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Dan Lenson #21
Arctic Sea
In David Poyer's Arctic Sea, beneath the frigid Arctic waters, a devastating new weapon threatens America.
Arctic Sea is the next thrilling entry in David Poyer's critically-acclaimed future war series. In the aftermath of a world war with China, Admiral Dan Lenson is assigned to set up a US Navy base on the rugged North Slope of Alaska, in response to Russian seabed claims that reach nearly to the US coast. Yet the current administration seems oddly reluctant to confront Russian aggression. At the same time, the International Criminal Court is accusing Dan of a war crime.
Back in Washington, Blair Titus is running Jim Yangerhans’s campaign for president, while Dan’s daughter Nan battles disease in a radiation-soaked Midwest. But when Moscow plans to test the Apocalyps, a nuclear powered citykiller torpedo, in the Arctic Sea, Dan is sucked into a perilous covert mission. Will a barely victorious America survive dangerous new threats...both from without, and within?
Arctic Sea is the next thrilling entry in David Poyer's critically-acclaimed future war series. In the aftermath of a world war with China, Admiral Dan Lenson is assigned to set up a US Navy base on the rugged North Slope of Alaska, in response to Russian seabed claims that reach nearly to the US coast. Yet the current administration seems oddly reluctant to confront Russian aggression. At the same time, the International Criminal Court is accusing Dan of a war crime.
Back in Washington, Blair Titus is running Jim Yangerhans’s campaign for president, while Dan’s daughter Nan battles disease in a radiation-soaked Midwest. But when Moscow plans to test the Apocalyps, a nuclear powered citykiller torpedo, in the Arctic Sea, Dan is sucked into a perilous covert mission. Will a barely victorious America survive dangerous new threats...both from without, and within?
352 pages, Hardcover
First published November 30, 2021
59 people are currently reading
1628 people want to read
About the author
David Poyer
82 books240 followersAka D.C. Poyer.
DAVID C. POYER was born in DuBois, PA in 1949. He grew up in Brockway, Emlenton, and Bradford, in western Pennsylvania, and graduated from Bradford Area High School in 1967. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1971, and later received a master's degree from George Washington University.
Poyer's active and reserve naval service included sea duty in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Arctic, Caribbean, and Pacific, and shore duty at the Pentagon, Surface Warfare Development Group, Joint Forces Command, and in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. He retired in July 2001.
Poyer began writing in 1976, and is the author of nearly fifty books, including THE MED, THE GULF, THE CIRCLE, THE PASSAGE, TOMAHAWK, CHINA SEA, BLACK STORM, THE COMMAND, THE THREAT, KOREA STRAIT, THE WEAPON, THE CRISIS, THE CRUISER, TIPPING POINT, HUNTER KILLER, DEEP WAR, OVERTHROW, VIOLENT PEACE, ARCTIC SEA, and THE ACADEMY, best-selling Navy novels; THE DEAD OF WINTER, WINTER IN THE HEART, AS THE WOLF LOVES WINTER, THUNDER ON THE MOUNTAIN, and THE HILL, set in Western Pennsylvania; and HATTERAS BLUE, BAHAMAS BLUE, LOUISIANA BLUE, and DOWN TO A SUNLESS SEA, underwater diving adventure.
Other noteworthy books are THE ONLY THING TO FEAR, a historical thriller, THE RETURN OF PHILO T. McGIFFIN, a comic novel of Annapolis, and the three volumes of The Civil War at Sea, FIRE ON THE WATERS, A COUNTRY OF OUR OWN, and THAT ANVIL OF OUR SOULS. He's also written two sailing thrillers, GHOSTING and THE WHITENESS OF THE WHALE. His work has been published in Britain, translated into Japanese, Dutch, Italian, Hugarian, and Serbo-Croatian; recorded for audiobooks, iPod downloads, and Kindle, and selected by the Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club and other book clubs. Rights to several properties have been sold or optioned for films, and two novellas appeared in the Night Bazaar series of fantasy anthologies.
Poyer has taught or lectured at Annapolis, Flagler College, University of Pittsburgh, Old Dominion University, the Armed Forces Staff College, the University of North Florida, Christopher Newport University, and other institutions. He has been a guest on PBS's "Writer to Writer" series and on Voice of America, and has appeared at the Southern Festival of Books and many other literary events. He taught in the MA/MFA in Creative Writing program at Wilkes University for sixteen years. He is currently core faculty at the Ossabaw Writers Retreat, a fellow of the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and a board member of the Northern Appalachia Review.
He lives on Virginia's Eastern Shore with novelist Lenore Hart.
DAVID C. POYER was born in DuBois, PA in 1949. He grew up in Brockway, Emlenton, and Bradford, in western Pennsylvania, and graduated from Bradford Area High School in 1967. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1971, and later received a master's degree from George Washington University.
Poyer's active and reserve naval service included sea duty in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Arctic, Caribbean, and Pacific, and shore duty at the Pentagon, Surface Warfare Development Group, Joint Forces Command, and in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. He retired in July 2001.
Poyer began writing in 1976, and is the author of nearly fifty books, including THE MED, THE GULF, THE CIRCLE, THE PASSAGE, TOMAHAWK, CHINA SEA, BLACK STORM, THE COMMAND, THE THREAT, KOREA STRAIT, THE WEAPON, THE CRISIS, THE CRUISER, TIPPING POINT, HUNTER KILLER, DEEP WAR, OVERTHROW, VIOLENT PEACE, ARCTIC SEA, and THE ACADEMY, best-selling Navy novels; THE DEAD OF WINTER, WINTER IN THE HEART, AS THE WOLF LOVES WINTER, THUNDER ON THE MOUNTAIN, and THE HILL, set in Western Pennsylvania; and HATTERAS BLUE, BAHAMAS BLUE, LOUISIANA BLUE, and DOWN TO A SUNLESS SEA, underwater diving adventure.
Other noteworthy books are THE ONLY THING TO FEAR, a historical thriller, THE RETURN OF PHILO T. McGIFFIN, a comic novel of Annapolis, and the three volumes of The Civil War at Sea, FIRE ON THE WATERS, A COUNTRY OF OUR OWN, and THAT ANVIL OF OUR SOULS. He's also written two sailing thrillers, GHOSTING and THE WHITENESS OF THE WHALE. His work has been published in Britain, translated into Japanese, Dutch, Italian, Hugarian, and Serbo-Croatian; recorded for audiobooks, iPod downloads, and Kindle, and selected by the Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club and other book clubs. Rights to several properties have been sold or optioned for films, and two novellas appeared in the Night Bazaar series of fantasy anthologies.
Poyer has taught or lectured at Annapolis, Flagler College, University of Pittsburgh, Old Dominion University, the Armed Forces Staff College, the University of North Florida, Christopher Newport University, and other institutions. He has been a guest on PBS's "Writer to Writer" series and on Voice of America, and has appeared at the Southern Festival of Books and many other literary events. He taught in the MA/MFA in Creative Writing program at Wilkes University for sixteen years. He is currently core faculty at the Ossabaw Writers Retreat, a fellow of the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and a board member of the Northern Appalachia Review.
He lives on Virginia's Eastern Shore with novelist Lenore Hart.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
September 29, 2021
Timely and thought provoking. Exciting, interesting and impossible to put down. I'm definitely going to be reading the other books in this series as soon as I can get my hands on them, and re-reading this one! It's that good!
An alternate storyline with China losing the last World War, Russia continuing to be the greatest threat, and the United States being ran by 'the patriot party" who seeks to obliterate citizens prior constitutional rights. (The Right Wing extremists are portrayed as zealots and SS like Nazis...but someone has to be the bad guy right? Don't let that stop you from enjoying this book if you happen to be more right leaning.) Add on an epidemic and you have an eerily similar situation to current happenings. David Poyer has done an excellent job with this imaginative, thought provoking storyline. I can't wait to read the rest. My library needs to hurry and get them :)
Highly recommended for a fun and fascinating reading experience!
An alternate storyline with China losing the last World War, Russia continuing to be the greatest threat, and the United States being ran by 'the patriot party" who seeks to obliterate citizens prior constitutional rights. (The Right Wing extremists are portrayed as zealots and SS like Nazis...but someone has to be the bad guy right? Don't let that stop you from enjoying this book if you happen to be more right leaning.) Add on an epidemic and you have an eerily similar situation to current happenings. David Poyer has done an excellent job with this imaginative, thought provoking storyline. I can't wait to read the rest. My library needs to hurry and get them :)
Highly recommended for a fun and fascinating reading experience!
September 16, 2022
I really like the parts where Dan Lenson plays the dominant role. In the first part of the book he didn't. Too much of the book concerned the rebels in the US and Nan. Also Blair takes up a good portion. So those parts I didn't enjoy as much.
Also, a coup is taking place in Washington DC. Sounds familiar with our recent history.
In the next book Dan becomes superintendent of the Naval Academy. That should be interesting.
Also, a coup is taking place in Washington DC. Sounds familiar with our recent history.
In the next book Dan becomes superintendent of the Naval Academy. That should be interesting.
October 20, 2021
Review Arctic Sea is noted as “Dan Lenson #21”; however, it is not necessary to read all prior books for this to be enjoyable. You may want to go back as far as Onslaught: The War with China--the Opening Battle (#16), which focuses on “what if” of a global war with China in this near-term future story. Having said that, Arctic Sea could certainly be read as stand-alone as well (just a bit more interesting with the background of a few of the previous books).
Arctic Sea continues the story of Admiral Lenson and his family after the war between the U.S. and China. As the country recovers from the nuclear fallout from the last war , the country is torn apart in civil unrest Admiral Lenson is dispatched to the North Pole to counter a threat from an emboldened Russia. Lenson’s wife, Blair, is back in Washington, and involved politically fighting an authoritarian chief executive. At the same time, a virus is spreading and fracturing the heartland. Lenson’s daughter lends her aid in the fight against disease, while trying to survive civil war.
A great read and a frighteningly realistic potential future of our country. Thought-provoking for sure.
Arctic Sea continues the story of Admiral Lenson and his family after the war between the U.S. and China. As the country recovers from the nuclear fallout from the last war , the country is torn apart in civil unrest Admiral Lenson is dispatched to the North Pole to counter a threat from an emboldened Russia. Lenson’s wife, Blair, is back in Washington, and involved politically fighting an authoritarian chief executive. At the same time, a virus is spreading and fracturing the heartland. Lenson’s daughter lends her aid in the fight against disease, while trying to survive civil war.
A great read and a frighteningly realistic potential future of our country. Thought-provoking for sure.
May 19, 2021
I am grateful to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of David Poyer's latest nautical/military/technothriller in his series on a near future World War and its aftermath, "Arctic Sea." In this book, China has been defeated (after massive losses on both sides) and the world is falling back into its old patterns, with Russia once again assuming its rather cliched role as America's principal rival. This provides the central conflict within the text as familiar figures from Poyer's series find themselves in a very different world with frightening similarities to the one we inhabit today. The United States, run by the Patriot Party. is fighting a civil war against citizens who refuse to give up their old Constitutional rights. We find disease ravaging our country as large parts of the seceded portions of the United States are made up of "science deniers" who won't accept vaccines and don't trust the CDC. Meanwhile, Homeland Security, aided and abetted by the other more traditional organs of the state, prosecutes the war against the secessionists with ruthless right wing zeal (they are parodied here as disturbingly similar to Hitler's SS). Put all of this together and you have the making of another thought provoking and action packed read with obvious relevance to the problems we confront in our non-fictional world. Another home run from one of our most talented writers in this genre.
December 11, 2021
Following the all-out war with China that filled the past half dozen novels, the 21st of the Dan Lenson series examines a world that is fraught with challenges, both domestically (a USA with two breakaway "republics" fighting the central government, a pandemic of great lethality, economic unraveling, and an authoritarian government in which Homeland Security has its own military force and in which the news is controlled) and externally (a growing threat from a very aggressive Russia). Lenson, still a two-star admiral after defeating the Chinese, is detached from normal duties and sent to the Arctic to assess the Russian threat. His daughter, an epidemiologist, is on a dangerous medical mission to one of the breakaway republics, and his wife, no longer serving in the government, is working on the presidential campaign of the overall leader of the campaign against China. "Fraught" doesn't adequately describe the challenges.
September 22, 2021
The country is reeling after the recent war with China, subsequent civil breakdown, epidemics fueled by destruction of infrastructure, and rebellion of states that have had enough. In the midst of this chaos, Russia decides to test a superweapon against which there is no defense and that would make them undisputed king of the hill. Lenson is dispatched to Alaska. Blair is running a campaign for President. And, a secret mission is launched into the Russian test area to try to subvert the test. Part of that mission results in a one man struggle to survive as power, oxygen, and time run out in a small submersible. It is described in a literary tour de force that will put your heart, soul, and mind right there in the tiny, frigid, and all but hopeless space with Sloan as he exemplifies the best of the human spirit in hanging on to hope beyond all odds. This is a great read for that part of the book alone.
December 6, 2021
The 21st volume of David Poyer’s Dan Lenson series places him in the cold climes of the upper Arctic. Now, “Admiral” Lenson is placed out of the public eye due to international legal difficulties outline in the prior volume of the series. The setting for this latest novel is post-China war United States and its attempt to recover the normality it once knew. The U.S. is still suffering from civil war and fractionalization. All three of the main characters, Admiral Lenson, his wife Blair Titus, and his daughter Dr. Nan Lenson, are involved in and are suffering from the aftereffects of the war and the shaky peace.
In the Lenson series in general and in the China war series even more particular Mr. Poyer attempts to give his readers a vision of the near future of warfare and military technology. In this book Mr. Poyer gives us a vision of what our political future might look like if we continue our current path of divisiveness and dysfunction, especially if that future includes a major war with one of our adversaries. Each of his major characters copes with different aspects of the post-war dysfunction. Dan must deal with the military leadership that emerges after the ambiguous victory over the Chinese state; Nan has to deal with the epidemics that spread throughout the country resulting from the lack of adequate medical care; and, Blair continues her political career under the very trying circumstances of the ideological and power challenges that beset the nation in the war’s aftermath.
As far as Mr. Poyer’s ongoing lessons in technological advances, the highlight of this book is artificial intelligence and human interactions with the technology. He explores the benefits and the challenges of AI in the military context. In the several China war books, Poyer deals with robotics and AI in the infantry environment; in this volume, the Navy gets its turn.
I look forward to next year’s episode.
In the Lenson series in general and in the China war series even more particular Mr. Poyer attempts to give his readers a vision of the near future of warfare and military technology. In this book Mr. Poyer gives us a vision of what our political future might look like if we continue our current path of divisiveness and dysfunction, especially if that future includes a major war with one of our adversaries. Each of his major characters copes with different aspects of the post-war dysfunction. Dan must deal with the military leadership that emerges after the ambiguous victory over the Chinese state; Nan has to deal with the epidemics that spread throughout the country resulting from the lack of adequate medical care; and, Blair continues her political career under the very trying circumstances of the ideological and power challenges that beset the nation in the war’s aftermath.
As far as Mr. Poyer’s ongoing lessons in technological advances, the highlight of this book is artificial intelligence and human interactions with the technology. He explores the benefits and the challenges of AI in the military context. In the several China war books, Poyer deals with robotics and AI in the infantry environment; in this volume, the Navy gets its turn.
I look forward to next year’s episode.
December 22, 2021
Great series
As a former sailor I found it to be a great naval series and fun to read. I would recommend the whole series.
As a former sailor I found it to be a great naval series and fun to read. I would recommend the whole series.
January 23, 2022
I thought this book was a little on the weak side. There are four stories in this one. One a mission under the arctic to try to sabotage a Russian nuclear torpedo. I never quite understood why if the weapon didn't work the Russians would just throw up their hands and say "Well no point in figuring out why it didn't work and fixing it". That seemed kind of dumb to me. Then Blair was helping a candidate run for President. I kind of took offense to this entire storyline. I tend to lean conservative and clearly the "Patriot" party is meant to represent Republicans and Patriot News is supposed to be Fox. The level of corruption and just downright evil they were doing disappointed me. Then we had Nan dealing with Rebels and other people in the heartland who were portrayed very badly which I found kind of insulting also. Lastly we had poor old Dan wondering around Alaska for no real reason except to at the end bail out the first plotline.
