Fans of military SF who appreciate down-and-dirty ground action will enjoy Sherman and Cragg's hyperrealistic look at the infantry combat of the future. The marines of the 34th Marine Fleet Initial Strike Team (FIST) face a more conventional, and perhaps more deadly, opponent than they did in their last outing, A World of Hurt
(2004). Secessionist forces on the planet Ravenette—forces as well trained and equipped as themselves—resent the Confederation's preparations against the alien Skank threat. Since the existence of the secessionist threat is classified, the marines' efforts to deal with it are mistaken as an attempt to subvert local autonomy. The authors, both combat vets, draw on the U.S. Civil War's Peninsula campaign as a model, while emphasizing the small-unit leadership as much as the grand strategies. The tension builds as the marines realize that the fight will leave them weakened against the real enemy lurking over the horizon. This book not only entertains but makes the reader reconsider the costs of government secrecy. (Jan.)
