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Starfist #14
Double Jeopardy
The thrilling pace of the Starfist space epic quickens as the explosive series rockets to dazzling new heights, packed with the hell-for-leather action only two battle-hardened and decorated combat vets like David Sherman and Dan Cragg can provide.
The Confederation has finally disclosed the existence of Skinks, fierce aliens bent on wiping out humankind, and announced its plan to find and destroy their home world. While the rest of the universe grapples with the news, the Skink-savvy Marines of the Confederation's Thirty-fourth Fleet Initial Strike Team (FIST) have their own take on the situation.
Though they're no longer in danger of being exiled to a ghastly netherworld for spilling the beans about the deadly aliens, the men still can't transfer out of the unit where they've been confined since they first laid eyes on the Skinks. The reason is Who else but the legendary Thirty-fourth FIST has the skills and experience to spearhead the invasion of the Skinks' home world?
Morale isn't improved by a report of Skinks on the uncolonized world of Ishtar near a mercenary force engaged in slave-driven mining operations there—which means that FIST must turn around and head right back into the jaws of hell with no downtime. But none of that matters to Lieutenant Charlie Bass and the third platoon of Company L. They're Marines, they're the best, and they've got a job to do.
The Marines will find a planet ripped apart by all-out war, with enemies on all sides. The only certainty is that the fighting will rage red-hot and relentless, and Charlie Bass and his men will be right in the thick of the action.
The Confederation has finally disclosed the existence of Skinks, fierce aliens bent on wiping out humankind, and announced its plan to find and destroy their home world. While the rest of the universe grapples with the news, the Skink-savvy Marines of the Confederation's Thirty-fourth Fleet Initial Strike Team (FIST) have their own take on the situation.
Though they're no longer in danger of being exiled to a ghastly netherworld for spilling the beans about the deadly aliens, the men still can't transfer out of the unit where they've been confined since they first laid eyes on the Skinks. The reason is Who else but the legendary Thirty-fourth FIST has the skills and experience to spearhead the invasion of the Skinks' home world?
Morale isn't improved by a report of Skinks on the uncolonized world of Ishtar near a mercenary force engaged in slave-driven mining operations there—which means that FIST must turn around and head right back into the jaws of hell with no downtime. But none of that matters to Lieutenant Charlie Bass and the third platoon of Company L. They're Marines, they're the best, and they've got a job to do.
The Marines will find a planet ripped apart by all-out war, with enemies on all sides. The only certainty is that the fighting will rage red-hot and relentless, and Charlie Bass and his men will be right in the thick of the action.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
10 people are currently reading
201 people want to read
About the author
David Sherman
67 books98 followersDavid Sherman was the author or co-author of some three dozen books, most of which are about Marines in combat.
He wrote about US Marines in Vietnam (the Night Fighters series and three other novels), and the DemonTech series about Marines in a fantasy world. The 18th Race trilogy is military science fiction.
Other than military, he wrote a non-conventional vampire novel, The Hunt, and a mystery, Dead Man's Chest. He also released a collection of short fiction and non-fiction from early in his writing career, Sherman's Shorts; the Beginnings.
With Dan Cragg he wrote the popular Starfist series and its spin off series, Starfist: Force Recon—all about Marines in the Twenty-fifth Century.; and a Star Wars novel, Jedi Trial.
His books have been translated into Czech, Polish, German, and Japanese.
David passed away in November 2022.
He wrote about US Marines in Vietnam (the Night Fighters series and three other novels), and the DemonTech series about Marines in a fantasy world. The 18th Race trilogy is military science fiction.
Other than military, he wrote a non-conventional vampire novel, The Hunt, and a mystery, Dead Man's Chest. He also released a collection of short fiction and non-fiction from early in his writing career, Sherman's Shorts; the Beginnings.
With Dan Cragg he wrote the popular Starfist series and its spin off series, Starfist: Force Recon—all about Marines in the Twenty-fifth Century.; and a Star Wars novel, Jedi Trial.
His books have been translated into Czech, Polish, German, and Japanese.
David passed away in November 2022.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 25, 2012
the book and series i enjoyed a lot overall but i was dissapointed in all the sub plots left unfinshed and how u only gets hints at them in every book and "fuzzies" come on gotta be a little more creative than that would like to see one more book to wrap up all the loose ends in the main plot aka war with the skinks and all the sub plots like dean and his son
July 5, 2022
I liked this book. But, Starfist is getting predictable. The villans in this book are bland and not smart. The aliens are well drawn but draw serious parralles to India during the Raj. Still, as expected the combat is fast and frenetic. I like that no character is safe as a few that have been around a long time die. If you are already a Starfist fan, you will enjoy this book. If not you could probably skip it.
March 5, 2019
So long, Starfist. Thanks for all the entertainment!
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
March 18, 2017
Meh... more drawn out story. No whiff of skinks in this book. Just space slave dogs.
This series needs to end.
Edit: Ok. Just found out it has ended. That sucks. The author needs to write a last novel to wrap this up.
This series needs to end.
Edit: Ok. Just found out it has ended. That sucks. The author needs to write a last novel to wrap this up.
October 21, 2013
This is the last book published in the Starfirst series. Although this book is slightly better than the previous one I cannot say that I am too devastated that the series has come to an end. Actually coming to an end is not really the right expression to use. This is not the end of the actual story but rather, according to the author, the end due to the fact that the publisher pulled the plug on the series. My biggest regret is that now we will never arrive at any conclusion to the Skink issue. Then, at the slow pace the author was advancing that story arc we might never have gotten there anyway.
As for the book itself. It was somewhat better than the previous one. Although the story uses references to the Skinks to heighten the suspension somewhat in the beginning it is not really about the skinks. This book is simply a separate adventure more of the another-day-in-the-marines type. It goes back somewhat to the first books in the series where every book was just a completed free-standing episode.
Unlike some of the previous installments this book is refreshingly devoid of politics. It is primarily the FIST against a corrupt and criminal corporation spiced up with a new alien race found to be sentient. It is a fairly simple story without any major surprises. The marines go in, kick butt and round up the bad guys. Enjoyable read but nothing to jump up and down about.
As for the book itself. It was somewhat better than the previous one. Although the story uses references to the Skinks to heighten the suspension somewhat in the beginning it is not really about the skinks. This book is simply a separate adventure more of the another-day-in-the-marines type. It goes back somewhat to the first books in the series where every book was just a completed free-standing episode.
Unlike some of the previous installments this book is refreshingly devoid of politics. It is primarily the FIST against a corrupt and criminal corporation spiced up with a new alien race found to be sentient. It is a fairly simple story without any major surprises. The marines go in, kick butt and round up the bad guys. Enjoyable read but nothing to jump up and down about.
January 28, 2010
Another solid entry in the Starfist series. The men of the 34th Fist don't get much rest from their last encounter with the skinks before they are called on to fight another threat, this time they have two enemies one they know all too well and one that may or may not be Skinks. The writing when it comes to the battles, planning and the men of the Fist interacting with each other is solid but there are also a few subplots that are left gaping wide open that make this (and the other books in the series) less than fully satisfying for me.
August 18, 2010
One of the better written books in this series. It is also the last of the series. Focused more on the Marines and how they operate instead of creating stupid names and characters. Still, this introduced a new alien called the "Fuzzy" which took a lot of creative thought to come up with! NOT!
I don't know if I would read any more of these books. They are good sometimes and the information about the Marines is very interesting and sounds like the real stuff. But, everything else gets real juvenile real quick!
I don't know if I would read any more of these books. They are good sometimes and the information about the Marines is very interesting and sounds like the real stuff. But, everything else gets real juvenile real quick!
July 25, 2013
I enjoyed this book as I have all books in the starfist series. The confederation marines a bad ass, the only thing that I found irksome was the suspicious lake of close air, and artillery support that the marines had available but used so sparingly to be almost nonexistent. I understand it was because if they had been used, then the issue would never have been in doubt and the book would have been over in three or four chapters still...Aside from that if you are a fan of military science fiction it will be a good read.
January 17, 2010
Is this a "young-adult" series? Expert writing from a pair of authors with massive combat and military strategy experience between them. Plots are thin, and the alien cultures seem quite transparently modeled on various ethnic groups who have featured in the world's military campaigns - in this volume the obvious model is North American Indians.
January 1, 2011
A decent entry in this long running series. Good action and fairly interesting, if derivative, new aliens. As usual, the book ends rather arbitrarily, as if it reached a certain length rather than any strong or satisfying plot conclusion.
February 8, 2013
This is a good book with plenty of action and good character development. I recommend this book that being said I still don't know why I finished this book. At times it didn't seem to hold my attention but I could not put it down!
April 21, 2023
I want to know why the series was cancelled! These were great stories.
They were interesting, as real as no science fiction can get and still be science fiction. I cared about the characters.
They were interesting, as real as no science fiction can get and still be science fiction. I cared about the characters.
November 22, 2010
The continuing saga of the 34th FIST. More exciting action against aliens and mercenaries. Stay tuned for further adventures.
September 11, 2016
Sad that the series was dropped before a final -- tie up th loos ends -- volume could be written.
June 10, 2016
Another enjoyable book in the series.
April 11, 2011
As always, an excellent story in this series.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews