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Destroyermen #4
Distant Thunders
The skies explode in this thrilling alternate history novel in Taylor Anderson's New York Times bestselling Destroyermen series.After the terrible battle between the men of the destroyer USS Walker and their Lemurian allies against the savage Grik, Lieutenant Commander Matthew Reddy is shocked by the arrival of a strange ship captained by Commodore Jenks of the New Britain Imperial Navy—an island-nation populated by the descendants of British East Indiamen swept through the rift centuries before. With the Walker undergoing much-needed repairs, Reddy knows the Grik have only been fended off, not defeated, and he will need all hands on deck to fight them off when they next attack--but Jenks’ loyalties seem uncertain. As tension between the Allies and the Imperials mount, Reddy will come to realize that his suspicions are not misplaced—and that a greater danger than the Grik is about be revealed...
434 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2010
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March 15, 2022
I've enjoyed all the Destroyermen books. They're not deep, and they're not particularly well-written. They're just brain candy. Tasty, tasty candy. Nautical military adventures in a land of dinosaurs, reptile men, lemur-people, and a bunch of historical Earth cultures thrown together in a big pulp setting.
The series started with an old WWI destroyer, the Walker, outfitted to fight in World War II, being sucked into an alternate Earth, along with, it turns out, a Japanese battleship. The past three books had the crew of the Walker making friends with the Lemurians, who evolved from lemur-like creatures, and waging war against the Grik, a genocidal race evolved from dinosaurs. The Japanese (or at least, the mad commander of the Amagi) allied with the Grik.
These stark lines between good guys and bad guys do get blurred a bit. The humans and Lemurians learn that there are different races of Grik, and have made friends with one. Some of the Japanese changed sides after having second thoughts about the Grik (and their crazy commander). And of course the Lemurians have their own internal political divisions. We were also introduced to a neo-British empire in the last book, descended from Dutch East Indies ships that arrived in this world centuries ago, and in Distant Thunders, much of the conflict revolves around trying to form an alliance with the suspicious Imperials, who are themselves divided into factions. And there are hints of at least one other human empire, called the "Dominion," about which we'll undoubtedly learn more in future books.
The author, Taylor Anderson, does a decent job of portraying the Lemurians as relatable but non-human. The Grik, even the "friendly" Grik, are more single-note, and all the villains, human, Lemurian, and Grik, are pretty much 100% evil cackling monsters. Anderson is a historian and artillery expert, and as is common in military fiction, goes into abundant detail about the technical workings of the guns, ships, and planes that the humans build to try to recreate technology from Earth.
The writing is very workmanlike, and the characters are all pretty flat. I don't like the head-hopping third-person omniscient POV, and the main human and Lemurian characters don't even encounter the Grik in this book, so they are an entirely offstage threat who we see only with chapters devoted to their eeeeevil scheming on the other side of the world.
There is some adventuring and romancing, some exploring, some treachery, and some naval battles, and then a bunch of things to be continued in the next book.
I could just go ahead and devour the rest of the series. I'm sure it stays fun, if a bit repetitive. But it totals fifteen books. (Supposedly volume 15 is actually the last.) I'm not sure if the fun factor will last for eleven more books of humans and Lemurians waging war against the Grik, even with empires of Conquistadors or Aztecs or whoever else thrown in.
The series started with an old WWI destroyer, the Walker, outfitted to fight in World War II, being sucked into an alternate Earth, along with, it turns out, a Japanese battleship. The past three books had the crew of the Walker making friends with the Lemurians, who evolved from lemur-like creatures, and waging war against the Grik, a genocidal race evolved from dinosaurs. The Japanese (or at least, the mad commander of the Amagi) allied with the Grik.
These stark lines between good guys and bad guys do get blurred a bit. The humans and Lemurians learn that there are different races of Grik, and have made friends with one. Some of the Japanese changed sides after having second thoughts about the Grik (and their crazy commander). And of course the Lemurians have their own internal political divisions. We were also introduced to a neo-British empire in the last book, descended from Dutch East Indies ships that arrived in this world centuries ago, and in Distant Thunders, much of the conflict revolves around trying to form an alliance with the suspicious Imperials, who are themselves divided into factions. And there are hints of at least one other human empire, called the "Dominion," about which we'll undoubtedly learn more in future books.
The author, Taylor Anderson, does a decent job of portraying the Lemurians as relatable but non-human. The Grik, even the "friendly" Grik, are more single-note, and all the villains, human, Lemurian, and Grik, are pretty much 100% evil cackling monsters. Anderson is a historian and artillery expert, and as is common in military fiction, goes into abundant detail about the technical workings of the guns, ships, and planes that the humans build to try to recreate technology from Earth.
The writing is very workmanlike, and the characters are all pretty flat. I don't like the head-hopping third-person omniscient POV, and the main human and Lemurian characters don't even encounter the Grik in this book, so they are an entirely offstage threat who we see only with chapters devoted to their eeeeevil scheming on the other side of the world.
There is some adventuring and romancing, some exploring, some treachery, and some naval battles, and then a bunch of things to be continued in the next book.
I could just go ahead and devour the rest of the series. I'm sure it stays fun, if a bit repetitive. But it totals fifteen books. (Supposedly volume 15 is actually the last.) I'm not sure if the fun factor will last for eleven more books of humans and Lemurians waging war against the Grik, even with empires of Conquistadors or Aztecs or whoever else thrown in.
March 3, 2020
Review to follow.
January 9, 2014
Another wonderful additoin to the lengthening Destroyermen series. A handful of characters we met in the last book become more endearing, a new villain emerges, Silva stays ...well... Silva... and we have adventures and exploration of the familiar but new world.
This book has more world building, or rather introduction-reintroduction to keep us up with all of the changes and less of the wonderful combat. Don't get me wrong here, the world building is great and there is some combat that's pretty cool too. I knocked it down a half star, primarily to be able to reward the really good ending in Book 3.
This is a great series, with wonderful warm characters. It's lethal, meaning that, there is a core of "main" leading faces that still struggle on, but the others run the risk of dying in war just as anyone else has. We continue to see Anderson weave themes of religoius tolerance and racial tolerance with the lessons that go with those.
It's also got the same, wonderful "old world meets new world" feel to it that I like so much. Though this is classified as "fantasy" It still reads more like Sci-fi to me, or maybe it's what John Wyndham called "Science Fantasy." Which of course included "Day of the Triffods."
Still recommended. This is a good, and fun series. It competes well with Randolph Lalonde's Spinward Series, better in parts, not as good in others but both really good reads. I'm starting five now. (I had to pull over and download it. Audiobooks...thank God for the internet.)
I also realized what these books reminded me of. They have a hint of the magic that came with the first two "Planet of the Apes" movies staring Charlton Heston. Though I wouldn't call the cats "apes".... don't want to get my face ripped off.
Good stuff!
This book has more world building, or rather introduction-reintroduction to keep us up with all of the changes and less of the wonderful combat. Don't get me wrong here, the world building is great and there is some combat that's pretty cool too. I knocked it down a half star, primarily to be able to reward the really good ending in Book 3.
This is a great series, with wonderful warm characters. It's lethal, meaning that, there is a core of "main" leading faces that still struggle on, but the others run the risk of dying in war just as anyone else has. We continue to see Anderson weave themes of religoius tolerance and racial tolerance with the lessons that go with those.
It's also got the same, wonderful "old world meets new world" feel to it that I like so much. Though this is classified as "fantasy" It still reads more like Sci-fi to me, or maybe it's what John Wyndham called "Science Fantasy." Which of course included "Day of the Triffods."
Still recommended. This is a good, and fun series. It competes well with Randolph Lalonde's Spinward Series, better in parts, not as good in others but both really good reads. I'm starting five now. (I had to pull over and download it. Audiobooks...thank God for the internet.)
I also realized what these books reminded me of. They have a hint of the magic that came with the first two "Planet of the Apes" movies staring Charlton Heston. Though I wouldn't call the cats "apes".... don't want to get my face ripped off.
Good stuff!
May 15, 2016
What a fun series this has been. I like so many things about this book even though I have always thought that alternate histories were not my thing. If they were all like this one, I would gladly read them all.
I like the characters. They are drawn well and their descriptions match up with the era they are in or rather the time frame from whence they came. They are in a constant fight of good vs. evil, that the author seems to capture well. The fact that the characters came from WWII makes it unfortunate that the antagonists also include the Japanese, but it fits the era plus there are plenty of others in their new world who qualify as the antagonists.
I have enjoyed the battle scenes. This book was short on those, but it was a nice set up for the next one. There was still plenty of carnage though. The author creates a lot of tension and suspense not only with actions, but also with dialogue and description.
A big reason these books have been fun is that the narrator does such a great job. He seems to nail all the different accents...and there are many.
I like the characters. They are drawn well and their descriptions match up with the era they are in or rather the time frame from whence they came. They are in a constant fight of good vs. evil, that the author seems to capture well. The fact that the characters came from WWII makes it unfortunate that the antagonists also include the Japanese, but it fits the era plus there are plenty of others in their new world who qualify as the antagonists.
I have enjoyed the battle scenes. This book was short on those, but it was a nice set up for the next one. There was still plenty of carnage though. The author creates a lot of tension and suspense not only with actions, but also with dialogue and description.
A big reason these books have been fun is that the narrator does such a great job. He seems to nail all the different accents...and there are many.
October 28, 2018
Every time I mark the categories of both "fantasy " and "historical fiction," my mind boggles at the juxtaposition of these two seemingly unreconcilable categories - and yet, they both apply. History buffs would enjoy the detailed descriptions of the WWII ships and equipment, as well as the quaint dialogue, but I suspect would rebel at the appearance of sentient lemur-like creatures who are a large part of the characters. However, the plot continues to unfold and I continue to travel along with it.
January 3, 2014
Derogatory toward women. "the dame problem" - there's not enough women to screw. "they wanted to show their appreciation the only way they know how. They were fairly plain women, so this was this side of heaven for them." - all women are reliant on men and they ought to spread their legs for that and if a woman is not very pretty, they would be thrilled to become whores to please dozens of men and they would be appreciative of the attention.
April 28, 2022
3.1 stars, I liked it and will continue the series
Destroyermen continues with Distant Thunder; it is full of likable good guys, though the villains are a little one-dimensional, and is a good series if you like illustrations of technology transfer and adaptation. Unlike some extended series, there is an overall plan in motion that ties things together, not a series of afterthoughts tacked onto a good thing. And the within the big plan, the plot is well put together and the world is inventive.
Destroyermen continues with Distant Thunder; it is full of likable good guys, though the villains are a little one-dimensional, and is a good series if you like illustrations of technology transfer and adaptation. Unlike some extended series, there is an overall plan in motion that ties things together, not a series of afterthoughts tacked onto a good thing. And the within the big plan, the plot is well put together and the world is inventive.
April 9, 2018
This is my second time thru this book, what a great adventure. I,m glad there are lots of books in the series. Many, many hours of good reading.
August 14, 2014
Fourth book in the series that is turning into a delight to read! I like the continued character development of even the minor characters as they are forced to step up into 'major' roles. I also have enjoyed how Dennis Silva's character has changed/developed over the course of the series.
In this book, the AEF is now attacking the Grik, not realizing the Grik are now trading space for time in order to have the AEF over-extend their forces and supply line so that the Grik can counter their counter-attack. Well, I get ahead of myself.
The author continues to do a nice job of expanding upon the brave new world he has created in his first book. The Lemurians have changed from a peaceful people to a race that is winning battles because they must do so to survive. But the author continues to pepper his books with new creatures on various islands that are quite creative! It is almost as much fun reading about the new creatures being discovered as it is reading the various battle sequences! Regardless of the 'coincidences' that must keep occurring throughout the books for the group to survive, it is still an entertaining read because these very coincidences could occur as described! I do not think the author is insulting the reader in how the books are written, but that is my opinion. I have found the books to be very engaging and interesting; a fun read all around! There have been times when certain scenes in some of the books have truly inspired an emotional reaction in me, but I am not reading these books to have an emotional reaction provoked within me. If I wanted something like that to happen, I would read a biography about somebody who faced and overcame some sort of adversity after suffering some kind of loss. These books are definitely along a different vein of reading material altogether.
I continue to enjoy the character development, especially Dennis Silva's. His antics and his interactions with other characters truly make the story worth reading!
I think the author also does a good job of trying to describe the awe and wonder the characters in the book experience when encountering something new. We take so much for granted in today's world of modern technology it can be hard to consider how truly miraculous something like flight is and how seeing something flying would affect somebody seeing it for the first time.
So much that I wanted to say! but I have run out of steam and do not know what else to blather on about. :) It was a good book. Each one has been different than the other; each one has held my interest [so far]. I do not feel like each story is merely a retelling of what happened in the prior book[s]. I like how he is expanding our knowledge of this 'new world' with each story that he writes. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series!
In this book, the AEF is now attacking the Grik, not realizing the Grik are now trading space for time in order to have the AEF over-extend their forces and supply line so that the Grik can counter their counter-attack. Well, I get ahead of myself.
The author continues to do a nice job of expanding upon the brave new world he has created in his first book. The Lemurians have changed from a peaceful people to a race that is winning battles because they must do so to survive. But the author continues to pepper his books with new creatures on various islands that are quite creative! It is almost as much fun reading about the new creatures being discovered as it is reading the various battle sequences! Regardless of the 'coincidences' that must keep occurring throughout the books for the group to survive, it is still an entertaining read because these very coincidences could occur as described! I do not think the author is insulting the reader in how the books are written, but that is my opinion. I have found the books to be very engaging and interesting; a fun read all around! There have been times when certain scenes in some of the books have truly inspired an emotional reaction in me, but I am not reading these books to have an emotional reaction provoked within me. If I wanted something like that to happen, I would read a biography about somebody who faced and overcame some sort of adversity after suffering some kind of loss. These books are definitely along a different vein of reading material altogether.
I continue to enjoy the character development, especially Dennis Silva's. His antics and his interactions with other characters truly make the story worth reading!
I think the author also does a good job of trying to describe the awe and wonder the characters in the book experience when encountering something new. We take so much for granted in today's world of modern technology it can be hard to consider how truly miraculous something like flight is and how seeing something flying would affect somebody seeing it for the first time.
So much that I wanted to say! but I have run out of steam and do not know what else to blather on about. :) It was a good book. Each one has been different than the other; each one has held my interest [so far]. I do not feel like each story is merely a retelling of what happened in the prior book[s]. I like how he is expanding our knowledge of this 'new world' with each story that he writes. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series!
May 28, 2013
Distant Thunder is the fourth novel in Taylor Anderson’s Destroyermen series, but the first I’ve read. In summary, a WWII destroyer working the Pacific near Indonesia is caught in a storm that deposits it in another dimension. The earth-like environment they steam into has followed a different evolutionary path. There are numerous sentient species, but the humans, brought there across a broad spectrum of time, are not native.
Where this novel picks up, the native cat and lizard people have, with the help of the American destroyer crew, thwart an invasion by a lizard people who breed like bugs and eat other lifeforms. The lizard people have been assisted by Japanese sailors (who are at war with the Americans) who’ve shared their technology and training, both of which this world lacked.
It’s a thrilling story with political plots and sub-plots, great characters and a goal – the elimination of the species of lizards that eat people. They set out to do this by building a coalition of the various species, setting in motion cultural clashes and rapid modernization.
I enjoyed Taylor’s writing and the theme such that I purchased the sequel to this. I’ve got the seventh novel in the series and may well purchase the original three so I can see how the story developed from day one.
One of the best fantasy novels I’ve read.
Where this novel picks up, the native cat and lizard people have, with the help of the American destroyer crew, thwart an invasion by a lizard people who breed like bugs and eat other lifeforms. The lizard people have been assisted by Japanese sailors (who are at war with the Americans) who’ve shared their technology and training, both of which this world lacked.
It’s a thrilling story with political plots and sub-plots, great characters and a goal – the elimination of the species of lizards that eat people. They set out to do this by building a coalition of the various species, setting in motion cultural clashes and rapid modernization.
I enjoyed Taylor’s writing and the theme such that I purchased the sequel to this. I’ve got the seventh novel in the series and may well purchase the original three so I can see how the story developed from day one.
One of the best fantasy novels I’ve read.
October 12, 2017
Is this a terrible book/series? No. Is it a good book/series? No. Am I inclined to read further? No.
The problem here is that the further into the alt-Earth that Anderson has constructed, the less inherently interesting it becomes so he feels the need to inject other elements from real-Earth (most notably in the form of time-displaced 18th Century British who have set up shop in the Hawaiian Islands.
So we get a fair amount of dull Victorian era-type courtly intrigue contrasted against good ol' WWII era 'Murican democratic sensibility (though really it's not 1940s Americanism but modern day liberal all-inclusiveness) which rings very very hollow.
Once "The Princess" was introduced (see above re time-displaced Brits), I rapidly lost interest. Granted, I wasn't that invested to begin with, but the more real-Earth elements we get, the less mysterious the world gets.
The problem here is that the further into the alt-Earth that Anderson has constructed, the less inherently interesting it becomes so he feels the need to inject other elements from real-Earth (most notably in the form of time-displaced 18th Century British who have set up shop in the Hawaiian Islands.
So we get a fair amount of dull Victorian era-type courtly intrigue contrasted against good ol' WWII era 'Murican democratic sensibility (though really it's not 1940s Americanism but modern day liberal all-inclusiveness) which rings very very hollow.
Once "The Princess" was introduced (see above re time-displaced Brits), I rapidly lost interest. Granted, I wasn't that invested to begin with, but the more real-Earth elements we get, the less mysterious the world gets.
January 29, 2015
Another fun installment of the Destroyermen series. It did seem to get bogged down quite often in the "industrialization" of the Lemurian society, but you can't really go wrong (in my book) when you introduce a fledgling aircraft manufacturing base.
It was a little disappointing that there were so many open-ended situations in this installment, however, and that's the reason I could only give this three stars instead of four. Some of that is to be expected, of course, being as this is the fourth in a long-running series. Still, I found the prior installments at least seemed to have more closure than this one.
It was a little disappointing that there were so many open-ended situations in this installment, however, and that's the reason I could only give this three stars instead of four. Some of that is to be expected, of course, being as this is the fourth in a long-running series. Still, I found the prior installments at least seemed to have more closure than this one.
October 16, 2012
Wow! What can I say. This series has just grown better at each stage but THIS book! Thrilling, action-packed, edge-of-seat stuff! The cuddly meerkats are no longer "meerkats"... they're just characters in the story and only occasionally are you reminded that they have fur and tails! The nasty lizards, the Griks, are no longer simply mindless, carnivorous killers but have also taken on deeper characteristics. ...and now a further dimension has been added to the tale. I cannot recommend the Destroyermen series highly enough - entertainment is a given, thrilling is a byword.
December 31, 2012
in this fourth outing, the Destoryermen and allies learn a little bit more about the Squall and what brought them to their new world. It reveals treacher and a couple dawning threats about the Grik and other humans stranded in this new, dangerous world. A very strong continuation of this series and probably my favorite book, so far. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
February 28, 2014
Not as much fun as vol#, but Anderson spends a lot of time expanding his world and building a new story arc. This series is like potato chips--you can't stop with only one!
