Crusade

Destroyermen, Book 2

By: Taylor Anderson

Narrated by: William Dufris

Length: 15 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

Lieutenant Commander Matthew Reddy, along with the men and women of the USS Walker, have chosen sides in a war not of their making. They have allied with the Lemurians - a mammalian race whose peaceful existence is under attack from the warlike, reptilian Grik.

The Lemurians are vastly outnumbered and ignorant of warfare, and even the guns and technology of Walker cannot turn the tide of battle. Luckily, they are not alone. Reddy finally finds Mahan, the other destroyer that passed through the rift. Together, the two American ships will teach the Lemurians to fight and stand against the bloodthirsty Grik - or so they think.

For there is another vessel that does not belong on these strange seas - the massive Japanese battle cruiser Amagi, the very ship that Walker was fleeing from when the rift took them. Like Mahan, it followed them through. And now Amagi is in the hands of the Grik.

Battle stations! Listen to more in the Destroyermen series.

©2008 Taylor Anderson (P)2008 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Dramatic.... At heart this novel is about how honor and ideals can bend or break under the stressful, life-and-death conditions of total war." ( Publishers Weekly)
"Even better than the excellent Into the Storm." --( Booklist Starred Review)

Didn't Disappoint - On to Book 3!

With the exception of one improvement the narrator makes in this book, all the glowing remarks I wrote in my review of book 1 applies here, as well.

(Ref Book 1 review: http://www.audible.com/review-by-author/ref=pd_r_p3_2_prfl?customerID=A3UMNB3LTADVXG&asin=B002V5J20G )

The improvement I noticed in this book 2 is narrator William Dufris' correction to the pronunciation of "foc'sl" (forecastle). (Yes, a small thing, but it's one of those nits that otherwise rankles some of the "saltier" Navy types.)

Now, with that correction in place, I daresay Mr. Dufris is... PERFECT. :)

On second listening of this series while I wait

this is simply an amazing series of stories that I happily am listening to again... the story still great

Well written story that leaves you hanging!

Disclaimer: I’m not a fictional reader but made an exception for this series from recommendations. The second book is like wow we have to adapt to this new world and deal with the villains that followed!

Wonderful

I don't generally listen to many books in a series since I generally find that the characters and story don't stay fresh enough to last through all of the sequels. I have listened to perhaps 4 of the Sharp books, 2 of the Lost Regiment (which this resembles to an extraordinary degree), 2 of the Lost Fleet and only the first of a lot of other series. I had not expected this to be any different, but was very pleasantly surprised.

The story of the Captain and crew of the USS Walker is alive and full of both interesting humans and Lemurians, all people about whom I have started to care. The story stays interesting and I have found that I care about their fate. This is an astonishingly good series and book and is, in my view, well worth is high star rating. I have begun to think that I will end up buying all of the books of this series because I want to know what is going to happen and this has only happened for me in one other series (The Saga Of The Seven Seas).

Great space opera here on Earth (or at least a variation thereof...).

Great story

fun twist, giving a basically worthless destroyer a chance to bring salvation to a people about to overwhelmed by barbarians...

A definite must read

Book leaves you wanting to know what happens next a wonderfully well written story that capture good imagination

Another wrinkle in an already interesting tale

This book was an excellent follow up to the first book. The narrator works very well with the material and the material is very well written. The historical accuracy of the equipment portrayed is top notch and the world that has been established in these two books is compelling and rich. This series is definitely on my recommended list!

A Fantastic Sequel to an Incredible Opening Act

Remarkable! I loved the first book and didn't expect the second to match up. However, despite unusual pacing at the start, it flew to incredible heights and left off with a great cliffhanger. Starting the next one tomorrow now that part two is over, three days after acquiring it.

Good but first book was the best

If you could sum up Crusade in three words, what would they be?

Improbable totally fun

What was one of the most memorable moments of Crusade?

The battles

Have you listened to any of William Dufris’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I liked William's voice.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I listened to it walking the dog driving and mowing the lawn.

Any additional comments?

Bought book 3 because of book 1 & 2.

Here We Go Again

The second in a series; at the end I felt like I should read/listen to #3 right away. However, I'll need a break from these characters, theme and plot. All the books are one large, long book. In this one, the pre-WWII DD meets a Japanese battle wagon, working for the lizards, that came through the same rip in reality. Although, the book is tactical reality for destroyermen, I can't help but wonder how he will treat the continuing peace that must eventually break out. Think HMS Bounty survivors?