Posted on 04/29/2002 8:53:34 AM PDT by MrConfettiMan
As I approached the halfway point in reading Mr. Head's novel, I thought his first work of fiction was a very entertaining and insightful story and I looked forward to reading the remaining books in his series of five on World War III. When I reached the final fifty pages and the pace of the story went from fast to supersonic, the shocking conclusion left me with a multitude of emotions and desperately wanting to grab for the second book. Simply put, Mr. Head has hit one out of the park on his first at bat.
Set several years after the devastating terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, world events are taking place in the Middle East and Asia that will eventually have serious repercussions reaching all the way to the shores of the United States of America. The formation of both the Coalition of Asian States and the Greater Islamic Republic are the public faces of a dastardly master plan intended to once and for all eliminate United States influence across the globe.
The story jumps from one location to another never losing the reader along with way. From the White House Situation Room to the Government Conference Center in The People's Republic of China to F-15s flying over Kurdistan, the story always moves quickly and seamlessly. The number of characters is never more than the average reader can manage and new characters are introduced at a reasonable pace. While certain characters did not play a major role in this story, it's clear Mr. Head is developing them for greater responsibilities in later books in his series.
Mr. Head displayed a great deal of knowledge regarding military vehicles and how they're used strategically and tactically in battles. I must admit that at times I did get a little lost with some of the military alphabet soup used during the detailed descriptions of the various land, air and sea formations. Of course, this is an extremely subjective comment and your mileage may vary. If you enjoy a story that gets down into the nitty-gritty details of warfare on occasion, then this book is definitely for you, too.
The efforts of Mr. Durkin and Ms. Fischer were exceptional and as editors and proofreaders of a book of this size and scope, they are to be commended for a job well done. While the book does have the occasional misspelling or typographical oversight, their overall number appears to be on par with any best selling novel and they do not detract from the book in any way.
Much like the proverbial snowball rolling down a mountain, Mr. Head's story gradually builds from a few innocuous and seemingly unrelated events to a startling and frighteningly realistic ending that signals the unequivocal start of World War III. I hope many will interpret this book as a wake up call that the freedom and liberty we take for granted in this country require eternal vigilance. With his first book, Mr. Head has indicated the Dragon's Fury series is the "Red Storm Rising" for a post Cold War world.
I make no bones about the book having a message and I have tried to couch that message in n enjoyable story. I hope I have done so ... and will continue to do so in the other books in the series.
I believe you'll REALLY enjoy volume II.
Thanks for the kind words and the very good review. I m trying to fold the experiences and suggestions into the remaining books to make them better.
... a post Cold-War "Red Storm Risisng"? I like that.
Same here. Whether accidental or good marketing strategy, it works.
Hope it accomplishes that aim for those who are reading it.
I thought you might. :)
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