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Dreamland #14
Collateral Damage
The technology is perfect . . .until it's not
The fires still burn in Libya years after the fall of Gaddafi, forcing NATO to intervene in a new war that could have devastating consequences for the volatile region. But something has gone terribly wrong with a "foolproof" new superweapon, resulting in the shocking deaths of innocents.
The latest military miracle to come out of the Whiplash group was designed to eliminate any possibility of human error—yet civilians die when a computer-controlled UAV drone inexplicably goes rogue while the whole world watches. Now the entire Whiplash program is under fire, as the weapon's creator heads into the blistering heat of the conflict to discover if sabotage caused his infallible machine to fail. But there's an enemy waiting for him, determined to unleash more chaos and terror and death—which sends pilot Turk Mako to the skies once more to prove that, in the heat of battle, a skilled ace can do what no computer can.
The fires still burn in Libya years after the fall of Gaddafi, forcing NATO to intervene in a new war that could have devastating consequences for the volatile region. But something has gone terribly wrong with a "foolproof" new superweapon, resulting in the shocking deaths of innocents.
The latest military miracle to come out of the Whiplash group was designed to eliminate any possibility of human error—yet civilians die when a computer-controlled UAV drone inexplicably goes rogue while the whole world watches. Now the entire Whiplash program is under fire, as the weapon's creator heads into the blistering heat of the conflict to discover if sabotage caused his infallible machine to fail. But there's an enemy waiting for him, determined to unleash more chaos and terror and death—which sends pilot Turk Mako to the skies once more to prove that, in the heat of battle, a skilled ace can do what no computer can.
496 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 27, 2012
121 people are currently reading
382 people want to read
About the author
Dale Brown
154 books1,133 followersFormer U.S. Air Force captain Dale Brown is the superstar author of 25 consecutive New York Times best-selling military-action-aviation adventure novels: FLIGHT OF THE OLD DOG (1987), SILVER TOWER (1988), DAY OF THE CHEETAH (1989), HAMMERHEADS (1990), SKY MASTERS (1991), NIGHT OF THE HAWK (1992), CHAINS OF COMMAND (1993), STORMING HEAVEN (1994), SHADOWS OF STEEL (1996) and FATAL TERRAIN (1997), THE TIN MAN (1998), BATTLE BORN (1999), and WARRIOR CLASS (2001). His Fourteenth Novel AIRBATTLE FORCE will be published in late Spring 2003... Dale's novels are published in 11 languages and distributed to over 70 countries. Worldwide sales of his novels, audiobooks and computer games exceed 10 million copies.
Dale was born in Buffalo, New York on November 2, 1956. He graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Western European History and received an Air Force commission in 1978. He was a navigator-bombardier in the B-52G Stratofortress heavy bomber and the FB-111A supersonic medium bomber, and is the recipient of several military decorations and awards including the Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Combat Crew Award, and the Marksmanship ribbon.
Dale was also one of the nation's first Air Force ROTC cadets to qualify for and complete the grueling three-week U.S. Army Airborne Infantry paratrooper training course.
Dale is a director and volunteer pilot for AirLifeLine, a non-profit national charitable medical transportation organization who fly needy persons free of charge to receive treatment. He also supports a number of organizations to support and promote law enforcement and reading.
Dale Brown is a member of The Writers Guild and a Life Member of the Air Force Association and U.S. Naval Institute. He is a multi-engine and instrument-rated private pilot and can often be found in the skies all across the United States, piloting his own plane. On the ground, Dale enjoys tennis, skiing, scuba diving, and hockey. Dale, his wife Diane, and son Hunter live near the shores of Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
Dale was born in Buffalo, New York on November 2, 1956. He graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Western European History and received an Air Force commission in 1978. He was a navigator-bombardier in the B-52G Stratofortress heavy bomber and the FB-111A supersonic medium bomber, and is the recipient of several military decorations and awards including the Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Combat Crew Award, and the Marksmanship ribbon.
Dale was also one of the nation's first Air Force ROTC cadets to qualify for and complete the grueling three-week U.S. Army Airborne Infantry paratrooper training course.
Dale is a director and volunteer pilot for AirLifeLine, a non-profit national charitable medical transportation organization who fly needy persons free of charge to receive treatment. He also supports a number of organizations to support and promote law enforcement and reading.
