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Sam Bitka #1
Chain of Command
New Military SF from legendary game creator Frank Chadwick. Lieutenant Sam Bitka finds himself commanding a starship against an alien enemy who always seems one step ahead of him.
Lieutenant Sam Bitka, U.S. Naval Reserve, is getting used to civilian life when he is called back to active duty. Tensions between Earth and the alien Varoki are on the rise, and Sam is assiged as tactical officer aboard the deep space destroyer USS Puebla. Dispatched to the distant world of K'tok to protect human colonists, he wants nothing more than to serve out his active duty time and get back to his civilian life.
But when the Varoki launch a crippling surprise attack against the Earth coalition fleet, Sam finds himself suddenly in command of the USS Puebla, a job he is far from certain he can discharge successfully. What’s more, mounting evidence points to a much larger and more sinister alien plan.
Now, Sam must deal with faltering leadership in the human task force and an alien enemy who always seems one step ahead of them. Time for Sam to step up and rise to the challenge of command.
Praise for Chain of Command:
“Chadwick’s heavy hitter succeeds at teeth-gritting action scenes, deep psychological portraits of diverse characters and societies, and abundant puzzles and mysteries. All . . . mixed in seamlessly with the vivid tragedies of war and balanced with dark humor.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"...strong characterization and the briskness of the plot should please. Fans of military sf and of Chadwick, in particular, should give it a look."—Booklist
"Chain of Command is very smartly put together… Chadwick gets the details right, whether he's talking about the effects of prolonged weightlessness or the intricacies of geo and interstellar politics and economics… a solid piece of Mil-SF writing that pulls from many historical sources and manages to convey a lot of what the Surface Navy is like…. it isn't the steel hulls that make the navy tough, it's the sailors that crew them."—SFRevue
About Come the Revolution:
“[A]dventure, family secrets and humor. . . . The plot is as hard as the science Chadwick uses. . . . [E]ngages readers. First-rate science fiction; it moves at a fast pace throughout.”—Daily News of Galveston County
"Chadwick offers an exciting military SF story set on the Varoki home planet of Hazz’Akato in his follow up to How Dark the World Becomes...Chadwick, a leading designer of military and science-fiction board- and role-playing games, knows his way around a battlefield...eccentric cohorts are entertaining, and a few surprises guarantee that readers will be seeing more of this series."—Booklist
"This sequel to How Dark the World Becomes is a fast-paced, action-packed sf adventure. Readers new to Chadwick’s series will be able to start here without too much trouble; essential background information is given, and the author leaps straight into an original story set two years after the previous entry.”—Library Journal
About How Dark the World Becomes:
“How Dark the World Becomes is a crackling debut novel that speaks of great things to come! It's whip-smart, lightning-fast and character-driven—in short it has everything required to be totally satisfying. Highly recommended." —Jonathan Maberry, New York Times best-selling author of Assassin’s Code
“. . . [a] far off, hard scrabble intergalactic underworld . . . fast-paced intergalactic adventure full of far-flung alien intrigue.”—Astroguyz
" . . . thrilling space adventure . . . I was reminded of Jack McDevitt's Alex Benedict novels and Mark L. Van Name's Jon & Lobo adventures."—SFCrowsnest
Lieutenant Sam Bitka, U.S. Naval Reserve, is getting used to civilian life when he is called back to active duty. Tensions between Earth and the alien Varoki are on the rise, and Sam is assiged as tactical officer aboard the deep space destroyer USS Puebla. Dispatched to the distant world of K'tok to protect human colonists, he wants nothing more than to serve out his active duty time and get back to his civilian life.
But when the Varoki launch a crippling surprise attack against the Earth coalition fleet, Sam finds himself suddenly in command of the USS Puebla, a job he is far from certain he can discharge successfully. What’s more, mounting evidence points to a much larger and more sinister alien plan.
