|
| The Weapon | 
| Author: Michael Z. Williamson
Publisher: Baen
Category: Book
List Price: $7.99
Buy Used: $0.01
You Save: $7.98 (100%)
New (27) Collectible (1) from $1.97
Avg. Customer Rating:  27 reviews
Sales Rank: 278947
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 656
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 6.5 x 4.2 x 1.4
ISBN: 1416521186
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9781416521181
ASIN: 1416521186
Publication Date: March 27, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Help save a tree. Buy all your used books from Green Earth Books. Read -> Recycle -> Reuse!
|
| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 1-5 of 27 | | NEXT » |
 Mission to Earth May 15, 2008
29 out of 29 found this review helpful
The Weapon (2005) is the second SF novel in the Freehold series, following Freehold. In the previous volume, the UN lost the war, but tried to manipulate the peace talks. Colonel Naumann reminded them that Sidney was still standing, but that he had a team nearby.
Kendra Pacelli was awarded a Citizen's Medal for her actions on Braided Ridge. Marta received a Valorous Service Medal. Then Robert McKay was found alive, but with an unknown nanotech ailment.
In this novel, Kenneth Chinran enlisted in the Freehold Military Forces to get away from home. He was a teenager -- by standard time -- and he thought that his homelife was intolerably oppressive, so he joined the military. What a mistake!
Ken soon learned that the military could be capricious as well as oppressive and intolerable, but he grew to like it. He signed up for combat communications, but the FMF looked at his test scores and convinced him to switch to Black Ops. Special Warfare training was risky, with various forms of death and injury expected. Naturally, he survived and became an Operative.
While in basic training, Ken met Denise Harlett and developed a hard core of lust. After graduation from basic, the couple requited their lust and became friends. Ken served with Deni off and on for several years.
Deni had no desire to return to her parents, so the pair took their first offpost liberty at Ken's home. While visiting his family, Ken found he was out of sync with his parents and other relatives. Somehow he had been molded into the military mindset.
In this story, Ken and Deni report to Black Operations Team Three for their duty assignments. Unluckily, the Captain of Team Three -- Alan David Naumann -- had just grabbed the command slot of the Third Mobile Assault Regiment. While this situation was not rare, the other officers within the Third Mob were rather perturbed by this promotion.
Being assigned to the Team didn't mean that their training was done. FMF troops are constantly acquiring other qualifications. Both Ken and Deni were sent to NCO Leadership School and other courses.
They also had offworld duties. First Ken and two others were sent to Chersonesus to audit their Army Advanced Combat Assault Course. Then Ken and Deni were sent to Caledonia for embassy duty.
This tale leads up to the war with Earth. Ken, Deni and other operatives are residing -- under cover identities -- on Earth when the war starts. They cause tremendous damage to the Earth infrastructure as payback for the UN atrocities on Grainne.
This story overlaps the first novel, starting earlier, but ending at about the same time. Several characters also appear in both novels, including the main protagonists. However, the most important person in both books is Naumann, who becomes acting Commander of all FMF units during the war with Earth.
Highly recommended for Williamson fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of close combat, political intrigue and supertough troopers.
-Arthur W. Jordin
 Just read the first chapter then put it back on the shelf. May 8, 2008
0 out of 4 found this review helpful
As I often do, when I picked up this book off the shelf in the bookstore, I read the first few pages to determine if I liked the writing style, the plot start, etc. The book immediately grabbed me so I purchased it.
At the end of the first action-packed chapter, the wind falls right out of the sails. It took me a long time, but I did finally finish the book, force-feeding this drivel into my brain. I kept hoping it would get better. It never did.
It's hard to pin down the problem because the protagonist *could* have been someone really interesting. He just wasn't. At all. He was selfish, childish, violent, judgemental, cocky and unfair. Not even a little likeable. But that's not the worst part. A few talented writers can still coax engagement from the reader for a protagonist that isn't the typical "good guy." Sadly, this is not one of those examples.
The pacing of the book was another major downfall. There were literally three--maybe four--chapters in this book that were somewhat exciting, inspired and worth reading. Every other chapter was the vapid, unintelligent word-vomit of an angry id.
This book was either written by a really talented 8th grader, or a really untalented 30-year old. Either way, it's an excercise in frustration.
Do yourself a favor and just read the first chapter in the bookstore. Then put it back on the shelf and walk away knowing that you got out of it the same amount of enjoyment I did (perhaps more), even though I read the whole thing.
Firewood December 30, 2007
4 out of 7 found this review helpful
If you want firewood, don't buy this book. Firewood is much cheaper and more environmentally friendly.
The writer is quite accomplished, but the story is just revolting in it's justification of massmurder.
Stories depicting a utopian US-analog fighting a dystopian Europe-analog are quite common and can sometimes be entertaining despite the fact that I'm a Swede. This book does not fall into this category!
Wow! July 8, 2007
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is an engrossing read right from page one until the last page...and I did not even particularly care for the ending! It is well written, humorous, scathing on occasion and just plain fun to read.
The story is one of a soldier. He decided to become a soldier so that he can get away from home. He finds he has a talent for mayhem and is recruited into special operations where he excels, becoming a noncom and, eventually, an officer. His planet is one that broke away from the United Nations and declared independence. This particularly infuriates the UN because the planet seems so successful while Earth and the UN are weighed down by bureaucratic stupidity. The existence of such a successful free planet is viewed as a threat.
This is where our soldier comes into his own. He and his team have a deep cover on earth. When the UN invades his home planet, their job is to bring earth society down around its bureaucratic ears.
This has been a much simplified synopsis. The entire book is worth the read.
Combines Heinlein and Marcinko June 6, 2007
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is one book I enjoy reading over and over. The author makes the characters believable and the narrative is well-done. I did find some parallels between what the main character (Chinran) says about terrorists and find it exactly in sync with what Dick Marcinko thinks of them in his 'Rogue Warrior' series. Not surprising as both authors were both in the military and walked the walk.
|
|
|
Wildlife, nature and the Environment
Sponsored Links
Learn how to get your own Amazon Book shop | |
