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Hayden War Cycle #5
By Other Means
The Hayden War has ended and now SOLCOM and the Alliance are face to face in talks, but neither side has the slightest idea what happened in the ultimate battle of the war. Amid political jockeying and diplomatic gamesmanship, Captain Sorilla Aida has been given an assignment : Find a weakness to exploit, buy SOLCOM time to learn just what the hell happened to Valkyrie, and make sure that the Alliance isn't prepared to risk another conflict in the open.
Sorilla has problems of her own, however, and after losing so much in the war she isn't as certain of her life choices as she used to be. Unfortunately for her, the Alliance, SOLCOM, and others don't intend to let her have time to figure it out for herself.
The Hayden War is over, the Cold War is just beginning.
Sorilla has problems of her own, however, and after losing so much in the war she isn't as certain of her life choices as she used to be. Unfortunately for her, the Alliance, SOLCOM, and others don't intend to let her have time to figure it out for herself.
The Hayden War is over, the Cold War is just beginning.
267 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 19, 2014
286 people are currently reading
431 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
May 5, 2014
I wonder if I should be reviewing my own books? Ah, what the hell, it's fun. :)
By Other Means sets the scene for the growing Cold War between the alien Alliance and the SOLCOM forces. That puts Sorilla back into the mix, but not in her comfort zone. Amid truce negotiations, different factions are already looking to set the Alliance and SOLCOM back at each other's throats for their own purposes.
The kicker is, both sides are more than willing to do just that... but not quite YET.
With everyone secretly, or not so secretly, looking for war... what hope does a soldier have of keeping the peace? Luckily, that's not exactly Sorilla's mission.
By Other Means was a tough book to write, but I had a decent amount of fun even as I gnashed by teeth. Check it out if the earlier books in the series were to your liking... because this Cold War is just heating up.
Ciao
By Other Means sets the scene for the growing Cold War between the alien Alliance and the SOLCOM forces. That puts Sorilla back into the mix, but not in her comfort zone. Amid truce negotiations, different factions are already looking to set the Alliance and SOLCOM back at each other's throats for their own purposes.
The kicker is, both sides are more than willing to do just that... but not quite YET.
With everyone secretly, or not so secretly, looking for war... what hope does a soldier have of keeping the peace? Luckily, that's not exactly Sorilla's mission.
By Other Means was a tough book to write, but I had a decent amount of fun even as I gnashed by teeth. Check it out if the earlier books in the series were to your liking... because this Cold War is just heating up.
Ciao
March 28, 2019
Peace?
This review is of the Kindle Edition:
Publication date: April 19, 2014
Language: English
ASIN: B00JTFVWAE
The war if not over has at least paused with a ceasefire/truce. Now the diplomats begin to negotiate a treaty but there are those who do not want peace and will use any means to block it. Sergeant Aida, now an officer, is assigned to the protective detail as a cover for her real assignment.
This volume takes the story in a different and refreshing direction despite several implausible plot devices. Unfortunately Mr. Currie's writing continues to be marred by errors such as the Ros 'el also being called the Ross 'el, as well as his trademark grammatical and editing problems. And of course more smirks than is seemly. This series is fun but could be so much better.
For the benefit of Mr. Currie and all of the other modern writers who seem to be addicted to using smirk:
Collins
smirk
(smɜrk )
Word forms: smirks, smirking, smirked
intransitive verb
If you smirk, you smile in an unpleasant way, often because you believe that you have gained an advantage over someone else or know something that they do not know.
smirk in American
(smɜrk )
verb intransitive
1.
to smile in a conceited, knowing, or annoyingly complacent way
noun
2.
a smile of this kind
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition.
smirk in British
(smɜːk )
noun
1.
a smile expressing scorn, smugness, etc, rather than pleasure
verb
2. (intransitive)
to give such a smile
3. (transitive)
to express with such a smile
Collins English Dictionary.
Trends of 'smirk'
Used Occasionally. smirk is one of the 30000 most commonly used words in the Collins dictionary
ARE THESE DEFNITIONS REALLY WHAT CURRIE MEANS EVERY TIME HE USES SMIRK?
