Hatch and Stug, still shattered after the cliffhanger in "Susquehanna: A Second Tale of Bestimmung Company (Books of B Company Book 2)" come up with a plan to rescue someone who they originally thought they might have lost. Going against the orders of TRACE, they infiltrate the Transport prison located in the City where they think their friend could be held captive. The rest of Bestimmung Company, ordered to capture Hatch and Stug for desertion, are hot on their heels. But something strange is going on here, as they recognize some of the other prisoners in the holding area. And why is Transport methodically evacuating the City anyway? The fight slowly builds in intensity until it explodes, quite literally, into a run-and-gun fight for their lives to escape the prison while time is slowly running out. There are casualties aplenty and we wonder, will anyone even make it out of this one alive?
Many things especially stand out for me in this tale. The battles continue to be inventive and told in breathtaking detail while still moving the story forward at a momentous pace that never lets up, especially when it reaches its zenith. The potential loss of life will be tragic if Bestimmung Company doesn't succeed, truly living up to the adage that war really is hell.
But the stakes are also very personal, as this harrowing situation brings out more vulnerable sides of Hatch, the QB herself and even Stug too. Stug forms an unlikely and unexpected friendship with a young prisoner and seeing the grizzled veteran actually show a different side of him as he forms a bond was heartwarming while in the midst of this frenzied firefight. Hatch and the QB also struggle with their seemingly hopeless situation and what, if anything, they should do about it. The sparkling banter between the soldiers is well-written and highlights a familial camaraderie born of men serving together on the battlefield, working in sync with one another.
Most importantly, the author simply knows how to write compelling characters. The psychological depth he gives them allows the reader to invest themselves deeply in the outcome, adding much tension to the proceedings as you wonder about their fates. Even as the author perfectly captures all the horror and brutality of war, the characters still shine through. It is these characters that we have come to know well over four different stories that add a powerful emotional heft to the finale, which is both sad and inspiring.
Dovetailing nicely with a significant event from "Pennsylvania Omnibus", upon which this trilogy of Bestimmung Company tales is based, it still stands on its own, showcasing how rich that story is and how these military sci-fi stories can fit very well in this universe.
The author ties of lot of these stories together, most notably "Susquehanna" and the author's short story "Gelassenheit" from "Tales from Pennsylvania", giving it an additional narrative cohesiveness and made me appreciate the extra effort made to seamlessly bring it all together.
Finally, I must mention Ben Adams' artwork in the chapter breaks here, which heightens the story and perfectly captures the grim and gritty realities of war.
This is an excellent concluding chapter capping off a great trilogy about Bestimmung Company. Whether you are a fan of Pennsylvania or just fans of military sci-fi, you should not miss these stories.
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Unwell Hydration from Alex Cooper
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- Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2015
- Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2015
