Trident

The next book is now available, Trident

I joined the fighting Anthonys back in 2005 as this series began with Reaper and have watched the cast of characters grow (some seeming vaguely familiar, if only by name).

I began Trident today and after a lengthy hiatus since author Aye's last offering was happy to see him 'layout' his cast of significant characters in the preface. I wish all authors writing series over an 'extended period' would do this as it helps those "jumping into the middle of a series" (even if I consider it a "No-No"), but also those of us who read HNF as a steady diet.

I'll be back with my thoughts on Trident in a bit.

Passing Chapter 13 and I've been holding back with hopes that 'the action' would pick up and the storyline improve........but 'no such luck' at least to this point.

Somehow, I don't think that it's my 'taste in HNF' that has changed, but rather that over the years of reading and exposure to many HNF authors, I've better defined 'what I like in my HNF'...........and this, so far, is not it.

While 'family' can be an integral part of any story, I find that there's such a thing as to much family. Also, to have 'a small loyal following' can bring a story too centered on the actions of what others could rightfully deem 'a clique'. While a detriment to the actions of 'the whole' in a real military unit, I find it no less a bad example in a fictional one.

Couldn't 'hold back' on these thoughts, but will continue to read Trident and return with final comments (unless I 'just can't contain myself', which has been known to happen).

I'm sorry to hear this, Aye's last installment showed signs that he had turned a corner as a writer. I will still give it a read, but the bar will be set low I think.

This has 'truly' been a struggle, as I look at the heading of Chapter 24 and wonder "why should I go on?". As one of our shipmates said just a few days ago: "Time is precious", and with books like Sean Thomas Russell's Until the Sea Shall Give Up Her Dead sitting next in my queue of HNF waiting to be read (and hopefully enjoyed), I can see his point.

I can't remember reading an HNF novel before that had so little 'sea action' (or any action for that matter) in the first 23 Chapters. So far Trident has been no more than a 'day by day, watch by watch, hour by hour "litany" of the the daily comings and goings of a small, selected group of men. It has also been the epitome of that oft used saying: "hours and hours of sheer boredom interspersed with moments of stark terror" (sans the latter).  At its best, good HNF can be a 'page turner' and this has not yet proven to be that.