Mission Underground

Star Commandos #3

by P.M. Griffin

The immortal space saga of the STAR COMMANDOS continues. In the third volume of this compelling and endearing adventure series, Colonel Islaen Conner, her consort, former Arcturian Admiral and War Prince Varn Tarl Sogan, her old friend and former Commando Captain Jake Karmikel, along with Bandit the Jadite, meet beautiful and resourceful demolitions expert Sergeant Bethe Danlo. Together, the Commandos must travel to the depths of the treacherous caverns of the planet Hades on a mission to recover and disarm a deadly "Planetbuster," a missile left over from the War, capable of wreaking unspeakable damage - and quite possibly about to fall into the hands of dreaded space pirates...unless they get there first. "Excellent SF Adventure!" Andre Norton Journey with the STAR COMMANDOS through vast and ancient caverns, fording underground rivers, crawling through a chillingly tight labyrinth of tunnels, scaling chimney towers, and inching across thin ribbon ledges with danger around every turn.

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction

Mass Market Paperback

First published January 19, 2010

About the author

Longer name: Pauline M. Griffin

Reviews

[Jane Lebak · Rating 4 out of 5]

I re-read this today to proofread the galleys for an upcoming republication. (Yay!) Pauline designated me her literary heir, so I'm glad to do it.

I was surprised by how much I remembered of this book from the first time I read it (in 1988!) back when Varn was my book boyfriend and I was devouring like four SF novels a week. We're underground for the most part in this story, and Pauline's research into caving is quite through. We meet Bethe Danlo for the first time, and Jake's back in town as well.

It was a lot of fun to revisit old friends in this story, and I'm looking forward to going over the rest of them as their turn comes for republication.

[Adena Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I understand that war can shape different people in different ways. It refined Varnt and polished Islaen and Jake, showing them at their warrior best. It was not so flattering for the denizens of Hades of Persphone, who were quite hard enough to begin with. This novel did not show Varnt at his best but it did reveal his humanness in his uncertainty and jealousy. Islaen was portrayed as a particularly effective leader as she led this less-than-amicable team in their race to save a people who were less than thrilled with the off-worlders who dared to help them. I found this novel as thrilling as the others in the series to date, but I really found it difficult to sympathize the Hadesi and their burning hatred of all beings Arcturian-like. Still, this was a good story and worth the reading.

[Tim Glover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 3 in the series, and probably the most original setting.

[Linda Gumper · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book started off really well but the ending was wrapped up to neatly. Half the reading was to see how they got it out. .geez.