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    Destroyermen: Into the Storm
    Destroyermen: Into the Storm
    Destroyermen: Into the Storm
    Audiobook16 hours

    Destroyermen: Into the Storm

    Written by Taylor Anderson

    Narrated by William Dufris

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Pressed into service when World War II breaks out in the Pacific, the U.S.S. Walker-a Great-War vintage "four-stacker" destroyer-finds itself in full retreat from pursuit by Japanese battleships. Its captain, Lieutenant Commander Matthew Patrick Reddy, knows that he and his crew are in dire straits. In desperation, he heads Walker into a squall, hoping it will give them cover-and emerges somewhere else.

    Familiar landmarks appear, but the water teems with monstrous, vicious fish. And there appear to be dinosaurs grazing on the plains of Bali. Gradually Matt and his crew must accept the fact that they are in an alternate world-and they are not alone. Humans have not evolved, but two other species have. And they are at war.

    With its steam power and weaponry, the Walker's very existence could alter the balance of power. And for Matt and his crew, who have the means to turn a primitive war into a genocidal Armageddon, one thing becomes clear: They must decide whose side they're on. Because whoever they choose to side with is the winner.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateOct 6, 2008
    ISBN9781400178063
    Destroyermen: Into the Storm

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    Reviews for Destroyermen

    4/5

    46 ratings22 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Great Navy story with a sci-fi twist. As I was reading it, I tried to imagine walking in the shoes of the WWII destroyer captain thrust into another dimension of time, yet still in the South Pacific. Can't wait to read the second in the series.
    • 3/5
      A decent story involving what if's and alternate realities. Good characterization makes the story interesting if a little disjointed at times.
    • 4/5
      Much like the Birmingham books, more than the Stirling, there are some problems in the concept that the author addresses poorly which is why the book does not get as high marks as it might have. This might be due more to the author thinking that the story he had envisioned was great and well researched in parts, rather than thinking that when we suspend our disbelief, can we drive through the holes he has left wide open with a mack truck.Remember the scene in Operation Petticoat, which this has tones of, where the women are shown the head? There is no discomfort for the lack of privacy that the nurses create or inflict on this crew of destroyermen. The big holes though are the use of Latin. Perhaps the author has never spoke latin, studied it or read a translation of one of Cicero's speeches. I admit to only one quarter in college. Latin does not have as many words as English, or Lemurian I should think, since both languages seem to be full of many words that those translators of Cicero would probably agonize over for months trying to get latin to work well enough to give us our modern flow of speaking. But once Latin is exposed in this story as the intermediary language, then communication is easy and swift. Not to mention that overgrown monkeys can make our speech sounds in their physiology and we theirs. The second is rationing, fresh water, it is discussed, but even when dinosaurs are discovered making it hard to fathom sending parties ashore to get water, and then fuel, the thoughts of rationing are pretty much forgotten. Our apes and snipes eat as well as if there wasn't a war on.Of course there isn't a war on once they arrive in this new version of our world, but they arrive right as the war that has been ongoing for hundreds of years is getting so nasty that we are looking at genocide if our heroes don't intercede. Cliche, the senior women and senior man getting together, cliche. The supply officer getting together with another, he must look like Tony Curtis...Especially since he was a bit lost before he hooks up with her...But the author does give us some action, and some characters, though a lot sound a like. Once the whole series is presented, it might even be worth a second read.
    • 3/5
      A fast moving action yarn involving a WW2 destroyer getting transported to an alternate universe during the middle of a battle with a Japanese cruiser. The story is stronger than the premise would suggest and it gas plenty of gritty details about life on an old "Four Stacker" destroyer (obsolete even as WW2 was starting). Great reading for the "Planet of the Apes" lovers.
    • 3/5
      It's a good fun quick read. It seemed to stumble in a few places, the pacing was a little off, and I found myself skimming through a few times. For the most part the characters have more dimensions than I anticipated - except for the few female characters. They fell a little flat. But the working comraderie of the fighting crew was played out well.

      That was the books strength. It's weakness was in a plot that never seemed to rise above sci fi cliches held together with chicken wire and chewing gum. (spoilers) battleships and freak storms that transport them into a parallel universe. Friendly cat-monkey (or monkey cat?) people and evil Lizard people. The kick ass Americans train the otherwise peaceful monkey people into fierce warriors to stand against the pure evilnof the Lizard people. There are, of course, rousing speeches given by the US captain that propelled them into unheard of feats of monkey-cat bravery.

      That's not an all bad thing. If you want a delicious sandwich, you open up your fridge and squish everything that makes your mouth water between 2 pieces of bread. But the book never really rises above. ... and I'm being told that's not really the best way to make a sandwich - i was just guessing to be honest.

      If I can find the next one used, i'll pick it up as a "vacation book". It was enjoyable enough for that. And if you're looking for some light naval/sci fi reading, this is the way to go.

      But if you really want a taste of what that military snap crossed with sci fi can do, I would humbly recommend the Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Steven Erikson. Starting with 'Gardens of the Moon'. It's like 'Into the Storm' only better. Having finished this book I have the nearly overwhelmed urge to reread that series.
    • 5/5
      As a rule, I generally do not enjoy "crossover" novels, where some person or group crosses over into an alternate reality or an alternate time. For this very reason I have never picked up The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. There is nothing wrong with the subgenre; it just generally lacks appeal to me. But when I received a copy of Destroyermen: Into the Storm, I knew something was different about this novel. And I was proved right.Destroyermen: Into the Storm, the debut novel from Taylor Anderson, fits neither into the alternate history subgenre, nor into the time travel subgenre. Trying to classify the novel is like putting a square block into a round hole. The novel is a mix of all types of speculative fiction, from fantasy, to science fiction, to Lost World-style adventure stories. It fits no categorization. That certainly heightens its appeal, and any reader who takes a chance on a strangely named novel by a previously unknown author will not find him or her self disappointed.The narrative begins on a high note of action, and only climbs higher and higher from there. The crew of the USS Walker, along with parts of its battle group is on the run from the superior Japanese navy in 1942. The Japanese had destroyed the majority of the Asiatic fleet at Pearl Harbor, and Walker and its fleet are either outdated, outgunned, or so badly damaged that the Japanese have little to fear, even before their aerial superiority kicks in. Walker (a real ship, as are all the ones mentioned in the novel, although Anderson has taken liberties with their histories) is one of the former. Outdated, really a relic of the "Great War", it is supremely outclassed by the ships chasing it. When in the midst of a pitched battle on the open sea, Walker seeks shelter in a squall, something strange occurs, and its crew and men find itself lost in an alternate world, where dinosaurs still exist, and evolution has taken quite a different tack. Walker and her crew must learn to survive, but are soon embroiled in a war not of their own making, even as they are quickly running out of fuel for their badly damaged ship.Rather than following any one character, Anderson has chosen to tell his story through a cast of characters. Although the majority of the story is told through the eyes of its captain - an obvious and essential place to do so in this type of story - Matthew Reddy, their are many times when Anderson will look at the events occurring through the eyes of Walker's crew, as well as through the eyes of the Lemurians, the mammalian, sentient people they encounter. The only perspective not shown is the brutal, reptilian race known as the Grik. Anderson's style allows the tale to be well-rounded, not dwelling on any one character. This too is where it is a different story from most "crossover" novels. In Destroyermen: Into the Storm we have a group of people trying to survive in an alien world, quite a large one in fact, where in most of the novels of this type, their is either only one character, or the largest group being something like a platoon of soldiers. It is a daunting task to write so many perspectives and still do it well, but Anderson manages to make it look easy. The numerous perspectives and subplots weave together seamlessly, causing the narration to move at fast pace. Anderson has also worked hard to make sure the perspectives are true to form for WWII era sailors. Therefore, things that seem like mistakes - such as the use of the term "brontosaurus" - are in fact intentional. Anderson understands the way that the men of "The Greatest Generation", think. He captures their foibles and faults, but always, always he highlights the heroism of the men that saved America from being a Japanese colony. The sailors of the tale remind me in many ways of my own grandfather, and army man in the Pacific theater, and I imagine that in his youth, he was much like these men, rough around the edges, but with a powerful heart of sacrifice.As a writer, Anderson has an understanding of cadence and structure. Although most of the story has the reader worrying, it still moves in an up and down wave, allowing breathing room for the reader, while never truly dissipating the feel of danger and being lost. In fact, many the feelings this tale evokes are much like the effects of the TV show Lost, although it is much more revealing in its content. Anderson's story has many battles, but no two are ever the same, not just in detail, but in character reactions, keeping the battles fresh and exciting. Early on the book, there is a battle between ships of similar cut and quality, later, one or two one-sided battles where iron wins out over wood, finally, in the climaxing scene, there is a battle that can only be found in novels like C. S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower series or the Jack Aubrey tales of Patrick O'Brian. The action never gets stale in Anderson's writing. Some readers will notice that at times there are some poorly constructed sentences, or nonsensical statements, but that is to be expected of a newer author, and time and experience should clear these up relatively easily.Fans of ship borne battles, action packed storytelling, alternate realities, and WWII era fiction will all find something they enjoy about this novel. I particularly recommend it to fans of alternate history fiction, or people who enjoy the adventure tales of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, or movies like King Kong.Do I recommend reading Destroyermen: Into the Storm? With a wholehearted YES, I do. S.M. Stirling, a noted author of alternate history tales, has a cover blurb on the book where he mentions, "I dipped my toe into Destroyermen: Into the Storm and when I looked up, it was two in the morning and a working day had vanished!" Very nearly the same thing happened to me. The crew of the USS Walker became my friends and bosom companions. Their fate matters to me, and I will be eagerly anticipating the sequel Destroyermen: Crusade in October of this year.Full Review
    • 4/5
      The author takes a real historical event, the Battle of the Java Sea, in WWIi and adds to it 2 old, WWI-era destroyers, the Walker and the Mahan, without altering the actual battle action. Severely damaged, both ships flee into a powerful squall and end up on another Earth! The geography is almost identical to 'our' Earth, but instead of humans, there are intelligent bipedal dinosaurs/lizards and human-sized intelligent lemurs. Both have technology roughly of the 1200's level, but without gunpowder. The lemurians are friendly but the lizard people are berserk hostile carnivores. The ship's captain, Matthew Reddy and his crew of now castaways must try to stay alive, keep the Walker afloat and find a way home!
    • 4/5
      This novel is very much in S.M. Stirling territory, as a pair of American destroyers fleeing the onslaught of the initial Japanese offensive in 1942 find themselves dumped in a parallel Earth where the local sentient mammals are themselves on the run from saurian conquerors. Featuring good battle scenes and decent characterization and dialog, I'll admit that some of the plot devices used don't exactly do it for me, particularly what feels like a rather improbable mutiny. On the other hand, I certainly enjoyed the story well enough to read the next in the series.
    • 3/5
      A battered American destroyer running from the Japanese Navy in 1942 runs through a storm and winds up in an alternate universe where dinosaurs never died out and hurmans never evolved. Instead, there are two other intelligent races, one lemur-like, the other reptilian, who have been fighting a bitter war off and on for many hundreds of years. The Walker's advanced weapons could make a decisive difference.Not as much fun as it should be.
    • 5/5
      A WWII cruiser get swept into a storm during a battle and ends up in a world filled with dinosaurs. I met Taylor Anderson, a very nice person, and had him sign the book. It's not the type of thing I read usually read. Unexpectedly I loved the book. I couldn't put it down and have since picked up the next book as well. Very well written and unique. I highly recommend this series.
    • 4/5
      You know an author has got a knack for writing when he is able to make a ridiculous-sounding plot and turn it into a good story. Here's the basic plot: a World War II U.S. Navy destroyer goes through a space-time warp and winds up on an alternate Earth where humans never evolved; but lemur-cat-people and lizard-people did, both of whom have roughly medieval technology. The lizard men are trying to eradicate the lemurs from the world, and the human destroyermen take the side of the lemurs and fight back.Sounds silly? Perhaps. Some of the book is taken up with what alternate history buffs love most: the working out of technical problems (i.e., how do you find oil on a planet that doesn't use it?) and the playing out of what-if scenarios, in this case the dual-species evolution. However, most of the novel is just that—a novel, and a good one at that. Taylor Anderson is able to create real characters in this very unreal setting. When we follow the decision-making process of the captain, how he deals with the situation is more important than what that situation is. The interworkings of the crew(s) play out very well indeed, and the series promises to be a good one to follow (especially since I've read the backs of some of the later books in the series and he throws in a few good plot twists along the way!)Generally, alternate history novels are shelved with science fiction. Today's cross-genre audience would be just as happy to find this in a suspense section, right alongside Tom Clancy: it is, after all, primarily an action-packed novel about a Navy ship. So many of readers are accustomed to having a few vampires or wizards thrown into the mix, how much of a stretch can lizard-men be?
    • 4/5
      The USS Walker, a World War I destroyer, is pressed into service after the devastating losses suffered at Pearl Harbor. No match for the newer Japanese vessels, the Walker and sister ship Mahan make for a squall to provide cover from the relentless attack. Once inside the squall, something strange happens. When the Walker emerges from the squall, they soon discover they have been transported to an alternate, parallel universe. An interesting premise for a book, reminiscent of the Philadelphia experiment. There are several other books in the series, and I may read those at a later date. I wanted to find out how the author handled this scenario and I think he did better than average. The story dragged at times, but for the most part kept my interest.
    • 4/5
      accidental travel from our world to a similar but different earth full of enemies and danger - WW2 Americans save the local natives in familiar imperial fashion but still entertains - I admit guiltily to reading on in the series
    • 3/5
      I'd give it 3 and a half , good premis.. destroyer drops into an alternate world

