Review: Poor research.
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 09 6, 2012
Mr. Heppner appears to be focusing on pumping out as much product as possible.  I agree with other reviewers that believe he would be better served by focusing on quality rather than quantity.  Reviews that put this offering in the same class as Clancy's Red Storm Rising or Hunt for Red October are way off-base.  Even though the author seems to have pulled some of the story concepts from Clancy's work, the end result is disappointing. Taking it point by point:Editing:  I've seen worse.  I'm only addressing the grammar and sentence structure here.  The assembly leaves much to be desired.Story Mechanics:  The experience level and polish of this author does not support the "multi-scene" model.  It takes an experienced wordsmith to jump between factions, characters and locations and still have the story hang together.  Also, attempts to build character background are amateurish.  I lost count of the space wasted talking about one character's child and ex-wife.  Every time the story returned to him, you could count on another paragraph or two re-hashing the same theme.  Finally, the ending resembles an old car that's been limping along on 3 cylinders and then throws a rod out the bottom, through the oil pan.  Afterwords, there is a plea:  "I hope you've enjoyed Invasion: Alaska. If you would like to read more about the Great War between China and the United States, I encourage you to write a review. Let me know how you feel and let others know what to expect."  In other words: "If you want me to write a sequel, go to amazon.com and leave me a good review."Research:  Appalling.  If the plot is going to revolve around oil and military technology, spend the time necessary to ensure that your premises are factual.  Everything from the capabilities of the Virginia-class submarines to the security present at offshore oil platforms is wrong in this book.  A single 15-minute session with Wikipedia (or even a You-Tube search) would have served Mr. Heppner, and especially his readers, well.  Anyone writing military fiction who doesn't at least have the latest copy of Jane's at their elbow (or linked on their desktop) is not going to turn out professional-level content.Price Point:  Average.  At least people aren't being asked to pay $9.99 for this book.In conclusion:  Mr. Heppner has the work ethic to produce good, solid fiction.  He needs to slow down and work harder on research and presentation.  If you write for the most knowledgeable and intelligent demographic, all else will follow.