Into the Storm

Destroyermen, Book 1

By: Taylor Anderson

Narrated by: William Dufris

Length: 16 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

Pressed into service when World War II breaks out in the Pacific, the USS Walker---a Great-War vintage "four-stacker" destroyer---finds itself in full retreat from pursuit by Japanese battleships. Its captain, Lieutenant Commander Matthew Patrick Reddy, knows that he and his crew are in dire straits. In desperation, he heads Walker into a squall, hoping it will give them cover---and emerges somewhere else.

Familiar landmarks appear, but the water teems with monstrous, vicious fish. And there appear to be dinosaurs grazing on the plains of Bali. Gradually Matt and his crew must accept the fact that they are in an alternate world---and they are not alone. Humans have not evolved, but two other species have. And they are at war.

With its steam power and weaponry, the Walker's very existence could alter the balance of power. And for Matt and his crew, who have the means to turn a primitive war into a genocidal Armageddon, one thing becomes clear: They must decide whose side they're on. Because whoever they choose to side with is the winner.

Battle stations! Listen to more in the Destroyermen series.

©2008 Taylor Anderson (P)2008 Tantor

I am 'Reddy' for more!!!

I initially thought that I was going to dislike William Dufris' narration, but by the time I was 10 minutes into the tale I was of an entirely different opinion. He did a great job of differentiating the characters. The story is fast paced and full of twist and turns. I loved this first book; and I will be buying this series up just, as fast as, I can afford them, by all means available.

..wouldn't want to be on this ship

What did you love best about Into the Storm?

Characters are portrayed realistically by both the story and the narrator.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The ship's captain shoulders his burdens with insight, and just the right mix of compassion and authority.

What about William Dufris’s performance did you like?

He evoked the characters' temperaments with great realism.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

amusing amorous scene between a boatswain's mate and a Lemurian

Any additional comments?

1. Some nautical words are not pronounced correctly (in particular: forecastle) - not a show stopper but annoying.

2. The ending leaves you hanging a bit too much. Most possibilities are rather grim.

The cover is a little misleading

Story - First off, I am one of the few females reviewing this book and I thought it was very good. Second, only about the first 20% of the story is battle engagement (like on the cover.) The rest is what the destroyermen find after they emerge from the squall and the challenges they face in their new world. They find several new species and become involved in battles between two of them, but if you're looking for lots of engagements between destroyers at sea, etc., you might be disappointed.

The story is interesting and unusual. There is action and suspense, but not the edge-of-your seat kind. The characters are smart and likeable, but unfortunately I never really got emotionally involved with them. (That would have made the story so much better!)

The book ends at a good "stopping point" as opposed to a cliffhanger ending, but there is much to look forward to in future books. I don't plan to listen to the entire series, but I will definitely pick up an occasional book when Audible has one on sale.

Narration - Good job, but nothing special.

Overall - Recommended, especially if you like hearing about fictitious new creatures and their way of life. And this is not just for guys...

Destroyermen and The Lost Regiment

Wow, this is a great series but I'm surprised nobody's mentioned the similarities between the Destroyermen series and the Lost Regiment series by William Forstchen.

The parallels are too close to ignore. USS Walker lost in a weird storm and comes out in an alternate Earth. The 35th Maine regiment on a ship lost in a weird storm comes out in an alternate planet. Lt Commander Reddy of the USS Walker in total command of allied forces, Colonel Keane of the 35th Maine in total command of allied forces. "Cats" joining the ranks of the USS Walker, RUS joining the ranks of the 35th Maine. The traitor Capt. Tobias and his LT remaining loyal to Keane. The traitor Capt. Kaufman and his LT remaining loyal to Reddy. The woman nurse attracted to Reddy. The woman nurse attracted to Keane. The monsters eating people in both books...SGT Major Schuder made a general to train the locals in The Lost Reg. SGT Adler made a general to train the locals in Destroyermen. Overwhelming numers of enemy hordes in both series. "Cats" learning english better than the humans learning the cat tongue. The Rus and others learning English better than Keane and Co.

Still it's a great and entertaining story but completely lifted...Not Exaclty the same but c'mon...Anyone who's read The Lost Regiment Series will recognize it immediately...

If you loved the lost regiment, you'll love this series!!

GOT STUCK!!!

Very popular in modern Sci fi idea of shifting into parallel universe during WW2 just caught me off balance.
I read all 7 books in the series available at the moment and it still keeps my attention sharp and focused so I greedily expect book 8.

NEXT BOOK IS "Storm Surge" Expected publication: July 2nd 2013

Not bad not great

I find little to recommend here except that it is action-packed. For me, there needs to be much more. It was not badly written nor was it great. At my age, I only have time for the great ones. I was not blown away by anything unique or compelling. I was not drawn to any of the characters particularly. The plot was predictable and not once was I surprised by the story or the characters. This is only the first book in a series and perhaps things get better but I will not get sucked into that trap again. I read through 4 of Robert Jordan's Wheel of TIme series before I realized things never got better than the first book.

If you're just looking to kill time, it's not a bad book but there are plenty of great ones I haven't gotten to yet.

enough

It's the first book of a series I won't be pursuing. The premise has run far enough in this 3-part narrative for me: the initial engagement of the absurd premise has worn off, and the promise of upcoming conflicts with the coming-to-focus distant enemy doesn't, for me, promise enough to make me continue.

Loved it

Good read. Didn't like the narration at first, but it improved quickly enough. I'm buying the next one.

Great!!

This is a great story with wonderful characters. I really enjoyed it! I am always so hesitant to buy books by authors that I havn't read before but I'm glad I took a chance on this one.

Into the Storm a great listen!

Taylor Anderson spins a great story with plenty of action and adventure. William Dufris' narration makes the characters jump to life. Excellent!