Firestorm: Destroyermen

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Captain Matt Reddy and the crew of the USS Walker have been fighting for their lives ever since their ship was swept from the Pacific to another world and they became embroiled in a deadly conflict between their Lemurian allies and the ravening Grik. But things are about to get worse. With Reddy's family and allies held prisoner by the mad General Kurokawa, the mysterious League and evil Dominion plotting schemes of their own, and the Grik trying to build their swarm and concentrate power, Reddy faces danger on all sides.

Ever since their ship was transported to another world, and they became embroiled in a deadly conflict between the Lemurians and the vicious Grik, the Walker has been taking a pounding. With Walker out of commission for repairs, Reddy takes command of a different ship and joins a desperate battle to block the Grik swarm. Destroyermen 13 books in series. Into the Storm Publisher's Summary.

Into the Storm Destroyermen, Book 1 Written by: Taylor Anderson Narrated by: Add to Cart failed. Please try again later. Add to Wish List failed.

Free with day trial. Crusade Destroyermen, Book 2 Written by: Maelstrom Destroyermen, Book 3 Written by: Distant Thunders Destroyermen, Book 4 Written by: Rising Tides Destroyermen, Book 5 Written by: Firestorm Destroyermen, Book 6 Written by: If you've read any of the Destroyermen books and there's no point in beginning with this book if you haven't read its predecessors , then this is everything you've come to expect from the series.

In fact, I haven't bothered to review books largely because the quality, tone, and general feel of the books doesn't vary much from one to the next. The biggest change is that while the first few books reminded me of Burroughs and his lost worlds with their focus on the U. Walker's efforts to If you've read any of the Destroyermen books and there's no point in beginning with this book if you haven't read its predecessors , then this is everything you've come to expect from the series.

Walker's efforts to save the cat-monkey-people Lemurians against the depredations of the lizard-y Grik , the last couple books have bent more towards Turtledove or Stirling with their alternate history human civilizations the New British Imperials and the Aztec-Catholic Holy Dominion. As you'd expect from a Destroyermen book, the march of martial progress sees both sides introducing new technologies and techniques and Anderson's characters rise to the occasion with their usual but enjoyable blend of courage, innovation, and sacrifice.

That said, there are three primary weaknesses particular to Firestorm.

The first is that the biggest shocker of the book is revealed on the cover somebody slap the artist, especially since the U. Walker doesn't actually fight the view spoiler [ Zeppelins hide spoiler ] 'cause it's on the other side of the world at the time. The second is that Anderson feels the need to repeat a LOT of information with each of his books, reminding the reader about characters' back stories and major involvements in the series to date if I had a nickel for every time he's explained that Chack was formerly a staunch pacifist before the Grik invaded ; this is actually a problem in books as well, but since I didn't review any of them, I felt I ought to mention it here interestingly, Anderson actually tones this down in book 7 kudos to his editor.

To elucidate without going into too much detail, view spoiler [ with the aid of the mad Japanese Captain Kurokawa, the Grik are able to build a massive fleet of primitive zeppelins that are able to carry a sizable crew, a large military payload, and cross the Indian Ocean. While all of these qualities are possible, this particular MIX of capabilities with that tech base is impossible. To explain, a primitive airship is a VERY short ranged vehicle because of the prodigious rate at which it consumes fuel and the weight of said fuel; for their size, airships have relatively small useful payload capability , while the lifting gas keeps the airship up, an airship must have powerful engines to counteract the effects of wind, since the large envelope is essentially a giant sail.

As a comparison point, German WW1 era zeppelin bombers were comparatively sophisticated thanks to aluminum frames, compact gasoline-powered internal combustion engines, and other more advanced features and they rarely flew bombing raids more than a couple hundred miles from their bases in Belgium across the comparatively placid North Sea and were often blown off course. The idea that MUCH more primitive craft could cross the thousands of miles across the tempestuous Indian Ocean at high altitude no less with a sizable military payload to specific targets and in formation is simply laughable and for me made the last few chapters of the book very difficult to swallow.

I admit, this is nerd rage, but compared to the level of detail and consideration Mr. Anderson usually puts into his books, this lapse was jarring.

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Anyway, in spite of these issues, Mr. Anderson continues to develop a fascinating world and an intriguing and challenging war for his dauntless crew of heroes. Jun 17, Kat Hooper rated it liked it Shelves: In Firestorm, our heroes are spread out across the world trying to stop e 2. In Firestorm, our heroes are spread out across the world trying to stop evil in its several guises. There are the Grik — the lizard-like horde that eats people — who seem like the most natural enemy.

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The Destroyermen and their Lemurian allies are fighting on all these fronts with Walker and the ships and planes they have salvaged, captured, or built since arriving. There are a few new twists in Firestorm. The Grik, with the help of the bad Japanese, are beginning to genetically engineer their soldiers so that they now fight smarter — not so much with the hive-mind mentality they had before. There are a couple of other minor twists involving new ships and personnel along with news from the real world , but mostly the plot continues as it did in the previous book, Rising Tides.

