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Blood War #1
Last Stand of the Legion: Rift
Rift was a peaceful space colony until the mysterious Xotoli aliens staged a surprise attack.
All that stands in their way are the men and women Colonel Dasan Daniel Sand's armored infantry and Fleet Admiral Usiche Raurk's sailors who must find a way to defeat the Xotoli with only the naval forces left after the overwhelming attack.
They lead the likes of Private Ja Hu who just months out of training must face the most desperate battle humans have ever fought. Destroyer Captain Ririsa Grogen and her crew as they desperately try to fight back alien invasion fleet and save their ship. Petty Officer Zenus Lee a misfit who finds his purpose in the midst of battle.
This is the story of the men and women who stand between the aliens and the rest of humanity. They include the crews aboard the Swift Boats, destroyers and battleships; Legion pilots; the Anjin assassin; Von Fleet Corporation's executives; and so many more. The Last Stand of the Legion is a story of intense combat and non-stop action that will change the course of history.
All that stands in their way are the men and women Colonel Dasan Daniel Sand's armored infantry and Fleet Admiral Usiche Raurk's sailors who must find a way to defeat the Xotoli with only the naval forces left after the overwhelming attack.
They lead the likes of Private Ja Hu who just months out of training must face the most desperate battle humans have ever fought. Destroyer Captain Ririsa Grogen and her crew as they desperately try to fight back alien invasion fleet and save their ship. Petty Officer Zenus Lee a misfit who finds his purpose in the midst of battle.
This is the story of the men and women who stand between the aliens and the rest of humanity. They include the crews aboard the Swift Boats, destroyers and battleships; Legion pilots; the Anjin assassin; Von Fleet Corporation's executives; and so many more. The Last Stand of the Legion is a story of intense combat and non-stop action that will change the course of history.
516 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 4, 2014
232 people are currently reading
293 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
May 11, 2016
This could be the start of another great Space Marine story. While we start out reading about Legionaries flying high performance space ships, everything turns around in the next 25 years. Yes, the main character is a young Lt. with a fighter squadron looking for the Aliens who just attacked one of the Confederation colonies. These aliens haven't been seen or heard from in a long, long time. It was thought that they were going to mind their own business and let us alone. Didn't happen!
Lt Dasan Sand leads his squadron on an impossible mission to rescue the children of the colony that were taken by the aliens. Why they took only children is totally unknown and will be for the next 25 years. While Lt Sand and his squadron went beyond the call of duty to recover the children they knew about, the colony roster had not been updated and there were other children that did not get recovered. Lt Sands has to live with this thought for the next 25 years.
But he's not just idle. He realized that the Confederation military was terribly screwed up in one particular area. While the aliens put troops on the ground to kill every man and woman they found, the Confederation has no such ground force capability.
So, twenty-five years later (thank goodness for rejuvenation treatments!), now "Colonel", Sand has developed a Brigade of ground forces made up of the toughest Legionnaires he could find. And on the day they are to demonstrate their capabilities to the Confederation Command Staff, the aliens return!
This is one of those books you can not put down. Don't even try to watch TV and read at the same time. You'll completely lose track of the TV program, guaranteed! It is a fast paced story with some good character development. I like how the author paired off different people and let them be human.
Still, there is a lot of terrible editing in this book. Missing words or words in the wrong place, broken continuity, i.e., ships identified as New York and Tokyo are identified as New York and Toyota on the next page; the Sergent Major is promoted to Major on one page and the next she's identified as a Colonel. There were probably more but this book sure does need an editor. I truly hope the rest of the series gets a much better editing treatment. Oh, and how about using names that we can pronounce. Is that so hard?
Get started reading this series. It's going to be fun entertainment!
Lt Dasan Sand leads his squadron on an impossible mission to rescue the children of the colony that were taken by the aliens. Why they took only children is totally unknown and will be for the next 25 years. While Lt Sand and his squadron went beyond the call of duty to recover the children they knew about, the colony roster had not been updated and there were other children that did not get recovered. Lt Sands has to live with this thought for the next 25 years.
But he's not just idle. He realized that the Confederation military was terribly screwed up in one particular area. While the aliens put troops on the ground to kill every man and woman they found, the Confederation has no such ground force capability.
So, twenty-five years later (thank goodness for rejuvenation treatments!), now "Colonel", Sand has developed a Brigade of ground forces made up of the toughest Legionnaires he could find. And on the day they are to demonstrate their capabilities to the Confederation Command Staff, the aliens return!
This is one of those books you can not put down. Don't even try to watch TV and read at the same time. You'll completely lose track of the TV program, guaranteed! It is a fast paced story with some good character development. I like how the author paired off different people and let them be human.
Still, there is a lot of terrible editing in this book. Missing words or words in the wrong place, broken continuity, i.e., ships identified as New York and Tokyo are identified as New York and Toyota on the next page; the Sergent Major is promoted to Major on one page and the next she's identified as a Colonel. There were probably more but this book sure does need an editor. I truly hope the rest of the series gets a much better editing treatment. Oh, and how about using names that we can pronounce. Is that so hard?
Get started reading this series. It's going to be fun entertainment!
May 3, 2016
Bad Writing & Editing Hamstrung Decent SciFi Storyline
"Rift, Blood War," Book 1 has a decent SciFi storyline about invading aliens, using hybrid humans to ruthlessly invade human held star systems and space. The writing and editing are so bad, that numerous times I was tempted to give up and not finish.
The eBook author uses World War II, Pacific Theater, as the framework to build his book. Unfortunately, he has no talent for narrative flow and his annoying inability (to the point of obnoxiousness) to pen coherent, natural speech, made me at first think the book was a bad translation into the English language. The prose is awkward at best and headache inducing at worse.
The editing and proofreading reading are criminal in their total incompetence. At 45% (are eBook authors allergic to page numbers?), it was as if the editor was not being paid and just left. It is bad.
If not for a certain appeal of the storyline, I would have rated the book one star. Amateurish and unprofessional product.
"Rift, Blood War," Book 1 has a decent SciFi storyline about invading aliens, using hybrid humans to ruthlessly invade human held star systems and space. The writing and editing are so bad, that numerous times I was tempted to give up and not finish.
The eBook author uses World War II, Pacific Theater, as the framework to build his book. Unfortunately, he has no talent for narrative flow and his annoying inability (to the point of obnoxiousness) to pen coherent, natural speech, made me at first think the book was a bad translation into the English language. The prose is awkward at best and headache inducing at worse.
The editing and proofreading reading are criminal in their total incompetence. At 45% (are eBook authors allergic to page numbers?), it was as if the editor was not being paid and just left. It is bad.
If not for a certain appeal of the storyline, I would have rated the book one star. Amateurish and unprofessional product.
June 3, 2016
This was an outstanding sci-fi book. Loved every minute of it. The author has taken what would seem like descriptions of current military tactics, training and values, pushed that into the future, and then into space. All successfully! The characters are well developed and believable. Sit down with your favorite beverage and strap in for a great read!
May 14, 2014
Excellent book, a bit slow and uninspiring to begin with but once it gets going it is right up there with the best military scfi
April 13, 2016
This book is one of my favorite space/powered armor combat series. The characters are great, the action is fantastic and there is a reality to the book that most of authors can't seem to capture. It's gruesome, gritty and realistic.
In many books it seems that people magically survive, in this it's clear those that survived lucked out or fought for their damned lives.
I really hope the second book lives up to what looks like to be the beginning of a great series.
In many books it seems that people magically survive, in this it's clear those that survived lucked out or fought for their damned lives.
I really hope the second book lives up to what looks like to be the beginning of a great series.
September 2, 2016
Great start to the series. I really enjoyed this book. Just when you feel like you have had enough fighting/blood and gore, it switches to something else.
