Red Phoenix Burning

Let’s try something different; a ranking of the book based on content rather than on Amazon’s Kindle failures. This is the second book in a series on conflict breaking out in Korea. The original book, Red Phoenix, was written in the waning days of the Cold War and described the invasion of South Korea by North Korea. In the new book, we revisit a slightly altered Korean history (due to events in the original book) but one in which Kim Jung Un is still the key power figure.The book leads off with North Korean units moving north, away from the DMZ. This counterintuitive development signals the beginning stages of an internal conflict in North Korea, in which an assassination attempt is made on Kim Jung Un by disgruntled elements within the North Korean military structure. The ensuing struggle for control devolves into several factions, and the internal conflict threatens to cause chaos as it is unclear which faction(s) have control of missiles, nuclear and chemical warheads. The US, China, and Russia are all concerned that the conflict could spill over and the missile borne WMDs used against nearby countries. Tensions escalate as the search for nuclear warheads fails, and nerve gas is deployed by one of the warring factions. I don’t want to spoil the surprises in the story for readers, but this is one of the better technothrillers you will read.Larry has as a coauthor Chris Carlson, an extremely knowledgeable former naval officer with deep expertise. The two of them make a powerful writing team. As with all Larry Bond novels, the actions switches to several story lines and main characters. This gives the reader a multi-faceted view of the story, in addition to developing character interest as we follow the various players and their stories. Some of the characters introduced in the original Red Phoenix have return roles in more senior positions, and several new characters are introduced (including one minor one who seemed very familiar, at least to me). If you like an action packed and gripping military book with political elements of the real world, don’t miss out on this one!

(Before I get to the review, let me say that I think Amazon should delete the one-star reviews that are based solely on the problems with the roll-out of the Kindle version because they are artificially--and unfairly--skewing the overall rating low. (Despite the fact it says I bought the paperback version I actually got the Kindle version. By the afternoon of the 16th I had the full book downloaded.) The plan to release it at 12:01 am on 3/16 was a good one, but unfortunately Bond & Carlson fell victim to the well known maxim: the first casualty of a battle is your plan. Now, on to the review...)Red Phoenix Burning (RPB) has been billed as a sequel to Red Phoenix (RP) but you could not have read RP and you wouldn't really be at much of a disadvantage. A couple of the characters from RP are in RPB but the second book doesn't actually build on the first. I'm sure that being told Tony Christopher, Kevin Little, and Rhee Han-gil would be in RPB attracted other readers besides me, but I was disappointed more of the characters from Red Phoenix didn't appear or rate anything more than a mere mention of their names. I would have liked to known if Hooter kept in touch with Saint...was he happily flying tourists around for a major U.S. airline or retired to a ranch somewhere after a civilian or military career? I think knowing how far Blake Fowler's star rose after his shining performance would have been nice to know. And, Larry, I am sure Mrs. Larson-Christopher has already complained to you that you or your editors have apparently forgotten how to spell her first name! A phone call or two between Tony and Anne talking about how things were going and comparing/contrasting Saint's current experiences to the ones he and Anne shared in the first war would have been nice. But the good news is the characters in RPB are somewhat better developed and more-dimensional...an indication of Bond's growth as an author I think. I was also pleased that there were fewer factual errors than in Red Phoenix. (I'll never get over a bugging-out US Army Lt. Colonel being referred to as a "Bird Colonel" in the first book!)The premise of the story--the attempted reunification of the Korean peninsula following a coup in the DPRK--is an interesting one and makes you wonder if it could really unfold as it did in the book. There are enough plot twists to keep the book from being too predictable, and there are only few instances requiring you to suspend reality. (It's hard to believe there wouldn't be a medic with the equivalent of a US military MARK I Nerve Agent Antidote Kit near a head of state.)There are a few practical features that are very helpful: As in Red Phoenix, a "Dramatis Personae," and a "Glossary," and new to this book, "Korean Language Terms." I'll brag that I didn't have to use the Glossary often, but when I did it was nice to not have to switch to an encyclopedia. I used the Dramatis Personae much more, especially for the Korean characters, and the Korean Language Terms adds a lot to the readability of the book.I'm certainly not a professional book reviewer, but I couldn't tell which parts were written by Bond and which by Carlson, and I think that speaks well of the talent of the authors as a team. All in all it's a reasonably good book and I think anyone who likes the techno-thriller genre would enjoy it. I would have actually given it 3 1/2 stars if that was an option but I gave it 4 stars because I think it deserves the higher rating rather than a mere 3 star rating.(Mr. Bond, if you are reading this review I'm curious as to your thoughts.)[One parting comment related to Amazon and not the quality of Bond's and Carlson's book: I am disappointed in having to sign up for audible books to obtain a narrated version. I was able to get the Whispersync added to Red Phoenix for only $1.99 but had to sign up for the Audible books to get the narration for Red Phoenix Burning. The app soaks up space on my phone and I can't switch back and forth from reading to listening like I can with Whispersync. Clearly its more about Amazon pushing it's product than it is about customer preference.]

Larry Bond and Chris Carlson write the perfect sequel! Could not put this book down. Thanks for your great work!

Second time I’ve read this. Well worth the return. A gripping plot and a marvellous yarn. I would highly recommend.

Great detail and perception of the the issues and possible outcomes. Author has performed sterling research and demonstrated great imagination building on his previous novel. At times the Korean names became confusing but I got used to that. Great read--kept me involved

If you start the book you won't put it away until you finished the last page. A very interesting story line with loads of surprising shifts and turns.detailed knowledge of Korean politics and military . You haven't wasted your time taking the book into your hands and read it. I would definitely recommend it!!!!

Bond does it again! Great plot and many familiar characters reappear. Good plots and enough action to keep Bond readers happy.The tech side is interesting and although its a novel there is a grain of truth in the story. I spent my money wisely.

Mooie aanvulling op Red Phoenix (Aanval van de Rode Feniks) maar kan het origineel natuurlijk niet overklassen. Voor mij staat het origineel op nummer 1 van alle Techno thrillers die ik tot nu toe heb gelezen, hoewel bijv. Mars van Andy Weir en Blackout van Marc Elsberg dicht in de buurt komen.