Now, Sam must deal with faltering leadership in the human task force and an alien enemy who always seems one step ahead of them. Time for Sam to step up and rise to the challenge of command.
Praise for Chain of Command:
“Chadwick’s heavy hitter succeeds at teeth-gritting action scenes, deep psychological portraits of diverse characters and societies, and abundant puzzles and mysteries. All . . . mixed in seamlessly with the vivid tragedies of war and balanced with dark humor.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"...strong characterization and the briskness of the plot should please. Fans of military sf and of Chadwick, in particular, should give it a look."—Booklist
"Chain of Command is very smartly put together… Chadwick gets the details right, whether he's talking about the effects of prolonged weightlessness or the intricacies of geo and interstellar politics and economics… a solid piece of Mil-SF writing that pulls from many historical sources and manages to convey a lot of what the Surface Navy is like…. it isn't the steel hulls that make the navy tough, it's the sailors that crew them."—SFRevue
About Come the Revolution:
“[A]dventure, family secrets and humor. . . . The plot is as hard as the science Chadwick uses. . . . [E]ngages readers. First-rate science fiction; it moves at a fast pace throughout.”—Daily News of Galveston County
"Chadwick offers an exciting military SF story set on the Varoki home planet of Hazz’Akato in his follow up to How Dark the World Becomes...Chadwick, a leading designer of military and science-fiction board- and role-playing games, knows his way around a battlefield...eccentric cohorts are entertaining, and a few surprises guarantee that readers will be seeing more of this series."—Booklist
"This sequel to How Dark the World Becomes is a fast-paced, action-packed sf adventure. Readers new to Chadwick’s series will be able to start here without too much trouble; essential background information is given, and the author leaps straight into an original story set two years after the previous entry.”—Library Journal
About How Dark the World Becomes:
“How Dark the World Becomes is a crackling debut novel that speaks of great things to come! It's whip-smart, lightning-fast and character-driven—in short it has everything required to be totally satisfying. Highly recommended." —Jonathan Maberry, New York Times best-selling author of Assassin’s Code
“. . . [a] far off, hard scrabble intergalactic underworld . . . fast-paced intergalactic adventure full of far-flung alien intrigue.”—Astroguyz
" . . . thrilling space adventure . . . I was reminded of Jack McDevitt's Alex Benedict novels and Mark L. Van Name's Jon & Lobo adventures."—SFCrowsnest
384 pages, Paperback
Published October 3, 2017
24 people are currently reading
307 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
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October 30, 2017PW Starred: Military game designer Chadwick returns to his 22nd-century galaxy, where humans uncomfortably share the stars with the multiple races of the alien Varoki, with an excellent standalone set aboard a human-crewed spacefaring destroyer. Sam Bitka, previously comfortable in his life of civilian corporate employment, has been recalled to duty as a reserve tactical officer on the USS Puebla after rogue Varoki launch a surprise war against humankind. Once circumstances force Sam into the captain’s chair, he must figure out the moves and motives of the Varoki’s overwhelming forces ahead of time, all while bucking the old boy network and infighting within his own military. Chadwick’s heavy hitter succeeds at teeth-gritting action scenes, deep psychological portraits of diverse characters and societies, and abundant puzzles and mysteries. All are mixed in seamlessly with the vivid tragedies of war and balanced with dark humor. This story, modeled on the history of the Solomon Islands campaign of WWII, goes far above and beyond standard military SF and should appeal to all speculative fiction readers. (Oct.)
October 18, 2017
This great. Chadwick grabs you and drags you at breakneck pace through the leadership development of a junior naval reserve officer dumped into a war he didn't expect. I've learned more history from science fiction than from histories. Somehow its more engaging. Chadwick re-tells the history of the Solomon Islands campaign including the slow motion sense of disaster that pervaded the naval struggle there. As a bonus he uses the Principles of Naval Leadership as a plot device. Google and download those. They apply to most leadership positions.
