Whilst the two Athenian phalanxes are proceeding slowly but surely (the insides of the shields are currently drying) I have been catching up on my reading pile, a paper mountain that rivals the lead and plastic mountains!Recent titles include the first two Oathsworn books by Robert Low, The Whale Road and The Wolf Sea, the first of Jack Campbell's new Lost Fleet series, Dreadnaught, and I'm now immersed in the fourth of Alex Scarrow's young adult Time Rider series.
Alex Scarrow (brother of Simon) has wriiten four books in the series centred around a team of three young people rescued from the point of death by a mysterious stranger to work for a secret time agency (who they have no contact with), tasked with protecting the timeline from change and fixing time slips that occur.
For young adult books they are certainly well written and hugely enjoyable and the concepts Scarrow covers superb. The first in the series, Time Riders deals with changes that occur during WW2 but has two timeslips that will appeal to Weird War Two fans and post-apocalyptic zombie ones.
Book two, Day of the Predator, is a bit Jurassic Park but has enough going for it and develops well as it progresses.
The Doomsday Code, book three, concerns itself with the mysterious Voynich Manuscript and the dispute between Prince John and King Richard fresh back from the Crusades (and questions the historical picture of both).The fourth one of the series, that I am currently reading, The Eternal War, is set during a timeslip that has resulted in an American Civil War that has lasted over one hundred years and is a wonderful C21st Steampunk world with giant zeppelins, land ironclads, eugenic creations etc. all great inspiration for VSF wargamers (some of the historical points of divergence are quite interesting as well).
Overall, despite being young adult books, if you are young at heart I think you'll enjoy these and they are great to share with any children in the family. All have tons of gaming ideas, especially for skirmish games, to boot.
I read the first book a couple of years ago, I was halfway through when the lightbulb switched on and I realised it wasn't an adult book. I still enjoyed it though, didn't know there's another three books, I may have to give them a go. I do expect to see it made into a film one day.
ReplyDeleteThe Lad has enjoyed the Time Riders: Day of the Predator, I'm glad you liked the Oathsworn, and I'm very excited with new adventures from Black Jack Geary (loved the first series)
ReplyDeleteYou got good taste Steve. Believe it or not the wife is reading these books and can't put them down. Maybe, just maybe, she's caught the bug lol.
ReplyDelete