Review: An upper echelon military SF story
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 20, 2012
What would happen if the lunatic fringe (neo-nazis and white supremacists)ever got hold of a starship and went away, far enough to build an empire?Humanity's worst nightmare would ensue, along with the rise ofthe 'Fighter King.'  The Fighter King is a rock-solid launch to the seriesof stories by John Bowers featuring the arc of an interstellar war.  It haseverything that you would want in a military SF novel.  Explosions.Strategy. Panic. Tactics. Arms dealers. Political maneuvers.  Soldiers cussing.Hi technology.  Death, destruction, and bloody mayhem.  But the violence andgore here is not gratuitous, and the sweep of the novel leaves it a cut abovethe usual military SF fare.  Certainly, we see the typical situation wherewar brings out the best and worst in our species.  But with majestic andimpressive world-building, Bowers weaves a yarn that portrays dynastictensions, lessons about humanity, and a careful study of the yin-and-yangof aggression and deterrence vs. the pacifistic instinct.  Bowers certainlyknows how a story is put together, and he is particularly talented when itcomes to using conflict to its best advantage.  The characters are archetypesat some level, but they evoke sympathy at surprising moments.  Readers shouldbe under no illusions about the unblinking view of extremely violent brutalityand graphic portrayal of inhumanity here - definitely, this is not a talefor the squeamish or faint of heart, or those who prefer less violence.  I'mnormally in the latter group myself.  However, some of the best SF messageshave come from such tales, and this is, after all, a memorable story with amessage.  That alone is worth five stars from me.