A few months ago, based on a recommendation from my dad of all people, I got my hands on Live Free or Die, by John Ringo. I greatly enjoyed it, and after some patience, I was able to find Citadel, the 2nd book in the Troy Rising series...and I enjoyed it also.
With the 3rd Book in the Troy Rising series proving tough to find locally, but enjoying the writing of Mr. Ringo, I picked up the first two books of his 'Paladin of Shadows' series...'Ghost' and 'Kildar'. Today, I finished reading the first of these...and, umm...yeah, it's a little different than the 'Troy Rising' books.
First, the obvious differences: Where as 'Troy Rising' is hard, hard Science Fiction, 'Ghost' is much more of a 'techno-thriller', with somewhat of a Mack Bolan meets James Bond meets 50 Shades of Grey feeling to it.
It's an enjoyable book...but my experience with the 'Troy Rising' series left me totally unprepared for the 50 Shades of Grey aspects of 'Ghost'.
To start with...Mike Harmon is a former SEAL who has a novel protagonists habit of finding himself in situations where his own particular skill set allows him to save the day again and again, while repeatedly ending up on deaths door. Along with his skill set, he has a barely contained rage that he directs not only against the bad guys who deserve it, but often upon the women he rescues, or drags along just so he can have a damsel in distress to de-stress himself upon.
In some ways, I would almost describe this book as the ultimate male escapists fantasy. The good guy gets to jet set(and power boat)his way around the world, with a license to kill that should get him a 00 number, claiming young attractive women every step of the way, in some very...unique ways. And yeah...that's the part that caught me by surprise. I'm not a prude by any means, but the nookie in this book is right up there with anything I've ever read in a Stephen King book...
So...interesting book, and worth the read if you are aware what you are getting into.
Glad you are starting the Paladin series! Absolutely the best series I have read in years (keep in mind I showed up at your blog because of your Heinlein references). Everyone of them is terrific, trust me you will enjoy them immensely! And he just came out with a new one at the beginning of this year. Paladin is amazing, and having read your blog for some time, trust me, it is right up your alley! Not SF, but 21st century real-world tactical situations. Throw in some willing S&M, great technical detail, super plot lines and character development and I know you will enjoy every one of them.....send me an email, and I will give you a way to get the rest of them for gratis. (He released the whole series, except for the latest book, via a free BAEN cd).
ReplyDeleteYou are going to LOVE this series!
Glad you are starting the Paladin series! Absolutely the best series I have read in years (keep in mind I showed up at your blog because of your Heinlein references). Everyone of them is terrific, trust me you will enjoy them immensely! And he just came out with a new one at the beginning of this year. Paladin is amazing, and having read your blog for some time, trust me, it is right up your alley! Not SF, but 21st century real-world tactical situations. Throw in some willing S&M, great technical detail, super plot lines and character development and I know you will enjoy every one of them.....send me an email, and I will give you a way to get the rest of them for gratis. (He released the whole series, except for the latest book, via a free BAEN cd).
ReplyDeleteYou are going to LOVE this series!
Glad you are starting the Paladin series! Absolutely the best series I have read in years (keep in mind I showed up at your blog because of your Heinlein references). Everyone of them is terrific, trust me you will enjoy them immensely! And he just came out with a new one at the beginning of this year. Paladin is amazing, and having read your blog for some time, trust me, it is right up your alley! Not SF, but 21st century real-world tactical situations. Throw in some willing S&M, great technical detail, super plot lines and character development and I know you will enjoy every one of them.....send me an email, and I will give you a way to get the rest of them for gratis. (He released the whole series, except for the latest book, via a free BAEN cd).
ReplyDeleteYou are going to LOVE this series!
Haha.
ReplyDeleteRingo described Ghost as "the horrible book that wouldn't go away, so I wrote it so that I could actually write something decent". Then Baen needed something to publish, so he handed it to them.....and next thing he knows its four books in the series later....
Now you are ready to read this famous essay and laugh and laugh: http://hradzka.livejournal.com/194753.html
ReplyDelete:)
That essay pretty much nails it on the head...the hell of it is...the books ARE entertaining....I've only got about 60 pages left in the 2nd one, and it's much less horrifying than the first one.
ReplyDeleteI've done everything in that essay...I was only 5 pages into the first one when I had to read a passage to my wife, and ask her 'am I supposed to be cheering for this guy?'
I just worry that the fact that I enjoy it AT ALL says something about me.
Thank gosh for used book stores.