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Frontlines #7
Orders of Battle
The battle against the Lankies has been won. Earth seems safe. Peacetime military? Not on your life.
It’s been four years since Earth threw its full military prowess against the Lanky incursion. Humanity has been yanked back from the abyss of extinction. The solar system is at peace. For now.
The future for Major Andrew Grayson of the Commonwealth Defense Corps and his wife, Halley? Flying desk duty on the front. No more nightmares of monstrous things. No more traumas to the mind and body. But when an offer comes down from above, Andrew has to make a choice: continue pushing papers into retirement, or jump right back into the fight? What’s a podhead to do?
The remaining Lankies may have retreated in fear, but the threat isn’t over. They need to be wiped out for good before they strike again. That’ll take a new offensive deployment. Aboard an Avenger warship, Andrew and the special tactics team under his command embark on the ultimate search-and-destroy mission. This time, it’ll be on Lanky turf.
No big heroics. No unnecessary risks. Just a swift hit-and-run raid in the hostile Capella system. Blow the alien seed ships into oblivion and get the hell back to Earth. At least, that’s the objective. But when does anything in war go according to plan?
It’s been four years since Earth threw its full military prowess against the Lanky incursion. Humanity has been yanked back from the abyss of extinction. The solar system is at peace. For now.
The future for Major Andrew Grayson of the Commonwealth Defense Corps and his wife, Halley? Flying desk duty on the front. No more nightmares of monstrous things. No more traumas to the mind and body. But when an offer comes down from above, Andrew has to make a choice: continue pushing papers into retirement, or jump right back into the fight? What’s a podhead to do?
The remaining Lankies may have retreated in fear, but the threat isn’t over. They need to be wiped out for good before they strike again. That’ll take a new offensive deployment. Aboard an Avenger warship, Andrew and the special tactics team under his command embark on the ultimate search-and-destroy mission. This time, it’ll be on Lanky turf.
No big heroics. No unnecessary risks. Just a swift hit-and-run raid in the hostile Capella system. Blow the alien seed ships into oblivion and get the hell back to Earth. At least, that’s the objective. But when does anything in war go according to plan?
269 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 8, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 387 reviews
December 18, 2020
I wish I could give two ratings here, one for the completely unnecessary and rather cringey first half of the book and then a completely different one for the exhilarating second half. It’s almost as if Kloos, tired from this being book 7 in the series kept treading through a muddy quagmire of “what the hell am I even doing” and then suddenly, in a flash, something rekindled his passion about half way through, he woke up, and went at it with new gusto.
I mean, we know, we’ve read about it over and over and over and over again through the last few books, Andrew just can’t believe he is still alive, he is surprised and slightly uncomfortable that all these people defer to him, after all, he never wanted to be an officer, oh my, he is now the “old man”, he is still having nightmares, and nobody who hasn’t been through it all can have any reference point to what he is talking about or feeling, ad nauseam, ad infinitum.
Then, the mission finally begins and tally-ho! It’s all there, all the reasons why I burned through the first 5 books, there is alien space war excitement, drama, action, mystery, paper-thin characters wrapped in thousands of tons of mechanized mayhem and destruction… and then it all abruptly ends mid-action in a sort of… cliffhanger? I am glad for the beginning of a new adventure, but I could have used less filler up front, and perhaps more about what happens next to produce a truly satisfying new instalment.
I mean, we know, we’ve read about it over and over and over and over again through the last few books, Andrew just can’t believe he is still alive, he is surprised and slightly uncomfortable that all these people defer to him, after all, he never wanted to be an officer, oh my, he is now the “old man”, he is still having nightmares, and nobody who hasn’t been through it all can have any reference point to what he is talking about or feeling, ad nauseam, ad infinitum.
Then, the mission finally begins and tally-ho! It’s all there, all the reasons why I burned through the first 5 books, there is alien space war excitement, drama, action, mystery, paper-thin characters wrapped in thousands of tons of mechanized mayhem and destruction… and then it all abruptly ends mid-action in a sort of… cliffhanger? I am glad for the beginning of a new adventure, but I could have used less filler up front, and perhaps more about what happens next to produce a truly satisfying new instalment.
January 21, 2024
With this reread, it strikes me that this is kind of a Part One and the next book would be Part Two. Still good with great characters!
Original Review:
Number 7 in the Frontlines series.
My review is intentionally brief, since this ended on quite the note. I've got to go and start the next! But I suppose that even this indicates that this was a darned good book.
And it just hit me that the next book is the last. That's a bit of a disappointment! This is the type of series that I will re-read, though, so all is not lost 🙂
Original Review:
Number 7 in the Frontlines series.
My review is intentionally brief, since this ended on quite the note. I've got to go and start the next! But I suppose that even this indicates that this was a darned good book.
And it just hit me that the next book is the last. That's a bit of a disappointment! This is the type of series that I will re-read, though, so all is not lost 🙂
December 17, 2020
Good series of you like sci fi!
Looking forward to next book in the series. Kind of a cliff hanger. I have different scenarios going on in my head.
Looking forward to next book in the series. Kind of a cliff hanger. I have different scenarios going on in my head.
April 7, 2021
Yet another book in the series. This particular entry has all the highpoints and fewer of the faults found in the rest. See my review of Points of Impact (Frontlines, #6). Unfortunately, it’s a greater, cliffhanger than the author typically leaves his readers hung out-to-dry with for another year (or two) as in the past.
In this story Grayson volunteers for a combat mission outside the solar system aboard one of the alien stomping, space, Dreadnoughts.
For this mission, he leaves the wife behind. There may be a short story or novella with her featuring in the works? They’re both such good soldiers? I continue to find their relationship to be eye-rollingly saccharine, even for the YA reading demographic he’s targeting. Actually, I never find Kloos' female characters to be more than superficially female. Mostly they're just warrior boys with breasts. Interestingly, in this book, Grayson met no less than three (3) eligible women. Like Ward Cleaver , he feels not the slightest temptation. He doesn’t even note their secondary sexual characteristics. This was unlike any soldier, Marine or sailor, I’ve ever encountered. And, I’ve known several. I also note that all the author’s characters are always heterosexuals? That the great majority are Anglo-Saxon, even the PRC rats, has ceased to bother me.
This book had better editing and proofreading than previous books. Poor proofreading and editing has always been a major shortcoming of the series. There were still a few (jump) points that could have been scrubbed. Grayson's fascination with the vastness of the pristine hanger deck, was interesting only once, thrice it was boring. I also noted that in previous books, Alcubierre jump points were all bi-directional. Ships could exit and enter a single point to reach a particular location. The excretable end of the story hinges on the space dreadnought and the first ever, one-way, the wrong way, jump point; an egregious retcon.
As in every book of the series, Grayson was tireless and likely invulnerable. He takes both physical and emotional punishment that would leave a mere mortal a broken, gibbering wreck, and then volunteers for another mission. One concession Kloos makes was that Grayson found a gray hair, and considers, “I'm getting old”.
As in most of Kloos’ books, his time lines continue to be suspect. He packs enough combat action in 4-8 book hours as traditionally occurs in several days. I used to wonder when Greyson, ever found time to: eat, sleep and use the can between missions? Interestingly in this book, he takes several shipboard showers and even a bio break. The space travel time/distance are also suspect. (Space travel is boring.)
As I wrote, the ground combat in the story was good. Kloos must sleep with a copy of Blackhawk Down beneath his pillow? He even appears to have spent some time with KSP . The spacey vocabulary was better and the maneuvering was more authentic within the confines of the Standard Space Fleet trope he earlier straitjacketed himself with. A constant complaint remains. Kloos still has no appreciation of how vast space really is. In his space battles, the space dreadnoughts maneuver butt-to-nut and avoid ship-to-ship collisions with distances of less than an RCH (a military unit of measure). His space battles always remind me of Carmageddon . Space is the Empty Battlefield. Space warships are eggshells armed with hammers. Those hammers have very long handles. Ships should never be visible to each other, outside of Space Dock(tm).
My largest complaint about his book, is that it takes the series one step forward, and leaves the reader with a cliffhanger. This is a cheap trick first found in Kloos’ newer Palladium Wars series. It now appears to have been exported to Frontlines? I really dislike this pulp fiction technique for authors to ensure their revenue stream. It may work for magazines with a monthly publishing schedule, but it was two years between Points of Impact (2018) and Orders of Battle (2020). How much is the reader expected to remember, after another two years of the story drifting in space? Also, at the rate he’s going, Frontlines will be 15-books long, pay for his children’s college tuition and payoff the mortgage at its end. I may be too enfeebled by old age to see its finish?
So, the ground combat was good. The space combat was mostly good, but still needs work. The boy/girl stuff was still juvenile. In general, there was better proofreading and editing in this story than previous books in the series. The story would have been a good one of the Road to Victory type. However, it stopped, mid-way and unresolved leaving the reader with a FUBAR ending. I might have given Kloos three (3) stars for this improved, Frontlines effort—if not for that ending.
In this story Grayson volunteers for a combat mission outside the solar system aboard one of the alien stomping, space, Dreadnoughts.
For this mission, he leaves the wife behind. There may be a short story or novella with her featuring in the works? They’re both such good soldiers? I continue to find their relationship to be eye-rollingly saccharine, even for the YA reading demographic he’s targeting. Actually, I never find Kloos' female characters to be more than superficially female. Mostly they're just warrior boys with breasts. Interestingly, in this book, Grayson met no less than three (3) eligible women. Like Ward Cleaver , he feels not the slightest temptation. He doesn’t even note their secondary sexual characteristics. This was unlike any soldier, Marine or sailor, I’ve ever encountered. And, I’ve known several. I also note that all the author’s characters are always heterosexuals? That the great majority are Anglo-Saxon, even the PRC rats, has ceased to bother me.
