The Defenders

Although others seem bothered with the way this story was told, I feel that it follows with the rest of the series quite well. From what I can tell, the entire series is based around world war 2, and there are many good transitions in the series from history to story. I don't read Baldwin's books looking for any deep insight, I read them to be entertained. I thought that this book met that expectation quite well.

The fifth Helmsman book finds Wilf Brim as commander of the space port over the capital planet Avalon. As in the past book, Brim finds many adventures to get into with the help of his friends, the Emperor Onrad, and his enemies in the 'League'. As part of the continuing series, I felt this one was the weakest. As a thinly plotted remake of "the Battle for Britan" the rescues and adventures are somewhat tired and predictable. As an author, Baldwin has succumbed to the hazards of writting a series. However, that does not mean that it fails to carry the plot to a conclusion that leaves room for the next book in the series. This book is predicatable to anyone who has read the series. But it does carry the story of the Helmsman on to the next with Baldwin's usual mix of technical and piloting skills. Perhaps more interface with politics and the Emperor could have spiced the story line up a bit

I HAVE READ THE OTHER BOOKS IN THE HELMSMAN SERIES AND FOUND THE DEFENDERS TO BE AS FINE A READ AS THE PRECEEDING BOOKS. THIS IS NOT "HARD" SCIENCE FICTION, BUT A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THE CLASSIC "SPACE OPERA". THIS BOOK IS FUN TO READ! THE ONLY SAD THING ABOUT THIS OR OTHER BALDWIN BOOKS IS THAT FOR WHAT EVER REASON YOU CAN ALMOST NEVER FIND THEM IN YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE. IF YOU ARE NEW TO SCIENCE FICTION OR JUST LIKE A GOOD STORY WITH GOOD PLOT GIVE THE DEFENDERS A TRY