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Frontlines #3
Angles of Attack
Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Science Fiction (2015)The alien forces known as the Lankies are gathering on the solar system’s edge, consolidating their conquest of Mars and setting their sights on Earth. The far-off colony of New Svalbard, cut off from the rest of the galaxy by the Lanky blockade, teeters on the verge of starvation and collapse. The forces of the two Earth alliances have won minor skirmishes but are in danger of losing the war. For battle-weary staff sergeant Andrew Grayson and the ragged forces of the North American Commonwealth, the fight for survival is entering a catastrophic new phase.
Forging an uneasy alliance with their Sino-Russian enemies, the NAC launches a hybrid task force on a long a stealth mission to breach the Lanky blockade and reestablish supply lines with Earth. Plunging into combat against a merciless alien species that outguns, outmaneuvers, and outfights them at every turn, Andrew and his fellow troopers could end up cornered on their home turf, with no way out and no hope for reinforcement. And this time, the struggle for humanity’s future can only end in either victory or annihilation.
Forging an uneasy alliance with their Sino-Russian enemies, the NAC launches a hybrid task force on a long a stealth mission to breach the Lanky blockade and reestablish supply lines with Earth. Plunging into combat against a merciless alien species that outguns, outmaneuvers, and outfights them at every turn, Andrew and his fellow troopers could end up cornered on their home turf, with no way out and no hope for reinforcement. And this time, the struggle for humanity’s future can only end in either victory or annihilation.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 21, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 659 reviews
February 8, 2017
What is it about third books in Space Opera that always brings us back home to Sol for a shootout for the fate of Earth? Just curious. :)
Kloos is piecing together the fractured forces of humanity and is giving us a very, very slight hope against all these overwhelming odds.
Oh, who am I kidding? People are still people and fractured is what we are. Is our distant colony going to starve, can our heroes breath through the blockade around earth to bring resources? Can Grayson ever meet up with his woman and marry her?
This one is still as fun as the previous two novels, but I'll be honest: It's hard to match and maintain the same kind of conflict or sense of conflict as before. I want to say that the stakes are higher because it's the earth under siege, but it didn't quite feel that way to me. Still, the body count is very high and maybe I'm being slightly unfair. The quality is still very high. :)
The ending is quite satisfying, though, so it's not like I'm really complaining. I can't believe that I'm so enthusiastic about Mil-SF. :)
Kloos is piecing together the fractured forces of humanity and is giving us a very, very slight hope against all these overwhelming odds.
Oh, who am I kidding? People are still people and fractured is what we are. Is our distant colony going to starve, can our heroes breath through the blockade around earth to bring resources? Can Grayson ever meet up with his woman and marry her?
This one is still as fun as the previous two novels, but I'll be honest: It's hard to match and maintain the same kind of conflict or sense of conflict as before. I want to say that the stakes are higher because it's the earth under siege, but it didn't quite feel that way to me. Still, the body count is very high and maybe I'm being slightly unfair. The quality is still very high. :)
The ending is quite satisfying, though, so it's not like I'm really complaining. I can't believe that I'm so enthusiastic about Mil-SF. :)
December 13, 2023
Re-read 2023, and what a darned good military sci-fi!
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Original review:
It's not looking good for the home team!
The aliens have been very industrious. They go to a colonized and terraformed planet with their seemingly indestructible seed ships, kill off the human "vermin", and set up shop. They have taken over most of our frontier worlds. Now they have moved into our solar system and they're wiping out our settlement on Mars. Relatively speaking, that's just a couple spits' worth of distance from Earth.
Our MC has been placed into an awful predicament when trying to help rescue another colony on a moon in another system. He's forced to either (a) follow some illegal orders, or (b) become part of a mutiny. I won't say which choice he picked. His decision had wide-ranging repercussions, though.
On a brighter note, the warring factions of humanity have finally come to the conclusion that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Sheesh it took them long enough!!! I mean holy crap! They wasted so much time, not to mention lives and resources, fighting each other when there are much bigger fish to fry. So at least most, (but definitely not all of them), are beginning to work together.
I intend to read the next in this series after a brief detour to the fantasy series that I'm also rereading. I seem to re-read a lot 🤔
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Original review:
It's not looking good for the home team!
The aliens have been very industrious. They go to a colonized and terraformed planet with their seemingly indestructible seed ships, kill off the human "vermin", and set up shop. They have taken over most of our frontier worlds. Now they have moved into our solar system and they're wiping out our settlement on Mars. Relatively speaking, that's just a couple spits' worth of distance from Earth.
Our MC has been placed into an awful predicament when trying to help rescue another colony on a moon in another system. He's forced to either (a) follow some illegal orders, or (b) become part of a mutiny. I won't say which choice he picked. His decision had wide-ranging repercussions, though.