March 27, 2020
Frank Chadwick is best known as a game designer. However, lately he has taken to writing SF&F books, and I am very happy he has done so.
CoC is his third book in the universe he started with How Dark the World Becomes (excellent!), but this one doesn't involve his hero/antihero Sasha Naradnyo. (You don't need to have read Sasha Naradnyo books first.) Lieutenant Sam Bitka, a Naval Reserve officer, is the main protagonist here. At the start of the book all Sam wants to do is complete his service and return to civilian life. Anyway his chances of advancement in the Navy as a reserve officer aren't bright. But a secretive Varoki cabal have different ideas and have put humans and at least one Varoki nation on a collision course. Bitka and his crew will be tested -- very hard -- before his tour of duty ends.
This story is really good military SF with consistent science and realistic characters. And we get space battle, lots of it and described very well. The crew interactions, however, are the strong point of the story with well drawn characters doing their best (and worst) under very trying conditions. Combine that with lots of action at breakneck speed and you have a real page turner.
The historical note at the end in which Chadwick explains the inspiration for the book is also quite interesting.
Good book. 4+ stars. Frank Chadwick is now on my short auto-buy list.
CoC is his third book in the universe he started with How Dark the World Becomes (excellent!), but this one doesn't involve his hero/antihero Sasha Naradnyo. (You don't need to have read Sasha Naradnyo books first.) Lieutenant Sam Bitka, a Naval Reserve officer, is the main protagonist here. At the start of the book all Sam wants to do is complete his service and return to civilian life. Anyway his chances of advancement in the Navy as a reserve officer aren't bright. But a secretive Varoki cabal have different ideas and have put humans and at least one Varoki nation on a collision course. Bitka and his crew will be tested -- very hard -- before his tour of duty ends.
This story is really good military SF with consistent science and realistic characters. And we get space battle, lots of it and described very well. The crew interactions, however, are the strong point of the story with well drawn characters doing their best (and worst) under very trying conditions. Combine that with lots of action at breakneck speed and you have a real page turner.
The historical note at the end in which Chadwick explains the inspiration for the book is also quite interesting.
Good book. 4+ stars. Frank Chadwick is now on my short auto-buy list.
April 4, 2019
OK.... lets start with a pet peeve. As a Canadian, I get annoyed when SciFi writers start with the premise that Canada at some point joined the US. Mr. Chadwick has his protagonists be citizens of the United States of North America (including a character from the slums of Ottawa). Many authors have done this, assuming that at some point the US will engulf Canada and Mexico. So far it hasn't happened and I somehow doubt it will ever happen (if anything, current events suggest the reverse).
Having said that, its nice to see a mil-sci-fi that starts from the perspective of a Destroyer captain and not the admiral of the fleet. The main complaint I have about mil-sci-fi is too often the protagonists are too perfect (Honoritis or Gearyitis or whatever you want to call it). The protagonist here suffers from it a bit as well.
Some other critics of this book have focused on the perceived sexism of the book (focusing on women's appearance, etc). There is merit to that complaint. HOWEVER, I read that as an element of the character that humanized him - made him less perfect. A scene later in the book that takes him to task is perhaps the biggest impetus to growth in the whole book. He thought of all male-female relationships as sexual and later gets called on it (ironically by a character that he wants a sexual relationship with).
In general, I enjoyed it and hope that the author returns to this character in another novel or two....
Having said that, its nice to see a mil-sci-fi that starts from the perspective of a Destroyer captain and not the admiral of the fleet. The main complaint I have about mil-sci-fi is too often the protagonists are too perfect (Honoritis or Gearyitis or whatever you want to call it). The protagonist here suffers from it a bit as well.
Some other critics of this book have focused on the perceived sexism of the book (focusing on women's appearance, etc). There is merit to that complaint. HOWEVER, I read that as an element of the character that humanized him - made him less perfect. A scene later in the book that takes him to task is perhaps the biggest impetus to growth in the whole book. He thought of all male-female relationships as sexual and later gets called on it (ironically by a character that he wants a sexual relationship with).
