Into the Storm

This book starts out in a battle scene and soon transports you to a different dimension where nothing is as it should be. The characters are torn between what their fate would have been had they stayed where they were (probably death),and accepting the fact that they must adapt to their new "world". The characters are unique, and the author is very effective with his descriptions. I would highly recommend this book, especially if you are a Sci-Fi reader. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Into the storm is the first of Taylor Anderson's fictional books I have read and it is quite a well placed first shot into a crowded field of literary talent. From the moment you meet the tired little boat and her crew you immediately get the sense that they are in over their heads. Escaping from one fight against overwhelming odds only to find themselves thrust into another battle against an enemy so far removed from anything they have experienced before that it might drive lesser men mad. The theme of a parallel world is nothing new but the author keeps it interesting by placing it in a part of the world little is ever heard of causing me to break out a map again and again to capture the feel of the area in which the action is set. Being somewhat familiar with Mr. Anderson's previous literary accomplishments I am glad to see him jump into the world of fiction. Though it is not surprising to see the same desire for historical accuracy he always strives for. Making the little destroyer come alive but without the O'Brian like attention to every sheet and stay and transplanting her into a world as imaginative as it is deadly. The characters and story are infused with the feel of a book written closer to the 1940's rather than today recalling some of the style from a more golden age of science fiction. I am looking forward to the next of what I hope is a long line of novels from Mr. Anderson.

I couldn't put it down! Can't wait for book 2 the "Crusade" to come out in October. I think its refreshing for a new author to skillfully combine WWII era descriptions, men, boats and planes with a different dimension, monsters and race, but still make it all flow effortlessly together in a fast paced great read. This well told tale is obviously a great candidate for Peter Jackson or George Lucas to put on the big screen. Taylor's author's notes on several items in the book were great.

I am not a fan of most of what passes for science fiction in recent years, but I must acknowledge that this book struck a strong cord with me, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I made the mistake of taking a peak at it immediately after leaving the post office, with the result that almost an hour later I found myself still in the parking lot, and was hard-pressed to put it down and go about more pressing chores. First, it is a very good read on virtually every level. Second, the author understands the critical details of the units and vessels in the U.S. Navy in the Second World War, and naval combat in particular. But what stunned me was his ability to take a first rate war narrative and then convert the story into a very well-crafted piece of science fiction, by simply transporting (and his description of this transition is particularly well crafted in my view) men and vessels to another "world"/time or reality. From that point forward the action only builds,and the entire story-line is written in a manner that is surprisingly fresh. When Anderson writes of the horror of battle, you feel the intensity; when expressing the reactions of men confronting the unimaginable, you feel their anxiety and panic; and most interestingly, at least to me, regardless of how "bizarre" the other "creatures" encountered by the "human" characters may be, Anderson makes them memorable and rather (at least some of them) sympathetic. So, obtain a copy and sit back for an enjoyable and well written story, and like me, I trust you will find yourself wanting more of this saga.

I just finished "Into the Storm: Destroyermen", and I LOVED it!! I have been reading SF for over 40 years and I put "Into the Storm" up there with "Alas, Babylon", "Battlefield Earth" and "Farnum's Freehold". My wife and I have owned a New and Used bookstore for the last 15 years, so I have had the opportunity to read a huge variety of books. This one goes on my to keep shelf!! From first page to last, Taylor kept my attention with the fast paced action, accuracy with weapons and tactics,(a huge deal with me) and a very eclectic group of characters. From the very first chapter the characters showed their humanity and flaws. We see the ability of man to overcome impossible odds with courage and faithfulness to Duty, Honor and Country. We see why the American soldier and Sailor have been a power to contend with for the last 200 plus years. In Into the Storm: Destroyermen we see how those same men and women overcome things that they never even considered possible. Ordinary men in Extraordinary circumstances. It's a formula for greatness. I almost wish that I had waited to read the first book until I had them all. Then I would be losing sleep reading them instead of wondering what will happen next. If you love SF and or Alternate History, do not pass up this book. "Into the Storm: Destroyermen" is jumping off the shelves in our store. We are so confident that our customers will love it that we are offering a "Money Back Guarantee". No-one has asked for thier money back yet!!!