This book had better editing and proofreading than previous books. Poor proofreading and editing has always been a major shortcoming of the series. There were still a few (jump) points that could have been scrubbed. Grayson's fascination with the vastness of the pristine hanger deck, was interesting only once, thrice it was boring. I also noted that in previous books, Alcubierre jump points were all bi-directional. Ships could exit and enter a single point to reach a particular location. The excretable end of the story hinges on the space dreadnought and the first ever, one-way, the wrong way, jump point; an egregious retcon.
As in every book of the series, Grayson was tireless and likely invulnerable. He takes both physical and emotional punishment that would leave a mere mortal a broken, gibbering wreck, and then volunteers for another mission. One concession Kloos makes was that Grayson found a gray hair, and considers, “I'm getting old”.
As in most of Kloos’ books, his time lines continue to be suspect. He packs enough combat action in 4-8 book hours as traditionally occurs in several days. I used to wonder when Greyson, ever found time to: eat, sleep and use the can between missions? Interestingly in this book, he takes several shipboard showers and even a bio break. The space travel time/distance are also suspect. (Space travel is boring.)
As I wrote, the ground combat in the story was good. Kloos must sleep with a copy of Blackhawk Down beneath his pillow? He even appears to have spent some time with KSP . The spacey vocabulary was better and the maneuvering was more authentic within the confines of the Standard Space Fleet trope he earlier straitjacketed himself with. A constant complaint remains. Kloos still has no appreciation of how vast space really is. In his space battles, the space dreadnoughts maneuver butt-to-nut and avoid ship-to-ship collisions with distances of less than an RCH (a military unit of measure). His space battles always remind me of Carmageddon . Space is the Empty Battlefield. Space warships are eggshells armed with hammers. Those hammers have very long handles. Ships should never be visible to each other, outside of Space Dock(tm).
My largest complaint about his book, is that it takes the series one step forward, and leaves the reader with a cliffhanger. This is a cheap trick first found in Kloos’ newer Palladium Wars series. It now appears to have been exported to Frontlines? I really dislike this pulp fiction technique for authors to ensure their revenue stream. It may work for magazines with a monthly publishing schedule, but it was two years between Points of Impact (2018) and Orders of Battle (2020). How much is the reader expected to remember, after another two years of the story drifting in space? Also, at the rate he’s going, Frontlines will be 15-books long, pay for his children’s college tuition and payoff the mortgage at its end. I may be too enfeebled by old age to see its finish?
So, the ground combat was good. The space combat was mostly good, but still needs work. The boy/girl stuff was still juvenile. In general, there was better proofreading and editing in this story than previous books in the series. The story would have been a good one of the Road to Victory type. However, it stopped, mid-way and unresolved leaving the reader with a FUBAR ending. I might have given Kloos three (3) stars for this improved, Frontlines effort—if not for that ending.
February 15, 2021
I did not know why, but I swear I thought this one would be the final book of the series. Imagine my surprise at the end of the book.
I actually don't mind if we have more, I mean, Marko Kloos's writing is like wearing an old, over-sized t-shirt - it's relaxing for me. Yet, I now wonder where he's going to take us next.
Andrew Grayson, our tired kickass hero, is now a major and he's leading a special tactics team in a recon mission, this time behind the enemy line. The first half of the book was most introspective accounts of his current life, job, and new acquaintances. One new character, a female scientist, was too tropey for me to ignore and the way she was utilized - to spout out some sciency facts/arguments - was too minimal. And then we have another female character, the XO, who started out cold towards Grayson but then his competence, bravery and whatnots made them into boxing partners. That easy? Anyway, at least it portrays a sort of platonic friendship and I could use some more of that in my mil SF.
The ending was the thing that irked me the most. Way too abrupt and bland at the same time. I wish it had been a cliffhanger so I'd get more excited to read the next one. But, knowing myself, I'd still read it when it comes out. Yet I find myself wanting to move on to the Palladium Wars instead, which I very much enjoyed so far.
I actually don't mind if we have more, I mean, Marko Kloos's writing is like wearing an old, over-sized t-shirt - it's relaxing for me. Yet, I now wonder where he's going to take us next.
Andrew Grayson, our tired kickass hero, is now a major and he's leading a special tactics team in a recon mission, this time behind the enemy line. The first half of the book was most introspective accounts of his current life, job, and new acquaintances. One new character, a female scientist, was too tropey for me to ignore and the way she was utilized - to spout out some sciency facts/arguments - was too minimal. And then we have another female character, the XO, who started out cold towards Grayson but then his competence, bravery and whatnots made them into boxing partners. That easy? Anyway, at least it portrays a sort of platonic friendship and I could use some more of that in my mil SF.
The ending was the thing that irked me the most. Way too abrupt and bland at the same time. I wish it had been a cliffhanger so I'd get more excited to read the next one. But, knowing myself, I'd still read it when it comes out. Yet I find myself wanting to move on to the Palladium Wars instead, which I very much enjoyed so far.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2022
Just when you think it's over...
I'm always amazed at how Kloos figures out how to up the odds in this series. After ten years of war for Grayson, the reader is always wondering how much more he can take. This book, even Grayson is asking those questions, and the answer is amazing. It's good to see the humans on the advance for once, as well as see Grayson struggle with the difficulties of command. If you love this series, then I don't have to tell you to read this book!
I'm always amazed at how Kloos figures out how to up the odds in this series. After ten years of war for Grayson, the reader is always wondering how much more he can take. This book, even Grayson is asking those questions, and the answer is amazing. It's good to see the humans on the advance for once, as well as see Grayson struggle with the difficulties of command. If you love this series, then I don't have to tell you to read this book!
March 16, 2021
Here we are, 7 books in and we still don't know much about the alien antagonists. The worldbuilding is still not as fleshed out as you would expect after thousands and thousands of pages. Dialogue has come a long way since the first book where everyone literally sounds like the same person, but its still lackluster.
At this point, the endless, mindless, action scenes are just boring filler. The strength of this series has always been its fight scenes (which are wearing really really thin), interesting premise, as well as whatever little bits of plot and worldbuilding the author has drip fed us over 7 books. Kloos needs to waste fewer words on pointless fights and inane filler, and instead actually give us some meat on the bones of the plot and worldbuilding.
At this point, the endless, mindless, action scenes are just boring filler. The strength of this series has always been its fight scenes (which are wearing really really thin), interesting premise, as well as whatever little bits of plot and worldbuilding the author has drip fed us over 7 books. Kloos needs to waste fewer words on pointless fights and inane filler, and instead actually give us some meat on the bones of the plot and worldbuilding.
January 1, 2021
Frustrated
You don’t get to the 7th book in a series without loving the series and the author. But I was just so disappointed with this book. I like the characters. I love the world that’s been built, along with the challenges faced by that world.
So why am I frustrated?
Well, when I buy a book I hope it will entertain. But this book started to get going and then it ended. Most things, everything, was left hanging entirely.
Surely this book should have been the opening chapters of a much larger volume. I don’t mind shorter books, I just expect them to have something that might resemble a beginning, a development and finally some sort of resolution. If I’d have known about the absence of these things in this book, I would still be eager to read it, but I would have waited until the later volumes are released.
You don’t get to the 7th book in a series without loving the series and the author. But I was just so disappointed with this book. I like the characters. I love the world that’s been built, along with the challenges faced by that world.
So why am I frustrated?
Well, when I buy a book I hope it will entertain. But this book started to get going and then it ended. Most things, everything, was left hanging entirely.
Surely this book should have been the opening chapters of a much larger volume. I don’t mind shorter books, I just expect them to have something that might resemble a beginning, a development and finally some sort of resolution. If I’d have known about the absence of these things in this book, I would still be eager to read it, but I would have waited until the later volumes are released.
March 26, 2021
This was more of a recap/filler book in the story . For me this was not a bad thing as it has been over a year sense I have read the last installment. Great writing but it did not add much to the overall story.
October 26, 2021
4 1/2 Stars
Frustrated by cliffhanger but it is always a pleasure to delve into this great Space Opera series. Always great character development and plot twists.
Already jonesing for book eight!
Frustrated by cliffhanger but it is always a pleasure to delve into this great Space Opera series. Always great character development and plot twists.
Already jonesing for book eight!
December 3, 2021
This one was better than #6. We are off on new adventures and Andrew is contemplating what he really wants to do with his life, is he a war junky or not.
I am not usually a big fan of military....anything but I have enjoyed both of Kloos' series and hope he keeps writing them. This one ended with a major cliffhanger which is not ideal but Kloos is still alive and hopefully will spit out the next book shortly.
I am not usually a big fan of military....anything but I have enjoyed both of Kloos' series and hope he keeps writing them. This one ended with a major cliffhanger which is not ideal but Kloos is still alive and hopefully will spit out the next book shortly.
August 15, 2023
Full stop: I STRONGLY DISLIKE CHANGING AUDIOBOOK NARRATORS AT THE END OF A SERIES! I was so disoriented hearing Eric Dove at first that the significance and sadness of a major, terrible event barely phased me, because I was too annoyed with Dove's Halley voice to let anything sink in. Anyway, I wish Luke Daniels could have finished the series. Dove is an okay narrator over all but I do not like his female voices.
Anyway - if I had read Frontlines #6 back when it was published, and did not know there were more books coming, I probably would have been satisfied with the ending. Did #7 feel like a reboot? Kind of. Andrew should have been at a desk job for ever but of course Masood came and pulled him away from his cushy gig with great food. And of course Andrew went because hey, he loves being out there.
I think Kloos knew he owed us a few more answers and decided to send Andrew out on a final mission to hit the Lankies in their own sector of space. The whole series definitely has plot holes the size of an asteroid crater but we deserved to know the why/how/where of the aliens. As a Major, Andrew now has a seat at the big command table and he's got to prove that he deserves to be there.
I think he had a great role in this book and we're definitely starting to get a few answers. The xenobiologist character is interesting and provides some insight; I'm just afraid that it's not going to be enough. Otherwise, this book is still action-packed similar to the rest of the series and overall another entertaining read.
A lot of reviewers seemed discontent with the cliffhanger here and I have to agree. I think that books 7 and 8 would have been better served as one long novel although it could very well be that Kloos just didn't know how to end the series yet and needed more time to hash it out. To me it's obvious that another book was going to be coming after this, even if it took him a few years to publish. There's no way that he was going to leave the series dangling like that!
Stay tuned for my review of the final book, coming soon, and my overall thoughts on the series. It's very rare that I read an entire series like this so hats off to Kloos for keeping it interesting so far and my fingers are crossed for a walloping conclusion.
Anyway - if I had read Frontlines #6 back when it was published, and did not know there were more books coming, I probably would have been satisfied with the ending. Did #7 feel like a reboot? Kind of. Andrew should have been at a desk job for ever but of course Masood came and pulled him away from his cushy gig with great food. And of course Andrew went because hey, he loves being out there.
I think Kloos knew he owed us a few more answers and decided to send Andrew out on a final mission to hit the Lankies in their own sector of space. The whole series definitely has plot holes the size of an asteroid crater but we deserved to know the why/how/where of the aliens. As a Major, Andrew now has a seat at the big command table and he's got to prove that he deserves to be there.
I think he had a great role in this book and we're definitely starting to get a few answers. The xenobiologist character is interesting and provides some insight; I'm just afraid that it's not going to be enough. Otherwise, this book is still action-packed similar to the rest of the series and overall another entertaining read.
A lot of reviewers seemed discontent with the cliffhanger here and I have to agree. I think that books 7 and 8 would have been better served as one long novel although it could very well be that Kloos just didn't know how to end the series yet and needed more time to hash it out. To me it's obvious that another book was going to be coming after this, even if it took him a few years to publish. There's no way that he was going to leave the series dangling like that!
Stay tuned for my review of the final book, coming soon, and my overall thoughts on the series. It's very rare that I read an entire series like this so hats off to Kloos for keeping it interesting so far and my fingers are crossed for a walloping conclusion.
December 10, 2020
This is by far the weakest entry to the series. The first 60% of the book is the main characters whining about his lot in life. He dislikes being away from his wife, and she him, but they both love the action their jobs afford them. He doesn't like being a staff officer, but he does the job well. Nothing of consequence happens until more than halfway through the book and even then action is limited and used to serve up the next twist in the overall story. It's a passable story but it's rather boring.
March 25, 2021
Usually, this author makes each installment a self-contained story. But this book felt way too short and like an introduction to a finale that will happen in later books.
October 30, 2020
I received a pre-release copy of this book via NetGalley.
Marko Kloos returns for another round in the Frontlines series with "Orders of Battle". I will admit up front that I am a big fan of the series. There was a bit of a longer wait for this than the previous books because the author started another series in between this and the last Frontlines book, but who wouldn't want to switch gears after writing one series exclusively for a number of years.
In any event, this book was like falling back in with an old friend. I normally don't go for first-person books, but for some reason this series is written in such a way that I don't mind it in the least. The action picks up 4 years after the last book. The Lankies have been run out of the solar system, and humanity has basically been at peace. There have been continuous patrols on Mars to mop-up the Lankie presence there, but no new invasions. The military has used this time to beef-up its resources.
Andrew Grayson returns, of course, this time holding down a plum training position at a "swanky" military base, if such a term can ever be applied to a military base. It's not long before he is offered a spot on a top secret mission. I won't say any more to avoid spoilers, but there are spaceships and ground battles and all the things we've come to expect and love from this series. Grayson's wife, Halle, is not in the book for very long, but I can appreciate that Kloos doesn't invent ways for them to be stationed together at all times. Other characters admirably fill in the gap left by her.
It does set up a pretty big twist ending that I really didn't see coming, and I cannot wait to see where things go from here. It could almost be the "second era" of the Frontlines series and I eagerly await the next book.
Marko Kloos returns for another round in the Frontlines series with "Orders of Battle". I will admit up front that I am a big fan of the series. There was a bit of a longer wait for this than the previous books because the author started another series in between this and the last Frontlines book, but who wouldn't want to switch gears after writing one series exclusively for a number of years.
In any event, this book was like falling back in with an old friend. I normally don't go for first-person books, but for some reason this series is written in such a way that I don't mind it in the least. The action picks up 4 years after the last book. The Lankies have been run out of the solar system, and humanity has basically been at peace. There have been continuous patrols on Mars to mop-up the Lankie presence there, but no new invasions. The military has used this time to beef-up its resources.
Andrew Grayson returns, of course, this time holding down a plum training position at a "swanky" military base, if such a term can ever be applied to a military base. It's not long before he is offered a spot on a top secret mission. I won't say any more to avoid spoilers, but there are spaceships and ground battles and all the things we've come to expect and love from this series. Grayson's wife, Halle, is not in the book for very long, but I can appreciate that Kloos doesn't invent ways for them to be stationed together at all times. Other characters admirably fill in the gap left by her.
It does set up a pretty big twist ending that I really didn't see coming, and I cannot wait to see where things go from here. It could almost be the "second era" of the Frontlines series and I eagerly await the next book.
January 23, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up because I appreciated the rhythm of this part of the story.
Pity for the cliffhanger, I thought the series was finished when I started it and only realized it was not the case while reading this book. Anyway, I really enjoy this series and I hope to read more about Andrew, Halley and the Lankies.
I don’t know what has triggered the feeling of inner peace that has replaced that dread. Maybe it’s the acceptance of the fact that on the cosmic timescale, our existences are a blip in the collective consciousness of the universe anyway, and that I got to live my little life span with more agency and autonomy than most. I got to have a purpose and someone to fight for, and that’s more than most people get these days.
Pity for the cliffhanger, I thought the series was finished when I started it and only realized it was not the case while reading this book. Anyway, I really enjoy this series and I hope to read more about Andrew, Halley and the Lankies.
I don’t know what has triggered the feeling of inner peace that has replaced that dread. Maybe it’s the acceptance of the fact that on the cosmic timescale, our existences are a blip in the collective consciousness of the universe anyway, and that I got to live my little life span with more agency and autonomy than most. I got to have a purpose and someone to fight for, and that’s more than most people get these days.
June 19, 2021
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' Into the future
It's now Major Andrew Grayson
Intrepid-class Federation starship USS Voyager is enveloped by a powerful energy wave that strands it in the galaxy's Delta Quadrant, more than 70,000 light-years from Earth. Or was it 900 light-years ?
Just when things start to get interesting Kloos spends the next chapter writing about Grayson's sparring workout.
Then the book ends with a cliffhanger. Deep breath out slow.
Too much filler.
Unfortunately not the kind of filler you find in a chocolate eclair. This was tasteless.
Book had it's good moments. Revisiting Willoughby City from book 1 and a civilian Dr. Elin Vandenberg tagging along was interesting. Then being flung 900 light years away from Earth and encountering a rogue planet surrounded by Lankie ships was cool but left with a cliffhanger.
Deep breath out slow.
It's now Major Andrew Grayson
Intrepid-class Federation starship USS Voyager is enveloped by a powerful energy wave that strands it in the galaxy's Delta Quadrant, more than 70,000 light-years from Earth. Or was it 900 light-years ?
Just when things start to get interesting Kloos spends the next chapter writing about Grayson's sparring workout.
Then the book ends with a cliffhanger. Deep breath out slow.
Too much filler.
Unfortunately not the kind of filler you find in a chocolate eclair. This was tasteless.
Book had it's good moments. Revisiting Willoughby City from book 1 and a civilian Dr. Elin Vandenberg tagging along was interesting. Then being flung 900 light years away from Earth and encountering a rogue planet surrounded by Lankie ships was cool but left with a cliffhanger.
Deep breath out slow.
March 13, 2021
It had a slow start...but then the last half of the story took off and didn't slow down...Kloos manages to change up the story to keep interest flowing...
July 4, 2021
I've been with Marko Kloos from the beginning and I faithfully read each new installment in his MilSF series Frontlines, but I've been harping for the last few installments that it was time for him to wrap it up.
When we first met Andrew Grayson, he was a green recruit fighting against other Earth nations in this semi-dystopian future. Book two introduced the big bads of the series, the alien "Lankies," giant monsters who never communicate or really give any indication of sentience, aside from the fact that, y'know, they build starships.
At first the Lankies and their giant Seedships were almost indestructible. Over the course of the series, Earth has learned to fight them, and now rather like the Aliens franchise, we've gone from a single monster that's Holy Fuck!Scary to disposable legions of them. And for the last few books, the war just ground on and on.
So I was hoping Kloos would wrap it up, finally. In Orders of Battle, the seventh book, we learn that no Lanky ships have been seen in Earth's system for five years, and while they're still digging the monsters out of their subterranean tunnels in Mars, that planet has basically been reclaimed by humanity.
Grayson is now a Major, and he's asked to go on a shady recon mission with a new crew. All the while telling himself he hates this shit and doesn't want to be separated from his wife, they both know that they are lifers and they actually love this shit, so he goes. The supposed mission is to scout out a Lanky homeworld and take the war to them.
Predictably, things go wrong. What goes wrong is a bit of a spoiler, but basically, this series is not apparently ending anytime soon, and we now have a Star Trek: Voyager situation.
Sigh. Okay, I'll keep reading because it was still good decent MilSF, but I hope this latest twist doesn't also get worn out for another five books.
When we first met Andrew Grayson, he was a green recruit fighting against other Earth nations in this semi-dystopian future. Book two introduced the big bads of the series, the alien "Lankies," giant monsters who never communicate or really give any indication of sentience, aside from the fact that, y'know, they build starships.
At first the Lankies and their giant Seedships were almost indestructible. Over the course of the series, Earth has learned to fight them, and now rather like the Aliens franchise, we've gone from a single monster that's Holy Fuck!Scary to disposable legions of them. And for the last few books, the war just ground on and on.
So I was hoping Kloos would wrap it up, finally. In Orders of Battle, the seventh book, we learn that no Lanky ships have been seen in Earth's system for five years, and while they're still digging the monsters out of their subterranean tunnels in Mars, that planet has basically been reclaimed by humanity.