On a brighter note, the warring factions of humanity have finally come to the conclusion that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Sheesh it took them long enough!!! I mean holy crap! They wasted so much time, not to mention lives and resources, fighting each other when there are much bigger fish to fry. So at least most, (but definitely not all of them), are beginning to work together.
I intend to read the next in this series after a brief detour to the fantasy series that I'm also rereading. I seem to re-read a lot 🤔
July 10, 2015
Well, the solid waste has really collided with rotary impeller...
Earth is about all that's left. Only a few scattered colonies that are now on their own and Earth remain to humans. The Lankies have taken Mars and it's only a matter of time before Earth comes in for their attention.
And the elite who've been running the governments of Earth have seemingly ditched the rest of humanity.
The good plotting and relatable characters continue here with plenty of action for the "action aficionados among us.
I include this in/on my Space Opera shelf but if that has negative connotations to some of you that's not where I'm going. We are simply in spaceship battle territory here and that to some says "space opera". Moss Hart was noted for saying that, "there's nothing wrong with melodrama as long as it's good melodrama". Well, the same can be said of space opera...and this is good space opera.
I recommend that if you haven't read this trilogy and you like science fiction especially military science fiction you go back, pick up the first in the series and give it a try.
Recommended.
Earth is about all that's left. Only a few scattered colonies that are now on their own and Earth remain to humans. The Lankies have taken Mars and it's only a matter of time before Earth comes in for their attention.
And the elite who've been running the governments of Earth have seemingly ditched the rest of humanity.
The good plotting and relatable characters continue here with plenty of action for the "action aficionados among us.
I include this in/on my Space Opera shelf but if that has negative connotations to some of you that's not where I'm going. We are simply in spaceship battle territory here and that to some says "space opera". Moss Hart was noted for saying that, "there's nothing wrong with melodrama as long as it's good melodrama". Well, the same can be said of space opera...and this is good space opera.
I recommend that if you haven't read this trilogy and you like science fiction especially military science fiction you go back, pick up the first in the series and give it a try.
Recommended.
May 26, 2015
I violated a cardinal rule of reviewing. Work was busting my ass so I didn't get around to reviewing this book for way too long. I read it. It was pretty darn good, but there were parts I kinda sorta didn't care for. Specifically what those were, I'm not 100% sure any longer. it was, however, a solid three star book. I remember that much.
Solidly sci-fi, the book picks up right on the heels of book 2. After several years of kicking humanity's ass, the Lankies have their over-sized boot placed firmly on the Solar System. Mars and its 20+ million colonists are dead - or close to dead. Human outposts and communications are either destroyed or isolated. It this system on the brink, Andrew Grayson and the forced of the North American Commonweath in deseprate alliance wit the Sino-Russian Confederation make a last ditch attempt to hold off the Lankies lest Earth itself be destroyed.
What is cool about the series is the very cynical bent it takes. The elites running the various human governments, rather than unite and defeat the enemy instead turn tail and flee. Leaving billions of men, women and children to die at the hands of the Lankies, the elites instead take the remnants of the fleet and flee. What a bunch of ass-hats. But the sad part is I kind of suspect that is exactly what they would do, you know, for the people.
Three starts out of five for vague, undefined reasons. A fun book, but not epic.
Solidly sci-fi, the book picks up right on the heels of book 2. After several years of kicking humanity's ass, the Lankies have their over-sized boot placed firmly on the Solar System. Mars and its 20+ million colonists are dead - or close to dead. Human outposts and communications are either destroyed or isolated. It this system on the brink, Andrew Grayson and the forced of the North American Commonweath in deseprate alliance wit the Sino-Russian Confederation make a last ditch attempt to hold off the Lankies lest Earth itself be destroyed.
What is cool about the series is the very cynical bent it takes. The elites running the various human governments, rather than unite and defeat the enemy instead turn tail and flee. Leaving billions of men, women and children to die at the hands of the Lankies, the elites instead take the remnants of the fleet and flee. What a bunch of ass-hats. But the sad part is I kind of suspect that is exactly what they would do, you know, for the people.
Three starts out of five for vague, undefined reasons. A fun book, but not epic.
November 17, 2016
Back to Earth through a sea of Lankies, but will there be anything left for the exiles from Fomalhaut to find?
We start with a combined SRA/NAC action against the Lankies, move onto a recon mission that takes Andrew Grayson back to Earth on the Indianopolis, the critical little stealth ship from the second book, and then onto to some huge shocks for people following the story.
This series continues to be excellent, full of action against the inscrutable Lankie alien threat, while looking really hard at the relationship that armed forces have with the society that they are meant to be protecting, and loyalties besides. It's solid worthwhile stuff and lots of fun.
