The Lotus Eaters is the third installment of the Legio del Cid series by Mr Kratman. The book picks up after the Legion has successfully pacified Pashtia and returned to Balboa. Its takes place mainly in Balboa as the Legion prepares for their inevitable showdown with the corrupt rump regime protected by the Tauran Union in their enclave near the Balboan Transitway.
This is an obvious stepping stone book that fleshes out the story and provides more background rather than really advancing the plot line of the series. If I were a cynic I would say that this appears to be a mash up of all the mini-plots Mr. Kratman put together as he developed the main story line. I do not know that to be the case however. This is almost like the most recent Honor Harrington book in that it essentially goes nowhere in an entertaining manner.
All that being said, I like this book. I particularly like the development of the glider and submarine as well as finding the discussion of the way in which the Isla Real is fortified to be not only interesting, informative as well. This may not be the book that I wanted to read, but it is excellent nonetheless. All in all, another great read from Mr. Kratman. My only complaint is not with this book but rather with the wait between this book and the next one. This book ends with a teaser that leaves the reader wanting to know more. The next volume is titled Come and Take Them and will be released in November and it’s about damn time. eARC’s should be available on Baen a few month’s before that.
5 November. Next one after that in the summer, probably early summer, of 2014.
I used to whine about the time it takes in between books, especially from my increasingly smaller list of authors who I will read. I don’t do that anymore since I started trying to write my own book and see how hard it is to put together a non-fiction manuscript much less a fictional one where the author has to create a plausible, or at at least believable world.
Keep cranking them out and I will keep reading them and trying to convince others to do the same. You are one of the few authors out there who gets it and you get your points across in a very entertaining way.
It is also great to see another fellow vet make good without selling his soul in the process.
EARC is available now. After all the whining Toni Weisskopf had to put up with she let it out early.
While I like the fact that Baen does eARCs when is the release date for the polished version? That is what i will be reviewing here.