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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing, February 4, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Action Stations (Wing Commander) (Paperback)
I like Forstchen's books, but this isn't up to his usual standard. The plot adheres a little too closely to the events of the Midway campaign in WWII. Sadly, the Confederation has forgotten all the lessons learned in that period, and needs to be re-taught the hard way. I'd give this book a miss, and head straight for Freedom Flight. Then, you can go on to Forstchen's excellent End Run, Fleet Action, and Heart of the Tiger.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A dream for a Wing Commander fan...and more, December 5, 1999
This review is from: Action Stations (Wing Commander) (Paperback)
I really can't say enough about William Forstchen and the Wing Commander novels he has written. In each one he adds a little bit more to what has now become (at least in my mind) one of the most involved and well-developed sci-fi epics of our era, and Action Stations is no exception. Not to give too much away, but the plot of the novel parallels the beginning of America's involvement in WWII. Some have complained that it resembles it TOO closely, but I found it a very interesting approach. The characters are well-modeled, and Forstchen's handling of the Kilrathi is amazing, showing the almost "human" side of a few of them. It adds a totally new dimension to the race that you probably won't get from the movie or the games. I also found it noteworthy that once or twice the author even makes reference to the Wing Commander: Prophecy game, which I can only hope he will eventually write about. However, the best aspect of this novel is that the fans finally get to see Tolwyn in his younger days fresh out of the Academy, and how he came to be involved in the war. It's almost hard to read about him though, considering what he eventually does, but it reinforces even more the concept of the tragic figure or fallen hero that Tolwyn is. All in all, this is a great novel with intelligent dialogue, an enhrossing and believable (if somewhat borrowed) plot, and above all a story that needed to be told. (Note: the Foreword itself leaves you yearning for more).
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great book even if you've never even heard of the game, October 1, 2005
This review is from: Action Stations (Wing Commander) (Paperback)
A lot of people probably look at the title and cover art of this book and dismiss it as mass-produced pulp. However, the story itself is well-thought-out and even haunting in places. Several other reviewers have mentioned how closely the overall storyline resembles the beginning of WWII--what's really eerie is how well it describes 9/11, even though it was written back in 1998. The military drawdown, the political maneuvering that ignored the intel analysis, the badly-understood enemy engaging in small attacks before launching the big one...the scene of the Skyhook Tower collapsing now feels like a gut punch. It's a very visceral lesson in how we never seem to learn from the past.
All in all, a highly recommended read.
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