Grayson is now a Major, and he's asked to go on a shady recon mission with a new crew. All the while telling himself he hates this shit and doesn't want to be separated from his wife, they both know that they are lifers and they actually love this shit, so he goes. The supposed mission is to scout out a Lanky homeworld and take the war to them.
Predictably, things go wrong. What goes wrong is a bit of a spoiler, but basically, this series is not apparently ending anytime soon, and we now have a Star Trek: Voyager situation.
Sigh. Okay, I'll keep reading because it was still good decent MilSF, but I hope this latest twist doesn't also get worn out for another five books.
December 10, 2020
If you're still following along with the series, you're clearly hooked.
This was no exception to the solid military sci-fi romps that are this particular series.
What I appreciate a lot, especially as he's progressed, is that Marko Kloos knows that action is an exclamation point, especially in a book. He does an admirable job of adding tension (in a good way) leading up to flurries of activity. There are some tropes in here, but he does such a good job in the lead up that they don't feel stale or forced.
My one criticism is that in contrast to the prior books, this one ends very much on a cliffhanger, and one that seems.... tougher to get out of.
Tip of the hat to Mr. Kloos and looking forward to his next books, as always.
This was no exception to the solid military sci-fi romps that are this particular series.
What I appreciate a lot, especially as he's progressed, is that Marko Kloos knows that action is an exclamation point, especially in a book. He does an admirable job of adding tension (in a good way) leading up to flurries of activity. There are some tropes in here, but he does such a good job in the lead up that they don't feel stale or forced.
My one criticism is that in contrast to the prior books, this one ends very much on a cliffhanger, and one that seems.... tougher to get out of.
Tip of the hat to Mr. Kloos and looking forward to his next books, as always.
August 4, 2021
I’m committed to this series and the story now, and it’s all presented well enough, which keeps me coming back for more. The main problem is the pacing of this series is glacial and so much of the last couple books has felt like filler and repetition. Give me the 800 pages of Dune and at least a complete story over one that is drip-fed over a decade in tidy 250 page increments, pacing be damned. This may be a better way to pay the bills, but this far in it’s also clear Kloos is more interested in imagining life on a military spaceship than working out wherever this galactic conflict is headed.
March 15, 2021
Not sure what to think about this one. Kind of slow to start, and then a series of flashback conversations to catch up new readers on the previous books. Then an unlikely offer for a mission.
Action, military, guns!
And then an abrupt end, I guess a cliffhanger. Not really, though, more like a convenient stopping point. Probably a publisher suggesting to get this out ASAP instead of finishing the product.
Action, military, guns!
And then an abrupt end, I guess a cliffhanger. Not really, though, more like a convenient stopping point. Probably a publisher suggesting to get this out ASAP instead of finishing the product.
December 13, 2020
More of the Same
I’ve invested now in seven books in this series, but it’s getting repetitive. You can shoot up Lankies only so many different ways, and I would like to see the finale coming soon.
I’ve invested now in seven books in this series, but it’s getting repetitive. You can shoot up Lankies only so many different ways, and I would like to see the finale coming soon.
March 24, 2023
Andrew Grayson is a liar!
That's how I've come to view these books. He inexplicably is present at every major milestone humans have with the Lankies. More than that, he survived them all. I've decided it's because Grayson never joined the military. He watched the war on TV, safely in his burber mansion. The shame he felt from not serving had him write historical fiction with himself, and a completely made up wife, in key positions for all major engagements. Using this head cannon, I can enjoy the amazing Lanky War with far less eye rolling.
This book was slower but looks to have set up an epic finale. I've now read seven books in a little over two weeks. Reading that fast points on continuity inconsistencies, more proof Grayson is a civilian author. A few times the years in his career don't add up. This was most pronounced when heroic COL Campbell's daughter showed up. Unless Campbell had her when he was fifteen, there's no way she's a lieutenant colonel. I figured her for a much younger sister. Grayson doesn't even comment on the timeline. Things like this prove Grayson is simply a stolen valor liar. It's an amazing series, once you accept the lie.
That's how I've come to view these books. He inexplicably is present at every major milestone humans have with the Lankies. More than that, he survived them all. I've decided it's because Grayson never joined the military. He watched the war on TV, safely in his burber mansion. The shame he felt from not serving had him write historical fiction with himself, and a completely made up wife, in key positions for all major engagements. Using this head cannon, I can enjoy the amazing Lanky War with far less eye rolling.
This book was slower but looks to have set up an epic finale. I've now read seven books in a little over two weeks. Reading that fast points on continuity inconsistencies, more proof Grayson is a civilian author. A few times the years in his career don't add up. This was most pronounced when heroic COL Campbell's daughter showed up. Unless Campbell had her when he was fifteen, there's no way she's a lieutenant colonel. I figured her for a much younger sister. Grayson doesn't even comment on the timeline. Things like this prove Grayson is simply a stolen valor liar. It's an amazing series, once you accept the lie.
November 9, 2024
Absolutely blew through this book. Kinda followed the same formula as the other books: slow first act, fast paced second act, amazing third act. The first and second acts were not all that exciting, but it made up for it in the third act. I am a little disappointed how much shorter the books have been getting, and I am wondering how the series can resolve in any meaningful way with just one book remaining. Thankfully, the final book is the longest book since Chains of Command (Frontlines #4). But I'm also not a stranger to SciFi authors who write their series with open endings, so maybe Marko Kloos is one of those authors. We'll see.
April 13, 2021
A really solid addition to the series, enjoyed as much as all the rest, but as a stand alone book it doesn't really go very far, basically a sort of exciting set up to a cliff hanger. I was surprised and disappointed at where it finished. But in the grand scheme of the story it fits in well and continues the adventures of our hero along nicely.
May 30, 2022
Un épisode efficace dans une série jamais décevante mais j’ai la méchante sensation de n’avoir lu que la moitié d’un livre...
March 14, 2022
Orders of Battle, written by Marko Kloos, is the 7th book in the Frontlines series and published in 2020. Orders of Battle starts six months after book six, where Andrew and his wife Halle are grieving the loss of Andrew's mom while enjoying a short reprieve from the Lankey attacks. Despite the lack of a threat, the world alliance wants to go offensive. Before engaging in battle, the coalition wants to send a ship to Mars, the first planet attacked by the Lankeys, to collect valuable data left behind. His maligned General Mahmud recruits Andrew to help lead the expedition. Andrew has to reckon with his identity and purpose versus rationality during this engagement. Can he enjoy being a "civi" and not serving? Once on Mars, Andrew and the crew realize that they might have kicked over the hornet's nest.
It felt like Kloos was under a timeline and submitted a half-finished book. Given what little happened in Orders of Battle, I'm astonished that Kloos was comfortable ending the book the way he did. I can always enjoy Andrew's perspective on war, purpose, and relationships, which make Orders of Battle an enjoyable read, as always, but the direction of Frontlines has me questioning if I want to continue the series.
It felt like Kloos was under a timeline and submitted a half-finished book. Given what little happened in Orders of Battle, I'm astonished that Kloos was comfortable ending the book the way he did. I can always enjoy Andrew's perspective on war, purpose, and relationships, which make Orders of Battle an enjoyable read, as always, but the direction of Frontlines has me questioning if I want to continue the series.
February 17, 2021
First half 2 stars. Second half 4 stars.
Disappointing overall given nothing happens till the end and we're left hanging. Hopefully subsequent installments finally start to get to the Lanky origins and how they work (unfortunately Kloos keeps using the grunt mentality to "simply care about how they die and not how they work") and with the inclusion of the new xenobiologist we may just get that.
Sadly still it was a lackluster affair mostly about the main characters internal dialogue and lack of confidence and constant surprise that he got to where he is.
When Kloos does action, it's gripping. When it's the fluff, it's very skimmable. Not to mention the endless prose around the space ships and the big military sounding words and the tech and the blah blah.
SPOILERS
theory 1: lanky seed ships are fully grown celestial sentient beings with internal alcubierre drives. They are grown from planets and the new ones they see around the rogue planet are babies and so have yet to harder their outer shell and create their thermal cloaking.
At the end of this story they tagged along a lanky seed ship as they were chasing them down and wound up 900 light years away after only a 30-minute Journey in the dead of space next to nothing and there's a rogue planet with tons of ships around it and moons and they're going to try and get resources from the moon's. They did a little recon mission and got intel. Grayson and the Xo (who kinda hates him but is coming around) have been butting heads and maybe there is something there...
Disappointing overall given nothing happens till the end and we're left hanging. Hopefully subsequent installments finally start to get to the Lanky origins and how they work (unfortunately Kloos keeps using the grunt mentality to "simply care about how they die and not how they work") and with the inclusion of the new xenobiologist we may just get that.
Sadly still it was a lackluster affair mostly about the main characters internal dialogue and lack of confidence and constant surprise that he got to where he is.
When Kloos does action, it's gripping. When it's the fluff, it's very skimmable. Not to mention the endless prose around the space ships and the big military sounding words and the tech and the blah blah.
SPOILERS
theory 1: lanky seed ships are fully grown celestial sentient beings with internal alcubierre drives. They are grown from planets and the new ones they see around the rogue planet are babies and so have yet to harder their outer shell and create their thermal cloaking.
At the end of this story they tagged along a lanky seed ship as they were chasing them down and wound up 900 light years away after only a 30-minute Journey in the dead of space next to nothing and there's a rogue planet with tons of ships around it and moons and they're going to try and get resources from the moon's. They did a little recon mission and got intel. Grayson and the Xo (who kinda hates him but is coming around) have been butting heads and maybe there is something there...
February 16, 2021
The two previous books in this series were pretty meh. They really felt like the author was spinning his wheels, trying to figure out how to end things. This book finally feels like he figured things out and has a real goal that he's writing toward again. Things feel like they're finally moving toward a conclusion. The first half is a bit boring, and had me worried that this would be a third book in a row of filler, but things pick up in the second half and end with a pretty decent cliffhanger. If only it wasn't written in present tense I'd have probably given it five stars, but books written in present tense annoy me to such an incredible degree that I just can't.
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