, I completely enjoyed this take on the byplay between atoms and conciousness. The universe set up was a bit trite, with the colonies fighting a tyrannical Earth. But how many really wonderful works of SF had the same set up?

I'm also an aspiring SF author and so not only did I read the words on the page, but I analyzed them too. There were sentences that I sometimes thought could be reworked, but over all I liked Mr. Weaver's word choices. More than once I came across a word that I either knew was uncommon or had to actually look up myself. While many people might find that jarring, I considered inspired. Overused words fade into the background. Mr. Weaver knew how to use words to hammer home points.

Of course, I did have problems with the book too, but really they didn't come until the end. I can't say much about them or I'll spoil the end, but I was not satisfied with the resolution. Oh, and if anyone should choose to check my identity, just call SFASU. I'm the only Kevin Callahan there. Cheers.

Rating:
Summary: Wanting more
Review: As an avid reader of SF, it is not often we get to see a new adventure writer with the skills of a good story teller. Weaver's quantum toe hold leaves something to be desired but in thousands of books, 22 in the last three weeks, this was one of the most fun to read in the last couple of years. In fact I could not put it down.

Unlike a lot of the serial trash by even some of those considered to be the best in the business today, this book has an ending. The supporting sub-plots are a little predictable for SF but go well with the story. Notwithstanding that it has an ending, the ending is such that it would make a good place for another adventure, not "necessairly" (sp? couldn't fing the checker, wondering if I spelled it right) with a serial, but another story with some of the same characters.

I gave it two thumbs up and five stars for carrying me all the way to the end in one sitting.

Don

Rating:
Summary: This Ain't No Star Trek!
Review: At first glance this novel looks like a Babylon 5 series book. It has a picture of what looks like a station crew member in a very similar uniform. For those of you who love space battles; this one's for you! It's about a fellow who is pushed into a war before he is ready. Untried and untested he fights a war that truly is hell. This one was written without the mindset of most series books. The protagonist and hero of the story: Scott St. Andrew,is portrayed as a true and realistic personality. Not some heroic soldier out for glory.This one will probably be a series; however it's not set to sell millions of action figures like another franchise.

Rating:
Summary: WEAVER HAS GONE TO THE STARS: MAGNIFICENT!
Review: Ben Weaver has captured taken the true element of SCIENCE FICTION! Thought provoking and exciting. I cannot wait for the sequel......

Rating:
Summary: Good Military Science Fiction
Review: Brother In ARms follows colonial Scott St. Andrews through South Point, the Guard Corps' Military Academy; sort of a futuristic West Point. During his first year as a cadet a civil war breaks out and St. Andrews is forced to choose sides. Subjected to genetic predjudice from both sides he chooses to follow his unit, and sides with the Colonial Goverment. During what feels like the first novel in a series St. Andrews goes from Cadet to Captain with in a year and gains the nightmares that explain his rapid promotion. Mr. Weaver's characterizatin is more reminiscent of Dickson than Heinlein, but it is an enjoyable read and I look forward to the next installment.

Rating:
Summary: A Tale of Conflicting Loyalties
Review: Brother In Arms is the first novel in a new science fiction series. South Point Academy is a colonial institution established by the Seven Systems Guard Corps. Relations between the Seven Systems Alliance and Terra has been steadily deteriorating and the Guard Corps foresees the need for many more officers with the anticipated onset of war. Exeter was choosed as the site of the Academy due to the extensive ruins left by the alien Racinians.

Scott St. Andrew is a colonist from Gatewood-Callista who has entered the Academy to escape the mines. He and his brother Jarret have been assigned to the same squad under Squad Sergeant Judiah Pope, a second year cadet. Scott is despised by his squad mates as a genny, the bearer of a birth mark that indicates that he has the mutated genes resulting from a virus infection several generations earlier.

In this novel, someone cuts the line that Scott is using to rappel down a cliff. Although saved by Pope with a anti-gravity gun, another of his squadmates, Roolsin Halitov, tries to have him kicked out for the incident, but is thwarted by the evidence of the cut rope. Halitov, also from Gatewood-Callista, is determined to get rid of Scott because of his low scores and unimpressive performance.

After they return to the barracks, Halitov attacks Scott but is driven off by two other squadmates, Dina Anne Forrest and Paul Beauregard. Since the attack was observed by the barracks surveillance devices, Pope punishes Halitov by placing Scott in his charge, so that both will graduate from the Academy or wash out together. Later Jarret is beaten by other cadets because he defends his brother.

This novel tells the story of Scott as he learns to be a soldier and a leader of soldiers. When war breaks out between the Seven Systems and the Terran Alliances, he is placed in command of a unit and gains actual experience in combat. He is by no means an ideal officer, but learns from his mistakes.

