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A review of Warrior Class

by Dale Brown

Astonishing aerial action in amazing airplanes

Reviewed by: Twelve
About Twelve

Warrior Class The author Dale Brown is often compared to Tom Clancy. Both write of fictional worlds in which peaceful resolution of problems are no where in sight, and a new terrorist organization is always around the corner. Both carry on with stories that seemed off the wall until recent events on and after September 11th, 2001. Brown, however, is a former pilot and Strategic Air Command member. Along with a higher sense of credibility in his books, I appreciate his well-rounded storytelling abilities.

In Warrior Class, he paints a thrilling background of international intrigue. He takes you right into the offices of dueling governments, letting you read how these leaders might scheme in the political world. The common individual knows so little about what goes on behind these office doors that I love to pretend that this might be how it really is. Of course, Brown is obviously making things up himself, based on the logic that these secrets would never be revealed in books. On the other hand, considering his past, at least he would be making very educated guesses.

I believe that his depth as a writer is revealed through his character development. The hero and villain of Warrior Class are Patrick McLanahan and Pavel Kazakov, respectively. Patrick is Brown's hero over many books, but even he is only one quality character that comes from a large cast. With miniature stories of romance, betrayal, sickness, and other very human events, one can say that Patrick is surrounded by something akin to a soap opera. Even Pavel Kazakov, though a newcomer in Brown's universe, cannot be dismissed as a typical villain. Brown takes time to create a man who, though certainly in error, is understandable.

Where Brown shines most of all is where he should, and that is in his adventure storytelling. I have to say that, among the many combat sequences I've read, Brown puts together some of the best. Why? Because he boldly writes about a form of combat that many of today's authors are afraid to get near: aerial combat. It is, actually, very difficult to write anything thrilling about a dogfight between two planes. However, Brown does it over and over again. When he writes these action sequences, they're detailed and often very long. Even in other works where action abounds, most of these situations are one squirt drama to the next. Not with this author. He'll literally take thirty or fourty pages and put you on a very exciting ride. The adventures often involve protagonists that you've grown to care for, though Brown isn't afraid to let one of them die in combat. Never knowing if someone will pass away during these long sequences will keep your eyes glued on the pages, even as Brown will amaze real pilots with his excellent detail.

It's hard to find a significant weakness in Dale Brown's Warrior Class. Throughout his tale, you'll understand why heroism isn't always pretty. You'll also see why many are afraid to understand the "evil" mind, because it can sound a lot like the mind of those we think are "good". Don't be deceived by the book's title; Warrior Class is a class act that rises above the mundane "blood and gore" military adventure.

Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: Warrior Class

Copyright © by Twelve, 2002

Reviewed by Twelve :
-- The House of Death - by Paul Doherty
-- The Sigma Protocol - by Robert Ludlum
-- AKIRA, Volume 1 - by Katsuhiro Otomo
-- Valhalla Rising - by Clive Cussler
-- Warrior Class - by Dale Brown
-- The Dreamthief's Daughter - by Michael Moorcock
-- Jupiter - by Ben Bova
-- Celtika - by Robert Holdstock
-- Knots and Crosses - by Ian Rankin
-- The Dragonbone Chair - by Tad Williams
-- Corpse Candle - by Paul Doherty
-- Flood Tide - by Clive Cussler
-- Samurai! - by Saburo Sakai
-- The Sky of Peleg - by Twelve
-- Disclosure - by Michael Crichton
-- Pawn of Prophecy - by David Eddings









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