I've been a loyal reader of these books for I shudder to think how many years, but I'm starting to think about giving up. I'm probably 50/50 if I will read the next book. It saddens me to say that.
I've been a loyal reader of these books for I shudder to think how many years, but I'm starting to think about giving up. I'm probably 50/50 if I will read the next book. It saddens me to say that.
March 4, 2024
As much as this novel seems like earlier Poyer works with regards to its premise, reminiscent especially of his novels about the Tactical Analysis Group, it works better if you read it after the war with China series. This is because three of the plot threads from that series are still ongoing and only one of the plots is really self contained like his earlier books. Also continuing on from the technological advancements of the previous novels, we're now in a sci fi setting and parts of this book read like a Bruce Sterling novel.
The A plot is a submarine story this time around. It's a lot like the classic Nautilus 90 North and Larry Bond's Dangerous Ground. It took me a while to get invested because it felt a bit too familiar at first but once it takes off, it's really tense.
Unlike the last several books there are no large naval battles this time around. However, we have a lot more of the patriot parties machinations and the Confederacy's lack of interest in confronting a massive public health crisis. Topical issues like disinformation and technology being used to facilitate the US becoming more authoritarian are front and center of this novel. We also see branches of US government having less interest in upholding the spirit of the constitution and instead working at the behest of the party in power. Poyer's concerns about the future of American democracy are especially valid in the current political climate and the dark future he presents is worth pondering. Adding to the creditability of this arc, unlike some of his fellow thriller authors, Poyer does not point the finger exclusively at any one party.
Everyone seems to still irrationally pick on Dan Lenson but he has some pretty unexpected and interesting adventures in this book, even if he's basically playing second fiddle to the other characters this time around.
The A plot is a submarine story this time around. It's a lot like the classic Nautilus 90 North and Larry Bond's Dangerous Ground. It took me a while to get invested because it felt a bit too familiar at first but once it takes off, it's really tense.
Unlike the last several books there are no large naval battles this time around. However, we have a lot more of the patriot parties machinations and the Confederacy's lack of interest in confronting a massive public health crisis. Topical issues like disinformation and technology being used to facilitate the US becoming more authoritarian are front and center of this novel. We also see branches of US government having less interest in upholding the spirit of the constitution and instead working at the behest of the party in power. Poyer's concerns about the future of American democracy are especially valid in the current political climate and the dark future he presents is worth pondering. Adding to the creditability of this arc, unlike some of his fellow thriller authors, Poyer does not point the finger exclusively at any one party.
Everyone seems to still irrationally pick on Dan Lenson but he has some pretty unexpected and interesting adventures in this book, even if he's basically playing second fiddle to the other characters this time around.
January 13, 2022
I received Artic Sea by David Poyer as part of the Goodreads Giveaway program. This is listed as number #21 in the series, however, having not read any of his other books, I was able to read this as a standalone book.
This is the story of the post war with China, with the country in a middle of numerous epidemics, states that are rebelling against one another, and Russia testing a superweapon with major implications. The main characters, Dan Lenson, who is trying to stop Russia from testing its weapon against the United States, his daughter Nan who is the middle of trying to stop all the disease rampant among the population, and his wife Blair who is running a campaign for one of the presidential candidates. This is a fast paced storyline with ironic storylines similar to what is going on in our world today.
I enjoyed this fast paced, action packed thriller. Even though there were numerous storylines and characters, Poyer keeps the reader engrossed until the very end.
This is the story of the post war with China, with the country in a middle of numerous epidemics, states that are rebelling against one another, and Russia testing a superweapon with major implications. The main characters, Dan Lenson, who is trying to stop Russia from testing its weapon against the United States, his daughter Nan who is the middle of trying to stop all the disease rampant among the population, and his wife Blair who is running a campaign for one of the presidential candidates. This is a fast paced storyline with ironic storylines similar to what is going on in our world today.
I enjoyed this fast paced, action packed thriller. Even though there were numerous storylines and characters, Poyer keeps the reader engrossed until the very end.
February 23, 2022
All I can say is it was slightly better than the previous novel in the series. That said this is 4 books or stories in one (as others have said in their reviews) and non really seem welded together. Its all becoming a bit 'ho hum' and I ended up speed reading through a lot of it as the writing lacked that next page curiousity that good books have. It's kind of hard to imagine a US where there is a single party dictatorship and rebel areas and all that stuff. The only techno thriller bit features an attack on a Russian super torpedo in the hope that if it succeeds then the Rusians will give up on it, not very likely I'd suspect. The painful next chapters are all about the escape of the drone with survivor all very lackluster. It's definitely the end of the road for me with this writer and that series in particular. It would have been better to kill the series at the end of the war with China and move on to other things rather than this thin watery slide into nothing.
January 17, 2024
I love the Lenson series...been reading them for 30 years. But, I am also glad that they are finally running their course. The fictional telling of real events that were the backbone of the series up to the China War were superb. The China War trilogy was very thought-provoking. But, Poyer's attempt to blend real history within a timeline that diverged from ours a decade ago just makes things problematic. From specifics like names of senior military and civilian leaders who don't match the new timeline, to blending in recent events, but making them so extreme they are nearly insurmountable it's time for Dan Lenson to retire. I don't expect much from The Academy (Poyer graduated 19 years before I did and his recollections of USNA aren't close to correct for the timeframe he now has Lenson in.
Good read...read it quick. Lots to think about. But, still glad it's coming to a close.
Good read...read it quick. Lots to think about. But, still glad it's coming to a close.
July 20, 2023
The title of this book is a little deceiving, in that the most interesting and consequential story contained within concerns a future presidential election in America. So that is where I'll focus my review. The possibility of a similar outcome in the real world is scary and merits serious thought. It boils down to the lengths to which one political party might go to attain power and hold onto it despite what is written in the Constitution, thereby moving America rapidly from democracy to autocracy. I therefore recommend everyone who values their freedom reads this book, decides what outcome is most beneficial to themselves and their country, and then goes out and votes for those who will protect us from tyranny, as opposed to those who will subject us to tyranny.
Read
December 31, 2021Thought provoking, as always.
None of the protagonists are perfect. They all have human doubts and fears, lose their temper and are as prone to snap out an angry retort as they are to utter a deeply profound pontification. In other words, they're believable as very disciplined, motivated patriots with a well developed moral compass, yet they fall prey to normal human shortcomings. The use of the word, "patriot" was a bastardized definition for fascists, similar to what we see happening today. Election integrity has broken down, similar to what we are seeing today, only extrapolated out to the inevitable real life outcome if good people don't take a stand.
None of the protagonists are perfect. They all have human doubts and fears, lose their temper and are as prone to snap out an angry retort as they are to utter a deeply profound pontification. In other words, they're believable as very disciplined, motivated patriots with a well developed moral compass, yet they fall prey to normal human shortcomings. The use of the word, "patriot" was a bastardized definition for fascists, similar to what we see happening today. Election integrity has broken down, similar to what we are seeing today, only extrapolated out to the inevitable real life outcome if good people don't take a stand.
January 17, 2022
In this post war dystopian look at America ravaged by war with China, separatists looking to divide the nation, antivaxxers denying science while disease ravages the nation, and Homeland Security pursues a war against the secessionists with ruthless right-wing zeal. A very thought-provoking novel that peels back the curtain on some very relevant problems we are seeing in the world today. A cracking good read and I look forward to where the next books in this series will take us.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press who provided me with a copy of this book. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press who provided me with a copy of this book. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
February 5, 2022
Intense Is The Word
As the title indicates, this is one of the most intense novels of the series. While it has its share of out right action, it has a good deal of subtle but intense physical and emotional action from several of its characters. As usual, the author does an excellent job combining the different characters story lines into one overall story. Looking forward to what's in store next for Dan.
As the title indicates, this is one of the most intense novels of the series. While it has its share of out right action, it has a good deal of subtle but intense physical and emotional action from several of its characters. As usual, the author does an excellent job combining the different characters story lines into one overall story. Looking forward to what's in store next for Dan.
February 7, 2022
Good Story but too technical
I like the series and this is good addition. The major problem was the over abundance of technical jargon and descriptions that seemed to go on forever and was extremely difficult to plod through I essentially skimmed through just looking for highlights and ignoring the details it seems like the author is trying to stretch the story out to get a few more books This book really tests your loyalty
I like the series and this is good addition. The major problem was the over abundance of technical jargon and descriptions that seemed to go on forever and was extremely difficult to plod through I essentially skimmed through just looking for highlights and ignoring the details it seems like the author is trying to stretch the story out to get a few more books This book really tests your loyalty
May 14, 2023
2.5 rounded up to 3
The Dan Lenson books have gotten off track. No one reads this series for the Blair political aspect. No one reads them for the Nan-curing-diseases aspect. The story is best when Dan Lenson is at sea. Those of us who have read the whole series will read the 'last' book to see how Dan Lenson ends up. But the last number of books haven't been as captivating as the beginning of the series was.
The Dan Lenson books have gotten off track. No one reads this series for the Blair political aspect. No one reads them for the Nan-curing-diseases aspect. The story is best when Dan Lenson is at sea. Those of us who have read the whole series will read the 'last' book to see how Dan Lenson ends up. But the last number of books haven't been as captivating as the beginning of the series was.
January 27, 2022
The 21st entry in this series continues in the same strong pattern of the other books. I had difficulty putting the book down -- I wanted to see what was next. Not as much about Lenson as I would like, but you can't put a 2 star admiral in the middle of a battle. Looking forward to the next book.
May 31, 2022
The Dan Lenson series remains one of my annual must-read books.
The writing is of the normal excellent quality and the plot zips along at a good pace.
My only concern is that the backstory (the political situation in the US) is starting to feel relentlessly negative and a but depressing. Hopefully the next book will provide a bit of optimism in that respect.
The writing is of the normal excellent quality and the plot zips along at a good pace.
My only concern is that the backstory (the political situation in the US) is starting to feel relentlessly negative and a but depressing. Hopefully the next book will provide a bit of optimism in that respect.
abandoned
June 17, 2023I've enjoyed a number of David Poyer's books going way back to The Circle and The Med. This book really seemed to rely on being current with the series, and thus it was hard to follow without that knowledge. It also started to feel like such a stretch. I'm OK with some stretch, but this bordered on science fiction, which really lost me. Maybe I will go back and read more of his older stuff.
December 8, 2021
I have looked forward to and enjoyed Mr. Poyers novels featuring now Admiral Dan Lenson. My enjoyment has been diminished by the descent from PG/PG 13 wording to R rated wording in the last two novels. A real bummer for me having been a big fan.
December 10, 2021
I've read every book as it came out. I've noticed the series has moved from being about the Navy/Lenson to being more political and less Navy/Lenson. I miss the old books and am not sure that I like where this series is now headed. Would like to see it go back to be more Lenson centric.
December 24, 2021
Another Poster masterpiece!
The latest Dan Lesson novel. All of the usual twists and turns, edge of your seat plot, and old friends for characters. Incredibly descriptive prose. I loved the book.
The latest Dan Lesson novel. All of the usual twists and turns, edge of your seat plot, and old friends for characters. Incredibly descriptive prose. I loved the book.
January 20, 2022
better than some others
This story is better and more dramatic compared to some earlier books on Lenson. The action is consistent and covers all the areas of interest about the characters .
This story is better and more dramatic compared to some earlier books on Lenson. The action is consistent and covers all the areas of interest about the characters .
February 24, 2022
David Poyer is still going strong
The plot is engaging and fun. Dan Lenson is more real to me than ever. And he touches on the essence of why good officers serve, and why we are blessed to have them.
The plot is engaging and fun. Dan Lenson is more real to me than ever. And he touches on the essence of why good officers serve, and why we are blessed to have them.
May 24, 2022
I have read all the Dan Lenson books. They are thoughtful, informative and entertaining stories of the career arc of Mr. Lenson in the modern US Navy. I expect to pre-order #22 when it becomes possible to do so.
May 14, 2025
outstanding!
Apparently the penultimate story in the Lenson saga, Poyer continues to enthrall and excite the reader with this action packed politico- military thriller. The twists and turns continue right to the end. Highly recommended.
Apparently the penultimate story in the Lenson saga, Poyer continues to enthrall and excite the reader with this action packed politico- military thriller. The twists and turns continue right to the end. Highly recommended.
December 22, 2021
Four stories going on at once. A little much for a techno thriller.
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