Review by Tarnow15 -- The Commander by Dan E. Hendrickson
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- Latest Review: The Commander by Dan E. Hendrickson
Review by Tarnow15 -- The Commander by Dan E. Hendrickson
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Commander" by Dan E. Hendrickson.]
The Commander is an action-paced novel which takes place two years after the attacks of 9/11. With the nation seemingly more vulnerable than ever before, it needs leaders who can step up and answer the call to action. This is where Coast Guard Commander Jacob Edwards, steps in.
The author spares no time introducing us the novel's main protagonist. He wisely spent the first few pages of the novel building up the already-established reputation of Edwards and warming us up to the fact that he is a proverbial "badass". As a Coast Guard officer with special forces training, working as a member of a top-secret inter-service task force under Naval intelligence, our expectations are set high for the main character from the very beginning. We are anxious to see what he can do. And this is exactly what the author delivers.
Already by the end of the first chapter, we know that Edwards is destined for further greatness. So it gives the reader great satisfaction when he is quickly promoted to commander and given an ultra-important assignment. And of course as in life, promotion and rapid advancement tends to attract jealously. The author brilliantly uses seemingly "natural" jealously to explain the eventual corruption of several key characters, as he skillfully foreshadows their moral undoing (Without immediately revealing how exactly it will occur, despite the book being told from multiple perspectives).
Aside from a few glaring typos in the introduction, my only complaint is the chapter, "Game Changers". Given the intense amount of detail given to seemingly every major character, I was shocked to read how easily Captain Will Harrington was manipulated by Natasha. While it is understandable that this character has an opioid addiction, his reactions to threats posed in this chapter seemed rather unbelievable and given his previous character development, I would expected more of a fight. Therefore, this chapter came off as a little rushed in comparison to the the others.
That said, the book is certainly fast-paced. And after this chapter, one subtly begins to get the impression that "every second counts", as we gradually approach the climax of the novel. Therefore, it is possible that the author was merely trying to "get on with the action". He needed to create a plausible scenario which would allow our protagonist, Edwards, to assume full command of his Hamilton-class cutter. And in that sense, he succeeded.
At no point did I find the novel taxing to read as it effectively kept me glued to its pages (Apart from chapter 13, which I initially found to be a little ridiculous in execution). The book is an excellent balance of action, intrigue and plain heroics on the part of a very likeable protagonist. For these reasons, I am happy to give the novel a 4 out of 4 stars.
I would recommend this book to any military enthusiasts; particularly those who want to learn more about the Coast Guard. The book effectively challenges the notion that Coast Guard members are weak "puddle pirates" - They are respectable members of our nation's Armed Forces.
******
The Commander
View: on Bookshelves
The Commander is an action-paced novel which takes place two years after the attacks of 9/11. With the nation seemingly more vulnerable than ever before, it needs leaders who can step up and answer the call to action. This is where Coast Guard Commander Jacob Edwards, steps in.
The author spares no time introducing us the novel's main protagonist. He wisely spent the first few pages of the novel building up the already-established reputation of Edwards and warming us up to the fact that he is a proverbial "badass". As a Coast Guard officer with special forces training, working as a member of a top-secret inter-service task force under Naval intelligence, our expectations are set high for the main character from the very beginning. We are anxious to see what he can do. And this is exactly what the author delivers.
Already by the end of the first chapter, we know that Edwards is destined for further greatness. So it gives the reader great satisfaction when he is quickly promoted to commander and given an ultra-important assignment. And of course as in life, promotion and rapid advancement tends to attract jealously. The author brilliantly uses seemingly "natural" jealously to explain the eventual corruption of several key characters, as he skillfully foreshadows their moral undoing (Without immediately revealing how exactly it will occur, despite the book being told from multiple perspectives).
Aside from a few glaring typos in the introduction, my only complaint is the chapter, "Game Changers". Given the intense amount of detail given to seemingly every major character, I was shocked to read how easily Captain Will Harrington was manipulated by Natasha. While it is understandable that this character has an opioid addiction, his reactions to threats posed in this chapter seemed rather unbelievable and given his previous character development, I would expected more of a fight. Therefore, this chapter came off as a little rushed in comparison to the the others.
That said, the book is certainly fast-paced. And after this chapter, one subtly begins to get the impression that "every second counts", as we gradually approach the climax of the novel. Therefore, it is possible that the author was merely trying to "get on with the action". He needed to create a plausible scenario which would allow our protagonist, Edwards, to assume full command of his Hamilton-class cutter. And in that sense, he succeeded.
At no point did I find the novel taxing to read as it effectively kept me glued to its pages (Apart from chapter 13, which I initially found to be a little ridiculous in execution). The book is an excellent balance of action, intrigue and plain heroics on the part of a very likeable protagonist. For these reasons, I am happy to give the novel a 4 out of 4 stars.
I would recommend this book to any military enthusiasts; particularly those who want to learn more about the Coast Guard. The book effectively challenges the notion that Coast Guard members are weak "puddle pirates" - They are respectable members of our nation's Armed Forces.
******
The Commander
View: on Bookshelves
Latest Review: The Commander by Dan E. Hendrickson
