Large Print Reviews
Edge of Battle
By Dale Brown
 
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Edge of Battle
By Dale Brown
Harper Large Print (2006)
Distributed by Thorndike Press
ISBN: 0-06-112069-3
Genre: Techo-Thriller
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Reviewed by Herbert White - September 15, 2006
In Edge of Battle, Dale Brown continues the action-packed story that began in his book, Act of War. Like its predecessor, Edge of Battle is an action-packed techno-thriller that has at its hub the elite anti-terrorist unit called Task Force TALON. In Act of War, TALON was fighting against the Russian terrorist organization known as the Consortium. In this exciting sequel, TALON once again is all that stands between the safety of the United States and the 'ultimate' evil. Building upon current, and contentious events like the ongoing debate over how to secure the boarder between the U.S. and Mexico, this book is both timely and entertaining.
As the story opens, members of the Consortium are crossing the porous Mexican - American Border with the aid of drug smugglers. When they are stopped by several U.S. Border Patrol agents, they kill the agents, alerting the government that something sinister is afoot. Knowing the dangers posed by the Consortium, President Samuel Conrad authorized 'Operation Rampart' and the deployment of TALON to help guard the border - and the fun is on.... To complicate their task, Ernesto Fuerza, a drug kingpin, has set himself up as the poster child for Mexican nationalism and he is working on a plan to seize the lands that Mexico lost during the Mexican-American War (1846-48) to the United States. One aspect of his plan is to energize the millions of illegal Mexican immigrants in the United States to revolt and destroy America from within. If he is successful, America will never be the same, in more ways than one...
Like most of Brown's books, the characters in Edge of Battle take a back seat to the action and the technology - both real and imagined that imbue his books. This is a great book for action and techno-junkies. If you are looking for great literature - look elsewhere, but if you are looking for a thrilling story that is easy on the brain, and are willing to overlook some of the less realistic points in the story, this is the book for you! Personally, I found this to be a fun and diverting book to read.
While you can read this book as a stand-along volume, I highly recommend that you read Act of War first as it explains the development of TALON, who and what the Consortium is and why they are committing acts of terrorism against the U.S., and it lays out the groundwork for the robots, nanotechology, Cybernetic Infantry Devices, and other neat gizmos that are part and parcel of TALON's arsenal. The first book in the series also sets up the personal conflict between Major Jason Richter, head of TALON, and Yegor Zakharov, the leader of the Consortium - and it explains why Zakharov is out to take revenge on Richter. However, if you can't get your hands on Act of War, Brown provides sufficient information to allow you to follow the story line without much difficulty.
Related Reviews:
- Air Battle Force, by Dale Brown
Patrick McLanahan and his team of techno-geeks, working at a secret military base in Nevada, have created a robotic warplane. Although not yet tested, they are called to use it in battle as the US and Russia comes to blows after a coup in Russia. (Large Print)
- Battle Born, by Dale Brown
North and South Korea have been reunified and now they turn their attention toward their mutual enemy, China. As a nuclear confrontation threatens, USAF Brigadier General, Patrick McLanahan leads a special Air Force strike task unit whose mission is to destroy Korea's weapons of mass destruction - before they launch them against China and start World War III. (Large Print)
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