In general, I enjoyed it and hope that the author returns to this character in another novel or two....
July 27, 2017
Another very good addition to the Space Opera/Military Science Fiction world. Lieutenant Sam Bitka, U.S. Naval Reserve, is one step down from regular naval officers but finds that he has to step up to a command position. What happens is no surprise but it is very well presented. There are several very tense moments as a unexpected attack takes place and Sam and the fleet have to do the impossible. As fun read with interesting characters, good backstory and great world building.
I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.
I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.
March 18, 2020
This is a really fun book, with some excellent quotable bits that stick in my head and motivate me to keep being awesome.
December 10, 2017
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
Chain of Command is a well written military sci fi with a heavy emphasis on military. Taking cues from a notable World War II battle, it's clear the author has done his homework in both the military lingo/attitude as well as the physics of space battles. But as with so many of these types of books, the science often bogs down the story and there is a lot of explaining/description/pontification on the physics or on the military aspects - enough to sometimes drown the characterizations and plot.Story: Sam Bitka is a reservist doing his time in the Navy when the unthinkable happens - a surprise attack on human forces by alien allies. As the casualties mount, Bitka will have to deal with incompetent superiors, timid subordinates, and aliens who may have developed a technology that will change the tide of battle in their favor. As he rises in position, the situation becomes worse and worse for those serving on his ship, the Puebla.
I have to first start with the frustration - that once again all superiors in the navy are useless - either incompetent or hollow attention/position seekers. It was a bit frustrating, especially since our protagonist is the typical middle aged man with a good heart and conscience having to deal with a bad situation/superiors. For once, I'd love to see a competent and non political admiral in a position of power in a military sci fi book. The rare admirable admiral.
As well, we have the usual NCOs providing our offices with the real lowdown on how to run a ship. If there is a Sargeant or Petty Officer in a military sci fi, they are going to always be underappreciated and always perform under pressure when the captains and admirals buckle. It gets a bit old, to be honest, but it is what it is.
Our protagonist is, of course, a humble man thrust into greatness and rising to the occasion. He'll ferret out the enemy plans, find surprise attacks, and always put his men in a position to outfox or outhink the enemy. All the while, he'll have to fight the stupidity of his superiors or backstabbing by peers. Ironically, the only people of power who do well are the women - they are able to understand the politics and rise above them. That, in itself, can be a bit of a cliche but better that than have them be sex/lust objects as in a John Ringo novel.
The plot moves well when not focusing on the science too much. The author looks to have taken great pains to really research his subject and though that slavishness to historical detail is appreciated, it can also bog down the story a bit too often. But some fun twists and turns as well as the joy of seeing our main character triumph make for an engaging story. Because our lead is so humble and good, it's impossible not to root for him.
In all, I enjoyed Chain of Command. Yes, there were a few military sci fi cliches in there and we could have used more nuanced characters. But I don't think there's much else to complain about, especially since we have a solid ending. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
January 2, 2023
Frank Chadwick is best known as a game designer, including being one of the lead designers of the original Traveller RPG and the principal designer of the Space: 1889 RPG. His long study of military history shows in this excellent novel of space combat.
The protagonist, Sam Bitka, is a reservist recalled to active duty during a military crisis who ends up playing a major role in the first military confrontation with a new enemy. (I'll avoid spoilers and not say more about the plot.) The book is almost entirely a combat narrative and the combat is well-rendered and quite believable. The protagonist's experience with the military hierarchy and personal growth throughout the novel rings true for someone dealing with the events presented here.
The only major quibble I have with the writing is that Chadwick apparently doesn't understand how delta-V works on a spaceship. If you know what that means, you'll probably see the same problem I did and if you didn't, this is probably not the place for a short course in the basics of spacecraft acceleration. But that's not enough to change my rating from a 5. The plotting and characterization are strong enough to sustain my attention throughout.
