Taiwan is invaded by Red China in the latest technothriller by T.J. McFadden. In a story that could be torn from tomorrow's headlines, Xiao Ying Tien, "The Smiling Man" hopes to use the might of modern China to crush the last remnant of the Republic of China and solidify his grip on power. Against him stand two leaders on President Ch'iu Wang Chen, a cynic who rediscovers his lost idealism in Taiwan's darkest hour, and General Sung Chung Tam, "The Chessmaster", a pure soldier dedicated to winning at any cost, against any odds. They lead the free people of Taiwan in a desperate fight against the corrupt "People's" Republic and it's new military power. The latest planes, ships and weapons are used alongside weapons straight out of the history books as armies and fleets clash to determine the future of China. Among the millions caught up in this war there Shannon- a reporter covering his first international event, who must fight his own battle between being a detached observer and caring for a people fighting in defense of their freedom.Group Leader Zheng Yiguan, a middle-aged idealist whose dreams of the People's Revolution of his youth run aground on the harsh realities of what China has become.Captain Daniel "Day" O'Reilly, an ex-USAF pilot who volunteers to join a new American Volunteer Group, a reborn "Flying Tigers" flying in defense of the Republic of China. Sgt. Soo Kuo-K'ang, a young ROC tank commander who must become a leader under the most desperate circumstances. Premier Li Wolan, General Secretary of the Communist Party, who feels the power of his party slipping away in the new, modern People's Republic. In the tradition of Tom Clancy's "Red Storm Rising" this novel tells the story of these and other people, of the strategies, combat and politics of what could be the next great "a very good mix of characters sketches, a fast pace, and lots of bang bang. Of special merit is the way he deftly handles infowar operations"- Scott Palter, STRATEGY PAGE"T.J. McFadden’s new novel about a PRC invasion of Taiwan is strong on military knowledge and competent on character development"-"a factual, hardboiled thriller"- Bradley Winterton, TAIPEI TIMES
I was very hesitant to buy this book, but after downloading the sample and reading the first few chapters, I made the purchase and was very pleasantly surprised. Tom Clancy, Larry Bond, and Harold Coyle are among my favorite authors; and T.J. McFadden has the potential to join this list. He isn’t as technically detailed as Clancy, but the plot and characters provide a very enjoyable read.
The premise of Dragon Storm is a Red China invasion of Taiwan. I generally enjoy military thrillers, but am quick to put down poorly written plotlines that are not feasible or realistic. McFadden uses various characters to provide different viewpoints of the actions from the leadership of both sides down to the front line troops. All the major aspects of an operation of this size are covered and covered well. He doesn’t get bogged down in technical detail (which I don’t necessarily mind), but he could definitely have provided more information or greater detail on some of the background situation or initial rationales for character’s actions. A map would have also been useful, I found myself using Google Maps to get a better idea of where the various actions were taking place.
A solid book (3.5 so I rounded up), and I need to investigate the author a little further to see if his other works are worth a download. Enjoy.
This is one heck of a exciting war book. Non-stopping action from beginning to end. Battle scenes in almost all chapters, well conducted and well written. Although there is a suspicion that China cannot succeed with the invasion, it is only in the next to last chapter that the plot begins to resolve in favor of the Taiwanese. I read a review by someone that is probably a military expert who points out at a couple of technical errors in weapons systems but I didn`t noticed them when reading the book.
This was an engrossing read. The version I read was a Kindle one, and like a lot of kindle books there was a few parts that took a couple of re reads, to determine what was being said. I thought the end was rather abrupt, and could have used some work.
I enjoyed the book enough that it was difficult to put down. Clearly fictional the book contains plenty of action and the author developed a good ending to the story.