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Starfist #12
Firestorm
Combat vets David Sherman and Dan Cragg know firsthand the courage, sacrifice, and hell of war–and their experiences have made the popular Starfist novels thrill rides of the highest order. Now the explosive action continues on the remote planet Ravenette, where the Marines of the Confederation’s 34th Fleet Initial Strike Team (FIST) find themselves up against a full-fledged rebellion–and a lethally loose cannon of a commanding officer.
Desperate to thwart unrelenting aliens and their quest to obliterate humankind, The Confederation has beefed up its defenses. But to the citizens on the outer edges of Human Space around Ravenette–unaware that a deadly enemy even exists–the government’s move seems oppressive, and ten planets have responded with a war of secession.
In touch-and-go battles with the seceding planets, the 34th FIST has emerged battered but unbowed, refusing to give up . . . even while under the command of a fanatical general. The enemy determined to strike, a new mission must be carried out, though the troops will likely return in body bags.
Should Ensign Charlie Bass and his Marines somehow survive the nightmarishly difficult amphibious landing, they can expect to be outmanned, outgunned, and out-armored in a fierce duel against fresh soldiers. But like any Marine worth his salt, Bass knows there’s only one way to go when facing impossible on the offense with all guns firing. There’s no other choice–because if life was easy, there’d be no need to send in the Marines.
Desperate to thwart unrelenting aliens and their quest to obliterate humankind, The Confederation has beefed up its defenses. But to the citizens on the outer edges of Human Space around Ravenette–unaware that a deadly enemy even exists–the government’s move seems oppressive, and ten planets have responded with a war of secession.
In touch-and-go battles with the seceding planets, the 34th FIST has emerged battered but unbowed, refusing to give up . . . even while under the command of a fanatical general. The enemy determined to strike, a new mission must be carried out, though the troops will likely return in body bags.
Should Ensign Charlie Bass and his Marines somehow survive the nightmarishly difficult amphibious landing, they can expect to be outmanned, outgunned, and out-armored in a fierce duel against fresh soldiers. But like any Marine worth his salt, Bass knows there’s only one way to go when facing impossible on the offense with all guns firing. There’s no other choice–because if life was easy, there’d be no need to send in the Marines.
297 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
9 people are currently reading
174 people want to read
About the author
David Sherman
67 books99 followersDavid Sherman was the author or co-author of some three dozen books, most of which are about Marines in combat.
He wrote about US Marines in Vietnam (the Night Fighters series and three other novels), and the DemonTech series about Marines in a fantasy world. The 18th Race trilogy is military science fiction.
Other than military, he wrote a non-conventional vampire novel, The Hunt, and a mystery, Dead Man's Chest. He also released a collection of short fiction and non-fiction from early in his writing career, Sherman's Shorts; the Beginnings.
With Dan Cragg he wrote the popular Starfist series and its spin off series, Starfist: Force Recon—all about Marines in the Twenty-fifth Century.; and a Star Wars novel, Jedi Trial.
His books have been translated into Czech, Polish, German, and Japanese.
David passed away in November 2022.
He wrote about US Marines in Vietnam (the Night Fighters series and three other novels), and the DemonTech series about Marines in a fantasy world. The 18th Race trilogy is military science fiction.
Other than military, he wrote a non-conventional vampire novel, The Hunt, and a mystery, Dead Man's Chest. He also released a collection of short fiction and non-fiction from early in his writing career, Sherman's Shorts; the Beginnings.
With Dan Cragg he wrote the popular Starfist series and its spin off series, Starfist: Force Recon—all about Marines in the Twenty-fifth Century.; and a Star Wars novel, Jedi Trial.
His books have been translated into Czech, Polish, German, and Japanese.
David passed away in November 2022.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 6, 2010
This is the last book of the series and I am glad. The writing is getting worse with each book. These writers probably know their Marine stuff but they can't write about anything else worth a darn.
They seriously need to find someone that can provide them with normal names and keep their writing from sounding like it is done by a bunch of kids.
They seriously need to find someone that can provide them with normal names and keep their writing from sounding like it is done by a bunch of kids.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
January 9, 2022
Great continuation of a really good story. Characters are believable and you can recognise and sympathise. A good read but it is a continuation.
July 20, 2023
Love it.
July 12, 2013
Not only is the current story arc dragging on and on and on but, as I mentioned in my post about the previous instalment in the series, it is bogging itself down in political bullshitting which are not only uninteresting to read but it is a pain to have to dig through. The current commander is an unbelievable asshole that have no qualms whatsoever to sacrifice his own men. Not only that, he is ready to do so because he want his competition out of the way. Needless to say he is a tactical dimwit totally unfit for command. A typical product of assignments and promotions made for political reasons.
Sure, there are a fair amount of marine action but it is pretty much the same stuff that we have now read in a number of books rehashed and it really takes a back seat to the political nonsense and manoeuvring. The only redeeming fact is that the asshole General do, finally, get what he deserves in the end but it is a meagre reward for having had to slug through the entire book.
So far I have read 12 out of the 14 available books in this series. The first half, even a bit more, of the series have been very good indeed. Now, I am hesitating whether I will be able to build up the force to read the remaining two books. The author claims that it was the publisher that took the decision not to publish any more books after the 14th one. If the last two are like this one I would have to agree with that decision.
Sure, there are a fair amount of marine action but it is pretty much the same stuff that we have now read in a number of books rehashed and it really takes a back seat to the political nonsense and manoeuvring. The only redeeming fact is that the asshole General do, finally, get what he deserves in the end but it is a meagre reward for having had to slug through the entire book.
So far I have read 12 out of the 14 available books in this series. The first half, even a bit more, of the series have been very good indeed. Now, I am hesitating whether I will be able to build up the force to read the remaining two books. The author claims that it was the publisher that took the decision not to publish any more books after the 14th one. If the last two are like this one I would have to agree with that decision.
March 14, 2013
The Confederation Marine's 34 FIST is tasked to put down a rebellion on the planet Raven. They are under the command of an wild, unpredictable general. Ensign Charlie Bass must lead his Marines against all odds even though it will probably fill many body bags. But then, that is the job of Marines, do the impossible.
March 25, 2016
Continuing the space-civil war. Thing. Stuff. Another fun, if not terribly memorable, yarn. The combat quickly becomes tedious but the greater geo(star?) politics of the universe tend to be reasonably interesting.
January 5, 2014
Unless you have been the military you may not get many subtly puns/ expressions/ meanings/ inside jokes.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews