Shadows of War

Red Dragon Rising #1

by Larry Bond, Jim DeFelice

Building off the World War III premise Larry Bond helped Tom Clancy to establish, Red Storm Rising, this new series looks at the world under an omnipresent Chinese superpower.

In the not-too-distant future, massive climate change has wracked the globe. China's rice-growing regions have been devastated by typhoons, while its western breadbasket is suffering from three years of drought. Riots threaten to tear the country apart. With the old-guard Chinese government paralyzed by the crisis, a young, charismatic party leader steps to the fore. His solution to the unrest is a time-tested one — conquest of China's neighbors.

And after that, the world.

Josh MacArthur, a mild-mannered American scientist studying climate change in northern Vietnam, is the only witness to a clever attempt by the Chinese to make it appear that Vietnam started the war. Escaping a massacre, he manages to gather critical evidence that could turn world opinion against China.

Unfortunately, the Chinese learn of MacArthur's survival, and of the information he carries. A former Ch'an fighting monk turned commando is sent to capture him. Mara Duncan, a CIA agent, is also on MacArthur's trail. The American scientist has become the subject of a deadly race in the jungles of northern Vietnam, with the fate of the world in his hands.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, War, Military Fiction, Action, Military Thriller, Political Thriller

415 pages, Hardcover

First published November 10, 2009

About the author

Larry Bond is the author of several bestselling military thrillers, including Crash Dive, Cold Choices, Dangerous Ground, Red Phoenix and the Larry Bond’s First Team and Larry Bond’s Red Dragon Rising series. He was a naval officer for six years, serving four on a destroyer and two on shore duty in the Washington DC area. He's also worked as a warfare analyst and antisubmarine technology expert, and he now writes and designs computer games, including Harpoon and Command at Sea. He makes his home in Springfield, Virginia.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/larrybond

Reviews

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read a couple of other books by Larry Bond...and I liked them better than this one. This book forces me into my "3 star mode". I've had at least on person who follows my reviews take to task for three star ratings. He or she wanted me to come down more "for or against" each book. The thing is of course that you can't...all books aren't pass or fail.

This book is "synopsized" as a war fiction. It's more an extended first chapter of a war fiction. The book does cover the beginning moves in what will possibly be WW3. It is however more a very politically loaded story of a CIA agent trying to get a scientist who happens to be the sole survivor of his group. He also has a visual record of the Chinese invading Vietnam.

Look the book was written in 2009 when everyone was gleefully telling us we were going to be destroyed by global warming. The action in the book is taking place basically in our present and we're supposed to be paying $14 a gallon for gas, the world has collapsed due to said global warming and so on.

So, wade through all the political rhetoric...the book opens with a few thousand words on it. Each "part" of the book also "pauses" to "read us in" on the global warming catastrophes. We get fake headlines, news stories and so on. It's a set up for why the war is happening. Take it with a grain of salt...

Well, unless of course your really into it and are still looking for our demise due to global warming (recently renamed climate change since we've had a couple of the coldest winters on record instead of having an average of being 5 degrees hotter or something) then you will enjoy the opening and the interludes....

Anyway, skip, skim or read them, whatever is your..."bag".

Now the body of the book is good. Bond can tell a story (as you may know) I liked Red Storm Rising on which he collaborated with Tom Clancy. I liked Vortex. He can write. I intend to follow this series (in no small reason as this is as I said much like an extended first chapter). I still have hope that we will actually get a "technothriller"....

There are some good scenes, the characters are pretty well drawn and there's some action. Not a loss overall, but it could have been a lot better had maybe the rational for the "war" not been so politically loaded.

I have the next book from the library.

