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Title: A Hymn Before Battle by John Ringo ISBN: 0-671-31841-1 Publisher: Baen Books Pub. Date: 01 October, 2001 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.12 (76 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Beginning Author
Comment: While this is Mr. Ringo's first effort, it is in no way a poor one. While the author does tend to jump around between [seemingly] unconnected characters and plot lines, the book possesses an overall fun disposition.
As many of the other reviewers have noted, the plot line to "Hymn" is not the most original. It does however maintain it's individuality in it's handling and it's characters. Mr. Ringo does an excellent job breathing fresh life into old veins.
Aside from purely literary criticism, there are few faults. For example, the employment of a 50 caliber sniper rifle in the book is misleading, as are some of the other military "facts". Finally, Mr. Ringo's bias against military officers is plainly visible in the book. He repeatedly reiterates how incompletent senior officers are while praising virutally every enlisted man. Lastly, if you're only reading this for combat, you're reading the wrong book. The book spends a small time in actual combat, mostly dealing with preparations for the series. The next book, "Gust Front" is much more focused on action.
Overall, the book is wonderful and I have reread it more times than I care to count. No matter the blemishes, Mr. Ringo writes an exciting and engaging novel designed to please Military SF fans. Good job Mr. Ringo!
Rating: 4
Summary: Not bad for a first work...
Comment: A Hymn Before Battle is the first in what is bound to be the first in a long series of books about huanities forced alliance with a feudalistic federation of aliens, and their war against another group of aliens known as the Poslien. Humans, happening to be the only race in the Alliance that is willing or capable of fighting a war become cannon fodder, against the Poslien who have an interesting habit of using their POWs for food.
It is in a very real sense strictly military science fiction.
A Hymn Before Battle is not the first John Ringo book I've read. Before this one, I read the the books he co-authored with David Weber, March Upcountry and March To The Sea. I did not give either of those books very high marks mainly because in their attempt to create military Sci-fi, they forgot about Characters, plot, and the fact that Aliens probably would act, well, Alien.
Unlike the aforementioned novels, this one managed to keep my attention throughout, though it did not avoid all of the complaints I had about the other novels. The character development is shaky at best. While I have no military experiance, I found some of what the characters did and their reactions to certain situations to be contrived and unbelievable.
The alien tactics however, and human responce to them seem to be well thought-out. Unlike the aliens in the aforementioned novels, the Poslien truly do seem to think in an alien fashion about warfare. I do think we could have done without the "Poslien point of view" snippits in the way they were presented, as they only serve to humanize the threat, and weaken its overall impact.
Overall, A Hymn Before Battle is entertaining and imaginative. I wouldn't suggest it to anyone who isn't into military fiction (the death count in the book ranges into the millions, if you count all the aliens as well as humans), but if you enjoy books by David Weber, David Drake, Heinlien, and the like, you'll probably enjoy this one.
Rating: 5
Summary: In the beginning there was . . .
Comment: This book is the beginning of a series which has the potential of making a truly remarkable universe. Although it has been criticised for not being well executed (literary) it makes up for those failings by being consistently paced. Many of the sub-plots are wrapped up in later books of this series, giving the satisfaction fo seeing minor characters & plots wrapped into the whole.
John Ringo does seem to have a common problem, that of modeling the main character on himself and his experiences. As he progresses in his writing the character moves away from being an alter ego and developes into a solid creation.
Definitely a 'keeper' that will become a mainstay of the Military SF world.
Then again, if you are more into 'feel-good' novels where all the stories are Pollyana clean and tied up like Star Trek episodes will be disappointed.
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Title: Gust Front by John Ringo ISBN: 0743435257 Publisher: Baen Books Pub. Date: 01 April, 2002 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: When the Devil Dances by John Ringo ISBN: 0743436024 Publisher: Baen Books Pub. Date: 01 April, 2003 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Hell's Faire by John Ringo ISBN: 0743436040 Publisher: Baen Books Pub. Date: 01 May, 2003 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
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Title: March to the Stars by David Weber, John Ringo ISBN: 0743435621 Publisher: Baen Books Pub. Date: December, 2002 List Price(USD): $26.00 |
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Title: March to the Sea by David Weber ISBN: 074343580X Publisher: Baen Books Pub. Date: 01 November, 2002 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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