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A volatile U.S. ally has fallen prey to the terrorist beast. India is the target of radical Islamic jihadists, and the world watches breathlessly as tensions escalate between the uneasy giant and its longtime nemesis Pakistan--with China waiting in the wings, eager to flex its military might. A nuclear showdown seems inevitable, unless the masterminds at Dreamland can get to the mysterious source of the terror and end it, swiftly and permanently. Every technological wonder the military possesses must be employed to avert an all-out Apocalypse--from an awesome new hybrid Navy destroyer to robot Flighthawks. But the fate of the region and the world will depend on the newest brainchild of the Dreamland team: an unproven instrument of ultimate power code-named End Game.… (more)
User reviews
This is apparently the 11th book in the “Dreamland” series but the first I have (attempted to) read. I found the story to be difficult to understand and reading “End Game” to be “work” instead of a pleasure. I advise readers to
Several aspects of “End Game” interfered with my understanding and enjoyment of the book.
The story involves numerous characters representing various military factions from multiple countries. It is challenging enough to become familiar with so many characters when beginning a book. However, the authors increase the difficulty by assigning multiple names to many of the characters (e.g., Harold Cale is also Storm and Kirk Andrews is also Starship), and use these names interchangeably.
The characters apparently have a past history that exerts a significant influence on the story but that history is not reviewed for readers who are new to the series. For example, Starship is an Air Force officer assigned to a naval post but he doesn’t like the post or the naval officers under whom he serves. Storm is a naval officer that hates the Air Force more than the enemy. The reason for this intense antipathy is not clear.
The military personnel are representatives of, indentified with, or assigned to various military projects or military weapon systems (e.g., Werewolf, Flighthawk) but none of these are explained in sufficient detail. With some much being thrown at the reader at the beginning, the characters’ branch of military service, proficiencies, present assignments, and indeed the entire setup is a challenging mishmash.
Adding to the confusion is the inclusion of characters representing the Pakistani and Indian military and political considerations (i.e., funding limitations and empire building) that influence the decisions and actions of some of the characters.
It is entirely possible that this series, and “End Game” in particular, would be a great read for someone beginning the series with an earlier entry. However, I do not recommend “End Game” as a starting point.