Into the Storm: Destroyermen, Book I

Don’t be misled into buying duplicate volumes! It is important to realize that the book clubs have picked up on this popular series and are issuing the successive volumes in double volumes. You can get these on the secondary book market, either here on Amazon or on EBay.1. Unknown Seas: combines v. 1 & 22. Fire on the Water: combines v. 3 & 43. Rising Storm: combines v. 5 & 6.4. Iron and Fire: Combines v. 7 & 8.The first four volumes are pretty much concentrated on one major confrontation, but by volume 5, Rising Tides, the story begins to splinter into several battlefronts, and we begin to lose many of the secondary characters near and dear to our hero: Matt Reddy.In case you are new to this wonderful alternate universe series, here are the books in order, both of publication (roughly one per year) and sequence.1. Into the Storm First two volumes have been combined into one physical volume available used (Unknown Seas)2. Crusade3. Maelstrom4. Distant Thunders5. Rising Tides6. Firestorm: More ships come through the squall7. Iron Gray Sea: Finally Reddy marries Sandra8. Storm Surge9. Deadly Shores10. Straits of HellWe begin with the alternate universe concept. During WWII, in the Pacific Theatre, several ships are involved in a naval battle when a violent storm whips them into an alternative universe. There are three competing species, lemurs, reptiles, and humans. All are sentient and competing species with an uneasy alliance between the Lemurians and the humans.The story line holds together for the first four volumes. But by the fifth volume, the story has split into so many parts that you will have difficulty following them, if you wait each year for the newest volume. One reviewer noted that it could be solved by splitting the stories into totally separate volumes. This is what Eric Flint has done with his series, to great success.As it is, those of us who came into the beginning of the series, say in the first three volumes, such as myself may find you have to re-reading the series before progressing further.

I purchased this audio book on a friends recommendation . In the Spring of 2019 I'm taking a long drive and I thought it would be entertaining. I was in no hurry to open the package but late this summer ( after the return window closed ) I was curious and thought it wouldn't hurt to sneak a listen. I can't explain this because the CDs were sealed and it appeared that they were sealed as they had been when they left the factory BUT all the CDs were scratched, had finger prints on them and some had what appeared to have bits of food on them. I threw them away. I didn't even want to handle them. Because of how they were packaged I don't dare reorder. I'm very disappointed it sounded like it would be a great series.

A pair of obsolete, unarmored and underarmed American Four stacker destroyers escaping the Dutch East Indies after the courageous but disastrous battle of the Java Sea, run into the Japanese battle cruiser Amagi. They launch a torpedo attack and flee into a storm to hide...and go somewhere else. The storm doesn't even look normal but in its aftermath things seem ok. But soon the sailors realize that even though their charts seem to still be accurate and land still seems to be where it should be, there are serious changes. Radical changes - "For a moment nobody moved, but finally the Bosun stirred. “Get the lead out, you miserable girly saps! The Skipper gave an order! Ain’t you never seen a sea monster eat a Nip before?" Well no, they hadn't, but they were to see and experience even stranger things before the end of the first volume in this highly entertaining sci-fi/fantasy series.

Starting from WWII takes a jolt of imagination, but you ain't seen nothing yet! The next stop is an alternate universe of Earth. This one has familiar geography, but the flora and fauna are "twisted."The newcomers to this new world, they soon must decide whether to get involved with one of two sentient races. One looks like a "lemur/cat" and one is a standing "lizzard".The extensive WWII naval world of the first part of the book is beautifully described. We get details and inner concerns of many of the crew, practical period naval tactics, and exciting battles with the "Japs". I find it surprisingly engrossing - so much so that I felt the disorientation of being yanked from 1942 reality to "somewhere else." I'm no historian, and I've been exposed to many WWII era novels, but this section is every bit as good as good as any novel. (See author's notes.)Wham. Now we are thrust into the alternate universe. While geography is "mostly" unchanged, the crew of the Walker slowly begins to discover subtle changes. Giant "ancient" sea creatures, sea piraña, etc., then a huge wooden sailing ship with the Lemurians on board. Later, Bali looks normal, but deserted. Then a shore party is attacked by aggressive upright lizards.Now the reader becomes immersed in alternate universe explorations. To me, tis is the really fun part. The expedition captain must make many decisions with only sketchy facts available. Alliances are forged, the modern men are thrust into the problems of how to secure survival of the ship and it's company while responding to the enemy threats of the lizard race.It's all fun, and the lengthy volume never lagged my interest. There are some stretches of the imagination (such as quickly refining raw crude to both diesel and aircraft fuel), but I found them easily acceptable.Looking forward to vol 2.

Really good start to book in WWII naval battle with Japanese. Traveling through a vortex they are suddenly on a different earth where dinosaurs still roam and the dominant species is a vicious seafaring lizard which preys on intelligent lemores. The humans are drawn into a war between the two sides. Good sea action and plot. Try it you will enjoy it!

I found the plot and story completely engaging. As an ex-navy man and someone who spent time in the western Pacific and Indian Ocean, I could relate to the area. I found the characters, human and Lemurian, delightful. The descriptions of the ships extremely well done. I found the research excellent. I finished it quickly, and have moved on to the next 4 in the series. I just don't know why I didn't read this sooner. Heinlein for the 21at century.

This felt a very fresh take on fantasy writing or perhaps a fresh take on World War navy action?The storyAn obsolete and outgunned '4 stack' destroyer is fleeing for it's crews survival from a Japanese fleet. In a bid to escape they steer into a storm and seemingly evade danger, only the world they knew before the storm has undergone some drastic changes when they emerge from it and now their obselete ship may be the most powerful weapon on the planet.What follows did feel very original but at the same time had a definate early star trek feel, as the crew find friends and enemies, and a good old scrap!The WritingIt's good and played with a very straight bat, so that it feels really like a historical 'Reeman' type book but with monsters. There is a large and convincing cast list, which was initially a bit befuddling but was dropping into place come the end.Perhaps the writing could have been a bit more tongue in cheek as we are essentially talking fighting lizard men here but did not stop me enjoying the story. My only other critisism is that Bradford the ship's Aussie sounded nothing like any other Aussie I have ever heard and was a bit like having a character played by Dick Van Dyke but I am splitting hairs now!Should you read it?Well judging by all these glowing reviews Yes! I certainly enjoyed it and would also like, as a Brit, to ackowledge the little homage to HMS Exeter at the start of the story.The authors knowledge and enthusiasm for the navy gives this a grounded and authentic base on which I'm sure the series is able to build. So I have ordered part 2!

I have been looking for an alternative history book series for some time, but never seemed to find one that I liked.I think that I have now found it.This is the story of the USS Walker, an obsolete destroyer on the run during WW2 from the Japanese in the far east. After some initial scene and charater introductions, we are pitched into a intense naval battle involving a Japanese cruiser, the Walker and a second American destroyer. Close to sinking, the Walker escapes into a heavy rain squall and is then pitched through a "portal" into an alternative EarthQuickly it is discovered that all is not as it was, and in this reality, there are no humans and instead there are two sentient races engaged in a war for survival. One descended from lizards, the other from Lemurs.What then follows is a fascinating tale of the crew slowly realising that the world has changed around them, and the choices they need to make in order to survive.There is no padding or waffle in this book, every word and paragraph move the story along at a fast pace. There are plenty of action sequences in the book and they are well written. The character development, diplomacy and realisation of their predicament is equally enjoyable to read. I liked the authors use of an WW1 vintage destroyer, as although the humans have a technology advantage, it is not a massive one. They have just one destroyer, it is small, badly damaged and limited in firepower. Thus they cannot just steam in and shoot-up everything and install themsevles as Lords and Masters. Tactics, strategy and making alliances will be needed in order to survive.I have since read the next few books in the series, and I can say that it gets better. I strongly reccomend this book and the ones that follow it to anyone who likes both modern and historical military action novels.

Ok - a bit of a strange review title but if anyone has read the famous Anne McCaffery Pern stories, there are some really interesting parallels. Not many sci-fi / fantasy books are about just general living in a new place, overcoming obstacles, developing communities, exploring, etc. A lot of sci-fi / fantasy are based around high adventures, epic undertakings, alien encounters, etc. - nothing wrong with this at all and I love many of them but very few books spend the time to talk about the satisfaction of building communities and solving problems with ingenuity; this is one of the best things about this book and the entire series which is why I refer to Anne McCaffery's Pern series which also had a similar focus.Yes of course this is military-sci-fi-esque set in a fantastical world but for me, what made this book (and series) most enjoyable was the authentic approach to dealing with the practicalities of being marooned in a strange hostile world. Excellent stuff - really looking forward to Book 6. Feels like it could last as long as David Weber's Honor Harrington series! Still, he seems to be quite prolific!

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read... and quite gripping - I found it difficult to put down. This everyday adventure story about a couple of US destroyers being sucked into an alternative Earth whilst involved in a sea battle against the Japanese Navy is both entertaining and exciting. It has elements of "Island in the Sea of Time" (perhaps my most favourite - can you have "most favourite"? - novel) about it but, rather than being drawn into the past our heroes are drawn into a parallel world where no humans evolved and they get drawn into a war of survival between its two dominant species... the Lemurians and the Grik.Now I know it is difficult to take a world full of Alexander Orloff Meerkat-type furry creatures seriously but these "goodies" (they're furry, big-eyed and look like Alexander Orloff for God's sake!) somehow take on human form in your imagination. The villains are red-eyed, roaring, murderous, intelligent raptors - obviously! Have I identified the only real flaw in the book?Flaws apart, it IS a good read.

Wow. What a different story!The attention to detail and historical accuracy really helps the tale jog along.Set in world war 2, the crew of a 4 stack destroyer enter an alternate earth that has evolved somewhat differently. Having watched Avatar, I now have a mental image of those aliens as The People from the Destroyermen series.Although there are never really any big surprises in the book, it's well written and pacey with a different view on the world and really does do character development.I've written this review having read the three available books in the saga - I had to import book 3 from the US as it's not available here and can't wait for the next one.Highly recommended!

The storyline to me seems really fresh and novel. Plenty of great characters, action and to an extent horror! Great that there's a whole series of 'Destroyermen' books just waiting to be read.

Rather silly despite Toby Young’s recommendation. Well enough written.

bought this as a holiday read... was expecting to be mildly bored throuhout but mildly entertained also.However, surprised myself by actually enjoying it more than I was expecting.Definitely along the 1492/Islands in the sea of time type of genre. But am hoping can maintain consistency throughout the series unlike the SMStir versions.worth buying

Excellent plot and well written:totally believable characters.

I'd heard about this series before I picked up the first book, but had little idea what to expect. Once I started reading, I was swept up in the book. I fell in love with the cast, all of whom had very distinctive personalities and traits, and with the real main character, the Walker herself.I can't wait to read more, and to find out more about this world, and to follow the characters as they explore further.

Dinosaurs. Cat-monkeys. And a rusty old WWI US navy destroyer. This is the kind of hell-for-leather, Golden Age-style s I-Fi that provides the perfect escapist reading.

An ok idea but rather, well, *flaccid.* Destroymen takes an idea that have sustained a single 200 page novel in the age of the pulps and s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-s to fill a series. This whole book felt like it should have been less than half a novel.

Rip roaring fun read

Develops the war with the Grik really well, brings in more characters, and keeps the momentum going.