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Artillerymen #1
Purgatory's Shore
On their way to fight in the Mexican-American War, a group of American soldiers are swept away to a strange and deadly alternate Earth in this thrilling new adventure set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Destroyermen series.
The United States, 1847. A disparate group of young American soldiers are bound to join General Winfield Scott's campaign against Santa Anna at Veracruz during the Mexican-American War. They never arrive.
Or rather . . . they arrive somewhere else.
The untried, idealistic soldiers are mostly replacements, really; a handful of infantry, artillery, dragoons, and a few mounted riflemen with no unified command. And they've been shipwrecked on a terrible, different Earth full of monsters and unimaginable enemies.
Major Lewis Cayce, late of the 3rd US "Flying" Artillery, must unite these men to face their fears and myriad threats, armed with little more than flintlock muskets, a few pieces of artillery, and a worldview that spiritually and culturally rebels against virtually everything they encounter. It will take extraordinary leadership and a cadre of equally extraordinary men and women to mold frightened troops into an effective force, make friends with other peoples the evil Holy Dominion would eradicate, and reshape their "manifest destiny" into a cause they can all believe in and fight for.
For only together will they have any hope of survival.
The United States, 1847. A disparate group of young American soldiers are bound to join General Winfield Scott's campaign against Santa Anna at Veracruz during the Mexican-American War. They never arrive.
Or rather . . . they arrive somewhere else.
The untried, idealistic soldiers are mostly replacements, really; a handful of infantry, artillery, dragoons, and a few mounted riflemen with no unified command. And they've been shipwrecked on a terrible, different Earth full of monsters and unimaginable enemies.
Major Lewis Cayce, late of the 3rd US "Flying" Artillery, must unite these men to face their fears and myriad threats, armed with little more than flintlock muskets, a few pieces of artillery, and a worldview that spiritually and culturally rebels against virtually everything they encounter. It will take extraordinary leadership and a cadre of equally extraordinary men and women to mold frightened troops into an effective force, make friends with other peoples the evil Holy Dominion would eradicate, and reshape their "manifest destiny" into a cause they can all believe in and fight for.
For only together will they have any hope of survival.
496 pages, Hardcover
First published September 21, 2021
169 people are currently reading
1009 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
December 3, 2023
If you liked Anderson's Destroyer men series, you will probably like this as well. Artillery rather than destroyers but many similarities. If you finished the Destroyermen series and want more, this is a good choice. This related tale goes back in time to tell the story of how the 1847 Americans arrived and established themselves in this strange hostile world. Not at all necessary for comprehension to first read the destroyer men books. Available via Kindle Unlimited.
September 24, 2021
A bit of station identification at first: I am a veteran of three passes through all 15 volumes of “The Destroyermen.” Never in my life have I read any series that many times, but on every pass, I picked up new details, nuances, and sensorially satisfying bits of what I call, for want of a better term, “texture.” In addition to such in-depth familiarity with Anderson’s style, I was a Confederate infantry reenactor for 30 years, and participated in what were at the time the largest battle reenactments ever held in the Western Hemisphere. I’ve trained hundreds of men and women in the tactics of the day and the Customs of Service, as well as the culture and customs of the mid-19th Century America.
Abstract of the plot: four ships carrying American volunteers and Regulars to Vera Cruz, Mexico, in 1847 – reinforcements for Winfield Scott’s Mexico City Campaign – are caught in some malevolent, other-worldly squall (familiar to D-Men fans) and dropped on the Yucatan Peninsula. (That event is so much more vividly and emotionally described that even diehard D-men fans will be left tensed up.) Because this is “Alternative History,” it is not the Yucatan of 1847 Earth. Our heroes must adapt to a hysterically, terrifyingly different reality, and if that weren’t enough, they find themselves dropped into the middle of war. At one level, this seems like a rehash of Anderson’s epic tale of a misplaced WWII tin can, but, though some of the circumstances are similar, Anderson’s plot takes twists and turns, and throws new details at us like a spread of canister. He has done an amazing job of doing what he does so bloody well, but n a totally new framework.
Taylor Anderson is a Master, with a capital M, of the genre. In “Purgatory’s Shore,” a plot of astonishing dimensions and creativity are the bones. The richness, complexity, and consistency of his characters are the muscle and sinew that give that skeleton motion and strength. That naked body is covered in skin and garments of details so exquisitely detailed, so perfectly consistent throughout the book, that the sensitive reader’s every sense is engaged in the story. The sounds, smells, textures, and flavors of 19th Century life are laid before us like silk shirts in a display case in a fine department store.
His characters are absolutely captivating, and though some will say they are trite and have been “done to death,” do we not all know people – real, live people – who may be described in those terms? There have been many stories, in fact and fiction, of soldiers throwing themselves on grenades. Does that make such heroism trite? If an author, perhaps even Taylor Anderson, takes us into battle in such a way that we can smell, feel, hear, and taste the noise, smoke, powder fouling, recoil, the screams of the wounded, the indescribable sound of a bullet hitting meat, the fear, voided bowels, and the concussion of artillery that slaps our clothes against our bodies and shivers the guts in our bellies, is not a soldier’s sacrifice perfectly consistent with the horrid cyclone of battle? You wake up every morning with tangled hair and nasty breath; would you call those things trite? Pfftt.
I have probably breathed more powder smoke, and executed more Napoleonic (or linear) infantry tactics than 99% of those who might read this, and I can tell you without reservation that Taylor Anderson’s prose will put you in the ranks of a rifle company or behind the wheels of a 6-pounder gun with greater accuracy and intensity than any video game in the world.
Back to his characters, which, dinosaurs notwithstanding, are the heart of the story: A page and half into a soliloquy on moral philosophy, leadership, tactics, civil rights, love, or firearms technology, you might think, “Come on, Taylor! Get on with it!” I say to you, stand by, because you will very soon see how those thoughts play themselves out in life. The main character, Captain Lewis Cayce, for example, ponders the universality and morality of slavery – a subject that dominated American thought and society in 1847, and, sure enough, one that becomes an essential thread in the plot.
More than that, Anderson gives us characters that are so true-to-life, so consistent, so achingly human that we cannot help but identify with them. There are heroes to cheer, but flawed, that we might feel the anguish of their uncertainty or the guilt at their missteps. There are everyday people who are dealing with questions and problems they could never have even comprehended, and, if such were our lot, wouldn’t such things dominate our thoughts? There are villains so vile and so consistently believable, we will find our jaws clenching and, in my case, my gun hand twitching toward my belt. Oh, I hate some of them!
For the reader who would take a dip into the waters of 19th Century American culture and politics – and isn’t afraid to examine many of those issues in the context of someone who was there – or who would love to understand more about muzzle loading combat, especially field artillery, give “Purgatory’s Shore” a try. It’s one hell of a ripping tale, told with a master’s touch. And if you get on the ball, you can pound through most of “The Destroyermen” before the next volume in this epic comes out!
Abstract of the plot: four ships carrying American volunteers and Regulars to Vera Cruz, Mexico, in 1847 – reinforcements for Winfield Scott’s Mexico City Campaign – are caught in some malevolent, other-worldly squall (familiar to D-Men fans) and dropped on the Yucatan Peninsula. (That event is so much more vividly and emotionally described that even diehard D-men fans will be left tensed up.) Because this is “Alternative History,” it is not the Yucatan of 1847 Earth. Our heroes must adapt to a hysterically, terrifyingly different reality, and if that weren’t enough, they find themselves dropped into the middle of war. At one level, this seems like a rehash of Anderson’s epic tale of a misplaced WWII tin can, but, though some of the circumstances are similar, Anderson’s plot takes twists and turns, and throws new details at us like a spread of canister. He has done an amazing job of doing what he does so bloody well, but n a totally new framework.
Taylor Anderson is a Master, with a capital M, of the genre. In “Purgatory’s Shore,” a plot of astonishing dimensions and creativity are the bones. The richness, complexity, and consistency of his characters are the muscle and sinew that give that skeleton motion and strength. That naked body is covered in skin and garments of details so exquisitely detailed, so perfectly consistent throughout the book, that the sensitive reader’s every sense is engaged in the story. The sounds, smells, textures, and flavors of 19th Century life are laid before us like silk shirts in a display case in a fine department store.
His characters are absolutely captivating, and though some will say they are trite and have been “done to death,” do we not all know people – real, live people – who may be described in those terms? There have been many stories, in fact and fiction, of soldiers throwing themselves on grenades. Does that make such heroism trite? If an author, perhaps even Taylor Anderson, takes us into battle in such a way that we can smell, feel, hear, and taste the noise, smoke, powder fouling, recoil, the screams of the wounded, the indescribable sound of a bullet hitting meat, the fear, voided bowels, and the concussion of artillery that slaps our clothes against our bodies and shivers the guts in our bellies, is not a soldier’s sacrifice perfectly consistent with the horrid cyclone of battle? You wake up every morning with tangled hair and nasty breath; would you call those things trite? Pfftt.
I have probably breathed more powder smoke, and executed more Napoleonic (or linear) infantry tactics than 99% of those who might read this, and I can tell you without reservation that Taylor Anderson’s prose will put you in the ranks of a rifle company or behind the wheels of a 6-pounder gun with greater accuracy and intensity than any video game in the world.
Back to his characters, which, dinosaurs notwithstanding, are the heart of the story: A page and half into a soliloquy on moral philosophy, leadership, tactics, civil rights, love, or firearms technology, you might think, “Come on, Taylor! Get on with it!” I say to you, stand by, because you will very soon see how those thoughts play themselves out in life. The main character, Captain Lewis Cayce, for example, ponders the universality and morality of slavery – a subject that dominated American thought and society in 1847, and, sure enough, one that becomes an essential thread in the plot.
More than that, Anderson gives us characters that are so true-to-life, so consistent, so achingly human that we cannot help but identify with them. There are heroes to cheer, but flawed, that we might feel the anguish of their uncertainty or the guilt at their missteps. There are everyday people who are dealing with questions and problems they could never have even comprehended, and, if such were our lot, wouldn’t such things dominate our thoughts? There are villains so vile and so consistently believable, we will find our jaws clenching and, in my case, my gun hand twitching toward my belt. Oh, I hate some of them!
For the reader who would take a dip into the waters of 19th Century American culture and politics – and isn’t afraid to examine many of those issues in the context of someone who was there – or who would love to understand more about muzzle loading combat, especially field artillery, give “Purgatory’s Shore” a try. It’s one hell of a ripping tale, told with a master’s touch. And if you get on the ball, you can pound through most of “The Destroyermen” before the next volume in this epic comes out!
September 23, 2021
Halfway point. Chapter 20
Sorry to say I have so far found the amount of contrived stupidity to be way too much.
The cavalcade of minor military errors so far spread throughout the story, borders on parody from my point of view.
Maybe the errors are there to demonstrate how the US militaries institutional memory at the time period, was exceedingly lacking due to its comparative infancy, but damn I found it annoying because just even common sense should have precluded many of the f-ups from occurring.
Also not enthused by how nearly all the characters made me feel like a genius in every comparable way possible.
As a reader, I really do not enjoy constantly feeling prescient, and being subjected to repeated obvious train wrecks in the making due to everything from active stupid to ignorant non action.
*will edit when done listening to this book.
Okay, so I got done listening to this book about an hour+ ago, and honestly it did not leave me particularly enthused. That said the latter half of the story/book, excepting the ending, is an improvement compared to the first.
As to the ending,.. it just does not truly make tactical nor strategic sense, and reads like an excuse as I see it. Hemming and hawing nonsense blatantly contrived to further a future storyline, which I am sure will be spun in such a way as to further annoy me whether the author decides to spin victory or tragedy as a result, or even worse make out as if the decision has no really tangible impact at all.
It just broke emersion for me and annoyed me no end. Now I acknowledge that I may place among a slightly more cold and bloody minded lot than that which most people will or are able to admit to, but war though is war, and what the Main Character (head military officer in this case) decides/orders in the end, borders on straight up treason to my mind. The author liberally lathers on excuses in an attempt to spin it so as to make it seem like a valid decision, but that only annoyed me further.
I do not recall having ever been so disappointed by any of the prior books written by Taylor Anderson in this setting. In fact I do not think I have ever thought they deserved less then a 4/5 rating. Maybe getting older has made me more cranky and intolerant, I can't truly say, nor am I inclined to indulge in whatever amount of navel gazing I'd require to answer said pondering.
Sorry to say I have so far found the amount of contrived stupidity to be way too much.
The cavalcade of minor military errors so far spread throughout the story, borders on parody from my point of view.
Maybe the errors are there to demonstrate how the US militaries institutional memory at the time period, was exceedingly lacking due to its comparative infancy, but damn I found it annoying because just even common sense should have precluded many of the f-ups from occurring.
Also not enthused by how nearly all the characters made me feel like a genius in every comparable way possible.
As a reader, I really do not enjoy constantly feeling prescient, and being subjected to repeated obvious train wrecks in the making due to everything from active stupid to ignorant non action.
*will edit when done listening to this book.
Okay, so I got done listening to this book about an hour+ ago, and honestly it did not leave me particularly enthused. That said the latter half of the story/book, excepting the ending, is an improvement compared to the first.
As to the ending,.. it just does not truly make tactical nor strategic sense, and reads like an excuse as I see it. Hemming and hawing nonsense blatantly contrived to further a future storyline, which I am sure will be spun in such a way as to further annoy me whether the author decides to spin victory or tragedy as a result, or even worse make out as if the decision has no really tangible impact at all.
It just broke emersion for me and annoyed me no end. Now I acknowledge that I may place among a slightly more cold and bloody minded lot than that which most people will or are able to admit to, but war though is war, and what the Main Character (head military officer in this case) decides/orders in the end, borders on straight up treason to my mind. The author liberally lathers on excuses in an attempt to spin it so as to make it seem like a valid decision, but that only annoyed me further.
I do not recall having ever been so disappointed by any of the prior books written by Taylor Anderson in this setting. In fact I do not think I have ever thought they deserved less then a 4/5 rating. Maybe getting older has made me more cranky and intolerant, I can't truly say, nor am I inclined to indulge in whatever amount of navel gazing I'd require to answer said pondering.
January 13, 2022
I have read and enjoyed the Destroyermen series and this begins Anderson's latest foray into the same world. A group of American soldiers in 1843 are headed to Mexico via 4 ships to face Santa Ana.
Captain Cayce and his men will face prehistoric creatures and a group of religious fanatics so vile they make the Spanish Inquisition look like the Girl Scouts
Captain Cayce and his men will face prehistoric creatures and a group of religious fanatics so vile they make the Spanish Inquisition look like the Girl Scouts
October 2, 2021
I am a big fan of the Destroyermen series but this new book left me disappointed. It looks to me that the author was pushed to do everything very fast and in the place of two books we got one. There was hardly any world building, characters were weak and not very interesting. I think everything apart from a few battles was just simple, maybe too simple. In my opinion the author can do much better than he did this time.
December 25, 2025
This is a really good book. Apparently there is a whole genre of books about soldiers getting lost and appearing in fantasy lands and they go hard.
The main character is interesting, he doesn’t like slavery but loves his country, so he is sent to another world that has slavery but not his country. He now has to save his thousand man army. He has a love interest, a woman who is a warrior - and unfortunately has a traumatic past, something which is kind of a trope and feels completely unneeded in the story. I didn’t like their love story. He is like ten years older than her and she feels like a teenager. I kept wanting him to find a woman his own age.