So I'm an optimist....try it yourself see what you think.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fan of military thrillers enjoyed this novel which keeps the audience riveted in suspense after a slow start. 8 of 10 stars

[Steve Foley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Bond since he co-authored "Red Storm Rising" in 1987 with Tom Clancy and later wrote "Red Phoenix" both are probably my two favorite books, and ones I have bought as a hardback, then paperback, and finally e-edition. I have read each book at least 15 times. I also enjoyed the Jerry Mitchell series, particularly "Exit Plan". "Shadows of War" starts off with a bang and does not really slow down, my e-book shows almost 1200 pages for this book, and it only took a couple of days to read. So I liked it, but I don't get the whole global warming message in the book, it had very little to do with the plot, except to say that China was a wasteland due to global warming, so they needed to invade the border into Vietnam where things were better. I would think Global Warming does not care about a border, it would be bad on both sides. Not to mention the large American cities, tearing down their homes and planting gardens. Are they going to live in a tent? Thankfully, there is not a lot of this storyline in the book, OK I get it I'm not properly educated in global warming. This global warming thing could be the co-author's personal political agenda sneaking into the manuscript. China the aggressor, would make much more sense. (This plot worked extremely well for both Russia and North Korea in both of the Red books.) However, like all Bond books, the characters are well developed and the story is gripping. It is a good story, but I will only read it once, and might pass on the rest of the series.

[Cindy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked more after the politics ended and story started. Engaging, frightening, and consistently interesting (after the indoctrination). Well and clearly narrated.

[Travis Ristau · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started off to be really confusing. There are three different scenes that you have to pay attention to. This made it a little more difficult to understand the background of the characters. It is set in the future and has China running out of food. They are just starting to launch a secret military strike when an American scientist finds out about it. After about a third of the way through, it seemed to come together more and had a very long climax (which was my favorite part). I loved the fact that it told the action part of the story from two sides. I thought the girl in the city was pretty much pointless. I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes action and/or mystery as it does a great job of combining both of them.

[Henrik Jansen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've been holding my nose trough Bonds earlier books, due to the blatant display of political agitation. The stories in previous books have been somewhat well written albeit poisoned by Bonds awful political views. In this series he just takes it too far and doubles down on the political propaganda, sprinkled with misinformation and science-denying stories. I gave up on him after this book.

[Michael Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling adventure

[Dennis P Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

7.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book hooked me at the start and I just kept reading. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Nigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first of a four part series Red Dragon Rising and it was an enjoyable read. The premise is that global warming has taken a serious hold on the planet and major climate changes have occurred. This in turn is changing the balance of power in the world as some areas become more fertile at the expense of others. All commodity prices are up and droughts and starvation are becoming the norm.
With this as the background China once a powerhouse is suffering from food shortages and subsequent riots, as a result of which they decide to invade neighbouring Vietnam principally for their oil and increased areas for growing rice. It is hinted at this would be the first in a series of campaigns with Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia also target. In order to garner public opinion and to prevent the world from uniting against them they stage the initial invasion to look like a defence move following a failed incursion by the Vietnamese into China.
Unfortunately for them one scientist in the area as part of UN backed study into the effects of the recent climate changes on the local wildlife witnesses the invasion and captures the results of Chinese mass killings of local villages on video. With the rest of his expedition killed, Josh as to survive on his own in the jungle. With the use of a found satellite phone is able to inform the US of his findings and his evidence.
The story then follows Josh in his struggles to survive whilst waiting for one rescue attempt after another seeks to get him and his evidence in front of the UN before it’s too late. Meanwhile Chinese commandos are on his trail and are prepared to do anything to keep him and more importantly his evidence from ever leaving Vietnam.
Within the story there small scale battles between the Vietnamese and Chinese armies along with the rescue attempts this instalment does not get us into the full scale battles that Bond is famous for (i.e. Vortex and Red Phoenix) I was waiting for them to arrive but assume these will come in later instalments. On the one hand the overall story of the Chinese invasion is not advanced much by the end of book 1 as it is all taken up with the Josh’s battle for survival, none the less it was a gripping story and a page turner. Interesting to see where Bond takes the story in book 2.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a long time since I read a book that I just couldn't wait to get back to. Larry Bond's "Red Dragon Rising: Shadows of War", however, falls into that category.