If it wasn't for all the grammatical mistakes in the book I would have given it a 5 star rating. Stopping reading to try to figure out what word is missing to make a sentence make sense is annoying. I had to do that many times throughout the series.
If it wasn't for all the grammatical mistakes in the book I would have given it a 5 star rating. Stopping reading to try to figure out what word is missing to make a sentence make sense is annoying. I had to do that many times throughout the series.
February 12, 2016
Enjoyable.
With even casual editing it would garner four stars. Fast pace. Solid protagonists. Enough sorrow to give it punch without it being a total wallow in despair.
Solid cutoff in the action leaves you satisfied and happily moving on to the next book.
Get an editor! Watch your ratings climb.
With even casual editing it would garner four stars. Fast pace. Solid protagonists. Enough sorrow to give it punch without it being a total wallow in despair.
Solid cutoff in the action leaves you satisfied and happily moving on to the next book.
Get an editor! Watch your ratings climb.
April 29, 2016
Good read
Good stories, well written. The only problem I have is all the oriental names and female characters. It seems to be happening more and more in the realm of science fiction. I have no problem with those types of characters but not as frequently. I find it hard to relate with the characters when the majority is female or oriental as I am neither.
Good stories, well written. The only problem I have is all the oriental names and female characters. It seems to be happening more and more in the realm of science fiction. I have no problem with those types of characters but not as frequently. I find it hard to relate with the characters when the majority is female or oriental as I am neither.
September 2, 2014
Each character is special
I really liked this book. the characters are well written and they flow. plenty of action and no stalling out. can't wait for the next. some slight typos nothing to bothersome.
I really liked this book. the characters are well written and they flow. plenty of action and no stalling out. can't wait for the next. some slight typos nothing to bothersome.
January 3, 2015
Not weber but still good read.
This was a rousing space opera. Simply written with characters you can root for. I will read the next in the series and I hope the author grows as a writer.
This was a rousing space opera. Simply written with characters you can root for. I will read the next in the series and I hope the author grows as a writer.
May 18, 2015
If you like unrelenting tension and battles this is the book for you. The story is set up well from the beginning and builds to a climax. The end though carries a twist. Cannot wait for the follow up.
March 12, 2016
Good story overall
Space opera with truly vile aliens. The prequel portion was a bit weak but things picked up afterwards. The main part appears to have been written quickly with both missing and extra words occasionally. However, this is a good and entertaining read.
Space opera with truly vile aliens. The prequel portion was a bit weak but things picked up afterwards. The main part appears to have been written quickly with both missing and extra words occasionally. However, this is a good and entertaining read.
November 20, 2016
Could not but it down.
I love this book and can not wait to dive into the next one.I would recommend this book and the whole series to any who like space opera or gritty hard one on one marine books.
I love this book and can not wait to dive into the next one.I would recommend this book and the whole series to any who like space opera or gritty hard one on one marine books.
December 27, 2014
The last stand of the legion.
This book hits the ground running. Fast paced from start to finish. With a well defined plot and characters. A good read
This book hits the ground running. Fast paced from start to finish. With a well defined plot and characters. A good read
July 10, 2014
This book gets you hooked from the beginning. And never lets go. All of the characters are full of depth and emotions.
January 28, 2017
Another race is murdering human settlements and kidnapping the children. The legion launches a pursit to rescue the young humans and punish the invaders.
June 20, 2022
.
.
Unreadable.
.
.
.
Unreadable.
.
.
August 28, 2014
Enjoyed this book. It starts out rather slow but ends strong. Can't wait for his next book.
June 24, 2015
A visceral and gritty look at the future of infantry warfare.
October 23, 2023
not recommended
The book is ok and sometimes intense, but in the end too arbitrary in following plot requirements.
****slight spoileralert*******
Enemy is in one scene superfast and inhumanly strong, even for an augmented human, a bit later mc is able to vanquish 5 of them at once…..
Enemy is in one sequence superprepared, is very well informed (has main miliary supplier subverted and feeding them information), has everything under control, in the next sequence soldiers are able to fight successfully with weaponry, which are ‘unforeseen’…….
Etc, etc, this makes it too hard for me to enjoy the book, as I started to expect a hype about the enemy, and the next a hard won fight against all odds, no matter if the story supported it or not, as the plot demanded it.
So in the end I stopped reading halfway, as my dissatisfaction became just too much to ignore.
The book is ok and sometimes intense, but in the end too arbitrary in following plot requirements.
****slight spoileralert*******
Enemy is in one scene superfast and inhumanly strong, even for an augmented human, a bit later mc is able to vanquish 5 of them at once…..
Enemy is in one sequence superprepared, is very well informed (has main miliary supplier subverted and feeding them information), has everything under control, in the next sequence soldiers are able to fight successfully with weaponry, which are ‘unforeseen’…….
Etc, etc, this makes it too hard for me to enjoy the book, as I started to expect a hype about the enemy, and the next a hard won fight against all odds, no matter if the story supported it or not, as the plot demanded it.
So in the end I stopped reading halfway, as my dissatisfaction became just too much to ignore.
May 10, 2025
Engaging and recalls historical battles and stands, now.taken to the stars
Really good story.
Rewritten stories of the Alamo (with survivors.)
Of seemingly implacable enemies, with incomprehensible motives. Of traitors and spies. Of enemies who become friends. Of battles from time (Pearl Harbor and the Philippine Sea.). Of new tech, of fighting against long odds. Of wiining, yet knowing more will be called for. Of humans, no matter how they have evolved, being human (with flaws, jealousy, bravery, sacrifice, and doubts.)
Really kept.my interest, so now I'm moving to see how he adapts into a space carrier fleet and brings back the marine corps. Sorry, did my service in the US army and air force, but am.a WW2 history buff. I can appreciate the efforts of the US navy and USMC (and their publicists) during WW2, and can enjoy this read.
Really good story.
Rewritten stories of the Alamo (with survivors.)
Of seemingly implacable enemies, with incomprehensible motives. Of traitors and spies. Of enemies who become friends. Of battles from time (Pearl Harbor and the Philippine Sea.). Of new tech, of fighting against long odds. Of wiining, yet knowing more will be called for. Of humans, no matter how they have evolved, being human (with flaws, jealousy, bravery, sacrifice, and doubts.)
Really kept.my interest, so now I'm moving to see how he adapts into a space carrier fleet and brings back the marine corps. Sorry, did my service in the US army and air force, but am.a WW2 history buff. I can appreciate the efforts of the US navy and USMC (and their publicists) during WW2, and can enjoy this read.
July 31, 2021
Wow
I read a space sci-fi novel once every three days for the last 3 years. Over the last several months I have begun to lose some interest as the stories were becoming predictable or outlandishly just weird for weird sake.
I did not start this one with much faith that it wouldn’t deteriorate into a mish mash rerun so many others have. I was wrong. Though the story was not unique, the dialog, the character development and interaction, and the way events unfolded was engaging and written in a concise but detailed fashion. It kept me engaged and anxious to read on to the next chapter.
Now on to the next book!!
I read a space sci-fi novel once every three days for the last 3 years. Over the last several months I have begun to lose some interest as the stories were becoming predictable or outlandishly just weird for weird sake.
I did not start this one with much faith that it wouldn’t deteriorate into a mish mash rerun so many others have. I was wrong. Though the story was not unique, the dialog, the character development and interaction, and the way events unfolded was engaging and written in a concise but detailed fashion. It kept me engaged and anxious to read on to the next chapter.
Now on to the next book!!
February 7, 2023
Rage Against the Machine👹
When all seems hopeless in this desperate war against an alien race👹, the plight of military humans gets even more desperate.
Confronted by hybrid alien/humans👹, the human race is in a fight🚀 to the finish across the universe.💫
I got this ebook from Amazon📚 with KU.
The book does end in kind of a cliffhanger, with the human military defense hanging by a thread against the aliens👹, but not completely defeated, which is a lead in to the next book in the series.
This is a long but well written book with plenty of technical jargon and ideas to please most military sci-fi 🚀💫 readers.
When all seems hopeless in this desperate war against an alien race👹, the plight of military humans gets even more desperate.
Confronted by hybrid alien/humans👹, the human race is in a fight🚀 to the finish across the universe.💫
I got this ebook from Amazon📚 with KU.
The book does end in kind of a cliffhanger, with the human military defense hanging by a thread against the aliens👹, but not completely defeated, which is a lead in to the next book in the series.
This is a long but well written book with plenty of technical jargon and ideas to please most military sci-fi 🚀💫 readers.
August 9, 2023
action packed story telling
The action had little pause. An exciting story, and well written.
I wanted to rate this four and a half stars, and round it up to five. However, I found myself regularly disturbed by the lack of attention to detail. I mean grammar and continuity. Too often there were words obviously missing. Likewise there were instances of words added in sentences that should have been omitted. Clearly a lack of appropriate editing. So I must blame the author for missing these errors, as well as not putting the story to beta readers for feedback. A shame. I can only hope the next book in the series has been appropriately edited.
The action had little pause. An exciting story, and well written.
I wanted to rate this four and a half stars, and round it up to five. However, I found myself regularly disturbed by the lack of attention to detail. I mean grammar and continuity. Too often there were words obviously missing. Likewise there were instances of words added in sentences that should have been omitted. Clearly a lack of appropriate editing. So I must blame the author for missing these errors, as well as not putting the story to beta readers for feedback. A shame. I can only hope the next book in the series has been appropriately edited.
October 9, 2022
That last is best
I got to the half way point & needed inspiration to keep reading because the battle scenes were not engaging me. The last chapter is the BEST! You want a rousing patriotic speech.. Delivered. I cried. I am considering the next book because I am curious of how they will deal with the aliens.
I got to the half way point & needed inspiration to keep reading because the battle scenes were not engaging me. The last chapter is the BEST! You want a rousing patriotic speech.. Delivered. I cried. I am considering the next book because I am curious of how they will deal with the aliens.
December 23, 2022
This review is actually for the preview
This download from the preview! I have never read a preview that captivated me more than Rod Carstens (Blood War Book One). From the first paragraph to the last I was so captivated by this story and the Characters!
Truly any amazing start!!!
This download from the preview! I have never read a preview that captivated me more than Rod Carstens (Blood War Book One). From the first paragraph to the last I was so captivated by this story and the Characters!
Truly any amazing start!!!
January 27, 2023
The worst attempt to translate a blue water Navy battle into space that I have ever read. Fire as you bear, strafing run from bow to stern then a quick 180 and do it again.
Did I miss the part about these fighters being equipped with an inertia less drive? Long Lance torpedoes? REALLY. (look it up)
Did I miss the part about these fighters being equipped with an inertia less drive? Long Lance torpedoes? REALLY. (look it up)
July 26, 2018
No Ensigns?
Good read. Really enjoyed it! Cool tech. Nasty aliens. What more could you want? Navy references were interesting but I noticed there were no ensigns. They graduated as ltjgs.
Good read. Really enjoyed it! Cool tech. Nasty aliens. What more could you want? Navy references were interesting but I noticed there were no ensigns. They graduated as ltjgs.
June 23, 2021
A story retold
There's only so many ways to write about overcoming adversity. The premises don't change. There are winners and losers. The writing is what matters most. Great job by author
There's only so many ways to write about overcoming adversity. The premises don't change. There are winners and losers. The writing is what matters most. Great job by author
August 7, 2021
Excellent
CqNot perfect and needs a good editor, but captures the spirit of combat and the combat arms with a familiarity a Veteran. can identify with
CqNot perfect and needs a good editor, but captures the spirit of combat and the combat arms with a familiarity a Veteran. can identify with
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews