SFF

War Dogs

by Greg Bear
Orbit: Hachette. (War Dogs, Bk. 1). Oct. 2014. 304p. ISBN 9780316072830. $25; ebk. ISBN 9780316335768. SF
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Master Sgt. Michael Venn is back from the battlefields of Mars. Skyrines like Venn had been sent from Earth to the red planet because visiting aliens called Gurus, who gave humans technological advances, had promised more in exchange for our help fighting an enemy who has taken up a proverbial beachhead on Mars. Venn will have to deal with rogue separatist colonists and fellow soldiers with mysterious orders on top of dealing with an opponent known only as the Antagonists.
VERDICT There are things to like here, such as the tense setup of Venn returning with a story that he slowly unspools to a woman back on Earth, some excellent military action, and marine camaraderie. But as the narrative finally picks up speed, it also loses coherence, and Bear (Darwin's Radio; Hull Three Zero) chose to have his Martian colonists speak in a thick, made-up dialect that wears out its welcome fast.
Reviewed by Megan M. McArdle , Sep 15, 2014
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