Customer Reviews

Wings of Fire

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

 

 

Dale Brown has put everything in to this tale, be they familiar characters, or the weapon systems that always play a role in his books. If this is the first book by this author that you choose to read there are going to be a variety of references that will not be clear. These can either be noted as a negative, or as I think, a catalyst for going back to the very beginning and enjoying all the books. This is novel number 14, and with the exception of one I have enjoyed them all.

Before commenting on this tale I need to make a general comment. The descriptions that have been offered about the storyline in this book do not match what actually happens during the tale. Some of the suggested elements of the plot are exaggerated, and others just do not take place. I may have not placed the same emphasis on certain events that the book's description highlights, and I look forward to what other reviewers have to say. In any event, if I had not read any description of the book it still is another great read from Dale Brown.

The familiar group of mavericks have become independent to the point of being mercenaries. This freedom to operate as they choose is satisfying from a reader's standpoint, but for these former military members the moniker of mercenary does not sit with much comfort. Events rapidly blur the line between their interests and that of governments friendly to their actions, and their reasons for operating become more comfortably defined.

The new toy this time out is another incarnation of The Megafortress with the moniker AL-52 Dragon. A close look at the book's cover will give you an idea of what this latest weapon is. The book opens with the testing of this weapon in the classic Mclanahan style. Testing against mock-ups and target ranges are not his way, so when he takes this plane out for a spin, international incidents start multiplying.

From this point on anything more descriptive would ruin the reading for others. Suffice to say that there is as much going on in the main plot, and a variety of subplots, that this is as dense a read as Mr. Brown has offered. Every trick that Masters and Mclanahan and their usual teammates have developed, is on display. And if that was not enough a new character is introduced that I think readers will either love or loathe. Think of Jon Masters as a tyke, that's all I'll say.

The reason for holding back the 5th star is because of the inconsistencies. I may have missed some subtle point, but I did not miss that a character that is alive at the beginning is alive at the end. And this contradicts what readers are told to expect.

In any event the book is a great read, and Dale Brown fans will feel they have been given their money's worth.

I have read all of Dale Brown's fourteen novels and, with one exception, if you buy in to his premise that has developed over time, of a private US company modifying B-52 aircraft and developing others into a frightening air armada and then flying them against other countries without US approval, then you are going to enjoy this one as well.

From The Flight of the Old Dog to Wings on Fire has been a long and hazardous trip for Gen. Patrick McClanahan (USAF Ret.)and many others that served with him throughout the various campaigns.

In this book, Skymasters has been retained by some unnamed oil producers to "protect their interests" from the quite mad King of Lybia ( a successor to Quadaffi. All the King and his henchmen want to do is steal a few billion dollars and get out of Dodge. However when he starts by murdering the President of Egypt, he sets in motion a series of events that do not work out quite as he had hoped. The non-Arabic wife of the murdered president takes her husbands murder personally and embarks on her own plans for revenge. These get wrapped up with McClanahan and his Nightstalkers whose mission to Lybia has become somewhat undone and he finds himself rescued by Egyption forces after their ship is sunk by Lybia. However, not all of the forces are rescued and some fall into the hands of the Lybians, including McClanahan's wife, Wendy. McClanahan wants his wife and men back which Brown blends with the desires of the murdered President's widow and the rest is a typical air war pot boiler that is enjoyable to read, but a bit difficult to swallow in places.

If this is your first Brown book, you may find this hard going in places as a fair number of assumptions are made by the author that the reader knows more about his characters than the book reveals. That said, if it is not your first Brown book and you enjoyed the others, you will like this one as well. A sequel is clearly set up in the conclusion and the possibilities it raises are very interesting indeed. Buckle your seat belts.......

This was my first Dale Brown book and I am now hooked. He is similar to Tom Clancy and Clive Cussler with his excellent details and how they fit into the story.

In this story the Nightstalkers are trying out some of their new battle amour and weapons while helping an oil consortium out. But things go wrong when they go into Libya to look around they find multiple missiles etc... While trying to get out part of the team gets caught behind including Patrick's wife Wendy. They are held and tortured by the "King" of Libya who is a fraud.

At the same time you are following a story line about the development of the weapons by Sky Masters Inc. and their newest genius who you have to read about to believe (great addition).

There is a third story line about the Egyptian president who is assinated and his wife taking charge and dealing with both the Libyans and the Night Stalkers.

If you are looking for a fast paced exciting book this one is for you!

B-52's converted into Hi-tech stealth attack ships, Tin Man bullet proof body suits with jet boots and electroshock shoulder units, now updated with super strength, wild plots, Dale Brown has it all. I've read several of Brown's books, they all have far out plots and wild ideas for weaponry and this one is no different. This time the gang takes on the new government of Libya, protecting Egypt along the way, it got so silly I couldn't finish it. With a band of people like those working for Skymasters you wouldn't need an army or airforce, just call them in. Maybe that's why the newage/pacifist president ropes them in at the story's end, he finally sees that they're all he needs to save the world. Good for a little light afternoon reading but anything by Tom Clancy is better.

In "Wings", Dale Brown's perrenial hero Pat Mclanahan returns to action in Libya. "Wings" follows a virtual series of books starring Mclanahan and his crew of go-anywhere, do-anything-it-takes air warriors. In his last book "Warrior Class", Mclanahan had been involuntarily retired from the air force due to his efforts to nab a power-mad international criminal named Pavel Kazakov. In league with the Russians, Kazakov tried to engineer a war in the Balkans to enhance the profitability of his petroleum, money-laundering and narcotics enterprises. In protective custody in "Wings" Kazakov is nevertheless on a new venture - this one involving a power-mad Libyan who traces his lineage to the pre-Quaddafi regime that ruled Libya. Nobody really believes that Jadalla Zuwayy is really the true king of Libya, but he is treated as if they did - especially the pilots, soldiers and generals who stand poised to invade oil-rich Egypt on his orders. Susan Harris, a beautiful American married to the soon-assassinated Egyptian president, tries every trick she can hold off crazed Zuwayy (Egypt's forces greatly out-strip those of Libya, but the latter possesses a huge supply of neutron bombs that can make everybody losers). The only hope is McLanahan and his crew. Armed with futuristic weapons designed and built by the Skymasters corporation, and assigned clandestinely by a covert organization known as "Nightcrawlers" (and headed by former president Kevin Martindale), Mclanahan goes into battle with next-generation stealth bombers and combat suits likely inspired by Sigourney Weaver's power-loaded from "Aliens". Unfortunately, bad luck strikes - and some of the Nightcrawlers fall prisoner during an ill-fated hunt in Libya for WMD. Trouble is compounded when the survivors find themselves in Egypt, where loyalties are divided. Back in the USA, the Thorn administration struggles with how to respond to the growing unrest in North Africa and with how it will deal with the McLanahan. (The Nightcrawlers may take Uncle Sam's best interest to heart, but they don't take his orders - and they face criminal prosecution for their unauthorized activities; Thorn himself typiefies the opposite of previous administrations - he pulls out all but a shell of US forces from overseas stations, and refuses to commit them anywhere unless foreign leaders can get their own populations to accept their presence). Meanwhile, the Skymasters company struggles to perfect a powerful laser-weapon that can be carried in a refitted B-52 bomber. Their latest secret weapon however proves to be a nine year old girl who knows a thing or two about plasma lasers and parallel universes.

A Dale Brown novel is a lot like one of those family get-togethers: you go to these things about once a year, and with some subtle variations, each one is pretty much like the one you survived the year before. We've still got power-mad dogs, craven US politicians, tons of high-tech and some big battles. Although the storyline spills directly from "Warrior Class", "Wings" has fewer than its share of references to older Brown novels. The villains are as unconvincing as ever (idiots who believe their own lies) and speak in the least plausible dialog. The technology seems compelling, but if you really wanted to learn about plasma lasers, would you really make a bee-line for the nearest Dale Brown tome? For the rest of us, Brown's technobabble may remind us that we studied so hard in high-school because we never wanted to hear that kind of droning again. Despite its title, "Wings" may have the least emphasis on what actually happens inside a fighting warplane than any other Brown novel. Instead, Brown concentrates his emphasis on the "Tin Man" battle armor - motorized exo-skeletons that turn individual soldiers into walking tanks. It's an idea that comes at the expense of his interest in military aviation that probably attracted Brown fans to novels like "Flight of the Old Dog" and "Day of the Cheetah", but the new technology is far too exotic to substantiate his story. Instead, "Wings" is thin and unsatisfying.

All things considered, Wings of Fire was a decent book but clearly not among Brown's best efforts. With many of Brown's usual characters back again, there is a sense of familiarity for the fans of Brown's high-tech military thrillers. At the core, the story itself had potential, playing on current Middle East tensions and moving through events that were at least plausible. In the end, though, the story generally left me hoping for more. The story bounced around continuously and somewhat unnecessarily, leaving gaps that left the reader wondering about the relevance of the passage. In addition, the technical jargon on futuristic weapon systems seemed a bit much, even for readers who are used to such things from Brown.
Wings of Fire was not so disappointing as to cause me to turn away from future efforts from Brown, but it does leave me hoping that the works to come are better than this effort.

There are only two authors, with few exceptions, that I buy as soon as they hit the shelves in Hardcover/Trade Paperback(Softcover):Tom Clancy, and Dale Brown.
I love the places, the political intrigue, the characters, and, of course, the technology, that Dale Brown puts in his novels, and Wings Of Fire is no exception.
I especially enjoyed the introduction of Dr. Kelsey Duffield, and I hope we see more of her and more of what her incredible mind can create (and destroy!-lol, just kidding!). Bring the next one on, Dale Brown! Incidentally, i must say i LOVED Storming Heaven, gotta read that one again!

Have bought many books of Dale Brown that are offered on Amazon. Good reading from a great author.

I have read all of Dale Brown's novels and feel that he has always had a complete mastery of the technological realm of the techno-thriller genre.

Having just completed his latest book, Wings of Fire, I am sorry to say that the authors same mastery does not extend to telling a clear, complete story. I was deeply disappointed.

The plot development was disjointed, the characters had little depth and the premise was not refective of the current geo-political realities. As well, Mr. Brown needs to find another publisher who does a better job editing. The novel read more like a 3rd draft than a polished, finished product.

I can truly state, for the very first time that this was a novel I was anxious to be finished reading.

More depth for his characters and less extensive explanation of super-secret techno-speak, wold have made this a MUCH better read.

To restate other reviewers, my opionion of the book was that it was long and convoluted. It is not his best work. It barely makes it to "average" If you need a book for long airport delays, this is the one. If you are looking for gripping suspense and a well connected plot -- this is NOT the book.