Josh Hayes

Given that Peter Pan was my very first crush (he could fly!), I took a chance on reading this book. It helped that the author was there to explain to me that he took quite a chance on re-telling this classic story. And he re-told it in fine, flying style. And yes, there is Dust that allows the characters to fly! We also have the story told from the multiple POV of the beloved characters: Wendy, Pan (who is not a beloved character till the end), Michael, Bell, and twins Tim and Tom. Even Lily show more is here, a fierce warrior of the Crik. Hook is a psychopathic despot, something the Disney movie failed to convey.

The main protagonist, John, comes into this story from his airplane and is swept into some form of space vortex in the very first chapter. And finds himself on a planet full of flying skiffs and transports with buildings reaching high into the sky and lots of chaos and desolation below. There is some greenspace in this world (a far cry from the map of Neverland) though it is far beyond the inhabited areas.

This books works well in blending the characters from the children's story with a more modern and futuristic setting. Bell is the crafty techno wizard who loves to tinker and creates harnesses that channel the Dust and allow people to fly. Hook has a destroyed arm because of a fight with Peter, and he exacts his revenge by turning Peter into a mindless, hate-filled version of himself. The Crik are an interspecies humanoid who have travelled to Nevaris, but Hook drives nearly all of them off-planet. Wendy also came from Earth and is drawn to Pan's charisma and derring-do, and she takes over the Lost Boys when he is overcome by Hook's evilness. Oh, and the names of Hook's main flying ships are Revenge and Pride.

What also works well is the backstory that is told starting part way through for several chapters, and then continued a couple of times more. This catches up Wendy's story with what happened before, who Pan was (the Pan we all love and adore), how Michael joined in the Lost Boys, and the utter desolation and hopelessness of the people on this planet. The Regency is the government that has, by degrees, taken over leadership of the planet, and when Hook assumes control of the Regency it becomes an authoritarian, all-watching regime. What also helps this book for a more modern audience is the adult to near-adult age of the characters, and also that none of the Nevaris characters have ever heard of the book "Peter Pan" and do not understand the references. It helps with the crossover. show less

What use is the valor of brave men in the service of evil goals? Stryker’s War is the most gut-wrenching book in the Order of Centurion series so far because it takes a good hard look at the reality that not everything that can get a soldier killed is worth dying for.

"Dear Mom and Dad,

If you are reading this, I’m not coming home."

The opening lines of each chapter of Stryker’s War are the words of a dead man. A man who clearly believed in the view of war in St. Thomas Aquinas’s show more Summa Theologica, which files war under love of neighbor. The letter writer saw his service in the Legion as a noble pursuit, ordered to the common good, the tranquillitas ordinis, the well-ordered peace. It is not enough that there is an absence of conflict. You must also see that justice be done.

Unfortunately, the Galactic Republic isn’t really in the business of dispensing justice any more.

They are still in the business of delivering a smack down to anyone who dares to defy them, which the Legion is willing and capable of supplying. Curiously, the House of Reason, and its appointed officers, do not take the Roman model of solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant. With increasing political control of the Legion, it would be easy to crush their enemies and see them driven before them, but this isn’t what we see.

"The Legion is a calling and the day I signed up, I gave my life to that calling."

I would guess the reason is two-fold: a numerous and well-equipped Legion is a more dangerous Legion, including to the House of Reason. Maybe worse, in their eyes, is that a visibly successful Legion would have greater political legitimacy. This is likely a simple matter of not enabling a likely enemy. But also, it seems that the House of Reason feels that war must be a little wicked, because it costs money.

With this two-fold reason to never really give the Legion what it wants, even as the House of Reason needs it to take care of its problems, we come to the world of Gestor. Unwilling to commit more than a platoon to fix a security problem at a valuable mining operation, everything quickly spirals out of control into one of the most epic charlie foxtrots I have ever seen.

Every Legionnaire that died felt like I lost a friend. I wanted to scream at the stupid point who wouldn’t call in close air support even to save himself. Rage boiled up against the fools who sent so many men to die because they didn’t want to show up in force. My heart broke for the insurgents too, who just wanted their fair share of the profits of their own mine, and who were getting cheated not just by the Republic, but by their underworld contacts as well.

Now I can see why so many were willing to join up with Goth Sullus, and how even the loyal remnant was willing to invoke Article 19 and go to war against the Republic. This is intolerable. Yet, this much, and worse, was tolerated nonetheless.

"There are some bad people in the galaxy, and sometimes they need to be taught a lesson. The Legion teaches that lesson well.

I might have finally met my match, but don’t want you to be sad. I stood with my brothers against evil and fought for those who couldn’t.

I only hope I made you proud."

Until the day finally came when good men could stand it no longer.

I was provided a copy of this ebook by the publisher for free. show less

I felt like this book was less edited than the previous. If you're one of those folks who can't get passed a missed word or a typo, you might want to wait and see if there's a new release. It's not over the top, the errors, but I know some folks just can't handle a single mistake (Their loss).

That said, a great third entry in this neat series re-telling the tale of Peter, Wendy and the Lost Boys.

Can't wait for the next.

This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress, Blogspot & Librarything by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission
Title: Stryker's War
Series: Galaxy's Edge: Order of the Centurion #3
Author: Josh Hayes
Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Mil-SF
Pages: 197
Words: 63.5K

Synopsis:

From Galaxysedge.fandom.com

Feel the thunder!

Stryker show more Company always brings the fight, but when they relieve embittered and embattled Republic marines, they find an enemy unwilling to stand up and face them. Tasked with protecting the Republic's interests on a mining world, the legionnaires face roadside ambushes, double-dealing locals, and constant sabotage.

And the mission isn't as straightforward as they thought it would be.

As skirmishes escalate into coordinated ambushes and assaults, two squad leaders, Talon and Lankin, are forced to chase after the sparks threatening to ignite the entire populace into a full-blown insurgency. Denied the legionnaires and resources they need to contain the situation, a single platoon fights to complete a mission requiring all of Stryker Company. The outnumbered platoon must work their way from glittering coastal ports, through steamy jungles and dust-covered mines, to find an enemy hidden seamlessly among the indigenous populace.

The cost is high; the sacrifice great...but nothing short of death itself will stop the legionnaires of Stryker Company from completing its objective. In this stand-alone tale of combat, brotherhood, and sacrifice, these legionnaires will learn what it truly means to make the ultimate sacrifices for their friends.

My Thoughts:

This Order of the Centurion sub-series is straightup Military Science Fiction without a hint of the Space Opera that I enjoy so much from Anspach and Cole.

I had the exact same issues with this book that I did with Iron Wolves. The main character/s are a bunch of worry warts with possible mental issues all the while operating in a hostile environment with idiots for bosses. I'm sure this would appeal to military vets, as it seems to be aimed at that crowd but as someone who came in on the Star Wars'ish space opera vibe for the Galaxy's Edge, this is not for me.

As such, I'm abandoning this sub-series and will start another one. Sigh, my first letdown in this series :-/

★★✬☆☆ show less