BOOK REVIEW:MARCH OF WAR (VIRTUES OF WAR BOOK THREE) BY BENNETT R COLES

March of War (Virtues of War Book Three)
Author: Bennett R Coles
Publisher: Titan Books
ISBN: 9781783294
Pages: 336
Reviewed by: Sandra Scholes

In Virtues of War Katja, Jack and Thomas are sent to apprehend a spy in Cerberus, Ghosts of War I never had the chance to cover but now in March of War, Jack and Tom have to take on the Centauri rebels who threaten Terran Space while Katja working in Special Forces has to find the perps responsible, though in the process find the Centauri have new and dangerous tech that could do more damage.

In this continuation of the Virtues of War series, the story sounds interesting as the characters aren't your run of the mill types who dash head first into battle. They have level heads in the face of war and didn't forget that war is also at the cost of innocent lives on both sides. On the Hawk, Lt Jack Mallory is fast losing his fight against the rebels seeing from the start the Hawk ready to crash land. In the middle of a daring mission to rescue Thomas Kane who is under heavy fire from the same enemy.

Victory at any cost is a tag line from the book, but our brave heroes know better than to risk lives other than their own on this mission. I liked the fast battle scenes, the tense drama surrounding the main characters and at times the names used. I have to be frank that some of them came across as humorous. Sergeant Bunyasiniphair (try saying that after a few pints of intergalactic beer) who is known by his friends as Buns for short and also for the sake of normalcy.

Coles uses his experiences in the navy to give readers a novel series to be enamoured by. As far as main characters go, Mallory and Kane and Katja are full and have their quirks, fears and loves that fit well into this pilot.