I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Rising Tides
by
Taylor Anderson
military science fiction, parallel world in Hardcover edition that was published by ROC on February 1, 2011 and has 433 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Firestorm, Iron Gray Sea, Storm Surge, Straits of Hell, Deadly Shores, Blood in the Water, Devil's Due, River of Bones, Pass of Fire
p>Fifth in the Destroyermen military science-fiction series that takes place in a parallel world between our Earth’s American men and their destroyer, the USS Walker, and their many and varied allies against a horrifying set of enemies.
My Take
Oh man, this is a fascinating tale. Anderson keeps me churning through the book as fast as I can…I just have to know what’ll happen next! I love the cultural misunderstandings as well as the meshing that occurs. It’s always a treat to see our own perceptions stood on their heads when we get a new perspective from an alien culture…and not all alien cultures are real aliens!
The mechanical and engineering work on the Walker. The strategy of battle and weapons deployment. Coping with the natural disasters that Talaud keeps trying to throw at them as well as the typhoons. Then there’s the geography. It’s like and, yet, not like their Pacific. The Philippines are there as are the Hawaiian Islands. Java. Ceylon. India. But the contours and size are not the same. The Marshall Islands aren’t there. Atolls and islands Matt was aware of are no longer in existence or they’re smaller/bigger. The people Matt and his crew have met so far are either ‘Cats or Griks. There’s a “dame famine” on. The industrial infrastructure Matt is used to…has to be built up from scratch by his people and the ‘Cats, so it’s an interesting meld of technologies.
Most of the story revolves around the Alliance (Matt) meeting the Imperials (Jenks) as they attempt to thwart the Company’s treason on outlying islands and finally, at their home base.
There is not much exposure to the Grik story in Rising Tides. Just enough to worry the reader as to what their new plans might be against the ‘Cats and Americans.
If you enjoy military fiction, read Taylor Anderson’s Destroyermen. You will not regret it!!
A Bit of Back Story
In the first book, Into the Storm, 1, Walker and Mahan are American battleships being chased by the Amagi, a Japanese destroyer [it’s shortly after the bombing at Pearl Harbor] when a massive storm comes up at sea swallowing all three ships and spitting them out in a totally new Earth. Oh, they’re still in the Pacific…but it sure ain’t Kansas, Toto. One bit of luck is that all three ships are spewed out in different parts of the Pacific, which allows them to get their bearings and have wild adventures…including, meeting the Grik and the ‘Cats. Lemurians if we’re gonna be proper about it. Over the centuries, the Grik and the Lemurians have fought usually resulting in the Lemurians fleeing in their sailing Homes. The Americans and their ships change all this leading to a firm alliance between the two races.
The destroyermen have had losses and the ‘Cats are more than willing to learn so by this point, Walker‘s crew is about half and half…less and more. In Distant Thunders, 4, we encountered the Imperials led by Commodore Jenks. The Imperials are former Englishmen who were caught up in a similar storm several hundred years ago and have since built up their own empire.
The American personnel and friends kidnapped by the Company — Sandra, DaSilva, Princess Rebecca, Lawrence, Sister Audrey, Abel Cook, Stuart Brassey, and Captain Lelaa in Distant Thunders — have “rescued” themselves blowing the Ajax up in the process but are in a bit of a pickle stranded on an island with three Imperial soldiers with huge carnivorous beasties about to descend on them. Their main concern is to find a way through the breakwaters that seem to surround the island.
The Story
There’s fighting on many fronts: Admiral Keje-Fris-Ar and his fleet intend to try some new tactics out on Rangoon and rout the Grik there before they attack Ceylon. Lieutenant Laumer has set sail with the USS Toolbox to find and repair the submarine, S-19, where this universe’s version of Krakatoa is about to blow while Lt. Commander Russ Chapelle and Major Ben Mallory are searching for the Santa Catalina to recover the crates of P40-Es and guns the Mice found.
Meanwhile, Captain Reddy has set sail with a small fleet along with the Imperial fleet led by Commodore Jenks in search of the kidnappers…and they’ve found ’em. Heh-heh-heh…
The Characters
Matthew Reddy is the captain of the USS Walker, High Chief of the American Clan, and Supreme Commander of all military forces united beneath he Banner of the Trees. He and Sandra have been in love since book one and her kidnapping…well, let’s just say any Company man will regret it. They won’t live to regret it…they’ll just regret it.
The Mice are a couple of guys who rarely emerge from the boiler room. Spanky McFarlane is the ship’s engineering lieutenant, and Tabby loves to tease him.
The ‘Cats, or Lemurians, are…
…one of the dominant species in this brave new world and, luckily for both the Americans and the ‘Cats, they’re friendly. Walker needs all the friends she can get while the ‘Cats need all the military help and instruction possible. The thing is, the ‘Cats look just like, well, cats.
Tab-At, a.k.a., “Tabby“, is a female ‘Cat adopted by the Mice and taught how to run and repair the engines. Chanka is a former wing runner and pacifist who is now one of the most fearsome of the Marines.
The Imperials are…
…the Americans’ human allies in this strange new world. Commodore Jenks was in charge of the Imperial fleet sent to rescue Princess Rebecca and has since become friends with Matt.
The Grik are…
…lizard-like sentient beings who conquer everything they see and eat everything they conquer including their own dead. General Esshk is one of the top generals for the Grik while General Halik has ascended from the ranks of the fighters.
The Griks’ Japanese allies include…
…Kurakowa is/was the captain of the Amagi and he’s in thick with the Grik. His main concern is his prestige, his survival…and screw his men. Orochi Niwa, former lieutenant of the Amagi‘s Special Naval Landing Force has been promoted to General of Hunters in the Grik army.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a bit…eeek… Actually I think it’s a collage of everything happening in Rising Tides…and, oh brother, isn’t this title apt!?? The Walker is steaming into a storm. There are pterodactyls circling in the sky while a razor-toothed sea monster rises up from the ocean and one of the precious Nancys is flaming into the water.