The plot does not advance very far in Firestorm similar to some of those middle WOT books and I almost feel like it could be skipped. Dufris is usually a great narrator, and he is here, too, but his voices for the Lemurians can get annoying, especially in this book, since they do a lot of the talking. Oct 09, Loren Foster rated it it was amazing Shelves: USS Walker sails full steam ahead into deeper dangers despite Dominion Doms dastardly duplicitous deeds dealing death and destruction right back into the new menace facing them, flying Grik's grimacing faces.

The alliance grows, but in doing so it needs to protect and cover expanding territory, extending its protection and spreading its forces to the breaking point. Forces beyond control force a "Firestorm: Forces beyond control force a multi-front war into the laps of the Human Cat coalition. The strange storms that brought Walker and her crew continue to cause transferences.

Or are you Reddy? Holy Kissing cousin of circumstance, Bataan! Either way new Japanese menaces sail the savage seas, some willing to resort to cannibalism of captives that will never get the chance to struggle through the rigors of a Death March on this new Bataan-less world.

Once exiled Japanese crewmen return leading Samurai Cats to save some from the stewpot, if only for another day to face other dangers. Technological advances sea-saw the balance of power, changing the course of the war on both sides.

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The Grik's are learning, if only by attrition, that some things take more than just waves of cannon fodder, and that the meat grinders can grind exceedingly fine. Even the grist of the mill might have some value in the hands of capable leaders, who are slowly learning to respond and mold the remains into something so ultimately un-Grik-like, as to closely approximate intelligent responses to danger, including the human standby, that he who survives to fight another day might just have to run away to do it, rather than fight until death that day.

Traitors nearly cut the legs out from under New Britain's chances, much as the Dominion and the Companies perfidy launched the earlier attack on the civilians at the Dueling Grounds, which almost caused the loss of the Governors legs. Nov 17, Trike rated it it was ok Shelves: This has been the weakest entry of the Destroyermen series thus far.

It very much feels like a running-in-place, mostly-filler addition. There was precious little plot or character advancement and the one big surprise of the book is spoiled by the cover illustration. Dunno what they were thinking.

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It was okay, but towards the end I was skipping most of the descriptions and really hoping for more interesting stuff. All the really good stuff happens in the last five pages. Hopefully this slow-bubbl This has been the weakest entry of the Destroyermen series thus far. Hopefully this slow-bubbler will set up a crack-blam action-packed story in the next volume. I was also terrifically annoyed the rampant abuse of putting words in quotation marks.

Anderson uses the technique correctly each time, but he abuses it so much that at times it became comical, with up to ten or twelve occurrences on a single page. In previous books he overused the ellipsis as a method of indicating that a character or worse, himself as the author was searching for the right word.

I wonder if someone told him to tone that down and instead he's gone to the quotation mark as a crutch. It's a tool, and tools shouldn't be this obtrusive. Perhaps if there were more substance to the novel, the practice wouldn't have been as objectionable. Dec 04, Lara rated it it was ok Shelves: This series, although I enjoyed it at the start, is now more a how-to manual than a story.

I would prefer more worldbuilding--and no, Mr. Anderson, I don't mean more emphasis on how the Church that's developed in this alternate Earth is so bad and so horrible and is nothing like the Real Catholic Church. I swear, every mention of it is followed or preceded by one of the main characters announcing that of course, this Church is corrupt and evil!

Because that's never been done in an AU, noooooo. I This series, although I enjoyed it at the start, is now more a how-to manual than a story.

I want more Lemurians and more integration of the humans with Lemurians. I don't want technical specs on WWII-era battleships, and I don't want more scenes from the view of the creepy sentient cannibal lizards, and I really don't want further discovery of a miraculously white civilization living amid the beasties.

I think I'm done. Not my favorite in this series--I missed the man against nature parts that have been strong in previous episodes. Nov 09, Kathy Davie rated it it was amazing Shelves: Sixth in the Destroyermen military science-fiction series. In our Earth, it's the start of World War II and ships from both sides occasionally go missing in action. What both sides don't know is that not all their ships are destroyed. Some pass through a squall into another world, a parallel Earth where humans are not the dominant species.

My Take It's a terrifying read what with the Grik attempting new ideas, the Japanese commander helping them to recreate his technology, and the treachery of the Sixth in the Destroyermen military science-fiction series. My Take It's a terrifying read what with the Grik attempting new ideas, the Japanese commander helping them to recreate his technology, and the treachery of the Dominion.

I knew that the only way I could start this book was if I planned to finish it all in one go. The tension would be too great! And, I was right. From the first page, my heart was pounding as I worried right along with the members of the Alliance. After Rising Tides , 5, too many battlefronts were added. Even worse, the Grik are beginning to realize that their way just isn't winning any battles.

There was an interesting comment Anderson made about Orrin Reddy being "fascinated by this bizarre 'Oz' he'd found himself in". When you think about it, that's exactly how it feels. And, always, human greed and hunger for power. The Story The attempted assassination by the Dominion has forced additional fronts to the war. Bad enough when the Alliance had to fight the Grik and its hordes. It was like fighting mindless animals. Those who make up the fanatical Dominion are humans making it a lot more difficult to tell friend from foe in the New Britain Isles.

The original front is the existing blockade between Grik-held Ceylon and the Grik homeland. Commander Greg Garret is holding the line with his small fleet but then the newly-promoted General Halik comes up with a new strategy to break that blockade and Task Force Garret's destruction speeds up the Alliance's plans to invade Ceylon; they must rescue the survivors. A second front is recapturing New Ireland from the Dominion while a third front is the west coast of what we remember as California. The empire has colonies along that coast that must be warned and protected from the Dominion and their Company allies which requires yet another Task Force, this one headed up by the USS Walker.

Both will be much more impossible when traitors prowl the seas. Then, just to make things complicated, a rogue Japanese appalled by the Grik but wary of the Americans, Commander Okada, appears with a sinking battle cruiser, the Mizuki Maru. Seems there's another Japanese battle cruiser, the Hidoiame , that recently came through a squall. The Hidoiame attacked a village under Okada's protection but lost some of their own prisoners, Americans which included Matthew's cousin who brought news of the turning point of the war in the Pacific. Unfortunately, these Japanese crewmen are so angry over their losses in that other world that they have become more Grik-like than human.

And the Hidoiame is a complication the Alliance cannot afford. The Characters The surviving American crew members entered into an alliance with the Lemurians, a cat-like people, in the beginning story, Into the Storm , 1. Together they have fought the Grik and pushed them back. Together they have repaired the ships of either side. Created technological innovations and recreated necessary tools and supplies to maintain the USS Walker and other ships they capture or discover. Some of the equipment and weapons the Alliance has managed to resurrect includes PB-2s, Ps, batteries, smelters, welding equipment, oil refining, wireless communication, casting cannon, rifling gun barrels — talk about a recycling project!

Lieutenant Sandra Tucker , one of the surviving nurses from our Earth, is now the Minister of Medicine and she and Reddy have finally become engaged. The Lemurians are… …divided into Clans with each having its own ruler. The Clans themselves are divided into land-based and water-dwelling with each referring to their home base as Home.

An important character is Major Chack-Sab-At. A former peaceful Wingrunner for his Home, Chack trained hard to become a Marine to fight for his people. Baalkpan is the major shipyard for the Lemurians and the Americans and where most of the innovative manufacturing is accomplished and the planes are built. Most of the Japanese ships swept into this world allied with the Grik; however, a few were appalled at Grik customs and went over to the Americans, like Colonel Tamatsu Shinya. Then there's Lawrence , a Grik-like Tagranesi, whose people were saved by the Americans.

The people sprang from East India Trading Company ships lost centuries ago through their own squalls.

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Their government evolved into a mixture of ruler and the Company. He first encountered Captain Reddy in Distant Thunders , 4. There are really too many crewmen — Lemurians, Americans, and Imperials — to list. Suffice it to say that the Lemurians and the Americans have integrated very well absorbing each others' cultures. The Imperials have further to go. Admittedly, they have only recently become aware of the Lemurians; they are also incredibly hidebound as to their own superiority. The Grik are… …the dominant species on this alternate Earth.

A lizard-like being split into three classes: They have only one use for prisoners. In the second book, Crusade , Reddy, and the crew of Walker , are training the Lemurians how to fight. The Amagi is now under Grik control, and her captain is half-mad. Third book in the series that was released in February By Maelstrom , Reddy, his crew, and their Lemurian allies, are fighting the Grik. By Distant Thunders , the tide is turning.

This book introduces the USS S SS , an S-class submarine from an alternative timeline in which the submarine was not scrapped, and initial contact with a society that was created by descendents of a ship from the British East India Company that was transported to this universe two centuries earlier.

Fourth book in the series that was released in June The fifth novel in the series was released in February Firestorm is book 6 of the series that was released in October Book 7, Iron Gray Sea , was released in July The Grand Alliance is taking the war to the Grik and the Japanese. The Lemurians, Walker ' s allies, have been fighting the Grik for a year and are now winning. Walker , in the past year, has been rebuilt, and is now part of the Little class.

Also introduced in this book is the German ocean liner SMS Amerika that was transported from a different timeline. It was later revealed in Deadly Seas that Amerika was converted to an armed merchant cruiser during the First World War when it was transported to the alternate universe just after battling the British armed merchant cruiser RMS Mauretania in the South Atlantic instead of being stuck in an American port in the world the USS Walker came from.

Book 8 was released on July 2,

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