Review: Semper Fi  (The Empire's Corps)
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 15, 2013
Rattlin' Good Yarn! That's my take-away from Chris Nuttall's "Semper Fi," his latest in the ongoing saga of the Empire's Corps. (Um, properly speaking, should it be "The Empire's Corps" if there is no empire? Minor point; pay no attention.) I bought this for my fairly new -- as in last month -- Kindle, and read it in one sitting. The story just wouldn't let go.What's to like? Good characterization, I think. Jasmine and Mandy from previous stories, and new "players" Danielle and archvillainess Admiral Singh. All are pretty well-developed, fully rounded out people that one can care about -- in either "cheer-'em-on" or "boo-hiss!" fashion. Even the "bit players," walk-ons, spear-carriers are, mostly, people, not cardboard cutouts. (OK, I'm easy to please in this regard. [lol])There are echos of Eric Frank Russell's "Wasp" and the much-more recent "We Few" by David Weber and John Ringo, at least in some of the mechanics of the story. This is not so obvious as to be obstructive, however. Are there elements which are difficult to believe? Sure there are. If you don't like such difficulties, stop reading science fiction and restrict yourself to the latest drool listed on the New York Times bestseller list.There are, sadly, a number of word-choice "clangers." These are not spell-check errors; they are composition errors. (I have no problem with British spellings, i.e., colour or honour. Oh dear, I just can't resist: "Eye no its write, the spell Czech tolled me sew.") Spell-check: phaugh! No spell-check program ever invented will flag "disposed" when the wanted word is "deposed." Similarly, "expired" sneaks through in place of "exhausted;" "overall" stands for "overawe" at one point; and a reference to "Imperial Security" in a late-in-the novel conversation between Admiral Singh and one of her subordinates, Patterson, should refer to "Internal Security," i should think. And does anyone have any facial expression other than a scowl? "Frown" might work well as an alternative.I'd have given this book five stars, but for the "clangers." As it is, it's certainly worth four (and a fraction, but Amazon doesn't allow one to award fractional stars). My major beef, I suppose, is that I shouldn't be regarded as the author's beta reader. I know he's recently moved his domicile, and may find it difficult to maintain contact with his administrative base. On that note, he invites comment, but there doesn't seem to be any "contact" method on his blogWill I buy the next novel in the series? [hint...hint...hint] Certainly will! Should you buy this one? Well, as I said earlier: it's a rattlin' good yarn. Ya pays yer money and ya takes yer chances; chances being that you'll enjoy it.