Dale Brown is a member of The Writers Guild and a Life Member of the Air Force Association and U.S. Naval Institute. He is a multi-engine and instrument-rated private pilot and can often be found in the skies all across the United States, piloting his own plane. On the ground, Dale enjoys tennis, skiing, scuba diving, and hockey. Dale, his wife Diane, and son Hunter live near the shores of Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 26, 2023
Read May 2023 🪖
•
Gut Instinct Rating: 1
Characters: 2.5
Believability: 5
Uniqueness: 5
Writing Style: 5
Excitement Factor: 1
Story Line: 5
Title Relevance: 5
Artwork Relevance: 5
Audiobook Narration: 4.25
Overall: 3.88🏳️🌈
•
CW: War
•
Review: I don’t know why I didn’t DNF this one early on. I knew I was reading a book on war, but this was reallllly boring. And I know typically war times are a lot of sitting around, so I could’ve handled that. But the writing was so dry and the narration was even worse.
•
Gut Instinct Rating: 1
Characters: 2.5
Believability: 5
Uniqueness: 5
Writing Style: 5
Excitement Factor: 1
Story Line: 5
Title Relevance: 5
Artwork Relevance: 5
Audiobook Narration: 4.25
Overall: 3.88🏳️🌈
•
CW: War
•
Review: I don’t know why I didn’t DNF this one early on. I knew I was reading a book on war, but this was reallllly boring. And I know typically war times are a lot of sitting around, so I could’ve handled that. But the writing was so dry and the narration was even worse.
December 6, 2017
Great story
Believeable story envisioning the future weapons of war in the air tactically the inability of ground forces in future wars to effectively compete. Kept this old Seabee totally enthralled!
Believeable story envisioning the future weapons of war in the air tactically the inability of ground forces in future wars to effectively compete. Kept this old Seabee totally enthralled!
February 10, 2025
finger nail bitterer
As always…. Dale Brown makes me feel like I’m right in the cockpit with the pilot; pulling the G’s, feeling the compression of my inflatable suit, and looking for a way to do as much damage as possible to whom ever the foe is. Good read!
As always…. Dale Brown makes me feel like I’m right in the cockpit with the pilot; pulling the G’s, feeling the compression of my inflatable suit, and looking for a way to do as much damage as possible to whom ever the foe is. Good read!
February 20, 2021
A great read. A tense story, hard to put down.
February 4, 2024
Good spin, good page turner!
Fun!
Fun!
August 9, 2024
The End.
I always feel that many of these stories just end too abruptly. After all the action and victory could be savored more. But that's coming from a person who Doesn't have the imagination to write such a story, lol!!!
I always feel that many of these stories just end too abruptly. After all the action and victory could be savored more. But that's coming from a person who Doesn't have the imagination to write such a story, lol!!!
January 3, 2026
A lot of fighter plane details made it a little confusing,
October 8, 2013
Dale Brown hit a home run with his first novel, “Flight of the Old Dog.” He’s continued to write military techno-thrillers on his own, but has also collaborated with Jim DeFelice, co-author of the bestseller “American Sniper,” on the Dreamland thriller series. “Collateral Damage” is the fourteenth entry in that series.
The book takes place just a little in the future. Once again Libya has fallen into civil war between the government that took over after Qaddafi and a rebel alliance under Princess Idria al-Nussoi. As before, NATO has placed a no-fly zone over the country and is enforcing it from a base in Sicily.
A team from the Office of Special Technology has brought their most advanced plane, the Tigershark II, to Sicily for real-life trials in the field. The Tigershark comes with four Sabre drones under the control of the plane’s computer. When a flight of four Libyan government planes challenge the Tigershark, Test Pilot Turk Mako puts them down and then launches a retaliatory strike on their base. Inexplicably, one of the Sabres goes off the grid and attacks a nearby village with devastating results.
Senator and former pilot Jeff “Zen” Stockard is asked by his wife Breanna, the head of the Office of Special Technology, to investigate the accident. Helping with the investigation is Ray Rubeo, the genius CEO of Applied Intelligence that provided the Tigershark/Sabre system. What they don’t see is the hand of Neil Kharon, a technology expert who is working both sides of the Libyan conflict. Kharon wants revenge against Rubeo and yearns to see him humiliated and broken. Once that is accomplished, he plans to kill Rubeo to complete his revenge.
The Dreamland thrillers are the literary equivalent of the B movies that Hollywood used to make – entertaining, occasionally surprisingly good, but very much a genre piece. Those who like this style will like “Collateral Damage,” though readers who are just starting the series would be advised to begin with some of the earlier books.
(Reviewed for Suspense Magazine)
The book takes place just a little in the future. Once again Libya has fallen into civil war between the government that took over after Qaddafi and a rebel alliance under Princess Idria al-Nussoi. As before, NATO has placed a no-fly zone over the country and is enforcing it from a base in Sicily.
