evanmc's review against another edition
3.0
Man, 75% of this book was great. The arc of Alan Bookbinder was one I identified with and felt connected to the whole way through. His growth as a character, and particularly the glances at his inner monologue were great. But man, it was VERY jarring in a bad way when the story flipped to Oscar Britton and his cohorts. It threw me completely out of that connected feeling I had with Bookbinder. I understand why, as a plot point, we had to know some of Britton's story line, but I feel it was shoehorned into this book, and the novel as a whole suffered for it. This sin't to say Oscar's story line was uninteresting, just that the way it worked with the overall book was disappointing. Also, Oscar's thinly veiled desire for Therese was handled a bit....awkwardly. Not a convincing portrayal of that emotion in my opinion. This was a 4 star book, easily, for the Bookbinder arc. But the shoehorning of Britton's story brought it down to a 3 for me.
toynbees's review against another edition
4.0
This series is so unique, and it hooked me from the start. I love the world building, the characters and everything else about it. This is probably my favourite book in the trilogy, or a close tie with the first.
jarichan's review against another edition
5.0
Military Fantasy? War mir ein ganz neuer Begriff als mir Coles Buch empfohlen wurde. Aber als Fan von Fantasy und bestimmten Bereich des (US-) Militärs musste ich einfach zugreifen. Nur schon wenn ich das Cover anschaute, lief mir das Wasser im Mund zusammen. Deshalb dauerte es auch überraschend lange, bis ich endlich dazu kam, die "Shadow Ops"-Reihe zu beginnen.
Während ich "Grenzfeste" las, dachte ich des Öfteren, dass es sich nach einem zweiten Teil anfühlt. Geschehnisse wurden angesprochen und auch Verbindungen zwischen Personen. Dennoch las sich das Buch sehr gut, auch wenn ich an einigen Stellen etwas nachgrübeln musste. Aber alles in Allem hatte ich keinerlei Probleme, mich in diese Welt hineinzufinden.
Nur um dann bestätigt zu bekommen, dass ich versehentlich nach dem zweiten Band gegriffen hatte...
Aber ich las trotzdem weiter, weil es einfach zu spannend. Ich mag das militärische Umfeld, die Ränge, die Ausrüstung, der Umgang miteinander. Vor allem aber mag ich Bookbinder, dessen Welt in einer einzigen Sekunde völlig auf den Kopf gestellt wird und der sich nicht nur plötzlich mit völlig neuen Fähigkeiten konfrontiert sieht, sondern auch ganz plötzlich mehr Verantwortung hat, als er es sich gewöhnt ist. Ja, Bookbinder war mir -vielleicht auch seines Namens wegen- von Anfang bis zum Schluss sehr sympathisch und ich hoffe natürlich, dass er auch im ersten Band vertreten ist.
Um diese Reihe geniessen zu können, sollte man jedoch ein gewisses Interesse am US-Militär, dessen Strukturen und ihren Abläufen haben. Wer ein solches Umfeld nicht mag, der wird sich kaum mit der Reihe anfreunden können, auch wenn Cole viele neue Ideen in die Welt der Fantasy bringt. Ich persönlich frage mich seit dem Lesen, wie es wohl wäre, wenn man plötzlich magische Fähigkeiten entwickelt, diese dann aber unweigerlich in militärische Dienste stellen muss.
Denn Cole, der selbst viel Erfahrung im amerikanischen Militär aufweist, zeichnet hier, auch wenn es vielleicht anders scheinen mag, kein rein positives Bild des Militärs. Dies zeigt sich durch den Antagonisten Britton, der eigentlich ein netter Kerl ist, aber nur den Fehler gemacht hat, dass er frei sein wollte. Trotz seiner Fähigkeiten. Auch Bookbinder hinterfragt immer wieder, ob die Gesetze der USA denn auch sinnvoll sind.
Mich hat die Lektüre stark beeindruckt und natürlich werde ich baldmöglichst Band eins nachholen und mir dann auch den dritten Teil zulegen.
Während ich "Grenzfeste" las, dachte ich des Öfteren, dass es sich nach einem zweiten Teil anfühlt. Geschehnisse wurden angesprochen und auch Verbindungen zwischen Personen. Dennoch las sich das Buch sehr gut, auch wenn ich an einigen Stellen etwas nachgrübeln musste. Aber alles in Allem hatte ich keinerlei Probleme, mich in diese Welt hineinzufinden.
Nur um dann bestätigt zu bekommen, dass ich versehentlich nach dem zweiten Band gegriffen hatte...
Aber ich las trotzdem weiter, weil es einfach zu spannend. Ich mag das militärische Umfeld, die Ränge, die Ausrüstung, der Umgang miteinander. Vor allem aber mag ich Bookbinder, dessen Welt in einer einzigen Sekunde völlig auf den Kopf gestellt wird und der sich nicht nur plötzlich mit völlig neuen Fähigkeiten konfrontiert sieht, sondern auch ganz plötzlich mehr Verantwortung hat, als er es sich gewöhnt ist. Ja, Bookbinder war mir -vielleicht auch seines Namens wegen- von Anfang bis zum Schluss sehr sympathisch und ich hoffe natürlich, dass er auch im ersten Band vertreten ist.
Um diese Reihe geniessen zu können, sollte man jedoch ein gewisses Interesse am US-Militär, dessen Strukturen und ihren Abläufen haben. Wer ein solches Umfeld nicht mag, der wird sich kaum mit der Reihe anfreunden können, auch wenn Cole viele neue Ideen in die Welt der Fantasy bringt. Ich persönlich frage mich seit dem Lesen, wie es wohl wäre, wenn man plötzlich magische Fähigkeiten entwickelt, diese dann aber unweigerlich in militärische Dienste stellen muss.
Denn Cole, der selbst viel Erfahrung im amerikanischen Militär aufweist, zeichnet hier, auch wenn es vielleicht anders scheinen mag, kein rein positives Bild des Militärs. Dies zeigt sich durch den Antagonisten Britton, der eigentlich ein netter Kerl ist, aber nur den Fehler gemacht hat, dass er frei sein wollte. Trotz seiner Fähigkeiten. Auch Bookbinder hinterfragt immer wieder, ob die Gesetze der USA denn auch sinnvoll sind.
Mich hat die Lektüre stark beeindruckt und natürlich werde ich baldmöglichst Band eins nachholen und mir dann auch den dritten Teil zulegen.
mferrante83's review against another edition
4.0
Fortress Frontier by Myke Cole is the sequel to the author’s debut novel Control Point. Control Point was very much the tale of Oscar Britain and through him served to introduce the readers to the Supernatural Operations Corps. Unfortunately, this was also my problem with the novel I didn’t like Oscar. While there were times in the novel where I certainly sympathized with his plight more often than not I had serious issues with his decision making process. Fortress Frontier sees Cole broadening the scope of his world as the plot delves deeper into the various aspects of the Supernatural Operations Corps and the other “latent” people around the world.
Fortress Frontier primarily divides the story between the fugitive Oscar Britain and his crew (the former members of Shadow Coven plus the healer Teresa) and Colonel Alan Bookbinder, newly latent. The opening chapters of Fortress Frontier take place over the same time span of Control Point as Colonel Bookbinder first manifests his magic and finds himself gated out to FOB Frontier. Much like in Control Point readers get to witness the stark difference between a characters former life and their experiences in the SOC. The perspective in Fortress Frontier is shifted somewhat since Bookbinder, as an officer, offers insights into SOC operations that Oscar Britain never could. Things take a different turn as Fortress Frontier catches up with the finale of Control Point and the change of pace is refreshing.
With FOB Frontier cut off from the Home Plane things really kick into high gear. The story shifts from being about a fish-out-of-water into one about survival. While not quite the classical hero’s journey seeing Bookbinder evolve from the bureaucratic armchair officer he was into a frontline commander is exciting and there are definite moments as he starts to come out of his shell that me with my fist in the air. For the trappings of military fantasy there are sections of Fortress Frontier that echo traditional fantasy. Bookbinders sojourn to find relief for the isolated FOB Frontier in particular reminded me of Lord of the Rings, or other quest fantasies. It was never anything too overt, and all couched in the language of a military expedition but the quest-like nature of the journey across the Source was a nice twist on a familiar trope.
Oscar’s part of the story plays a nice counterpoint to Bookbinder’s part of the story. There is less back-and-forth regarding Oscar’s opinions on the SOC and he is actually stepping up to take responsibility for his actions. These sections of the novel also delve deeper into what’s happening on the home. I still think Cole is a bit too tentative in exploring the social and political situations often discussed in the opening epitaphs of each chapter but Fortress Frontier shows a marked improvement in exploring those parts of the story. There is still a lot left unanswered in Fortress Frontier and the novels action-packed finale ends in such a way that leaves me excited for whatever Cole has planned next.
Korey Jackson returns as narrator for the audio version of Fortress Frontier. However, I found his performance this time to be much improved. While I’m still not a huge fan of his female voices (Teresa is the only major female character and the one that never sits right with me) I found he was better able to present a unique voice for the individual characters in the novel. Fortress Frontier also feels like a story that could have been well served by two narrators to better distinguish the novel’s two leads.
An improvement over Control Point on all fronts Fortress Frontier solidifies Myke Cole as an important new voice in fantasy fiction today. As the Shadow Ops world continues to grow and Cole begins to explore the social and political aspects of the Great Reawakening in greater detail I can see this series becoming a classic of the genre. The strict military tone of the series makes it an easy sell to fans of military sci-fi readers and its rich world building and ever-deepening plot will engage fantasy readers. I’m in for the long haul on this one and I highly recommend all fans of fantasy and (some fans of) science fiction give the Shadow Ops series a shot.
Fortress Frontier primarily divides the story between the fugitive Oscar Britain and his crew (the former members of Shadow Coven plus the healer Teresa) and Colonel Alan Bookbinder, newly latent. The opening chapters of Fortress Frontier take place over the same time span of Control Point as Colonel Bookbinder first manifests his magic and finds himself gated out to FOB Frontier. Much like in Control Point readers get to witness the stark difference between a characters former life and their experiences in the SOC. The perspective in Fortress Frontier is shifted somewhat since Bookbinder, as an officer, offers insights into SOC operations that Oscar Britain never could. Things take a different turn as Fortress Frontier catches up with the finale of Control Point and the change of pace is refreshing.
With FOB Frontier cut off from the Home Plane things really kick into high gear. The story shifts from being about a fish-out-of-water into one about survival. While not quite the classical hero’s journey seeing Bookbinder evolve from the bureaucratic armchair officer he was into a frontline commander is exciting and there are definite moments as he starts to come out of his shell that me with my fist in the air. For the trappings of military fantasy there are sections of Fortress Frontier that echo traditional fantasy. Bookbinders sojourn to find relief for the isolated FOB Frontier in particular reminded me of Lord of the Rings, or other quest fantasies. It was never anything too overt, and all couched in the language of a military expedition but the quest-like nature of the journey across the Source was a nice twist on a familiar trope.
Oscar’s part of the story plays a nice counterpoint to Bookbinder’s part of the story. There is less back-and-forth regarding Oscar’s opinions on the SOC and he is actually stepping up to take responsibility for his actions. These sections of the novel also delve deeper into what’s happening on the home. I still think Cole is a bit too tentative in exploring the social and political situations often discussed in the opening epitaphs of each chapter but Fortress Frontier shows a marked improvement in exploring those parts of the story. There is still a lot left unanswered in Fortress Frontier and the novels action-packed finale ends in such a way that leaves me excited for whatever Cole has planned next.
Korey Jackson returns as narrator for the audio version of Fortress Frontier. However, I found his performance this time to be much improved. While I’m still not a huge fan of his female voices (Teresa is the only major female character and the one that never sits right with me) I found he was better able to present a unique voice for the individual characters in the novel. Fortress Frontier also feels like a story that could have been well served by two narrators to better distinguish the novel’s two leads.
An improvement over Control Point on all fronts Fortress Frontier solidifies Myke Cole as an important new voice in fantasy fiction today. As the Shadow Ops world continues to grow and Cole begins to explore the social and political aspects of the Great Reawakening in greater detail I can see this series becoming a classic of the genre. The strict military tone of the series makes it an easy sell to fans of military sci-fi readers and its rich world building and ever-deepening plot will engage fantasy readers. I’m in for the long haul on this one and I highly recommend all fans of fantasy and (some fans of) science fiction give the Shadow Ops series a shot.
mferrante83's review against another edition
5.0
Fortress Frontier by Myke Cole is the sequel to the author’s debut novel Control Point. Control Point was very much the tale of Oscar Britain and through him served to introduce the readers to the Supernatural Operations Corps. Unfortunately, this was also my problem with the novel I didn’t like Oscar. While there were times in the novel where I certainly sympathized with his plight more often than not I had serious issues with his decision making process. Fortress Frontier sees Cole broadening the scope of his world as the plot delves deeper into the various aspects of the Supernatural Operations Corps and the other “latent” people around the world.
Fortress Frontier primarily divides the story between the fugitive Oscar Britain and his crew (the former members of Shadow Coven plus the healer Teresa) and Colonel Alan Bookbinder, newly latent. The opening chapters of Fortress Frontier take place over the same time span of Control Point as Colonel Bookbinder first manifests his magic and finds himself gated out to FOB Frontier. Much like in Control Point readers get to witness the stark difference between a characters former life and their experiences in the SOC. The perspective in Fortress Frontier is shifted somewhat since Bookbinder, as an officer, offers insights into SOC operations that Oscar Britain never could. Things take a different turn as Fortress Frontier catches up with the finale of Control Point and the change of pace is refreshing.
With FOB Frontier cut off from the Home Plane things really kick into high gear. The story shifts from being about a fish-out-of-water into one about survival. While not quite the classical hero’s journey seeing Bookbinder evolve from the bureaucratic armchair officer he was into a frontline commander is exciting and there are definite moments as he starts to come out of his shell that me with my fist in the air. For the trappings of military fantasy there are sections of Fortress Frontier that echo traditional fantasy. Bookbinders sojourn to find relief for the isolated FOB Frontier in particular reminded me of Lord of the Rings, or other quest fantasies. It was never anything too overt, and all couched in the language of a military expedition but the quest-like nature of the journey across the Source was a nice twist on a familiar trope.
Oscar’s part of the story plays a nice counterpoint to Bookbinder’s part of the story. There is less back-and-forth regarding Oscar’s opinions on the SOC and he is actually stepping up to take responsibility for his actions. These sections of the novel also delve deeper into what’s happening on the home. I still think Cole is a bit too tentative in exploring the social and political situations often discussed in the opening epitaphs of each chapter but Fortress Frontier shows a marked improvement in exploring those parts of the story. There is still a lot left unanswered in Fortress Frontier and the novels action-packed finale ends in such a way that leaves me excited for whatever Cole has planned next.
Korey Jackson returns as narrator for the audio version of Fortress Frontier. However, I found his performance this time to be much improved. While I’m still not a huge fan of his female voices (Teresa is the only major female character and the one that never sits right with me) I found he was better able to present a unique voice for the individual characters in the novel. Fortress Frontier also feels like a story that could have been well served by two narrators to better distinguish the novel’s two leads.
An improvement over Control Point on all fronts Fortress Frontier solidifies Myke Cole as an important new voice in fantasy fiction today. As the Shadow Ops world continues to grow and Cole begins to explore the social and political aspects of the Great Reawakening in greater detail I can see this series becoming a classic of the genre. The strict military tone of the series makes it an easy sell to fans of military sci-fi readers and its rich world building and ever-deepening plot will engage fantasy readers. I’m in for the long haul on this one and I highly recommend all fans of fantasy and (some fans of) science fiction give the Shadow Ops series a shot.
Fortress Frontier primarily divides the story between the fugitive Oscar Britain and his crew (the former members of Shadow Coven plus the healer Teresa) and Colonel Alan Bookbinder, newly latent. The opening chapters of Fortress Frontier take place over the same time span of Control Point as Colonel Bookbinder first manifests his magic and finds himself gated out to FOB Frontier. Much like in Control Point readers get to witness the stark difference between a characters former life and their experiences in the SOC. The perspective in Fortress Frontier is shifted somewhat since Bookbinder, as an officer, offers insights into SOC operations that Oscar Britain never could. Things take a different turn as Fortress Frontier catches up with the finale of Control Point and the change of pace is refreshing.
With FOB Frontier cut off from the Home Plane things really kick into high gear. The story shifts from being about a fish-out-of-water into one about survival. While not quite the classical hero’s journey seeing Bookbinder evolve from the bureaucratic armchair officer he was into a frontline commander is exciting and there are definite moments as he starts to come out of his shell that me with my fist in the air. For the trappings of military fantasy there are sections of Fortress Frontier that echo traditional fantasy. Bookbinders sojourn to find relief for the isolated FOB Frontier in particular reminded me of Lord of the Rings, or other quest fantasies. It was never anything too overt, and all couched in the language of a military expedition but the quest-like nature of the journey across the Source was a nice twist on a familiar trope.
Oscar’s part of the story plays a nice counterpoint to Bookbinder’s part of the story. There is less back-and-forth regarding Oscar’s opinions on the SOC and he is actually stepping up to take responsibility for his actions. These sections of the novel also delve deeper into what’s happening on the home. I still think Cole is a bit too tentative in exploring the social and political situations often discussed in the opening epitaphs of each chapter but Fortress Frontier shows a marked improvement in exploring those parts of the story. There is still a lot left unanswered in Fortress Frontier and the novels action-packed finale ends in such a way that leaves me excited for whatever Cole has planned next.
Korey Jackson returns as narrator for the audio version of Fortress Frontier. However, I found his performance this time to be much improved. While I’m still not a huge fan of his female voices (Teresa is the only major female character and the one that never sits right with me) I found he was better able to present a unique voice for the individual characters in the novel. Fortress Frontier also feels like a story that could have been well served by two narrators to better distinguish the novel’s two leads.
An improvement over Control Point on all fronts Fortress Frontier solidifies Myke Cole as an important new voice in fantasy fiction today. As the Shadow Ops world continues to grow and Cole begins to explore the social and political aspects of the Great Reawakening in greater detail I can see this series becoming a classic of the genre. The strict military tone of the series makes it an easy sell to fans of military sci-fi readers and its rich world building and ever-deepening plot will engage fantasy readers. I’m in for the long haul on this one and I highly recommend all fans of fantasy and (some fans of) science fiction give the Shadow Ops series a shot.
texaswolfman's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this sequel. Great urban military fantasy! Cannot wait for the third.
jonmhansen's review against another edition
4.0
Great sequel to an excellent trilogy. Series. Whatever. I like it when a world is set up and then as books progress, we switch to a different POV to get a completely different look at things.
redstickredsox's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed rereading this book, in part because I feel the main character (Bookbinder) and his conflicts are more interesting and nuanced than Britton's. It is also nice that this book uses both characters for POV chapters, as that adds variety to the flow of the book.
ronsos's review against another edition
4.0
The problems of book 1 are fixed, and all that remains is the awesome.