Customer Reviews

Barry Sadler's Casca: The Defiant

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Paul Denegelegi's second Casca book is markedly better than the first but still contains a little too much over descriptive passages, making the book a little heavy at times. This story has Casca meeting a young Marco Polo in Venice and then accompanying him to China and the court of Kubilai Khan and he enjoys many adventures there.

Dengelegi writes well when battles are decribed but all too often there seems to be a little wandering from the main plot which detracts from the storyline. Sadler wrote in an all-action mode and this is what Casca fans really want, not a ponderous storyline which is why Denegelegi attracts a lot of criticism.

One thing I particularly disliked was the final part where the writer attempted to connect this book's storyline with the beginning of his first book and in the process contradicted Sadler's storyline for the character. Careless and with a little more care this would have been avoided.

This 2nd novel of the return of Casca was a better effort than the 1st. I have been reading the Casca novels since it first came out in the early 80's and still own the first 14 novels, after that they fell towards bad writing oblivion for me. Barry Sadler's death was very sad and so was the Casca series for me. I am very glad to see a new writer come in and try to take the reins for the new series, but for some reason I find myself skimming thru lots of paragraphs to the end. I don't want to bash a good writer, but Paul D. seems to bring to life a Casca of old very well. His feelings and his mannerisms are all there like Barry Sadler used to write, but the action scenes to me are not written very well and are bogged down with flat battle sequences. For example, when Casca finally confronted the bad guy who killed his beloved, the build-up of the fight was finished much too quickly and easily. Barry Sadler's fight scenes and his revenge scenes were shocking and well written in an action-type way that left the reader satisfied. Paul is a gifted writer when it comes to the feel of the past and with customs of the peoples in history, but it is too bogged down with nothing really happening. Barry Sadler's books for the most part were less than 200 pages and the fat was trimmed off. I dont see how these other people can give this new Casca book 4 to 5 stars after they have read Barry's books, but to each his own I say. Keep trying Paul, I know these are big shoes to fill but I know you can do it better next time, Casca is too great of a character not to give another try for old time sakes!

I have to admit that this is better than his original attempt at this series. The battles are much improved. The problem is that he is still overly descriptive of areas of the story that really does not require it. I found myself skipping pages again. When a reader has to skip pages for a lack of interest, you loose the reader's attention. Sadler had the ability to reach out and pull you into the story, and when you did come up for air or food you were ready to dive back in immediately. In this book, ofttimes I found myself on the outside looking in, and I really didn't care if I finished. The author also had a tendency to stray from the story and loose the plot for a while, which confused me at times.

I'm sorry but if this author makes another attempt at this series I doubt I will read it.

This latest Casca novel, the 2nd in this new authors Casca tryout, is still unfortunately coming up short.

Barry Sadler's Casca novels were fantastic pulp hero type action novels, filling a groove for readers that loved such short novels like Conan the Barbarian could truly appreciate.

Out of all of Sadler's writing ventures, only Casca really shined like a well polished blade. I still own all of the series.

I am glad and humbled that someone has tried to take up the huge writing reins to continue this series. A solid writer could well take on this saga, giving hungry old readers of the series - as well as new ones - new adventures of Casca, the eternal mercenary. There are hundreds of untold times to pick and choose from.

As much as I admire someone making an attempt, this author has come up somewhat short of just making a Sadler pulp adventure story. He shows potential, however. Practice makes perfect.

Well, one hopes anyway.

worst casca book ever written. casca is mainly a side bar in the book was so bored did not even finish book . as a fan who is hungry for the next casca book i would starve before buying one written by dengelegi. please get a new author.

As a fan of the original series who sadly lost them all in a move, I was excited to find new stories by a new author. I tried to like this one, I really did, but it just isn't Casca. Others have pointed out most of the book's faults, but one thing nobody has mentioned that plagued me throughout the book was the poor editing. Constant misuse of words like their/they're and other homophones indicates that no real attempt was made to edit beyond simple spellcheck. The editing department gave their job the same attention to detail that was given to the cover art.

Can someone tell me what Goldman and his reading of the Gutenberg Bible in the beginning had to do with this story!!!????? Yeah it mentions a guy like Casca. But there was no tie in of this in the story!!!

I thought that according to history books Marco Polo was an adventurer discoverer? He goofed around with the Khan's son for 20yrs!!! What's up with that. No tie in of what we know of Marco Polo and anything in this story.

Let's see, you travel roughly two years to deliver a message from the Pope to the Great Khan, he gives his message to take back and they take 20 yrs????!!!! What was the Pope's response? Was he still alive, was the massage revelent after 20 yrs? I mean roughly the whole book was this journey!! and no closure?

Then at the end of the book, all of a sudden the story takes a turn and it looks like the writer just threw a bunch of non coherent stuff and ends with him with a ship builder that mentions marco and it's been 100yrs???

Terrible way to end!

I would give it 1 star, but it is Casca......

If you liked Barry Sadler's Casca books, it is difficult to imagine how you could like this one. Every time Casca would have done X, the imposter in this book did Y. It was like being given something that looks like an apple, but when bitten tastes like burnt liver.

The main problem is that he forgets about Casca. His history seems probable, but I buy these books for excitement and escape, not lessons. His battles are about as interesting as watching ice freeze and I really wanted this to work. I have re-read every BS Casca book several times and wanted something new. If PD writes a new book, I will give him one more try, but if he doesn't improve - no more.

Too bad Barry Sadler is dead.. I don't think he would approve of the way Casca is rewritten....