This novel is loosely based on the circumstances among US Army officers prior to the Civil War. The West Point graduates from the South were faced with conflicting loyalties and many later found themselves facing their former classmates in battle. However, Scott faces a further conflict between opposing forces with the Seven Systems Alliance itself.

This story also explores the advantages and drawbacks of a conditioning process developed by the Racinians which provides a degree of control of the laws of nature, even to the extent of countering gravity. While he has some superhuman capabilities, there are unforeseen consequences.

Recommended for anyone who enjoys Combat SF tales.

Rating:
Summary: A Tale of Conflicting Loyalties
Review: Brother In Arms is the first novel in a new science fiction series. South Point Academy is a colonial institution established by the Seven Systems Guard Corps. Relations between the Seven Systems Alliance and Terra has been steadily deteriorating and the Guard Corps foresees the need for many more officers with the anticipated onset of war. Exeter was choosed as the site of the Academy due to the extensive ruins left by the alien Racinians.

Scott St. Andrew is a colonist from Gatewood-Callista who has entered the Academy to escape the mines. He and his brother Jarret have been assigned to the same squad under Squad Sergeant Judiah Pope, a second year cadet. Scott is despised by his squad mates as a genny, the bearer of a birth mark that indicates that he has the mutated genes resulting from a virus infection several generations earlier.

In this novel, someone cuts the line that Scott is using to rappel down a cliff. Although saved by Pope with a anti-gravity gun, another of his squadmates, Roolsin Halitov, tries to have him kicked out for the incident, but is thwarted by the evidence of the cut rope. Halitov, also from Gatewood-Callista, is determined to get rid of Scott because of his low scores and unimpressive performance.

After they return to the barracks, Halitov attacks Scott but is driven off by two other squadmates, Dina Anne Forrest and Paul Beauregard. Since the attack was observed by the barracks surveillance devices, Pope punishes Halitov by placing Scott in his charge, so that both will graduate from the Academy or wash out together. Later Jarret is beaten by other cadets because he defends his brother.

This novel tells the story of Scott as he learns to be a soldier and a leader of soldiers. When war breaks out between the Seven Systems and the Terran Alliances, he is placed in command of a unit and gains actual experience in combat. He is by no means an ideal officer, but learns from his mistakes.

This novel is loosely based on the circumstances among US Army officers prior to the Civil War. The West Point graduates from the South were faced with conflicting loyalties and many later found themselves facing their former classmates in battle. However, Scott faces a further conflict between opposing forces with the Seven Systems Alliance itself.

This story also explores the advantages and drawbacks of a conditioning process developed by the Racinians which provides a degree of control of the laws of nature, even to the extent of countering gravity. While he has some superhuman capabilities, there are unforeseen consequences.

Recommended for anyone who enjoys Combat SF tales.

Rating:
Summary: Great story, too big for such a tight book.
Review: Brothers in Arms falls into the category of Military Sci-Fi. In the tradition of these novels it is short, punchy, heavy on technology and light on plot or characterisation. It draws heavily on books such as Haldeman's "Forever War" and Steakleys "Armour". For me I think it lacks the punch that Forever War displays, but is better written than either of the above books. The standard genre elements such as the basic military setting, the hard cadet training and the soldier being thrown into war at the deep end are all fleshed out by other elements. There is the Alliance/Colony power struggle which erupts into Civil War, so that the cadets are pitted against each other rather than some faceless enemy. There is a racist undertone of being a colonist, and the worse stigma of being a genetic freak. There is the poorly understood technology of a disappeared race, and what exactly it does to you. Because Weaver has actually done his research and constructed a plausible galaxy for us, there are enticing visions of worlds and ideas that lie outside the story. Weaver is obviously keeping back a larger picture and letting us see only a glimpse of this world. This may be a prelude to a series of books, or it may merely be good technical writing skill. I have not given Brothers in Arms a great rating because I think the book fails in a number of its key objectives. Weaver wanted to show us the transmogrification of his central character from uncertain idealistic boy to a pragmatic and confident officer. In this he fails. The character at the end seems to me no different from the one at the beginning. I felt the characterisation of Halitov (the sidekick) was better managed and the layers beneath him were explored better. Also, there are issues in the book that needed better development, such as the political ramifications of the split between colonies and alliance etc. I suppose it is a feature of Mil/Sci/Fi that you get only the grunts view of the world. I like to see things on a broader canvas and for that reason I find the genre unsatisfying. I think Weaver had the makings of a great speculative fiction novel here but that he harnessed it to the wrong genre, a bit like hitching a racehorse to a cart. If you have got to the bottom of this review you will probably feel much the same as me about the book. Those who lost interest in my review in the first paragraph will probably get a kick out of it. Plenty of bang bang flash and guts falling out.