The Bookwyrm's Review of Sing Goddess The Wrath Of The Fonz by Tripp Ainsworth

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Rating: 10/10 Stars

Synopsis

The Epic continues!
Still politically incorrect, violent, and sexual, if you enjoyed Smokepit Fairytales then you will love the follow up: Sing Goddess, The Wrath of the Fonz. A war story combined with the supernatural in the style of a classical epic to tell a snarky, uproarious, and very poignant tale mixed with an edgy Sci-Fi and fantasy twist to keep you guessing.

While on a NATO training mission gone awry in Latvia the Russian Federation invades the Baltic States. Hank and Doc are stuck in the snow of far off northern lands fighting for survival. Never losing their nerve. However, things go poorly when the Marines push into Russia. Ivan is a formidable opponent, and Death is an equal opportunity employer. Who will survive?

Review

It's not very often I come across a series that speaks to so many parts of my personality.: the sci-fi/fantasy nerd, the soldier I once was, and the guy with an unbridled sense of humor. After the first book in the series, I wasn't sure where it was going. Well, apparently, it was going to Latvia and World War 3, and a modern replaying of a famous piece of greek history/mythology. Which part? Well, no spoilers there, but it's readily apparent pretty much from the start, and it's done really well, in some of the most hilarious ways possible. 

The world building is an intriguing blend of modern real world and near future sci-fi. The technology of the story moves forward fairly quickly as the technology from the alien refugees from book one is reverse engineered into usable technology by both Russia and the Western nations, and so we have mechs that are suddenly introduced to a modern day battlefield, with all the sudden benefits and dangers that provides for soldiers on the ground. The realistic battlefield conditions, with the realistic issues with logistics, weather, terrain and equipment side by side with the new mechs and their use as combat force multipliers are great, especially in a war situation where its the west against Russia in a situation where the Russians aren't the paper tiger.

Into this maelstrom of death and destruction are Hank and Doc, once again thrown into the meat grinder of combat with no warning. They are still the same jaded,  smart ass, gallows humor, hard charging marine and navy corpsman they were from book one, with a bit more of a reckless streak if possible, since it seems they aren't quite the same fully mortal guys that started in book one. It certainly seems like they're determined to find out. We see their character growth throughout the story as it progresses, as they have to worry about the combat all around them, as well as their loved ones back home, wondering if they'll live to see them again. There are some poignant moments throughout, which I didn't expect, but was pleasantly surprised with. 

They are surrounded by a great group of secondary characters, a mix of marines looking to chew bubblegum and kick ass, and they're all out of bubblegum. They're loud, crass, rude and likely to prank anybody they can in the worst ways possible, but they'd throw themselves on a live grenade to save a buddy. The squad leader Fonz is the prime example of this, the epitome of what a Marine NCO is all about, a true life taker and heartbreaker who looks after his marines to try and make sure they accomplish the mission but get home alive after. He and the rest of the platoon just add the perfect amount of realistic characters that remind me of so many soldiers I served with while I was in the army, tand you just find yourself completely engaged with them. 

The villain is a certain Russian leader you might be familiar with, whose actions in regards to a certain first lady lead to the war starting. It's a bit different than the current scenario in Russia currently, but after the last year, it's totally conceivable that something like what happens at the beginning of this book could happen. A life imitating art kind of situation. The Russian army is played pretty straight up, with some notable villainous characters that stand out in small ways throughout the story. Sometimes the stereotypes of  sadistic Russian intelligence types are just too juicy to pass up in writing a story, and are used to great effect. They add a real touch of threat and menace, as if the Russian army with Mechs wasn't menacing enough.

The thing about this book that stands out to me the most is even with all the fantastical elements, it really is a great look into the life of a marine, or even soldiers, sailors and airmen to a certain extent. The bureaucracy, the hurry up and wait mentality, the sheer tedium that they never seem to show in war movies is all there. The sheer nerve wracking, bladder loosening terror of combat is also there, along with the hate, nicotine, energy drink and adrenaline fueled courage shown in the face of that same danger. I'll say the same thing I said about the first book, this is the most realistic portrayal of marines in combat I have ever read, and that includes most non-fiction accounts. The author's real life experiences in combat jump off ever page, as do his experiences in garrison duty, where boredom and lieutenants are the greatest threats to sanity. This has quickly become one of my favorite series, and I highly recommend reading them at once. Be warned, once you start, you may not be able to stop.