Customer Reviews

Cain's Land

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

 

 

The first two books in the series (Fire in a Faraway Place and A Small Colonial War) set a standard that's hard to beat, but Cain's Land manages. You need to read the first two before reading this one. This whole series is top-flight miltary/socio-political science fiction. Vereschagin, Coldewe and the Iceman set a standard for thoughtful military heroes (or maybe anti-heroes). If you like David Drake's Hammer's Slammers (and I do), read these books to see what the genre can really do

If you like military Sci-Fi, this is your book. The sequel to two others in the series, ranks with S.M. Stirling, Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle. Extremely re-readable. My only regret- have not been able to find new works by this writer. BUY THE BOOK!

I love Robert Frezza. A Small Colonial War and Fire in a Faraway Place are two of my favorite books and just have great re-read value. I was excited when I discovered there was a third book and couldn't wait to read it.
Sadly, I think that Frezza has said everything he wants to say in this universe. This third book has a very similar feel to the previous book, almost as if he was rehashing the storyline. That can be fine, if you do it well, but Frezza's heart doesn't seem in it. The snappy dialogue and original military scenarios just don't have the same spark. The pacing seems off. The book just isn't as well-executed as the other two.
It's sad when an author can't make their characters dance off the page and develop their own life any more. It's time to move on to something else and I hope Frezza does this. Returning to this well would be a terrible idea since it seems to have run dry. I can't recommend this to fans of the previous books. If you haven't read the previous two books though, go do it now. They are great!