We start with a combined SRA/NAC action against the Lankies, move onto a recon mission that takes Andrew Grayson back to Earth on the Indianopolis, the critical little stealth ship from the second book, and then onto to some huge shocks for people following the story.
This series continues to be excellent, full of action against the inscrutable Lankie alien threat, while looking really hard at the relationship that armed forces have with the society that they are meant to be protecting, and loyalties besides. It's solid worthwhile stuff and lots of fun.
October 20, 2016
The third entry in this reliably fast paced and addictive series doesn't break any new ground, but Kloos has ironed out the kinks from his early missteps and turned Frontlines into a well oiled machine. This is military action at its best, with a nice character-centered balance to give the story some weight.
This one has the Lankies invading our solar system, and with the fleet in disarray it's up to the survivors in the Fomalhaut system to develop a strategy for giving Earth a fighting chance. Some of my favorite story threads from Lines of Departure are put on the backburner in Angles of Attack, but Kloos is savvy enough to drop hints that they will be picked up in the near future. I plan on getting there soon myself.
This one has the Lankies invading our solar system, and with the fleet in disarray it's up to the survivors in the Fomalhaut system to develop a strategy for giving Earth a fighting chance. Some of my favorite story threads from Lines of Departure are put on the backburner in Angles of Attack, but Kloos is savvy enough to drop hints that they will be picked up in the near future. I plan on getting there soon myself.
April 26, 2015
Jesus christ, you figured out how to kill them at the end of last book, why didn't a) anyone else figure out something so simple, or b) do it again?
Every time they turn up I think "aha, let's just fill a ship with water and use its magic engine that doesn't appear to require fuel to reach 1% of light speed, and ram them by remote control again".
Also, you can't really have an economy where there's nothing for 90% of the population to do AND where that 90% has nothing. Also you don't stop making ships in the middle of a war, in fact this is probably what pulled the world of the great depression. Also, a ship doesn't keep accelerating after it's been destroyed.
I still gave it 3 because it's fun, but it's stupid fun.
Every time they turn up I think "aha, let's just fill a ship with water and use its magic engine that doesn't appear to require fuel to reach 1% of light speed, and ram them by remote control again".
Also, you can't really have an economy where there's nothing for 90% of the population to do AND where that 90% has nothing. Also you don't stop making ships in the middle of a war, in fact this is probably what pulled the world of the great depression. Also, a ship doesn't keep accelerating after it's been destroyed.
I still gave it 3 because it's fun, but it's stupid fun.
April 23, 2015
Military Sci-Fi is a subgenre I've loved ever since I saw Aliens back in the '80s as a kid, and have practically eaten up every bit of it I could get my hands on since then, from Heinlein's Starship Troopers, probably the book that created the subgenre, to Mobile Suit Gundam and other Japanese animated additions to it, to the more modern books by such writers as Jack Campbell and B.V. Larson. Whether it be space marines vs. aliens, space marines vs. other space marines, ship to ship conflicts, smaller fighters vs everything, and even giant robots blowing up the universe (see The Ideon), I just can't get enough of it. It's very rare that I'll pick up a book of military Sci-fi and not find something good to say about it. There are those rare exceptions that are just plain terrible, but on the whole, I'm usually willing to forgive a lot in the sub genre. Sadly, though, Military Sci-Fi, more than any other genre save maybe Romance, has gotten extremely generic. Boring, bland, one-dimensional characters run out and have generic firefights with generic foes toward generic ends. (see anything B.V. Larson has ever written in his life) Which is sad. I hate to see a genre I enjoy so much going to shit.
Thankfully, Marko Kloos came along and reminded everyone what good Military Sci-fi is supposed to be. I absolutely love this series. It has great characters that are likeable and actually have more personality than an empty TV dinner tray. It's well written, and you can tell that Kloos both put a lot of time and effort into his work, and actually cares that his books turn out well. And the generic sci-fi violence is a lot less generic, and, on the whole, far more exciting and engaging than that in other current military sci-fi books for the simple reason that he's fleshed out his characters to the point where they seem like real people for you to care about and genuinely desire to see succeed. And the world in which his series takes place is just so well thought out and put together. Everything about this series is just great (except for the fact that it's written in present tense which I hate, but the books are good enough that I don't even care most of the time.)
Angles of Attack really turned the awesome up to 11 in my opinion. There's a lot of really awesome action, really great character moments, and real tension and drama as the alien menace that our characters have been fighting against for the last couple of books reaches Earth.
This book, and this series really are examples of the Military Sci-Fi subgenre at it's very best. If you, like me, are a fan of the genre, you're not going to want to miss out on this little gem of a series. It's, without a doubt, and by a pretty fair margin, the best series in the genre that I'm currently following.
Thankfully, Marko Kloos came along and reminded everyone what good Military Sci-fi is supposed to be. I absolutely love this series. It has great characters that are likeable and actually have more personality than an empty TV dinner tray. It's well written, and you can tell that Kloos both put a lot of time and effort into his work, and actually cares that his books turn out well. And the generic sci-fi violence is a lot less generic, and, on the whole, far more exciting and engaging than that in other current military sci-fi books for the simple reason that he's fleshed out his characters to the point where they seem like real people for you to care about and genuinely desire to see succeed. And the world in which his series takes place is just so well thought out and put together. Everything about this series is just great (except for the fact that it's written in present tense which I hate, but the books are good enough that I don't even care most of the time.)
Angles of Attack really turned the awesome up to 11 in my opinion. There's a lot of really awesome action, really great character moments, and real tension and drama as the alien menace that our characters have been fighting against for the last couple of books reaches Earth.
This book, and this series really are examples of the Military Sci-Fi subgenre at it's very best. If you, like me, are a fan of the genre, you're not going to want to miss out on this little gem of a series. It's, without a doubt, and by a pretty fair margin, the best series in the genre that I'm currently following.
October 9, 2019
It's been so long since I listened to this I honestly don't remember exactly what happened in this particular book. It's a great series though if you're just looking for something fun to pass the time- especially if you like the three A's- Action, Aliens and Ass-Kicking Soldiers!
August 12, 2022
What I think I like most about these books is how any given side character could get their own little spotlight of bad assery. Colonel Campbell's backbone is only getting stronger, Fallon is still amazing, and look at the new characters!
Dmitry went from a sidekick to bad ass real quick, as did Philbrick and Renner! I was surprised to see Philbrick, a character that previously was just a guy guarding a door, leading the prison break mission with no hesitation. I can't get over how many characters have integral roles!
Then it's like wtaaaaaf is going on on the civilian station anyway? Who is evacuating where? Is Dmitry convinced he's going to be gunned down for giving away military secrets so he gave Grayson his drop badge wings?
There's just so much going on even though the story is streamlined and entirely from Grayson's point of view. I've come to fully respect him as an officer, soldier, and person!
Whether you want planetary destroyer ships, intergalactic war, internal politics, and or great characters, I can't recommend this series enough
Dmitry went from a sidekick to bad ass real quick, as did Philbrick and Renner! I was surprised to see Philbrick, a character that previously was just a guy guarding a door, leading the prison break mission with no hesitation. I can't get over how many characters have integral roles!
Then it's like wtaaaaaf is going on on the civilian station anyway? Who is evacuating where? Is Dmitry convinced he's going to be gunned down for giving away military secrets so he gave Grayson his drop badge wings?
There's just so much going on even though the story is streamlined and entirely from Grayson's point of view. I've come to fully respect him as an officer, soldier, and person!
Whether you want planetary destroyer ships, intergalactic war, internal politics, and or great characters, I can't recommend this series enough
January 2, 2017
Executive Summary: What was a good series took a major step towards great with this book. Each book seems to be an improvement over the last, and this one was even more of an improvement over book 2 than book 2 was over the first one. If you like Military Sci-Fi (or maybe even just space opera) give this series a look.
Audiobook: Luke Daniels does another excellent job as always. I always enjoy him as a narrator and this one was no different. He definitely adds that extra something that makes audio a great choice for this one.
Full Review
The first two books of this series were enjoyable, but this book seemed to take it to another level. This book is an improvement both in terms of the story and the writing.
I was initially pretty lukewarm towards Andrew, but his character continues to grow with each book. I loved the addition of Dmitri to the cast, and I hope we'll see him in future books. I'd have liked more Sergeant Fallon than we got, but there is always the next book. Overall I've come to really enjoy all of the recurring characters in this series.
This book took several unexpected turns and the story is quite different from what I was thought it would. I don't consider that a bad thing, as it's often good to be surprised, but I guess it means this series will be longer than I'd have thought.
As long as Mr. Kloos has a plan for where everything will end up, I'm on board for however many books he wants. He seems to have ramped this up from a fairly simple Military Sci-Fi story to a more in depth Space Opera. I'm looking forward to seeing how things go in the next book.
Audiobook: Luke Daniels does another excellent job as always. I always enjoy him as a narrator and this one was no different. He definitely adds that extra something that makes audio a great choice for this one.
Full Review
The first two books of this series were enjoyable, but this book seemed to take it to another level. This book is an improvement both in terms of the story and the writing.
I was initially pretty lukewarm towards Andrew, but his character continues to grow with each book. I loved the addition of Dmitri to the cast, and I hope we'll see him in future books. I'd have liked more Sergeant Fallon than we got, but there is always the next book. Overall I've come to really enjoy all of the recurring characters in this series.
This book took several unexpected turns and the story is quite different from what I was thought it would. I don't consider that a bad thing, as it's often good to be surprised, but I guess it means this series will be longer than I'd have thought.
As long as Mr. Kloos has a plan for where everything will end up, I'm on board for however many books he wants. He seems to have ramped this up from a fairly simple Military Sci-Fi story to a more in depth Space Opera. I'm looking forward to seeing how things go in the next book.
July 16, 2016
I needed some escapist reading and thought that Kloos� next-in-the-series sci-fi novel would do the trick. Unfortunately it didn’t. While I enjoyed the first book which was set on earth sometime in the future, this one is set in space � and fighting 80-foot (‘Lanky�) aliens just didn’t cut it for me.
It’s not as good as “The Lost Fleet� series � and not even close to being as good as the combat scenes in the "Hammer’s Slammers� series.
The series went from ‘good� to ‘not-so-good� to ‘not-good� � and I just rode it down. Too bad. I’m done with it.
It’s not as good as “The Lost Fleet� series � and not even close to being as good as the combat scenes in the "Hammer’s Slammers� series.
The series went from ‘good� to ‘not-so-good� to ‘not-good� � and I just rode it down. Too bad. I’m done with it.
June 11, 2015
Among the many straightforward military SF series I've started, Marko Kloos's "Frontlines" is one of the few I've stuck with. Three books in, it is not slumping, and while it does show signs of developing into the Perpetual War That Goes On Forever, there has so far been a significant upping of stakes in each book, without feeling like we are just treading water.
In the last book, Grayson and his combined detachment of Fleet personnel and exiled Home Defense troops had been abandoned on a ice world in the Fomalhaut system, managed to destroy a Lanky seedship, and formed a hasty alliance with the surviving remnants of their Sino-Russian adversaries.
In Angles of Attack, SSG Grayson has to work with a Russian counterpart on a mission to fly through the transfer point back to Earth on a small "cloaked" ship, hopefully to find out what the situation is back home and then bring back reinforcements.
Once they arrive, they discover, unsurprisingly, that everything is even more FUBAR back in the Sol system than it is in Fomalhaut. The Lankies have already taken Mars and an attack on Earth is inevitable, and the Fleet is not just uncooperative but hostile to the returning ship asking for help.
This book was a great combination of politics, space warfare, and ground combat, with plenty of characters and subplots left for future use. The war against the Lankies is, of course, not resolved in this book. Andrew Grayson's career continues to take unexpected turns, but unlike many similar series, he remains an NCO - so far, he doesn't seem to be on a path to becoming a starship captain or eventual admiral; he's just a ground-pounder at heart. Kloos captures the "months of boredom punctuated by moments of screaming terror" that characterizes being a soldier, and while I do hope he has a wrap-up for this series in mind, it remains on my must-read list.
In the last book, Grayson and his combined detachment of Fleet personnel and exiled Home Defense troops had been abandoned on a ice world in the Fomalhaut system, managed to destroy a Lanky seedship, and formed a hasty alliance with the surviving remnants of their Sino-Russian adversaries.
In Angles of Attack, SSG Grayson has to work with a Russian counterpart on a mission to fly through the transfer point back to Earth on a small "cloaked" ship, hopefully to find out what the situation is back home and then bring back reinforcements.
Once they arrive, they discover, unsurprisingly, that everything is even more FUBAR back in the Sol system than it is in Fomalhaut. The Lankies have already taken Mars and an attack on Earth is inevitable, and the Fleet is not just uncooperative but hostile to the returning ship asking for help.
This book was a great combination of politics, space warfare, and ground combat, with plenty of characters and subplots left for future use. The war against the Lankies is, of course, not resolved in this book. Andrew Grayson's career continues to take unexpected turns, but unlike many similar series, he remains an NCO - so far, he doesn't seem to be on a path to becoming a starship captain or eventual admiral; he's just a ground-pounder at heart. Kloos captures the "months of boredom punctuated by moments of screaming terror" that characterizes being a soldier, and while I do hope he has a wrap-up for this series in mind, it remains on my must-read list.
June 21, 2015
All I have to say is that nothing about this series makes sense. Book one was nice reading and interesting. Book two was slow but gave humanity a chance, a way to fight back. Book three was about humanity not even acknowledging that opportunity, turning it into a never happened and then disregarding the big bad from the two previous books in the end. Like they are all gone. It makes no sense whatsoever.
Truth is I was about willing to give this a two star review but after writing down my thoughts, I really can't see myself giving it even that. Negates whatever came before. Waste no conclusion and utter waste of my time.
Truth is I was about willing to give this a two star review but after writing down my thoughts, I really can't see myself giving it even that. Negates whatever came before. Waste no conclusion and utter waste of my time.
January 6, 2016
This read didn't do much in the way of destroying aliens and saving earth at all costs
There was much talking and planning. not nearly enough action.
Just a "blah" read to me.
There was much talking and planning. not nearly enough action.
Just a "blah" read to me.
May 17, 2024
Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.
Angles of Attack is well written, and accurate. Kloos has amazing writing skills. He knows how to keep you engaged and interested in the story. He come up with a good of a plot, and he keeps you hooked on the characters. You really want to be there with them and fight by their side. Every time I kept reading, I forgot about the world around me, and I love that in a novel. The scientific (well, scifi of course) level is also interesting and credible. And the book raises some big questions about loyalty, morality, supremacy, and political power. What’s left of the meaning of fighting? Maybe I'm just reading too much into it, but I feel all that in the story. I'm really curious to see how things will turn out in the next book!
Angles of Attack is well written, and accurate. Kloos has amazing writing skills. He knows how to keep you engaged and interested in the story. He come up with a good of a plot, and he keeps you hooked on the characters. You really want to be there with them and fight by their side. Every time I kept reading, I forgot about the world around me, and I love that in a novel. The scientific (well, scifi of course) level is also interesting and credible. And the book raises some big questions about loyalty, morality, supremacy, and political power. What’s left of the meaning of fighting? Maybe I'm just reading too much into it, but I feel all that in the story. I'm really curious to see how things will turn out in the next book!
September 4, 2021
Very good! 3.5 stars rounded up. The story and the characters are truly interesting.
Amazing how civilized we can be when there’s nothing left to shoot each other over.
Amazing how civilized we can be when there’s nothing left to shoot each other over.
March 28, 2025
Wow this is a great military SiFi series. Very well done in regard to the way the personnel act and feel. Very recommended
April 26, 2015
I got a review copy of this from the publisher, and I was glad I did, since this is an exceptional addition to the series. I will admit, this series is one of my favorite current sci fi series, along with Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet series and H. Paul Honsinger's Man of War series. This story continues the story of Andrew Grayson, a soldier in the North American Commonwealth, as the power blocs of humanity fight the invasion forces of an alien race the humans have name the Lankies, which are building size aliens who are intent on destroying humanity and colonizing its planets. In the last book, Grayson and two battalions of soldiers were stationed on an out of the way colony, and the soldiers ended up rebelling as the Military leadership demanded they basically take all the colonist food and supplies illegally. At the end of the book, the remnants of 2 fleets show up at the colony, saying the Sol system had been invaded by the Lankies and been decimated. Now, the soldiers are working with the colonists, and are trying to send a stealth ship back to Earth to see the situation. They succeed in this, and are almost captured by Humans with an agenda. They escape, and discover a secret base and fleet on their way back to the colony. They determine this is an escape fleet for the important people on Earth, leaving the rest of the population to fend for themselves. They return to the colony, and the Fleet then determines to return to Earth before they run out of supplies. They return to a very changed Earth, and are determined to stop the Lankies from destroying Earth, even having a battle with the Lankies in various cities. At the end of the book, Andrew is offered a new opportunity.
The book is well paced, with plot points moving along and never lagging. Andrew's personal life is finally resolved, and the opportunity for the future, if they can survive, is hopeful. I love the Lankies as Antagonists, being basically giant monsters that wreak havoc, with no quarter given on either side. The world Marko Kloos has built is very believable, with the military elements ringing true,as you would expect from a former soldier (Marko was in the German Army), without getting too technical. The characters are complex and believable, either sympathetic or loathsome as their nature dictates. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the series I already mentioned, as well as fans of writers like John Ringo, John Scalzi and Michael Z. Williamson.
The book is well paced, with plot points moving along and never lagging. Andrew's personal life is finally resolved, and the opportunity for the future, if they can survive, is hopeful. I love the Lankies as Antagonists, being basically giant monsters that wreak havoc, with no quarter given on either side. The world Marko Kloos has built is very believable, with the military elements ringing true,as you would expect from a former soldier (Marko was in the German Army), without getting too technical. The characters are complex and believable, either sympathetic or loathsome as their nature dictates. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the series I already mentioned, as well as fans of writers like John Ringo, John Scalzi and Michael Z. Williamson.
December 29, 2015
More like 3.75??? Better than the second, not as good as the first but I enjoyed this one very much.
Also, I NEED BOOK FOUR! Please!
Also, I NEED BOOK FOUR! Please!
March 5, 2021
Episode 3 of the 7 part Frontlines series
A fast effortless read.
Really nothing else to say.
A fast effortless read.
Really nothing else to say.
June 7, 2015
Generally this is a good book continuing the Frontlines story but I do indeed have some gripes with some aspects of the story. The book starts off with a nice piece of action where the Commonwealth and Sino-Russian alliance are actually kicking some Lankie behinds. However, then there is not really any follow up. They just waltz in, shot up some Lankies and then that course of action is more or less abandoned. During said attack there are some strange behavior on the Lankies side but that also leads nowhere except for some vague after-action discussions.
The rest of the book is devoted to the quest to bring the task force back home to Earth which is now under “blockade� by the Lankies who, for some strange reason, have taken Mars but then simply stopped. That is one huge part of the story that I have a real difficulty with. Why do the Lankies invade everything in sight (almost) but not Earth? We know they could do so easily so it is utterly illogical.
There are quite a bit of action going on in this book and it is quite well done. These parts of the book are reasonably realistic and the laws of physics are still respected even though this is science fiction. What still frustrates me though is that, after five years of combating the Lankies, the humans have still not come up with some heavy penetrator that can punch a hole in a Lanky ship. This annoys me enormously. Especially since we do get a second evidence that the Lankies can be hurt that way in this book and it would actually not be requiring quantum leaps in technology to achieve.
The book ends somewhat in a void as far as I am concerned. The task force do achieve their objectives although at high costs but Earth is not what it used to be and, of course, the Lankies are still at the doorstep. The outlook is not exactly a happy one but the book does not really hint at any path forward. Quite to the contrary. Some of the decisions by the characters to stay behind, for what looks like entirely nostalgic reasons, did not sit that well with me.
It is a shame really because the author does indeed write quite well. If there would have been less of the illogical elements in the story this would probably have been a great book. Now it is “just� good.
The rest of the book is devoted to the quest to bring the task force back home to Earth which is now under “blockade� by the Lankies who, for some strange reason, have taken Mars but then simply stopped. That is one huge part of the story that I have a real difficulty with. Why do the Lankies invade everything in sight (almost) but not Earth? We know they could do so easily so it is utterly illogical.
There are quite a bit of action going on in this book and it is quite well done. These parts of the book are reasonably realistic and the laws of physics are still respected even though this is science fiction. What still frustrates me though is that, after five years of combating the Lankies, the humans have still not come up with some heavy penetrator that can punch a hole in a Lanky ship. This annoys me enormously. Especially since we do get a second evidence that the Lankies can be hurt that way in this book and it would actually not be requiring quantum leaps in technology to achieve.
The book ends somewhat in a void as far as I am concerned. The task force do achieve their objectives although at high costs but Earth is not what it used to be and, of course, the Lankies are still at the doorstep. The outlook is not exactly a happy one but the book does not really hint at any path forward. Quite to the contrary. Some of the decisions by the characters to stay behind, for what looks like entirely nostalgic reasons, did not sit that well with me.
It is a shame really because the author does indeed write quite well. If there would have been less of the illogical elements in the story this would probably have been a great book. Now it is “just� good.
May 4, 2015
Really empty
I quite liked tome I of the serie, tome II was okay but I could barely finish this tome III. Only because I was out of connection and it was the only stuff available to read. No universe, ludicrously cliche characters, no plot.... Just description of fights which are also very reminiscent of the ones previously written by the author. And at the same time, the emptiness leaves you Wondering if it is the same guy who wrote the first opuses. I put 2 stars because of the previous tomes but otherwise does not worth the time spent on it.
I quite liked tome I of the serie, tome II was okay but I could barely finish this tome III. Only because I was out of connection and it was the only stuff available to read. No universe, ludicrously cliche characters, no plot.... Just description of fights which are also very reminiscent of the ones previously written by the author. And at the same time, the emptiness leaves you Wondering if it is the same guy who wrote the first opuses. I put 2 stars because of the previous tomes but otherwise does not worth the time spent on it.
March 12, 2016
I am about to exit this series unless something happens other than military bungling, officious bureaucracy and loading big ships with mass and aiming them at high speed into the enemy. Not as good as the first but I do need something else to happen. I feel I am being dragged along with no meaningful scientific information about the Lankies, other than nameless faceless baddies. My questions about them are never-ending, perhaps like the series?
April 29, 2015
It's so short! But great. Everything I've come to love from Mr Kloos. Continues the story wonderfully, has a satisfying ending, but leaves so much room for more. Luckily he is very close to finishing the 4th book in the series and we should see it before the end of this year. Yay!
May 13, 2016
starting to lose hope for this series - need to take a break and listen to something different
May 7, 2019
4.5 Stars
The Frontlines series keeps delivering with an excellent third book.
Andrew Grayson and his fellow insurrectionists stranded on the distant colony of New Svalbard survived their rebellion against illegal orders, made a tentative truce with their long term enemies of the Sino-Russian alliance, and have successfully destroyed a Lanky ship for the first time, but they are far from safe. Mars, humanity’s largest colony, has been taken by the Lankies and their transportation nodes have been blockaded. The tiny colony of New Svalbard is running out of food and is only weeks away from starvation unless they can pull off a daring mission to rejoin whatever forces are left on Earth.
All of the good from the first two books is back on this one. Great action, genuine tension, and consistent entertainment. Characterization continues to improve, with a few standouts this time around in Colonel Campbell and Dmitry of the SRA. This book also had some of the most emotional moments of the series to date.
There were a few moments that made me incredibly frustrated, but in a good way. What I mean is that there were some characters that acted in incredibly selfish and inhumane ways, and while it was frustrating, I think the author did a great job in showing how some people react in crisis, and that as a whole humanity can do some terrible things.
The only negative thing I can say is that compared to the first two books this one took a little while to get going, but once it did it was nonstop excitement. The end in particular was fantastic.
The Frontlines series keeps delivering with an excellent third book.
Andrew Grayson and his fellow insurrectionists stranded on the distant colony of New Svalbard survived their rebellion against illegal orders, made a tentative truce with their long term enemies of the Sino-Russian alliance, and have successfully destroyed a Lanky ship for the first time, but they are far from safe. Mars, humanity’s largest colony, has been taken by the Lankies and their transportation nodes have been blockaded. The tiny colony of New Svalbard is running out of food and is only weeks away from starvation unless they can pull off a daring mission to rejoin whatever forces are left on Earth.
All of the good from the first two books is back on this one. Great action, genuine tension, and consistent entertainment. Characterization continues to improve, with a few standouts this time around in Colonel Campbell and Dmitry of the SRA. This book also had some of the most emotional moments of the series to date.
There were a few moments that made me incredibly frustrated, but in a good way. What I mean is that there were some characters that acted in incredibly selfish and inhumane ways, and while it was frustrating, I think the author did a great job in showing how some people react in crisis, and that as a whole humanity can do some terrible things.
The only negative thing I can say is that compared to the first two books this one took a little while to get going, but once it did it was nonstop excitement. The end in particular was fantastic.
September 27, 2019
Elterveztem a könyv olvasása közben, hogy csinálok a molyon egy scfi-pia polcot, tudjátok, ó-janx szesz, jégtörő meg amiket a Konkurensekben főztek... Innék Fallon törzszászlóssal, az a helyzet.
Nem jöttem rá, miért Ãrta Velkei, hogy a harmadik résznél be is fejezÅ‘dik egy szakasz, mifelénk ezt inkább függÅ‘végnek hÃvják, pedig nem rögeszmém a szálelvarrás. (látszik, hogy barlangi macska kezdek lenni, csak ma tűnt fel, hogy megjelent a Renegátok :D)
Nem jöttem rá, miért Ãrta Velkei, hogy a harmadik résznél be is fejezÅ‘dik egy szakasz, mifelénk ezt inkább függÅ‘végnek hÃvják, pedig nem rögeszmém a szálelvarrás. (látszik, hogy barlangi macska kezdek lenni, csak ma tűnt fel, hogy megjelent a Renegátok :D)
December 13, 2024
Perfectly scratches that military sci-fi itch!
October 12, 2016
So far this is the weekest of the three books, however I still very much enjoyed it. Similar to A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet there isn't much literary substance to the book. No sentences with multiple or hidden meanings, no words I have to look up, no phrases that send your mind realing off into multiple tangents. I consider it well written but basic and entertaining.
A couple of themes hit home due to current events. The political scene going on in the past decade or so(in the U.S.) where it seems every/any politician has an absymally low approval rating, gives added weight to the emerging sub-story of the Earth's leadership fleeing the solar system. It evokes all to familiar feelings of anger and disgust at those in positions of responsibility abandoning those responsibilities. The other theme is a bit more polyanna-ish. There is a star recently in the news that some reasonable speculation assumes is being harnessed by an alien civilization. One hope of finding other life in the universe is that we all turn our competitive natures outwards rather than fighting amongst ourselves. Kloos clearly has that hope as well and much of this book heads down that path.
This series has been a very entertaining set. I don't love them like I did with Red Rising et. al. but they are perfect, easy, vacation type reads.
A couple of themes hit home due to current events. The political scene going on in the past decade or so(in the U.S.) where it seems every/any politician has an absymally low approval rating, gives added weight to the emerging sub-story of the Earth's leadership fleeing the solar system. It evokes all to familiar feelings of anger and disgust at those in positions of responsibility abandoning those responsibilities. The other theme is a bit more polyanna-ish. There is a star recently in the news that some reasonable speculation assumes is being harnessed by an alien civilization. One hope of finding other life in the universe is that we all turn our competitive natures outwards rather than fighting amongst ourselves. Kloos clearly has that hope as well and much of this book heads down that path.
This series has been a very entertaining set. I don't love them like I did with Red Rising et. al. but they are perfect, easy, vacation type reads.
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