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Hayden War Cycle #1
Na Srebrnych Skrzydłach
„Hayden War: Na Srebrnych Skrzydłach” to pierwszy tom nowego cyklu Evana Curriego.
W przyszłości ludzkość kolonizuje inne światy, eksploatuje pasy asteroid i wysyła swoje statki w ciemną przestrzeń, z której blask ich silników dociera na Ziemię po latach. W prawie każdym odwiedzanym systemie istnieje życie, ale jak dotąd człowiek nie spotkał innego inteligentnego gatunku.
Aż do dziś.
Kiedy kolonia na planecie zwanej Światem Haydena przestaje wysyłać informacje za pomocą nadświetlnego systemu komunikacji CASIMIR, Grupa Bojowa Floty Solarnej przybywa na miejsce, by zbadać sprawę. Sytuacja okazuje się na tyle zagadkowa, że zostaje podjęta decyzja o wysłaniu Zespołu Wojsk Specjalnych, by ten skontaktował się z kolonistami i ustalił, co się stało.
Tylko jeden z operatorów dostaje się żywy na planetę.
Sierżant Sorilla Aida staje naprzeciw obcych sił o nieznanych możliwościach. Co może im przeciwstawić? Swój pancerz bojowy, karabin, podstawowe wyposażenie i kilkuset haydeńskich cywilów, pragnących odzyskać swój dom.
Ale do takich misji została przecież wyszkolona.
W przyszłości ludzkość kolonizuje inne światy, eksploatuje pasy asteroid i wysyła swoje statki w ciemną przestrzeń, z której blask ich silników dociera na Ziemię po latach. W prawie każdym odwiedzanym systemie istnieje życie, ale jak dotąd człowiek nie spotkał innego inteligentnego gatunku.
Aż do dziś.
Kiedy kolonia na planecie zwanej Światem Haydena przestaje wysyłać informacje za pomocą nadświetlnego systemu komunikacji CASIMIR, Grupa Bojowa Floty Solarnej przybywa na miejsce, by zbadać sprawę. Sytuacja okazuje się na tyle zagadkowa, że zostaje podjęta decyzja o wysłaniu Zespołu Wojsk Specjalnych, by ten skontaktował się z kolonistami i ustalił, co się stało.
Tylko jeden z operatorów dostaje się żywy na planetę.
Sierżant Sorilla Aida staje naprzeciw obcych sił o nieznanych możliwościach. Co może im przeciwstawić? Swój pancerz bojowy, karabin, podstawowe wyposażenie i kilkuset haydeńskich cywilów, pragnących odzyskać swój dom.
Ale do takich misji została przecież wyszkolona.
334 pages, Paperback
First published September 28, 2011
607 people are currently reading
2737 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 217 reviews
January 25, 2016
This one slid up and down the ratings scale for me. From one point where i thought this would be a 4 start read to a spot where I tottered between 1 and 2 it was a mixed bag.
So what happened? Well we have another situation here where what should have been a fast moving tale of jungle warfare turned (at times) into a lumbering series of info dumps, character explanation and just plain..."why are we going there" interludes.
However "on the whole' the book is a (another) good story of confrontation with an alien species we don't really understand and find ourselves competing with for real estate. Oh, and the competition gets very...spirited.
So I'd recommend that you stick with it (for that matter some of you will undoubtedly like the parts that bugged and almost lost me). In the end the book definitely pulls itself together and tells a good story. I like it pretty well and while I don't plan to run right out and pick up another i will most likely follow the series...most likely.
So what happened? Well we have another situation here where what should have been a fast moving tale of jungle warfare turned (at times) into a lumbering series of info dumps, character explanation and just plain..."why are we going there" interludes.
However "on the whole' the book is a (another) good story of confrontation with an alien species we don't really understand and find ourselves competing with for real estate. Oh, and the competition gets very...spirited.
So I'd recommend that you stick with it (for that matter some of you will undoubtedly like the parts that bugged and almost lost me). In the end the book definitely pulls itself together and tells a good story. I like it pretty well and while I don't plan to run right out and pick up another i will most likely follow the series...most likely.
August 17, 2012
Overall, I really liked this book. The influences were clear — it was quickly obvious to me that Mr. Currie is about as much a fan of David Weber as I am, right down to the penchant for Russian characters and tough female leads.
The action starts on the first page. Sergeant Aida is the sole survivor of her squadron, dropped onto one of humanity’s few colonies after it’s been attacked. She’s a great character, a hard-headed Marine who very much reminded me of a certain Commander Shepard. The ragtag colonists make for strong backup. I was very fond of his science and the semi-far-future setting — no magical artificial gravity here, and the sole point of disbelief suspension is the introduction of the VASIMR (jump) drive, allowing for FTL travel. This is a great in-between, hanging out somewhere between near-future dystopian sci-fi and the sufficiently-advanced tech of the distant future.
I had a few minor quibbles here and there with the story, which I won’t go into detail on to avoid spoilers, and at least one of which may be addressed in later stories. There were also occasional typos scattered throughout, and only one or two homophone mix-ups, but not enough to significantly detract from the fast-paced narrative. I would have liked a bit more characterization — in this story we don’t get a whole lot more from the good Sergeant other than ‘hard-headed Marine’.
If you’re a fan of David Weber or other military sci-fi authors and you’re looking for a new author to fill the gap, I highly recommend picking this book up and giving Mr. Currie’s work a try. You won’t be disappointed.
The action starts on the first page. Sergeant Aida is the sole survivor of her squadron, dropped onto one of humanity’s few colonies after it’s been attacked. She’s a great character, a hard-headed Marine who very much reminded me of a certain Commander Shepard. The ragtag colonists make for strong backup. I was very fond of his science and the semi-far-future setting — no magical artificial gravity here, and the sole point of disbelief suspension is the introduction of the VASIMR (jump) drive, allowing for FTL travel. This is a great in-between, hanging out somewhere between near-future dystopian sci-fi and the sufficiently-advanced tech of the distant future.
I had a few minor quibbles here and there with the story, which I won’t go into detail on to avoid spoilers, and at least one of which may be addressed in later stories. There were also occasional typos scattered throughout, and only one or two homophone mix-ups, but not enough to significantly detract from the fast-paced narrative. I would have liked a bit more characterization — in this story we don’t get a whole lot more from the good Sergeant other than ‘hard-headed Marine’.
If you’re a fan of David Weber or other military sci-fi authors and you’re looking for a new author to fill the gap, I highly recommend picking this book up and giving Mr. Currie’s work a try. You won’t be disappointed.
March 11, 2019
Charles van Buren
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good stuff
March 11, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition
Verified Purchase
This is a well written, fast moving military sci-fi novel with interesting characters and plot twists. However, I'm calling a foul and assessing a one star penalty for overuse and misuse of the word smirk. Smirk at some of the less civilised people I've known and worked with and they would slap it off your face if circumstances were right...or wrong as the case may be.
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good stuff
March 11, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition
Verified Purchase
This is a well written, fast moving military sci-fi novel with interesting characters and plot twists. However, I'm calling a foul and assessing a one star penalty for overuse and misuse of the word smirk. Smirk at some of the less civilised people I've known and worked with and they would slap it off your face if circumstances were right...or wrong as the case may be.
March 7, 2012
This started out as something along the lines of Tanya Huff's Valor books, or Elizabeth Moon's Serrano, but lacking the politics of the Longknife series. I was ready to be intrigued. The concept and details of the alien race was very cool. But the writing was not very good. There were jarring examples of poor editing - "armor shod fingers", "belted her gunbelt", etc.
There were too many characters for this medium-length story. The classic variants of tough soldier, crusty olde fart, clever scientist, idealistic young lad who has a crush on the heroine, were all there, and they had the potential to become memorable, but there weren't enough pages to develop them all.
In summary, very cool tech and realistic dilemmas, but poor editing and insufficient character development discourages me from reading other books in this (strongly hinted) series.
There were too many characters for this medium-length story. The classic variants of tough soldier, crusty olde fart, clever scientist, idealistic young lad who has a crush on the heroine, were all there, and they had the potential to become memorable, but there weren't enough pages to develop them all.
In summary, very cool tech and realistic dilemmas, but poor editing and insufficient character development discourages me from reading other books in this (strongly hinted) series.
May 9, 2013
On Silver Wings is a fairly enjoyable read: it has likable characters, a serviceable premise (alien invasion of a newly-colonized planet) and basic respect for the laws of physics. It's hard not to find yourself cheering for Sergeant Aida, and some of the technology that the writer showcases—the smart guns and the powered armor in particular—have a very cool feel. It's a charming novel, and the Kindle edition was a treat for $4.
What On Silver Wings is not is really good sci-fi.
First, you can tell that it's a self-published e-book by the occasional typo or misspelt word.
Second, there's a lack of flow between scenes: I found myself wondering on two occasions what the point of a particular scene had been, and on one occasion frowning at an awkward transition from day-to-day jungle guerrilla narrative to a "and then months passed" moment.
Third, the action scenes are a mixed bag: some of them (e.g., Sgt. Aida blasting through the jungle in powered armor at over 70 kph) are exciting, while others (e.g., Sgt. Aida blasting nondescript, nonthreatening alien meatshields) fall pretty flat.
I am thoroughly burnt out on the Honor Harrington series after burning through the first nine novels, but I realize now that there was a reason I did so: David Weber is really good at writing space combat scenes. Evan Currie isn't there yet.
Fourth, the characters are a bit flat save for the likable Sgt. Aida. It's hard for me to recall more than two, three characters tops (I finished the novel an hour ago)
Fifth, the dialogue doesn't feel polished. I will quote the following exchange, in which an admiral attempts to convince a reluctant survey captain to enlist in the military, for your benefit:
The use of all those ellipses and the semicolon in the Admiral's appeal both bother me, but let's cut through the grammar and look at the content. This is the lamest appeal I have ever read. One of humanity's few colony worlds has been invaded by aliens who possess overwhelming technological superiority, and the novel suggests that they're hunting for other human worlds as well. This is the moment in which you put everything in context: either humanity fights back or it lies down to die. I can imagine a parallel universe in which this exchange was fiery and beautiful and made Captain Alexi Petronov lower his eyes, accepting that what he wishes is irrelevant in the face of the circumstances. That's why the reality is so disappointing.
Sixth—and this is my sharpest criticism—the book fails to cross the threshold into really good science fiction because it doesn't really pause to think about what all these technological advances and a blooming interspecies war mean for society. There are no deeper issues, just a plot and characters progressing through it. It might be more apt to call this a "military space fantasy" novel.
But, hey, I also like fantasy. And despite all the 'buts' enumerated above, I did enjoy reading it. If you have a bit of time, $4 and a Kindle, and are in the mood to read about a genuinely strong female lead and to indulge in some deliciously decadent descriptions of power armor shenanigans, by all means pick this up.
What On Silver Wings is not is really good sci-fi.
First, you can tell that it's a self-published e-book by the occasional typo or misspelt word.
Second, there's a lack of flow between scenes: I found myself wondering on two occasions what the point of a particular scene had been, and on one occasion frowning at an awkward transition from day-to-day jungle guerrilla narrative to a "and then months passed" moment.
Third, the action scenes are a mixed bag: some of them (e.g., Sgt. Aida blasting through the jungle in powered armor at over 70 kph) are exciting, while others (e.g., Sgt. Aida blasting nondescript, nonthreatening alien meatshields) fall pretty flat.
I am thoroughly burnt out on the Honor Harrington series after burning through the first nine novels, but I realize now that there was a reason I did so: David Weber is really good at writing space combat scenes. Evan Currie isn't there yet.
Fourth, the characters are a bit flat save for the likable Sgt. Aida. It's hard for me to recall more than two, three characters tops (I finished the novel an hour ago)
Fifth, the dialogue doesn't feel polished. I will quote the following exchange, in which an admiral attempts to convince a reluctant survey captain to enlist in the military, for your benefit:
The use of all those ellipses and the semicolon in the Admiral's appeal both bother me, but let's cut through the grammar and look at the content. This is the lamest appeal I have ever read. One of humanity's few colony worlds has been invaded by aliens who possess overwhelming technological superiority, and the novel suggests that they're hunting for other human worlds as well. This is the moment in which you put everything in context: either humanity fights back or it lies down to die. I can imagine a parallel universe in which this exchange was fiery and beautiful and made Captain Alexi Petronov lower his eyes, accepting that what he wishes is irrelevant in the face of the circumstances. That's why the reality is so disappointing.
Sixth—and this is my sharpest criticism—the book fails to cross the threshold into really good science fiction because it doesn't really pause to think about what all these technological advances and a blooming interspecies war mean for society. There are no deeper issues, just a plot and characters progressing through it. It might be more apt to call this a "military space fantasy" novel.
But, hey, I also like fantasy. And despite all the 'buts' enumerated above, I did enjoy reading it. If you have a bit of time, $4 and a Kindle, and are in the mood to read about a genuinely strong female lead and to indulge in some deliciously decadent descriptions of power armor shenanigans, by all means pick this up.
March 28, 2016
OK, but bad physics.
I got this book for free from a scifi giveaway. I am not too keen on military SF and it is not the kind of book I would normally buy. Then I read it. It is quite readable, though I do agree that characters are not really developed. But then, I do not always read scifi for character development, there may be other qualities. One original idea, to me, was the suicide mission (this is not really a spoiler). The emphasis on intelligence over all other war issues in the context of the story is also a good idea, though I do not know original it is.
The behavior of aliens is strange, though I may not be inconsistent or inconsequential, as suggested by other readers. But this book tells us nothing of substance about the aliens. So even if this behavior makes sense, and adds new twists to the story, this will have to be explained in following books, and it cannot be credited to this one.
Given my taste and the above remarks, I might have given it 3 stars (possibly 3.5 if that were possible). However I had to remove one star because the physics is wrong, regarding the space elevator. I cannot recommend a book that teaches false scientific information. If you cut the elevator cable high enough (does not have to be very high), it falls east of the anchoring point. The details of the physics for a long piece of cable are probably non trivial. But if you consider a small piece, say the car, that was below the planet-synchronous point, its angular speed increases as it falls closer to the planet. Hence it goes east faster that the planet itself in its rotation. The cable will not land as a heap on the anchor, but higher parts will be eastward. Not to mention that given the length of the cable, it would be a very large heap, pretty hard to search for specific parts.
I got this book for free from a scifi giveaway. I am not too keen on military SF and it is not the kind of book I would normally buy. Then I read it. It is quite readable, though I do agree that characters are not really developed. But then, I do not always read scifi for character development, there may be other qualities. One original idea, to me, was the suicide mission (this is not really a spoiler). The emphasis on intelligence over all other war issues in the context of the story is also a good idea, though I do not know original it is.
The behavior of aliens is strange, though I may not be inconsistent or inconsequential, as suggested by other readers. But this book tells us nothing of substance about the aliens. So even if this behavior makes sense, and adds new twists to the story, this will have to be explained in following books, and it cannot be credited to this one.
Given my taste and the above remarks, I might have given it 3 stars (possibly 3.5 if that were possible). However I had to remove one star because the physics is wrong, regarding the space elevator. I cannot recommend a book that teaches false scientific information. If you cut the elevator cable high enough (does not have to be very high), it falls east of the anchoring point. The details of the physics for a long piece of cable are probably non trivial. But if you consider a small piece, say the car, that was below the planet-synchronous point, its angular speed increases as it falls closer to the planet. Hence it goes east faster that the planet itself in its rotation. The cable will not land as a heap on the anchor, but higher parts will be eastward. Not to mention that given the length of the cable, it would be a very large heap, pretty hard to search for specific parts.
September 11, 2019
Pretty good, I look forward to more in this series.
November 16, 2014
Evan I officially welcome you to the pantheon of awesome and badass military science fiction novel series. On Silver Wings was a truly magnificent addition to my pantheon. You've joined the likes of David Weber's Honor Harrington series, On Basilisk Station Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet series Dauntless and Jean Johnson's Theirs Not to Reason Why series A Soldier's Duty. I loved the protagonists of this book. They're likable and crazy. The Sergeant is such a badass, the technology is well defined and without convoluted explanations, the combat scenes are also well done. Looking forward to reading the rest of your series. BTW I've read the Hayden war arc, just started on the cold war arc.
January 1, 2020
DNF 24%
Have you ever seen those medieval paintings featuring lions savaging knights? Since the artists had never seen an actual lion, their renderings look more like mutated dogs. In the same way, this Science Fiction Military novel by Evan Currie bears little resemblance to actual science or military doctrine.
At one point a space navy captain talks about how short a time her crew could survive under 100 Gs of acceleration... for those who don't get it, the actual time is close to zero seconds. Meanwhile, a special forces soldier, with her rag-tag group of support grunts, is on a mission in hostile territory... without a forward screen or flankers. When attacked, they all focus on the single known enemy, taking no precautions against other threats.
In addition, the supposedly far-future technology is described too specifically, using modern tech equivalents. For example, Sargent Sorila's ocular implants use "OLED" displays. Sigh.
Have you ever seen those medieval paintings featuring lions savaging knights? Since the artists had never seen an actual lion, their renderings look more like mutated dogs. In the same way, this Science Fiction Military novel by Evan Currie bears little resemblance to actual science or military doctrine.
At one point a space navy captain talks about how short a time her crew could survive under 100 Gs of acceleration... for those who don't get it, the actual time is close to zero seconds. Meanwhile, a special forces soldier, with her rag-tag group of support grunts, is on a mission in hostile territory... without a forward screen or flankers. When attacked, they all focus on the single known enemy, taking no precautions against other threats.
In addition, the supposedly far-future technology is described too specifically, using modern tech equivalents. For example, Sargent Sorila's ocular implants use "OLED" displays. Sigh.
May 29, 2021
This book belongs to one of my favorite series, I don't know how many times I've read On Silver Wings. I like to read it when I'm looking for something to read but nothing out there sparks my interests.
This is a pure military science fiction about a first contact with a very unfriendly alien race. It is told from two perspectives Sergeant Sorilla Aida on Hayden and various military forces in space.
The science fiction aspect is very well researched and has a lot of technologies that are based on current theories of stuff we could be building in the near future or very believable tech that is not too imaginative.
PS:
There is a scene somewhat at the start that is incredibly emotional for me and I tear up every time.
This is a pure military science fiction about a first contact with a very unfriendly alien race. It is told from two perspectives Sergeant Sorilla Aida on Hayden and various military forces in space.
The science fiction aspect is very well researched and has a lot of technologies that are based on current theories of stuff we could be building in the near future or very believable tech that is not too imaginative.
PS:
There is a scene somewhat at the start that is incredibly emotional for me and I tear up every time.
April 6, 2016
2.5 Stars for me
A far reaching space military adventure. While some of the plot was good, a last surviving soldier (strong character) stranded on a planet with a depleted space suit, trying to make due with a group of civilians, battling an alien force never seen., to dragged out passages which really slowed down the pace. If this book was better edited, possibly a 4 star rating would have been in order.
I have only read a handful of military sci-fi, so, perhaps this was one was not for me.
A far reaching space military adventure. While some of the plot was good, a last surviving soldier (strong character) stranded on a planet with a depleted space suit, trying to make due with a group of civilians, battling an alien force never seen., to dragged out passages which really slowed down the pace. If this book was better edited, possibly a 4 star rating would have been in order.
I have only read a handful of military sci-fi, so, perhaps this was one was not for me.
November 15, 2018
I love Sorilla and the cool high-tech toys she has to play with. I also enjoy the fact that the medical tech is also very whizzy and high-functioning so we don’t have a single soldier going up against a powerful alien enemy with a collection of serious injuries when by rights she shouldn’t be moving from a hospital bed. That’s a scenario I get a tad tired of in this sub-genre at times. Currie is careful to ensure the physical limits of his super-soldier are sufficiently realistic so that while I’m sympathetic and concerned about her pain – I’m not rolling my eyes at being yanked out of the story at the unfeasibility of it all.
Currie also handles the scene changes and inevitably wide cast of characters that have to be involved in this type of scenario without holding up the pace with lengthy info-dumps or those wincing, ‘As you know, Bob…’ conversations. I found some of the early engagements both exciting and the aftermath genuinely poignant. The outcomes matter – not just on an epic Earth-is-at-stake scale, but on the personal level where friends and lovers are lost.
There is plenty of action and tension to make me continue turning the pages in order to find out what happens next in this exciting military sci fi adventure. One of the reasons I wanted to continue turning those pages was to find out more about the mysterious aliens and their terrifying weapons. Currie’s deft handling of the steadily increasing bank of knowledge about these creatures was a major contribution to this enjoyable opener to this series. I now know why Himself kept banging on about it.
Highly recommended for fans of epic and engrossing military science fiction.
9/10
Currie also handles the scene changes and inevitably wide cast of characters that have to be involved in this type of scenario without holding up the pace with lengthy info-dumps or those wincing, ‘As you know, Bob…’ conversations. I found some of the early engagements both exciting and the aftermath genuinely poignant. The outcomes matter – not just on an epic Earth-is-at-stake scale, but on the personal level where friends and lovers are lost.
There is plenty of action and tension to make me continue turning the pages in order to find out what happens next in this exciting military sci fi adventure. One of the reasons I wanted to continue turning those pages was to find out more about the mysterious aliens and their terrifying weapons. Currie’s deft handling of the steadily increasing bank of knowledge about these creatures was a major contribution to this enjoyable opener to this series. I now know why Himself kept banging on about it.
Highly recommended for fans of epic and engrossing military science fiction.
9/10
June 15, 2019
Four Stars if you are into this type of SciFi
This type of military sci-fi is not for everyone. I personally enjoy it. The storyline is pretty predictable and there’s not a lot of hard science involved but the action is great and the author does a fine job setting the scenes. It’s pretty basic stuff so don’t look for anything deep here but it’s what I enjoy when I want a quick and easy get-a-away from this reality.
This type of military sci-fi is not for everyone. I personally enjoy it. The storyline is pretty predictable and there’s not a lot of hard science involved but the action is great and the author does a fine job setting the scenes. It’s pretty basic stuff so don’t look for anything deep here but it’s what I enjoy when I want a quick and easy get-a-away from this reality.
June 10, 2025
I'm a huge Evan Currie fan and have been meaning to pick up this series for awhile.
Premise: There is an alien attack on a distant Earth colony. They bring in space marines (or whatever) and they all die, except one, who lands and forms a resistance.
The rest of the book cuts back between her and her Earth counterparts who are trying to help. I loved it and can't wait to read the rest!
Premise: There is an alien attack on a distant Earth colony. They bring in space marines (or whatever) and they all die, except one, who lands and forms a resistance.
The rest of the book cuts back between her and her Earth counterparts who are trying to help. I loved it and can't wait to read the rest!
January 15, 2018
Generic characters with little to no depth, and a plot whilst serviceable offers little of interest. Hostiles are painfully dumb, yet have a massive tech advantage.
If you want a Sci-fi with solid characters, world-building and a dynamic evolving plot, you will find none of these things here.
If you want a Sci-fi with solid characters, world-building and a dynamic evolving plot, you will find none of these things here.
June 23, 2022
The book is quite good, I think it's a superbook, very good reading and spelling, I think it's a good book, highly recommended.
June 15, 2023
Dodatkowa gwiazdka minus za wyjątkowo mierny przekład.
September 2, 2022
Sen nebija nekā viega un šoreiz ir... Stāsts par planētu, ko kolonizējuši cilvēki, bet tad ir uzbrukums... Neparastas tehnoloģijas, nezināms ienaidnieks, iznīcināta flote un viena izdzīvojusī...
Labs sakums trilogijai, kas pārvērtusies nu jau 9 gramatās :D
Labs sakums trilogijai, kas pārvērtusies nu jau 9 gramatās :D
June 9, 2020
My fiancee recommended this book and I actually enjoyed it. I'm usually not one for military sci-fi, if you'd even call this book that, but I was sucked into the story and before I knew it, I began to genuinely care about the characters and the predicament they were in. I did get confused when the book jumped back to the fleet. I just couldn't keep all the Generals and Captains straight, but it didn't really matter all that much because I understood the gist of what they were trying to do and what was happening up in space. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book.
February 12, 2013
Strap yourself in. This will be a ride to remember.
Sgt. Sorilla Aida falls to Hayden. What she finds there, she cannot explain. As a veteran operator, she has seen action all over but whatever is happening on Hayden is a mystery. The good news. She'll get to the answers soon. The bad news. The answers want her dead, with as little molecular waste left over.
OSW impressed me with the amount of technology proposed in this book. Normally there are tons of innovations in a regular science fiction novel. Most you would just think, neat but you can't figure how it would work. That's the beauty of Currie's universe, it's verging on fantastic yet you can so easily wrap your head around the concepts. They aren't simplistic, just well thought out and setup. I don't see any reader getting that info-dump feeling.
This is a self published novel. It shows a handful of times, in an incorrect tense or truncated sentence. These weren't even noticeable enough to detract from the beautiful pacing and page turning "what the hell" factor. If anything it makes the book even more of a triumph. Evan Currie surely deserves some kudos. On Silver Wings is an amazing accomplishment, for any published work and as a story in itself. It may not necessarily be fresh, after all this is science fiction. It's still crisp.
Although my initial plan to give this five stars got halted just near the end. That may be a sadness on my part because of events near the ending. I was expecting one thing and got another surprise. It's not hard to review OSW. I can do that in two words. Read this. What's a difficult, is keeping the regularly occurring surprises, just that way. It's a start to finish nail biting, eye opening, forward looking and incredibly good thrill ride. Right to the last page.
Sgt. Sorilla Aida falls to Hayden. What she finds there, she cannot explain. As a veteran operator, she has seen action all over but whatever is happening on Hayden is a mystery. The good news. She'll get to the answers soon. The bad news. The answers want her dead, with as little molecular waste left over.
OSW impressed me with the amount of technology proposed in this book. Normally there are tons of innovations in a regular science fiction novel. Most you would just think, neat but you can't figure how it would work. That's the beauty of Currie's universe, it's verging on fantastic yet you can so easily wrap your head around the concepts. They aren't simplistic, just well thought out and setup. I don't see any reader getting that info-dump feeling.
This is a self published novel. It shows a handful of times, in an incorrect tense or truncated sentence. These weren't even noticeable enough to detract from the beautiful pacing and page turning "what the hell" factor. If anything it makes the book even more of a triumph. Evan Currie surely deserves some kudos. On Silver Wings is an amazing accomplishment, for any published work and as a story in itself. It may not necessarily be fresh, after all this is science fiction. It's still crisp.
Although my initial plan to give this five stars got halted just near the end. That may be a sadness on my part because of events near the ending. I was expecting one thing and got another surprise. It's not hard to review OSW. I can do that in two words. Read this. What's a difficult, is keeping the regularly occurring surprises, just that way. It's a start to finish nail biting, eye opening, forward looking and incredibly good thrill ride. Right to the last page.
October 19, 2012
I really liked this. Fast paced, intelligent and a great read.
The editing could have been a bit sharper. -I can't believe I just wrote that, but It's true. Let me try to explain...
Essentially there are two story threads: 1. Planetside special ops. + 2. Fleet operations.
Both were well executed. I hate when the author juggles story threads and one, or a few, are clearly superior and more relevant than others which begin to feel like world building without purpose. *cough* George R R Martin *cough,cough* but I couldn't help but think the Fleet ops piece felt a bit clunky or contrived or both. The action and 'science' were great, but there were characters introduced that were completely extraneous when you weigh wether or not they added to the richness of the universe or helped propel the story along.
I will read the next book and definitely recommend this, but it falls somewhat short of what James S A Corey accomplished with Leviathon Wakes and Caliban's War
The editing could have been a bit sharper. -I can't believe I just wrote that, but It's true. Let me try to explain...
Essentially there are two story threads: 1. Planetside special ops. + 2. Fleet operations.
Both were well executed. I hate when the author juggles story threads and one, or a few, are clearly superior and more relevant than others which begin to feel like world building without purpose. *cough* George R R Martin *cough,cough* but I couldn't help but think the Fleet ops piece felt a bit clunky or contrived or both. The action and 'science' were great, but there were characters introduced that were completely extraneous when you weigh wether or not they added to the richness of the universe or helped propel the story along.
I will read the next book and definitely recommend this, but it falls somewhat short of what James S A Corey accomplished with Leviathon Wakes and Caliban's War
August 10, 2017
Without warning some unknown and unnamed aliens have attacked the human colony planet Hayden. Many, perhaps a majority, of the colonists have been killed, and the remainder have been driven into the jungles. The story kicks off with Sergeant Sorilla Aida, the lone surviver of a special forces unit that was dispatched to contact the colonists and find out what the hell is going on. It becomes her job to organize and inspire colonial resistance. While she is doing that, other human units take on the alien warcraft and soon find themselves at a serious technological disadvantage.
There is a lot of action both on the ground and in space. This is where Evan Currie shines. He really knows how to describe military action.
Pretty good military SF. 3.5 stars.
Very minor spoiler:
There is a lot of action both on the ground and in space. This is where Evan Currie shines. He really knows how to describe military action.
Pretty good military SF. 3.5 stars.
Very minor spoiler:
March 18, 2014
I read the Odyssey series and like them so much I moved on to the Warrior's Wings. I was not disappointed. These novels have great characters and warning - they are not all miraculously saved. This is not a feel good, everyone makes it out alive through team work. And they are all the better for it. Very technical but not absolutely necessary to understand to get the story. I will admit to fogging over a few paragraphs which were heavy on physics and science without any detriment to the plot, I enjoyed the human and alien characters. Each book was exciting, but important to read them in order.
I will use this review for each book in the series with the disclaimer that I loved them all and was not disappointed in any of them. If you love Sci-Fi, you will love these. Highly recommend!
I will use this review for each book in the series with the disclaimer that I loved them all and was not disappointed in any of them. If you love Sci-Fi, you will love these. Highly recommend!
March 12, 2012
This is a great, fast-read, military sci-fi story. I loved the tech and the fact that Currie does not bother with artificial gravity on his space-ships. There were a few editing glitches, especially toward the end, but nothing that hindered my enjoyment.
I would have given this book four stars if there had been a bit more character development. I really loved several of the chracters and was left wanting to know more about them. Over-all, though, I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes military sci-fi.
I would have given this book four stars if there had been a bit more character development. I really loved several of the chracters and was left wanting to know more about them. Over-all, though, I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes military sci-fi.
December 3, 2021
I just can't, anymore. Currie's books are always a fun read, but the more I read the more they're coming across as very base level military sci fi. At the least he needs a book deal and an editor - a bored teenager could have found the errors in this book.
Normally I'd have given this book 3 stars, but since it seems like each I read has more problems, I'm downgrading it. I feel bad doing it, but I'm doing it.
If there was a book deal in place and libraries had them, I'd probably continue to see if it gets any better. But I can't see purchasing more in this series.
Normally I'd have given this book 3 stars, but since it seems like each I read has more problems, I'm downgrading it. I feel bad doing it, but I'm doing it.
If there was a book deal in place and libraries had them, I'd probably continue to see if it gets any better. But I can't see purchasing more in this series.
March 31, 2016
Blah, another cookie cutter, boring, sci-fi space/ground combat book. Nothing at all original in this one. Boring characters and zero character development. At least the aliens are not insectoid like most other similar books, but rock golems aren't much better. Definitely avoid this one.
November 18, 2019
I haven't decided yet if I'll continue in this series or not. On one hand, it was entertaining. On the other hand, a lot of irritating little issues.
First, random orphan sentences that are like the start of a paragraph but... then nothing. The rest of the editing seemed fine but I couldn't figure these out. Maybe a formatting issue? (I read on Kindle)
Second, overuse of the word 'literally' in a redundant and inaccurate way ('they were literally forged by pieces of asteroid' or something like that—what else would we suppose you mean by 'forged'??? Who is metaphorically forging this tech??? I think the author means 'actually').
Third, repetition. OMG. We'd get one point of view character where something would be explained, then in someone else's point of view... that SAME THING would be explained! In similar but not the same words. We get it. Many g's = bad news for human bodies that want to stay living. The millionth time we get told that the speed of the alien ships would be impossible for any human to withstand... um... done with it. Also, lots of tech and army-speak—that is perfectly fine, I'm not familiar with a lot of army terms or hard sci-fi tech and I don't read much military sci-fi so I don't judge that—but sometimes it just goes on and on for the second or third time and you're like... yeah... you said that maybe 15 pages ago... I get it.
Fourth, what's with the sections? Was this originally released as novellas and short stories? That doesn't make any sense to me... but there are these really short sections that have no obvious separation in the plot. One section was a single chapter. And the chapter numbers RESTART for each section! Confusing.
Also, probably a formatting issue on kindle, but the locations were in the same format as the regular text, so that was hard to read, would have been nice if those were italics or all caps or something.
And I didn't understand why about halfway through the Sarge's built-in computer thing has 'apps' when it didn't before—it wasn't specified before, then all of a sudden there was this app in the bottom left corner, and you might look at your chronos app (um, aka 'the time'?) which is also in the bottom left corner....
So—plot is fun. Sci-fi is fun. Fighting and kicking through walls and guerrilla tactics are fun. Strength and depth of plot? Hm. I'm pretty sure the humans need to invest in... you know... drones i.e. unmanned spaceships to fight these enemies that crush entire ships and kill all their crew, but maybe that's not possible. It definitely felt like a novella as there honestly wasn't a lot going on and not a lot happened. (For a book. I'm sure if you were a colonist you would think otherwise.) There was zero character development or focus on character at all, other than getting it pounded into us that Sg Aida was badass. Since she's the only one of her kind (of troop) to make it planetside, and for a long time she was the only one with advanced machinery(guns), and the only one who knew how to work the other machinery, and she has implants that let her analyze the environment and heal her and stuff... you actually DO NOT HAVE ANY IDEA HOW COOL SHE IS! It sounds great but she's a trained soldier among CIVILIANS! With lots of cool TECH! It would have been much more impressive if we saw the status quo before being told to believe she was different. ...Or maybe that's the point, because to these colonists, even the average soldier is like a god? not sure.
I'll probably end up trying out book 2 and seeing if the plot is interesting enough to cover for the rest of it.
If you like military sci-fi, or sci-fi in general, I recommend giving it a go because cool tech is fun. You'll just... have to let some things go.
First, random orphan sentences that are like the start of a paragraph but... then nothing. The rest of the editing seemed fine but I couldn't figure these out. Maybe a formatting issue? (I read on Kindle)
Second, overuse of the word 'literally' in a redundant and inaccurate way ('they were literally forged by pieces of asteroid' or something like that—what else would we suppose you mean by 'forged'??? Who is metaphorically forging this tech??? I think the author means 'actually').
Third, repetition. OMG. We'd get one point of view character where something would be explained, then in someone else's point of view... that SAME THING would be explained! In similar but not the same words. We get it. Many g's = bad news for human bodies that want to stay living. The millionth time we get told that the speed of the alien ships would be impossible for any human to withstand... um... done with it. Also, lots of tech and army-speak—that is perfectly fine, I'm not familiar with a lot of army terms or hard sci-fi tech and I don't read much military sci-fi so I don't judge that—but sometimes it just goes on and on for the second or third time and you're like... yeah... you said that maybe 15 pages ago... I get it.
Fourth, what's with the sections? Was this originally released as novellas and short stories? That doesn't make any sense to me... but there are these really short sections that have no obvious separation in the plot. One section was a single chapter. And the chapter numbers RESTART for each section! Confusing.
Also, probably a formatting issue on kindle, but the locations were in the same format as the regular text, so that was hard to read, would have been nice if those were italics or all caps or something.
And I didn't understand why about halfway through the Sarge's built-in computer thing has 'apps' when it didn't before—it wasn't specified before, then all of a sudden there was this app in the bottom left corner, and you might look at your chronos app (um, aka 'the time'?) which is also in the bottom left corner....
So—plot is fun. Sci-fi is fun. Fighting and kicking through walls and guerrilla tactics are fun. Strength and depth of plot? Hm. I'm pretty sure the humans need to invest in... you know... drones i.e. unmanned spaceships to fight these enemies that crush entire ships and kill all their crew, but maybe that's not possible. It definitely felt like a novella as there honestly wasn't a lot going on and not a lot happened. (For a book. I'm sure if you were a colonist you would think otherwise.) There was zero character development or focus on character at all, other than getting it pounded into us that Sg Aida was badass. Since she's the only one of her kind (of troop) to make it planetside, and for a long time she was the only one with advanced machinery(guns), and the only one who knew how to work the other machinery, and she has implants that let her analyze the environment and heal her and stuff... you actually DO NOT HAVE ANY IDEA HOW COOL SHE IS! It sounds great but she's a trained soldier among CIVILIANS! With lots of cool TECH! It would have been much more impressive if we saw the status quo before being told to believe she was different. ...Or maybe that's the point, because to these colonists, even the average soldier is like a god? not sure.
I'll probably end up trying out book 2 and seeing if the plot is interesting enough to cover for the rest of it.
If you like military sci-fi, or sci-fi in general, I recommend giving it a go because cool tech is fun. You'll just... have to let some things go.