That said the other characters in this book, teenage soldier #1, #2 and #3 are all real entertaining. I always enjoyed reading about them.
I think the book could make the dinosaur types the soldiers fight more clear. The way the author describes a raptor, for example, is very different from how I imagine them.
The main character is interesting, he doesn’t like slavery but loves his country, so he is sent to another world that has slavery but not his country. He now has to save his thousand man army. He has a love interest, a woman who is a warrior - and unfortunately has a traumatic past, something which is kind of a trope and feels completely unneeded in the story. I didn’t like their love story. He is like ten years older than her and she feels like a teenager. I kept wanting him to find a woman his own age.
That said the other characters in this book, teenage soldier #1, #2 and #3 are all real entertaining. I always enjoyed reading about them.
I think the book could make the dinosaur types the soldiers fight more clear. The way the author describes a raptor, for example, is very different from how I imagine them.
January 28, 2023
Taylor Anderson delivers another excellent alt-history, parallel worlds tale in the same world as his prior series, Destroyermen. But this time...with cannons! This is the first book in the series.
Just a really fun, yet hyper detailed romp into the land of what if, complete with lost tribes, dinosaurs, talking cat people and so much more. Not too much on in depth characterization, the entire premise is plot-based to a degree. But Taylor writes with such authenticity, it is hard not to buy into the entire premise. Good, fast and fun read.
Just a really fun, yet hyper detailed romp into the land of what if, complete with lost tribes, dinosaurs, talking cat people and so much more. Not too much on in depth characterization, the entire premise is plot-based to a degree. But Taylor writes with such authenticity, it is hard not to buy into the entire premise. Good, fast and fun read.
September 9, 2021
A great new series by Taylor Anderson. This series will parallel his series The Destroyermen. The story is full of action and will not let you put it down. This is a must read if you enjoyed his other series.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
November 13, 2021
I received a copy via Amazon and Goodreads for winning a contest. I received a different copy via Netgalley in return for my thoughts. My views are my own.
The book is good. As a long time fan of Taylor Anderson, I've enjoyed the concept of his world and the characters. I struggled to get into this book and finish it, I think, because it isn't the writing that I fell in love with, having enjoyed several books in his Destroyermen series. Artillerymen is set in a different time period, with different tech and style, and I just don't think it suited me.
Having said that, the writing, character-development, plot, and theme all work well and Taylor's signature style ring true. Fans of the 1850s American history, the Mexican-American War, and musket shooting will enjoy this book far more than I did.
So, while I didn't love it, Taylor's style, plot, characters, and worldbuilding are more than enough for a 4-star review. Well done.
The book is good. As a long time fan of Taylor Anderson, I've enjoyed the concept of his world and the characters. I struggled to get into this book and finish it, I think, because it isn't the writing that I fell in love with, having enjoyed several books in his Destroyermen series. Artillerymen is set in a different time period, with different tech and style, and I just don't think it suited me.
Having said that, the writing, character-development, plot, and theme all work well and Taylor's signature style ring true. Fans of the 1850s American history, the Mexican-American War, and musket shooting will enjoy this book far more than I did.
So, while I didn't love it, Taylor's style, plot, characters, and worldbuilding are more than enough for a 4-star review. Well done.
December 16, 2022
Some of the best alternative history books out there. Taylor Anderson has written numerous books in his Destroyermen series, that are freat reads. Now comes the first in a new series: Artillerymen. Off to a great start with this one.
October 26, 2022
Nice to be back in the Destroyerman universe, but not quite as good as the original cast.
October 19, 2021
After the brilliant conclusion of the Destroyermen books last year, the big question was "What will Taylor Anderson do next?" and the answer is, well... it's a bit of a mixed bag. Purgatory's Shore is the first in a new series set in the same multiverse as the Destroyermen books and following the "Other Americans" and their arrival in this world during the Mexican-American War and their initial encounters with the vile "Holy Dominion" (a major antagonist in the later Destroyermen books) and other locals. On the plus side, Taylor Anderson is a fun author. His writing is not only entertaining and imaginative but he pays attention to the historical details and to the intricacies of military operations, and he writes likeable entertaining characters. His strengths are (mostly) on display here, and it doesn't take long to build an attachment to his new cast of characters and their struggle. Likewise, Anderson nicely encapsulates the unique structure of the U.S. Army at the time of the Mexican-American War and state of military technology and tactics of the time. On the other hand, there's a MASSIVE feeling of "been there, done that". The thing is, anyone who's read the Destroyermen books knows ALL about the Dominion: we know their vile twisted theology; we know the broad strokes of their history; we even know about their initial contact with the "Other Americans"; we know about the Mi-Anaaka, the Republic, and the Grik. We know how it's all going to turn out, and this means that the potential for actual surprises is restricted to WHAT ELSE the other Americans encounter, and unfortunately, in this book they don't really encounter anything new (in terms of other human or non-human civilizations), which is disappointing because in the Destroyermen books, characters from the New United States occasionally reference that they've met other stranger folks. S0 what we're left with is expanding on events whose results we already know and retreading ground we've already gone over. There's a second, perhaps more insidious, issue in that while the Destroyermen books always had a great deal of commonality conceptually with Forstchen's Lost Regiment series, that similarity becomes far FAR more glaring here as the scenario is (apart from the fact that it is set during the Mexican-American War rather than the Civil War) almost exactly the same: regiment-size American Army unit arrives on an alien shore and is forced to protect locals against a far more powerful foe. Now, I don't want to act like this is a shameless ripoff or anything, it's the broad strokes of the stories that are similar, but it only reinforces the "been there, done that" feeling. Let me put it this way, on average, I think I finished most of the Destroyermen books in about 3 days, maybe a week max if I was savoring the experience. It took me the better part of 4 weeks to read this book, and size-wise it was about the same length as its predecessors. Without the tension of being unsure where the story would go next, there just wasn't the desperate need to read that I felt with its predecessors and the result was that while I enjoyed it, I didn't devour it, and that's a bit of a shame. I do like the idea of more books set in the Destroyermen multiverse, but I just want there to be more ambiguity of whether our heroes will succeed or fail and more opportunity for Anderson to give full rein to his imagination. There's still plenty of opportunity for that in this series (particularly if it starts moving into central and eastern North America (not to mention Europe, pre-League), which are areas about whose inhabitants in the Destroyermen books, we know next to nothing). All in all, Purgatory's Shore is a "good enough" beginning for this new series, but it feels like its missing the plot hooks and mysteries that made the Destroyermen books so tantalizing.
June 9, 2022
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 2.0 of 5
It is 1847 and a group of American soldiers are on their way to fight in the Mexican-American War. They are meant to join General Scott's troupes at Veracruz, but something happens along the way and they never arrive to join up with General Scott's campaign.
These wayward soldiers are a mixed group of dragoons and infantry and even mounted riflemen. They are not meant to be a solo fighting unit, but are in need of a strong commander to keep them focused and engaged in battle. Now, dropped into a wholly unexpected and unreal alternate timeline, Major Lewis Cayce is in charge of this ragtag unit and must find a way to bring them together. This may not be the Mexican-American War they were expecting, but there's still a war on and the only way this unit will survive is to work together. Can they do this when faced with dinosaurs on one side and religious fanatics on the other?
I am not the target audience for this book.
Typically I would say that I don't care for 'alternate history' books nor for sci-fi military fiction, but in recent months I've read books that would fall into both of those categories and I have enjoyed those books. So I thought it was time for me to open up my reading horizons and explore some more. This book, the first in a planned series, seemed like a really great place to start.
Unfortunately this just brought me right back to where I usually fall when it comes to the subject of Military SciFi Alternative History books ... meh.
There seemed to be a lot of detail about the military aspects, which military historians probably really get into, but for me, it was just slowed the pace down a lot. I felt the author was showing how much he knew, rather than getting the reader into the action.
The contrivance ... 1800's soldiers with dinosaurs ... was way out of my willing suspension of belief.
I'm back to thinking I don't care for military scifi or alternative history scifi.
Looking for a good book? If you like military scifi and alternative history scifi, then Taylor Anderson's Purgatory's Shore is probably right for you. If, like me, you don't usually care for these types of books, this likely won't change your mind.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
It is 1847 and a group of American soldiers are on their way to fight in the Mexican-American War. They are meant to join General Scott's troupes at Veracruz, but something happens along the way and they never arrive to join up with General Scott's campaign.
These wayward soldiers are a mixed group of dragoons and infantry and even mounted riflemen. They are not meant to be a solo fighting unit, but are in need of a strong commander to keep them focused and engaged in battle. Now, dropped into a wholly unexpected and unreal alternate timeline, Major Lewis Cayce is in charge of this ragtag unit and must find a way to bring them together. This may not be the Mexican-American War they were expecting, but there's still a war on and the only way this unit will survive is to work together. Can they do this when faced with dinosaurs on one side and religious fanatics on the other?
I am not the target audience for this book.
Typically I would say that I don't care for 'alternate history' books nor for sci-fi military fiction, but in recent months I've read books that would fall into both of those categories and I have enjoyed those books. So I thought it was time for me to open up my reading horizons and explore some more. This book, the first in a planned series, seemed like a really great place to start.
Unfortunately this just brought me right back to where I usually fall when it comes to the subject of Military SciFi Alternative History books ... meh.
There seemed to be a lot of detail about the military aspects, which military historians probably really get into, but for me, it was just slowed the pace down a lot. I felt the author was showing how much he knew, rather than getting the reader into the action.
The contrivance ... 1800's soldiers with dinosaurs ... was way out of my willing suspension of belief.
I'm back to thinking I don't care for military scifi or alternative history scifi.
Looking for a good book? If you like military scifi and alternative history scifi, then Taylor Anderson's Purgatory's Shore is probably right for you. If, like me, you don't usually care for these types of books, this likely won't change your mind.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
August 22, 2023
I went in to this book blind, having seen the cover and thinking "okay, colonial army versus dinosaurs...let's go." However, that's not really what happens here.
The gist of the book is a fleet of colonial American ships on their way to fight the Mexican army ends up being transported to an alternate Earth. There they encounter strange creatures (presumably dinosaurs) and a race of lemur-like humans. Once there, they get sucked in to a larger war for survival as their new allies face being eliminated by a massive and fanatical religious army.
While Anderson does a fantastic job building this world and goes to great effort to convey his love and knowledge of historical war strategy...the book ultimately doesn't do much with any of it. After an initial battle with a smaller army of lizard men (I think) the Americans are immediately welcomed in to the local city with open arms. But it doesn't stop there. What could have made for interesting drama as the two peoples struggle to navigate their new alliance while keeping their identity is shelved. The major leading the American army is given full control of the newly unified military, their tactics are quickly proven to be superior, and most glaringly...the people of this city after decades of refusing execution as punishment allow the major to hang two criminals in the public square with only a brief objection. After which, the people admit it was a good idea and there is no further debate.
Which, ultimately, is the weakness of this book. The American army, as out of place as it is, only meets nominal resistance. On top of that, instead of being forced to adapt to their new environment, the author instead simply has them industrialize their new home. Including developing muskets, ammunition, even uniforms.
What could have been a great fish-out-of-water story quickly becomes just another war book, as even the opposing army only fights with muskets, bayonets, etc. And while the lizardmen and dinosaurs from earlier in the book are mentioned, none ever play a part in later combat. They may as well be bear and deer simply existing in the background of combat.
This is book one of a series, however it wasn't the book I thought I was getting when I looked at that cover. Cover two seems to have a similar problem. Kudos to Anderson for creating such a colorful world as he has, I just wish he had done more with it.
The gist of the book is a fleet of colonial American ships on their way to fight the Mexican army ends up being transported to an alternate Earth. There they encounter strange creatures (presumably dinosaurs) and a race of lemur-like humans. Once there, they get sucked in to a larger war for survival as their new allies face being eliminated by a massive and fanatical religious army.
While Anderson does a fantastic job building this world and goes to great effort to convey his love and knowledge of historical war strategy...the book ultimately doesn't do much with any of it. After an initial battle with a smaller army of lizard men (I think) the Americans are immediately welcomed in to the local city with open arms. But it doesn't stop there. What could have made for interesting drama as the two peoples struggle to navigate their new alliance while keeping their identity is shelved. The major leading the American army is given full control of the newly unified military, their tactics are quickly proven to be superior, and most glaringly...the people of this city after decades of refusing execution as punishment allow the major to hang two criminals in the public square with only a brief objection. After which, the people admit it was a good idea and there is no further debate.
Which, ultimately, is the weakness of this book. The American army, as out of place as it is, only meets nominal resistance. On top of that, instead of being forced to adapt to their new environment, the author instead simply has them industrialize their new home. Including developing muskets, ammunition, even uniforms.
What could have been a great fish-out-of-water story quickly becomes just another war book, as even the opposing army only fights with muskets, bayonets, etc. And while the lizardmen and dinosaurs from earlier in the book are mentioned, none ever play a part in later combat. They may as well be bear and deer simply existing in the background of combat.
This is book one of a series, however it wasn't the book I thought I was getting when I looked at that cover. Cover two seems to have a similar problem. Kudos to Anderson for creating such a colorful world as he has, I just wish he had done more with it.
October 14, 2021
And we are B-A-A-C-K!!
I had so totally enjoyed Taylor Anderson's first alternate history series The Destroyermen and I am delighted to be BACK in the World of the Destroyermen, albeit about 100 years earlier!
About 100 years earlier is brilliant because we get the world but we also get an entirely new cast of characters to root for, in particular new Mi-Anakka. The Mi-Anakka (known in the first series as Lemurians or 'Cats) were my favorite nonhuman race in the last series and I'm very pleased to see them again in The Artillerymen, the tale of the 1847 Americanos.
Even better, we still have the vile Holy Dominion as the main enemy, one of the ones we loved to hate in the Destroyermen series!
The 1847 Americanos had been bound for Veracruz to join General Zachary as replacement troops in the Mexican-American War. They had sailed from the United States right into that same green-tinged awful storm at sea that got Captain Reddy's Asiatic Fleet in early 1942.
All of their ships (save one) were lost resulting in the Artillerymen being land-based. So, it is different enough from the U.S. Navy-centered previous series that we can enjoy a new adventure in the same treacherous world (yes, still full of Grik and dinosaurs) from the last series.
Can’t wait for the next book in the new Artillerymen series!
Highly recommended for The Destroyermen fans, series fans, alternate history fans, and fans of a well-told action-packed tale of courage and striving together against long odds!
I had so totally enjoyed Taylor Anderson's first alternate history series The Destroyermen and I am delighted to be BACK in the World of the Destroyermen, albeit about 100 years earlier!
About 100 years earlier is brilliant because we get the world but we also get an entirely new cast of characters to root for, in particular new Mi-Anakka. The Mi-Anakka (known in the first series as Lemurians or 'Cats) were my favorite nonhuman race in the last series and I'm very pleased to see them again in The Artillerymen, the tale of the 1847 Americanos.
Even better, we still have the vile Holy Dominion as the main enemy, one of the ones we loved to hate in the Destroyermen series!
The 1847 Americanos had been bound for Veracruz to join General Zachary as replacement troops in the Mexican-American War. They had sailed from the United States right into that same green-tinged awful storm at sea that got Captain Reddy's Asiatic Fleet in early 1942.
All of their ships (save one) were lost resulting in the Artillerymen being land-based. So, it is different enough from the U.S. Navy-centered previous series that we can enjoy a new adventure in the same treacherous world (yes, still full of Grik and dinosaurs) from the last series.
Can’t wait for the next book in the new Artillerymen series!
Highly recommended for The Destroyermen fans, series fans, alternate history fans, and fans of a well-told action-packed tale of courage and striving together against long odds!
June 17, 2025
This seems to be a prequel to the Destroyermen series beginning with "Into the StormInto the Storm". While reading Into the Storm is not a prerequisite, it would be helpful. Also note that the two story lines do not meet until well into the Destroyermen series. I think it is around book 8, "Storm Surge", or maybe later.
The book can stand alone and it is very good. I will probably read it again some day.
The book can stand alone and it is very good. I will probably read it again some day.
June 26, 2024
I was initially going to read the first book in the Destroyermen series but came across this book at the library. Since I am more into land warfare than naval, I checked out this book to read first. I was also intrigued by the military group chosen as characters, Mexican American War soldiers. I enjoyed the book but enjoyed more the series The Lost Regiment. I know the author is building an alternate world but it seemed to lack enough action. And the religious arguments got a little tedious. I know the author needed villains to fight but it slowed down the action. Also like other reviewers, I was disappointed there were not more descriptions of fights with the animal monsters of this alternate world. I will continue to read the series to see where it goes but hopefully the next book has more action.
March 7, 2022
Enjoyable alt history / alt universe yarn set in the Destroyermen Universe. Charts the arrival of US soldiers in the mid 1840s and their conflicts with the Dominion.
I was surprised to see folks from elsewhere (intentionally vague here) as I thought they were indigenous to the area. Additionally, I didn't think the Doms had engaged in hostilities with the Empire as far back as the 1840s, so it is interesting to learn that they're already getting spicy with them.
I look forward to increased exploration of this alternative world, and I'm curious to see how the New United States forms and relocates North.
Regardless, Anderson does a great job spinning an engaging story and I'm looking forward to Hell's March later in 2022.
I was surprised to see folks from elsewhere (intentionally vague here) as I thought they were indigenous to the area. Additionally, I didn't think the Doms had engaged in hostilities with the Empire as far back as the 1840s, so it is interesting to learn that they're already getting spicy with them.
I look forward to increased exploration of this alternative world, and I'm curious to see how the New United States forms and relocates North.
Regardless, Anderson does a great job spinning an engaging story and I'm looking forward to Hell's March later in 2022.
September 6, 2022
Muy buen libro, aunque no me gusto mucho.
Le iba a dar tres estrellas pero seria penalizar a un buen libro. El libro esta muy bien escrito, el problema es que no me gustan los personajes. Tampoco me gusta el enemigo principal de la serie que son un grupo de fanaticos religiosos descendientes de colonizadores españoles y una cultura india parecida a los aztecas de Mexico. La trama tampoco hace mucho sentido; los personajes a veces actuan irracionalmente.
Para el que no sepa esta es una precuela de la serie Destroyermen que tiene lugar unos 100 años despues. Esa otra serie es muy buena y la recomiendo.
Pronto se publicara el segundo libro de esta serie. Voy leerlo, pero sino mejora la historia dejare la serie.
Le iba a dar tres estrellas pero seria penalizar a un buen libro. El libro esta muy bien escrito, el problema es que no me gustan los personajes. Tampoco me gusta el enemigo principal de la serie que son un grupo de fanaticos religiosos descendientes de colonizadores españoles y una cultura india parecida a los aztecas de Mexico. La trama tampoco hace mucho sentido; los personajes a veces actuan irracionalmente.
Para el que no sepa esta es una precuela de la serie Destroyermen que tiene lugar unos 100 años despues. Esa otra serie es muy buena y la recomiendo.
Pronto se publicara el segundo libro de esta serie. Voy leerlo, pero sino mejora la historia dejare la serie.
April 27, 2023
This is a great prequal to the Destroyermen series. It started off a little slower than I normally like, but it takes a while to build the setting and the new world that the Artillermen were swept into.
What's rare in this series vs other series I've read before, is that it's not just a re-hash of the same story over again. The author made a good effort to tell the story of the North American's history who are met in the Destroyermen series. He does a very good job of not allowing anachronisms into the story either acting like it's the 1940s like the Destroyermen or allowing modern technology or attitudes to show up when it's supposed to be in the late 1840s.
I'm looking forward to the second book in the series.
What's rare in this series vs other series I've read before, is that it's not just a re-hash of the same story over again. The author made a good effort to tell the story of the North American's history who are met in the Destroyermen series. He does a very good job of not allowing anachronisms into the story either acting like it's the 1940s like the Destroyermen or allowing modern technology or attitudes to show up when it's supposed to be in the late 1840s.
I'm looking forward to the second book in the series.
October 10, 2022
Captain Cayce was among the replacements on the way to the American Expeditionary Force in Mexico in 1847 when the ships encountered a freak storm. After the storm the ships were wrecked on the shores of the Yucatan Peninsula on an alternate Earth filled with monsters and monstrous men. Thankfully, there are also allies that find them and aid their acclimation to this new world. This volume is set in an earlier time in the Destroyermen universe. There is plenty of action and interesting characters to engage the reader. It will be interesting to see what happens in future volumes of this series.
October 3, 2021
Intense
So I have read everyone of the destroyer men series and this very similar with excellent characters and storyline. The story takes place several years in the past and once again are based around American military with the main character being intensely involved in saving his men and those around him that come under is umbrella. Intense civil war style battles with a Dominion beginning to truly embrace the evil religion is full blown in the destroyer men series. Hopefully there will be more in this series to bring us up to date with this alternate world.
So I have read everyone of the destroyer men series and this very similar with excellent characters and storyline. The story takes place several years in the past and once again are based around American military with the main character being intensely involved in saving his men and those around him that come under is umbrella. Intense civil war style battles with a Dominion beginning to truly embrace the evil religion is full blown in the destroyer men series. Hopefully there will be more in this series to bring us up to date with this alternate world.
February 25, 2022
Taylor Anderson knows how to write action books. He really sets up a series and fills it out as he did with his Destroyermen series. Since I enjoyed his “history” of a WW2 US “Tin Can” displaced from the Pacific to a parallel Earth, I was really looking for to his new Artillerymen series. He did not disappoint. His new one is set back during the US-Mexican War in the mid1800s. Same displacement to the same parallel “Earth”, just a century earlier. Less sophisticated weapons, so different tactics. Still lots of fun!
July 3, 2022
This is a new series from the author of Destroyermen. You do not need to have read Destroyermen to read this series but I think its a good idea, besides its a good book and series. This is a group of soldiers from a bit earlier in history that fall through and seem to be in the same place. I do not want to go into any spoilers and this is a pretty long book so there is a lot to spoil. Overall 3.5 stars good read, if you enjoyed Destroyermen you should enjoy this, same for 1632 or Island in the Sea of Time or other large group of people sent back in time book.
#timetravel
#timetravel
July 20, 2025
It was too long. It left like an entire book was written when the army reached Uxmal. With a little more world and character building, it could have easily been a book, except I suspect the author felt he needed a big battle at the end.
I’m hoping that in future books, the characters are more 3 dimensional. The writing is such that I’m going to check out the next book, since anyone who can have such a long running and good series like the Destroyermen, won’t make the same mistake twice in a row.
I’m hoping that in future books, the characters are more 3 dimensional. The writing is such that I’m going to check out the next book, since anyone who can have such a long running and good series like the Destroyermen, won’t make the same mistake twice in a row.
October 21, 2021
A ”prequel” in the world of marooned peoples.
Mexican War veterans are dropped (literally!) into an alternate Yucatán to face the evil of Christo-Aztec armies intent on subjugating and ultimately destroy the local peoples. The American (and Mexican) soldiers take up the locals’ cause. Good characters, a desperate situation and a noble cause; Taylor Anderson creates another page-turner. I look forward to volume 2!
Mexican War veterans are dropped (literally!) into an alternate Yucatán to face the evil of Christo-Aztec armies intent on subjugating and ultimately destroy the local peoples. The American (and Mexican) soldiers take up the locals’ cause. Good characters, a desperate situation and a noble cause; Taylor Anderson creates another page-turner. I look forward to volume 2!
October 30, 2021
Another fantastic book from Taylor Anderson
What can I say!, Taylor has the talent to be able to keep you wanting to read just one more page all the way to the end of the book! For fans of his Destroyermen series this new book does not disappoint and I am especially excited that he has decided to expand on the strange world he created and what will become one of the major players on this world in the future.
I am impatiently waiting for the next book in this series!!
What can I say!, Taylor has the talent to be able to keep you wanting to read just one more page all the way to the end of the book! For fans of his Destroyermen series this new book does not disappoint and I am especially excited that he has decided to expand on the strange world he created and what will become one of the major players on this world in the future.
I am impatiently waiting for the next book in this series!!
February 13, 2022
Enjoyable return to the same universe
I picked up this title after having finished the Destroyermen series by the same author. The tie-in to the same universe was welcome to me, but if one had never read the other series, it would not have detracted from the current book (but it does give more background on certain points). Plenty of great characters, and I look forward to seeing the continuation of this particular saga.
I picked up this title after having finished the Destroyermen series by the same author. The tie-in to the same universe was welcome to me, but if one had never read the other series, it would not have detracted from the current book (but it does give more background on certain points). Plenty of great characters, and I look forward to seeing the continuation of this particular saga.
July 16, 2022
If, like me, you're a fan of the DestroyerMan series you may believe that embarking of this new tale in the same world is likely formulaic:
You know, "same shit different flies!"
And, to some extent, you may be right -- again, it IS in the same alternate universe.
However, keep in mind that the setup was already in place; now, whether there's a redundancy remains to be seen in future tomes.
I was surprised that the story was good enough for four stars. BUT, if the problematic, and biggest, enlisted man with the behavioral issues becomes one of the "good guys" I'll be calling "foul!"
We shall see. ...
You know, "same shit different flies!"
And, to some extent, you may be right -- again, it IS in the same alternate universe.
However, keep in mind that the setup was already in place; now, whether there's a redundancy remains to be seen in future tomes.
I was surprised that the story was good enough for four stars. BUT, if the problematic, and biggest, enlisted man with the behavioral issues becomes one of the "good guys" I'll be calling "foul!"
We shall see. ...
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