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Imperial Sundown
In the closing days of WWII, African-American Marine Willy Harmon is pulled from kitchen duty and thrown into the invasion of a remote Pacific atoll.
When the attack fails, Harmon's squad narrowly escapes execution. Hiding in the treacherous jungle, they cross paths with unlikely survivors of the Japanese occupation. But as their bellies rumble and night rolls in, tensions of race and nation flare, forcing Harmon to untie the group despite comrades' prejudices and his growing self-doubt.
Stalking the group is their would-be executioner, Sergeant Nakamura. Disillusioned with the warlords' guise of "honor," Nakamura sees carrying out Harmon's sentence as a last victory before his once-mighty Empire is crushed. But while the Americansmunderestimate him as a fanatic, Nakamura respects his enemy, enabling him to exploit the group's divisions and weaken their resolve.
As Nakamura closes in with his razor-sharp katana and blood-thirsty war hounds, Harmon fights to keep his team alive and unified until rescue can arrive. That is, if it's even coming...
When the attack fails, Harmon's squad narrowly escapes execution. Hiding in the treacherous jungle, they cross paths with unlikely survivors of the Japanese occupation. But as their bellies rumble and night rolls in, tensions of race and nation flare, forcing Harmon to untie the group despite comrades' prejudices and his growing self-doubt.
Stalking the group is their would-be executioner, Sergeant Nakamura. Disillusioned with the warlords' guise of "honor," Nakamura sees carrying out Harmon's sentence as a last victory before his once-mighty Empire is crushed. But while the Americansmunderestimate him as a fanatic, Nakamura respects his enemy, enabling him to exploit the group's divisions and weaken their resolve.
As Nakamura closes in with his razor-sharp katana and blood-thirsty war hounds, Harmon fights to keep his team alive and unified until rescue can arrive. That is, if it's even coming...
370 pages, Paperback
First published July 28, 2022
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15 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 20, 2023
I couldn't put this down. Joined a group on Goodreads and the author asked for people's honest opinion. With it being historical fiction, I figured why not? Holy moly, I was on the edge of my seat for the whole book. 5 out of 5 stars. If you are okay with violence, gore and a bit of cussing, I highly recommend this book.
December 13, 2022
Loved this book! I don’t tend to pick up thrillers, but this book really kept me engaged and turning pages quickly!
July 2, 2023
Set in the Pacific during World War II, Imperial Sundown is a tense and thrilling war story you should check out. Willy Harmon, a courageous Black Marine, finds himself thrust into the forefront of action, leading his team in a desperate fight for survival on a remote island. Not bad for a guy who was on kitchen duty. War is hell.
Harmon's squad narrowly escapes certain death after a failed invasion. With nowhere to turn, they take refuge in the jungle, where they encounter survivors from the Japanese occupation. As tensions rise between the group, driven by racial prejudices and national pride, Harmon must navigate these challenges and unite his comrades, all while battling his own growing self-doubt.
Lurking in the shadows is Sergeant Nakamura, a relentless Japanese officer armed with a deadly katana and a fierce team of relentless troops. Nakamura wants Harmon executed — his final triumph before his Empire crumbles.
It's a race against time as Nakamura edges closer. Harmon must summon every ounce of strength to protect his team, keeping them unified and alive and ready to be rescued.
I really enjoyed this story and Joe Mayall has delivered a solid first novel. The pacing is terrific and I was happy to see that the main character was not the typical WWII leading man/white guy that has starred in almost every war movie I've ever seen. I had to take off a star for some errors in typesetting and punctuation in my copy. If corrected, a polished Imperial Sundown would be an easy four-star read.
Harmon's squad narrowly escapes certain death after a failed invasion. With nowhere to turn, they take refuge in the jungle, where they encounter survivors from the Japanese occupation. As tensions rise between the group, driven by racial prejudices and national pride, Harmon must navigate these challenges and unite his comrades, all while battling his own growing self-doubt.
Lurking in the shadows is Sergeant Nakamura, a relentless Japanese officer armed with a deadly katana and a fierce team of relentless troops. Nakamura wants Harmon executed — his final triumph before his Empire crumbles.
It's a race against time as Nakamura edges closer. Harmon must summon every ounce of strength to protect his team, keeping them unified and alive and ready to be rescued.
I really enjoyed this story and Joe Mayall has delivered a solid first novel. The pacing is terrific and I was happy to see that the main character was not the typical WWII leading man/white guy that has starred in almost every war movie I've ever seen. I had to take off a star for some errors in typesetting and punctuation in my copy. If corrected, a polished Imperial Sundown would be an easy four-star read.
April 26, 2023
I really enjoyed this book
Kept me drawn in to see what happens next. Edge of my seat. The characters became part of me and I had to know how it would end.
Kept me drawn in to see what happens next. Edge of my seat. The characters became part of me and I had to know how it would end.
January 9, 2023
It's a war novel with a thriller twist. Really refreshing to have multiple points of view and it's super easy to visualize with the active imagery. It's an easy read and at times hard to put down.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews