Home Front (Drop Trooper, #5) by Rick Partlow

Home Front (Drop Trooper, #5) Reviews

• 
  Leather

  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.
  This is the first book in the series that I find boring, I won't go any further.
• 
  Jim

  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!
  
  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.
  
  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.
  
  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.
  
  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!
  
  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!
• 
  Lyndon

  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!
  
  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.
  
  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.
  
  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.
• 
  Peter Megyeri

  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.
• 
  V.L. Stuart

  Home Front, is book 5 in Rick Partlow's Drop Trooper series and it doesn't disappoint.
  
  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.
  
  A find continuation of the series, well-plotted, concise and with an edge of tension. I have book 6 on pre-order.
• 
  Jer Wilcoxen

  Fun transition to new stage...
  
  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.
• 
  Kim

  Different but great!
  
  The setting is quite different in this book than the previous, but it's a really interesting and well thought out change. Fantastic character development and continuation of the story arc. Really looking forward to more. I'm deliberately not giving more details because you really need to read this whole series of military sci-fi is your genre. Read them all, you will not be disappointed.
• 
  Jarryd Kalideen

  Unsure
  
  Well this one was a change of pace for this series, away from the military and set on a planet of farmers. I do feel this particular branch of this series has run it's course, yes there is mystery and a new enemy ,however it somehow feels forced. I'll read the next book and see how that goes.
• 
  Scott

  Great if different outlook
  
  It's no easy task to retire after the war and if the action is more a build up compared to the previous books the story is written well with plenty of insights into colony life and the fallout for the vets and others. Not my favourite book but as it picks up the pace I'm reminded just how good these are. Onwards to the next book I go.
• 
  Matt

  Great series: good characters, fast paced, and highly enjoyable. It definitely scratches that Sci-Fi itch. The author's background shines through brightly, and provides some real clever realism in an unexpected manner
• 
  DAVID

  Cracking storyline
  
  Once again you have created a great storyline with plenty of blood and guts.. I truly understand how they felt when Can and Vicky felt something was missing and the felt alive when in the right again.. I felt the same way and still do as a old veteran..
• 
  Jim

  Great Story
  
  The saga of Cam Alvarez and Vicky Sandoval continues as they discover the their true mission in life. A lesson for all of us: Be who you were meant to be. Thanks Rick for an epic story. Can’t wait to read the next book.
• 
  Julie Carlos Rogers

  Gripping Series of Space Troopers Adventures
  
  The main characters are Drop Troopers who take on a race of alien invaders in a variety of settings as they wage war from planet to planet