The reader of the audiobook I listened to, regrettably, is not as good. While he is capable of the full range of emotions from A to B, C is apparently right out. And his voice is grating. The next book would be much better with a different narrator (and I see that there was a change for the next book in the series, one hopes for the better.)
Strongly recommended for any fan of military SF.
The protagonist, Sam Bitka, is a reservist recalled to active duty during a military crisis who ends up playing a major role in the first military confrontation with a new enemy. (I'll avoid spoilers and not say more about the plot.) The book is almost entirely a combat narrative and the combat is well-rendered and quite believable. The protagonist's experience with the military hierarchy and personal growth throughout the novel rings true for someone dealing with the events presented here.
The only major quibble I have with the writing is that Chadwick apparently doesn't understand how delta-V works on a spaceship. If you know what that means, you'll probably see the same problem I did and if you didn't, this is probably not the place for a short course in the basics of spacecraft acceleration. But that's not enough to change my rating from a 5. The plotting and characterization are strong enough to sustain my attention throughout.
The reader of the audiobook I listened to, regrettably, is not as good. While he is capable of the full range of emotions from A to B, C is apparently right out. And his voice is grating. The next book would be much better with a different narrator (and I see that there was a change for the next book in the series, one hopes for the better.)
Strongly recommended for any fan of military SF.
October 31, 2021
I have a pile of books in my on deck circle, many of which have been there for years. In digging through them, I came across my copy of _Chain of Command_. It was exactly what I needed, as I wanted a fiction story that wasn’t silly.
Here we follow Sam Bitka, a reservist who actually paid attention in tactical combat class. He is looked down upon by the ring knockers, many of which are just punching their tickets as they move up. Sam it one of those rare officers, in this time, that drills his team in order for them to be combat ready. Due to that, he is the right person at the right time to help his ship survive.
The physics used make sense. No Star Wars type magical flying here. True 3D navigation, with decisions to spend the delta-v budget tested continually. It was nice to follow the maneuvers as the Puebla fights against long odds.
One thing I thought was missing was robots. The crew doesn’t have any robots helping them with the ship. The characters have brain implants & basic digital assistance. Maybe the lack of robots helps the reader focus more on the people. They have cool 3D printers and drones that augment external sensors. I’d still would have liked to have robots.
I noticed there is a second book. I picked it up as I’m curious to know how Sam gets out of his next predicament.
Here we follow Sam Bitka, a reservist who actually paid attention in tactical combat class. He is looked down upon by the ring knockers, many of which are just punching their tickets as they move up. Sam it one of those rare officers, in this time, that drills his team in order for them to be combat ready. Due to that, he is the right person at the right time to help his ship survive.
The physics used make sense. No Star Wars type magical flying here. True 3D navigation, with decisions to spend the delta-v budget tested continually. It was nice to follow the maneuvers as the Puebla fights against long odds.
One thing I thought was missing was robots. The crew doesn’t have any robots helping them with the ship. The characters have brain implants & basic digital assistance. Maybe the lack of robots helps the reader focus more on the people. They have cool 3D printers and drones that augment external sensors. I’d still would have liked to have robots.
I noticed there is a second book. I picked it up as I’m curious to know how Sam gets out of his next predicament.
November 21, 2018
This is HARD military sci-fi, down to the details of who manufactured each missile and the number of gigajoules emitted by each laser. If you love exhaustive minutiae on navy ranks, communication protocols and duty rosters, then this is the book for you. But if you’re looking for innovative thoughts on the future of society and humanity, look elsewhere.
The basic plot is serviceable enough, but (as the author admits in an afterword) is not really much different from an ocean-based WW2 naval battle, with the Japanese replaced by alien cartoon villains. There’s a touch of sexism, in that every woman who enters the story has their facial and other physical attributes described in detail, while the men could have two heads and it wouldn’t note a mention. Everyone is a bumbling fool except for our brilliant hero, people explain the obvious to each other out loud, and the triumphant happy ending is never in doubt. Overall gives a good sense of real life in the navy, but otherwise pretty forgettable.
The basic plot is serviceable enough, but (as the author admits in an afterword) is not really much different from an ocean-based WW2 naval battle, with the Japanese replaced by alien cartoon villains. There’s a touch of sexism, in that every woman who enters the story has their facial and other physical attributes described in detail, while the men could have two heads and it wouldn’t note a mention. Everyone is a bumbling fool except for our brilliant hero, people explain the obvious to each other out loud, and the triumphant happy ending is never in doubt. Overall gives a good sense of real life in the navy, but otherwise pretty forgettable.
March 21, 2018
I had a chance to read several sample chapters of this book on Baen.com and ever since then I was hooked. I am not familiar with any of Mr Chadwick previous books and board games have never been of any particular interest for me, so Chain of Command was a "clean slate" for me. Damn, but that is so good on so many levels! Its what you call quality military sci-fi and don't get me started with "why in yet another space opera always fighting and other pacifistic nonsense" , yes its future and yes humanity gets to go far and yes galaxy is a big place, but whenever you got individuals you got ambitions and thus clash of interests...
As for the book without giving any spoilers - everything seems to be authentic a solid: military procedures + science (keep in mind its sci-fi after all). Characters are believable and "real", not some sketchy stereotypes or flat-liners that been going around lately.
Highly recommended!
As for the book without giving any spoilers - everything seems to be authentic a solid: military procedures + science (keep in mind its sci-fi after all). Characters are believable and "real", not some sketchy stereotypes or flat-liners that been going around lately.
Highly recommended!
April 2, 2018
First off, I’ve played a quite a few of the Roleplaying games that Frank Chadwick has written but this is the first of his fiction novels I’ve read. I had expected a novel based on the Traveller RPG setting and, whilst there are some similarities to the T2300, this novel has its own unique universe. And a very good one at that.
On the whole, the book is similar to other space opera adventures where our protagonist finds himself rising to the challenge of commanding a “boat” in an interstellar war. However, there is a lot detail that adds a touch of authenticity to the story including issues with the prolonged effects of zero gravity environments and the Naval procedures/terminology. Sam Bitka is a well thought out character as he develops excellently as the story continues.
All in all, this is an excellent hard sci if space opera novel. I hope that the series continues.
On the whole, the book is similar to other space opera adventures where our protagonist finds himself rising to the challenge of commanding a “boat” in an interstellar war. However, there is a lot detail that adds a touch of authenticity to the story including issues with the prolonged effects of zero gravity environments and the Naval procedures/terminology. Sam Bitka is a well thought out character as he develops excellently as the story continues.
All in all, this is an excellent hard sci if space opera novel. I hope that the series continues.
February 6, 2020
I was in between series looking for more Military Science Fiction when I found this in my recommendations. I figured it would be a good filler book while I searched around for the next series I wanted to get engrossed in. Then I started this book found I could not put it down. And before I knew it I was wrapped up in the story and characters like I had been reading an entire series devoted to the story and we were on book 12 together. Unfortunately it is only one book and that is it’s only down fall. This is well written and well researched. I found myself thinking wow! He’s correct it would look, feel, smell or act like that. I just had never given it much thought. I really hope the author continues to write some more books with these characters. Well worth the read.
July 6, 2022
Frank Chadwick’s Chain of Command is a military space opera inspired by Guadalcanal and the World War II battle in the Solomon Islands. His hero, Sam Bitka, is a character type common to the genre from C. S. Forester to David Weber, a rapidly promoted captain, who keeps a stiff upper lip despite his own insecurities. He battles bureaucrats and gains the respect of his crew. Chadwick has thought through his spaceship design and pays attention to such details as orbital mechanics, the health effects of long-term weightlessness, and the inherent danger of hydrogen as a fuel. Refreshingly, his enemy aliens are not monolithic and have as many political divisions as their human counterparts. Battle scenes are especially well done. 3.5 stars.
January 27, 2019
A traditional rip-snorting space opera, but with a twist: science! Spacecraft follow physical laws and must maneuver for hours at a time, deal with gravity, and more. Very refreshing. Chadwick's background in military history and wargame design is very prominent, as well-- battles, strategy, and tactics are very real in this story and are not devices merely to move plot elements where he wants them (readers familiar with games he has worked on such as Traveller or Imperium will recognize some aspects of those in the book). As for characters and plot... they are also well-detailed and full of surprises.
June 25, 2020
At times of the details and minutia of the ship and the details of the battles seems too much, yet it is just that brings the realism to the mundane life of living among the stars interrupted by the stark terror of fast paced war. Sam Bitka is from the Naval Reserve serving a three year term that events out of his control comes to become involved in a war not of his choosing with an alien race and his own Naval Command. The true story here is the conquering of self as Bitka rises to the occasion as the unwanted leader and commander of Naval men.
March 5, 2022
Good book
I enjoyed this book. First one I’ve read by Chadwick. I thought the interpersonal interactions were very well written. I also really liked that the scenes shifted a lot : one battle here, a holo-conference, repairs in the engine room, another battle, a meeting, a crazy chase, and so on. It was interesting and different to follow the main character through all these scenes, rather than have a bunch of different scenes focusing on different characters, all to culminate in some final, grand battle. It seemed very realistic.
I enjoyed this book. First one I’ve read by Chadwick. I thought the interpersonal interactions were very well written. I also really liked that the scenes shifted a lot : one battle here, a holo-conference, repairs in the engine room, another battle, a meeting, a crazy chase, and so on. It was interesting and different to follow the main character through all these scenes, rather than have a bunch of different scenes focusing on different characters, all to culminate in some final, grand battle. It seemed very realistic.
May 1, 2023
I’m not proud to admit it, but I rather enjoyed this one. Yes, the plot was well trod and entirely generic. The characterisations were awful (especially the British stereotypes which come straight from a 1940s pulp noir). It was all a bit too short.
Clearly, I was in the mood for some brainless mil-sci-fi, and “Chain of Command” scratched that itch nicely.
Clearly, I was in the mood for some brainless mil-sci-fi, and “Chain of Command” scratched that itch nicely.
February 1, 2018
Amazing
Frank, I've played your games and adore them and love the history they impart. Now this! Crisp character development. Speeding arc of story. Action packed, and a plausible viable science fest and universe. Thanks.
Kevin from bigboardgaming
Frank, I've played your games and adore them and love the history they impart. Now this! Crisp character development. Speeding arc of story. Action packed, and a plausible viable science fest and universe. Thanks.
Kevin from bigboardgaming
March 25, 2018
Eveloution of people through combat, time tested method of stripping the non-essentials away from people while bringing to the forefront all that really matters. Amusing to see someone’s else’s problems in command
November 8, 2017
The beginning stumbled a bit, almost like it wasn’t sure how to get going, but then it hit the groove and became an excellent novel.
I would pre-order a sequel today. Pre-pay, even. Worth it.
I would pre-order a sequel today. Pre-pay, even. Worth it.
July 27, 2019
A very entertaining military science fiction novel. Great for devouring while on vacation (as I did).
January 22, 2020
good military sci fi, finished in one day. as a bit of a fan of this genre this was the best I have read for some time. fast paced, good.
May 27, 2021
Rough start with lots of information dumps but pulled it around very well.
January 16, 2022
Nice easy read, with few good fight sequences
October 5, 2023
Couldn’t finish it. Don’t care to find out what happened at the end of this book or the second one in the series.
November 2, 2023
Much better than expected. Really enjoyed this. Nice mechanisms for letting the reader know things which are generally monstered in books of this type. I enjoyed it. Good for the genre
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews