Customer Reviews

Luna Marine

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Luna Marine is the second of three books in the Heritage Series, a well written trilogy that combines some excellent military fiction with an engrossing science fiction plot that borrows heavily from the speculative archeology in Graham Hancock's "Fingerprints of the Gods". The characters are interesting and multi dimension, the plot is imaginative and the dialog is gritty and realistic. Once you get started, these books are hard to put down.

The second book takes place in 2042, two years after the astonishing discovering on Mars described in "Semper Mars". Conflict rages on Earth between the US and the United Nations. When additional alien remains are discovered on the Moon, including a possible super weapon, the US Marine Corp is called upon to seize the technology before it can be exploited by scientists from the other side.

After waiting for quite some time I was very pleased with the book. I am starting book three and hope it is as good as the past two. This book was even harder to put down than the first. Overall I couldn't have asked for more.

Not much to add to other reviews here, except for a little FYI: despite the cryptic pseudonim, "Ian Douglas" is identified as a certain William H. Keith ("Warstrider" and others) by the copyright. It actually sort of makes sense in retrospect as the young Marine hero of this novel, Jack Ramsey bears a certain similarity to the protagonist of the Warstrider series. Not a clone by any means, but some stylistic similarities in the character sketch are definitely there.

I liked this book. His first in this trilogy (Semper Mars) was good, this, his second, was even better.

Ian Douglas' characters are more developed this time around and he makes good use of the world he developed in the first installment. The geopolitical situation remains complex and the responses of the characters and the nations in Douglas' story reflect that. It is the better degree of complexity that really shows the improvement of this book over the first.

Don't get me wrong, this is still a "Rah! Rah! US All the Way!" book and a fun read. However, Mr. Douglas is clearly showing his skills as a writer as he fleshes out his characters and his story line.

I finished this book in one night's reading, as I normally do with a damn good book, and it left me wanting to read "Book Three:????" now!

Instead, we all will have to wait until sometime next year to read of how the US Marines will make space safe for truth, justice, the American Way of Life, and the human race as well. Ohh Rah!

Madoc Pope

Bill Keith (Ian Douglas here) has yet again proved that he is one of the great writers of our time. The characters are detailed and believeable, the plot is tightly written and well thought out, and the technology is very possible.

Like Semper Mars, I was left wanting more (and I told him so!) I hope that this series takes off and expands to additional books. The third one is finished, and at the publishers. I can hardly wait.

Ditto. This book, and the previous one (Semper Mars) both provide solid summer escape reading. Unlike Sherman & Cragg's "Starfist" or Diehl's "Legion of the Damned" series, Douglas's characters are actually believable.

For those of you who like Douglas's (ie. Bill Keith's) work, I also recommend his "Seals: The Warrior Breed" series, written under another pseudonym, H. Jay Riker. While not exactly sci-fi, this is a great series for techno-thriller buffs.

This has got to be one of the best sci-fi stories ever written. I was amazed. Normally, I like casual sci-fi, if even that. I picked up this series as a fluke. Just kinda curious about it, I figured, hey, This one has gotten pretty good reviews. So I picked up all three, and started reading. By the time I was only a hundred pages into the first book, I couldn't stop. By the time I was really aware, I had read all three books, and looking for the first of the Legacy series. Let me say, anyone who likes military fiction, like Clancy or Brown, or any type of Sci-Fi, PICK UP THIS SERIES!!!!!!!

Once again, Ian Douglas has written an excellent bit of military sci-fi. "Luna Marine" takes place two years after "Semper Mars" and continues the war with the UN. This time, however, the focus is not on Mars, but the gray shores of Luna. More alien artifacts are discovered, answering many questions from the previous book...and leaving you with many more. The combat scenes are just as good as, if not better than, the last book. Douglas also manages to use several characters from the previous book, which gives a greater connection to the reader than if he were to start with a clean slate.

Once again, there are a few cultural stereotypes that Douglas sticks in that the book could do without. Don't let that stop you from picking it up though. I recommend it to anyone into military sci-fi or the USMC.

A continuation of The Herigage Trilogy about the Marine Corps in the mid 21st century. This fast paced techno thriller is excelent.

His writing style is a cross between W.E.B. Griffin and Tom Clancy. His knowlege of the "grunt mentality" provides a realistic view of warfare in the next mellinium.

The premise of this book, continued from his first book (Semper Mars) pits the U.S., Russia and Japan against the United Nations led by France and China. He takes us into the hearts and minds of people confronting the fact that alien races not only tampered with the earliest beginnings of man, but in more recent times enslaved humans and became our "Gods".

This second volume of the series is again a well written book that has everything a good science fiction novel, or a thriller, should have: fast action, a well knit plot and well constructed characters. Again, though, the national stereotypes are disturbing and the author's view of the world seems to be a little limited. The climax is the headline of chapter 14: Le Édifice de la Monde Uni, a hillbilly's version of French. No I know the true meaning of: Pardon my French!
But the novel is a good read. Again, reader, go ahead and read