In the Valley

The Valley #1

by Jason Lambright

Paul Thompson’s third combat rotation is a real ballbuster. Hundreds of light-years from Earth, he’s with an advisor team attached to an infantry battalion fighting a vicious dissident movement among Pashtun settlers. Between the untrustworthy allies, the nihilistic terrorists, and the constant chaos, this counterinsurgency operation has him near the breaking point. A masterwork of military science fiction, In the Valley takes an unvarnished look at military life through the eyes of a soldier reflecting back on how he ended up among the carnage in Pashto Khel, a village in the Baradna Valley on far-distant Juneau 3. Twenty-fourth-century military technology has come a long way. The Halo headband, which permits instant communications and Internet connection directly to the brain, is indispensible, while the armored combat suit, a powered exoskeleton that fits soldiers with gear, weapons, and communications equipment, has its advantages—and disadvantages. Meanwhile, the AK-47 has endured the test of time. And so have the stark human realities of combat. On and off the battlefields of In the Valley, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Genres: Science Fiction, Military Fiction

334 pages, Paperback

First published June 11, 2014

Reviews

[Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deja vu, allover again.

I'm from PIttsburgh. I graduated from Banning School for Boys. I became an advisor in vietnam. I am sure that the author based this on his servce, so why was his tour the same as mine. Combat can be exilerating, but fatigue and disease make cowards of us all. Disentary is a bitch. Maybe David Drake should write a story about Centuries Froggy advising an alla of German cavalry. Bravo. Well done.

[Hugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different time, same shit

Realistic telling of the day to day grind of the infantry soldier of the future (no so different from now) interspersed with flashbacks of how he got there

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

realistic, moving, entrancing

Good story and character development. Utterly realistic combat mindset and military lifestyle. Wish it were longer. Wish for more, for the story to continue.

[Dale (Aus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for being inside the head of men who actually do the fighting and the conflict and the raw thoughts going on. I enjoyed the book and thought it better captured things I know little about.

[Paul Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

A realistic novel about combat

I could tell that the author had been there himself. It sounded very much as a description of war in Afghanistan.

[Daniel Hamad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Popcorn. With some depressing thoughts thrown in.

[Sharyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

I really enjoyed this book and am glad for the intro to this author. Excellent read, exciting, well written characters. I’m off to buy the author”s next book.

[Mandy Walkden-Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly well written.

A compelling, unvarnished insight into daily life in a combat zone where the dissidents wear the same face as innocent civilians.

Certainly no glamour draped on these grunts' shoulders masking the reality that is a soldier's day-to/day existence in any theatre of war. No matter the age, past, present or future, nor indeed which planet, soldiering is likely to remain little changed on a personal level. The tech may improve from decade to decade, century by century but the human at the interface does not.

Really adds to the believability when the author writing about military action actually has that experience to draw upon and it is well reflected in the narrative. As a consequence, the battles are visceral, the camaraderie tangible and the tension is palpable.

An intriguing snippet of news in the final pages has me wondering just what is likely to unfold with the next book, which I'm about to open now.

[Gary Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty cool Sci-Fi War story. Interesting attempt to get into the psychology of a soldier and the effects of the traumas encountered. Easy writing to digest so very reader-friendly. I'll certainly stick with this trilogy.

[Therbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is set a few hundred years in the future. Earth has colonised other planets in star systems near and far. On some of these worlds dissidents have taken up arms and are causing grief. This is where armoured infantrymen are sent. This is the story of Paul Thompson from recruitment to military operative on alien worlds.
Written with a soldiers eye for FUBAR this book reads well. The comparison with American military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq is easily made and not hidden. The author has lived it and its that knowledge and point of view which gives the story an edge.
Much looking forward to the next in the series.