February 2, 2021
A tough female ground troops soldier, Sargent Sorilla Aida, infiltrates an alien enemy line on a federation planet called Haden. She is stranded after the Federation Fleet loses its battle with the invaders’ three supporting ships in space. Recruiting local alien invasion survivors, she trains them in the art of guerilla warfare and leads them in skirmishes designed to harass the planet occupying aliens. A new Earth space fleet returns after several months with their more powerful ships intent on providing aid and defense to Haden's citizens. But again, they lose the entire fleet to the three alien ships that defeated the prior Federation Fleet. The aliens’ ships are powerful having the power to manipulate gravity and to use it in a singularity fashion to crush Federation ships. A few of the fleet's survey ships, sent to deliver food and supplies to the planet’s residents and to evacuate Sorilla and some of Haden's research scientist for repatriation and debriefing, accomplish their mission and destroy the remaining alien ship after its three-ship fleet’s mutually destructive battle with the much larger Federation fleet.
I was first introduced to this Evan Currie’s writing in the Odyssey One series. After that, I read his two-book Archangel series, and, with ‘On Silver Wings’, am now moving on to the Hayden Wars series. Evan Currie is one of the authors that I enjoy reading for relaxation and escape. His books are well written with very human characters utilizing advanced tools and technologies. Other authors I like in this genre are Vaughn Heppner, Neal Asher, and Marko Kloos.
I was first introduced to this Evan Currie’s writing in the Odyssey One series. After that, I read his two-book Archangel series, and, with ‘On Silver Wings’, am now moving on to the Hayden Wars series. Evan Currie is one of the authors that I enjoy reading for relaxation and escape. His books are well written with very human characters utilizing advanced tools and technologies. Other authors I like in this genre are Vaughn Heppner, Neal Asher, and Marko Kloos.
April 30, 2021
I made it through to book 6 in this Hayden war cycle. My advice, skip 1, 2, and perhaps 3. 4, 5 and 6 are more interesting, although nothing world shattering and a whole lot of unnecessary foreshadowing. I'm giving up before the author finally tells us what the whole thing was about because I'm done losing my time. This "cycle" warranted no more than three novels, not the 8 I think it's up to until now.
There is also some weird pandering in the first books. Completely unnecessarily, the author dehumanizes the Chinese people, to the extent that I was expecting at any time that hey turn out to be on the Alien side. It goes nowhere. Of course, the europeans are mooching on the military spending of the US, the Arabs are savages killing everyone and each other, Indian subcontinent and Africa just third world hell holes. Latin America rates second world I guess. Oh and there are friendly soviets and a sympathetic Israeli special forces. All that has no baring at all on the story of course, it's just pandering to the red blooded, I guess male, American reader of this kind of military fantasy, coming from a Canadian author. But it's so unnecessary and transparent that I couldn't get offended, just bored.
You get to skim pages and pages of uninteresting combat scenes if that's not your jam. It's not mine so I can't possibly say if it is good or bad.
There is also some weird pandering in the first books. Completely unnecessarily, the author dehumanizes the Chinese people, to the extent that I was expecting at any time that hey turn out to be on the Alien side. It goes nowhere. Of course, the europeans are mooching on the military spending of the US, the Arabs are savages killing everyone and each other, Indian subcontinent and Africa just third world hell holes. Latin America rates second world I guess. Oh and there are friendly soviets and a sympathetic Israeli special forces. All that has no baring at all on the story of course, it's just pandering to the red blooded, I guess male, American reader of this kind of military fantasy, coming from a Canadian author. But it's so unnecessary and transparent that I couldn't get offended, just bored.
You get to skim pages and pages of uninteresting combat scenes if that's not your jam. It's not mine so I can't possibly say if it is good or bad.
April 30, 2019
Readable. It isn't exactly science fiction, space opera probably better characterizes series or rather "pure" fiction. Society presented in "future" isn't different from current version, economics of colonization are not well thought, aliens culture / motives are not well thought as well, as result , the nature of conflict looks extremely superficial. With minimal spoilers content of first five books could explained in following sentences:
1) Heroine survives landing, trains colonists, help to liberate Hayden from technically superior unsociable and tactically dumb aliens.
2) With huge losses human fleet somehow manages to destroy three enemy ships, Earth decides to build a new fleet.
3) Humans partially reverse engineer alien spaceship which utilizes gravitation technologies without relevant development in theoretical physics.
4) Heroine returns to Hayden to found new type of aliens which are formidable opponents but despite that easily destroys opposition.
5) Another massive space battle, heroine pilots mecha to board enemy portal ship. Significant losses forces both sides to initiate a diplomatic initiative.
6) During finalization of agreement between humans and Alliance, heroine prevents sabotage and stops terrorists from murder of diplomatic mission.
1) Heroine survives landing, trains colonists, help to liberate Hayden from technically superior unsociable and tactically dumb aliens.
2) With huge losses human fleet somehow manages to destroy three enemy ships, Earth decides to build a new fleet.
3) Humans partially reverse engineer alien spaceship which utilizes gravitation technologies without relevant development in theoretical physics.
4) Heroine returns to Hayden to found new type of aliens which are formidable opponents but despite that easily destroys opposition.
5) Another massive space battle, heroine pilots mecha to board enemy portal ship. Significant losses forces both sides to initiate a diplomatic initiative.
6) During finalization of agreement between humans and Alliance, heroine prevents sabotage and stops terrorists from murder of diplomatic mission.
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