Rimworld- Into the Green

Into the Green occurs in the same universe as Curtis’ earlier short work, Stranded, in which humanity struggles against the voracious alien Dragoons and their human toadies, the Traders. The main character, Fargo, is a veteran of both combat and exploration who returns to a nice, quiet planet to retire and enjoy the rest of his life. Of course, the universe is having none of that, and soon he is embroiled in conflict with both invaders and turncoats.This is a fast-moving story, and I enjoyed every page. If you’re looking for something for the beach, the cabin, or the lake and you enjoy sci-fi adventures, you’ll like Into the Green.

Take a warrior dealing with loss of his team of 24 years, mix with dealing with recovery from injuries, ( both physical and psychological), add in an unwanted bequest, mix in a beautiful rural setting that is being encroached upon....You are not going to be able to put this one down, so don't start it late in the evening. Mr. Curtis shows again his deft touch with humor, and the human condition. His characters are well-drawn and complex. His plot is solid. And his story moves along.Buy it, read it, think about it afterwards. If you enjoy stories with a mil SF flavor you should like this one a great deal.

Humanity's expansion into the stars is explored in a deeply personal way for the reader through the eyes of Fargo, a veteran soldier, in the sunset of his career, now faced with a struggle of life and death against alien invaders, deceit among his own, and new challenges that you just know that the author will expand on in future volumes. This is an extension of the author's first science fiction work, STRANDED, and the universe of imagination and culture is faithfully reproduced as Fargo goes INTO THE GREEN.

When Ethan Fargo gets medically retired from the Galactic Scouts, he heads for the Rimworld named Hunter. He was part of the discovery team and holds a land grant. The Dragoons and their human allies were beaten back and a peace of sorts established. After two careers and great trauma (Terran Marines and Galactic Scouts), he's determined to make a quiet new life and forget as much as possible. Like many old soldiers, he's aware that someone may try to recall him. Unlike many old soldiers, he's not awaiting recall to the colors, because they never really let him go. Strange things are happening in the Rimworld cluster, and Ethan is the ideal man for silent duty: long service, survivor, highly capable, and with high level psi talents imparted by life-threatening trauma. At first all is quiet, but the local government and wildlife make their approval known. The quiet changes from normal life to the extreme quiet of a capstone predator being loose - the Dragoons are building a clandestine base on his retirement world. With the help of family, unexpected local allies, and an extraordinary inheritance, Ethan combines his local militia with the Marines to do battle once more against the hated Dragoons. Old soldiers are more dangerous because they're tired and won't run - just kill you where they stand.This was a really good read, excellent for long trips, or camping. It's easy to read a few chapters, set down, and pick up again (with maybe some back-paging). Like Curtis' Gray Man series, you understand the villains' motivations and want the heroes to win. The action flows well with periodic pauses or breaks. It's an excellent first book for a SF series. The characters (human and other) are well described, with good motivation and understandable goals and actions. The story lines expand in logical, believable time for moving people and ships around. The most intriguing and infuriating character is his old teammate Diez, who has a very unusual background which is not fully developed; this makes an excellent plot teaser.Highly recommended for those who like strong characters, gritty heroes, and occasional bits of sheer fun.

JLhas some hits with his Grey Man series and has now created a military sci-fi book that's the equal of or better than his other works.Military personnel, even after retiring, tend to stick around the community. JL has brought his history with him and apparently had a great time creating this environment. The characters are varied and realistic, the tech just far-out enough to be fun without needing lots of explaining.Best part for those who have kept up with JL's blog and other books - he's brought individuals from the real world and his other anthologies into this world. Look for some easter-eggs and familiar names!

The author has written a number of books before but this is his first SF Novel (there is a previous short story set in the same universe too - Rimworld: Stranded - though it isn't a prequel exactly).The book has engaging, well drawn characters, interesting world (universe) building and lots of action. Does it have deeper meaning? possibly not, but so what? this is a great read for a lazy afternoon. It ends suitably with no real threads dangling, but there is clearly going to be a sequel and that's a good thing because I want to know "what happens next". There are a couple of times where it seems to me the author is a bit too reliant on a "deus ex machina", which is the only reason this doesn't get its fifth star. (The DeM, although explained in advance, seems to me to be a bit too good to be true but YMMV and it doesn't really ruin the story)

An impressive first foray into different worlds for this author! Easy read as you are transported into a different galaxy and advancements in technology. Make no mistake though, tech changes yet people do not. Wonderful character development and environment details await anyone that reads this book. Yes, for those that have read previous works by him you will find some common themes, yet I have no problem with that and they do not overtake the main story. This is a standalone book that ends with yet a hint of a sequel. AGAIN!