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No Man's World #2
The Ironclad Prophecy
The Iron God!
Three months after the Pennine Fusiliers vanished from the Somme and found themselves stranded on an alien world, Corporal ‘Only’ Atkins and his Black Hang Gang are sent to track down the HMLS Ivanhoe , the Battalion’s tank, currently exploring the wilderness and days overdue. The encampment is coming under attack by the alien Khungarrii, and the tank may be their only hope for a decisive victory.
Fighting for their lives against the mounting horrors of No Man’s World, Atkins and his men – and their alien prisoner – uncover an abandoned edifice, and a terrible secret. They must bring their discovery, and the tank, back to the base, but their only hope for survival – and a way home – lie in the psychotropic fuel-addicted crew of the Ivanhoe... and its increasingly insane commander!
Three months after the Pennine Fusiliers vanished from the Somme and found themselves stranded on an alien world, Corporal ‘Only’ Atkins and his Black Hang Gang are sent to track down the HMLS Ivanhoe , the Battalion’s tank, currently exploring the wilderness and days overdue. The encampment is coming under attack by the alien Khungarrii, and the tank may be their only hope for a decisive victory.
Fighting for their lives against the mounting horrors of No Man’s World, Atkins and his men – and their alien prisoner – uncover an abandoned edifice, and a terrible secret. They must bring their discovery, and the tank, back to the base, but their only hope for survival – and a way home – lie in the psychotropic fuel-addicted crew of the Ivanhoe... and its increasingly insane commander!
368 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2011
About the author
Pat Kelleher
24 books14 followersPat Kelleher is a freelance writer. He has written for magazines, animation and radio. He served his time writing for a wide variety of TV licensed characters, translating them into audio books, novels and comics. Yes, he¹s written for that. And that. And even, you know, them. He has several non-fiction books to his credit and his educational strips and stories for the RSPB currently form the mainstays of their Youth publications. Somehow he has steadfastly managed to avoid all those careers and part-time jobs that look so good on a dust jacket.
(From publisher's website http://www.abaddonbooks.com)
(From publisher's website http://www.abaddonbooks.com)
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 31, 2019
Often, the middle book of a trilogy is the weakest. However, I think this is a stronger story than the opening book - the pacing is better, there is strong character development, and we learn a lot more about the world. By the end of this novel, our heroes have had some successes, but they are overall in a worse spot than at the end of the first novel.
Despite a slow start in the first novel, this is turning into a very enjoyable series. The final book awaits.
Despite a slow start in the first novel, this is turning into a very enjoyable series. The final book awaits.
March 25, 2020
Good book picks up right after the first one. Love the world they are in. You never quite know which way the story is going to go. Characters are definitely developing more and it is getting even more interesting. I am not sure how the author is going to wrap it up in one more novel but I will be delighted to find out. It really gets sci-fi with the monsters and all but it really was action packed. Worth the read after a good first installment.
September 14, 2018
WW1 soldiers trapped on a Lovecraftian world and facing all the horrors it has to offer. It's everything you'd expect, but with better writing.
That said, you really do need to have read The Black Hand Gang first. The author clearly assumes that you have done and often refers back to previous events without providing any additional explanation.
That said, you really do need to have read The Black Hand Gang first. The author clearly assumes that you have done and often refers back to previous events without providing any additional explanation.
June 11, 2026
Loved it. I never knew I wanted to read a book about a military group getting high on alien matter. Truly never knew I needed this much entertainment. Thank you Pat!!
November 12, 2011
This is the second book in the series and the author has greatly improved his writing skills or has a new editor. I really enjoyed the premise in the first book but some of the writing style was irritating, that said I really needed to see where the story was going and I was not disappointed.
The universe of players on this world grows with further tribes of human and alien characters, one of which plays a significantly part of the narrative. The story branches off in three directions, firstly with a full scale assault starting on the remaining land of the Somme, then more focus on the tank and its crew as well as the chasing Black Hand Gang, which were so prominent in the first book. The female roles grow from dainty frightened nurses into robust characters and again the author is willing to sacrifice central characters to make the story more realistic.
The main human villain from the first book does not really make a reappearance, but I anticipate that we will see him again in the next book. I was glad that this book pretty much closes the current storyline with enough hanging for me to buy the next book but not feeling cheated that we only got half a story in this one.
I would recommend this book to anyone who would likes sci-fi which has some sort of realistic earthly connection or enjoys WW1 trivia (I am not sure how accurate the author is but he would appear to be an expert or has done significant research). You could read this book separately but the amount of time building characters in the first book would make this a strange read indeed and so I highly recommend that you read The Black Hand Gang first.
The universe of players on this world grows with further tribes of human and alien characters, one of which plays a significantly part of the narrative. The story branches off in three directions, firstly with a full scale assault starting on the remaining land of the Somme, then more focus on the tank and its crew as well as the chasing Black Hand Gang, which were so prominent in the first book. The female roles grow from dainty frightened nurses into robust characters and again the author is willing to sacrifice central characters to make the story more realistic.
The main human villain from the first book does not really make a reappearance, but I anticipate that we will see him again in the next book. I was glad that this book pretty much closes the current storyline with enough hanging for me to buy the next book but not feeling cheated that we only got half a story in this one.
I would recommend this book to anyone who would likes sci-fi which has some sort of realistic earthly connection or enjoys WW1 trivia (I am not sure how accurate the author is but he would appear to be an expert or has done significant research). You could read this book separately but the amount of time building characters in the first book would make this a strange read indeed and so I highly recommend that you read The Black Hand Gang first.
April 23, 2013
I enjoyed this second book in the series much more than the first. That novel obviously had to go through some world-building/establishing, and have a Lovecraftian villain, but this is just plain ole action and adventure with the environment being the primary antagonist.
The action is split into two fields, the encampment and the trail of the tank, and both were great. I loved the slow "evolution" of one of the tank's crew and I loved the "it couldn't get worse--but it does" effects on the encampment.
In the end, I enjoyed the bugs from the previous novel not being the villians, and instead we get other humans as problems, as well as the humans we're already familiar with.
There were also hints of things to come in following books.
This is a good read for fans of WWI and alien environments. Very well done!
The action is split into two fields, the encampment and the trail of the tank, and both were great. I loved the slow "evolution" of one of the tank's crew and I loved the "it couldn't get worse--but it does" effects on the encampment.
In the end, I enjoyed the bugs from the previous novel not being the villians, and instead we get other humans as problems, as well as the humans we're already familiar with.
There were also hints of things to come in following books.
This is a good read for fans of WWI and alien environments. Very well done!
March 28, 2014
Pat Kelleher’s band of plucky Tommies are back, fighting for survival on an alien planet.
At war with an insectoid race, the tommies need their tank Ivanhoe, currently out on reconnaissance. But the tank’s commander Mathers is off his head, suffering from mental disorder and from addiction to the tank’s LSD-like fuel, and has proclaimed his tank a god…
Packed full of period detail and realistically “Imperial” sentiments, the No-man’s World series reads like a genuine old-school boys' own adventure, so much so you half-believe Kelleher’s “found manuscript” framing device. If the book suffers in comparison to the first it is that it is no longer a novelty, and lacks the former’s gripping opening. If it suffers in similarity it is because the prose is still knottily purple. Otherwise spiffing.
At war with an insectoid race, the tommies need their tank Ivanhoe, currently out on reconnaissance. But the tank’s commander Mathers is off his head, suffering from mental disorder and from addiction to the tank’s LSD-like fuel, and has proclaimed his tank a god…
Packed full of period detail and realistically “Imperial” sentiments, the No-man’s World series reads like a genuine old-school boys' own adventure, so much so you half-believe Kelleher’s “found manuscript” framing device. If the book suffers in comparison to the first it is that it is no longer a novelty, and lacks the former’s gripping opening. If it suffers in similarity it is because the prose is still knottily purple. Otherwise spiffing.
March 26, 2012
If you're as old as I am and have been reading military fiction for decades, you will find this tedious for the first two-thirds. It does brighten up a little towards the end, but it's too late. But if you're young and have only read a little SF, you'll probably think this is wonderful.
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November 7, 2016
Just as good as the first. I like that Kelleher did not spend muddy the story by recapping what happened in The Black Hand Gang, but, at the same time, a refresher would have been useful since it's been so long since I read it. I look forward to finding out what happens to the Fusiliers in the next book.
May 20, 2013
Good second book to the series. Not as good as the first book in the series. I am reading the series, all books in a row. Interesting continuation of the story.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews