A Fighting Chance

Legion #9

by William C. Dietz

Earth has fallen. And the men, women, and cyborgs of the Confederacy must dig deep within their warrior hearts to make one final stand against an alien aggressor... On a rim world, Captain Antonio Santana and Christine Vanderveen will risk everything to save the Confederacy, billions of lives - and their future together.

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Military Science Fiction, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

365 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2011

About the author

New York Times bestselling author William C. Dietz has published more than fifty novels, some of which have been translated into German, Russian, and Japanese. He grew up in the Seattle area, served as a medic with the Navy and Marine Corps, graduated from the University of Washington, and has been employed as a surgical technician, college instructor, and television news writer, director and producer. Before becoming a full-time writer Dietz was director of public relations and marketing for an international telephone company. He and his wife live near Gig Harbor, Washington.

Reviews

[Chris The Lizard from Planet X · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fighting Chance by Willam Dietz’s is the ninth entry into his Legion of the Damned Trilogy a Military Space opera exploring the dangers of life in space, defeating aliens whose main desire is to threaten the peace they have. This ninth and last entry in the series continues the story of Major Antonio Santana and Diplomat Christine Vanderveen as they try to beat the aliens and save billions of men, women and cyborgs.

Together, Santana and Christine try to protect a Ramanthian Queen who at the moment is wounded and risking assassination. Secret plotting with the Ramanthian's mean they want to appoint a new, younger queen on the throne, but can't until the old one has been killed - yet they have to find her and Santana and Christine aren't going to let her go without a battle.

On board the Confederacy Transport Galaxis, Christine had a hope of seeing Santana again, and as a high-ranking civil servant she could get that joy again making it to the planet Algeron.
Knowing that Santana is away on Planet O-chi 4 doesn't do much for her, but she feels she will see him soon. In the meantime, she has meetings with other people in the federation who need her help. Maylo Chien-Chu realises she is a stranger to the planet and offers to show her around. Maylo is a good man, a patriot who will happily do something rather than wait around and do nothing.

As in When Duty Calls, Santana feels he hasn't done right by his men when on missions and his men know he has been too hard on himself. Santana doesn't expect that plucky Hudanthan, Eor will give him the motivation he needs to get this particular assignment done. Santana has yet to make certain the queen keeps on living despite the Ramanthian traitors wanting her dead. Despite all the bloodshed, there could be hope if all the men and Vanderveen he trusts keep their end of the bargain. The question will be raised and conclusions reached as they think of their future.

Overall, this book has lots Action, drama, destruction and some comedic moments make this one of the best Dietz hard sf novels to round off this great series

[Bill Hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the first Legion of the Damned when it came out and I enjoyed it. The same with the sequels I read a long time ago. I was really looking forward to reading this book. I was disappointed. Either my standards have become higher or the quality of the writing has waned. Since I won't be going back to re-read earlier books, someone else will need to decide.

[Steven Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very disappointed to hear that this is the authors last planned book in the Legion of the Damned series. He did write some books set earlier, the Andromeda series, and I hope that he continues writing those if he is not going to continue the Legion of the Damned.

I guess that I will never get to learn if General Mosby's daughter takes after her mother. I know that writers sometimes mention characters and have no intention of filling them out.

I was a little disappointed in the relationship between Ponco and Santana. Was Ponco a foil so that we feel less anger at Vanderveen for betraying Santana? I felt that the relationship between Ponco and Santana was not developed enough to justify Ponco sacrificing herself to save Santana. If felt like a convenient cop-out in order to keep Santana alive, and I felt poorly written. Perhaps in the original draft there was more between Ponco and Santana, but it got cut out in editing to streamline the action or get to the crunchy parts quicker.

Another thing that I wonder, is did Vanderveen tell Santana she betrayed him with another man? Perhaps it would not have mattered, but it would have been nice to know if Vanderveen had been truthful.

Still a very good read and one that I enjoyed despite my disappointment in this being the last Legion of the Damned book.

[Tasula · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love the Legion of the Damned series by Dietz, and this culminating novel was excellent. For anyone new to Dietz' series, it's about a foreign legion type military force in a future world where space travel and aliens are facts of life. This legion of the damned includes clean cut military types as well as criminals given a second chance at life by having their brains planted into cyborgs.

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Endeavour read. Pretty much straight out military sf though mostly on planet rather than in space. Use of cyborgs in various forms was a bit different as was the bugs. So occasional good ideas and semi-interesting aliens. But really nothing special.

[Fred Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This entire series of books is spectacular. Well developed and relatable characters and story lines that just keep on delivering action and adventure. I read it in 3 days

Highly recommended series and Author

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The final installment of the Legion of the Damned series. There is a coup in the Ramanthian empire and diplomat Christine Vanderveen and Major Antonio Santana contine the fight in their own ways.

[Mark Baller · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last of the confederacy novels - what a science fiction war series it way but 9 books is enough -- highly recommended to all

[William Snee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another enjoyable chapter in the ongoing saga.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good wrap-up of the Legion series.

[Keira F. Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fitting end to "The Legion of the Damned" series. I'm sad there wont be any more stories continuing the saga on.

[Scifimoth · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent conclusion to a very good military SF series.

[Glenn D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read...Dietz never disappoints me