Manxome Foe [Mass Market Paperback]

I found this to be a VERY fast-paced book that never let up from beginning to end. The story of the second voyage of the Alliance Star Ship "Vorpal Blade" was, if anything, even more exciting and danger-filled than the first one, and that was superb.

If you've read the earlier books, you'll already know the characters and basic background, but if not, there's enough in this to catch up in a hurry. I call it "space opera", which Wikipedia defines as "a subgenre of speculative fiction or science fiction that emphasizes romantic, often melodramatic adventure, set mainly or entirely in space, generally involving conflict between opponents possessing powerful (and sometimes quite fanciful) technologies and abilities. Perhaps the most significant trait of space opera is that settings, characters, battles, powers, and themes tend to be very large-scale."

I couldn't describe this book better if I tried. I liked the action, I liked the people, I liked the science, and I found the last third of the book utterly impossible to put down. I can't wait for the sequel, "Claws That Catch", which is due out in November 2008.

Given all that, though, this one gets only four stars for two reasons:

1. Two major characters from Vorpal Blade (Looking Glass) who are so important that the survival of the UNIVERSE depends on them are completely missing in action.

and

2. There's a new character you get to meet, know, and like a heckuva lot in the first half of the book who completely disappears from the story for about the last hundred pages. Where'd he go?

I still recommend this book highly, even with the above. It was fun.

This is an excellent addition to a really great series of books. (See also "Into the Looking Glass," by John Ringo and "Vorpal Blade," by John Ringo and Travis Taylor.) Once I started reading, I literally stayed up all night to finish. (After watching the SuperBowl. Monday really sucked.) The story takes an old SF workhorse, mankind facing imminent doom from alien invaders, and has it running like Secretariat. The characters are engaging, the writing is smooth, and the science didn't have my physicist wife rolling her eyes every chapter. I highly recommend the entire series. This is as good as space opera gets.

Manxome Foe (2008) is the third SF novel in the William Weaver series, following The Vorpal Blade. In the previous volume, the converted submarine flitted around exploring various planets with little luck and numerous casualties. Then they reached the forested moon of Endor. There the crew were attacked by various types of demons, including spacefaring dragonflies with laser emitting eyes.

The Vorpal Blade crew also found nonhostile sapient aliens who looked like oversized chinchillas. The locals were also being attacked by the demons and asked for assistance from the crew. Eventually, the locals -- with a little help from Miriam -- saved themselves and the humans from the demons.

In this novel, William Weaver is enjoying a little vacation after the refitting of the Vorpal Blade when he is recalled for an emergency meeting in Norfolk. A scientific expedition had been sent to an interstellar planet via a Looking Glass Boson gate. Apparently the base had been attacked with kinetic missiles.

A major explosion had been detected from Earthside and a response team dispatched to the site. The team found the base destroyed, but did not find any living thing -- human or alien -- on the other side. As usual in a Dreen attack, even the bodies were missing. The gate was then destabilized with a small nuke and moved to the Antarctic secure area.

The Vorpal Blade is being sent to conduct a more thorough investigation of the incident. Unfortunately, the warpship will take up to thirty days to cover the five hundred and fourteen lightyears to the planet. All personnel are recalled and the ship is secured for takeoff.

In this story, the lost crewmembers have been replaced with more of the same type. William Weaver is still the Astrogator on the Vorpal Blade. He is also the science officer and general font of information on spatial affairs. Captain Blankemeier -- Spectre -- remains in command, but a new Executive Officer and Commander of Space Marines have been added. Other crewmembers have been replaced and several have been promoted.

Only five marines survived the first voyage. Eric Bergstresser is now a Sargeant and has received the Navy Cross. Two Guns has become a legend among the Space Marines.

Berg also has a new girlfriend. She knows about the casualty rate on the first voyage and is concerned for his safety. He is reluctant to become involved with anyone because of his risky profession, but what can one do when true love hits?

Since the mission doesn't involve spatial exploration like the first voyage, the scientific team is left behind. Only the Special Forces team and Miriam Moon -- the linguist -- are going along. The outward flight is very boring to Miriam, so she wrangles herself into the maintenance crew, doing low priority repairs. The crew already had a high opinion of her talents, but these newly demonstrated capabilities won their hearts and souls.

The nonmaterial hitchhiker in the waste-heat system finds a new home on the outward trip. During a chill cycle, it detects the mind of Miriam and moves into her brain. She starts hearing a voice in her head, but works harder to distract herself. Then it starts making sense.

This tale takes the Vorpal Blade to the destroyed camp, where they find one survivor. Then they begin looking for the attacker. In their investigations, they come upon evidence of a spacebattle and three stranded alien survivors. They also find the remains of Dreen ships.

The previous novel was a story of space exploration, but this story is more space opera with a hard SF background. The Vorpal Blade crew finds their ship to have definite deficiencies in their battles with the Dreen foe. Fortunately, the friendly aliens have some equipment which increases their effectiveness.

The next volume in this series is Claws That Catch. Enjoy!

Highly recommended for Ringo & Taylor fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of space battles, alien contact, and a touch of romance.

-Arthur W. Jordin