Home Front

The stakes of the book are much lower than those of the previous parts, and we don't know about it before the very end.<br />This is the first book in the series that I find boring, I won't go any further.

<strong>Looking For Peace</strong><br /><br />In a nutshell to me this is what this 5th book was mainly concerned with. For those who have been in combat, especially one on one infantry style with an enemy, they would definitely relate to what Cam, his significant other, and brothers and sisters veterans were going through. Trying to readjust to life after military service is hard enough, after years of combat, a challenge for sure. The author shows us through Cam , his wife and fellow Drop Trooper, Vicky, the hard emotional toll it takes on people. Yes, there's action, drama, and suspence. Then there's that lingering question all of us military, especially combat veterans have asked ourselves. Given the opportunity to return to that life, would we, would our noble author?? Nuff said!!!!

We're back with Cameron Alvarez and Vicky Sandoval, Farmers! Yeah, they've taken their separation bonus from the Marines and left Earth to become colony farmers on a planet called Hausos. This planet is about as far away from Earth as you can get. They took this location since the Commonwealth Colonization Authority game them almost everything they needed to start their farm, except a lot of spare parts. After working this farm and hoping to get a profitable crop harvested by next summer, they were still replacing broken stuff with hard to get spare parts. Most were fabricated locally, but some and most everything else had to be imported and that was expensive! Still, Cameron and Vicky very much like the idea of not being shot at every single day!<br /><br />Everything was going great, if you like farming. There wasn't much of a town close by, but it did have something resembling a spaceport and they even had a few freight shuttles coming and going every so often. Most everyone around the town were also farmers. There were some shops keepers and other tradesmen in town so the community could keep itself running without a lot of trouble. There was one particular far ran by a guy named Klaus Hellnick. He wasn't exactly the friendly type. He was alone on the farm as far as anyone knew; he had a few hired hands, but it didn't seem like he was working his farm all that hard. <br /><br />There was also interesting things happening regularly at his farm. Freighter shuttles were flying way to regularly toward Hellnick's farm and everyone knew they couldn't be delivering that much equipment to one place. The town's people were very curious as to what was going on out there, but it was really none of their business, so far. Then one of those shuttles crashed on Dave Cline's farm and a whole lot of stuff started happening real quick.<br /><br />Cameron, Vicky, and Dave headed out to the crash since they were close. Once they got there, everything was in flames and it didn't look like anyone could have survived the crash. Still, Cameron and Vicky pushed their way into the crew compartment only to find all but one person pretty much dead. The last guy didn't look like he last too long and Cameron didn't know if he should move him or wait until Emergency Rescue arrived. They got back out of the crashed shuttle and ran into Captain Eld. This guy looked definitely like the pirate type and didn't deny it one bit. That wasn't so bad and after getting a glimpse of the photon cannon inside the crashed shuttle, Cameron figure he was also a weapons smuggler. While that wasn't all that great, out here in the "Forbidden Zone", there wasn't much in the way of law and as long as these guys kept to themselves and didn't bother the honest folk, they wasn't anything they could do about smugglers being in their community.<br /><br />At least there didn't first appear to be any reason to object to their being around until Cameron and Vicky spotted the Tahni Colonel and his solders there! That they definitely didn't like. While the war was over, Cameron and Vicky still had strong memories of the killings the Tahni had done and the Tahni they had killed in return. Things had taken a turn for the very worst. Cameron and Vicky might not be just farmers for much longer, not with the Tahni around anyway!<br /><br />Once again, very smooth writing. While this book seemed to tell a pretty comprehensive story, it seemed short after reading it. I don't know if it's the easy way it reads or what, but I kind of just moved along while reading the book and that's good. The editing is excellent which always makes for a good book. I'll definitely be reading the next book in this series, "Fire Base", which is available for pre-order on Amazon right now. It's expected to out by 16 Feb 2021. Better get it!

Book 5 starts a new story arc in the Drop Trooper series. You'll probably want to begin with book 1, it's a good stand alone and if you like the series (which I'm betting you will), you can continue and get hooked like I am. Even book 2 makes a good stand alone, but for sure the first three books together form a nice complete arc, so no long term commitment! <br /><br />Book 4 extends that 'war with an alien race' plot with his great cast of characters; Partlow does well adding another dimension to this series. Difficult to do, I think, after a solid trilogy wrap-up. No. 4 could be a stand alone as well. The author knows how to write a satisfying novel with a conclusion.<br /><br />If pressed, I'd say Book 5 could be a stand alone - but why jump into the series half way through knowing there are 10 or 12 books in the opus. Just bite the bullet and start with No. 1. (grin) Because by now there's a lot of history between our protag, Cam Alverez and his partner Victoria and a character that Partlow brought back from an earlier novel. Great stuff.<br /><br />Here's what I wrote in a previous review and applies to Home Front as well: Rick Partlow is a really good story teller, balancing important description (without a heavy dose of techno-jargon) with well-rounded characters in tense situations. This is definitely a plot-driven, fast paced, exciting adventure but Cam is ‘real’, his friends are not two-dimensional, and the action is believable. This is an adult military SF book, so rough language is sprinkled throughout, but not overused, imo.

<strong>Another excellent installment in an excellent series</strong><br /><br />As an avid reader who reads roughly 200 Kindle Unlimited titles a year I found the Drop Troopers series to be a wonderful surprise as it was the first encounter with Mr Paltrow's work. His action sequences are fast paced and he has mastered the art of humanizing the combat experience (and post combat as well) without falling into existentialism and angst while maintaining the pace of the action and portraying the subjective essence of never being able to fully process the events that threaten to overcome you in a way that truly puts you there. He also fully humanizes the experiences and expectations of the troopers between battle exceptionally as well. Home Front is no exception.<br /><br />In addition to everything above, his books are rather well edited and generally free of the types of hiccups that are often littered throughout the self published works that dominate Kindle Unlimited. Obvious typos and voice to text errors are all but non existing and I'm yet to catch an awkward change in phrasing in any of Mr Paltrow's work and would happily and eagerly volunteer myself to him if he ever needs another beta reader.<br /><br />Bravo Mr Paltrow, Bravo.

<strong>Drop Trooper book 5</strong><br /><br />Drop Trooper book 5 takes the series in a new direction.  Out of the military, Cam and Vicky are trying their hand at becoming colonist farmers on an isolated colony world on the other side of the Tahni Imperium.  But those two can’t stay out of trouble and when the Tahni stick their noses into things again, two former Marines have to be the ones to stand up to them. <br />This book has a different feel than the others, but it deals very realistically with the problems of former soldiers, including PTSD and an inability to cope with civilian life.  It also lays the groundwork for what seems like a very thrilling new adventure with old enemies and new ones.  I am anxiously awaiting book six!<br />

<strong>Disappointing</strong><br /><br />Compared to partkow's first four books in the Drop trooper series Home Front was incredibly disappointing The main character Cam was sickening in his constant complaining about his lot in life and his supposed PTSD.I considered just returning it unread but Partlow is a very competent writer so the book is a quick read and easily forgotten so the reader can move on to the next book in the series quickly, with the the hope that the author will get back on track and is main characters return to being interesting and dynamic hero's consistent with the Space opera genre.

This was a big change in pace and setting in the saga. And it has been very good. I enjoyed it just as much as the precious ones, I really liked the relatively slower, almost cozy first part and the new challenges in the second half as well. I feel that although at the same time all the books are really similar to each other and to the ideal military sci-fi book I imagine, they are also different enough to always feel fresh. I'm really glad that I found this series and will continue on with the next book.

Home Front, is book 5 in Rick Partlow's Drop Trooper series and it doesn't disappoint. <br /><br />Released from the service, Cam and Vicky use their discharge bonuses to set up in a new colony and try to live a 'normal' life as farmers. Until the Tahni arrive with a smuggler. They want something, of course, and don't care how they get it, dragging our MCs back into warrior mode.<br /><br />A find continuation of the series, well-plotted, concise and with an edge of tension. I have book 6 on pre-order.

<strong>Fun transition to new stage...</strong><br /><br />Good, fun story, well paced, hard to put down, as usual. This time, not quite as well crafted. The throw away character of Cam's new buddy was a little gratuitous; would have liked to see him evolve into a solid support character. But his only role was to telegraph the twist, and that was just sloppy. At any rate, this volume satisfied my military mech craving and transitioned well to the new stage of the saga. Look forward to the next one.