Thomas F. (hardtack) - , reviewed on 4/7/2012 + 2569 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

There is nothing so rewarding as good old-fashioned space opera. I read on the Amazon site that if you like Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers and Joe Halderman's The Forever War, you will like Robert Buettner' Orphanage. And this is true, at least for me.

In some respects, this book duplicates the story of Heinlein's Mobile Infantry training, although not as well or as long. But then I wonder if any other author could beat Heinlein at that.

Told from the perspective of a young man who had the choice of jail or the army, this novel takes us to the far reaches of the solar system to defeat the "Slugs" who are attempting to destroy the human species.

The humor in the book helps the narrative move along. I finished this in less that a day and have the next two of this five-part series already on request. And the emphasis is on leadership, something that thrilled me as a young Marine lieutenant.

If you like military space opera that won't make you lie awake at night contemplating its dark side, this series is for you. At the same time, expect some of your favorite characters to die. After all, it is a war between species. One or the other will survive. The losing species will be history.

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