Crusade

August 11, 2008
Anderson raises the stakes for Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Reddy and the crew of the USS Walker
in this dramatic sequel to 2008’s Into the Storm
. The sailors and marines become further enmeshed in the politics of the parallel Earth into which their WW2 destroyer has mysteriously been transported. As they deal out rough justice to miscreants in the ranks and prepare their pacifist Lemurian allies to fight the Grand Swarm of the reptilian Grik, they in turn must face their own worst nightmare: the appearance of a Japanese battle cruiser. Anderson throws in tense land battles against overwhelming odds, a massive typhoon and a phenomenal aerial duel, but despite the pyrotechnics, at heart this novel is about how honor and ideals can bend or break under the stressful, life-and-death conditions of total war.

Starred review from September 1, 2008
The second adventure of Lieutenant Commander Matthew Reddy and the good crew of Asiatic Fleet destroyer Walkerswept from World War II into an alternate world as violent as the one they leftis even better than the excellent Into the Storm (2008). They and their catlike Lemurian allies sail to rescue a nearby kingdom threatened by the lizardlike Grik. The people there are in the middle of a succession crisis, which keeps them from doing much to help themselves. The only good news comes from finding the other U.S. destroyer that crossed over, the Mahan, and the support of a Lemurian warrior queen, who, with her magnificent coat of black fur, is a notable addition to sfs gallery of her profession. Not so good is the Griks ace in the hole: the Japanese battle cruiser Amagi, which also crossed over, and whose captain is bent on vengeance. Damaged though she is, the Amagi is the most powerful weapon now in this strange alternate world, so when the Grik move, the action becomes bloodier and more intense. What will happen in the forthcoming Maelstrom is anybodys guess, though there will surely be more of the best felinoids since Andre Norton at her best, more intelligent action, more skillful handling of a very large cast, and an obstinately maintained refusal to slow the pace.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)