Vorpal Blade

I liked this novel. It's a sequel, so most of the characters were familiar. A few things were not satisfying. The girl and alien "Tuffy" were always there to provide the deus ex machina. Like you'd expect from the middle novel in a trilogy it raised some story questions that we'll have to buy the next installment for answers. Nevertheless, the story stands on its own. It felt like the writing was a bit rushed: In military SF, it seems customary to get to know the cannon fodder before they're slaughtered and some of those who died had not been not properly introduced. Mere quibbles these. The evil aliens from Looking Glass don't appear. In their place are non-sentient aliens who haven't figured out that humans aren't prey. What's best about Vorpal Blade is that you get the vibe of a bunch of dedicated people serving together on the first human starship who don't know what they're doing and have to feel their way forward. And in this novel that generally involves ascertaining the right caliber gun.

Before reading Vorpal Blade I recommend all prospective readers to read Ringo's Through the Looking Glass. This is essential reading to fix the characters' roles in their mind. Forearmed, this story is brilliant! Is this the way we first move out of and into the universe? I frequently think we don't think outside the square enough. Ringo makes this acceptable and palatable. And has enough talent to make it a bloody good read. If I had a criticism, there are not enough survivors. After 35 years of soldiering, survivors are essential. Some of those killed in Looking Glass would have been major assets to give the next victims some idea of where they wqere heading for and for passing on wisdom. Solsiers have survived most wars and they are usually the better people for it. May the Vorpal Blade have many other fabulous journeys to he stars,

John Ringo and Travis Taylor team up again to bring out a sequel to Ringo's 2005 Sci-Fi/action novel Into the Looking Glass. Thanks to the events in the first book the door has been opened for space exploration on a new scale as faster than light travel is now possible. So in order to scout out the neighborhood and protect against possible invasion by the alien Dreen, the humans and their allies cobble together their first faster than light spaceship: the Vorpal Blade. The Ship was a former U.S. Navy nuclear missile submarine and now through alien technology, human ingenuity, and a lot of duct tape and bailing wire it is ready for its maiden voyage. Familiar characters Dr. William Weaver and SEAL Chief Adams are joined by a mixed bag of scientists, naval personnel and force recon marines (now the space marines). Their mission takes them to a number of different worlds and through encounters with aliens both friendly and hostile. The book is a return to a more classic feel for sci-fi, with real monsters, aliens and strange worlds. Ringo's ability to write engaging military and small unit action stories combines well with Taylor's "techy" side, to give the reader a combination of action, adventure and science based-science fiction. The book especially shines in that it doesn't just depend on the monsters and aliens for tension. The very nature of travel on the first faster than light ship provide intense and often amusing segments to the book. The crew must deal with everything from gravity issues, to possibilities of space viruses to, the question of where in space is the best place to get a drink of water and more. All of this handled with a mix of ingenuity, luck and elbow grease. As is the case with many of his works, real life rocket scientist Taylor brings the scientific side of the story to life for the readers. Concepts and theories are explained as they are encountered and this gives not only a realistic feel to the whole experience, but it also makes the reader feel a bit smarter for having read it. Ringo also brings his touch to the story with great attention to the details of the military aspects of the book. He helps cover everything from the practical (what kind of gun is best for killing armored aliens) to the political (which branch of the military will ultimately be responsible for the space program) with a lot of insight and humor. Over all Vorpal Blade is an exciting, fun book to read. The story is fast paced enough to keep the reader going while at the same time not skipping many of the little details. Ringo and Taylor work well together and their combined work plays well to both of their strengths. Of course Vorpal Blade leaves a number of loose ends, but regular readers of the pair know that the prolific Ringo often crafts stories that require more than one volume to be told. That being said, Vorpal Blade works well as a stand alone book, but it leaves the door open for more adventures to come. Pick up a copy of John

I thoroughly enjoyed this; John Ringo does good space opera, with all the classic elements but updated and with a more thoroughly worked out background. He also does character quite well, particularly certain types of characters -- he understands soldiers, for example, which it is painfully obvious some writers don't.

I think Edward E. Smith and Robert Heinlein would have loved it. Higher praise I can not think of. I was cool to read good adventure SF with science that couldn't get any harder if you stroked it. This was written as a tribute to classic SciFi Space Opera. If you didn't like the politics or sex in some Ringo's other books, fear not, this book is safe, and fun, to dive into. This is Classic Space Opera in the Old School tradition.