      Would give 4 stars except it seemed at times to drag along with too much details and
      pace slowed.

      First in the destroyer men series
    • 4/5
      Great book, will start the next in the series shortly. I highly recommend if alternate history with a twist is your thing.
    • 1/5
      This is the first book of (as of this moment) 7 books. It starts with the crew of a destroyer class vessel of the US Navy during WWII. In the process of evading the Japanese fleets, they enter a squall (storm on the water) to help hide themselves for being followed. During the passage through the squall, something happens and once they emerge, though everything seems the same, there has been a dimensional slip, or parallel universe change.... I don't know exactly what. I started the book interested in how things would go, but unfortunately, after the squaw and them finding dinosaur-like creatures, the story started in from the viewpoint of some race in this "new" land... it just made me lose interest. I will be honest and say I did not finish it.
    • 4/5
      An interesting mixture of sci fi, fantasy, historical fiction, and war. I liked it enough that I'll keep reading the series because I want to know what happens next.
    • 4/5
      Great read! I am looking forward to getting the rest of the books and reading them.
    • 4/5
      An action-adventure packed with great battle action. This is a fun read. A WWII destroyer gets caught in a storm while running away from Japanese battleships on her tail and ends up in a parallel world where the geography is the same as the original earth, however, monsters roam and what are seen and the "human" inhabitants are a cross between monkeys and cats having their homes in large boats that are continually at sea.
    • 5/5
      I listened to the audio version of this book, and at first it seemed like it was going be a World War II novel. Not knowing what the novel was about, it took me by surprise when it turned out to be an alternative history novel as a US destroyer under heavy attack by the Japanese navy got sucked into a maelstrom. They then set sail to Bali and find an island inhabited by lizard like dinosaurs. They also run into Lemurians, who are mammalian in nature and more peaceful. The Americans must decide who's side they are on, while trying to figure out a way home.There was a lot to like about Into the Storm. The naval warfare part at the beginning is really well done, as is the world building that occurs when they arrive in this alternate reality. Captain Reddy and his crew find themselves in a sticky situation, and I could really empathize with them as Reddy had to make difficult choices to keep his men alive and at the same time do the right thing in this new world. The novel is well written, well paced and filled with action and tension. The first in a series, this is the best alternate reality book I've ever read.Carl Alves - author of Two For Eternity
    • 5/5
      I am not big on battleships & WWII, but add in time/space(?) travel and some alternate "Alien" lief forms and wow! I had to track down all of the other books to read too
    • 4/5
      Into the Storm: Destroyermen, Book I by Taylor Anderson - A military Sc Fi with a twist. The USS Walker and the USS Mahan, (WWI vintage four stacker destroyers) fight a glorious but lossing battle against the Japanese forces in the early days of WW2. At the height of the battle when all seems lost there is a mysterious squall / storm and they are transported to a parallel Earth. An Earth populated by two races. The cat / monkey like Lemurians and the lizard like Grik. The two speices have been at war for generations apon generations. The Walker and her crew must choose sides.This book was a pleasent surprize. A cut above the normal parrallel alternate history genre. I Have purchased and read (and enjoyed) the second and third book in this series.