When I was considering whether to pick up a copy of this book I was intruiged when I read that Larry Bond helped Tom Clancy develop the story for his WWIII techno-thriller Red Storm Rising, one of my favorite books of that genre. That clinched it for me...I had to take a look at this book, and Larry Bond doesn't disappoint! I sliced through this book just like I did Tom Clancy's "The Hunt for Red October" and "Red Storm Rising" over 20 years ago.

I'm happy to report that Bond is able to develop the same flavor of suspense and anticipation along with action that the early Clancy books provided. One thing that Bond is doing that Clancy didn't, though, is to develop the same story line over a series of books. His "Red Dragon Rising" should probably be viewed as one book being released in four parts, much like Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings". And just like Tolkien's "The Fellowship of the Ring" the end of "Red Dragon Rising: Shadows of War" left me hanging and wanting more. I've heard that it's always a good idea to leave your audience clapping - Bond did for me.

Alas, I imagine it will be some time before the rest of Bond's series is released.

OK, a bit about the book...I enjoyed the range of characters and good job Bond did with character development. There is a graduate student studying the effects of climate change, an ambitious young CIA agent, and a suite of government and military characters on both sides of the line. Bond plays political, military, mercenary, and interpersonal cards well.

If you like Tom Clancy's "Red Storm Rising", "The Hunt for Red October", and "Debt of Honor" you should like this book.

[Hilmi Isa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Josh MacArthur merupakan seorang saintis yang ditugaskan untuk melakukan kajian di utara Vietnam,berhampiran sempadan China-Vietnam. Malangnya,dia berada pada masa dan tempat yang salah. Hanya dirinya sahaja yang terselamat daripada dibunuh oleh tentera China. Bukan itu sahaja. Memandangkan Josh juga merupakan saksi kepada pembunuhan beramai-ramai rakyat Vietnam yang dilakukan oleh tentera China dan komplot memfitnah Vietnam,dia diburu oleh sepasukan komando tentera China.
Sementara itu,pada masa yang sama,operasi serangan China ke atas Vietnam telah bermula. Ironinya,Vietnam memerlukan bantuan Amerika Syarikat,musuhnya ketika Perang Vietnam pada tahun 60-an dan 70-an. Mejar Zeus Murphy merupakan antara pegawai tentera Amerika Syarikat yang dihantar untuk melaksanakan tugas tersebut. Namun,tidak terhad pada itu sahaja. Zeus juga terpaksa terlibat sama di dalam operasi menyelamatkan Josh dan meletakkan nyawanya di dalam bahaya!
Ini bukanlah kali pertama saya membaca novel hasil tulisan Larry Bond. Namun,pada masa yang sama,ini pertama kali saya membaca novel yang ditulis oleh Jim DeFelice,penulis bersama untuk novel bersiri ini. Apa yang membuatkan gaya penulisan Bond begitu memikat saya adalah deskripsinya yang sangat bagus,terutamanya pada babak-babak pertempuran yang mendebarkan dan begitu mengasyikkan. Di dalam novel Red Dragon Rising : Shadows of War,ciri ini wujud. Ini yang membuatkan,pada pandangan saya,novel tulisan Bond menampilkan sesuatu yang berlainan jika dibandingkan dengan penulis-penulis lain yang segenre dengannya.

[Whiskeyjack · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had come across this book before and when I read in a review that Larry Bond helped Tom Clancy with Red Storm Rising I decided to try it. Red Storm Rising is an old favorite of mine that I have read many many years ago and I had high hopes for this one. It was definitely enjoyable, but not as good as I had hoped for.

It felt this could have have been a lot better; the scope was limited and it could have been more intense. I did like that you get the story line from both sides but for both the background was thin. The news bulletins in between added some context, but did play any role in the story lines. It mostly was about a rescue mission behind enemy lines.

I also felt the narrator, Luke Daniels was not the right guy for the job. I very much liked his performance in Hounded, but here his voice sounded too young and inexperienced for the story.

Still, it had been a while since I read a thriller like this and I did enjoy it and will go out and search for more in this genre (any recommendations?). Don't know about Larry Bond though, as I am somewhat underwhelmed by this book.

[William Bentrim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shadows of War by Larry Bond and Jim Defelice

Global warming plays havoc with the world’s economy. The inevitable conflict between those that have and those that don’t begins. China is seen as an implacable foe that threatens the security of the entire world. The U.S. finds itself in the paradoxical support of a former enemy.

The only criticism I have of this book is that I found it’s premise entirely too believable. The authors pain a gloomy picture of the not so distant future. There was plenty of action and heroic acts. I liked the metamorphic transformation of Josh from the mild mannered Clark Kent to Rambo. The transformation struck me as a metaphor of the character of the U.S. Our nation has a historic repute for acts of kindness to countries that appear to abhor us. Despite that attitude we labor to do good in the world. Other countries often perceive that as weakness until they try our patience one too many times and find they are in the tiger not riding it.

I liked the characters, the setting was clearly painted and the story moved well.

I highly recommend the book.

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

A change of pace for Larry Bond

Don't get worried, Larry Bond is still cranking out the war thrillers, but Larry Bond's Red Dragon Rising: Shadows of War one is not the grand sweep of a worldwide battlefield that his previous books have featured. Instead, we focus in on four people swept up in the beginnings of World War III. Those four people are a climate scientist studying in northern Vietnam who happens to have video that proves that China is instigating World War III in his cell phone, a female CIA agent who is trying to rescue him, a military wargamer (and former special forces) who is helping map out America's strategy to combat China's aggression and a Chinese lieutenant in an elite commando squad who is trying to catch the climatologist.

I'll admit, it starts out slow but it builds and is a rollicking adventure by the end. This is the first of a four part series and...

Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2010/...

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

An imaginatively constructed, credible, and well-written tale of future conflict in Southeast Asia. Driven by climatological and economic hardship, the PLA invade Vietnam under pretext of self-defense after the Chinese stage a phony Vietnamese intrusion into China. We follow the action through the conflicts befalling Josh, an American scientist unwittingly trapped behind enemy lines after he recorded Chinese atrocities to Americans and Vietnamese; Ma, a Vietnamese orphan whom he befriends as he flees Jing Yo, the PRC commando and his men who pursue him; Mara, the CIA agent sent to rescue him; and Zeus, the former Spec Ops guy who becomes the primary strategic adviser to the Vietnamese Army. The suspense never lets up, and the plot twists are well-timed to keep the pages turning. In the end the major characters face off on a tense battlefield deep in the rugged terrain of North Vietnam. All in all a good read, and thought-provoking as well. It could happen.

[Jerome Otte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bond paints a picture of world where global warming has thrown economies into a tizzy. As this plays out early in the book we learn that China feels forced to launch an attack against Viet Nam to deal with shrinking food supplies, etc. I won't be a spoiler and reveal some of the details, but the rest of the the book follows a scientist caught behind enemy lines and chronicles the efforts of an American intelligence operator who risks her life to pull him out. All well and good, but I'm afraid I struggled to get through the first three quarters of the thing. The action was too slow and at times felt contrived and to be honest, the whole global warming thing felt unrealistic to me; it was a bit too far fetched. Near the end, Mr. Bond brings it home and I found myself up late one night not wanting to put it down. "A" for effort, "C" for execution.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I am so good at doing it would appear that I picked up a series not at the beginning but somewhere that is not the beginning or the end.
This book though is an amazing read, it flows nicely and never makes you feel like you are picking it up mid story, the characters are well written, very Homerish (as in the Iliad Homer) in there epic battles and flaws.
the only problem I had with the book, was lack of continuity in the idea of outrageous fuel prices but yet everyone has a car and taxi rides are still cheap and maybe I created in my own mind that there was a fuel shortage, (cant check book is turned into the library drop box already.
Read this book, But unlike me start with the first book and go from there just an idea.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book sets a scenario in the future where due to Global Warming China is suffering and becoming even more aggressive towards its neighbors. The book is all about an invasion of Vietnam and the actions of the US to try and hold them up in addition to getting evidence that China started the conflict out to the world. It follows several characters a US scientist with proof the Chinese started the conflict. A CIA agent trying to get him out of the country and a Chinese commando seeking to track them both down. It also follows the Chinese advance in Vietnam and a US Special Forces soldier who is a champion “war gamer” in stopping the Chinese who is called upon to do it in the real world.

[David Bergsland · Rating 2 out of 5]

I sorta like the concept. It had the makings of an excellent book. Being of the opinion that the earth has been warming since the flood, the sudden radical changes were a bit severe, but I'll buy them for the sack of the plot. I liked the characters (I think) but I really need to quit reading books of this genre co-written by Jim DeFelice. He always adds a dark edge that I really dislike. I suspect a lot of that is just the rough edge of reality these days. But it is certainly not appealing. But the killer for me was when the book just stopped. There were at least five stories where I wanted to see resolution. But the book just quit.

I really dislike books which do not resolve the stories.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Larry Bond and Jim DeFelice's latest political thriller...epic scale aling the lines of the Clancy derivative Red Storm Rising which bond helped write...This one works in rapid climate change leading to great internal pressures in China...the Chinese premier seeks to distract the Chinese masses by warring on the traditional Chinese enemies in Southeast Asia...the US wants to avoid nuclear confrontation and preserve world peace so it rescues a scientist who is a witness to the invasion and has photographic evidence to pressure the Chinese to withdraw...A passable read

[Al Swanson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent book. I'm not a fan of book serials, but I can let that go for Bond. I loved many of his first books, but this one lacks the tech details I liked so much about those. There's much more character development, which I guess, for most folks or to claim a bigger audience, is what was needed.
In the past, when I read Bond, I was interested in the warfare, the strategy and the tech. That is still there, tho much reduced.
Might be a good intro to Bond for thriller lovers.

[Bubba61909 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good book if you like alternate future scenarios. I liked the book because it was set a few years ahead from today's date. It was very cool to immerse myself in the authors imagination about what might happen to us in the near future. I thought that the book is believable if you really think about the way the world is going. I hope that I can find more of this series of books because I am curious what will happen next.

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 2014 the world is suffering greatly due to global warming. China decides it needs Vietnam's natural resources and there's only one way to get them; military invasion. The plan is to cause the world to believe that Vietnam invaded China and China was merely defending itself. An American scientist in Vietnam has proof of China's duplicity but how do we get him out.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started this series on a recommendation, and wasn't disappointed. Like a lot of military thrillers, the characters aren't very well developed, but I read these for the plots and action. The global warming theme was a little forced, however, and the "man behind enemy lines" subplot was recycled from Bond's earlier book,cRed Storm Rising.

[Jeff Crosby]

Returning to the formula that he created with Tom Clancy and Patrick Larkin, Bond has teamed with DeFelice to create another near future combat scenario. I am pleased that he has returned to this genre, but I am disinterested in the focus on global warming and the southeast asian srtting.

[Matthew Rich · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a mixture of gross cliche that hints at a desire to tell a story in an operatic style. But I had no desire, no wish, no care for any of the characters to live through their trials. I was happy to finish it--and even happier to return it to the library and forget that it exists.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best, but ok.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good read and one of their best in quite awhile. Non stop action from the get go. Very enjoyable.

[Maks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked it. A pretty descent action thriller. Can be a start of an interesting series. Look forward more.