Review: A smart, fun ride through history
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 29, 2013
What a great read! I enjoyed how the author was able to quickly pull us into the action and the jargon of the military from numerous countries and have it be believable as well. I don't know much about the army, or military campaigns, but the mix of a thriller and an action novel, combined with the context of an interesting pseudo-futuristic world was really enjoyable. Just when I felt like I was getting bogged down by exposition, he would drop a funny line, or an offhand comment from one of the soldiers that seemed so real and honest that it brought me right back to the story.It can't be easy writing about something like this unless you do ample research, or if you have some background in the military, which makes me assume that the author is highly talented and dedicated to his craft, while also being knowledgeable in other disciplines. The way that the urgency and gutting mistakes that can happen so often in warfare struck home to me as a reader, since there are so many discussions about military tactics and ethics going on right now in America. A lot of the technology and room for error that was described in the surgical strikes is probably exactly like the challenges that face soldiers today. I think the author approached that subject with respect, and was able to weave warfare philosophy into the exciting story of Edward and the fictional content of the novel itself. That ability to blend fact and fiction is cool to see in any author, particularly one that seems to love not only his subject matter, but the very act of writing a good story. Crown Jewel is a triumph, and I look forward to reading more by Bleichert.