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Earth at War #1
1st to Fight
I retired from the USMC, and now I write about space marines.
I never thought I’d actually become one.
As a sci-fi author with a hit TV show, I have a few ideas about what alien invaders are supposed to look like. In my stories, they’re technologically advanced monsters, with tentacles, and no faces.
Turns out I was right about the technology.
And about how angry they’d be.
But the way they look…that’s more terrifying than even I could have imagined.
They look exactly like us.
Because they are us.
I never thought I’d actually become one.
As a sci-fi author with a hit TV show, I have a few ideas about what alien invaders are supposed to look like. In my stories, they’re technologically advanced monsters, with tentacles, and no faces.
Turns out I was right about the technology.
And about how angry they’d be.
But the way they look…that’s more terrifying than even I could have imagined.
They look exactly like us.
Because they are us.
478 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 15, 2020
842 people are currently reading
254 people want to read
About the author
Rick Partlow
207 books372 followersRick Partlow is that rarest of species, a native Floridian. Born in Tampa, he attended Florida Southern College and graduated with a degree in History and a commission in the US Army as an Infantry officer.
His lifelong love of science fiction began with Have Space Suit---Will Travel and the other Heinlein juveniles and traveled through Clifford Simak, Asimov, Clarke and on to William Gibson, Walter Jon Williams and Peter F Hamilton. And somewhere, submerged in the worlds of others, Rick began to create his own worlds.
He has written over 70 books in over a dozen different series, and his short stories have been included in many different anthologies.
He currently lives in norther Wyoming with his wife and their dog. Besides writing and reading science fiction and fantasy, he enjoys outdoor photography, hiking and camping.
His lifelong love of science fiction began with Have Space Suit---Will Travel and the other Heinlein juveniles and traveled through Clifford Simak, Asimov, Clarke and on to William Gibson, Walter Jon Williams and Peter F Hamilton. And somewhere, submerged in the worlds of others, Rick began to create his own worlds.
He has written over 70 books in over a dozen different series, and his short stories have been included in many different anthologies.
He currently lives in norther Wyoming with his wife and their dog. Besides writing and reading science fiction and fantasy, he enjoys outdoor photography, hiking and camping.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
October 25, 2020
I make no secret I am a huge fan of Rick Partlow's books. I try and support veterans who become authors, and Rick makes it easy by writing fantastic military sci fi. 1st to Fight is definitely a quality addition to his portfolio. The basic premise is creative and really pulls the reader in. The author's real life military experience really shines through with the main character, a retired marine who becomes a sci fi writer. He is such a great character, who's life experience in the military colors his actions throughout the story, in how he deals with people and aliens, and even the military gallows humor he displays. This is the kind of thing other vets will pick up on immediately. He creates such a great universe for the story to operate in, and then drags the reader along on an adventure like no other. Definitely among his finest works, and I'm excited to see where he takes the rest of the series.
I was given a review copy at no cost and choose to voluntarily review it.
I was given a review copy at no cost and choose to voluntarily review it.
January 5, 2022
A bit silly, but lots of snarky dialog and fun jabs at the Army and Space Force made it enjoyable for this Navy veteran. Near future sci-fi with aliens and lots of battles. Tons of foul language (duh) and violence. Narration by Scott Aiello was excellent.
December 15, 2020
I enjoyed this book tremendously! Yeah, that’s a strong statement, but it’s the absolute truth. It’s the kind of military science fiction story that I could read forever. I hope this series has a very long life. I’m becoming a huge fan of Mr. Partlow. I’ve read some of his books in the past and not to long ago, I re-read one of his books and I don’t ever do that. Seems like the first time I read, “Duty, Honor and Planet” it wasn’t part of a series, but that’s no longer true and I’m well into the “Wholesale Slaughter Series”. I highly recommend that series if you haven’t found it yet.
But, on to what we’re reading now. I’m a retired Army guy so when the main character in a story is a retired or former veteran of any kind, I kind of jump right in an empathize with them pretty quickly. This time we’re meeting Andy Clanton, Marine, currently living as a science fiction writer! There's one thing Mr. Partlow got wrong in his introduction of Mr. Clanton; he called him a “former” Marine and I don’t believe those exist. i.e., “once a Marine, always a Marine”! Andy fits that bill to a T. Even in his early forties, he’s healthy and in some kind of good shape. He better have been.
Right now he’s actually on a Gatlin Aerospace shuttle blasting off for a meeting with the International Space Station and then on to the Selenium for its first lunar orbit mission. About two year ago, Mr. Gatlin has announced his intent to do this very mission and was looking for some one non-technical, who could convey this trip in words that others would understand. While he had looked for some of the well known science fiction writers, they all were not in the best of shape, so Andy Clanton got the ticket and he was going. He wouldn’t have passed this up for nothing (and neither would I)!
There were a few other people along for the ride including Andy and of course, Mr. Gatlin. Their pilot was Captain Julie Nieves, USNR, and Dr. Patel, the mission medical officer. The shuttle up to Mr. Gatlin’s private orbital station wasn’t all that big, but the ride was comfortable much as blasting off into space could be. When they got to the orbital station, there wasn’t much to see or do since it wasn’t much of a station. I housed the living quarters for the work crews who built the Selenium in space over the last eighteen months. Now that their work was mostly done, they had gone back to Earth. Everything was going great for the pending moon orbit, until it wasn’t!
A major announcement was getting ready to be made by the President of the United States at the very moment Andy was just floating around in the orbital station. Mr. Clanton had set up one of the monitors to capture the announcement and what the President said shocked them to their cores! The Selenium wasn’t the only space ship in our neighborhood of space! It should have been! Now that the US knew about this unknown ship, they were going to send someone to investigate and since we already had people in space and a space ship with them, the US Government decided to step in and take charge of this situation! Oh, dear! That’s usually when everything goes wrong!
So the plan was for the US Space Forces to send up the Orion to dock with Mr. Gatlin’s orbital station and then to commandeer his Selenium so they could then meet with whomever occupied the unknown spaceship. That was the plan, a very hasty plan and not one very well thought out. Let’s just say it got off to a real bad start when the Orion broke the docking solar on the orbital station after the other shuttle had been set adrift. Now instead of going back down to Earth on the Orion, Andy Clanton and his group found themselves drafted into this first contact mission to meet with who know who or what.
Let’s just go on and say that with the President of the United States asking you to do something and he renames you Captain Clanton, you probably need to figure that somehow you once again a Marine Captain whether you like it or not. And so begins Andy’s new career as a Marine. He’s a very good one at that and will be meeting some challenges never before faced by any Marine. It’s a good thing he’s going to have some US Army Rangers and a bunch of Delta Force guys with him. If Andy ever gets back to Earth and has the time to write again, he’s going to be able to sell some really great non-science fiction books that are the stuff of science fiction just a few days ago! That is if he lives through all this stuff!
I honestly thought the book could have stopped in three distinct places, but the author kept writing and that was just fine with me. Even when this book does finish, we keep on with a kind of background short-story that tells all about the first time Lieutenant Andy Clanton ran into Master Sergeant Jambo. And, yeah, you’ll be reading a lot about these two. This short background book is just as well done as the first book in this series. I’ve already downloaded the second book, “Primary Targets” and I’ll definitely be reading the third book when it’s published. These are way too good to pass up!
But, on to what we’re reading now. I’m a retired Army guy so when the main character in a story is a retired or former veteran of any kind, I kind of jump right in an empathize with them pretty quickly. This time we’re meeting Andy Clanton, Marine, currently living as a science fiction writer! There's one thing Mr. Partlow got wrong in his introduction of Mr. Clanton; he called him a “former” Marine and I don’t believe those exist. i.e., “once a Marine, always a Marine”! Andy fits that bill to a T. Even in his early forties, he’s healthy and in some kind of good shape. He better have been.
Right now he’s actually on a Gatlin Aerospace shuttle blasting off for a meeting with the International Space Station and then on to the Selenium for its first lunar orbit mission. About two year ago, Mr. Gatlin has announced his intent to do this very mission and was looking for some one non-technical, who could convey this trip in words that others would understand. While he had looked for some of the well known science fiction writers, they all were not in the best of shape, so Andy Clanton got the ticket and he was going. He wouldn’t have passed this up for nothing (and neither would I)!
There were a few other people along for the ride including Andy and of course, Mr. Gatlin. Their pilot was Captain Julie Nieves, USNR, and Dr. Patel, the mission medical officer. The shuttle up to Mr. Gatlin’s private orbital station wasn’t all that big, but the ride was comfortable much as blasting off into space could be. When they got to the orbital station, there wasn’t much to see or do since it wasn’t much of a station. I housed the living quarters for the work crews who built the Selenium in space over the last eighteen months. Now that their work was mostly done, they had gone back to Earth. Everything was going great for the pending moon orbit, until it wasn’t!
A major announcement was getting ready to be made by the President of the United States at the very moment Andy was just floating around in the orbital station. Mr. Clanton had set up one of the monitors to capture the announcement and what the President said shocked them to their cores! The Selenium wasn’t the only space ship in our neighborhood of space! It should have been! Now that the US knew about this unknown ship, they were going to send someone to investigate and since we already had people in space and a space ship with them, the US Government decided to step in and take charge of this situation! Oh, dear! That’s usually when everything goes wrong!
So the plan was for the US Space Forces to send up the Orion to dock with Mr. Gatlin’s orbital station and then to commandeer his Selenium so they could then meet with whomever occupied the unknown spaceship. That was the plan, a very hasty plan and not one very well thought out. Let’s just say it got off to a real bad start when the Orion broke the docking solar on the orbital station after the other shuttle had been set adrift. Now instead of going back down to Earth on the Orion, Andy Clanton and his group found themselves drafted into this first contact mission to meet with who know who or what.
Let’s just go on and say that with the President of the United States asking you to do something and he renames you Captain Clanton, you probably need to figure that somehow you once again a Marine Captain whether you like it or not. And so begins Andy’s new career as a Marine. He’s a very good one at that and will be meeting some challenges never before faced by any Marine. It’s a good thing he’s going to have some US Army Rangers and a bunch of Delta Force guys with him. If Andy ever gets back to Earth and has the time to write again, he’s going to be able to sell some really great non-science fiction books that are the stuff of science fiction just a few days ago! That is if he lives through all this stuff!
I honestly thought the book could have stopped in three distinct places, but the author kept writing and that was just fine with me. Even when this book does finish, we keep on with a kind of background short-story that tells all about the first time Lieutenant Andy Clanton ran into Master Sergeant Jambo. And, yeah, you’ll be reading a lot about these two. This short background book is just as well done as the first book in this series. I’ve already downloaded the second book, “Primary Targets” and I’ll definitely be reading the third book when it’s published. These are way too good to pass up!
May 27, 2021
Quite good, fast paced, with relatable characters.
December 30, 2020
1st to Fight is a really clever, well thought out Mil Sci-Fi story that is fast paced, action packed, with a wicked sense of humour, and is so realistic, so real, you can quite literally smell the plasma burning as the shots pass by. But more than that, it is a great tale of an ex-Marine, who has turned to writing Sci-Fi, suddenly finding that that his former life, and his writing career have melded into a very weird future, one that involves aliens that look a lot, nope make that exactly, like Humans….
The story follows Andy Clanton, a mediocre Sci-Fi writer, who has done alright for himself in that, he not only has a decent selling book series, he actually has his own TV-Series. He is a former Marine, who having suffered PTSD, and having self-medicated with alcohol, was discharged from the Military after an unfortunate incident. His choice of self-medicating also led to the end of his marriage, and his ex-wife, having little understanding for the trauma and suffering he was going through (with the PTSD, not the drinking), and just being worried about herself and her son, left and took his Son with him.
It is his writing career that has keep him above water, and he has cleaned himself up, along with some help from friends, and at the start of this book, he is actually in space, aboard a special project with a Rich Entrepreneur, Daniel Gatlin.
However, whilst this is taking place, an object appears by our Moon, an Unknown ‘Alien’ Object, and transmits a message, the first to get to ‘their location’, will get access to their technology.
After a very short (and bloody) race, a US contingent makes it, mainly due to Andy’s group already being in space, but this doesn’t stop a Russian and Chinese contingent trying, which has led to a lot of unrest on Earth.
What happens next will not only change Andy’s life forever, but all of those on Earth.
Without giving too much away, what unfolds is that Andy, and an old friend, a Delta Force Soldier with the nickname ‘Jambo’, end up as part of a team on a mission in space. Andy is roped into it because of his former training, and then during a battle with an enemy space ship, he actually comes up with tactics that no one else thinks of because he is the Sci-Fi writer, and has thought of ship to ship space combat, something that no one else has.
Andy and Jambo become wrapped up in an intergalactic fight to help save not just Humanity, but another species to, and suddenly Andy’s Sci-Fi writing is a lot more ‘Science-Fact’ than ‘Science-Fiction’.
Whilst this might all seem highly unlikely, and unrealistic, Partlow has actually kept it real, there are good, clean explanations for things that occur every step of the way, and this includes the Tech as well, which is not only explained well, but is just SO COOL!! The Technology of the Aliens (called the Helta), without giving away spoilers, is just beautifully done. It is creative, clever, and well described, but at the same time, does not get carried away or glorify aspects of it, there is a healthy respect for the weapons, and there is also a healthy respect for the more technological aspects such as the hyperdrive and other toys the Helta and Tevynians have.
This exceptional work continues into Partlow’s character writing. His main character Andy Clanton is a soldier that has fought in a previous conflict, and has killed in combat. Clanton, is both quite intelligent, and a thinker, two traits that are rather unfortunate when faced with the situation he was in. Clanton suffers from chronic PTSD, and Partlow’s in-depth, and gritty discussion of Clanton’s story is intensely raw and powerful at times, very emotive. Partlow is a Soldier himself, from a Military Family, and has done extensive research into the subject, and you can tell with his writing, as it shows.
This is not just with the PTSD aspect, but also with the brutally raw nature of the combat scenes as well, which at times leave you feeling like you are standing in the middle of it, from the smell of burnt flesh, to blood on the floor and the overwhelming cacophony of noise – gunshots, orders, screaming, yelling, radio transmission, and the thundering noise of battle, all whilst you try and focus on your target, try not to slip, retch at the smell, get shot, or shoot at something someone else is targeting so you don’t waste a shot – Partlow describes all this in such intricate, gritty, (at times, with raw emotions), detail, at all times it is utterly captivating, as you are glued to the page, having to know what is going to happen next.
As you get through page, after page, you realise you are holding your breathe (And as an ex-Cop of 11yrs, this is why they teach Cops to shout ‘Don’t Move’ – because when you shout – you breathe – it stops the Probationary Cops (well in Australia), from passing out – it is also why I understand the entire concept of PTSD, and how Partlow has written it so well!!)
It is not just Clanton though who is brilliant, Master Sgt Jim ‘Jambo’ Bowie, Delta Force operative, is perhaps one of the best characters in the book (although there are a lot of them!!), as the war torn Delta guy, who sort of has a rank, of only Master Sgt, but everyone, even Colonels and the like, are scared of him. He has that casual calm in any situation of a Man that has seen too much action, and just knows how things play out, that things go bad, and there is no point getting upset about it, you just have to deal with it. His character is not gung-ho, but remarkably down-to-earth, and rational, gentle even at times, but with that smirk that terrifies even the scariest of monsters.
There are so many other wonderful characters, and so many other fun things that I would love to talk about, but it would ruin the book. One of the funniest things about this book has to be Andy’s mouth, he has a sarcastic tongue like a 16yr old girl, but with the comments of a 100yr old Sailor. He fires comments off so quick and so fast, at times, some of the characters are not sure what has happened, at other times, they are just in his head, but pretty much every one of them is so bad, that they could make a marine cry, but they make you laugh, OMG, I seriously laughed so hard I think I broke a rib a few times. Partlow obviously had a lot of fun writing this.
1st to Fight sees Humanity making difficult decisions, having to fight with little to no training in new tech (and the tech is just awesome and again, described so well – both the Human and Alien tech (well the Human is sort of alien anyway, so!!), but the detailed, and comprehensive descriptive work is just exquisite, it adds so much detail to the story.
And this is a story about Humans, fighting, well, other Humans, the Synopsis is right, you have to read it to understand, but you will. And it is rather fascinating how. With ship to ship combat, person to person, even hand to hand, there is a LOT of action.
As an added bonus, there is an extra short story at the end of the book that talks about Andy’s time in Venezuela, and how he met Jambo. It is a really interesting story, in that it covers two different stories, the one in Venezuela (which was apparently one of his worst days in the war, or so he tells his son), and the other part of the story, is set after ‘1st to Fight’, and covers Andy and the Team going on an important rescue mission, that will again, affect the course of Humanity, but this time around, if they fail, it will not only mean the death of Humans, but it could also mean the death of a lot of others as well.
Again, it is a really well written, fast paced action story, that just does not stop. The great thing about the short story (Called Rescue Mission funnily enough), is that it gives some fantastic insight into not just Andy, but some of the other characters as well.
