Fortress Frontier

**** Also posted as Guest review over at Paranormalhaven.com ****

In a rare instance, social media (don’t snicker now) will induce me to try an author I might not normally pick up on my own. Such was the case with Myke Cole’s Shadow Ops: Fortress Frontier. I’ve read and enjoyed his blog and Twitter feed, and generally have liked what he has to say. So when I was offered the chance to review the book, I promptly picked it up thinking that what I’ve read online thus far could translate into a really good book.

Colonel Alan Bookbinder is a paper pusher who has never seen combat. At the beginning of the novel, he discovers that he is a “Latent”, that is, someone who possesses magical abilities. The Colonel is whisked away from show more his family and the life he’s known to a strange realm where he lands at the Forward Operating Base Frontier. Myke Cole does an incredible job with conveying Colonel Alan Bookbinder’s confusion and fear regarding his status as a “Latent.” You really get the sense of his frustration at the non-answers that come from his doctors and the various military personnel he comes into contact with. In addition to his new status as a Latent, he keeps coming up against Camp Commandant Taylor, a man who makes it abundantly clear that he thinks Bookbinder is pretty much worthless. When all hell breaks loose and the Forward Operating Base Frontier is attacked, Alan Bookbinder has to step up and lead the soldiers at the Forward Operating Base Frontier.

One of the most satisfying parts of the novel was watching the transformation of Colonel Alan Bookbinder. He starts off as a pretty ordinary man who is very well aware of his limitations and simply does what he’s told. You see him gain the confidence as he goes through the battles, but he still is plagued with self-doubt and it makes you feel for the guy. The author does a remarkable job with communicating Bookbinder’s fears, his pride, not to mention the crippling self-doubt.

While this is a military fantasy, the jargon is kept to a minimum and there is a very handy glossary at the end of the book, which I referenced several times. The language choice is economical and smooth, and because of this, makes for a very easy read. Nothing ever feels extraneous in the book. Every word choice has a purpose and serves the narrative extremely well. My only big caveat to this novel is that I felt a little unclear as to Oscar Britton’s motivations. Because I haven’t read Control Point, the first book in the series, I was missing out on the character development of Britton, and he does take up a sizable chunk of text within Fortress Frontier. On the whole, Shadow Ops: Fortress Frontier was a fantastic adventure that had me rooting for Colonel Alan Bookbinder all throughout the book. This was my first book by Myke Cole, but it won’t be my last. show less

The big thing about over-the-top action flicks (or books like this) is that we've got heavily stereotyped hero characters from all walks of life doing heavily stereotyped things in big flashy over-the-top action scenes.

It's kinda the defining characteristic. We sometimes love to have a big steaming plate of our favorite foods over and over and over because it tastes good and it's comforting... and this is no different.

Bookbinder is a paper-pushing Officer who awakens with frighteningly powerful magics and gets sent to the front lines in the Other World. He's smart, he's flexible, and he's not willing to let obvious problems slide... like having all the supplies to the Forward Base cut off.

Of course, the only one who can reestablish show more connections is a certain AWOL soldier from the first book.

See how this works? Simple tale. Lots of flashy magics and Army Hoo-Rah, can-do attitudes, pathos, and competence versus corruption. And did I say that it's flashy? It is. Popcorn fiction.

Magic and the Army. Fast-paced, nothing really new, but still written in that shiny way that is pure edge-of-your-seat entertainment.

I liked this one a lot more than the first. :) It has a brand new problem with stereotypes, too, eschewing the whole Indian thing for a Hindu thing. *sigh* But it's hard to take any of it seriously, here, because these cardboard characters are even bigger and shinier than the ones in the first book. It's like... Wow. Look at that. Good thing they're all Nagas, right? *shakes head*

Still, don't let me get you down. It was still a great mindless action flick. :) show less

This is the second novel in the Shadow Ops series by Cole, and again, I am amazed at his writing. Like the first book followed Oscar Britton as he became 'Latent', this story tells the story of Alan Bookbinder, as he becomes 'Latent' and also continues the main story that is happening, including Britton, the FOB, etc. It almost sounds like there is too much going on, but the details are clearly explained, and the story just keeps you hooked, wondering what is going to happen next.

Even though I am not one much for heavy military reading, Cole is able to make the reader feel like they are "in the know" with military lingo and routine. What one feels he may have left out, it just isn't needed in the story. Great continuation on the story show more from the first novel, introducing a new major character, yet keeping the time line constant. Though there are small contacts with previous characters, there is not much additional detail about them, which leaves me to think that Cole did this on purpose to keep the reader focused on the new characters here. In a sense, that he will expand in more detail in a future book (s).

I greatly enjoyed this read, as much as I did the first one. At this time I know there is a third book out, and I will be reading it soon. show less

This review is written with a GPL 3.0 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 Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.com by express permission of this reviewer   Synopsis Alan Bookbinder, newly awakened Latent, is sent to the FOB and ends up dealing with the HUGE mess that Oscar Britton made in the first book.   My Thoughts Ok, I hated the first book Control Point, so much so that I just had to give Myke Cole another chance. This book was twice as good as the previous, and I still hated it, so Myke and I are done.   Thankfully, Bookbinder isn't a complete and utter selfish douchebag like show more Oscar Britton. He starts out a spineless wimp, but soon is forced to grow one just to survive. I like that, a lot.   But the mess Oscar created when he released the witch ends up in the total destruction of the base and an untold number of deaths of the soldiers based there. Oscar, and Bookbinder, are right that the system needs changing, quickly. But Oscar isn't the one to do it. He's an unreliable dick. And worse, he's so gullible that he puts everyone who trusts him in danger.   If this had been the first book in the series, I might have stuck around, as I found Bookbinder to be the responsible kind even if not confident. I like the idea, which to be honest is really just "X-Men: In Real Life", but not the characters. So I'm not going to spend any more time on this. I gave Cole his second chance and I didn't find it compelling enough. Too little too late.   Rating: 2 of 5 Stars   Author: Myke Cole " show less

Second book in the Shadow Ops series consumed! Another wild ride, though a little more fragmented than the first. It makes sense later in the book. The first quarter of the book, we get to know Bookbinder. A pencil pusher dropped in at the deep end when he discovers he's not like everybody else. We reconnect with Britton and his gang later in the book and there are some pretty cool twists in there.
Did I mention there are snakes? Lots and lots of snakes. And goblins.
Off to read the third book now. :)

Very enjoyable. I much prefered the Colonel Bookbinder storyline over the Oscar Britton storyline. I don't much like the Britton character. I think he comes off as whiny (maybe?)

This series is getting really good. Myke Cole really took the story off and made it incredibly interesting. The first book was good, but this book is so much better. The writing is better, the relationships among characters are better, and the action is better. I'm really glad he put in a second main protagonist as it really opened up the story and let you see a different angle on how magic in the military would be perceived. This book really sets it up for the last book and it seems like the series should have a very exciting ending.