Taylor – Robert Raymond’s Blogtorium

June 4, 2023

Destroyermen 1: Into the Storm (Review)

his book should count for two reviews. I checked it out of the local library for a recent road trip. Listened to it while the miles zipped past, smiling. Decided at the end that I liked it well enough to look into the series. Fifteen books. And Norfolk’s local bookstores could come up with ten of them. Bought those and ordered the rest. just re-read the first one. So, the Destroyermen series starts with Into the Storm in the opening days of the Pacific War in World War 2, with the Japanese Navy devouring anything in its path. The USS […]

July 16, 2023

Destroyermen 3: Maelstrom (Review)

he third book in The Destroyermen series did not disappoint. Whereas the first two books of the string only had the Americans (and one Japanese guy) in USS Walker, the Mahan, the Amagi (with the rest of the Japanese guys), the Lemurs and the nasty, toothy Grik, now we’ve added a couple of more power factions to this world. Since the Great Swarm didn’t work out so well for the Grik last book, they might as well try it again, this time fully backed by the big old Amagi, helmed by its frothing Japanese captain (who was perfectly fine with […]

September 10, 2023

Destroyermen 4 : Distant Thunders (Review)

hese aren’t really spoilers, what I’m about to say. Sure, if you are midway through book 3 (Maelstrom), it may spoil the final battle. But as I will review here, this should help you become more interested in this wonderful storyline. So USS Walker’s big battle in Baalkpan Bay does come at a cost. After all that murderous shot and shell, the proud WW2 destroyer (who has come to this strange world through a dimensional rift) wins the day, limps back to the repair dock yet settles on the bottom just short of the pier. Add to the fact that […]

November 26, 2023

Destroyermen 6: Firestorm (Review)

o the war in our strange new world that a WW2 destroyer finds itself in continues to heat up. In the west, a blockade in Southern India goes horrible wrong when the Grik blow up their transports, disabling two of the good guys’ ships and driving them ashore. In the east, in Hawaii (or rather, the New Britain Isles) finds Captain Reddy and his command fighting the traitorous “Company” and it’s twisted Dominion priests in New Ireland. Add to the fact that you’ve got a massive fleet of transport moving towards San Fransisco (a New Britain colony), well, all the […]

February 4, 2024

Destroyermen 7: Iron Gray Sea (Review)

he seventh book in the Destroyermen series finds (finally) that the author has given us a break and actually included a list of characters in the front (eleven pages – that’s how big this war has become). So in the west, the first fleet in this “prehistoric” world battles to take India from the monstrous Grik, only to overextend and be encircled. An airlift keeps them supplied, but how long can they hold out? Meanwhile, in the east, the English based out of the Hawaiian islands continue the war with the Doms (Spanish time-castaways who have infested South America with […]

February 19, 2024

Destroyermen 8: Storm Surge (Review)

eesh. So here we are on book eight of this series. The world (and cast of characters) keeps expanding with the realization of the existence of a new race (South Africa), mounted riders led by (of all things) a Czech (in Northern India) and a crazy change to our world over in the Dominion area (over in South America). So we resolve India and the double stalemate there (and nobody seems happy about it), our wonder weapons – those P-40s – finally get deployed (that was fun). And the crazy Silva gets to break more things (as he is prone […]

April 29, 2024

Destroyermen 9: Deadly Shores (Review)

ou’ll notice that I’ve picked up reviews again. With my two week vacation in Amsterdam and my blogging about it, I really didn’t have time for book reviews. Well, I’ve got a stack to get through so even though it’s late, let’s get started. So Taylor Anderson’s Deadly Shores is the ninth book in the Destroyermen series. In this one, the world gets bigger as we learn more about the reptilian grik locations in Africa, hints about another race further north along the western coast, and possibly more allies beyond the South American Dons. Yes, the book is busy. Unlike […]

June 9, 2024

Destroyermen 10: Straits of Hell (Review)

eah, yeah, another Destroyermen book. I’m over the halfway point now. So our Alternate-World-War (starting when an aging destroyer fell into a primitive world where dinosaurs never went extinct) continues on the allies’ front lines. In the west at the former Grik capitol, the Grik ready a counterattack across the strait between Madagascar and Africa. And over in South America, the Doms prepare to strike the allied base. There is a bit of synergy in the storytelling. In both cases, a massive force looms over the good guys. And as very typical in Taylor Anderson’s story, it seems to always […]

August 4, 2024

Destroyermen 11: Blood in the Water (Review)

kay, we’ll start with the question I always ask at the end of Destroyermen reviews – where do the reptilian Grik get all their shit? The bad guys in the story (and the author) have been hinting that the Grik (and the crazy Japanese emperor-wannabe, Kurokawa) had a big surprise for the heroes off the east coast of Africa. And (spoilers ahead) did they ever – hundreds of planes. Three carriers. Working torpedoes. Where did they get all this shit? The thing that always makes me wince in these books is the fact that they don’t have railroads. Materials seem […]

November 24, 2024

Destroyermen 12: Devil’s Due (Review)

o what can I tell you about this series I haven’t yet? The way keeps expanding. We learn more about the League of Tripoli (the alternate fascists in the Mediterranean). And more about that maniac Kurokawa (the Japanese cruiser captain that chased USS Walker through the portal and into this crazy world). And all the crazy crap that’s been going on. The Japanese are playing for time. The Grik are expanding towards another mega invasion fleet. The League is up to no good. The Republic of Free People in South Africa finally got their thumbs out of their asses and got […]