Most of the time, a book like this (commonly a 0.5), would be a separate edition, and you would have to buy it, sign up for it, or sell your first born for it, but Partlow has not only included it for free, but it is actually included for free in the Audiobook as well.
1st to Fight is a brilliant start to what is going to be an Epic Series. If you like series like the Expeditionary Series – you will love this!.
The story follows Andy Clanton, a mediocre Sci-Fi writer, who has done alright for himself in that, he not only has a decent selling book series, he actually has his own TV-Series. He is a former Marine, who having suffered PTSD, and having self-medicated with alcohol, was discharged from the Military after an unfortunate incident. His choice of self-medicating also led to the end of his marriage, and his ex-wife, having little understanding for the trauma and suffering he was going through (with the PTSD, not the drinking), and just being worried about herself and her son, left and took his Son with him.
It is his writing career that has keep him above water, and he has cleaned himself up, along with some help from friends, and at the start of this book, he is actually in space, aboard a special project with a Rich Entrepreneur, Daniel Gatlin.
However, whilst this is taking place, an object appears by our Moon, an Unknown ‘Alien’ Object, and transmits a message, the first to get to ‘their location’, will get access to their technology.
After a very short (and bloody) race, a US contingent makes it, mainly due to Andy’s group already being in space, but this doesn’t stop a Russian and Chinese contingent trying, which has led to a lot of unrest on Earth.
What happens next will not only change Andy’s life forever, but all of those on Earth.
Without giving too much away, what unfolds is that Andy, and an old friend, a Delta Force Soldier with the nickname ‘Jambo’, end up as part of a team on a mission in space. Andy is roped into it because of his former training, and then during a battle with an enemy space ship, he actually comes up with tactics that no one else thinks of because he is the Sci-Fi writer, and has thought of ship to ship space combat, something that no one else has.
Andy and Jambo become wrapped up in an intergalactic fight to help save not just Humanity, but another species to, and suddenly Andy’s Sci-Fi writing is a lot more ‘Science-Fact’ than ‘Science-Fiction’.
Whilst this might all seem highly unlikely, and unrealistic, Partlow has actually kept it real, there are good, clean explanations for things that occur every step of the way, and this includes the Tech as well, which is not only explained well, but is just SO COOL!! The Technology of the Aliens (called the Helta), without giving away spoilers, is just beautifully done. It is creative, clever, and well described, but at the same time, does not get carried away or glorify aspects of it, there is a healthy respect for the weapons, and there is also a healthy respect for the more technological aspects such as the hyperdrive and other toys the Helta and Tevynians have.
This exceptional work continues into Partlow’s character writing. His main character Andy Clanton is a soldier that has fought in a previous conflict, and has killed in combat. Clanton, is both quite intelligent, and a thinker, two traits that are rather unfortunate when faced with the situation he was in. Clanton suffers from chronic PTSD, and Partlow’s in-depth, and gritty discussion of Clanton’s story is intensely raw and powerful at times, very emotive. Partlow is a Soldier himself, from a Military Family, and has done extensive research into the subject, and you can tell with his writing, as it shows.
This is not just with the PTSD aspect, but also with the brutally raw nature of the combat scenes as well, which at times leave you feeling like you are standing in the middle of it, from the smell of burnt flesh, to blood on the floor and the overwhelming cacophony of noise – gunshots, orders, screaming, yelling, radio transmission, and the thundering noise of battle, all whilst you try and focus on your target, try not to slip, retch at the smell, get shot, or shoot at something someone else is targeting so you don’t waste a shot – Partlow describes all this in such intricate, gritty, (at times, with raw emotions), detail, at all times it is utterly captivating, as you are glued to the page, having to know what is going to happen next.
As you get through page, after page, you realise you are holding your breathe (And as an ex-Cop of 11yrs, this is why they teach Cops to shout ‘Don’t Move’ – because when you shout – you breathe – it stops the Probationary Cops (well in Australia), from passing out – it is also why I understand the entire concept of PTSD, and how Partlow has written it so well!!)
It is not just Clanton though who is brilliant, Master Sgt Jim ‘Jambo’ Bowie, Delta Force operative, is perhaps one of the best characters in the book (although there are a lot of them!!), as the war torn Delta guy, who sort of has a rank, of only Master Sgt, but everyone, even Colonels and the like, are scared of him. He has that casual calm in any situation of a Man that has seen too much action, and just knows how things play out, that things go bad, and there is no point getting upset about it, you just have to deal with it. His character is not gung-ho, but remarkably down-to-earth, and rational, gentle even at times, but with that smirk that terrifies even the scariest of monsters.
There are so many other wonderful characters, and so many other fun things that I would love to talk about, but it would ruin the book. One of the funniest things about this book has to be Andy’s mouth, he has a sarcastic tongue like a 16yr old girl, but with the comments of a 100yr old Sailor. He fires comments off so quick and so fast, at times, some of the characters are not sure what has happened, at other times, they are just in his head, but pretty much every one of them is so bad, that they could make a marine cry, but they make you laugh, OMG, I seriously laughed so hard I think I broke a rib a few times. Partlow obviously had a lot of fun writing this.
1st to Fight sees Humanity making difficult decisions, having to fight with little to no training in new tech (and the tech is just awesome and again, described so well – both the Human and Alien tech (well the Human is sort of alien anyway, so!!), but the detailed, and comprehensive descriptive work is just exquisite, it adds so much detail to the story.
And this is a story about Humans, fighting, well, other Humans, the Synopsis is right, you have to read it to understand, but you will. And it is rather fascinating how. With ship to ship combat, person to person, even hand to hand, there is a LOT of action.
