KCR: A Deeper Blue, Paladin of Shadows #5 (novel, terrorism, hero)

Image via WikipediaA Deeper Blue brings the Kildar back to the US, at least temporarily. A bad guy is importing VX nerve gas into South Florida, probably through drug smugglers, but other than a vague hint, there is no information available. The Kildar and his merry band of Keldara is summoned to South Florida and work. However, Kildar, don't feel like going. He's still morose after death of one of Keldara girls that he actually fell in love with, and death of so many Keldara while destroying the the Chechen threat in the area. However, when the enemy ambushed one of the teams and put two of his best friends in the hospital, he "woke up" and got right down to business... In the meanwhile, Katya former prostitute, now an ultra undercover operative, has penetrated the inner sanctum of the drug smuggler king in the area, under the tutelage of spy master "J". Will they discover the plot in time and put a halt to it with minimal casualties?

The plot isn't quite as sex-ed up but there is a lot more action. Let's just say there is a shootout in the parking lot of... Disney World, sniper on top of the Magic Castle tower... a Black Hind (gunship) in the skies of Miami, car chases on the Florida highways (think CSI: Miami) plus takedown of a freighter (and then it "disappeared"). However, this book is still NOT for the squeamish or politically correct, as Mike "Jenkins" basically ran roughsod over everybody, including law enforcement, bureaucrats, AND enemies. And there is a bit of torture near the end (to a masochist, hah).

Again, this is another big of jingoistic fantasy, but well-done. Again, the guy outrights, outthinks, and when needed, outf***s everybody too. :)

Rating: if you like the series, check it out

KCR: Unto the Breach, Paladin of Shadows #4 (novel, terrorism, hero)

Image via Wikipedia

Rockwell B-1 Lancer supersonic bomber

Unto the Breach, volume 4 of the "Kildar" series (i.e. Paladin of the Shadows), is yet another jingoistic adventure where the hero outfights and outf***s everybody, but dealing with bazillion issues about the team, relationships, foreign policy, and even something as simple as staying alive. John Ringo managed to deliver a taut tale of good men doing bad things to bad people.

The Setup:  a special request through both the US President and Russian President... a Russian WMD scientist was forced by Chechen rebels to betray his country. His daughter was kidnapped and he was forced to smuggle out several samples of deadly smallpox. Mike "Jenkins" was asked to assemble a force to get it back... whereever it is, and destroy it, AND rescue the scientist, AND his daughter. And just in case he fails, there will be a B-1 bomber overhead if the WMD got away. Then the Chechen rebel army got the news and went after them...

This time the character of Kildar finally got some depth and the 'setup' in the previous books were put to good use. While there are still some sex, there are much more fighting this time, and the end fight, while a bit cliche'ed, is still excellent. Addition of several characters (the helicopter pilots) and death of several characters (sorry, no spoiler!) means the world evolves, and more secrets of the Keldara are revealed.

Lots of fun, definitely read it if you like the series. Again, for mature audiences only.

Rating: Read it (esp. if you are a fan of John Ringo)

KCR: Choosers of the Slain, Paladin of Shadows #3 (novel, hero)

Mike "Jenkins", i.e. Kildar is back. This time, he was asked by a powerful senator to investigate the disappearance of a rich constituent's daughter apparently into the International White Slavery Sex Trade (i.e. human trafficking). The action gets serious as Kildar and his new crew goes into action against the Albanian mafia, and ended up discovering a conspiracy involving some footage filmed that should NEVER see the light of day, involving some VERY powerful people.

Kildar (#2) was slow as heck at places, and this one makes up for it in hot and heavy action, and plenty of sex as well. Hey, you can't deal with human traffickers without rescuing a few fair maidens in the process, right? And how do these fair maidens repay their gratitude? Hmmm... Remember, "Jenkins" is not a nice guy, and he gets to exercise some of that bad side... with cause.

Great little adventure novel that still reads like a jingoistic fantasy at times, but that's part of the charm.

Rating: Try it!

KCR: Kildar, Paladin of Shadows #2 (terrorism, hero, novel)

Cover of Kildar (Paladin of Shadows, Book 2)Kildar, part 2 of "Paladin of Shadows" series (i.e. the Kildar series) is sort of jingoistic fantasy that requires a good setup, and John Ringo delivers. It's a bit slow, but it does have a good ending.

The setup: Mike, who has retired from his days of busting terrorists, is wandering through the world, looking for a place (sort of committing suicide by drinking and f***ing) when he stumbled into a valley where he's rescued by a little girl, and ended up buying the valley (he can afford it from the bounty he got from the previous jobs) and organizing the families into a militia to help defend itself, hires his best friends as trainers, and discovers their true origin. At the end, he defeats the local Chechen threat, and wins the hearts and minds of the locals (which sets up for the later books).

Why I count this book as a jingoistic fantasy? Because the American arrives, outspends everybody, outfights everybody, then outf***s everybody too. Every woman wants to be f***ed by him, and every man was awed by him. And every enemy... winds up dead. Isn't that a jingoistic fantasy?

However, as I said before, the setup is good. Most of the book is about how Mike "Jenkins", i.e. Kildar (he got the title when he bought the valley and the retainers) discovering the valley, learned more about the inhabitants, then hiring people to help setting up the village and training them to be militia (and later, to be commandos). They also learned about various strange customs that Kildar needs to perform for the families, including... ****ing the women, no kidding, not to mention a group of girls who ended up in his harem. Yes, I said harem.

There's plenty of sex, and some direct violence (against bad guys, of course).

If you like this sort of "pulp" fiction, definitely give it a try. Just be warned, this book is a setup, so it's a bit slower than the later books.

Rating: read it!