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Forgotten Ruin #1
Forgotten Ruin
Tolkien meets Shock and Awe
Orcs. Trolls. Wraith riders. Dark wizards. Together, they form an unstoppable force. Or so they thought.
Dark Army… meet the U.S. Army Rangers.
When a Joint Task Force of elite Rangers are transported to a strange and fantastic future where science and evolution have incarnated the evils of myth and legend, they find themselves surrounded, pinned down, and in a desperate fight for their very survival—against nightmares of flesh and blood made real. Which means only one thing.
It’s time to Ranger Up and stack bodies.
The forces of evil have no idea how dangerous a Ranger has been trained to be, and once the action starts, it won’t let up in this no-holds-barred, full-auto, epic battle for survival in the Forgotten Ruin.
From the creators of Galaxy's Edge...
Buy in, and jock up for this thrilling WarGate adventure. A battle unlike any other is calling.
Orcs. Trolls. Wraith riders. Dark wizards. Together, they form an unstoppable force. Or so they thought.
Dark Army… meet the U.S. Army Rangers.
When a Joint Task Force of elite Rangers are transported to a strange and fantastic future where science and evolution have incarnated the evils of myth and legend, they find themselves surrounded, pinned down, and in a desperate fight for their very survival—against nightmares of flesh and blood made real. Which means only one thing.
It’s time to Ranger Up and stack bodies.
The forces of evil have no idea how dangerous a Ranger has been trained to be, and once the action starts, it won’t let up in this no-holds-barred, full-auto, epic battle for survival in the Forgotten Ruin.
From the creators of Galaxy's Edge...
Buy in, and jock up for this thrilling WarGate adventure. A battle unlike any other is calling.
445 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2021
1556 people are currently reading
942 people want to read
About the author
Jason Anspach
186 books839 followersJASON ANSPACH is the author of Galaxy's Edge, Wayward Galaxy, Forgotten Ruin. and more.
He lives in Puyallup, WA with his wife and their seven (not a typo) children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 219 reviews
December 21, 2021
Look...I wanted to like this book. Like so many other books that have ended in my "Didn't Finish" pile. It's a good idea (or seems like it would be a good idea) but has (for my money anyway) poor execution.
The idea here is that modern troops end up in a "different" world. It's actually Earth in the far future...the result of a sort of mutating plague and a jump into the future that was supposed to be a few years but ended up being 10,000 years. There they find the "inhabitance" of Earth have "mutated" into fantasy beings Elves, Orcs...vampires. You get the idea.
Sadly it just never drew me in. I can't really say why except that it is very wordy and a bit...I don't know...disjointed. It seems (for example) that he never uses one adjective when 7 or 8 will do...
Anyway, I didn't finish it, I laid it aside. Too bad really. I wish it were better.
The idea here is that modern troops end up in a "different" world. It's actually Earth in the far future...the result of a sort of mutating plague and a jump into the future that was supposed to be a few years but ended up being 10,000 years. There they find the "inhabitance" of Earth have "mutated" into fantasy beings Elves, Orcs...vampires. You get the idea.
Sadly it just never drew me in. I can't really say why except that it is very wordy and a bit...I don't know...disjointed. It seems (for example) that he never uses one adjective when 7 or 8 will do...
Anyway, I didn't finish it, I laid it aside. Too bad really. I wish it were better.
March 14, 2021
I really wanted to like this as I am a HUGE Galaxy’s Edge fan, but this was just painful. I can’t believe it’s the same writers. The story and the setting, as ridiculous as it sounds, was fine. But good lord, the main character talks about mundane drivel way more than the actual plot. Conversations that should be concise and move the plot forward go on for pages and pages because in between one line of dialogue and the next, the MC will go off on a tangent about something about himself that he was suddenly reminded of. It’s ridiculous and very, very frustrating. It got so bad I was skipping almost entire pages. Checking a line here and there to see if the narrator was still off on a totally unrelated tangent. And usually, yes he was. Main character is invited to speak about something important with the Sgt Major, oh good! Sgt Major offers him coffee. Uh oh, MC goes on to explain how much he loves coffee for the next several paragraphs. Ugh. This was a disappointment.
February 8, 2021
I received an advanced copy of this book as a part of a subscription - I have now preordered it as well.
I know this review is ridiculous. I do not care because this book is so good.
This is a book that takes an outrageous idea and executes it earnestly - without taking itself too seriously.
This is a very hard book to categorize. The almost stream of conscience narration is reminiscent of Croaker in the Black Company - and the overall fuzzing of the world details is done similarly. The book never quite pushes over the line into LitRPG but does bump up against it. Similarly, this is not March Upcountry with John Ringo - a pleasant lark through droves of enemies by an intrepid band of soldiers - with sex and violence enacted with little consequence. But nor is this a GRRM/Abercrombie production of deeply disturbing incest and torture. Forgotten Ruin approaches violence as Soldiers might - pragmatically, with a passion for excellence, and a deep reverence for the toll battle takes on its practitioners. If Dan Abnett and Glen Cook made a baby it would be this book.
Additionally, while Forgotten Ruin does not aspire to be literary, I will submit that if written five years ago - and edited to slow down the pacing - this would be a sterling example of "war author" fiction then emerging from the Long War. I am not entirely sure why the book seems so much deeper then Call of Duty + Orcs - but I think it has to do with the transformations undergone by the characters as they adapt to the Ruin. What happens to the SEALs, the SF, the Rangers themselves is not just a storytelling conceit but I think a commentary - even if unintentional - on the deeper problems facing the US military. This fantastical story hints that being the perfect emotionless killer might not be enough. That some of these men might be too brittle for this new reality. There are many types of Rangers - hard, smart, cold, hungry - and maybe you need some of each to win this new war that looks nothing like the Germany, Korea, and Vietnam of yesteryear.
A note of caution - you could get your feelings hurt by Forgotten Ruin. While not a political book, some main characters are critical of mainline progressive ideals - indeed, I think some would argue that these progressive ideals are briefly straw-manned. However, this is a shallow analysis. The narrator's background and initial distance from the Rangers allows for a more balanced appraisal of "what is important/right" - such that when the narrator ultimately sides with the Rangers this reflects not a critique of broader progressivism but rather a critique of individual character. It is not progressive ideals that are being summarily dismissed - but rather how those ideals are manifested. If used for self-promotion or to gain power advantage over allies, then any "ideals" are to be ridiculed - while if used sacrificially or in defense of others they might be applauded. Diversity, environmentalism, communication, controlled violence - all begin to rise to the forefront as we see the Rangers transition from a focused killing force into the kernel of a broader political alliance. I expect further exploration in future books of how an army rooted in liberal hegemony philosophy and just war theory navigates a post-apocalyptic world populated by orcs.
Finally, I will admit to some personal connection to the story. During my final phase of Ranger school - while I was struggling greatly to maintain mental acuity - the powers-that-be saw fit to rename all of our objectives and missions to mimic World of Warcraft lore. My tenuous grip on sanity was pushed to the breaking point as the two largest pools of knowledge in my brain - Rangers and WoW - began to merge. I walked into this book without knowing the premise and after two chapters I was immediately transported back fifteen years to delirious raids through the swamps of Florida/Azeroth.
PS: The book is not hard enough on SEALs.
I know this review is ridiculous. I do not care because this book is so good.
This is a book that takes an outrageous idea and executes it earnestly - without taking itself too seriously.
This is a very hard book to categorize. The almost stream of conscience narration is reminiscent of Croaker in the Black Company - and the overall fuzzing of the world details is done similarly. The book never quite pushes over the line into LitRPG but does bump up against it. Similarly, this is not March Upcountry with John Ringo - a pleasant lark through droves of enemies by an intrepid band of soldiers - with sex and violence enacted with little consequence. But nor is this a GRRM/Abercrombie production of deeply disturbing incest and torture. Forgotten Ruin approaches violence as Soldiers might - pragmatically, with a passion for excellence, and a deep reverence for the toll battle takes on its practitioners. If Dan Abnett and Glen Cook made a baby it would be this book.
Additionally, while Forgotten Ruin does not aspire to be literary, I will submit that if written five years ago - and edited to slow down the pacing - this would be a sterling example of "war author" fiction then emerging from the Long War. I am not entirely sure why the book seems so much deeper then Call of Duty + Orcs - but I think it has to do with the transformations undergone by the characters as they adapt to the Ruin. What happens to the SEALs, the SF, the Rangers themselves is not just a storytelling conceit but I think a commentary - even if unintentional - on the deeper problems facing the US military. This fantastical story hints that being the perfect emotionless killer might not be enough. That some of these men might be too brittle for this new reality. There are many types of Rangers - hard, smart, cold, hungry - and maybe you need some of each to win this new war that looks nothing like the Germany, Korea, and Vietnam of yesteryear.
A note of caution - you could get your feelings hurt by Forgotten Ruin. While not a political book, some main characters are critical of mainline progressive ideals - indeed, I think some would argue that these progressive ideals are briefly straw-manned. However, this is a shallow analysis. The narrator's background and initial distance from the Rangers allows for a more balanced appraisal of "what is important/right" - such that when the narrator ultimately sides with the Rangers this reflects not a critique of broader progressivism but rather a critique of individual character. It is not progressive ideals that are being summarily dismissed - but rather how those ideals are manifested. If used for self-promotion or to gain power advantage over allies, then any "ideals" are to be ridiculed - while if used sacrificially or in defense of others they might be applauded. Diversity, environmentalism, communication, controlled violence - all begin to rise to the forefront as we see the Rangers transition from a focused killing force into the kernel of a broader political alliance. I expect further exploration in future books of how an army rooted in liberal hegemony philosophy and just war theory navigates a post-apocalyptic world populated by orcs.
Finally, I will admit to some personal connection to the story. During my final phase of Ranger school - while I was struggling greatly to maintain mental acuity - the powers-that-be saw fit to rename all of our objectives and missions to mimic World of Warcraft lore. My tenuous grip on sanity was pushed to the breaking point as the two largest pools of knowledge in my brain - Rangers and WoW - began to merge. I walked into this book without knowing the premise and after two chapters I was immediately transported back fifteen years to delirious raids through the swamps of Florida/Azeroth.
PS: The book is not hard enough on SEALs.
April 12, 2021
Love the concept, love the genre but...
It´s like reading the ramblings of a Ritalin addicted melodramatic Ranger-groupie where the story pause often to paint a picture of diarrhea, blood and Rangers!! Did I mention RANGERS?
Rangers be this and Rangers be that, RANGERS!!
Sure, elite soldiers but when the narrator waxes lyrical and melodramatic about Rangers every chapter it loses its appeal rather fast and the repetition starts to grate.
Mr. Cole is a great author so I´d wager that he did the concept and Mr. Anspach did the writing.
If you´re a teenager with a hard-on for RANGERS!! I guess this is for you but for other people, not very much and that´s a damn shame because I love the premise.
It´s like reading the ramblings of a Ritalin addicted melodramatic Ranger-groupie where the story pause often to paint a picture of diarrhea, blood and Rangers!! Did I mention RANGERS?
Rangers be this and Rangers be that, RANGERS!!
Sure, elite soldiers but when the narrator waxes lyrical and melodramatic about Rangers every chapter it loses its appeal rather fast and the repetition starts to grate.
Mr. Cole is a great author so I´d wager that he did the concept and Mr. Anspach did the writing.
If you´re a teenager with a hard-on for RANGERS!! I guess this is for you but for other people, not very much and that´s a damn shame because I love the premise.
March 6, 2021
Black Hawk Down meets LOTR
If you've ever watched a fantasy movie and thought, "this would be a lot different if someone had a light machine gun," well, sir, have I got a book for you...
Fun characters, familiar setting, and great action. It was everything I wanted it to be.
If you've ever watched a fantasy movie and thought, "this would be a lot different if someone had a light machine gun," well, sir, have I got a book for you...
Fun characters, familiar setting, and great action. It was everything I wanted it to be.
August 2, 2021
Really good storyline but……
Will try not to let any spoilers out of the bad - just in case…..
The storyline here is a ‘quaint’ turn on a dystopian theme. Humans know they are about to be wiped out and decide to do something about their future - in the future. Technology being what it is (I’m from IT and I am here to help) everything goes pear shaped and so the principle of ‘adapt and survive’ goes into overdrive - with a ‘Lord of the Rings’ type twist..
Good idea for a story BUT the writing is, for me, near impossible to read… EVERY SINGLE EVENT is preceded with every thought going through the characters mind NOT just to do with the event but for A WHOLE HEAP OF, UN RELATIVE LIFE EVENTS…. So a baddie is heading toward the character and he goes through his first romance at school or the first time his mum grounded him then analyses what that meant to his formative yrs and then takes action. Fair dinkum it WAS like reading a diary while waiting for ‘the whistle’.
This might be good for some but for me - no and that is a big shame because the story is unique.
Will try not to let any spoilers out of the bad - just in case…..
The storyline here is a ‘quaint’ turn on a dystopian theme. Humans know they are about to be wiped out and decide to do something about their future - in the future. Technology being what it is (I’m from IT and I am here to help) everything goes pear shaped and so the principle of ‘adapt and survive’ goes into overdrive - with a ‘Lord of the Rings’ type twist..
Good idea for a story BUT the writing is, for me, near impossible to read… EVERY SINGLE EVENT is preceded with every thought going through the characters mind NOT just to do with the event but for A WHOLE HEAP OF, UN RELATIVE LIFE EVENTS…. So a baddie is heading toward the character and he goes through his first romance at school or the first time his mum grounded him then analyses what that meant to his formative yrs and then takes action. Fair dinkum it WAS like reading a diary while waiting for ‘the whistle’.
This might be good for some but for me - no and that is a big shame because the story is unique.
February 11, 2021
Forgotten Ruin, the new audiobook by Jason Anspach and Nick Cole, narrated by Christopher Ryan Grant, is described by the authors as Tolkien meets Shock + Awe. I would describe it as a wonderful mashup of all of my favorite things in dudelit, the masculine adventure fiction that spans science fiction, fantasy, horror, and thrillers. This book manages to combine aspects of all of those in just the right proportions to be compulsively listened to.
“When I began to dream in Elvish, it was then that I knew I could speak it. And it was when the orc horde overran one of the fighting positions along First Platoon’s sector on the east side of the island the Rangers were defending that I knew we weren’t in Kansas anymore.”
In the best science fiction tradition, Forgotten Ruin goes hard into the details of a technical subject while telling an adventure story. In this case, that subject is what it means to be a US Army Ranger. What weapons they use. Their tactics. How they think. The difference between being “tabbed” and being “scrolled”. I admit this is an extension of the usual definition of hard science fiction, but I think it is useful to extend that usual sense to cover other cases, because it produces similarly engaging stories.
Forgotten Ruin is a story told from the point of view of Talker, a rather unlikely soldier, and an even more unlikely Ranger.
“It took me seven degrees to finally realize I hate academia, and I’ve got this crazy desire to be a soldier.”
I appreciate the choice of Talker as the narrator and POV character. He is a bit of a dweeb, and very aware that he is not the stone cold killer that many of his battalion mates are. Christopher Ryan Grant does an excellent job with all this, and since the book is told in first-person, Grant makes Talker come alive. However, Grant rapidly switches into other characters as needed, like the laconic drawl of the Command Sergeant Major or the absurdly exaggerated Italian PFC Soprano, who clowns with an affected Mario Brothers accent.
As a book, Forgotten Ruin most closely resembles a war memoir. Which is a hard thing to do in fiction, as real memoirs don’t necessarily follow chronological order perfectly or retain every detail the narrator might have seen at the time. First-person accounts skip around and focus sometimes on odd details just because they stuck in the author’s mind. A real person writing down real memories just does this because that is how memory works, but simulating this a real test of talent, as many first-person books are just told by third-person omniscient narrators who use the word “I”. That isn’t the case here, and I salute Anspach and Cole for the work that must have taken.
We get to journey with Talker though the strange world he finds himself in, seeing everything through his eyes. And what a very odd world it is. While the book does owe a heavy debt to Tolkien, it also borrows heavily from the massive cultural accomplishment of Dave Arneson and E. Gary Gygax, who turned something that grew out of the niche hobby of miniature wargaming into a movement that altered popular culture forever. This book comes along at the perfect time for me, as I am currently obsessed with Dungeons and Dragons, especially the very biblicist OSR, which hews closely to the style of the game as it was played forty years ago.
As such, Forgotten Ruin also has thematic ties to many of the works of fantastic fiction that Gygax cited in Appendix N to the Dungeon Masters Guide, especially Jack Vance’s The Dying Earth, which is probably the pre-eminent work in establishing the post-apocalyptic tone of OD&D and AD&D. However, Forgotten Ruin also draws upon the well of very realistic military science fiction, like Jerry Pournelle’s Janissaries, that explores what would happen if a small band of men employing modern military tactics and weapons encountered say 9th century technology and society, and then draws out the implications of that.
However, unlike Jerry’s work, which focused on attempting to rebuild technology from the ground up and complicated political alliances, Forgotten Ruin is more straightforward adventure. Kill the bad guys, take their stuff, win the girl. Again, the choice of POV character is critical; PFC Talker sees things from the grunt’s point of view, much like in Anspach and Cole’s Legionnaire. If we instead saw things from the POV of the man Talker privately dubs Captain Knife Hand, we could very well end up with something more like Janissaries, which would focus on the burden of command and the grand strategy of survival. As it is, we get a very different experience.
And what an experience! In Forgotten Ruin we feel terror and wonder in equal measure. I cheered with Rangers when they won, and cried with them when they lost a friend. Here is where I think Tolkien is absolutely the correct choice of comparison, because the harrowing Korean War style battles that Talker endures are contrasted with scenes of sublime beauty that make your heart ache with longing. Despite being overrun with monsters, the world Talker finds himself in is fundamentally good, and his role in it is providential. Despite the horror of war, especially war with monsters of myth and legend, this is a uplifting book, one that is good for the soul.
This is the style of fiction I like best, and I am excited to listen to it again as soon as I am finished. I look forward to the future volumes in this series as well. Forgotten Ruin comes out on Audible on March 1st, and you can find the ebook at Amazon or the authors’ website ForgottenRuin.com. You can pre-order now, and if you just can’t wait, why not check out the Forgotten Ruin Fan Group on Facebook, the Forgotten Ruin book page on Facebook, or the Galaxy’s Edge Discord, for all the memes and hype.
I was provided an advanced review copy by the authors.
“Later, I talked to Sergeant Thor about it. About “normal” being gone. And this was his reply. ‘There is a normal after that, Talker. But it’s the new normal. Normal is relative, as in, what’s normal to the spider is pure terror to the fly. Be the predator, always, Talker. Always. That’s normal for a Ranger now.’”
“When I began to dream in Elvish, it was then that I knew I could speak it. And it was when the orc horde overran one of the fighting positions along First Platoon’s sector on the east side of the island the Rangers were defending that I knew we weren’t in Kansas anymore.”
In the best science fiction tradition, Forgotten Ruin goes hard into the details of a technical subject while telling an adventure story. In this case, that subject is what it means to be a US Army Ranger. What weapons they use. Their tactics. How they think. The difference between being “tabbed” and being “scrolled”. I admit this is an extension of the usual definition of hard science fiction, but I think it is useful to extend that usual sense to cover other cases, because it produces similarly engaging stories.
Forgotten Ruin is a story told from the point of view of Talker, a rather unlikely soldier, and an even more unlikely Ranger.
“It took me seven degrees to finally realize I hate academia, and I’ve got this crazy desire to be a soldier.”
I appreciate the choice of Talker as the narrator and POV character. He is a bit of a dweeb, and very aware that he is not the stone cold killer that many of his battalion mates are. Christopher Ryan Grant does an excellent job with all this, and since the book is told in first-person, Grant makes Talker come alive. However, Grant rapidly switches into other characters as needed, like the laconic drawl of the Command Sergeant Major or the absurdly exaggerated Italian PFC Soprano, who clowns with an affected Mario Brothers accent.
As a book, Forgotten Ruin most closely resembles a war memoir. Which is a hard thing to do in fiction, as real memoirs don’t necessarily follow chronological order perfectly or retain every detail the narrator might have seen at the time. First-person accounts skip around and focus sometimes on odd details just because they stuck in the author’s mind. A real person writing down real memories just does this because that is how memory works, but simulating this a real test of talent, as many first-person books are just told by third-person omniscient narrators who use the word “I”. That isn’t the case here, and I salute Anspach and Cole for the work that must have taken.
We get to journey with Talker though the strange world he finds himself in, seeing everything through his eyes. And what a very odd world it is. While the book does owe a heavy debt to Tolkien, it also borrows heavily from the massive cultural accomplishment of Dave Arneson and E. Gary Gygax, who turned something that grew out of the niche hobby of miniature wargaming into a movement that altered popular culture forever. This book comes along at the perfect time for me, as I am currently obsessed with Dungeons and Dragons, especially the very biblicist OSR, which hews closely to the style of the game as it was played forty years ago.
As such, Forgotten Ruin also has thematic ties to many of the works of fantastic fiction that Gygax cited in Appendix N to the Dungeon Masters Guide, especially Jack Vance’s The Dying Earth, which is probably the pre-eminent work in establishing the post-apocalyptic tone of OD&D and AD&D. However, Forgotten Ruin also draws upon the well of very realistic military science fiction, like Jerry Pournelle’s Janissaries, that explores what would happen if a small band of men employing modern military tactics and weapons encountered say 9th century technology and society, and then draws out the implications of that.
However, unlike Jerry’s work, which focused on attempting to rebuild technology from the ground up and complicated political alliances, Forgotten Ruin is more straightforward adventure. Kill the bad guys, take their stuff, win the girl. Again, the choice of POV character is critical; PFC Talker sees things from the grunt’s point of view, much like in Anspach and Cole’s Legionnaire. If we instead saw things from the POV of the man Talker privately dubs Captain Knife Hand, we could very well end up with something more like Janissaries, which would focus on the burden of command and the grand strategy of survival. As it is, we get a very different experience.
And what an experience! In Forgotten Ruin we feel terror and wonder in equal measure. I cheered with Rangers when they won, and cried with them when they lost a friend. Here is where I think Tolkien is absolutely the correct choice of comparison, because the harrowing Korean War style battles that Talker endures are contrasted with scenes of sublime beauty that make your heart ache with longing. Despite being overrun with monsters, the world Talker finds himself in is fundamentally good, and his role in it is providential. Despite the horror of war, especially war with monsters of myth and legend, this is a uplifting book, one that is good for the soul.
This is the style of fiction I like best, and I am excited to listen to it again as soon as I am finished. I look forward to the future volumes in this series as well. Forgotten Ruin comes out on Audible on March 1st, and you can find the ebook at Amazon or the authors’ website ForgottenRuin.com. You can pre-order now, and if you just can’t wait, why not check out the Forgotten Ruin Fan Group on Facebook, the Forgotten Ruin book page on Facebook, or the Galaxy’s Edge Discord, for all the memes and hype.
I was provided an advanced review copy by the authors.
“Later, I talked to Sergeant Thor about it. About “normal” being gone. And this was his reply. ‘There is a normal after that, Talker. But it’s the new normal. Normal is relative, as in, what’s normal to the spider is pure terror to the fly. Be the predator, always, Talker. Always. That’s normal for a Ranger now.’”
March 11, 2021
This was interesting, but the excess verbiage from the narrator made it longer than it needed to be. I know that was intentional to show the contrast of the intellectual vs. the high-speed-low-drag SF troop loops, but it caused me to skim large sections as his prattling got to me.
One aspect of this "world" that I particularly liked was that there was none of that "you need magic to kill it" BS. All problems here could be solved with sufficient application of kinetic energy/HE/fire which is refreshing in a "fantasy" book. Overall, it was engaging enough for me to take an option on a second one.
One aspect of this "world" that I particularly liked was that there was none of that "you need magic to kill it" BS. All problems here could be solved with sufficient application of kinetic energy/HE/fire which is refreshing in a "fantasy" book. Overall, it was engaging enough for me to take an option on a second one.
March 19, 2021
Lord of the Rings Meet 2/75th
We are a military family. I am a 25 year Navy Vet (Aviation) E8 and my oldest son is an Army LT Aviator, my youngest son is an Army Ranger E4 and my daughter is a Navy Chief .
I love military sci-fi epic stories. This one felt real. My Ranger son talks just like this book (He would have been a combination of Tanner and Thor in this book)
Nick Cole gets the spec Ops scene entirely! The camaraderie, the lewd humor, the Tough Guy rep, and the losses.
I have heard it in novels before this but this one felt real.
I am entirely hooked now to see how these weary Operators fathom in the next epic journey! Ranger On! Chief JC
We are a military family. I am a 25 year Navy Vet (Aviation) E8 and my oldest son is an Army LT Aviator, my youngest son is an Army Ranger E4 and my daughter is a Navy Chief .
I love military sci-fi epic stories. This one felt real. My Ranger son talks just like this book (He would have been a combination of Tanner and Thor in this book)
Nick Cole gets the spec Ops scene entirely! The camaraderie, the lewd humor, the Tough Guy rep, and the losses.
I have heard it in novels before this but this one felt real.
I am entirely hooked now to see how these weary Operators fathom in the next epic journey! Ranger On! Chief JC
April 6, 2021
Holy s@&$ what a ride!
I’ve heard the concept modern soldiers transported to medieval fantasy worlds but never have I ever read one so well researched and raw. This books a roller coaster from beginning to end and I mean that in the best possible way. Reading this was like like someone handed the love child of WoW and Blackhawk Down to Director Michael Bay and he was like “F*** it, this is my child now”. From the first few sentences it is adventurous shocking thrilling and engaging until you get to the very last period. This is a book I could absolutely not put down once I started (the bags under my eyes from staying up to finish this are a testament to that) and I am pleased to say it was fantastic! If I could give it more stars I would. Script is great plot is interesting, characters are well written, and the flow is wonderful. The world building is well thought out. A big bravo to the Rangers! This was awesome.
I’ve heard the concept modern soldiers transported to medieval fantasy worlds but never have I ever read one so well researched and raw. This books a roller coaster from beginning to end and I mean that in the best possible way. Reading this was like like someone handed the love child of WoW and Blackhawk Down to Director Michael Bay and he was like “F*** it, this is my child now”. From the first few sentences it is adventurous shocking thrilling and engaging until you get to the very last period. This is a book I could absolutely not put down once I started (the bags under my eyes from staying up to finish this are a testament to that) and I am pleased to say it was fantastic! If I could give it more stars I would. Script is great plot is interesting, characters are well written, and the flow is wonderful. The world building is well thought out. A big bravo to the Rangers! This was awesome.
July 22, 2021
I'm torn. I can't remember any other book which writes military action with such a unique voice. It's almost purple prose. The digressions take up half of the text and are works of art but you can't skip a sentence without losing the thread. The characterizations are rich and deep. The world-building is both surreal and an homage to fantasy's very foundations.
But the plot... is weak. The government's plan, to preserve civilization in the face of an unknowable apocalypse, is unbelievable. The team, who is tasked with carrying out the plan, is heroic and lacking any real plan in the face of a randomized world. The reader is not shown what objective they are striving toward, nor the path they have plotted. As a result, the whole group seems to be reacting to events, rather than shaping them. Thus the outcome is left to the whims of fate, (i.e. the author).
This book is special. It came close to greatness. Maybe it achieves that goal further into the series. I'm curious to find out.
But the plot... is weak. The government's plan, to preserve civilization in the face of an unknowable apocalypse, is unbelievable. The team, who is tasked with carrying out the plan, is heroic and lacking any real plan in the face of a randomized world. The reader is not shown what objective they are striving toward, nor the path they have plotted. As a result, the whole group seems to be reacting to events, rather than shaping them. Thus the outcome is left to the whims of fate, (i.e. the author).
This book is special. It came close to greatness. Maybe it achieves that goal further into the series. I'm curious to find out.
April 20, 2021
I really enjoyed the premise, a very interesting twist on old D&D novelties. But there was way to introspection and self conversations along the way, take that away or limit it and the novel moves quicker. And is a lot more enjoyable. I honestly get it, there are Rangers in this novel, stated right there in the narrative. But I don't need to see the same word 2-3 times on every page, it is beyond redundant. I wish there was more back story or information on the "Forge" it was an interesting concept thrown in. The character description and research was top notch and very relatable to the imagination. This series is fairly enjoyable, except for the above mention comments or critiques.
November 6, 2025
The book was based on a enjoyable idea of modern meets fantasy and I'm a fan of Manga with the same sort of trope.
The reason I scored it so low was the continuous repetition of certain things the character requests and fantasises over. Which felt like it was mentioned in every sentence stated.
But overall the action and the world building kept me continuing through the book.
All in all it's a good book to listen to whilst going between places.
The reason I scored it so low was the continuous repetition of certain things the character requests and fantasises over. Which felt like it was mentioned in every sentence stated.
But overall the action and the world building kept me continuing through the book.
All in all it's a good book to listen to whilst going between places.
April 3, 2021
Warhammer meets Rangers!
I can't really say enough how much I enjoyed this book. The love Jason and Nick have for all things Tolkien, Army Rangers and just brotherhood and honor in general permeates every page. They didn't copy anything at all, more of a tribute and something new all at the same time. There is everything about a good story here; love, heart, strength and perseverance combined with hard driving and relentless action throughout. If you love this kind of thing, are not squeamish then this is a read you won't soon forget.
I can't really say enough how much I enjoyed this book. The love Jason and Nick have for all things Tolkien, Army Rangers and just brotherhood and honor in general permeates every page. They didn't copy anything at all, more of a tribute and something new all at the same time. There is everything about a good story here; love, heart, strength and perseverance combined with hard driving and relentless action throughout. If you love this kind of thing, are not squeamish then this is a read you won't soon forget.
August 1, 2021
I was hesitant to get this book as it seemed it could go either way , awesome or terrible with not much in between. I’ll tell you now, it’s amazing . It’s a great combination of military thriller meets fantasy book. Think Black Hawk Down meets Lord of the Rings .
March 24, 2021
WoW as in World of WarCraft meets Wow, as in what a tremendously wonderful book! What can I say? This is one of the very best books I have read in a long, long time. And, remember, I don't like fantasy science fiction which is pretty much this whole story, but this was so very well written that I couldn't put it down. What a wonderfully exciting and fascinating book! The authors did themselves proud for writing this rather lengthy tome to the unassuming and relatively unknowable Army Ranger! I loved every bit of it!
If, after everything I wrote in the first paragraph didn't convince you that I just loved this book then you're not reading very well. Yes, it is about orcs, ogers, wizards, fairies, witches, and elves, with a few giants thrown in once in awhile! That is science fantasy and not my usual cup of tea. Still, mix that stuff in with constant combat by Army Ranges and you've got an amazing book that will keep you reading far into the night!
We start out with the story being told by one Army Ranger who, like most every day soldiers, doesn't think of himself as very special. Still this guy, PFC Walker, a.k.a. "Talker", is a linguist and not just any linguist. He's got doctorates in languages. He'll tell you his story and how he became part of this special Ranger unit and then he'll tell the rest of the story just like you're walking with him through it. And you've go one hell of a walk ahead of you. I learned a lot about Army Rangers, well, at least what this book wants to say about them. I, personally, have known of an Army Ranger or two, but if asked to pick them out of a formation mixed in with other soldiers, I probably couldn't do it. That's primarily because they don't stand out when just standing still. But, when you get an Army Ranger moving, he's going for the kill and he does it better than any other soldier.
Who in their right mind would want to travel into the future to see if it's just as badly messed up as is your present day? Well, someone put together a Ranger unit who did just that and they weren't the only ones going. Earth is in bad shape in the present so someone needs to find out what the future is like, say two or three years from now, and if it's better then great, you can be there to make it even better. If not, well, then you as Army Rangers kill everyone and start over, I guess. Anyway, this quantum gate thing didn't throw this Ranger unit just two years forward, no, it threw them something like ten-thousand years into the future! Ain't nothing going to be fixed that far out. So, you land in the land of orcs, goblins, giants, trolls, vampires, and witches and they are all trying to kill you, right now! Nothing you can do but fight, so that's what these Army Rangers do, they fight and kill everything until they die themselves. Fortunately, they only have to fight at night, but three or four nights of this and there won't be too many Rangers alive.
So, where do we go from here? Not sure and nether will this story completely tell you. It's not finished just yet. See, PFC Talker isn't dead at the end and that's almost a miracle. While he doesn't consider himself as "real" Ranger, he's a linguist after all, he does Ranger things and does them very well. But, he's not the only one. There are a number of characters in this book that I would love to have by my side and a fight. There has got to be guys like those in this book actually living their lives as real Rangers and they are dangerous. But, when an enemy needs killing, the a Ranger is what you want around. That's what they do. Yeah, the fantasy part of this book is kind of hard to swallow, but it was so well written that I really enjoyed it along with the rest of the story. And, this book seems to go on for quite a long while, yet it wasn't tiring to read. In fact, I really didn't want it to end.
I hope you do like this as well as I did. I don't know if the words printed in this book is true version of a Ranger but, if it's just a small picture of what makes up the Rangers, then they should be very proud of who they are. They are special and we need people like them to fight and kill all the orcs, giants, trolls and other nasty bad guys who seem to be just where you don't want them to be. The book even has a copy of the Ranger Creed in the back and now I have a copy of that in my own personal tablet. It's not a bad thing to know. And another good thing to know is that there's a second book in this series, "Hit & Fade", which should be out in April 2021. Get it!
If, after everything I wrote in the first paragraph didn't convince you that I just loved this book then you're not reading very well. Yes, it is about orcs, ogers, wizards, fairies, witches, and elves, with a few giants thrown in once in awhile! That is science fantasy and not my usual cup of tea. Still, mix that stuff in with constant combat by Army Ranges and you've got an amazing book that will keep you reading far into the night!
We start out with the story being told by one Army Ranger who, like most every day soldiers, doesn't think of himself as very special. Still this guy, PFC Walker, a.k.a. "Talker", is a linguist and not just any linguist. He's got doctorates in languages. He'll tell you his story and how he became part of this special Ranger unit and then he'll tell the rest of the story just like you're walking with him through it. And you've go one hell of a walk ahead of you. I learned a lot about Army Rangers, well, at least what this book wants to say about them. I, personally, have known of an Army Ranger or two, but if asked to pick them out of a formation mixed in with other soldiers, I probably couldn't do it. That's primarily because they don't stand out when just standing still. But, when you get an Army Ranger moving, he's going for the kill and he does it better than any other soldier.
“Be meaner than it, Talker.”
Anspach, Jason; Cole, Nick. Forgotten Ruin: An Epic Military Fantasy Thriller (p. 124). WarGate Books. Kindle Edition.
Who in their right mind would want to travel into the future to see if it's just as badly messed up as is your present day? Well, someone put together a Ranger unit who did just that and they weren't the only ones going. Earth is in bad shape in the present so someone needs to find out what the future is like, say two or three years from now, and if it's better then great, you can be there to make it even better. If not, well, then you as Army Rangers kill everyone and start over, I guess. Anyway, this quantum gate thing didn't throw this Ranger unit just two years forward, no, it threw them something like ten-thousand years into the future! Ain't nothing going to be fixed that far out. So, you land in the land of orcs, goblins, giants, trolls, vampires, and witches and they are all trying to kill you, right now! Nothing you can do but fight, so that's what these Army Rangers do, they fight and kill everything until they die themselves. Fortunately, they only have to fight at night, but three or four nights of this and there won't be too many Rangers alive.
So, where do we go from here? Not sure and nether will this story completely tell you. It's not finished just yet. See, PFC Talker isn't dead at the end and that's almost a miracle. While he doesn't consider himself as "real" Ranger, he's a linguist after all, he does Ranger things and does them very well. But, he's not the only one. There are a number of characters in this book that I would love to have by my side and a fight. There has got to be guys like those in this book actually living their lives as real Rangers and they are dangerous. But, when an enemy needs killing, the a Ranger is what you want around. That's what they do. Yeah, the fantasy part of this book is kind of hard to swallow, but it was so well written that I really enjoyed it along with the rest of the story. And, this book seems to go on for quite a long while, yet it wasn't tiring to read. In fact, I really didn't want it to end.
"Running into a room with nothing but a weapon and the training you had and the attitude that you were gonna be the winner today. Because that’s what a fight is. Winners and the dead. There are no participation awards. There are just winners. And the dead."
Anspach, Jason; Cole, Nick. Forgotten Ruin: An Epic Military Fantasy Thriller (p. 132). WarGate Books. Kindle Edition.
I hope you do like this as well as I did. I don't know if the words printed in this book is true version of a Ranger but, if it's just a small picture of what makes up the Rangers, then they should be very proud of who they are. They are special and we need people like them to fight and kill all the orcs, giants, trolls and other nasty bad guys who seem to be just where you don't want them to be. The book even has a copy of the Ranger Creed in the back and now I have a copy of that in my own personal tablet. It's not a bad thing to know. And another good thing to know is that there's a second book in this series, "Hit & Fade", which should be out in April 2021. Get it!
March 31, 2021
Awesome mix of fantasy and military fiction
I’ve read military fiction in sci-fi and zombie apocalypse settings and enjoyed both. I never wouldn’t though it’d work in a fantasy setting, but they sure did it well!
The story jumped around a bit, making it somewhat difficult to track what was a flashback vs what was happening a given time. But maybe that’s just me. I thoroughly enjoyed it, regardless. Ready for the next one!
I’ve read military fiction in sci-fi and zombie apocalypse settings and enjoyed both. I never wouldn’t though it’d work in a fantasy setting, but they sure did it well!
The story jumped around a bit, making it somewhat difficult to track what was a flashback vs what was happening a given time. But maybe that’s just me. I thoroughly enjoyed it, regardless. Ready for the next one!
Read
March 20, 2021Fast pace and interesting jump from to day into the future. Wondering how many jumped to the correct time as planned and how many jumped farther into the future. Are they the ones who changed the future for these Rangers? Now that they have the forge back, they can now defend it and resupply the ammo stock. Also have a base of operation. Waiting to see how things go for the Talker, Last of Autumn, the Lost Boys and the rest of the Rangers. How the Captain returns and if he does what will he look like? Looking forward to the next book.
March 14, 2021
Just plain fun.
Lots of combat, not a lot of naval-gazing or melodrama, but it had heart enough to keep you turning pages to the end, and I finished it wanting more. Definitely the first act in a multi-part series. I can't wait for the next one, and being the writers these are, we won't have to wait long for Part 2.
Lots of combat, not a lot of naval-gazing or melodrama, but it had heart enough to keep you turning pages to the end, and I finished it wanting more. Definitely the first act in a multi-part series. I can't wait for the next one, and being the writers these are, we won't have to wait long for Part 2.
December 21, 2021
This is a 4-star review. It is not a strong 4-star review. This book is definitely better than 3-stars, but not by a lot.