As an added bonus, there is an extra short story at the end of the book that talks about Andy’s time in Venezuela, and how he met Jambo. It is a really interesting story, in that it covers two different stories, the one in Venezuela (which was apparently one of his worst days in the war, or so he tells his son), and the other part of the story, is set after ‘1st to Fight’, and covers Andy and the Team going on an important rescue mission, that will again, affect the course of Humanity, but this time around, if they fail, it will not only mean the death of Humans, but it could also mean the death of a lot of others as well.
Again, it is a really well written, fast paced action story, that just does not stop. The great thing about the short story (Called Rescue Mission funnily enough), is that it gives some fantastic insight into not just Andy, but some of the other characters as well.
Most of the time, a book like this (commonly a 0.5), would be a separate edition, and you would have to buy it, sign up for it, or sell your first born for it, but Partlow has not only included it for free, but it is actually included for free in the Audiobook as well.
1st to Fight is a brilliant start to what is going to be an Epic Series. If you like series like the Expeditionary Series – you will love this!.
April 11, 2021
The book didn’t start well for me, I found the author's style quite difficult, I’m not sure why, but it doesn’t seem to flow, it’s as if he loses focus mid sentence. I nearly gave up after the first chapter, but fortunately this improves a little as the story develops.
The build up to the main story was bit slow and probably with too much detail, in fact the author over describes nearly everything.
The story is told mainly from Andy’s point of view, which to begin with didn’t work that well for me. I didn’t really understand his role and he makes too many mistakes. He gets better as the story progresses, but every action seemed to involve an internal debate or some sort of reminiscence, which often included a long-winded explanation. However by the end I was able to skip bits and just concentrate on the story.
Overall, after the difficult start, I was pleasantly surprised and was happy to give 3 stars.
The book also contains a bonus story, in fact two stories. One gives some background to Andy’s time in Venezuela and the second is a rescue mission that follows on from their capture of their first Space Cruiser. These weren’t too bad, although the planning for the rescue mission was abysmal and why did he keep alternating from one to the other, I’m afraid I just found this annoying.
Because this was a bonus story it didn't affect my rating for the book, but it might have dropped it to two.
The build up to the main story was bit slow and probably with too much detail, in fact the author over describes nearly everything.
The story is told mainly from Andy’s point of view, which to begin with didn’t work that well for me. I didn’t really understand his role and he makes too many mistakes. He gets better as the story progresses, but every action seemed to involve an internal debate or some sort of reminiscence, which often included a long-winded explanation. However by the end I was able to skip bits and just concentrate on the story.
Overall, after the difficult start, I was pleasantly surprised and was happy to give 3 stars.
The book also contains a bonus story, in fact two stories. One gives some background to Andy’s time in Venezuela and the second is a rescue mission that follows on from their capture of their first Space Cruiser. These weren’t too bad, although the planning for the rescue mission was abysmal and why did he keep alternating from one to the other, I’m afraid I just found this annoying.
Because this was a bonus story it didn't affect my rating for the book, but it might have dropped it to two.
December 4, 2020
Sigh. Liked the characters and story line, but it was just....tooooo......slooooow.
January 9, 2021
Absolutely a great story, well written.
Middle aged jarhead reserve officer gets involved with industrialists, politicians and aliens. Written half tongue in cheek this is a move on story of interstellar intrigue with a leavening of of hateful pols. All in all great action and a good storyline.
Middle aged jarhead reserve officer gets involved with industrialists, politicians and aliens. Written half tongue in cheek this is a move on story of interstellar intrigue with a leavening of of hateful pols. All in all great action and a good storyline.
January 5, 2021
good stuff-- lots of fun
realistic combat scenes without any scify mumbojumbo used to save the good. guys. maybe justsome amazing
luck! a quick fun read.
realistic combat scenes without any scify mumbojumbo used to save the good. guys. maybe justsome amazing
luck! a quick fun read.
January 4, 2021
With this new series from Rick Partlow (Earth at War), we're introduced to a strange conundrum - Earth is at war with itself in the form of aliens who are a DNA-related species but could not have evolved from a 'space seed' theory of related universal life. Some of Earth's strangely related aliens show up with advanced technology and offer it in exchange for Earth's help in the war...against itself. Yes, quite a conundrum. But like all of Partlow's novels (at least the ones I've read), his main protagonist figures it out, becomes the hero we knew he could be, and sets the stage for more stories to tell in this universe. But does he get the girl? Read and find out. Plus, the copy I received as a gift in exchange for a possible review contained a bonus novel set in this series. If you like military sci-fi with a twist and a sense of humor and lots of action, this new series will be for you.
December 27, 2020
I liked it!
Great storyline and plot but done with a different twist in telling the story. Although this is a new book in a series, the storyline and characters were introduced and moved tight along. Getting ready to jump into book two!
Great storyline and plot but done with a different twist in telling the story. Although this is a new book in a series, the storyline and characters were introduced and moved tight along. Getting ready to jump into book two!
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November 20, 2020Earth at War
First to Fight is a space-faring science fiction epic but it doesn’t take place in the far future. Instead, it’s just a few years ahead and the super-tech comes from aliens coming to ask for our help in fighting their enemies. It’s a story that’s been done before, in Alan Dean Foster’s “The Damned” trilogy and in John Ringo’s Legacy of the Aldenata, but so have most other story ideas. The key is in how well they’re done…and this one is done very well.
Partlow’s strengths have always been his characters and this is no exception. Andy Clanton and James Bowie are incredible, uniquely memorable characters, and their friendship in this book is one for the ages. A great story well-told with great characters. Highly recommended.
First to Fight is a space-faring science fiction epic but it doesn’t take place in the far future. Instead, it’s just a few years ahead and the super-tech comes from aliens coming to ask for our help in fighting their enemies. It’s a story that’s been done before, in Alan Dean Foster’s “The Damned” trilogy and in John Ringo’s Legacy of the Aldenata, but so have most other story ideas. The key is in how well they’re done…and this one is done very well.
