Manxome Foe

Manxome Foe (2008) is the third SF novel in the William Weaver series, following The Vorpal Blade. In the previous volume, the converted submarine flitted around exploring various planets with little luck and numerous casualties. Then they reached the forested moon of Endor. There the crew were attacked by various types of demons, including spacefaring dragonflies with laser emitting eyes. The Vorpal Blade crew also found nonhostile sapient aliens who looked like oversized chinchillas. The locals were also being attacked by the demons and asked for assistance from the crew. Eventually, the locals -- with a little help from Mimi -- saved themselves and the humans from the demons. In this novel, William Weaver is enjoying a little vacation after the refitting of the Vorpal Blade when he is recalled for an emergency meeting in Norfolk. A scientific expedition had been sent to an interstellar planet via a Looking Glass Boson gate. Apparently the base had been attacked with kinetic missiles. A major explosion had been detected from Earthside and a response team dispatched to the site. The team found the base destroyed, but did not find any living thing -- human or alien -- on the other side. As usual in a Dreen attack, even the bodies were missing. The gate was then destabilized with a small nuke and moved to the Antarctic secure area. The Vorpal Blade is being sent to conduct a more thorough investigation of the incident. Unfortunately, the warpship will take up to thirty days to cover the five hundred and fourteen lightyears to the planet. All personnel are recalled and the ship is secured for takeoff. In this story, the lost crewmembers have been replaced with more of the same type. William Weaver is still the Astrogator on the Vorpal Blade. He is also the science officer and general font of information on spatial affairs. Captain Blankemeier -- Spectre -- remains in command, but a new Executive Officer and Commander of Space Marines have been added. Other crewmembers have been replaced and several have been promoted. Only five marines survived the first voyage. Eric Bergstresser is now a Sargeant and has received the Navy Cross. Two Guns has become a legend among the Space Marines. Berg also has a new girlfriend. She knows about the casualty rate on the first voyage and is concerned for his safety. He is reluctant to become involved with anyone because of his risky profession, but what can one do when true love hits? Since the mission doesn't involve spatial exploration like the first voyage, the scientific team is left behind. Only the Special Forces team and Miriam Moon -- the linguist -- are going along. The outward flight is very boring to Mimi, so she wrangles herself into the maintenance crew, doing low priority repairs. The crew already had a high opinion of her talents, but these newly demonstrated capabilities won their hearts and souls. The nonmaterial hitchhiker in the waste-heat system finds a new home o

As you can tell from the title, I am a book junkie. I get a hit, and immediately want more. This 3rd book in the Looking Glass Series is rocking along as expected. Some writers deteriorate after their first book gets out, luckily John and Doc seem to go the other route, up up and up. The characters are vibrant and real, the aliens are not nice guys (well some of them aren't) and its going to be a fantastic set of books that I will be proud to suggest to my friends they go buy...loan? never, I almost never get my best books back when I do that. You have personal bravery, a portion of the military life shown from the inside and hope, fear, hate all rolled up into one great story. Hopefully the earc for the next will be out before I collapse from lack of words. My suggestion, read it, then tap your buddy on the shoulder and have him read it.

This is an excellent addition to a really great series of books. (See also "Into the Looking Glass," by John Ringo and "Vorpal Blade," by John Ringo and Travis Taylor.) Once I started reading, I literally stayed up all night to finish. (After watching the SuperBowl. Monday really sucked.) The story takes an old SF workhorse, mankind facing imminent doom from alien invaders, and has it running like Secretariat. The characters are engaging, the writing is smooth, and the science didn't have my physicist wife rolling her eyes every chapter. I highly recommend the entire series. This is as good as space opera gets.

The third book in the series. If you're reading this review you've either read or are thinking about reading the other two books in the series as well. They are excellent reads, all of them. Plenty of action and lots of physics. But really it's the characters that make you care, and the characters in this series are great. Eric Bergstresser is going right up there with Herzer Herrick, Michael O'Neal, Michael Harmon, and Roger Ramius Sergei Alexander Chiang MacClintock.

The "Looking Glass" series is well served here with this continuation. John Ringo again does a great job with combat and Travis Taylor handles the science with well done "possibilities". Good SF should assist your imagination with Science on the edge of the possible, good friendly interpersonal relationships, battles, and a respectable pace. This book and series meets all those requirements--in spades.