This Week's Double Bill. . .
Obligations
This latest outing into the
Caine Riordan universe – written by Kevin Ikenberry – focuses on the
experiences of Captain Hubert –Bo– Moorefield and his taskforce, who have set
up shop at Camp Stark, a Forward Operating Base on the border of the Haman
desert region of R’bak, in anticipation of the arrival of Lieutenant Harold
Tapper and his Sarmatchani strike force. Tapper and his team had previously
liberated a considerable vehicle cache and other operational supplies from
their J’strull enemies, and are being pursued. It’s Moorefield’s job to make
sure the strike force and their contraband are taken in to safe custody.
There you have the premise of
a gritty little tale that’s bound to please, especially as Murphy’s Law runs
rampant, and things don’t go to plan.
I won’t say anything further
about the story ark, as – for me at any rate – that’s not what this visit to
R’bak is really about. No, what I particularly liked about Ikenberry’s approach
was its emphasis on the psychological cost facing those soldiers who serve
their country and/or end up having to go to war.
Yes, there’s action aplenty.
(This is a story within the Caine Riordan universe after all.) And its well
written. But as a veteran who has seen action in a number of different theaters
around the world, I really appreciated the subtle reminder we get of the other,
often hidden war that goes on inside the minds of those who give their all to
keep us safe. That war can make you bleed. It hurts. It inflicts injuries just
as real, just as debilitating as the ‘real thing.’ And the emotional impact on
those you’ve left behind?
In Bo Moorefield’s case, he
was abducted from earth and put into cryogenic sleep in 1992, on the very day
he received a ‘Dear John’ letter from his wife, Sharon. We explore his feelings
about that. After all, he wakes up one hundred and thirty years later on a very
different world, countless millions of miles away, and is completely helpless
to do anything about it. He can’t call. He can’t write. He can’t offer to sit
down and talk things through to see if there’s any chance of a reconciliation.
No, it’s a past event; long-gone history by the time he realizes what’s
happened, and he has to carry that burden into battle.
But how does it affect him?
His outlook? His capacity to relate to others effectively? His ability to take
command and make effective, objective decisions? Is he still capable of
inspiring those he leads? Because don’t forget, he’s not the only one dealing
with ghosts of the past, and the J’strull aren’t going to give up their assets
without one hell of a fight!
Yes, there’s a witch’s brew
of trouble fomenting, and its up to Bo Moorefield to prioritize his obligations
and find a solution before it’s too late.
A thoughtful and evocative
tale about what soldiers on the frontline have to contend with.
Man-Eater
When it comes to the Lost
Soldiers of the Caine Riordan universe, you’re guaranteed to meet a wide
variety of individuals. Technical and combat specialists. Heroes. Professionals
in their fields. People who were no doubt greatly missed when tragedy struck,
snatching them away from their loved ones and through time and space, only for
them to end up fighting someone else’s war. And this latest adventure –
Man-Eater, by Griffin Barber – is no different. . .
Except that it IS.
How?
Warrant Officer Chalmers is
something of a maverick, a former criminal investigation specialist gone bad.
He crossed one too many lines and was being shipped back home to face the
consequences of his crimes. But he never does, at least, not on Earth, for he
wakes up 130 years later where everything has changed. His world. His
situation. His prospects.
And THAT forms the crux of
our story.
Have the sins of Chalmers’
past followed him into the future? Can he be trusted? Does he deserve a second
chance? A chance to do better? To become a different person?
We find out, for Chalmers has
been tasked to investigate a suspected crime ring operating among the local
J’strull satraps of R’bak. Their activities not only threaten the Lost
Soldiers’ overall objectives on the planet, but the lives of their allies too.
In particular, Chalmers is expected to identify the leaders, root out their
strongholds among the local communities, and locate contraband tech they might
tip the balance of power throughout the region.
How does this shamed soldier
fare?
You’ll find Man-Eater a
rather cautionary tale, as Chalmers ends up fighting as much against his
ingrained behavioral patterns as he does the alien expectations, language and
customs he’s been thrown in amongst. It makes for inciteful, painful reading,
because even when a person wants to change; indeed, is genuinely determined to
change, old habit die hard. And as the story arc so poignantly expresses,
Chalmers is his own worst enemy.
A thoroughly absorbing story that adds a greater depth to an ever-growing universe.
