28 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Strange book, December 23, 2008
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book; it had been purchased for me as a gift. If the author was intending the book to be a James Bond-type affair, with technology and gadgets that are completely implausible, then I understand. However, it seemed that it was written with the tone that it COULD happen, ala Tom Clancy. In that regard, it was uneasily poor.
The first thing I had difficulty with was the blatant inter-service rivalries being espoused. The only heroes in this book were Marines, and everyone else was Army or Navy. Alright, I get it.
Second, the author writes as if he has an authoritative knowledge on Special Operations, yet just about everything written about the organization, deployment, and training of Special Operations soldiers is either exaggerated or wrong. Most transparent is his use of the term "Special Forces". Everyone under the SOCOM or JSOC umbrella knows that Special Forces refers ONLY to the US Army Special Forces. Everything else is "Special Operations". Period.
A super rifle named Excalibur, which is a computer-heavy, whisper-quiet, suppressed .50 caliber? The idea that a .50 BMG bullet could be suppressed to "whisper-quiet" defies the laws of physics, and a Scout Sniper should know that. Let's not forget about the SCRAMJET ride, set up somehow by a Marine Master Sergeant through the "Sergeant's Network". Even if such a plane existed, the idea that an enlistedman could pull in a few favors to secure his CO a ride strains believability to the point of breaking.
When I read military novels, the one thing I assume will be correct are all the little military details that reveal to the reader that the author has done his homework. The 82nd Airborne does not conduct static line jumps from 5000 feet. A "small little dirtvbike" does not have a 1200cc engine. A GPS receiver can't be tracked. Why? Because it doesn't transmit anything. Some of these are small, and some are fulcrums of the plot itself.
Not recommended.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Suspense, action, and satisfaction, January 12, 2008
A highly successful military/political thriller set in today's world, Kill Zone is hard to put down---in fact, I read it in a day: couldn't stop reading. Just the right amount of military background, political intrigue, action, and characterization. Well worth reading. It also shows some strong feelings that I suspect are common in the military regarding the increasing use of unregulated and legally immune mercenaries.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Nice read if you can overlook the technical problems, July 12, 2010
Aside from military issues mentioned in other reviews (F14 wings may swing but don't fold, the extractor of a rifle bolt would withdraw the cartridge rather than leave it seated in the chamber to be "checked") this book had more editing errors than most commercial fiction I've read. To list a few, a product made in Britain or Europe (such as the "Excalibur" sniper system) would be calibrated in meters, not yards. It mentions the fact that on Carrier On-Board Delivery aircraft the seats face the rear but then claims the passengers are thrown against their seatbelts when the tailhook catches the trap wire - how could that happen if they face rearward? The sniper uses a rangefinder function to see that one of his targets is over 500 yards away, but then only has to crawl "1½ football fields" to reach the body after shooting him. So while many of us are bothered by ideas such as a completely suppressed .50BMG rifle, one who's optics are "gyro-stabilized" rather than firmly mounted to the action, F16s landing on carriers, Senior NCO's arranging flights for field-grade officers aboard experimental NASA aircraft, GPS "trackers" - indeed, the whole idea of having a GPS receiver built into a sniper rifle (why?), there are plenty of gaffs to interrupt the reading pleasure of just about anyone.
For anyone who can tune out all those distracters and ignore the rip-off of Stephen Hunter's "Swagger" novels, this book could be a pleasant read. And I'll admit I'm going to read the next book in this series (checked out from my local library) just to see if the editing has improved any.
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