Rating: 7.6 (out of 10)
In this installment of Kloos’ popular Frontlines series, Grayson makes some startling discoveries about the Lankies and things build to an epic battle on Mars that does not disappoint.
Kloos delivers another near-perfectly structured MilSF adventure. His measured pacing and tone and workmanlike plotting are suited to the characters he writes about; Kloos admires the competence and professionalism his soldiers display, and like them, he gets the job done. He may not be the kind of author who takes big risks or explores uncharted territory, but he hits what he’s aiming for with precision and flair.
Fields of Fire has a few more big revelations and interesting twists than the last two books in the series, and the novels final moments – Grayson’s sober reflections on the relationship between soldiers and the wars they fight – contain some of Kloos’ best writing yet. This is my favorite entry in the series since Lines of Departure.