The premise of this book is that some sort of nano-virus has been released into the world. The virus causes technology to break down and humans to experience unexplained mutations. The news reports of the spreading virus are sparse, cryptic, and a bit scary.
The response is to use some technology located at the US military Area 51 to send teams into the future to restart civilization after the nano-virus has passed. Each team includes various flavors of US special forces along with a 3D replicator that has been hardened against the nano-virus. Our specific team of heroes has a couple of civilians along for the ride. One is to run the 3D replicator. One is a vaguely defined scientist. One is a politician/administrator who is just as demonstrably useful as one might expect.
It turns out that the time travel technology isn't very precise and the teams "land" anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand years in the future.
Our heroes are about 10,000 years downstream from their departure point. They discover a world that has transformed into some flavor of Tolkien-esque/Dungeons and Dragons reality that includes orcs, trolls, dragons, elves, and magic.
Conceptually, this is an interesting book. The characters and action certainly held my attention all the way to the end.
But....
The setting is largely derivative of Tolkien and Dungeons and Dragons with a smattering of Stephen King tossed in for good measure. The setting doesn't seek to carve any new genre paths and instead overlays the narrative onto the existing understanding of the fantasy genre.
The narrative includes a fair amount of gun porn - rhetorically stroking the barrel, so to speak. Most of this is done early on and the later sections of the book are better once the fondling of various gun calibers has been concluded. As this is MilSF, one expects a bit of focus on guns, but perhaps a little less would leave more room for the story and characters.
The narrative includes a bit of Ranger porn - stroking the Ranger ego with Rangers doing Ranger stuff while Rangering. Eventually, the Ranger porn gets out of the way and we develop a relationship with the individual Rangers which improves the story in the later sections.
The narrative doesn't really reach for much in terms of plot or character development. I am a fan of Nick Cole's earlier solo works where he did reach for something extra. This new series seems to be coming from the Anspach/Cole MilSF Amalagamated Factory, Inc. - entertaining fiction cranked out for you!
It is a fine book that is reasonably entertaining. Worth the money you will spend. But it isn't really much more than utilitarian entertainment. I might return to the series, later on, to see how things shake out.
The premise of this book is that some sort of nano-virus has been released into the world. The virus causes technology to break down and humans to experience unexplained mutations. The news reports of the spreading virus are sparse, cryptic, and a bit scary.
The response is to use some technology located at the US military Area 51 to send teams into the future to restart civilization after the nano-virus has passed. Each team includes various flavors of US special forces along with a 3D replicator that has been hardened against the nano-virus. Our specific team of heroes has a couple of civilians along for the ride. One is to run the 3D replicator. One is a vaguely defined scientist. One is a politician/administrator who is just as demonstrably useful as one might expect.
It turns out that the time travel technology isn't very precise and the teams "land" anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand years in the future.
Our heroes are about 10,000 years downstream from their departure point. They discover a world that has transformed into some flavor of Tolkien-esque/Dungeons and Dragons reality that includes orcs, trolls, dragons, elves, and magic.
Conceptually, this is an interesting book. The characters and action certainly held my attention all the way to the end.
But....
The setting is largely derivative of Tolkien and Dungeons and Dragons with a smattering of Stephen King tossed in for good measure. The setting doesn't seek to carve any new genre paths and instead overlays the narrative onto the existing understanding of the fantasy genre.
The narrative includes a fair amount of gun porn - rhetorically stroking the barrel, so to speak. Most of this is done early on and the later sections of the book are better once the fondling of various gun calibers has been concluded. As this is MilSF, one expects a bit of focus on guns, but perhaps a little less would leave more room for the story and characters.
The narrative includes a bit of Ranger porn - stroking the Ranger ego with Rangers doing Ranger stuff while Rangering. Eventually, the Ranger porn gets out of the way and we develop a relationship with the individual Rangers which improves the story in the later sections.
The narrative doesn't really reach for much in terms of plot or character development. I am a fan of Nick Cole's earlier solo works where he did reach for something extra. This new series seems to be coming from the Anspach/Cole MilSF Amalagamated Factory, Inc. - entertaining fiction cranked out for you!
It is a fine book that is reasonably entertaining. Worth the money you will spend. But it isn't really much more than utilitarian entertainment. I might return to the series, later on, to see how things shake out.
September 16, 2021
I liked the blurb. I thought it would be fun to read a story of modern-day weaponry versus orcs, wizards, and trolls.
But the action was not written very well. It felt too much like telling/exposition, and didn't show me enough of what was happening. I was looking for more descriptions, and I didn't get that.
The main character also kept inserting his inner monologue every few sentences, and it really slowed down the pacing of the book.
For example, why can't the narrator just say "forethought" instead of "tactical forethought?" You can leave the exposition for after the fight. I'm just not a fan of exposition before and during a fight. It's a tension-killer. I will say though, the exposition wasn't the worst I've read at the beginning of a story, but it was a lot even during the action, which is what made this hard to read.
Here's another example of exposition. This is before the orcs met the US army's battle line: "Horns. Tribal horns rang out, I kid you not. UROOOO UROOO UROOOOOOOOOOOooooooooo. That's what it sounded like. I won't lie. It was like the realest surreal thing that's ever happened to me. Ever." The authors could have just gone with "Horns rang out. Uroooooo! Uroooo! Fear reverberated in my chest and my throat went dry."
This book is written in past tense, but I read a part where it said "Now Thor is looking through his scope at the approaching horde." This was a slip into present tense. I like my books all in the same tense, not slipping back and forth.
Early in the book, the main character mentions the orcs not retreating after being shot at, and compares them to "Hajis in the third world who got caught out like that out in the open would have scattered and ran."
Look it up. "Hajis" are Muslims who have made the pilgrimage to Mecca. This was culturally insensitive. I did some more research, and some people in the military use this as a derogatory term for Iraqis. They're equating Muslims with terrorists.
If you look at their bios, Jason Anspach is from a military family, and Nick Cole was in the military. Is the derogatory term they used an echo of the sentiment that they feel? A story about the US army vs. fantasy creatures sounds really awesome, but at the very least, they could have been more sensitive about some of the terms they used, and some of the thoughts that went through the mind of the main character, because in real life Sikhs were killed in hate crimes, being mistaken for Muslims, after the events of 9/11, and some people in the military have killed innocent civilians.
I will not be reading more in this series. I'm looking for series that are more sensitive to modern-day issues, and do not contain so much exposition.
But the action was not written very well. It felt too much like telling/exposition, and didn't show me enough of what was happening. I was looking for more descriptions, and I didn't get that.
The main character also kept inserting his inner monologue every few sentences, and it really slowed down the pacing of the book.
For example, why can't the narrator just say "forethought" instead of "tactical forethought?" You can leave the exposition for after the fight. I'm just not a fan of exposition before and during a fight. It's a tension-killer. I will say though, the exposition wasn't the worst I've read at the beginning of a story, but it was a lot even during the action, which is what made this hard to read.
Here's another example of exposition. This is before the orcs met the US army's battle line: "Horns. Tribal horns rang out, I kid you not. UROOOO UROOO UROOOOOOOOOOOooooooooo. That's what it sounded like. I won't lie. It was like the realest surreal thing that's ever happened to me. Ever." The authors could have just gone with "Horns rang out. Uroooooo! Uroooo! Fear reverberated in my chest and my throat went dry."
This book is written in past tense, but I read a part where it said "Now Thor is looking through his scope at the approaching horde." This was a slip into present tense. I like my books all in the same tense, not slipping back and forth.
Early in the book, the main character mentions the orcs not retreating after being shot at, and compares them to "Hajis in the third world who got caught out like that out in the open would have scattered and ran."
Look it up. "Hajis" are Muslims who have made the pilgrimage to Mecca. This was culturally insensitive. I did some more research, and some people in the military use this as a derogatory term for Iraqis. They're equating Muslims with terrorists.
If you look at their bios, Jason Anspach is from a military family, and Nick Cole was in the military. Is the derogatory term they used an echo of the sentiment that they feel? A story about the US army vs. fantasy creatures sounds really awesome, but at the very least, they could have been more sensitive about some of the terms they used, and some of the thoughts that went through the mind of the main character, because in real life Sikhs were killed in hate crimes, being mistaken for Muslims, after the events of 9/11, and some people in the military have killed innocent civilians.
I will not be reading more in this series. I'm looking for series that are more sensitive to modern-day issues, and do not contain so much exposition.
March 10, 2021
Fantastic
A fantastical military SciFi that asks what would happen if modern soldiers ended up in a Tolkien-esque fantasy world.
It does not disappoint. Great characters, action-a-plenty. Don’t miss this.
A fantastical military SciFi that asks what would happen if modern soldiers ended up in a Tolkien-esque fantasy world.
It does not disappoint. Great characters, action-a-plenty. Don’t miss this.
March 4, 2021
Outstanding
Great book with a lot of potential. The world that is laid out and the way the characters get there make many potential directions to go. Should appeal to fans of military psych and fantasy. Eagerly awaiting the next book.
Great book with a lot of potential. The world that is laid out and the way the characters get there make many potential directions to go. Should appeal to fans of military psych and fantasy. Eagerly awaiting the next book.
March 5, 2021
An excellent start!
Forgotten Ruin is an excellent start to a new series. The action was turned way up to 11 and the story setting is familiar yet just different enough as to be interesting. I couldn’t put it down once I started and I am eagerly awaiting the next installment.
Forgotten Ruin is an excellent start to a new series. The action was turned way up to 11 and the story setting is familiar yet just different enough as to be interesting. I couldn’t put it down once I started and I am eagerly awaiting the next installment.
December 30, 2021
Well written book with a captivating story. Gets a lot of the military right. They do make some small mistakes, but easily overlooked. Except for one.
So, the main character is a "linguist" which the Army doesn't have as an MOS. Most of what he does, and most of what everyone considereds his job, is already performed by Human Intelligence Collectors. The authors could have made him an Analyst, cause there is bit of overlap with HUMINT, but HUMINT would have been a perfect fit for the character.
I tried to join the Army as a linguist, but there is no "linguist" MOS. I went HUMINT, because it required going to DLI to learn a language and it seemed more fun than analyst. I ended up at an SF group, and a few buddies went to the regiment after DLI. So, there are slots are in the Ranger TOE for HUMINT.
Linguist also do very poorly at DLI. According to the professors, they get caught up in the details on how the language developed and don't learn the language at the pace set by the schoolhouse.
So, the main character is a "linguist" which the Army doesn't have as an MOS. Most of what he does, and most of what everyone considereds his job, is already performed by Human Intelligence Collectors. The authors could have made him an Analyst, cause there is bit of overlap with HUMINT, but HUMINT would have been a perfect fit for the character.
I tried to join the Army as a linguist, but there is no "linguist" MOS. I went HUMINT, because it required going to DLI to learn a language and it seemed more fun than analyst. I ended up at an SF group, and a few buddies went to the regiment after DLI. So, there are slots are in the Ranger TOE for HUMINT.
Linguist also do very poorly at DLI. According to the professors, they get caught up in the details on how the language developed and don't learn the language at the pace set by the schoolhouse.
October 14, 2024
Dungeons & Dragons and Lord of the Rings meets Call of Duty and Galaxy's Edge.
This brilliant collision of fantasy and sci fi is told from the perspective of Private First Class Talker, a linguist who signed up to the US military without realising just how crazy his mission was going to get. When a time jump to avoid a world disaster goes incredibly awry a platoon of Rangers is thrown thousands of years into the future where a war is being waged between magical forces of good and evil. Pinned down on an island and under relentless attack, the Rangers must pick a side or perish. Guns, grenades, rocket launchers, bows, swords, and a very nifty wizard staff. Humans, elves, vampires, witches, orcs, giants, and dragons. This was a very enjoyable, wild ride.
This would have been an easy 5 stars for me except the combat was way too long winded and the characters weren't as deep as I would have liked. Hoping as the story rolls on in the following books there'll be more backstory and emotion, however, if you are wanting a magic packed, bullet and blade type read, this is for you!
This brilliant collision of fantasy and sci fi is told from the perspective of Private First Class Talker, a linguist who signed up to the US military without realising just how crazy his mission was going to get. When a time jump to avoid a world disaster goes incredibly awry a platoon of Rangers is thrown thousands of years into the future where a war is being waged between magical forces of good and evil. Pinned down on an island and under relentless attack, the Rangers must pick a side or perish. Guns, grenades, rocket launchers, bows, swords, and a very nifty wizard staff. Humans, elves, vampires, witches, orcs, giants, and dragons. This was a very enjoyable, wild ride.
This would have been an easy 5 stars for me except the combat was way too long winded and the characters weren't as deep as I would have liked. Hoping as the story rolls on in the following books there'll be more backstory and emotion, however, if you are wanting a magic packed, bullet and blade type read, this is for you!
May 29, 2021
Book entirely too long and too verbose.
The concept of the book is great, rangers transported to another place and time to fight me evil monsters. The execution not so much. First of all the main protagonist talker a linguist, A dry subject for most people. Not a very interesting character. And the author name this character aptly, too much description, too much verbosity, not enough action. This book is over 400 pages long and at least 100 of them could’ve been cut down with less description. And the main characters addiction with coffee was just plain silly. I know there had to be world building to develop the story but in my opinion it was over done. Are usually like what these authors right, so I may give the next book a chance. Take my suggestions and opinions and read it for yourself.
The concept of the book is great, rangers transported to another place and time to fight me evil monsters. The execution not so much. First of all the main protagonist talker a linguist, A dry subject for most people. Not a very interesting character. And the author name this character aptly, too much description, too much verbosity, not enough action. This book is over 400 pages long and at least 100 of them could’ve been cut down with less description. And the main characters addiction with coffee was just plain silly. I know there had to be world building to develop the story but in my opinion it was over done. Are usually like what these authors right, so I may give the next book a chance. Take my suggestions and opinions and read it for yourself.
October 22, 2025
I really don't think anyone read this book. Based on the reviews that I've read that were overwhelmingly positive, I just don't see giving this book above two stars as something that is justified.
First, let's talk about what I liked. This book interested me. I love fantasy. I love military sci-fi. This is a genre bender that I have never personally seen, and the concept really intrigued me. Having U.S. military Rangers dive headfirst into an all-out fantasy war was the hook, line, and sinker. As I progressed throughout the entire story, this rule of cool never escaped. I found it fascinating to read how these soldiers were dealing with a total SNAFU situation. They adapted and moved forward. The action is really well written. I loved reading about these guys completely laying waste to orcs, trolls, and evil wizards. Some of the final moments felt anticlimactic, but a lot of the fighting read really well. It is a pulp novel. It reads like it. The pacing moves like a freight train. (Until it doesn't) This has positive and negative outcomes. However, with a book about Army Rangers teleporting 10,000 years into the future this is what I wanted and expected. Three characters were interesting to me. Thor, the sniper had cool aura around him but was never fully developed. Perhaps in further entries. Autumn, the elf, was an interesting character. She basically was the vessel to helping the reader and main character in understanding this crazy world. Then lastly, our main character, Talker. He had likable traits about him. But I also have A LOT to say about him that I don't like. Let's just say as our main protagonist he is written well enough to come off as likeable.
Now with that out of the way, let's talk about my complaints. Because there are many!
This book is written in such a way that it feels like a documentary. Talker is the guy being interviewed, and he's telling us about the events of the story. However, it reads like an unedited documentary. Talker will be describing something absolutely epic, and will suddenly stop and tell you about something that has some sort of relevance or has no alignment at all to what he was previously saying. It's like you are talking with your ADHD friend, and they are telling you a story, but keep forgetting to tell you (what they think) is important information that is scattered throughout the story. I call these "Talker's asides." And there are a LOT OF THEM. The book will be chugging along at a good pace, and suddenly Talker will just put a wall in front of you and talk about his stupid love for coffee. This happens for the entirety of the book. It became so annoying that I would often skim read to see if it was actually important info, then finding out it wasn't, would literally thumb through pages until we got back to the real story. Talker admits within the book that he is not a good writer. And yes, it is true, he is not a good writer. And dare I say, based on this book, I think Jason Anspach fits the same category. I get where he was trying to go with this. I get he was trying to give Talker his own voice; he is also recording all of these events down, but it was absolutely horrific to get through. There are a lot of plot issues with this book that I glance over, but the fact that Talker is a linguist and can't write a cohesive narrative of events absolutely astounds me. I'm curious to know the editing process that Anspach went to get this published. Surely he must have received feedback on this writing choice. It didn't stick the landing and ruined what I thought was an interesting story.
In my point of view, I also had a problem with the book wearing its inspirations a bit too heavily. Yes, I get that some, if not most, of these men had seen The Lord Of The Rings at some point. But my goodness the Tolkien and Dungeons and Dragons references were absolutely insane in this book. Kennedy, a soldier who actually plays D&D, names the foes they fight. At first, it's a joke, but when his observations start becoming literal foretold realities, that killed a lot of the wow factor for me. Talker also discovers that the elves actually speak Tolkien's languages in this world. Again, I know that this is a fictional story, but what in the actual crap is that all about? Do you know how many people need to speak a language in order for it to live on in a world where you have mutated humans and orcs jumping around 10,000 years after Earth was destroyed? That also killed the wow factor for me. There are tons of instances like this where we take pop culture fantasy references and shove them into this book. I get that these normal guys have to have something to compare this world to, but where it becomes what they think into actual realities where they are literally in the world of Dungeons and Dragons it doesn't give the book much of its own identity.
I leave this book with an overwhelming amount of frustration. The only reason I'm giving it two stars is that there were moments that I actually liked the story and enjoyed it. The way it's written along with its overabundance of literal fantasy culture connections, slogged this one down for me. It's an awesome idea, and I think in better hands, it could've been a better story. I hope that other writers step up to the plate to try their hand at fantasy and military sci-fi. I don't really foresee myself diving into these books' follow-ups, as between the good scenes I read would have to go through torturous amounts of "Talker's Asides" and I'm not going to put myself through that again. My advice is don't read this. Find an author who can competently navigate through a narrative and give you a story that is worthy of your time.
First, let's talk about what I liked. This book interested me. I love fantasy. I love military sci-fi. This is a genre bender that I have never personally seen, and the concept really intrigued me. Having U.S. military Rangers dive headfirst into an all-out fantasy war was the hook, line, and sinker. As I progressed throughout the entire story, this rule of cool never escaped. I found it fascinating to read how these soldiers were dealing with a total SNAFU situation. They adapted and moved forward. The action is really well written. I loved reading about these guys completely laying waste to orcs, trolls, and evil wizards. Some of the final moments felt anticlimactic, but a lot of the fighting read really well. It is a pulp novel. It reads like it. The pacing moves like a freight train. (Until it doesn't) This has positive and negative outcomes. However, with a book about Army Rangers teleporting 10,000 years into the future this is what I wanted and expected. Three characters were interesting to me. Thor, the sniper had cool aura around him but was never fully developed. Perhaps in further entries. Autumn, the elf, was an interesting character. She basically was the vessel to helping the reader and main character in understanding this crazy world. Then lastly, our main character, Talker. He had likable traits about him. But I also have A LOT to say about him that I don't like. Let's just say as our main protagonist he is written well enough to come off as likeable.
Now with that out of the way, let's talk about my complaints. Because there are many!
This book is written in such a way that it feels like a documentary. Talker is the guy being interviewed, and he's telling us about the events of the story. However, it reads like an unedited documentary. Talker will be describing something absolutely epic, and will suddenly stop and tell you about something that has some sort of relevance or has no alignment at all to what he was previously saying. It's like you are talking with your ADHD friend, and they are telling you a story, but keep forgetting to tell you (what they think) is important information that is scattered throughout the story. I call these "Talker's asides." And there are a LOT OF THEM. The book will be chugging along at a good pace, and suddenly Talker will just put a wall in front of you and talk about his stupid love for coffee. This happens for the entirety of the book. It became so annoying that I would often skim read to see if it was actually important info, then finding out it wasn't, would literally thumb through pages until we got back to the real story. Talker admits within the book that he is not a good writer. And yes, it is true, he is not a good writer. And dare I say, based on this book, I think Jason Anspach fits the same category. I get where he was trying to go with this. I get he was trying to give Talker his own voice; he is also recording all of these events down, but it was absolutely horrific to get through. There are a lot of plot issues with this book that I glance over, but the fact that Talker is a linguist and can't write a cohesive narrative of events absolutely astounds me. I'm curious to know the editing process that Anspach went to get this published. Surely he must have received feedback on this writing choice. It didn't stick the landing and ruined what I thought was an interesting story.
In my point of view, I also had a problem with the book wearing its inspirations a bit too heavily. Yes, I get that some, if not most, of these men had seen The Lord Of The Rings at some point. But my goodness the Tolkien and Dungeons and Dragons references were absolutely insane in this book. Kennedy, a soldier who actually plays D&D, names the foes they fight. At first, it's a joke, but when his observations start becoming literal foretold realities, that killed a lot of the wow factor for me. Talker also discovers that the elves actually speak Tolkien's languages in this world. Again, I know that this is a fictional story, but what in the actual crap is that all about? Do you know how many people need to speak a language in order for it to live on in a world where you have mutated humans and orcs jumping around 10,000 years after Earth was destroyed? That also killed the wow factor for me. There are tons of instances like this where we take pop culture fantasy references and shove them into this book. I get that these normal guys have to have something to compare this world to, but where it becomes what they think into actual realities where they are literally in the world of Dungeons and Dragons it doesn't give the book much of its own identity.
I leave this book with an overwhelming amount of frustration. The only reason I'm giving it two stars is that there were moments that I actually liked the story and enjoyed it. The way it's written along with its overabundance of literal fantasy culture connections, slogged this one down for me. It's an awesome idea, and I think in better hands, it could've been a better story. I hope that other writers step up to the plate to try their hand at fantasy and military sci-fi. I don't really foresee myself diving into these books' follow-ups, as between the good scenes I read would have to go through torturous amounts of "Talker's Asides" and I'm not going to put myself through that again. My advice is don't read this. Find an author who can competently navigate through a narrative and give you a story that is worthy of your time.
May 19, 2021
Book one
Mistakes: This was very well written with no mistakes found by me.
Plot: This is a book about time travel, no it's a book about the end of the world, no it's a book about monsters. It's all that and more. What this book is really about is heroes. Those hard men that run towards the sound of gunfire. Who give their lives freely for their brothers and will spill a river of blood to give others a chance to live free. This is a book about heroes.
Characters: The characters in this book come alive. It feels like Talker is sitting next to you with a cold beer telling you this story.
10/10
Mistakes: This was very well written with no mistakes found by me.
Plot: This is a book about time travel, no it's a book about the end of the world, no it's a book about monsters. It's all that and more. What this book is really about is heroes. Those hard men that run towards the sound of gunfire. Who give their lives freely for their brothers and will spill a river of blood to give others a chance to live free. This is a book about heroes.
Characters: The characters in this book come alive. It feels like Talker is sitting next to you with a cold beer telling you this story.
10/10
March 18, 2021
Wow, just wow! This book was amazing, I'm hooked on my next audio addiction! The narrator, Christopher Ryan Grant, was THE voice for Talker. He was the perfect fit for the main character. Seriously, load this into a needle and shove that audio crack straight into my earholes! I'll be hosting a book review panel on my podcast and get that added here as soon as it goes live. But man, 10 Stars! Highly recommend!
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