A team from the Office of Special Technology has brought their most advanced plane, the Tigershark II, to Sicily for real-life trials in the field. The Tigershark comes with four Sabre drones under the control of the plane’s computer. When a flight of four Libyan government planes challenge the Tigershark, Test Pilot Turk Mako puts them down and then launches a retaliatory strike on their base. Inexplicably, one of the Sabres goes off the grid and attacks a nearby village with devastating results.
Senator and former pilot Jeff “Zen” Stockard is asked by his wife Breanna, the head of the Office of Special Technology, to investigate the accident. Helping with the investigation is Ray Rubeo, the genius CEO of Applied Intelligence that provided the Tigershark/Sabre system. What they don’t see is the hand of Neil Kharon, a technology expert who is working both sides of the Libyan conflict. Kharon wants revenge against Rubeo and yearns to see him humiliated and broken. Once that is accomplished, he plans to kill Rubeo to complete his revenge.
The Dreamland thrillers are the literary equivalent of the B movies that Hollywood used to make – entertaining, occasionally surprisingly good, but very much a genre piece. Those who like this style will like “Collateral Damage,” though readers who are just starting the series would be advised to begin with some of the earlier books.
(Reviewed for Suspense Magazine)
July 23, 2014
Dale Brown hit a home run with his first novel, “Flight of the Old Dog.” He’s continued to write military techno-thrillers on his own, but has also collaborated with Jim DeFelice, co-author of the bestseller “American Sniper,” on the Dreamland thriller series. “Collateral Damage” is the fourteenth entry in that series.
The book takes place just a little in the future. Once again, Libya has fallen into civil war between the government that took over after Qaddafi and a rebel alliance under Princess Idria al-Nussoi. As before, NATO has placed a no-fly zone over the country and is enforcing it from a base in Sicily.
A team from the Office of Special Technology has brought their most advanced plane, the Tigershark II, to Sicily for real-life trials in the field. The Tigershark comes with four Sabre drones under the control of the plane’s computer. When a flight of four Libyan government planes challenge the Tigershark, test pilot Turk Mako puts them down and then launches a retaliatory strike on their base. Inexplicably, one of the Sabres goes off the grid and attacks a nearby village with devastating results.
Senator and former pilot Jeff “Zen” Stockard is asked by his wife Breanna, the head of the Office of Special Technology, to investigate the accident. Helping with the investigation is Ray Rubeo, the genius CEO of Applied Intelligence that provided the Tigershark/Sabre system. What they don’t see is the hand of Neil Kharon, a technology expert who is working both sides of the Libyan conflict. Kharon wants revenge against Rubeo and yearns to see him humiliated and broken. Once that is accomplished, he plans to kill Rubeo to complete his revenge.
The Dreamland thrillers are the literary equivalent of the B movies that Hollywood used to make—entertaining, occasionally surprisingly good, but very much a genre piece. Those who like this style will like “Collateral Damage,” though readers who are just starting the series would be advised to begin with some of the earlier books.
Reviewed by David Ingram for Suspense Magazine
The book takes place just a little in the future. Once again, Libya has fallen into civil war between the government that took over after Qaddafi and a rebel alliance under Princess Idria al-Nussoi. As before, NATO has placed a no-fly zone over the country and is enforcing it from a base in Sicily.
A team from the Office of Special Technology has brought their most advanced plane, the Tigershark II, to Sicily for real-life trials in the field. The Tigershark comes with four Sabre drones under the control of the plane’s computer. When a flight of four Libyan government planes challenge the Tigershark, test pilot Turk Mako puts them down and then launches a retaliatory strike on their base. Inexplicably, one of the Sabres goes off the grid and attacks a nearby village with devastating results.
Senator and former pilot Jeff “Zen” Stockard is asked by his wife Breanna, the head of the Office of Special Technology, to investigate the accident. Helping with the investigation is Ray Rubeo, the genius CEO of Applied Intelligence that provided the Tigershark/Sabre system. What they don’t see is the hand of Neil Kharon, a technology expert who is working both sides of the Libyan conflict. Kharon wants revenge against Rubeo and yearns to see him humiliated and broken. Once that is accomplished, he plans to kill Rubeo to complete his revenge.
The Dreamland thrillers are the literary equivalent of the B movies that Hollywood used to make—entertaining, occasionally surprisingly good, but very much a genre piece. Those who like this style will like “Collateral Damage,” though readers who are just starting the series would be advised to begin with some of the earlier books.
Reviewed by David Ingram for Suspense Magazine
March 28, 2013
Take a trip into the Air Force where high tech planes are being developed by brilliant minds. But when an unmanned aircraft drone Sabre kills civilians in Libya, fingers are being pointed in every direction, especially at the United States and the men who created the newest intelligence. The UN Assembly wants answers and it doesn’t help that the crazed drone was videotaped during the attack and being broadcasted on U Tube. Now as the airplane is torn apart to find answers, the investigation leads to darker revelations as the US is painted as the devil himself. As a broad array of men and women seek to find the truth, evil lurks close by with a twisted need for revenge at any cost. But with men such as ace pilot Turk Mako in the skies, things are bound to get complicated and downright dangerous for all.
Collateral Damage: A Dreamland Thriller by Authors Dale Brown and Jim DeFelice is as high tech as they come with a broad array of vibrant characters and action packed scenic descriptions. The authors show their expertise in the Air Force field as they bring this fast paced story to life for an avid reader. Although this novel seems more geared towards men, I did enjoy the energetic storyline and the glimpse into the lives of a pilot and the dangerous warfare they often endure. It also gives a look into today’s technology and where it could be headed in the future.
December 6, 2012
Turk Mako is flying a Tigershark in Libya, guiding 4 robot Sabres. He comes under attack and while shooting down the offenders, one of the Sabres goes off track and destroys a village home, killing civilians. All goes down hill for Turk after that, until Ray Rubeo, former Dreamland scientist, is kidnapped. Then Turk is called upon to assist in his rescue.
Most of the original main characters from the Dreamland Series have gone their own separate ways. Some are ressurected in each new book, and many new characters are introduced. This is the first book in a long time that makes reference to Col. Techumseh "Dog" Bastian, who started Dreamland and, in fact, Ray Rubio talks to him on the phone.
Most of the original main characters from the Dreamland Series have gone their own separate ways. Some are ressurected in each new book, and many new characters are introduced. This is the first book in a long time that makes reference to Col. Techumseh "Dog" Bastian, who started Dreamland and, in fact, Ray Rubio talks to him on the phone.
July 27, 2013
Okay, Mr. Brown, you killed off Patrick Mcclanahan earlier this year. Time now to do the same to this series. It wasn't about Dreamland other than a flashback and a few mentions. It was barely about Whiplash. There have been too many cast changes.
I realize you had to evolve your thinking over the last 14 years as military and computer technology have changed, but you've got to find some way to flawlessly weave a seam of continuity, and it's just not there anymore.
I probably will not read anymore books by this author (and I have read every book he has written) unless it's a whole different series, and even then I'm skeptical that it will just turn into another Op-Center type series and that just doesn't appeal to me.
I realize you had to evolve your thinking over the last 14 years as military and computer technology have changed, but you've got to find some way to flawlessly weave a seam of continuity, and it's just not there anymore.
I probably will not read anymore books by this author (and I have read every book he has written) unless it's a whole different series, and even then I'm skeptical that it will just turn into another Op-Center type series and that just doesn't appeal to me.
May 23, 2014
Another Techno-Awesome thriller, from Dale Brown and company. Have been a fan since his first novel, “THE FLIGHT OF THE OLD DOG” in 1987 w/Patrick McLanahan. If you have not read all of his novels from the start, I suggest you do so. See all of the FICTION technology become reality.
I have two novels yet to finish, STARFIRE and DRONE STRIKE, not yet published. I’m sure both will be filled with new technology in existence or soon to come to our military.
I have two novels yet to finish, STARFIRE and DRONE STRIKE, not yet published. I’m sure both will be filled with new technology in existence or soon to come to our military.
March 19, 2014
Not a bad military thriller, with some great air combat sequences. I felt a bit like I was coming into a story mid-stream, as this is evidently a multi book series where there were more than a few allusions to past action. However, its certainly not worth my time to go back a read those earlier books. I'd say these are light fare, to pick and choose as one sees fit. In that way, it was just fine.
January 14, 2013
I just love Dale Brown books and the glimpse he lets us see into the future. What not as heart thumping as some of his previous Dreamland books, this still is a very absorbing book that military oriented fans are sure to enjoy!
February 19, 2016
This techno-thriller is a very fast paced and exciting read. The story line is tightly woven from a variety of viewpoints. The central theme deals with the implications of how accurate can autonomous weapons of war actually be.
February 5, 2013
This drawn out snoozer of sabotage and flight pilots provides more misery than entertainment and I do not recommend. 2 of 10 stars
July 10, 2016
Great Story
The story line kept me wanting to keep reading. Great story line. I would recommend this to anyone that likes flying fantasy stories.
The story line kept me wanting to keep reading. Great story line. I would recommend this to anyone that likes flying fantasy stories.
January 8, 2017
Not bad. It was very slow for a long time, but eventually picks up enough to make you want to keep reading.
December 26, 2012
Good fast paced and enjoyable.
August 8, 2015
Good Dreamland thriller. Kind of old so, no review.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews