Comments on: BOOK REVIEW: Andromeda’s Fall by William C. Dietz

By: Carl V. Anderson

Carl V. Anderson — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 01:53:28 +0000

I find them compelling too, George. I read the first Vorkosigan novel late last year and while it wasn’t exactly the same style of military SF and was more romance heavy in the way it was written I could easily see why there are so many passionate Bujold fans out there. I’m enjoying branching out and trying some different things while making a more concerted effort this year to read a good number of newly published titles.

By: George Kelley

George Kelley — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 01:49:23 +0000

A couple years ago, you recommended Tanya Huff’s VALOR series and I read them. Very enjoyable! Now I’ll have to pick up Andromeda’s Fall by William C. Dietz after reading your fine review. Like you, I didn’t think military SF would appeal to me, but these books featuring strong female characters are compelling.

By: Carl V. Anderson

Carl V. Anderson — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 11:42:24 +0000

I was thinking about the ‘female characters into combat roles’ issue just last night and considering how timely a book like this is in relation to the recent changes in our own military. This book is in no way a “message” book in my opinion but instead acts as a novel that treats the role of women in combat as a very normal thing and makes the protagonist as vulnerable as every other character to experiencing the triumphs and tragedies of combat.

Good to hear that about the other novels. My intention is to keep my eyes open for them on used bookstore trips.

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 06:28:35 +0000

I love Military Scifi, and read the first 4 Legion of the Damned novels. For some reason, I never finished the series. I may try and pick this one up. What I like about Dietz series, is that although they are interconnected, you can basically pick any one of them up and get a self contained story. Dietz also is one of of the few Military Scifi guys that does a good job incorporating Female characters into combat roles. I’m glad you reviewed this, and reminded me of this series.

By: Carl V. Anderson

Carl V. Anderson — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 01:06:10 +0000

If you enjoy the genre Brit I suspect you’ll like this. I’m looking forward to the next one and am interested in checking out Dietz’s much longer Legion of the Damned series.

By: Brit

Brit — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 22:44:02 +0000

Carl, nice to see your review over here. I’ll have to add this to my list, since MilSF is a frequent guilty pleasure.

By: Carl V.

Carl V. — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 17:47:03 +0000

This is a similar conversation my friend Jeff and I were having last night. I look at the 3.5 star image above and I see a book that isn’t that many colored stars away from being perfect, but then that is a visual cue vs. what it is really saying when you look at these over some kind of percentage out of say a perfect score.

If I had judged this purely on my experience with the book it would have been a 4 star easy. Having an audience in mind as I was reviewing it made me pay a little more attention to what I believe the above average reader would find lacking in the opening vs. they way at least two thirds or more of the book turned out.

If it helps at all I think the bulk of my review is definitely encouraging readers to pick up this book, though my score may be that one quick visual cue that blows the review all to heck.

By: John DeNardo

John DeNardo — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 17:27:19 +0000

@Tim: Don’t confuse cause and effect. Carl’s impression of the lagging contributed to his rating…but that doesn’t mean that a specific rating means a book was lagging.

Star rating are just a gut feel of how well you enjoyed the book. I wouldn’t over-analyze them

By: Tim Ward

Tim Ward — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 17:14:31 +0000

I ask because, to me, three star range means a story dragged for roughly half the book, but the end was really good. I just gave a four star to a book that I blew through in a couple days, so when you gave this 3.5 I was wondering how long it lagged. 150 pages is still a lot to read, if you’re slow like me, before the story really impresses. I can see 3.5 being accurate in that way, depending on how little you enjoyed those first 150 pages.

P.s. Sorry if none of that made any sense.

By: Carl V.

Carl V. — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:58:09 +0000

I liked that aspect as well. Without spoiling the novel I thought Dietz does a really nice job of incorporating technology in such a way that it enhances the abilities of males and females in their military action without making them essentially superheroes. Dietz is also not afraid to show that characters die.

By: Carl V.

Carl V. — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:55:46 +0000

You aren’t the first one to point out to me that I was probably unfair in my rating based on my enjoyment of the novel. I probably should have given it a 4 and maybe do need to change it.

It is in part because I tempered my criticism of the early part of the book and its tendency to move the story forward very, very quickly with several convenient plot devices before it settled down to a more steady narrative. I did not feel the need to be overly critical about that because the remainder of the book was so good that it overshadowed a rushed beginning.

And maybe that is the better way to word it. The beginning was not rough–the writing was good, there were some action-packed moments–it instead felt “rushed”.

The novel is 350 pages long and I read the last 200+ pages in one sitting because I didn’t want to stop.

By: Tim Ward

Tim Ward — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:31:45 +0000

Good review, Carl.

How long did it take to get to that point? A more specific measure of a good book is how much of the book is like that–where you sacrifice to keep reading.

I’m curious, why 3.5 stars? We all have our style of rating, but from your review, there doesn’t seem much wrong.

By: nrlymrtl

nrlymrtl — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:14:49 +0000

I haven’t read much military SF, but recently discovered Joe Haldeman. This is an exciting subgenre and I will be looking for Dietz at my library. I like that you point out that Cat Carletto is not simply a military man with boobs. I appreciate it when a man can write female characters like they are real people.

By: TracyK

TracyK — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 20:56:35 +0000

I know what you mean. I was thinking of Starship Troopers (the movie) as I read this.

By: Carl V.

Carl V. — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 20:31:10 +0000

I didn’t think military SF would appeal to me either until I started reading it and found that I actually do enjoy it. Which really shouldn’t have been a great revelation given the kind of SF/action films that I enjoy.