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Destroyermen #11

Blood in the Water

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Taylor Anderson’s enthralling New York Times bestselling series of alternate history continues as game-changing revelations upend the Grand Alliance in a potentially cataclysmic war.
 
Ever since the USS Walker came from another world war to defy the terrifying Grik and diabolical Dominion, Matt Reddy and his crew have given their all to protect the oppressed Lemurians. But with the Walker in desperate need of repairs just as the Grik’s First General is poised to strike, Reddy is desperate.
 
With more enemies than ever before arrayed against them, the crew of the Walker needs new allies. That means combing the lethal wilds of Madagascar to find the Lemurians’ fabled ancestors, as well as the enigmatic dwellers east of the Pass of Fire. But what Reddy’s crew unearths may be more than they can handle—discoveries so shattering they could tilt the balance of the war in either direction. 
 
But Reddy’s greatest adversary is from his past: a madman named Kurokawa whose single-minded mission of revenge will shake the Alliance to its core and raise the stakes to the most personal and terrifying levels Reddy has ever faced.

Length: 17 hrs and 15 mins

Audible Audio

First published June 14, 2016

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Taylor Anderson

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
Profile Image for Daniel Shellenbarger.
539 reviews20 followers
March 12, 2024
(what follows are some general thoughts (from my first read-through in 2016, though after a second reading, I think my points are still valid) on what I liked and what frustrated me about this book, some is mildly spoilerish, but I don't really bother with a plot synopsis; after all this is book 11 in the series, a plot synopsis would take forever!)

100ish pages in when I realized that he was really going to do it, I swore I'd give this book 3 stars out of rage, but here we are, and I gave it 4 stars. Why? I didn't want to at first, Mr. Anderson pulled a really cheap (and predictable) melodramatic plot device that he'd actually already used once, many books ago. I actually begged him not to do it in my review of the previous book because I saw it coming a mile away and didn't like the idea. He did it anyway, and it was awful. In fact, a lot of awful things happen in this book, the allies are clearly on the defensive in the West. The U.S.S. Walker is out of the fight (and Captain Reddy is almost non-involved in the story, weird as that seems considering his main character status in basically every book in the series to date), too damaged to do more than putter around the harbor in Madagascar to avoid damage during the nightly Grik air raids. The Japanese and Grik have excellent intelligence (thanks to the perfidious League of Tripoli, playing its Machiavellian games from the shadows) on what the Allies are up to, and have laid some nasty traps to upend the entire campaign in the west, and the Allies suffer some brutal losses as a result. Yet, while all of this is really harsh; apart from the one thing, it doesn't feel unreasonable, it feels like war, brutal unpredictable and tragic, and it all underscores the sad tragedy of the Allies impromptu seizure of Madagascar two books ago, an action taken for emotional rather than practical strategic reasons which has tied the Allies into a campaign that they really REALLY weren't ready to mount. Still, bad as things might seem in this book, the fact that the Allies continue to adapt to this situation and are moving forward towards what feels like a final confrontation with the Grik and Japanese (and with the Dominion, too) means that it isn't as bleak as you might fear. Likewise, there's some good things to balance out all the doom and gloom: Halik has finally had it with the Grik way and is doing something about it, we get some info on the "Other Americans" (a plot thread that seems to have been dangling forever), and Silva and Chack go on a safari and make interesting new friends: good stuff! The eastern front is basically a non-element in this book (even more so than in the previous book), mostly because I think Anderson has already decided that the Dominion is finished and is just moving pieces around for the final showdown. Apart from some chapters dealing with the search for the "Other Americans," I think there might've been two chapters total about the eastern front, and that's probably too generous on my part. I was really beginning to fear that this series was starting to falter after the rather frustrating previous book, but while I may have disagreed sharply with Mr. Anderson on the one plot point (it's SO cheap!) and am mildly annoyed by how the Grik and Japanese don't seem to have any limit to their resource base (especially compared to the much more technically sophisticated Allies, Kurokawa's small group of Japanese churns out insane amounts of war materiel every book, most of it supposedly hand-crafted), on the whole I actually enjoyed this volume more than its predecessor, and I'm really hopeful some good things are in store in the next volume. I mean, they almost HAVE to get better at this point or I don't see how the allies can hope to win. Sadly, it'll be another year before I get to find out...
Profile Image for Donna.
4,558 reviews169 followers
November 25, 2018
This is the 11th book in this series, and I am still enjoying it. This whole series has been a solid 4 stars. That is perplexing to me because "war" and "alternate histories" are really not genres I spend a lot of time in, nor do I feel drawn to them. BUT this series has be completely hooked. The characters are strong and they make me laugh.