Partlow’s strengths have always been his characters and this is no exception. Andy Clanton and James Bowie are incredible, uniquely memorable characters, and their friendship in this book is one for the ages. A great story well-told with great characters. Highly recommended.
November 28, 2020
This is yet another from Rick Partlow that makes you sit up late at night so that you can finish it. The story gets hold of you and drags you along with it. From a soldiers viewpoint, as he develops his skills, and his hangups and struggles are very real. His colleagues and his relationship with them are all real. Aliens, and humans, all involved in a struggle to stop a relentless invader. Earth involvement seen from the American points, it would be interesting if we could see how the other races on Earth react, but that is a different storyline. Interstellar battles, strange planets and always the boots on the ground to resolve it. I loved this first book and will be going with this series. Rick, thanks for a really good and interesting book.
December 22, 2020
Almost five stars
Very well done. Well thought out. Science believable and not overly technical. The issues our young hero faces as a result of his military service are relatable to Veterans. Looking forward to book two.
Very well done. Well thought out. Science believable and not overly technical. The issues our young hero faces as a result of his military service are relatable to Veterans. Looking forward to book two.
December 6, 2020
Book #1 what a ride
Writing Science Fiction novels was a pretty cool thing for Andy, a lot better that getting shot at while being a Marine Lt in a war zone. Her he is in a capsule headed to the moon with a super rich guy only to be making first contact with aliens wanting to make a deal.
Kind of surreal. Read on Rick Partlow s book will definitely eat up the hours and keep you wanting to find out what happens next!!
Writing Science Fiction novels was a pretty cool thing for Andy, a lot better that getting shot at while being a Marine Lt in a war zone. Her he is in a capsule headed to the moon with a super rich guy only to be making first contact with aliens wanting to make a deal.
Kind of surreal. Read on Rick Partlow s book will definitely eat up the hours and keep you wanting to find out what happens next!!
October 22, 2020
Andy Clanton is on a private trip around the moon when they encounter a alien starship. And Mankind finds out they are not alone also the aliens need earths help to fight an enemy threatening the whole galaxy. There is plenty of action and humour in this first installment in what promises to be a great series.
December 2, 2020
Absolutely fantastic fun. And, a little scary because it’s set in the near future. Very different creation story. The characters are so well developed that I could remember their names and when dealing with the Army, Navy, and the Marines, for me that’s a miracle. I would recommend this book to someone who has never read Science Fiction knowing they would be converted.
January 1, 2021
My favorite military sci-if of 2020!
With an engaging protagonist, well-crafted battle scenes and great dialog, this book quickly grabbed my attention and was almost impossible to put down. This was my first book by Rick Partlow, but I guarantee it will not be the last. Do yourself a favor and give it a try. You won’t be disappointed!
With an engaging protagonist, well-crafted battle scenes and great dialog, this book quickly grabbed my attention and was almost impossible to put down. This was my first book by Rick Partlow, but I guarantee it will not be the last. Do yourself a favor and give it a try. You won’t be disappointed!
November 26, 2020
My new favorite character!
I do believe I've met my smart- ass sarcastic twin brother from another mother ! Clanton had me laughing out loud at his comments & observations..even if most of them were in his head!! Can't wait to start the next volume!!
I do believe I've met my smart- ass sarcastic twin brother from another mother ! Clanton had me laughing out loud at his comments & observations..even if most of them were in his head!! Can't wait to start the next volume!!
December 1, 2020
OUTSTANDING!!!
What a pleasure it is to read a Rick Partlow book. He is head and shoulders above 99% of the other Sci-fi writers. This book is one of the best I've read all year. Download this immediately and enjoy
What a pleasure it is to read a Rick Partlow book. He is head and shoulders above 99% of the other Sci-fi writers. This book is one of the best I've read all year. Download this immediately and enjoy
December 15, 2020
Your future binge read.
I started it and couldn't put it down. I'm not normally a fan of first person books, but this one has me hooked. Ill be starting the second in the series shortly.
I started it and couldn't put it down. I'm not normally a fan of first person books, but this one has me hooked. Ill be starting the second in the series shortly.
November 21, 2020
Really good
I was pleasently supposed with this one. It started off strong and keep on getting better. I recommend it to anyone who likes a good story.
I was pleasently supposed with this one. It started off strong and keep on getting better. I recommend it to anyone who likes a good story.
December 16, 2020
Wow - Good Mil Sci Fi
Nicely done capturing both the reality of war, as well as a great adventure and a nicely told story with realistic characters.
Nicely done capturing both the reality of war, as well as a great adventure and a nicely told story with realistic characters.
April 17, 2021
Great stuff here. And I really wonder if this is just the author's sci-fi wet dream because the main character is a former Marine and the writer is a former...er something military (I can't remember if he was a marine or not), the MC is also a writer of science fiction books and so is the author! Ergo my wondering if this whole thing is a writer's "what if it happened to me" story.
Anyway, so Andy, our MC former marine and current sci-fi writer and also has a TV series based on his books, is selected to be part of a crew on a ship to fly around the moon when suddenly an alien ship appears in orbit around the moon. When they arrive the alien ship is huge and swallows their puny ship up. The humans meet the mysterious aliens...slight spoiler but it happens early in the novel...who turn out to be...koala-men! LMAO!!! And peaceful koala-men who are being attacked by the greedy ...er...I forgot the enemy name sorry...who have taken the koala-men's ships and technology and used it to take over systems and force the poor innocent koala people to slavery. The koala people want to enlist the humans to help them fight off the bad guys. So what started as just a trip around the moon turns into a trip to another solar system!
The main character is a hoot. His commentary about what the different military groups call things versus the correct Marine way is funny. ANd here's a quote about him bitching about the metric system.
"I should really learn to start thinking in metric. Once we’re out there, everything’s going to be in metric. But damn it, why? We’d won the space race and now we were going to the stars! It wasn’t like the Helta used meters and kilograms and all that shit. We should have made them convert to inches and miles and pounds and to hell with the rest of the world."
Yeah, you tell them buddy! Oh and salty language warning, these guys talk rough sometimes and use the "f" word a lot. Some people don't like reading a bunch of cursing, but I think it's more realistic because, hello!, that's the way these guys talk in real life! It would be weird if a bunch of military guys weren't swearing a blue streak.
There's a really good action sequence later on in the book. Oh, and these guys have Mecha-type powered armor suits, which is cool. At the end of the novel there is a long short story that starts with Andy and his estranged teenage son doing some bonding and his son asks about his fighting days in Venesuela so the chapters switch from now to back then over the course of the story.
I really loved this book, this world, and the main character. I'm already reading the next book, hoo-ah!
Anyway, so Andy, our MC former marine and current sci-fi writer and also has a TV series based on his books, is selected to be part of a crew on a ship to fly around the moon when suddenly an alien ship appears in orbit around the moon. When they arrive the alien ship is huge and swallows their puny ship up. The humans meet the mysterious aliens...slight spoiler but it happens early in the novel...who turn out to be...koala-men! LMAO!!! And peaceful koala-men who are being attacked by the greedy ...er...I forgot the enemy name sorry...who have taken the koala-men's ships and technology and used it to take over systems and force the poor innocent koala people to slavery. The koala people want to enlist the humans to help them fight off the bad guys. So what started as just a trip around the moon turns into a trip to another solar system!
The main character is a hoot. His commentary about what the different military groups call things versus the correct Marine way is funny. ANd here's a quote about him bitching about the metric system.
"I should really learn to start thinking in metric. Once we’re out there, everything’s going to be in metric. But damn it, why? We’d won the space race and now we were going to the stars! It wasn’t like the Helta used meters and kilograms and all that shit. We should have made them convert to inches and miles and pounds and to hell with the rest of the world."
Yeah, you tell them buddy! Oh and salty language warning, these guys talk rough sometimes and use the "f" word a lot. Some people don't like reading a bunch of cursing, but I think it's more realistic because, hello!, that's the way these guys talk in real life! It would be weird if a bunch of military guys weren't swearing a blue streak.
There's a really good action sequence later on in the book. Oh, and these guys have Mecha-type powered armor suits, which is cool. At the end of the novel there is a long short story that starts with Andy and his estranged teenage son doing some bonding and his son asks about his fighting days in Venesuela so the chapters switch from now to back then over the course of the story.
I really loved this book, this world, and the main character. I'm already reading the next book, hoo-ah!
March 28, 2021
My Book Review Number 204:
This review is on Earth At War, 1st To Fight (Book 1 of Earth at War) by Rick Partlow. This is the first book I have read by this author. It is a Military Science Fiction story about first space flights, first contact with aliens and first space war.
The story starts with a first privately-funded space flight by Daniel Gatlin around the moon with a group of passengers. One person is Andy Clanton, former space marine and now a famous science fiction author, who was a last minute choice for the flight. Gatlin is acting as commander of the Selenium’s first lunar orbit mission. Nothing unusual was supposed to happen.
The plan was to dock with the ISS space station when sudden news was broadcast from President Crenshaw in the White House. An unidentified object was spotted in space. It was definitely alien, but no response was received when attempts at communication were made.
Soon, General Arlan Lee Smith, head of the US Space Force, announced another spacecraft would be docking with the Selenium to take control and head for the UFO. Of course this does not sit well with Gatlin, but it was a national emergency.
Things do not go well with the attempted docking maneuver and the end result is the crew on board the Selenium must make the first contact with the alien ship. Actually, the Selenium was literally pulled inside the large alien ship when they got close. They were greeted by a robot before being introduced to the aliens called Helta.
The rest of the story develops very quickly from a first contact to an actual space battle with another alien ship that followed the Helta to Earth and whose race is in a war with the Helta. The twist in the story soon follows.
A bonus novel from the author follows this story. It is a bit of a backstory to the main characters.
I give this book Four Stars because the story is interesting, fast moving and full of surprises. The characters are memorable and interesting. The plot builds quickly in scope and detail. However, the main story ends rather abruptly to add the bonus novel. The dialogue and writing style are good. The science and technology are believable. This MSF story continues to unfold with more action scenes and new characters. I look forward to reading Book 2 in this series to see what happens next.
Keep reading good science fiction and let me know when you find an interesting novel or author.
This review is on Earth At War, 1st To Fight (Book 1 of Earth at War) by Rick Partlow. This is the first book I have read by this author. It is a Military Science Fiction story about first space flights, first contact with aliens and first space war.
The story starts with a first privately-funded space flight by Daniel Gatlin around the moon with a group of passengers. One person is Andy Clanton, former space marine and now a famous science fiction author, who was a last minute choice for the flight. Gatlin is acting as commander of the Selenium’s first lunar orbit mission. Nothing unusual was supposed to happen.
The plan was to dock with the ISS space station when sudden news was broadcast from President Crenshaw in the White House. An unidentified object was spotted in space. It was definitely alien, but no response was received when attempts at communication were made.
Soon, General Arlan Lee Smith, head of the US Space Force, announced another spacecraft would be docking with the Selenium to take control and head for the UFO. Of course this does not sit well with Gatlin, but it was a national emergency.
Things do not go well with the attempted docking maneuver and the end result is the crew on board the Selenium must make the first contact with the alien ship. Actually, the Selenium was literally pulled inside the large alien ship when they got close. They were greeted by a robot before being introduced to the aliens called Helta.
The rest of the story develops very quickly from a first contact to an actual space battle with another alien ship that followed the Helta to Earth and whose race is in a war with the Helta. The twist in the story soon follows.