This review is of the Kindle Edition:
Publication date: April 19, 2014
Language: English
ASIN: B00JTFVWAE
The war if not over has at least paused with a ceasefire/truce. Now the diplomats begin to negotiate a treaty but there are those who do not want peace and will use any means to block it. Sergeant Aida, now an officer, is assigned to the protective detail as a cover for her real assignment.
This volume takes the story in a different and refreshing direction despite several implausible plot devices. Unfortunately Mr. Currie's writing continues to be marred by errors such as the Ros 'el also being called the Ross 'el, as well as his trademark grammatical and editing problems. And of course more smirks than is seemly. This series is fun but could be so much better.
For the benefit of Mr. Currie and all of the other modern writers who seem to be addicted to using smirk:
Collins
smirk
(smɜrk )
Word forms: smirks, smirking, smirked
intransitive verb
If you smirk, you smile in an unpleasant way, often because you believe that you have gained an advantage over someone else or know something that they do not know.
smirk in American
(smɜrk )
verb intransitive
1.
to smile in a conceited, knowing, or annoyingly complacent way
noun
2.
a smile of this kind
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition.
smirk in British
(smɜːk )
noun
1.
a smile expressing scorn, smugness, etc, rather than pleasure
verb
2. (intransitive)
to give such a smile
3. (transitive)
to express with such a smile
Collins English Dictionary.
Trends of 'smirk'
Used Occasionally. smirk is one of the 30000 most commonly used words in the Collins dictionary
ARE THESE DEFNITIONS REALLY WHAT CURRIE MEANS EVERY TIME HE USES SMIRK?
September 18, 2019
Very good, so far, after about 16 novels by this author, I've enjoyed them all.
April 30, 2014
The overall story arc is working wonderfully. I love the characters and am enjoying meeting the aliens. The complications of putting the Alliance together must be staggering to make sure you do not miss anything.
There were more grammar and editing issues in this than I remember being in the other books. That is the only thing that really gave it a drop from 5 stars.
Sorilla Aida is easily my new favorite heroine and I plan to read all of the books in this series!
There were more grammar and editing issues in this than I remember being in the other books. That is the only thing that really gave it a drop from 5 stars.
Sorilla Aida is easily my new favorite heroine and I plan to read all of the books in this series!
May 7, 2014
When read the author's opening where he said there would be less ship-ship combat slugfests and move to a more shadowy "cold-war" I was a little worried. In my military scifi I like my wars "hot" where ships slug it out with other ships! Well have no fear, there is more than enough action and warlike posturing to go around in this brewing cold war.
I am glad the Silver Wings series is back (Sorilla, good to see you again!) with a new story arc and am looking forward to watching this cold war heat-up even more in the upcoming books.
I am glad the Silver Wings series is back (Sorilla, good to see you again!) with a new story arc and am looking forward to watching this cold war heat-up even more in the upcoming books.
August 26, 2014
I love Mr Currie's Hayden War series. He calls this a new Cold War Arc but this was more the final few chapters of #4. Fun read but ... how many times must we be reminded that both sides are uneasy since neither knows why the Alliance fleet disappeared?? We got that in first chapter. I felt it was repeated every ten pages.
The level of misspelled words and grammatical errors is unacceptable. This book was horribly proofread. At times, I wasn't sure what the author even meant to write! He should immediately stop what he is working on to fix this book.
The level of misspelled words and grammatical errors is unacceptable. This book was horribly proofread. At times, I wasn't sure what the author even meant to write! He should immediately stop what he is working on to fix this book.
July 19, 2018
Implausible!
**SPOILER ALERT**
The story is action packed but, to my mind totally implausible!
After having problems with sabotage attempts on the diplomatic process while on the space station, the talks are moved to the Mexico. The saboteurs somehow manage to get their portable core device into the shuttle carrying the alien diplomatic party. This is not a small device. It's held in a bomb shelter large enough to hold the device and two aliens! I lost track of the number of aliens who infiltrated the shuttle and, thereafter, the ship but Sorilla, Kriss and a group of marines had to shoot their way through a number before Sorilla and Kriss took out another 15 in engineering! How could 20 plus extra aliens PLUS a bomb shelter stow away on the shuttle then make their way down +/- 10 floors to engineering? None of the crew saw them?
This completely ruined the story for me! I wouldn't have even accepted it on the space station as it assumes that security is non existent there as well as on the Mexico.
So that brings me to the rating! I can only give it 2 stars.
Stories have to be plausible and this isn't. This has spoilt what was, to date, a good series.
**SPOILER ALERT**
The story is action packed but, to my mind totally implausible!
After having problems with sabotage attempts on the diplomatic process while on the space station, the talks are moved to the Mexico. The saboteurs somehow manage to get their portable core device into the shuttle carrying the alien diplomatic party. This is not a small device. It's held in a bomb shelter large enough to hold the device and two aliens! I lost track of the number of aliens who infiltrated the shuttle and, thereafter, the ship but Sorilla, Kriss and a group of marines had to shoot their way through a number before Sorilla and Kriss took out another 15 in engineering! How could 20 plus extra aliens PLUS a bomb shelter stow away on the shuttle then make their way down +/- 10 floors to engineering? None of the crew saw them?
This completely ruined the story for me! I wouldn't have even accepted it on the space station as it assumes that security is non existent there as well as on the Mexico.
So that brings me to the rating! I can only give it 2 stars.
Stories have to be plausible and this isn't. This has spoilt what was, to date, a good series.
May 5, 2014
Another awesome story in a line of great stories
The author is truly finding his pace with this story and characters. Damned if I didn't read this one in a single day. Again. Right up there with The Lost Fleet series.
The author is truly finding his pace with this story and characters. Damned if I didn't read this one in a single day. Again. Right up there with The Lost Fleet series.
August 14, 2018
I was very disappointed in this book. First, the author needed to add some pages to the volume, so introduced a sex partner for Sorilla Aida in order to add the pages. Next, he resorted to the old armor Sorilla wore so that the marines could ogle her nude body as she got into the old suit. What happened to the new armor she was given. Next, she was given a laser staff (Star Wars Light Saber) and told how expensive it was, be careful, and so on. Then they dropped it, and have never brought it up again. Her experiences in the Alien Alliance as a diplomat guard was poorly done and described. A lot more could have been done. Next, all through the book, she was sensitive to the gravity source, and when a gravity bomb was brought on the station, it bothered her. Next thing you know it is brought onboard the ship she is on and doesn't notice. If it was on the station and moved, she could tell, however on her spaceship they could move it all over the place and she couldn't tell. I was so disappointed I don't think I will bother with the other books in the series.
July 28, 2018
The plot is less action oriented than the preceding 4 books in the series, but that is not to say no action takes place. The action sequences are still high energy and entertaining, but the shifted focus of the story also reveals more complexities in the main character and larger themes for the reader's consideration. The book seemed like it was issued in haste, however, as I found more mistakes that should have been caught in proofreading and editing than are usual for this author's work. Without including a spoiler, I also must say that aspects of the final sabotage/battle sequence seemed to stretch believability. In all, a worthy follow-on volume ... enjoyable and recommended.
November 14, 2017
Very Good Alien Invasion Military Space Opera Series
This is a very good story, as the Earth forces attempt to negotiate a truce and a treaty with the much larger alien Alliance. But there seem to be Alliance groups who might profit from continued war. Attempts to destroy negotiations, if not expected, are feared, by both sides. Luckily, there is no organized opposition to a truce and treaty from the Earth nations...yet.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AS BOTH AN INDIVIDUAL BOOK AND AS A SERIES
This is a very good story, as the Earth forces attempt to negotiate a truce and a treaty with the much larger alien Alliance. But there seem to be Alliance groups who might profit from continued war. Attempts to destroy negotiations, if not expected, are feared, by both sides. Luckily, there is no organized opposition to a truce and treaty from the Earth nations...yet.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AS BOTH AN INDIVIDUAL BOOK AND AS A SERIES
October 27, 2017
This series of books just get better and better looks more like we have now.
These books could've been written in the present, written in normal times just like we have during the Cold War against Russians, against the Chinese,it just jumped ahead about a thousand years. So
me things never change.
These books could've been written in the present, written in normal times just like we have during the Cold War against Russians, against the Chinese,it just jumped ahead about a thousand years. So
me things never change.
October 21, 2018
Evan's books are all very well written - I've read seven or eight of them at this point but I decided to take a break - they roll along very well, and Sorilla is a powerfully interesting character. Kudos to Evan Currie for being so prodigious and for writing such terrific military science fiction. The books are good enough to seem shorter than they actually are.
December 19, 2022
I couldn't stop reading.
Apparently I like the mental game of espionage better than the combat. The glimpse of the Alliance mentality is not so surprisingly human-like. Maybe that just creates a parity so that we can comprehend the aliens better, but it doesnt read as compromise to the story. Excited to continue this series.
Apparently I like the mental game of espionage better than the combat. The glimpse of the Alliance mentality is not so surprisingly human-like. Maybe that just creates a parity so that we can comprehend the aliens better, but it doesnt read as compromise to the story. Excited to continue this series.
January 24, 2023
The hot war takes a break; but no side really thinks that a reliable peace will break out ... so they struggle to get into the best position, in case the shooting starts again. But some people with enough clout don't want to wait so long. To much money is at stake - so they try to derail the negotiatons. At all costs.
March 13, 2020
It is an interesting military detective story with some fights. So no more space battles, tactics and strategies. Very disappointing. I wish Evan would start a new series and not change this one, so readers would know what to expect and pick a genre they like.
August 1, 2021
Political
Thought I was reading CNN fake news, the writing was like a long speech all about the things he wanted us to believe. Sorry but I finished the book intact and still believe in all the stuff I came into it with. Good Cold War stuff.
Thought I was reading CNN fake news, the writing was like a long speech all about the things he wanted us to believe. Sorry but I finished the book intact and still believe in all the stuff I came into it with. Good Cold War stuff.
May 10, 2017
Would be a great book.
On any other format except Kindle. Amazon continues to screw up a simple app so that reading a book from any author becomes a chore instead of a joy.
On any other format except Kindle. Amazon continues to screw up a simple app so that reading a book from any author becomes a chore instead of a joy.
November 6, 2017
Another great book in this series
January 9, 2018
Change of pace
No more fleet battles (pouts) but then again heavy action, and dancing on the ceilings, what a joy ride! Highly recommended
No more fleet battles (pouts) but then again heavy action, and dancing on the ceilings, what a joy ride! Highly recommended
March 10, 2018
5 stars. Good Continuation
June 6, 2018
One of the best!
Loved the character development; a great start to a new story arc. Can’t wait for more!!! These are the extra dumb words
Loved the character development; a great start to a new story arc. Can’t wait for more!!! These are the extra dumb words
June 20, 2018
A very good and entertaining novel. I enjoyed reading this novel and recommend this book to everyone.
August 14, 2018
Better and better
I'm reading these books too quickly.
This first one of the Cold War novels was great with no let up in either the tension or the excitement.
I'm reading these books too quickly.
This first one of the Cold War novels was great with no let up in either the tension or the excitement.
October 19, 2018
Gopher PopUp
Just as in the popular parlor game, when one problem gets solved, another pops up for Aida to attend to. Great read. Keeps you wanting more
Just as in the popular parlor game, when one problem gets solved, another pops up for Aida to attend to. Great read. Keeps you wanting more
January 8, 2019
Everybody's a bad-ass, and the aliens are often just a little too familiar to distinguish them from the humans, but I enjoyed the action.
January 12, 2019
Really enjoyed it. A different plot line from the rest of the series so kept things moving without covering using the same story lines
June 20, 2020
Action packed food war
Who would have thought that a diplomatic mission would have so much action. Another really good book in the series.
Who would have thought that a diplomatic mission would have so much action. Another really good book in the series.
August 22, 2021
By other means
This book and book 4 where intriguing with character development and plot . I liked them much better tan one through 3.
This book and book 4 where intriguing with character development and plot . I liked them much better tan one through 3.
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October 16, 2021popcorn, but a page turner
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews