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Destroyermen #2
Crusade
New York Times bestselling author Taylor Anderson’s phenomenal series of alternate history continues as the crew of the USS Walker battle old enemies in a new world.
After being swept from the World War II Pacific into an alternate world, Lieutenant Commander Matthew Patrick Reddy and the crew of the USS Walker have allied with the peaceful Lemurians in their struggle against the warlike, reptilian Grik. But they are sorely outnumbered, and even the power of the Walker cannot turn the tide of battle.
Then, Reddy finds Mahan —the other destroyer that passed through the rift. Together, the ships will teach the Lemurians to stand and fight. Or so they think. For there is another vessel at the Amagi— the massive Japanese battleship that Walker was fleeing back in the Pacific. The Amagi also came through the rift...
And the Amagi is in the hands of their enemies.
After being swept from the World War II Pacific into an alternate world, Lieutenant Commander Matthew Patrick Reddy and the crew of the USS Walker have allied with the peaceful Lemurians in their struggle against the warlike, reptilian Grik. But they are sorely outnumbered, and even the power of the Walker cannot turn the tide of battle.
Then, Reddy finds Mahan —the other destroyer that passed through the rift. Together, the ships will teach the Lemurians to stand and fight. Or so they think. For there is another vessel at the Amagi— the massive Japanese battleship that Walker was fleeing back in the Pacific. The Amagi also came through the rift...
And the Amagi is in the hands of their enemies.
404 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 7, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 179 reviews
February 4, 2020
The choices are to be or not to be
Having learned the horrible truth about the pure evil and strength of the ancient enemy known as the Grik, the Americans and their Lemurian allies decide that their only chance for survival is a crusade to eliminate the Grik. The crusade is blessed with initial success but fate and this new world have some terrible surprises in store for the alliance. The Americans had their own powerful enemy in the world from which they came. A relentless enemy bent upon the complete destruction of the U.S.S. Walker and the Americans.
This second volume in Taylor Anderson's marvelous series follows the familiar characters from INTO THE STORM and introduces new ones as the war for survival continues and expands.
Having learned the horrible truth about the pure evil and strength of the ancient enemy known as the Grik, the Americans and their Lemurian allies decide that their only chance for survival is a crusade to eliminate the Grik. The crusade is blessed with initial success but fate and this new world have some terrible surprises in store for the alliance. The Americans had their own powerful enemy in the world from which they came. A relentless enemy bent upon the complete destruction of the U.S.S. Walker and the Americans.
This second volume in Taylor Anderson's marvelous series follows the familiar characters from INTO THE STORM and introduces new ones as the war for survival continues and expands.
May 15, 2010
Yes. I liked it.
No, I'm not going to give you a lengthy description of the book because I don't believe I am the Roger Ebert of the literary world.
This is what matters to me.
1. I enjoyed the book.
2. I don't regret the time I spent with it.
3. I wouldn't mind rereading/relistening to it at a later date.
This book meets those requirements. If what matters to me matters to you and you enjoy military science fiction, this book might be for you.
No, I'm not going to give you a lengthy description of the book because I don't believe I am the Roger Ebert of the literary world.
This is what matters to me.
1. I enjoyed the book.
2. I don't regret the time I spent with it.
3. I wouldn't mind rereading/relistening to it at a later date.
This book meets those requirements. If what matters to me matters to you and you enjoy military science fiction, this book might be for you.
April 20, 2015
In Crusade we rejoin Captain Reddy and the crew of the Walker. They have forged an alliance with the mammalian Lemurians against the predatorial, rapacious Grik. After saving the sea folk, the Humans and Lemurians turn to rescue the land-based Lemurians. A captured Grik ship leads them to believe an all out assault is going to be made on the unsuspecting city-states. Sure enough the Walker and an armada of Lemurians arrive to lift the siege and smash a Grik fleet.
Crusade suffers from second book syndrome. I predicted three stars before I even cracked it open. In the first book everything was new and there were questions all over the place. Where was the crew of the Walker? Who were the good guys? How would they survive, especially in the face of the Grik menace? By book two these questions are answered. The Walker is in an alternate world where evolution took another path. They will survive by forging an alliance with the Lemurians. They will defeat the Grik by converting to a total war footing and arming the Lemurians with cannons. In this book it is about watching the predicted story line unfold. There is a surprise in the story that adds a bit of a spark, but for the most part the story unfolds as expected.
Does this all mean that the book is bad? Nope. It was a fun read. It just wasn't cracking with originality. It's a fun book and a fun series; however, the Destroyermen series just doesn't rise to that next level in my mind. Good, but not great, brain-candy. Three stars out of five.
Crusade suffers from second book syndrome. I predicted three stars before I even cracked it open. In the first book everything was new and there were questions all over the place. Where was the crew of the Walker? Who were the good guys? How would they survive, especially in the face of the Grik menace? By book two these questions are answered. The Walker is in an alternate world where evolution took another path. They will survive by forging an alliance with the Lemurians. They will defeat the Grik by converting to a total war footing and arming the Lemurians with cannons. In this book it is about watching the predicted story line unfold. There is a surprise in the story that adds a bit of a spark, but for the most part the story unfolds as expected.
Does this all mean that the book is bad? Nope. It was a fun read. It just wasn't cracking with originality. It's a fun book and a fun series; however, the Destroyermen series just doesn't rise to that next level in my mind. Good, but not great, brain-candy. Three stars out of five.
January 30, 2016
What can I say here???? This is prime, number 1, grade A brain candy. No redeeming characteristics here...no deep literary meanings...no nuanced story-telling. This is the story of an obsolete WW1 destroyer and a destroyer escort (of the same age) thrown into a world of wooden ships, intelligent lemur like creatures that the humans call "monkey-cats" and large (also intelligent) carnivorous lizards who don't take prisoners after battle. They simply eat the enemy.
Oh there's also an ultra-modern WW2 Japanese Battle Ship ailed with the lizards....sort of a wrench in the works.
This is the second in the series and I enjoyed it as much as the first. It's full of action and the characters are well fleshed out (human and otherwise). We get a good expansion of the plot line and the end (while an obvious set up for the next book) is also good.
I like it...I recommend it...enjoy.
Oh there's also an ultra-modern WW2 Japanese Battle Ship ailed with the lizards....sort of a wrench in the works.
This is the second in the series and I enjoyed it as much as the first. It's full of action and the characters are well fleshed out (human and otherwise). We get a good expansion of the plot line and the end (while an obvious set up for the next book) is also good.
I like it...I recommend it...enjoy.
February 4, 2016
I'm surprised that I am actually enjoying these books. Alternate history is so not my thing, but this has been kind of fun. I like the characters. They are well drawn and down to earth. There is such a strong conflict of good vs. evil that flows throughout the whole story. The story moves at a nice pace with something new always coming into play. When I started this, I wasn't sure if I wanted to read it, but I'm glad I did. SO 4 STARS.
January 20, 2009
I am not a big fan of reading the second book in a trilogy or series and skipping the first book, but I found myself in this situation when a new title at the library caught my eye. Destroyermen: Crusade is a novel in that famous science fiction/fantasy tradition, the transplanted people into a parallel universe. In this case, two United States destroyers are apparently in the midst of a battle with a Japanese Battle Cruiser Amiga during the Battle of the Java Sea in World War II, when as a result of a storm they are transplanted to an alternative Earth which is inhabited by two alien beings -- the Lemurians, a group of sea dwelling "tree people" who befriend the Americans and the Grik, a murderous canibalistic race of ferocious lizards who kill and eat everything in their path.
In this second volume, the American's of the USS Walker have already fought one battle against the Grik and have discovered their disgusting ways. Now Captain Reddy and his crew, comprised of Lemurians and Americans are on a mission to convince the various nation states of Lemurians to join together to defeat the Grik. The first part of the plan is to go to another Lemurian island and try to save them from being overrun and eaten by the Grik. Of course, nothing ever goes according to plan, and the people who are under siege may not help the Americans at all. There are some thrilling naval action battles between the Walker and its advanced armaments and the Grik ships.
In a subsequent section of the novel, the Grik return with their allies the Japanese ship Amiga and the Walker and their allies must escape from a second Armada. The Walker does end up using some torpedoes and Anderson artfully interjects the problem with American torpedoes in WWII -that is that they didn't work into the narrative.
I liked this novel and will be on the look out for the next one, but it seems to me we already know how these books will turn out but getting there is part of the fun.
In this second volume, the American's of the USS Walker have already fought one battle against the Grik and have discovered their disgusting ways. Now Captain Reddy and his crew, comprised of Lemurians and Americans are on a mission to convince the various nation states of Lemurians to join together to defeat the Grik. The first part of the plan is to go to another Lemurian island and try to save them from being overrun and eaten by the Grik. Of course, nothing ever goes according to plan, and the people who are under siege may not help the Americans at all. There are some thrilling naval action battles between the Walker and its advanced armaments and the Grik ships.
In a subsequent section of the novel, the Grik return with their allies the Japanese ship Amiga and the Walker and their allies must escape from a second Armada. The Walker does end up using some torpedoes and Anderson artfully interjects the problem with American torpedoes in WWII -that is that they didn't work into the narrative.
I liked this novel and will be on the look out for the next one, but it seems to me we already know how these books will turn out but getting there is part of the fun.
October 4, 2019
Another good entry in the series. Things get tougher & Anderson isn't kind to all the characters. There were more deaths than I expected, but it's a very tough world & situation. Since reading the first one, I found out why they didn't mention why the world is as it is. This takes place in 1941 & I hadn't realized just how much our science had progressed since then. Kudos to Anderson for getting so much right.
If you haven't read the first, do NOT read this one. They really need to be read in order. They're great as audiobooks, although a bit long. There's some repetition & touchy-feely stuff that gets a bit old, but still highly recommended.
If you haven't read the first, do NOT read this one. They really need to be read in order. They're great as audiobooks, although a bit long. There's some repetition & touchy-feely stuff that gets a bit old, but still highly recommended.
December 30, 2013
This book continues the fun of the first book. It's very Edgar Rice Burroughs meets "In Harm's Way" (the Movie).
Strong characters, difficult complex plot with intricate details that I find facinating.
I'm already into book three and loving it. This is a fun series. Highly recommended for lovers of science fiction, Fantasy, and alternate reality stories.
It has a little "Harry Turtledove" in it too.
Fun read.
Strong characters, difficult complex plot with intricate details that I find facinating.
I'm already into book three and loving it. This is a fun series. Highly recommended for lovers of science fiction, Fantasy, and alternate reality stories.
It has a little "Harry Turtledove" in it too.
Fun read.
April 25, 2020
Crusade by Taylor Anderson good honest old fashioned beat the the baddies up sci fi military romp. Aha but wait there's more, a whole lot more. Second episode has all the bones for some epic mashup battles, medieval versus 19th and 20th century technologies, something to definitely get your chomps around and have some fun.
May 1, 2009
A trilogy about World War II era naval ships transported to an altenate timeline? I'm just a complete sap for these types of books. Loved it, sorry.
The middle book in a trilogy is traditionally the meatiest, with the larger story arc resolving. That's certainly true here, but it's also the slowest book of the series in some ways. A welcome reprieve to the carnage...
The middle book in a trilogy is traditionally the meatiest, with the larger story arc resolving. That's certainly true here, but it's also the slowest book of the series in some ways. A welcome reprieve to the carnage...
December 13, 2014
I found book one in the Destroyermen series to be fun and entertaining, if a bit flat and cheesy, style-wise. Book two, though, actually had me wanting to stand up and cheer. Not that it's any less flat and cheesy, but there are some quintessential qualities that Taylor Anderson brings to this series that I've been missing in sci-fi and military fiction lately.
Duty, honor, bravery, sacrifice, and heroism. Men acting like men. (Yes, the women - both human and Lemurian - are pretty brave too.) A war that feels like a war.
This book is very similar to an old WWII movie - the ones made before we got cynical and stopped presenting Americans as the good guys. The USS Walker and its sister ship the USS Mahan have allied with the Lemurians, a civilized race descended from lemurs in the alternate Earth in which the two destroyers find themselves. They face the Grik, an almost mindlessly violent race descended from reptiles or dinosaurs. In Crusade, we learn that the Japanese battleship Amagi, which chased the two American destroyers into the storm that brought it to this world, followed them, and is now allied with the Grik.
This makes the two sides pretty starkly black and white: Americans and friendly lemur-people vs. Japanese and evil crocodile-people.
But, the Americans and Lemurians are not universally good, and the Japanese are not universally evil. There is in-fighting among the various land-dwelling and sea-going tribes of Lemurians, some of the Americans get themselves into trouble with bad behavior, while in addition to Lieutenant Shinya, the captured Japanese officer who has now become effectively a part of the Walker's crew, Anderson also writes some scenes from the point of view of the Amagi's crew, and specifically, its unfortunate executive officer. The Japanese are Imperial Japanese. They have a duty, and an enemy. But while their captain is evidently going mad, the rest of the crew is starting to have doubts about whether they'd really rather be allied to cannibalistic lizard men than Americans.
Crusade is a series of battles, political alliances, and chases, with the tension ramping up as they discover that the Grik are invading the home of the Lemurians in a massive swarm, and worse, accompanied by a Japanese battlecruiser. The climax, in which the Walker faces a vastly more powerful ship it can't possibly defeat, is worthy of the most rocking naval adventure. As they are trying to evacuate thousands of Lemurians in the face of the Grik invasion, and no matter what they do, they must cope with the inevitable losses of thousands more, the tragedy and heroism of both humans and Lemurians is rousing, inspiring, a real edge-of-your-seat adventure.
Removed from the geopolitical considerations of Earth, the Americans in this world are a little pocket of America all their own, and it's what they make of it. And so far, they are what you'd expect from a red-blooded US Navy crew - sailors, heroes, not untarnished with the occasional scoundrel, but good men worthy of respect and admiration without the author doing a lot of jingoistic chest-beating.
The technical details all seem to be authentic and well-researched, from the advantages and disadvantages of the two American "four-stackers" vs. the huge, ultra-modern Amagi (which is struggling with damage of its own and the difficulties of getting repairs and fuel from its Grik "allies") to the aerial duel between a salvaged seaplane and a Japanese spotting biplane, to problems with American torpedoes. Throw sailing ships and the Lemurians' giant seagoing "homes" into the mix, and you've got a blend of Horatio Hornblower, Battlestar Galactica, and Midway.
I'm giving this book 5 stars because it was exciting all the way through, and I was worried about the heroes at every step of the way - when the Amagi shows up, you really feel the "Oh, shit" moment as Captain Reddy realizes how badly they are screwed. This book improved the last by adding depth to Lemurian culture (including more, ah, relations between humans and Lemurians - some good, some very much not), and even a little bit to the Grik, although so far they're still pretty much just a mindless horde of barely sentient monsters led by evil overlords.
It's not literary, it's just the modern version of a pulp adventure, but damn, I like it, even if I am looking at the length of the series (9 books and counting now?) and reviews of later books in the series that seem to indicate that the author is no hurry to wrap it up.
Duty, honor, bravery, sacrifice, and heroism. Men acting like men. (Yes, the women - both human and Lemurian - are pretty brave too.) A war that feels like a war.
This book is very similar to an old WWII movie - the ones made before we got cynical and stopped presenting Americans as the good guys. The USS Walker and its sister ship the USS Mahan have allied with the Lemurians, a civilized race descended from lemurs in the alternate Earth in which the two destroyers find themselves. They face the Grik, an almost mindlessly violent race descended from reptiles or dinosaurs. In Crusade, we learn that the Japanese battleship Amagi, which chased the two American destroyers into the storm that brought it to this world, followed them, and is now allied with the Grik.
This makes the two sides pretty starkly black and white: Americans and friendly lemur-people vs. Japanese and evil crocodile-people.
But, the Americans and Lemurians are not universally good, and the Japanese are not universally evil. There is in-fighting among the various land-dwelling and sea-going tribes of Lemurians, some of the Americans get themselves into trouble with bad behavior, while in addition to Lieutenant Shinya, the captured Japanese officer who has now become effectively a part of the Walker's crew, Anderson also writes some scenes from the point of view of the Amagi's crew, and specifically, its unfortunate executive officer. The Japanese are Imperial Japanese. They have a duty, and an enemy. But while their captain is evidently going mad, the rest of the crew is starting to have doubts about whether they'd really rather be allied to cannibalistic lizard men than Americans.
Crusade is a series of battles, political alliances, and chases, with the tension ramping up as they discover that the Grik are invading the home of the Lemurians in a massive swarm, and worse, accompanied by a Japanese battlecruiser. The climax, in which the Walker faces a vastly more powerful ship it can't possibly defeat, is worthy of the most rocking naval adventure. As they are trying to evacuate thousands of Lemurians in the face of the Grik invasion, and no matter what they do, they must cope with the inevitable losses of thousands more, the tragedy and heroism of both humans and Lemurians is rousing, inspiring, a real edge-of-your-seat adventure.
Removed from the geopolitical considerations of Earth, the Americans in this world are a little pocket of America all their own, and it's what they make of it. And so far, they are what you'd expect from a red-blooded US Navy crew - sailors, heroes, not untarnished with the occasional scoundrel, but good men worthy of respect and admiration without the author doing a lot of jingoistic chest-beating.
The technical details all seem to be authentic and well-researched, from the advantages and disadvantages of the two American "four-stackers" vs. the huge, ultra-modern Amagi (which is struggling with damage of its own and the difficulties of getting repairs and fuel from its Grik "allies") to the aerial duel between a salvaged seaplane and a Japanese spotting biplane, to problems with American torpedoes. Throw sailing ships and the Lemurians' giant seagoing "homes" into the mix, and you've got a blend of Horatio Hornblower, Battlestar Galactica, and Midway.
I'm giving this book 5 stars because it was exciting all the way through, and I was worried about the heroes at every step of the way - when the Amagi shows up, you really feel the "Oh, shit" moment as Captain Reddy realizes how badly they are screwed. This book improved the last by adding depth to Lemurian culture (including more, ah, relations between humans and Lemurians - some good, some very much not), and even a little bit to the Grik, although so far they're still pretty much just a mindless horde of barely sentient monsters led by evil overlords.
It's not literary, it's just the modern version of a pulp adventure, but damn, I like it, even if I am looking at the length of the series (9 books and counting now?) and reviews of later books in the series that seem to indicate that the author is no hurry to wrap it up.
June 13, 2012
3.5 stars
Originally posted at Fantasy Literature.
The men and two women of the USS Walker are worn out and homesick. They’re resigned to being stuck on a parallel world, but they at least hope to find some more humans. There’s a severe “dame shortage” so, though Commander Matthew Reddy and Nurse Sandra Tucker are in love with each other, they know they must not indulge their feelings because it might lower the morale of the rest of the destroyermen.
There’s plenty to keep them occupied meanwhile — they’ve recovered Mahan and a reconnaissance airplane, and both need a lot of work. They’ve also discovered that the threat from the reptilian Grik is much worse than they had imagined. The Grik have hundreds of sailing ships and are intent on wiping out the Lemurians and their new American allies. The worst news of all is that the Japanese battlecruiser Amagi is with them, but the destroyermen don’t know if “the Japs” are fighting with the Grik or if their ship has simply been taken.
Many of the passive Lemurians just want to run away, but the only way to defeat the Grik is to band together and fight. Thus, some of the destroyermen and their new friends are visiting Lemurian colonies to try to muster up an army while others are training troops, building defenses, drilling for oil, and producing weapons.
Crusade, the second in Taylor Anderson’s DESTROYERMEN series, is even more exciting than Into the Storm. The action is non-stop and the allies are working harder than ever to try to stay alive and make the most of their bad situation. The struggle is relentless and stressful, but Anderson works in some appealing shipboard humor to ease the tension.
Anderson continues to develop his characters. Captain Reddy is hard-working, conscientious and completely overwhelmed by the need to keep his people safe and sane in their new world and he worries about the impact the destroyermen are having there. He’s good-natured and merciful, but ruthless when necessary. Sandra Tucker, who is soft-hearted and highly competent, is now in charge of everything medical. Dennis Silva, the big rowdy Gunner’s Mate, is finally beginning to live up to expectation and we discover that he’s really a softie at heart. Shinya, the Japanese prisoner who has given Reddy his parole, has been a valuable asset on Walker but he now struggles with his honor because of the presence of Amagi. Several of the Lemurians are main characters, too.
One small issue that continues is that Anderson’s good guys tend to be a little too good while his bad guys are a little too bad. The Grik are a mindless swarm who hiss when they speak and eat their enemies. Similarly, most (but not all) of the Japanese are portrayed as loyally but blindly obeying their leader, even when he’s wrong. It’s explained that in the Japanese society, obedience is the highest virtue while Americans work individually to hold up the morals which society has collectively agreed upon. Thus, with only a few exceptions on each side, “the Japs” are willing to fight for the Grik because their leader tells them to, while the Americans are nobly fighting for liberty and justice for all. Maybe it really would have been this way, and maybe the Japanese will come around later — I don’t know — I just wanted to mention this slightly uncomfortable aspect of the plot for those who may care.
Even though the situation seems a little too black and white, it’s still easy to get caught up in the heroic deeds and the fight for freedom. I’m listening to William Dufris narrate the audioversion of Crusade. He does a good job with the human voices, but he makes some of the heroic speeches of the Lemurian allies sound corny and trite (some of them are corny and trite, but he makes it worse) and the hissing speech for the Grik is over the top. Still, those are minor parts, so overall I’m enjoying this version and I’m starting on book 3: Maelstrom.
