David Poyer
Whenever I review one of Poyer’s Dan Lenson books I always say how much I like them. Well, this is no exception. As usual with the Lenson books, it’s not just a techno-thriller: it’s a book about people. Oh, there’s also an epidemic in this one – I’m glad I read it before the coronavirus hit.
David Poyer
This, like all of Poyer’s Dan Lenson books, is a good read. The series has become more near-future semi-SciFi than contemporary techno thriller since he embarked on his war with China story arc.
David Poyer
I know I’m repeating myself, but: I like all of Poyer’s Dan Lenson novels and this is another hit in the series.
David Poyer
I’ve enjoyed all of Poyer’s Dan Lenson series and this is no exception. “Onslaught” continues the war with China story arc that began with “Tipping Point: The War With China – The First Salvo“.
The good news is that this is another Dan Lenson book and Poyer’s protagonist remains believable, imperfect, and introspective; those are all uncommon traits among military thriller genre heroes. The not-so-good news is that “Tipping Point” ends almost randomly. The tortured subtitle hints that this is the beginning of a new story arc. Leaving plot threads open as a setup for future books is fine, but I prefer series books to have an identifiable beginning and end.
I was glad Poyer put his fictional naval officer Dan Lenson back on board ship after the previous book in the series. Poyer is at his best when dealing with character and the problems of command; here he’s playing to his strengths.
Poyer puts his hero Dan Lenson in the Pentagon on 9/11 and Lenson’s wife in the World Trade Center. Afterwards Lenson and his wife are both caught up in the country’s response. Like the other books in the series, it’s above average modern military fiction, but merging the Lensons’ fictional timeline into real world events feels a little forced.
Poyer shows his versatility in this book of the Dan Lenson series. Its predecessor was a solid techno-thriller but this is more of a geo-political novel about a fictional African nation (think Yemen) on the verge of becoming a failed state. Lenson takes back seat to several other characters’ – both American and African – stories. The variety of characters and complexity of the plot makes it stand out from other novels in the modern military fiction genre.
Poyer’s protagonist, Dan Lenson, returns, this time to obtain a deadly carrier-threatening new torpedo. The action moves briskly from Russia to the Philippines to Iraq. Lenson’s that rare thriller hero who acts more like a human than a comic book character.
I enjoy Poyer’s “Tales of the Modern Navy” series because, unlike most military fiction, it’s not jingoistic. However, this one, unlike thelast one, is only a fair seagoing adventure. Poyer’s main character (Dan Lenson) is detached to the Korean navy as a wargame evaluator, there’s bad weather, and the North Koreans get aggressive. There’s nothing wrong with the book, it just isn’t terribly exciting.
