A Hymn Before Battle

March 15, 2001
This splendid, somewhat sprawling military sf yarn, following hard on " A" " Hymn before "Battle [BKL O 15 00], makes Ringo look like a comer in the field. The centauroid, reptilian Posleen descend on Earth in force, long before Earth defenses are ready. Most veteran fighters are off-planet, strategic disputes hamstring the defenders, and the Posleen have a colossal edge in numbers and the technology to make those numbers count. They have the problems of any horde-based species, however, which allows humanity to squeak through to a costly victory and leaves Posleen leaders wondering where they went wrong. Of course, the humans had to use every bit of technology they had, from clubs to very Heinleinian powered armor. The human protagonists undergo profound and moving changes in the process. Widower Michael O'Neal sees his daughter learn to kill before she is in the fifth grade, and mortarman Keren, for all his indiscipline, somehow faces his next battle as an officer. Critics may not give it the time of day, but flocks of readers ought to.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2001, American Library Association.)

October 15, 2000
Michael O'Shea, a fireplug of an iron-pumping ex-soldier, leaves game design behind to train and then lead power-armored infantry in a merciless battle against the equally merciless, centauroid Posleen for the sake of Earth's allies. Several subplots show Ringo's fondness for special ops types and marines, and his experience as a paratrooper shows in the way he handles military small-group politics and disciplinary problems. The subplots point up the potential grimness of Earth finding itself under siege, if not actually under assault. (Don't worry, that will probably come; this book has " series" written between all the lines.) The interstellar skulduggery is thick, and the final action sequence, occupying a third of the book, juxtaposes power armor, aliens, lasers, and leopard tanks, and is practically impossible not to read in one sitting. An exceedingly impressive first novel is what we have here. Standard military sf based on a standard premise--humans as the desperately needed warrior allies of alien pacifists--it may be, but it is executed with skill, verve, and wit.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2000, American Library Association.)

October 15, 2000
In the early years of the 21st century, Earth receives news that a federation of alien races has need of soldiers to save them from a race of vicious predators who also threaten Earth. A special army of elite warriors comes together to defend the universe, only to discover that their allies present their own peculiar dangers. Ringo's first novel contains fast-paced action, acid humor, and vivid battle scenes that should appeal particularly to fans of military sf.

Copyright 2000 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.