Janissaries - Jerry Pournelle Book Review

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"Janissaries"
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Review Summaries

" On Earth, in the 1970's, a small band of CIA-hired mercenaries are faced with certain death. Unless they accept the deal offered to them by the Shalnakis, who will rescue them in exchange for their cooperation in growing a certain plant on a distant planet that they will colonize. Capt. Rick Galloway must accept, in order to save his men. But once they arrive on Tran, he must face the mutiny of his men, and make contact with the natives, humans from deposited on the planet from previous civilizations. Thus he is plunged into the battles of his benefactors, where his knowledge of military history and strategy may be the most important weapon of all."
C.E. Mosher, Resident Jerry Pournelle Scholar

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Overall Review

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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 30%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%

Tone of book - very upbeat
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Explore/1st contact/ enviro story Yes
Plotlets: - colonizing/homesteading another planet
War or Invasion Yes
Major kinds of combat: - sword fights
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - infantry soldier
Age: - 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - an organization
Eccentric: Yes - obsessed - emotionally unstable
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a little/some

Setting
Terrain - Mountains - Domed/Underground City
Which planet? - Earth's Moon
Spaceship setting: - alien spaceship
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body: - humans in a primitive/fantasy society
Planet outside solar system? Yes
Takes place in spaceship? Yes
Not Earth, in Solar System? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
scientific jargon? (SF only) - a fair amount of scientific explanation
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - vague references only
How much dialogue? - significantly more descript than dialog

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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

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