Into the Storm

April 28, 2008
Forensic archeologist Anderson uses fascinating, little-known historical details to bolster his debut tale of modern marines transported to a parallel world where dinosaurs still roam. Whisked away in the midst of battling the Japanese in the early days of WWII, Lt. Cmdr. Matt Reddy, captain of the USS Walker
, finds his ship, crew and passengers suddenly involved in a very different war between the peaceful mammalian Lemurians and the vicious, raptor-descended Grik. Reddy must support his crew through the loss of their home world, teach the Lemurians to use steel and steam and keep a sister ship, commanded by a delusional army captain, from falling into the claws of the Grik. Paying homage to such tales as A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
, Robinson Crusoe
and William R. Forstchen and Greg Morrison's Crystal Warriors
, Anderson expands on familiar concepts with high-tension nautical battles and skillful descriptions of period attitudes and dialogue.

May 15, 2008
The four-stacker destroyer, USS "Walker", played a part in World War II. Here, as Lt. Commander Matthew Patrick Reddy's first command ship, the destroyer plies the waters of the South Pacific in search of Japanese submarines. When a particularly vicious battle forces Reddy to retreat, the enemy pursues the ship through a heavy squall. Surviving the storm, the crew finds itself in strange waters, filled with monstrous fish. Likewise, dinosaurs stalk the lands known as Borneo and Madagascar. Two sentient races have evolved enough to war against each other: the catlike Lemurians and the raptorlike Grik. Reddy and his crew must choose which group to side with. Anderson's alternate history debut combines a love for military history with a keen eye for natural science. Reddy is a likable protagonist, epitomizing the best of the wartime American military. This series opener belongs in larger libraries and will appeal to fans of military sf.

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.