I also love the narrator of the audios. He does all the different voices so well. They are fun to listen to.
Profile Image for Kathy Davie.
4,876 reviews737 followers
March 6, 2018
Eleventh in the Destroyermen military science fiction series and revolving around a mixed bag of allies who have joined with USS Walker to battle this world’s enemies.

My Take
Anderson is still getting to the point…although to be fair, there is quite a bit of action, from cannibalistic natives, new versions of Griks and Lemurians, Griks rebelling against their status quo, Czech-Lemurians teaming up with Griks(!), kidnapping, aerial reconnaissance, and a reverse sort of, I'll call it "prejudice" happening on both sides — Lemurians and Grik.

It's an obvious good versus evil into which Anderson slips the conflicted theme of change versus tradition. I do love that Halik aims to instill pride, dignity, independent thought, and more into his Grik. That alliance he agrees to is certainly a radical step forward. Who knew we would be grateful to a Japanese general causing a Grik to realize what the Grik could become if they were allowed to advance?
I love that Halik comes to realize that your enemy cannot respect or honor you if all you see them is, is as food.
Using a third-person omniscient POV — the God's eye view — allows Anderson to show us what every group of people from the Lemurians and Americans, their native allies, their enemies, no matter their mission or location, is thinking, feeling, or doing. In some ways, I don't wanna know what some of them are doing… That Gravois is such SCUM!!!

As for the Japanese, omigod. The remaining Japanese crewmen now believe in Kurokawa!! They still know he's mad, but who cares when he's successful! Two radical growths in Allied characters are Miles and Silva. You'll never believe it, but Miles does a 180…and Silva is starting to stop and think! That's it. The world is ending.

Part of what I so enjoy about this series is the creativity, the make-do attitude, and that communication system the tribes Chack and Silva encounter is pretty amazing.

Now for my emotional take…jesus… It took me months to read this. Months because the tension was overwhelming, nerve wracking. Especially since, well, because this time, Walker may be on her last legs.

The Story
That last battle has left Walker in desperate need of repairs. Her engineers can't promise she'll hold, and First General Esshk of the Grik and that Japanese madman, Kurokawa, are preparing to strike. But this isn't the only front on which the Alliance is fighting. The Holy Dominion in Mexico is a vicious, cruel culture that intends to take over the world.

The Alliance needs more allies, more help, and a unit is sent out into the wilds of Mada-gaas-gar to find the Lemurians’ fabled ancestors, and Fred and Kari sneak off to find the Americans of whom Captain Anson spoke while a task force is readied with supplies, planes, and men.

The Grik-Japanese alliance and the Doms aren't the only enemies the Alliance, that Matt, faces. This enemy will raise the stakes to the most personal and terrifying levels Reddy has ever faced.

The Characters
For a full listing of the characters, explore the review at KD Did It Takes on Books (posting on 3/7/2018).

Matthew Reddy had been the captain of the USS Walker, and now he’s the Supreme Allied Commander of all the various forces united to defeat the Grik and the Dominion.

The American-Lemurian Alliance
Baalkpan, Borneo, is…
…the capital of the Alliance. Adar is the High Sky Priest and High Chief of Baalkpan, and chairman of the Grand Alliance. Commander Alan Letts is sitting in for Adar as chief of the Grand Alliance and busy composing the Articles of Union. Commodore Sor-Lomaak of Woor-Na will represent the seagoing Homes in the new United Homes, a.k.a., the Union. Henry Stokes is the new director of the Office of Strategic Intelligence. Lord Ambassador Bolton Forester is an ally from the New Britain Isles.

Lieutenant (jg) Abel Cook and Midshipman Stuart Brassey, an Impie, are close friends. Major i’joorka, “King” Tony Scott’s War Captain, is in command of the combined Khonashi troops with help from Sergeant Moe. Poky is a small “real” Grik.

The USS James Ellis will be commanded by Perry Brister. Lieutenant Rolando “Ronson” Rodriguez is Brister’s exec. Taarba-Kaar “Tabasco” is the chief cook and probably the best cook in the navy. Lieutenants (jg) Johnny Parks, an unimaginative engineer, and Paul Stites who is now gunnery officer are some of her officers. Carl Bashear is Chief Bosun’s Mate.

The USS Geran-Eras was named for the High Chief of Humfra-Dar and will be commanded by Cablaas-Rag-Laan. USS Baalkpan Bay is a fleet carrier. Commodore Kek-Taal is its captain. General Faan-Ma-Mar, commander of III Corps, is always right where he’s supposed to be. USS Andamaan is Grik battleship-turned-giant seaplane tender. USS Sular is a protected troopship. SPD Tarakaan Island and sail / steam frigates include Bowles , Saak-Fas , and Clark , are also part of the fleet.

The Republic of Real People is…
…located in our South Africa with Alex-aandra their capital. Their ruler is Nig-Taak, their Caesar or kai-saar. Inquisitor Choon is the Republic’s chief snoop. The Gentaa are a hybrid of Lemurians and who many believe were castaway Chinese.

Commander Greg Garrett commands USS Donaghey is on a long-range scout over to the Atlantic. Cap-i-taan Bekiaa-Sab-At, the ship’s Marine commander, is staying on in Alex-aandra as a military liaison and advisor.

SMS Amerika is…
…the War Palace of the Republic officially captained by Kapitan Von Melhausen and informally captained by Kapitan Leutnant Becher Lange. Sandra Tucker Reddy had been a nurse, now she’s Reddy’s pregnant wife and the Minister of Medicine. Diania, an Impie, is Sandra’s aide and bodyguard. Gunnery Sergeant Arnold Horn and Lieutenant Toryu Miyata are some of the wounded.

The Empire of the New Britain Isles’…
…citizens are referred to as Impies or Imperials. Rebecca Anne McDonald is their Governor-Empress…and has shown up on the battlefront with High Chief Saan-Kakja, ruler of the Filpin Lands.

Los Diablos Del Norte are…
…Americans who were stranded in the 1840s and formed the New United States. Captain Anson was the spy who freed Fred and Kari. The NUS Congress is a heavy frigate commanded by Captain Ezra Willis. Lieutenant Samuel Hudgens is the executive officer. Other ships include the NUS Zachary Taylor commanded by Commodore Michael Semmes and is his flagship. Lieutenant Ullysses “Ully” Locke had been a roommate of Hudgens’. The NUS Eric Holland is named for the commander of one of the original ships that strayed into this world; he was also the first director of their Navy.

War Fronts for the Allies
The Go Away Strait, Grik City, Mada-gaas-gar, is…
…where Matt and company finally took the Grik capital. Aboard the Walker are Commander Brad “Spanky” McFarlane; Lieutenant Tab-At “Tabby” is the engineering officer; Chief Engineer Isak is one of the Mice ; Juan Marcos is the one-legged ship’s steward who makes such awful coffee ; Surgeon Lieutenant Pam Cross has an understanding with Silva; and, Commander Bernard “Bernie” Sandison is the unofficial minister of experimental ordnance.

The USS Tassat is commanded by Jarrik-Fas and can barely stay afloat. The USS Arracca, commanded by Tassanna-Ay-Arracca, is a Home-turned-carrier. The USS Salissa is commanded by Ahd-mi-raal Keje-Fris-Ar. Captain Jis-Tikkar “Tikker” is the Commander of Flight Operations (COFO).

