Avon, 1999, $5.99, ISBN 0-380-78829-2, 402 pgs., paperback

Book Two picks up where Semper Mars left off, only the small skirmish between Marines and French Foreign Legion escalates into an all-out war with the US and Russia squaring off against the UN. While Earth becomes a battleground, the real war forms on the moon where yet more artifacts were found and the UN has begun harvesting alien weapon technology. Thus, in go the Marines, circa 2067.

Douglas again crafts a superb novel, for if the first grabbed you, this second book hauls you in. The characters who survived from Book One return in the sequel along with a few new ones. Airless combat is refined further, as would be likely by both sides. Of particular note is that the hero of the day is a nerd--it's nice to see such recognition.

Here's another rollicking ride for the new future US Marines.

Other Books in the Series
Semper Mars: The Heritage Trilogy: Book 1
Lunar Marine: The Heritage Trilogy: Book 2
Europa Strike: The Heritage Trilogy: Book 3

This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com