March 27, 2016
this series just keeps getting better, I really enjoyed this book and looking forward to the next one
July 12, 2025
I feel like my time with the Destroyermen of the USS Walker is coming to an end. There were certain things about the first book that really excited me, you might even say it fascinated me. The world painted was exciting, the conflict was nail biting and everything was looking like it was reaching a thunderous climax in the third book. And, after reading this book, I feel like that's where I should have left it. Even in the third book I had misgivings, a feeling like the plot was veering away from what actually interested me.
With the goal to be fair in my review, I will say that if you like to read about the intricate details about warships (or just ships in general), the workings of machinery and the building of military hardware then you'll probably find a lot to like here. The book, more than anything, is just buildup for whatever Taylor Anderson has planned for the next book as nothing really happens here. Sure, there's a few brief skirmishes here and there, some deaths peppered throughout but by far the biggest focus is on building stuff. And some very light character... growth doesn't seem like the right word, character focus instead?
For me, the two biggest issues are by far the lack of focus on the cats... and my utter indifference to the vast majority of the Ameri-caans.
The Lemurian people have gone from a fascinating society with ways very different from the visiting Americans to an America-light society practically slobbering on the Americans and thinking they're the coolest thing ever. Most of the "cats" are treated as expendable pawns, there to illicit short thrills when they die horribly to some hitherto unknown, monstrous creature. Almost every named Lemurian, especially the new ones, are given insultingly dumb pet names. Because while the cats make an effort to learn the American names, fuck it if the star spangled boys will bother to learn the cats', apparently.
Anderson also has a really disturbing tendency to think that I inherently care if the interdimensional travelers live or die. I do not. Names are thrown around a lot, nicknames as well, but I'll be damned if I could place any of them outside of a few and whether they'd been mentioned in any previous books. And the whole Princess and Empire stuff, nah, miss me with that basic politics nonsense. He also grossly overestimates my interest in the USS Walker. When she sank at the end of the previous book, I legitimately thought "Sweet, something interesting might actually happen in the next book." But of course we can't have that. We can't have the Americans adapt to the world, the world keeps adapting to the Americans. Why bother coming up with new, exciting ideas when you can just... raise the Walker miraculously from the bottom of the sea and build airplanes easily enough?
When the book does focus on these aspects, the fun aspects of the world instead of the dreary, run of the mill jingoism, it's a fun read. But the rest just stinks of colonialism. While I doubt that was Anderson's intention, it's hard not to see it all as the white man coming to educate and lift the savages from their pacifist misery. Hell, the book itself even touches on this a few times but then dismisses it with a hand wave and say: "Meh, this is war. Sacrifices will be made (primarily by the natives)." Then again, that is par for the course with Americans, I suppose.
Writing as a talent has never been Taylor Anderson's to keep. His writing when it's about anything other than moving machine parts is uninspired and tedious. He's terrible at mining drama for worth (I still could not care less about Reddy and Sandra, by god) and whenever he writes himself into a corner he'll just magic up a solution. Villains are criminally one-note but then so are the heroes so maybe that evens out?
It's only because I've already bought the next few books that I'm even contemplating reading them but it'll be a while before I feel strong enough to tackle them.
With the goal to be fair in my review, I will say that if you like to read about the intricate details about warships (or just ships in general), the workings of machinery and the building of military hardware then you'll probably find a lot to like here. The book, more than anything, is just buildup for whatever Taylor Anderson has planned for the next book as nothing really happens here. Sure, there's a few brief skirmishes here and there, some deaths peppered throughout but by far the biggest focus is on building stuff. And some very light character... growth doesn't seem like the right word, character focus instead?
For me, the two biggest issues are by far the lack of focus on the cats... and my utter indifference to the vast majority of the Ameri-caans.
The Lemurian people have gone from a fascinating society with ways very different from the visiting Americans to an America-light society practically slobbering on the Americans and thinking they're the coolest thing ever. Most of the "cats" are treated as expendable pawns, there to illicit short thrills when they die horribly to some hitherto unknown, monstrous creature. Almost every named Lemurian, especially the new ones, are given insultingly dumb pet names. Because while the cats make an effort to learn the American names, fuck it if the star spangled boys will bother to learn the cats', apparently.
Anderson also has a really disturbing tendency to think that I inherently care if the interdimensional travelers live or die. I do not. Names are thrown around a lot, nicknames as well, but I'll be damned if I could place any of them outside of a few and whether they'd been mentioned in any previous books. And the whole Princess and Empire stuff, nah, miss me with that basic politics nonsense. He also grossly overestimates my interest in the USS Walker. When she sank at the end of the previous book, I legitimately thought "Sweet, something interesting might actually happen in the next book." But of course we can't have that. We can't have the Americans adapt to the world, the world keeps adapting to the Americans. Why bother coming up with new, exciting ideas when you can just... raise the Walker miraculously from the bottom of the sea and build airplanes easily enough?
When the book does focus on these aspects, the fun aspects of the world instead of the dreary, run of the mill jingoism, it's a fun read. But the rest just stinks of colonialism. While I doubt that was Anderson's intention, it's hard not to see it all as the white man coming to educate and lift the savages from their pacifist misery. Hell, the book itself even touches on this a few times but then dismisses it with a hand wave and say: "Meh, this is war. Sacrifices will be made (primarily by the natives)." Then again, that is par for the course with Americans, I suppose.
Writing as a talent has never been Taylor Anderson's to keep. His writing when it's about anything other than moving machine parts is uninspired and tedious. He's terrible at mining drama for worth (I still could not care less about Reddy and Sandra, by god) and whenever he writes himself into a corner he'll just magic up a solution. Villains are criminally one-note but then so are the heroes so maybe that evens out?
It's only because I've already bought the next few books that I'm even contemplating reading them but it'll be a while before I feel strong enough to tackle them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 6, 2020
Read this review (and others) at: https://literatureislife.com/2020/12/...
It’s a pretty big staple in any war series that more factions get involved as the conflict goes on. Up to this point, the Destroyermen series was in a weird place because there were no other factions. It’s not that they were there but neutral, they just did not exist. For the first few books, it seemed like the Lemurians and Grik were the only ‘people’ in this world. But that was pretty blatantly proven wrong at the end of Maelstrom. Now we know that not all of the humans who came before were slaughtered by the Grik and some of their descendants have their own New Britain. And this lets us get away from the simple ‘Lemurians good, Grik bad’ black-and-white morality since it’s no secret that human morality is all over the place.
So, there is less action in Distant Thunders. Given the massive battle at the end of the last book, it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that the protagonists need some time to recover. But while that battle was won, the war is far from over. In the meantime, we’re going to get to know the new characters from the Empire of New Britain Isles. Largely making Distant Thunders less about action and more about worldbuilding.
There is a lot that can be said about the introduction of new human characters, particularly human antagonists. First off, it removes the simple ‘kill them before they kill us’ type of conflict. Here we have antagonists that can be spoken to and (potentially) reasoned with. It opens up so many more narrative options to have villains who aren’t largely hordes of mindless, rampaging monsters. But the villains being human does not necessarily make them less wicked. Easier to understand or even relate to, perhaps, but certainly not in the right.
All this also gives us the first hint that there is more to this world than the Lemurians and Grik. Captain Reddy and his crew are clearly not the first “otherworlders” to have a profound influence on this new world. Plus, it’s interesting to see how a society like the Empire has evolved and progressed when on their own. They have been in this world for many, many years but are basically still just Great Britain. Their technology has lagged behind a bit since, again, they were on their own, but wow are they British. “Spot of tea” and all that.
Anyway, this next little story arc is still very much ongoing by the end of Distant Thunders. Pretty obvious where it is headed next but the journey there could still unfold in many different ways.
It’s a pretty big staple in any war series that more factions get involved as the conflict goes on. Up to this point, the Destroyermen series was in a weird place because there were no other factions. It’s not that they were there but neutral, they just did not exist. For the first few books, it seemed like the Lemurians and Grik were the only ‘people’ in this world. But that was pretty blatantly proven wrong at the end of Maelstrom. Now we know that not all of the humans who came before were slaughtered by the Grik and some of their descendants have their own New Britain. And this lets us get away from the simple ‘Lemurians good, Grik bad’ black-and-white morality since it’s no secret that human morality is all over the place.
So, there is less action in Distant Thunders. Given the massive battle at the end of the last book, it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that the protagonists need some time to recover. But while that battle was won, the war is far from over. In the meantime, we’re going to get to know the new characters from the Empire of New Britain Isles. Largely making Distant Thunders less about action and more about worldbuilding.
There is a lot that can be said about the introduction of new human characters, particularly human antagonists. First off, it removes the simple ‘kill them before they kill us’ type of conflict. Here we have antagonists that can be spoken to and (potentially) reasoned with. It opens up so many more narrative options to have villains who aren’t largely hordes of mindless, rampaging monsters. But the villains being human does not necessarily make them less wicked. Easier to understand or even relate to, perhaps, but certainly not in the right.
All this also gives us the first hint that there is more to this world than the Lemurians and Grik. Captain Reddy and his crew are clearly not the first “otherworlders” to have a profound influence on this new world. Plus, it’s interesting to see how a society like the Empire has evolved and progressed when on their own. They have been in this world for many, many years but are basically still just Great Britain. Their technology has lagged behind a bit since, again, they were on their own, but wow are they British. “Spot of tea” and all that.
Anyway, this next little story arc is still very much ongoing by the end of Distant Thunders. Pretty obvious where it is headed next but the journey there could still unfold in many different ways.
December 28, 2018
First off....truthfully I didn't realize this was the 4th book in a 5 book series. So right off the bat I was at a disadvantage in reading this as he had already created the world in which the story takes place, developed many of the characters, set it's rules, etc.
However as I was siting down awaiting my name to be called for jury duty, I decided to continue to read it. I'm an odd duck in once I start reading a book, I have to finish it.
The biggest problem that I have with this book is that nothing happens. There are lots of descriptions about how to put boats and airplanes together, lots of info on the creation of guns, etc. Which I admit did interest me. How would you "advance" a society using what you have available to you? It's an interesting concept and worth exploring.
However I'm not sure if the causal reader really gives a damn.
Again though nothing really happens. We are halfway through the book before anything does and when it does, it's generally a let down as the "island fish" is quickly routed in about 2 or 3 pages.
Sometimes you need a few chapters to set up the rest of the action later on, I understand that. However a whole book?
Judging from the other reviews, this series may be worth exploring a little more. As I mentioned at the beginning on the review, I've only read this book, and I'm not sure if I would seek out the series just based on this one.
However as I was siting down awaiting my name to be called for jury duty, I decided to continue to read it. I'm an odd duck in once I start reading a book, I have to finish it.
The biggest problem that I have with this book is that nothing happens. There are lots of descriptions about how to put boats and airplanes together, lots of info on the creation of guns, etc. Which I admit did interest me. How would you "advance" a society using what you have available to you? It's an interesting concept and worth exploring.
However I'm not sure if the causal reader really gives a damn.
Again though nothing really happens. We are halfway through the book before anything does and when it does, it's generally a let down as the "island fish" is quickly routed in about 2 or 3 pages.
Sometimes you need a few chapters to set up the rest of the action later on, I understand that. However a whole book?
Judging from the other reviews, this series may be worth exploring a little more. As I mentioned at the beginning on the review, I've only read this book, and I'm not sure if I would seek out the series just based on this one.
October 28, 2021
This book, Distant Thunders, by Taylor Anderson is part of a science and historical fiction series, and is the fourth book in the Destroyermen series. The series begins in the Java Sea in the Pacific, just after the United States joins the Allied Powers in WWII. The allied fleet in the pacific has been nearly destroyed by the Japanese Navy, and the few remnants are now in retreat. In hopes of losing their Japanese pursuers, the crew of the U.S.S. Walker travel into a storm. They soon find out that this storm has supernatural properties, and they are (along with another United States destroyer) whisked away to an alternate reality, although they do not know it. This new Earth they find themselves in is the same as before, but it has no humans. Instead, it has monsters, dinosaurs, incredible storms, but most importantly, no Japanese (or are there?). The crews of the United States destroyers must tame this new world, survive in its harsh conditions, make the resources necessary to run their ships, and learn to co-exist with the species there. This fast-paced well developed story provides many twists, never ending cliffhangers, and a generally interesting read.
August 16, 2017
Alright, another one down! If you're like one of the two people who follow my reviews (or one, or zero if you don't count my brother) you know I'm a sucker for stories about technological uplift and complex geo-political settings, so no shocker I'm getting really into this series.
For all it was a bit slower than the prior ones, I really enjoy the complexity of the universe Mr. Anderson is creating, particularly running into corrupt, corporate empires (you see this coming in the prior books, but its still pretty cool), making for an engagingly intertwined and "real" feeling world, and while the characters are a bit thin and two dimensions, they are growing and developing in their own way along with the world.
The downside is that I worry, particularly knowing the number of books that have popped out of this series, that its going to bog down into endless minutia ala Weber's Safehold series. BUT, so far, so good.
Also, I wish I was better at writing reviews of mind-candy books like this, cause I sort of peter out after a "Uhhhh.... I liked it?"
Anyways, on to the next one!
For all it was a bit slower than the prior ones, I really enjoy the complexity of the universe Mr. Anderson is creating, particularly running into corrupt, corporate empires (you see this coming in the prior books, but its still pretty cool), making for an engagingly intertwined and "real" feeling world, and while the characters are a bit thin and two dimensions, they are growing and developing in their own way along with the world.
The downside is that I worry, particularly knowing the number of books that have popped out of this series, that its going to bog down into endless minutia ala Weber's Safehold series. BUT, so far, so good.
Also, I wish I was better at writing reviews of mind-candy books like this, cause I sort of peter out after a "Uhhhh.... I liked it?"
Anyways, on to the next one!
June 21, 2017
I still have to say, this is one my favorite alternate history/sci-fi series'. The combination of WWII war machines and the whole premise of being transported to another dimension/version of Earth just makes for great reading. Add to that some great naval battles, good characters, interesting drama and the ever hungry terrifying creatures that evolved in this world.
The series has evolved like the Game of Thrones of an alternate Earth, pitting cultures of different species, ambitions, and time periods against each other. The US Navy sailors have advanced their side tremendously as the surviving Japanese are now attempting to do for their "allies," and now the decedents of the old British Empire and East India Company are split between siding with the Allies and continuing their own hostile takeover of their own empire. It's definitely heating up for a whole 'nother two-front war for the USN and their allies.
The series has evolved like the Game of Thrones of an alternate Earth, pitting cultures of different species, ambitions, and time periods against each other. The US Navy sailors have advanced their side tremendously as the surviving Japanese are now attempting to do for their "allies," and now the decedents of the old British Empire and East India Company are split between siding with the Allies and continuing their own hostile takeover of their own empire. It's definitely heating up for a whole 'nother two-front war for the USN and their allies.
November 24, 2018
I loved parts of this book and yet was disappointed with the ending. The first 3 books in this series felt like the story, as in the immediate conflicts presented during the book, were resolved by the end of the book. They felt like I'd read a complete story even though there were bigger things left to cover within the world setting. This book ended with a cliffhanger, Princes, Sarah, Dennis, and others stranded on a very dangerous (so we are led to believe) island - the end. At the close of Distant Thunders I felt cheated. It seemed like only half a book. The author, maybe pressured by the publisher, decided to leave this story hanging to force me to buy book 5. Now I won't. The books were good enough to buy one after another without such a device. Bad faith from my perspective. Now I'll look for another series to invest my time and money in.
October 9, 2018
This book started differently - with author going into way more detail into all the work going on in Baalkpan. None of his earlier novels in this series go into so much secifics. It wasn't too bad but it surely felt different, specially because it was all lumped together - down to the details of working on laiths. But the story moved out of it, and we finally get to see what makes this whole series so interesting - the perfect pace of story development. This is one of the strongest points about author's writing styles - he keeps the story moving at a pace that feels just right. Silva seems to be becoming a bit more super-human but maybe that's all part of a long plan, some of which was visible towards the end of the book.
Overall, a decent addition to the series.
Overall, a decent addition to the series.
April 24, 2020
Some good, some bad, flat ending.
Easily summed up; first act a dull recapitulation of the first 3 novels, middle act good, third act a bit deflating.
Four novels in and Anderson still cannot shake the habit of having every character start dialogue multiple times apiece with the word BESIDES. Nor can he abate the lamentable habit of having everyone shake their heads half a dozen times each in the course of the story. At least half a dozen.
Aside from these stylistic problems, there's enough to keep me going. Anderson retains his ability to weave in little historical matters and what ifs into an intriguing tapestry.
Easily summed up; first act a dull recapitulation of the first 3 novels, middle act good, third act a bit deflating.
Four novels in and Anderson still cannot shake the habit of having every character start dialogue multiple times apiece with the word BESIDES. Nor can he abate the lamentable habit of having everyone shake their heads half a dozen times each in the course of the story. At least half a dozen.
Aside from these stylistic problems, there's enough to keep me going. Anderson retains his ability to weave in little historical matters and what ifs into an intriguing tapestry.
March 31, 2018
Having successfully defended against the swarm of Grik, the Destroyermen turn their focus on going on the offensive. While investigating, taking back, and mopping up forward positions treachery at home from a faction of the descendants of the first tail-less ones results in the kidnapping of the little Princess, Silva, and Captain Reddy's fiancé.
Walker is is refloated, refit, and mounted with newly designed air support, along with their newest ally, gives chase to the traitors to the Crown.
Walker is is refloated, refit, and mounted with newly designed air support, along with their newest ally, gives chase to the traitors to the Crown.
August 17, 2023
This had been such a nerve-wrecking read. It's mostly filled with tension and despair that has kept me on edge for so long i had no choice but to keep avoiding to continue or finish it lest it drives me mad. So glad I'm done with this one now. Props tho to the ever daredevil Dennis Silva for that amazing escape plan!
Although I hated almost every moment of this book's plot, the ending's got me excited for the next installment of this series -- and i sure do hope it delivers!
Although I hated almost every moment of this book's plot, the ending's got me excited for the next installment of this series -- and i sure do hope it delivers!
January 31, 2018
This series continues to be a go to for good ole fashion adventuring! Love the all the allied characters (could care less about the Grik or anyone allied with them, though their portion of the story continues to be intriguing) I want to read the next book now but it’s time to switch gears and shift to fantasy and read the 5th book in the Wheel Of Time series!
February 27, 2018
While I love the world and characters Anderson created, I was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of detail in the first half of the book regarding the repairs of the ships and technological advances. Very technical. The second half of the book picked up the pace and ended very well leaving me eager to buy the next one.
October 21, 2018
A fun action military themed romp where the bad guys are obvious and on the verge of mustache twisting evil and the good guys are oh so good and on the side of right. You don’t need to worry about deep thinking or complex plots but it’s a lot of fun with lovable and memorable characters and an unusual story different enough form any others I’ve read to keep it interesting.
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