Lieutenant Araa-Faan is another Lemurian pilot whose command of Grik City’s land-based air corps was superseded (she became Leedom’s XO) when Lieutenant Commander (of Flight Operations) Mark Leedom arrived. Lieutenant Paraal-Taas is Leedom’s co-pilot. Captain Enrico Galay is a photographer and had been a Philippine Scout in the old war. Leftenant Doocy Meek is the liaison from the Republic of Real People and is an observer on this mission.

General Queen Protector Safir Maraan commands the Allied Expeditionary Force (AEF-M). Risa, Chack’s sister, is second-in-command of the 221st Combined Regiment of the Allied Raider Brigade. Imperial Major Alistair Jindal is her executive officer.

Hij Geerki is a “tame” Grik captured at Raan-goon who believes he is “owned” by Rolak. Geerki is currently High Chief over the “civilian” Grik prisoners and incredibly useful. General Lord Muln Rolak is commander of I Corps and executive officer for General Alden’s Second Division. Major Simon “Simy” Gutfeld is commander of the 3rd Marines.

The USS Santa Catalina (“Santy Cat”) is commanded by Captain Russ Chappelle. “Mikey” Monk is her exec. Stanley “Dobbin” Dobson is the chief bosun. Kathy McCoy is the surgeon commander of all of First Fleet. Lieutenant Dean Laney, the engineering officer whose technical knowledge is second only to Spanky’s and has made tremendous technical contributions.

The Maroons are probably the great-great-grandchildren of a British East Indiaman who reverted to primitivism.

A Mission to Find Friendly Lemurians in Mada-gaas-gar
Lieutenant Colonel Chack-Sab-At “Chack” is in command of the military side of the mission; Courtney Bradford; that maniac also known as Chief Gunner’s Mate Dennis Silva; Ensign Nathaniel “Nat” Hardee captains the “Seven boat” in which they travel; Lawrence “Larry” is Silva’s best friend, a Grik-like Sa’aaran; and, Lance Corporal Ian Miles is greatly disliked by everyone.

The Erokighaani, a Lemurian tribe the Chack-Silva team encounter, have a hideous reputation. Heegar-Ep-Erok is their High Shaman. The Shee-ree are another Lemurian tribe. Kaam is captain of the guard of the Naa-kaani Clan. Ror’at-Raal is their fearful High Chief. Niri-Aani will learn zeppelin controls. Another tribe includes the Khot-So.

Ma-draas, India, is…
…where a fleet is assembling to sail to Grik City. General of the Armies and Marines Pete Alden and Chief of the Army and Naval Air Corps Ben Mallory are in charge. Staff Sergeant Cecil Dixon is head of maintenance for the 3rd Pursuit Squadron. Lieutenant (jg) Suaak-Pas-Ra “Soupy”, the Dutch Lieutenant Conrad Diebel, and Second Lieutenant Niaa-Saa “Shirley” are old air force hands. Walt “Jumbo” Fisher commands the Patrol Squadron Twenty-two. Sergeant Aanse-Ar-Mus “Moose” is Jumbo’s flight engineer. Reese is a young Impie midshipman.

The impatient Colonel Dalibor Svec is a Czech in command of three regiments of the Czech Legion, a.k.a., Brotherhood of Volunteers. Colonel Enaak commands a brigade of cavalry, the 5th Maa-ni-la. III and VI Corps are commanded by General Linnaa-Fas-Ra.

The Battle in Central America
Lord High Admiral Harvey Jenks is in command of the naval fleet which just won a naval victory over the Dominion. General Tomatsu Shinya smashed a Dom army. Isak’s half-brother, Gilbert, is acting engineering officer in the Maaka-Kakja. Orrin Reddy is Matt’s cousin. Lieutenant (jg) Fred Reynolds and Ensign Kari-Faask “escaped” with a PB-1B “Nancy” floatplane.

The Second of the 2nd Marines is…
…a Lemurian-Amer-i-caan troop commanded by the angry Captain Blas-Ma-Ar “Blossom”. Colonel James Blair is Blas’ superior. Her men include First Sergeant Spon-Ar-Aak “Spook”, and they encounter Ximen and Ixtliwho will become leaders of the auxiliary regiments. Jagaar-istas believe the Lemurians are godlike.

The Army of the Sisters is…
…led by Sister Audry, a Benedictine nun who arrived on S-19, who is converting Dominion soldiers to the true Christianity. ”A” Company of the 2nd includes the Vengadores under Colonel Arano Garcia and Teniente Pacal.

The Enemies
The Gharrichk’k Empire is…
…full of Grik, lizard-like sentient beings with a nasty culture that worships the Celestial Mother, a figurehead leader. Sofesshk is the birthplace of the Celestial Bloodline. First General Esshk, Regent Champion, Guardian of the Celestial Bloodline, is their current leader in league with the Lord Chooser of All the Gharrichk’k.

General Halik was…
…a lowly sport fighter who has been “elevated” to general. General Orochi Niwa, a Japanese from the Japanese Imperial Navy battle cruiser Amagi, has become Halik’s friend. General Ugla is one of Halik’s most promising generals. General Shlook is onboard with Halik’s improvements.

Lord Regent Consort Shighat,
Sire of all Persia, and Generals D’ga and Suluk and Shighat’s Chooser are all traditionalists. General Yikkit was sent as a liaison from Esshk. Captain Sigg commands Yikkit's escort.

The Holy Dominion is…
…ruled by a bloodthirsty religion with New Granada as their capital. Don Hernan de Devina Dicha is a Blood Cardinal and commands the Army of God. General Nerino pays the ultimate price at Chimborazo. Don Emmanuel del Rio Negro is the Envoy of His Supreme Holiness.

Zanzibar is the Secret Stronghold of…
…the Japanese enemy led by General of the Sea Hisashi Kurokawa. General of the Sky Hideki Muriname is second-in-command. Iguri is Muriname’s executive officer and becomes Captain of the Sky.

The League of Tripoli is…
…a bigoted alliance of European countries which control the Mediterranean, a chunk of North Africa, and have a toehold in Italy, France, and Spain. League Capitaine de Fregate Victor Gravois leads the League delegation. Aspirant Gilles Babin is his aide. Oberleutnant Walbert Fiedler is a German pilot. Maggiore Antonio Rizzo is of the Aeronautica Italiana.

The Cover and Title
The cover is a battle at sea with one battleship firing on another as a plane strikes out of the sky. It's a gloomy series of grays, blues, and flames with a bloody red for the title at the top, the series information in white just above it. An info blurb and the author's name are in white at the bottom.

The title is a foreshadowing of Blood in the Water.
Profile Image for Mieczyslaw Kasprzyk.
891 reviews146 followers
October 12, 2018
I just love the "Destroyermen" series and am amazed at how Taylor Anderson can continue to churn them out without becoming boring and repetitive. As all the others in the series, this book is gripping, tense, exciting and surprising throughout. The evil, reptilian Grik have almost evolved into more subtle and more dangerous foes, some are even to be admired! The League of Tripoli are beginning to show themselves to be nasty, devious fascists (aren't all fascists nasty and devious?). I'm not going to list all the events in this action-packed book... not everything goes the way of the good folk, therein lies the real secret. I know this series won't be up everyone's street but, hey, if Mr Anderson wants to write them just for me then I'm happy!
Profile Image for Keira F. Adams.
438 reviews8 followers
February 9, 2019
If you're still reading them at this point, you're pretty damn committed.

On the one hand, it can be easy to get frustrated at the slow pace of the story, which is incredibly complex at this point. On the other, it's relatively easy to keep track of the major players in contrast to some other epic series like Safehold.

Ultimately, its still a fun ride and this one moved at a bit brisker a pace than the prior ones, and was a hell of a lot darker too. Not that any of them were terribly bright and cheery. Almost an Empire Strikes Back sort.
Profile Image for Charles  van Buren.
1,910 reviews307 followers
June 9, 2017
Entertaining and well written, June 8, 2017

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This review is from: Blood In the Water (Destroyermen) (Kindle Edition)

In the West, Blood in the Water clearly defines The League of Tripoli as a duplicitous enemy of the Alliance. In the East, representatives of the Alliance finally reach the New Americans. Some of the action and plot details are a little predictable to those of us who have read the entire series to date. This is common when reading a series. After all, Dennis Silva IS Dennis Silva and will act as he does. However, Mr. Anderson keeps it interesting. After reading a couple of poorly edited books and some with poor grammar, style and word choices, it was a welcome relief to return to an author who can actually write as well as tell a story.
Profile Image for Ryan Rauber.
886 reviews4 followers
June 26, 2016
Another exciting entry into this series. My biggest complaint is the same one I raised in my review of the last book. Anderson has done TOO good a job of world building. There's so much going on and so many characters to cover, he just can't fit them all into one book. This one barely touched on the Eastern Front, Shinya didn't even appear until the epilogue. Here we get a lot more on the war against the Grik. Lots of Silva and Larry, too. This book seems to be a set up for new story arc, too bad these books seem to be on a one year cycle.

Fans of alternative history, WW2, and sci-fi should really read this series. I love it.
Profile Image for Sonny.
349 reviews8 followers
June 3, 2018
Still good alternate history / science fiction story but it needs a resolution. This is the 11 th book and it is starting to become predictable as far as the story line and plot are concerned. The ship is practically destroyed and then rebuilt. Some ships are destroyed but replaced with newer and better versions. As happens in each of the previous 10 novels. Time to end the war I think.
Profile Image for GaiusPrimus.
870 reviews97 followers
June 29, 2016
Another 600 pages, another 2 weeks of stories. *sigh* In the words of Kimberly "Sweet Brown" Wilkins, "Ain't nobody got time for that". I'm just glad we didn't discover a new group of people.

Honestly, this book and the previous one should've been properly edited and combined into a single volume.
Profile Image for Martha.
867 reviews49 followers
October 31, 2017
I really enjoy this Alternate History Series with its strong character, lots of action and adventure. My Rating 4.5.

This is book 11 of this engaging alternate history series. The story follows the adventures, and continued battles, of WWII destroyer, the USS Walker, and its enemy, the Japanese battlecruiser Amagi. Both ships were pulled by a storm into a different Pacific Ocean. In this alternate Earth, the continents are populated by giant lemur-like beings known as Lemurians, and their brutal, cannibalistic enemy, the lizard (or dinosaur)-like Grik.

The Americans, led by Captain Reddy, have trained the peaceful Lemurians so they can defend themselves against the Grik. The Lemurians are now busy building new ships, planes and weapons for the upcoming battles.

During the battles and explorations of their new surroundings, they have discovered that various ships from other countries and years of our history have been pulled into this alternate world. There are British, Spanish, German, French and more.

At this point Captain Reddy and the Alliance are spread out on numerous fronts. There is a group pursuing the wicked Dominions, while other groups are out seeking aid from ancient Lemurian tribes. Some ships are moving into position for the next battle and one ship has been sent out to explore beyond the explored lands. A new player has entered the local field, a coalition known as the League of Tripoli. The Alliance members don’t know if the League are friend or foe, but their actions in this episode will set them at odds with Captain Reddy.

The previously barbaric and drone-like armies of the Grik have begun to change and learn with the help of the Japanese and from the battles they have been engaged in. This is creating dangers for the Alliance but also creating interesting tension within the Grik forces. Meanwhile, the mad Japanese commander, Kurokawa, has a ship to replace the Amagi, and he is making his own plans for revenge.

The story follows at least seven threads of characters. There are battle scenes but also there are scenes of preparation, exploration and confrontation. I was glued to my earplugs to learn what would happen with each team. I enjoy the character interactions and am finding the growth of the Griks, especially General Halick, interesting. Once again I am impressed with Mr. Anderson’s wonderful imagination. I am glad I already have book 12 in my Audible library. I highly recommend the series, and the audios, to readers who enjoy alternate history and battle stories with well-developed characters.

Audio Notes: William Dufris does his usual great job of narration. He manages all the numerous character voices, accents and nuances, so the story becomes alive. I love listening to this series on audio.
Profile Image for LiteratureIsLife.
236 reviews2 followers
August 15, 2021
A lot of the Destroyermen series focuses on a classic good vs. evil plot. Humans and Lemurians good, Grik bad. Once other humans got introduced, namely the Dominion and now also the League, that starts to get muddled. Here it gets muddled even further as the Grik start changing. One of their key traits, at the beginning, was that they don’t innovate. They can steal ideas, but their society is largely an unchanging one. And we’re seeing that start to change.

This is the first time in a long time, maybe ever, the Grik can’t just curb stomp their enemy through sheer numbers. Most of their leaders who tried to stick to the old ways have died for that decision. So, some of the ones who are left realize that if they don’t adapt, they die. Really, what’s saving them right now is the Lemurians triggering their invasion long before they’re ready for it. And it’s not like this is the only enemy the Alliance is dealing with.

The battle in Central America rages on against the Holy Dominion. It’s by no means the key focus right now due to everything ramping up with the Grik. But it is still an ongoing thing. On top of that, the mysterious League of Tripoli is increasingly interfering in both theaters of war. Enemies continue to surround the Alliance and, as history will tell you, fighting a war on multiple fronts is challenging at best.

But through it all, the Destroyermen series remains solid. The plot’s still moving, characters are still developing (Silva’s actually learning to make plans now), and there’s plenty of action. And the worldbuilding, can’t forget the worldbuilding. Even this late in the series, Taylor Anderson continues to add more people and cultures that make his world feel like a living, breathing thing. And that’s always fantastic.

Read this review (and others) at: https://literatureislife.com/
383 reviews
May 18, 2017
I love this series. These books are incredibly addictive reads, and I can't wait until the next one comes out. I kind of wish that the series would come to an end so that I quit anticipating new developments in the story and wanting another book to read. Taylor Anderson has proven to be a capable author, and I would like to see what other stories could be dreamed up by him that aren't Destroyermen stories. Even just wrapping up some of the major wars in the Destroyermen books and then having some crazy new development like a new rapidly spreading sentient species coming to the world of the series from another would be good. I would actually love that. I got a bit off topic from the quality of the book, but it can easily be summed up by that this book was one of the best in the series and is awesome. I feel like the book is a must read book.
Profile Image for Steven Bragg.
Author 483 books62 followers
March 17, 2019
I have consistently given the author three-star reviews in the past, which balances out his deep knowledge of naval warfare and weaponry against a not especially good writing style (and really weak dialog). In this book, however, the massive range of the activities and (dare I say it) character development are starting to nudge this series into the four-star category. I am finding fewer cringe-grade sentences. This is not meant to be a backhanded slap at the author - he really is improving over time - it has just taken a lot of books to get there. Keep going!
333 reviews30 followers
November 6, 2022
3.0 stars, I liked it, and I might read the series again.

This series is about outrage under adversity, and right versus wrong transcending cultural and political upbringing. Treachery stokes calls for revenge, but can the Captain supersede pure emotion and sift the narrow path between separating desire from revenge and fear of being driven into error by a desire for revenge and find the solution that is a little of both.

Silva, of course, has a caper to pull off, and in the process makes one more convert from selfishness to the cause.
Profile Image for T.M..
Author 20 books48 followers
August 21, 2018
Another enjoyable installment

This was another enjoyable installment that I read just after the previous book in the series. The only trouble with doing so is that you tend to forget which scenes happened in which book. I enjoyed this one, even though it had more of an 'Empire Strikes Back' feel. Plenty of new enemies that you want to hate, and plenty of new friends that you want to know more about. Looking forward to reading the next in the series.
178 reviews
December 11, 2025
Another solid edition, but I still feel like this series is really lagging under the breadth of a now worldwide fight. There are too many factions, and too many POVs spread across the world, that we either end up ignoring entire fronts for most of the book, or only get snippets from a bunch of places. I think I see how they plan to being it together, but the slog is getting sloggier in the mean time.
399 reviews1 follower
June 6, 2017
Setting the stage

A well written and crafted installment. This resets the scene, develops a new antagonist and reaffirms that even though dimensional travel some cultures do not fall far from the tree. Always watch you back dealing with the French. So the stage has been set in both theatres and now the author has to keep it all straight and save the alliance.
Profile Image for Sarah Shields.
319 reviews5 followers
July 17, 2017
Another great addition to the series. I love that the characters I've come to know can still continue to surprise me. I'm hoping for more information about the war against the Dominion in the next book, but loved the focus on Silva and his escapades in this book. The League is now possibly my least favorite group of people. I'm interested to see how it all plays out in the next book!
Profile Image for Fredrick Danysh.
6,844 reviews196 followers
May 24, 2018
The crew of the USS Walker who have been transported to an alternative Earth continue their alliance with the Lemurians against the Grik and the Dominions. Off the tip of Africa, the fight becomes personal for Matt Ready when his wife is captured by the enemy. The alliance also acquires a new enemy.
Profile Image for Van.
158 reviews
September 24, 2020
Great series, but as I mentioned in a previous post i stopped reading it 10 books in to it. Now I'm trying fo finish the last 5 books. You can't go wrong with this one. However there are a lot of characters to follow and events occurring all over the world the author created so at times it may be hard to follow. But if you keep at it you're be richly rewarded.
Profile Image for Pam Bales.
2,536 reviews12 followers
June 23, 2021
Very detailed, this alternate universe military series is just great. Started the series in 2016. Read, read, read, then have to put it down for a bit, then get after it again. Already have #12 on the Kindle waiting for me to see what is going to happen with all of our heroes fighting an implacable foe. It's just a fascinating read for military fiction, alternate universe fans.
173 reviews2 followers
June 24, 2017
This is the eleventh book in this series and it is still immensely entertaining ! This series could go on and on as it continually keeps introducing new characters and new plot lines ! There is no end in sight so I will just continue to enjoy each new book in the series !
75 reviews1 follower
August 29, 2019
While Blood in the Water was still enjoyable, much of the book was concerned with setting up the plot lines for the next few books, although we do get to see quite abit of one of my favourite characters, Silva!
Profile Image for Dabbling Madman.
84 reviews2 followers
December 3, 2019
Woo! This book took a good while to finish. Nothing to do with the quality of the story, just hit a slump all of a sudden. But I enjoyed this story a lot. More development and after writing to the author and receiving a reply, I’m excited to see what happens in the next books!
Profile Image for Rob.
272 reviews6 followers
July 29, 2024
3.5 stars
This books offers no real progress in the overall storyline and contains a lot of setup for coming decisive battles. Too many POV’s and minor storylines made reading a bit of a chore. I hope that the next book will improve these points.
176 reviews
October 13, 2024
The two front war continues but in this book most of the action is the Western front. Dennis Silva has lots of adventures in this one so I definitely enjoyed this one. As always way too many characters and storylines to not read this series in order.
Profile Image for Fernando.
66 reviews2 followers
October 24, 2016
Taylor Anderson does it again! Now the stakes are higher than ever, with some unthinkable events going on, cant wait for the next episode in one of my favorite alternate history sagas!
Profile Image for Michael.
Author 11 books12 followers
December 14, 2016
This whole series is gripping, exciting and entertaining. I like every one and can't wait for the next. Same comment for each book in the series.
7 reviews
October 17, 2018
This book was decent but it was hard for me to follow and was not really my cup of tea when it comes to being interested in a book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews

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