Originally posted at Fantasy Literature.
The men and two women of the USS Walker are worn out and homesick. They’re resigned to being stuck on a parallel world, but they at least hope to find some more humans. There’s a severe “dame shortage” so, though Commander Matthew Reddy and Nurse Sandra Tucker are in love with each other, they know they must not indulge their feelings because it might lower the morale of the rest of the destroyermen.
There’s plenty to keep them occupied meanwhile — they’ve recovered Mahan and a reconnaissance airplane, and both need a lot of work. They’ve also discovered that the threat from the reptilian Grik is much worse than they had imagined. The Grik have hundreds of sailing ships and are intent on wiping out the Lemurians and their new American allies. The worst news of all is that the Japanese battlecruiser Amagi is with them, but the destroyermen don’t know if “the Japs” are fighting with the Grik or if their ship has simply been taken.
Many of the passive Lemurians just want to run away, but the only way to defeat the Grik is to band together and fight. Thus, some of the destroyermen and their new friends are visiting Lemurian colonies to try to muster up an army while others are training troops, building defenses, drilling for oil, and producing weapons.
Crusade, the second in Taylor Anderson’s DESTROYERMEN series, is even more exciting than Into the Storm. The action is non-stop and the allies are working harder than ever to try to stay alive and make the most of their bad situation. The struggle is relentless and stressful, but Anderson works in some appealing shipboard humor to ease the tension.
Anderson continues to develop his characters. Captain Reddy is hard-working, conscientious and completely overwhelmed by the need to keep his people safe and sane in their new world and he worries about the impact the destroyermen are having there. He’s good-natured and merciful, but ruthless when necessary. Sandra Tucker, who is soft-hearted and highly competent, is now in charge of everything medical. Dennis Silva, the big rowdy Gunner’s Mate, is finally beginning to live up to expectation and we discover that he’s really a softie at heart. Shinya, the Japanese prisoner who has given Reddy his parole, has been a valuable asset on Walker but he now struggles with his honor because of the presence of Amagi. Several of the Lemurians are main characters, too.
One small issue that continues is that Anderson’s good guys tend to be a little too good while his bad guys are a little too bad. The Grik are a mindless swarm who hiss when they speak and eat their enemies. Similarly, most (but not all) of the Japanese are portrayed as loyally but blindly obeying their leader, even when he’s wrong. It’s explained that in the Japanese society, obedience is the highest virtue while Americans work individually to hold up the morals which society has collectively agreed upon. Thus, with only a few exceptions on each side, “the Japs” are willing to fight for the Grik because their leader tells them to, while the Americans are nobly fighting for liberty and justice for all. Maybe it really would have been this way, and maybe the Japanese will come around later — I don’t know — I just wanted to mention this slightly uncomfortable aspect of the plot for those who may care.
Even though the situation seems a little too black and white, it’s still easy to get caught up in the heroic deeds and the fight for freedom. I’m listening to William Dufris narrate the audioversion of Crusade. He does a good job with the human voices, but he makes some of the heroic speeches of the Lemurian allies sound corny and trite (some of them are corny and trite, but he makes it worse) and the hissing speech for the Grik is over the top. Still, those are minor parts, so overall I’m enjoying this version and I’m starting on book 3: Maelstrom.
December 11, 2023
A very detailed, drawn out alternate history, sci-fi, war series, book 2 continues with the crew of Walker helping the Lemurians out and building fortifications at the home-site of one of the Lemurian clans. As they find out about Lemurians on another island (different clan) being attacked by the Grik, Walker and several Lemurian ships head there, to find that the ship they thought lost, the Mahan, was in port.
Battles ensue, with some help from the locals, though the king and his son, do not want any part of it, which causes a divide and delay.
Meanwhile, the only plane available, used as a scout plane, sees something ominous on the horizon (many days away actually) in the Java Sea. From the 1st book in the series, the Americans were battling the Japanese in WW2. Well, not only did Walker and Mahan, the American destroyers make it through the strange squall in book 1 into this alternate world, but so did the Japanese battleship Amagi, and they are allied with the Grik.
How will this play out? Who lives, who dies, who to trust.
This second book in the series was good and has a lot of characters involved and some depth too, with plenty of dialogue.
Cons are: Anderson's chapters are very long averaging around 75 to 100 pages, so in a book this long you only have 4 chapters. Other main quirk is how quickly the Grik and Lemurians learn the English language, though this may be explained later as the series continues.
Battles ensue, with some help from the locals, though the king and his son, do not want any part of it, which causes a divide and delay.
Meanwhile, the only plane available, used as a scout plane, sees something ominous on the horizon (many days away actually) in the Java Sea. From the 1st book in the series, the Americans were battling the Japanese in WW2. Well, not only did Walker and Mahan, the American destroyers make it through the strange squall in book 1 into this alternate world, but so did the Japanese battleship Amagi, and they are allied with the Grik.
How will this play out? Who lives, who dies, who to trust.
This second book in the series was good and has a lot of characters involved and some depth too, with plenty of dialogue.
Cons are: Anderson's chapters are very long averaging around 75 to 100 pages, so in a book this long you only have 4 chapters. Other main quirk is how quickly the Grik and Lemurians learn the English language, though this may be explained later as the series continues.
October 28, 2018
The odd but oddly engrossing story of the WWII destroyer inexplicably transported to a parallel universe populated by sentient animals continues.
March 28, 2022
[3.8 stars, I really liked it and will probably read again eventually]
Crusade is an expansion of scope in the series from a simple set of engagements into a coordinated war for survival. But it turns out to be more complex than the initial plans accounted for.
Crusade combines together technical details with leadership and appealing characters to examine the strengths and weaknesses of different societies and the vulnerability of autocratic regimes to insanity at the top. But mostly it is an engaging story, and it helps to have a map handy of southeast Asia.
Crusade is an expansion of scope in the series from a simple set of engagements into a coordinated war for survival. But it turns out to be more complex than the initial plans accounted for.
Crusade combines together technical details with leadership and appealing characters to examine the strengths and weaknesses of different societies and the vulnerability of autocratic regimes to insanity at the top. But mostly it is an engaging story, and it helps to have a map handy of southeast Asia.
August 28, 2022
The Destroyermen is a great series about an old outdated destroyer in the Asiatic Fleet being sent to a different earth at the start of WW2. Crusade is the second book in the series, and it's just as good as the first. The characters are good, nothing great, but they're good. The story is wonderful and fun, and it's well written. Plenty of great action, and plenty of character development and plot movement. A definite recommendation.
May 6, 2024
Took me a while to get used to the series being scifi and not historical fiction. Well written and if you can ignore that the enemy is not human, it feels like real historical fiction.
October 12, 2012
If one can get past the prologue and first chapter of Destroyermen: Crusade, one is in for a treat. The fast-paced action scenes that follow are worthy of any battle scenes in any of my favorites. In my opinion, this alternate history series has some scenes that blow away Hornblower, are sharper than Sharpe, loom larger than Lewrie, hold more water than Drinkwater, override Halfhyde, and outbattle Bolitho [Sorry about getting carried away with useless and uninformative wordplay!]. Don’t get me wrong. I love all of those heroes just abused in my comparisons and the action in those stories is phenomenal. But, well beyond the scenes in Destroyermen: Into The Storm, I could mentally feel the force of the blows in some of the battles described in Crusade.
Now, it may well be that I felt the violence in a more personal way because I care about the cast of characters enough to have invested in a second book, but it may also be that Taylor Anderson has found just the right pacing—a full gallop or, more accurately, ahead full speed. The Destroyermen series is not one of those tales where only the “red shirts” die. There are some characters in which readers have real investment that get killed here (as well as some we’re glad to see buy it). In short, it feels like war in spite of its “alien” enemies and strange assortment of war craft. And, Taylor Anderson makes a positive case for war in this novel by asserting that this enemy (which is positioned as worse than the Nazis) must be stopped or everyone different than this enemy will die (the enemy in this series consists of alligator/humanoid creatures who are quite cannabilistic).
Unlike Into The Storm, Crusade features almost as many land as naval battles and an aerial dogfight to boot. Ironically, one of my favorite twists in the book is when Horatio Nelson is invoked with regard to a LAND battle: “Never mind about maneuvers. Just go straight at them.” (p. 95) I wasn’t expecting that or quite the number of references to the tactics from the Roman Empire. I really liked the way Anderson handled these scenes. I also like the fact (and this is not a spoiler since it’s on the back cover of the book) that there is a more powerful Japanese ship, the Amagi, that made it through the storm as well as the Walker and Mahan (the two WWI-era destroyers for which the series is named after those who crew them). No longer are the battles automatically as lopsided as some of those in the first volume.
I was also impressed with a brief discussion on religion. Adar, the high priest of the autochthonous people of Java, has just expressed his surprise at the idea that the crew members who arrived mysteriously from another Earth (our shard of reality) want to bury their dead. The head nurse of the folks from our reality is surprised that Adar isn’t angry that the destroyermen don’t share the native population’s approach to dealing with dead bodies. When she asks him about it, here is his answer:
“Of course not,” Adar replied, “No one can be forced to accept the True Faith. It would not then be True, would it?” (p. 167) That’s the kind of line that undercuts arrogance of all kinds. If our arguments for faith, politics, science, or cultural behavior are actually True, we really don’t have to force people, do we?
Destroyermen: Crusade is so good that you shouldn’t be surprised if a review of the next volume doesn’t pop up before you know it. This series along with Harry Turtledove’s WorldWar series has truly changed my perception of alternate history for the better. And, as you could tell in my earlier comments, the action scenes feel a lot like the best historical fiction, as well.
Now, it may well be that I felt the violence in a more personal way because I care about the cast of characters enough to have invested in a second book, but it may also be that Taylor Anderson has found just the right pacing—a full gallop or, more accurately, ahead full speed. The Destroyermen series is not one of those tales where only the “red shirts” die. There are some characters in which readers have real investment that get killed here (as well as some we’re glad to see buy it). In short, it feels like war in spite of its “alien” enemies and strange assortment of war craft. And, Taylor Anderson makes a positive case for war in this novel by asserting that this enemy (which is positioned as worse than the Nazis) must be stopped or everyone different than this enemy will die (the enemy in this series consists of alligator/humanoid creatures who are quite cannabilistic).
Unlike Into The Storm, Crusade features almost as many land as naval battles and an aerial dogfight to boot. Ironically, one of my favorite twists in the book is when Horatio Nelson is invoked with regard to a LAND battle: “Never mind about maneuvers. Just go straight at them.” (p. 95) I wasn’t expecting that or quite the number of references to the tactics from the Roman Empire. I really liked the way Anderson handled these scenes. I also like the fact (and this is not a spoiler since it’s on the back cover of the book) that there is a more powerful Japanese ship, the Amagi, that made it through the storm as well as the Walker and Mahan (the two WWI-era destroyers for which the series is named after those who crew them). No longer are the battles automatically as lopsided as some of those in the first volume.
I was also impressed with a brief discussion on religion. Adar, the high priest of the autochthonous people of Java, has just expressed his surprise at the idea that the crew members who arrived mysteriously from another Earth (our shard of reality) want to bury their dead. The head nurse of the folks from our reality is surprised that Adar isn’t angry that the destroyermen don’t share the native population’s approach to dealing with dead bodies. When she asks him about it, here is his answer:
“Of course not,” Adar replied, “No one can be forced to accept the True Faith. It would not then be True, would it?” (p. 167) That’s the kind of line that undercuts arrogance of all kinds. If our arguments for faith, politics, science, or cultural behavior are actually True, we really don’t have to force people, do we?
Destroyermen: Crusade is so good that you shouldn’t be surprised if a review of the next volume doesn’t pop up before you know it. This series along with Harry Turtledove’s WorldWar series has truly changed my perception of alternate history for the better. And, as you could tell in my earlier comments, the action scenes feel a lot like the best historical fiction, as well.
October 18, 2012
Taylor Anderson's first novel in his Destroymen series was one of the best novels I've ever read, so the bar was set high for Crusade. Fortunately, Taylor Anderson delivered with an excellent sequel. The world he created is a fascinating one where two naval destroyers from World War II are badly damaged in a fight with a Japanese naval ship, landing in an alternate world, where they take the side with the peaceful Lemurians against the dreaded lizard creatures, the Grik. As Captain Reddy gets his crew ready for an offensive against the Grik, they discover that the Japanese vessel they had been fighting against has not only also made it into this world but is aligned with the Grik. The task before them becomes incredibly daunting, if not possible.
What I liked about this novel is first, the terrific characters in the story. Anderson does an excellent job of sculpting well-defined characters, both human and Lemurians alike. There are great side-stories intermixed with the main conflict. One thing that I liked better about the sequel was that although there was some struggle, I thought things went a little too easy for the good guys in the first novel. This time the tasks they had to face were incredibly rough to the point where I had to wonder how they were going to survive in a realistic fashion. That part is still to be determined. Finally, the situation that Anderson has created is one where I found myself really pulling for the Destroyermen and the Lemurians. There were terrific fight scenes and good transitional scenes. All in all a well-done sequel definitely worth reading.
Carl Alves - author of Two For Eternity
What I liked about this novel is first, the terrific characters in the story. Anderson does an excellent job of sculpting well-defined characters, both human and Lemurians alike. There are great side-stories intermixed with the main conflict. One thing that I liked better about the sequel was that although there was some struggle, I thought things went a little too easy for the good guys in the first novel. This time the tasks they had to face were incredibly rough to the point where I had to wonder how they were going to survive in a realistic fashion. That part is still to be determined. Finally, the situation that Anderson has created is one where I found myself really pulling for the Destroyermen and the Lemurians. There were terrific fight scenes and good transitional scenes. All in all a well-done sequel definitely worth reading.
Carl Alves - author of Two For Eternity
March 14, 2020
This is sooo amaaazing!! Like, if I only have money right now, I'd buy the remaining books in the series in a heartbeat. Haha. Kidding aside, this is the second book of the destroyermen series.
The first book detailed their adventures from being a part of a losing war in this world, then suddenly finding themselves in an alternate universe where they met the Lemurians and the Grik.
This book sees the start of their campaign against the Grik , which was fun until this bastard Amagi(their enemy's state-of-the-art ship( the one in this world that was attacking them before they got themselves transported to that world) decided to make an appearance, too.
I feel sorry for Cap-i-taan Reddy but it seems his problems are about to take more turns for the worst, haha. But people with lovelife are not allowed to complain, so do your best, Skipper! I just hope they figure out a really awesome strategy before Amagi gets to destroy them all haha 😅😅
Oh, they get new allies in this book, too, so that's pretty cool! But I do feel the weight of all the people that kept dying here and there, haha!! I hope they find more humans, too, so the dame famine would be over and Matt and Sandra be finally free to mingle haha.
Speaking of lovelife, I'm really getting curious about how Silva's will turn out. Haha. Will the Risa-Silva thing really work out? Or will they find new partners within their own races? Hmm.. so much to knoooowww!!
This was so exciting and the book ends neatly on a lull in the battles, sooooo I neeeeed book 3 asap! 😂😂
The first book detailed their adventures from being a part of a losing war in this world, then suddenly finding themselves in an alternate universe where they met the Lemurians and the Grik.
This book sees the start of their campaign against the Grik , which was fun until this bastard Amagi(their enemy's state-of-the-art ship( the one in this world that was attacking them before they got themselves transported to that world) decided to make an appearance, too.
I feel sorry for Cap-i-taan Reddy but it seems his problems are about to take more turns for the worst, haha. But people with lovelife are not allowed to complain, so do your best, Skipper! I just hope they figure out a really awesome strategy before Amagi gets to destroy them all haha 😅😅
Oh, they get new allies in this book, too, so that's pretty cool! But I do feel the weight of all the people that kept dying here and there, haha!! I hope they find more humans, too, so the dame famine would be over and Matt and Sandra be finally free to mingle haha.
Speaking of lovelife, I'm really getting curious about how Silva's will turn out. Haha. Will the Risa-Silva thing really work out? Or will they find new partners within their own races? Hmm.. so much to knoooowww!!
This was so exciting and the book ends neatly on a lull in the battles, sooooo I neeeeed book 3 asap! 😂😂
February 18, 2012
So, here we are back in that alternate Earth - you know the one - the one inhabited by those nice, furry, sociable,sea-going "meerkats". Except it's not a nice furry, fluffy Earth, that one. It's dangerous, very dangerous with its oceans populated by amazingly nasty voracious fish, dinosaur-like creatures walk the forests and all the cute life-forms are threatened by psychotic, murderous, intelligent lizards that just love to eat you alive. And the nasty Japs have allied with them! What chance do clean-living American boys have?
I'm actually doing the book a disservice here because it becomes very easy to forget the "meerkats" aren't human, and the story really does become an exciting and gripping one of struggle as the Americans and the Lemurians form an alliance in the struggle to survive against the Grik threat. Our heroes aren't supermen, either. Lives are lost. And not all the "goodies" are good - the enemy within must be dealt with as well. Yes, the heroes can be a bit too noble (at times) and the speeches are perhaps a bit over the top but this is a good, entertaining and easy read (I couldn't put it down) and the story rolls along at a goodly pace, drawing you in. I'm hooked.
I'm actually doing the book a disservice here because it becomes very easy to forget the "meerkats" aren't human, and the story really does become an exciting and gripping one of struggle as the Americans and the Lemurians form an alliance in the struggle to survive against the Grik threat. Our heroes aren't supermen, either. Lives are lost. And not all the "goodies" are good - the enemy within must be dealt with as well. Yes, the heroes can be a bit too noble (at times) and the speeches are perhaps a bit over the top but this is a good, entertaining and easy read (I couldn't put it down) and the story rolls along at a goodly pace, drawing you in. I'm hooked.
February 4, 2013
At the end of the previous novel (Into the Storm), we find out some interesting things - the Grik are larger in numbers than expected, they have been in contact with other humans (and possibly Mahan), and they are about to attack Surabaya. The action in Crusade builds up as Captain Reddy and the "Allied Expeditionary Force" prepare to lift the siege of Surabaya (Aryaal). Then things get messy.
The story is fast-paced and contains a lot of action. The "allies" make some gains, but they aren't the only ones on a crusade. The Grik are preparing to wipe out the Tree People (Lemurians) completely, and the presence of Walker is not going to make them stop.
In addition to the action, there is some drama as the allied leaders have some tough decisions to make regarding their new allies to the south. There is some subterfuge and a few unexpected actions.
Overall this book is a good mix of naval action and suspense. I found it to be a quick, enjoyable read. The book has its own climax but sets the stage for things to dramatically change in book three (which of course they do).
The story is fast-paced and contains a lot of action. The "allies" make some gains, but they aren't the only ones on a crusade. The Grik are preparing to wipe out the Tree People (Lemurians) completely, and the presence of Walker is not going to make them stop.
In addition to the action, there is some drama as the allied leaders have some tough decisions to make regarding their new allies to the south. There is some subterfuge and a few unexpected actions.
Overall this book is a good mix of naval action and suspense. I found it to be a quick, enjoyable read. The book has its own climax but sets the stage for things to dramatically change in book three (which of course they do).
March 30, 2016
I tore through this one. At the end of the first book, the crew of USS Walker learned that there were more Grik than they had previously imagined, and that they were hell-bent on destroying the Lemurians and their human allies. The news isn't all bad, as they recovered the lost USS Mahan, as well as a crash-landed PBY Catalina. Toward the end, they learn that the Japanese cruiser Amagi came through the Squall as well, and for whatever reason have allied themselves with the Grik.
This series continues to deliver, and I am glad I started reading them.
This series continues to deliver, and I am glad I started reading them.
August 24, 2011
Story continues to develop and keeps the action up at a high-level with some nice plot introductions.
One criticism I had of the first book of the crew of the U.S.S. Walker seeming to be totally irreligious while the natives having a primitive religion are answered in the second book as much more of the crewman's faith is talked about at least generally.
This series is the equivalent of a good summer popcorn movie.
One criticism I had of the first book of the crew of the U.S.S. Walker seeming to be totally irreligious while the natives having a primitive religion are answered in the second book as much more of the crewman's faith is talked about at least generally.
This series is the equivalent of a good summer popcorn movie.
October 18, 2014
Loved this second installment of the Destroyermen series. Had just the right amounts of action, and the characters really stand out in this one. It isn't often that a story gets me choked up, but I'd have to say that the burial scene in this one did the trick. And of course, nothing works better than giving enough twists and turns to make you wonder who's going to survive and who isn't. Looking forward to picking up the next in the series.
November 2, 2011
A fun read with plenty of action and suspense. The character development remains a bit shallow, but there's enough going on that I often overlooked this. Can't wait for book 3 and I assume the final confrontation with the Japanese battlecruiser, Amagi.
January 3, 2019
This series is kind of a geeky pleasure that appeals to me and my specific interests, Sci-Fi time travel, WWII Navy, boy's adventure novel. I feel a little guilty reading them, but have started the third one...
Read
January 24, 2019Love these books. The only thing is that they are expensive. I might buy one a year.
Read
February 16, 2019Gets better all the time
August 19, 2019
This is a great audiobook of a suspenseful story with memorable characters. On to the third one in the series!
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