A bonus novel from the author follows this story. It is a bit of a backstory to the main characters.
I give this book Four Stars because the story is interesting, fast moving and full of surprises. The characters are memorable and interesting. The plot builds quickly in scope and detail. However, the main story ends rather abruptly to add the bonus novel. The dialogue and writing style are good. The science and technology are believable. This MSF story continues to unfold with more action scenes and new characters. I look forward to reading Book 2 in this series to see what happens next.
Keep reading good science fiction and let me know when you find an interesting novel or author.
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January 5, 2021Andy Clanton is a former marine, a platoon leader, which put him on the first line in some ongoing military activities. He is in the inactive Marine Reserves but works as a science fiction writer. Daniel Gartlin, an industrialist, invited him to ride along with him and several other guests on the first privately-funded flight around the moon.
Everything goes according to plan until an alien spaceship appears. This the beginning of one of the most original space opera and military science fiction stories I have read in many years.
Needless to say, Andy is recalled to active duty and is reunited with a former Delta Forces operator who is one of his closest friends, James “Jambo” Bowie, with whom he had gained more combat experience than he could have imagined or wanted.
The aliens, the Helta, are not bug-eyed monsters with tentacles for arms. They look like oversized koala bears. Turns out more than 100,000 years ago a panoply of animals, including humans, were removed from Earth, altered to enable sentience, and deposited on various new terra-formed planets along with other, simpler life forms. The Helta were only one of the many.
The Helta are more of a peace-loving species but had run into a very aggressive and nasty species — the Tevynians. The Helta need to enlist Earth’s humans to help them defend their world from the Tevynians.
The short version is this novel, the first one in a trilogy, has some of the best land-based military action and space battles I’ve read in a long time, the characters are engaging, and the writing is fluid. You will not be able to put this book down until you finish it.
I am retired from the army and the military action is as believable as possible. It made reading this book even more enjoyable.
Bottom line: if you like military science fiction, awesome writing that will engage you with a plot that is as original as possible. and some of the most engaging characters I have enjoyed following, this is definitely the book for you.
January 3, 2021
Like the premise of the storyline, don’t like the main protagonist
I enjoy the premise of the story, koala bears as an alien species very interesting. It seems this author as well as others like to write about characters who have serious flaws. Andy Clanton seems not to be the sharpest knife in the drawer. He seems to operate a little slower than he should, not think as fast as he should and seems to woolgatherer a lot. The only thing I can hope for is that his character gets better as the series progresses. The other problem with this book was the juxtaposition in the short story from past to present, as a reader you were not sure for the first sentence where the character was coming from. He was talking about a situation that happened in the past and Venezuela then boom he’s talking about the present day and the mission that he has been sent upon. The stories should’ve been kept totally separate and told each in it’s entirety without switching back-and-forth. As a reader I found it quite jarring. This book had some very good Marriotts as far as action and adventure, going on to read the next one.
I enjoy the premise of the story, koala bears as an alien species very interesting. It seems this author as well as others like to write about characters who have serious flaws. Andy Clanton seems not to be the sharpest knife in the drawer. He seems to operate a little slower than he should, not think as fast as he should and seems to woolgatherer a lot. The only thing I can hope for is that his character gets better as the series progresses. The other problem with this book was the juxtaposition in the short story from past to present, as a reader you were not sure for the first sentence where the character was coming from. He was talking about a situation that happened in the past and Venezuela then boom he’s talking about the present day and the mission that he has been sent upon. The stories should’ve been kept totally separate and told each in it’s entirety without switching back-and-forth. As a reader I found it quite jarring. This book had some very good Marriotts as far as action and adventure, going on to read the next one.
July 23, 2022
This was one of my first forays into military sci-fi, except for those Alien books/podcasts about the Colonial Marines, which I always enjoyed. I pressed play on this book while trapped in Orlando traffic and it completely transported me to a new world. It's a fun, fast-paced read, not to mention skillful, well-crafted writing. The setting was relatable, being near-future, as well as the characters. There's humor, action, heartfelt moments, and no shortage of cool sci-fi elements. I also especially appreciated how the science was there, but it wasn't described in painstakingly technical detail.
I'm looking forward to reading the next book!
I'm looking forward to reading the next book!
August 5, 2021
Making friends is hard, sometimes
Okay, the aliens have arrived. The Earth is in uproar because, well, humans and their foibles and petty power plays. There is a galactic threat, also human, abductees from the 1st and 15th centuries BCE, settled on another World and later gifted with technology by the Alliance. But, being human, they decide to use these gifts to conquer their neighbors with religious zeal. We offer our help, but will it be accepted?
Great tale, well told. Lots of action and we get the backstory on some of the main characters.
Okay, the aliens have arrived. The Earth is in uproar because, well, humans and their foibles and petty power plays. There is a galactic threat, also human, abductees from the 1st and 15th centuries BCE, settled on another World and later gifted with technology by the Alliance. But, being human, they decide to use these gifts to conquer their neighbors with religious zeal. We offer our help, but will it be accepted?
Great tale, well told. Lots of action and we get the backstory on some of the main characters.
April 6, 2021
I think that Earth at War,1st to Fight, by Rick Partlow is his most engaging book so far.
Set in the near future, it features an ex-Marine (yes, I know there is no such thing) turned scifi writer who finds himself caught up in an interstellar war. (You know how these little things can happen to a guy.)
Smooth writing, engaging characters and plenty of action – plus those movie, TV and gaming references – make it a fun read.
Thanks, Rick.
Set in the near future, it features an ex-Marine (yes, I know there is no such thing) turned scifi writer who finds himself caught up in an interstellar war. (You know how these little things can happen to a guy.)
Smooth writing, engaging characters and plenty of action – plus those movie, TV and gaming references – make it a fun read.
Thanks, Rick.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews