Monsoon Hell Hole (The Black Eagles #16)

Monsoon Hell Hole (The Black Eagles #16) by John Lansing. Originally published in 1988 by Kensington Publishing Corp. Approx. 243 pages.

Many times have I waxed nostalgic on those halcyon days of my youth; where drugstores boasted spinner racks brimming with pulpy horror, romance, and action books. The action media we consumed in the 80's; be it in film, TV, comic book, or novel form, was packed to bursting with men's men, blistering action, and, being the height of the Cold War, the Red Menace.

There are tons of these types of pulpy short novels out there. Continuations of the old dimestore novels, and hard case detective works. Series like the Mack Bolan/Executioner series (which I believe is still ongoing), Phoenix Force, and Mac Wingate, just to name a scant few. Long-running series in which various authors share a common pseudonym, and a common theme.

This is my first foray into The Black Eagles series (I know, it's #16, but you gotta work with what you can get), and I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. I mean, first of all, look at that cover. All the covers in the series showcase that skull motif in varying poses. You could re-release the Twilight books with covers featuring a leering skull with crossed M-16s with underslung grenade launchers and there's a good chance I'd buy them.

So you've got the badass cover. Check. A leader with a G.I.Joe-worthy name (Robert Falconi). Check. A group of tough-as-nails, diverse group of hard-cases ready to pick up their government-issued M-16s and tear VC's to ribbons? Check. A buxom, beautiful Eurasian agent who drops bodies and doesn't take names? Triple check. This book has it all. Let's gander at the back cover for the blurb.

That sums it up pretty nicely. The stakes are raised by the fact that the garrison served as housing for the families of South Vietnamese soldiers recently brought into the fold. Meaning, their continued fealty to the cause is contingent on the return of their loved ones. But, most importantly, the three nurses who ran the children's hospital (monsoon season = a lot of sick kids) all have relationship ties to the Black Eagles. There is no question; they have to be rescued. They can not be allowed to languish in the hands of the Commies.

With a setup like this, you'd think what follows would be 200 pages of bullets flying. It's not. There's plenty of action, indeed, and it's done pretty well. It truly has the feel of the Delta Force and Missing In Action series rolled into one. There are plenty of questions regarding plausibility, but when the popcorn factor is satisfactory, the reader can make allowances.

Also, there's a lot of backstory. Early on, there's a roughly 20 page recap of the events of the past books (mind you, that's approximately 10% of the whole book). There's also a lot of character backstory, which was especially appreciated by someone like me who's coming into the series late in the game. 

The characters are tropey and enjoyable. Reading about the members of the Eagles, you feel like you're reading old G.I.Joe file cards. The Viet Cong and NVA leaders are interesting in their diverse methodologies, and we also have the introduction of a devious KGB agent. 

And there you have it. Real American Heroes. Deadly, conniving, Commie Scum. Patriotism. Jingoism. Robust action. Purple Prose. Machismo. Wait, was that an eagle I just heard?

If you want a real blast from the past; easy, brainless action that you could probably finish in an afternoon, track down one of these books.

Cover:

Do I really need to say any more about that cover?

Mercy

Mercy by Danie Ware. A Warhammer 40K short story, originally published by The Black Library, March 2018. Approx. 15 pages.

HachiSnax Note: Mercy is a story that's been on my radar for quite a while. Anyone who's been here before knows how much I love Sisters stories, and a friend of mine recommended Ware very highly to me. Seems like a win-win. The only problem has been that I really can't go for the $4.99 price point on BL short stories anymore. It was a fair intersection of price and value at $2.99 all those years ago, but not so much now (5 smackers for ~20 pages?). And that's been one of the myriad reasons why my volume of BL reviews has fallen off. Well, that, I'm not a fan of AoS, Dark Imperium, or the direction HH has gone in, a lot of the newer crop of authors don't really do it for me, plus some other reasons, but I digress. Anyway, once I saw that Mercy was getting bundled into issue one of the new Inferno!, I had my chance. On to the review...

Author Danie Ware marks her freshman foray into the grim world of 40K with a blistering, action-heavy story showcasing one of my favorite factions - the Sisters of Battle. Let's take a look at the blurb and then get to the review:

"Sister Superior Augusta of the Order of the Bloody Rose has been called to a planet in the far reaches of the Imperium, a world where no Imperial foot has stepped in thousands of year, save a missionary sent to bring the Emperor's light to the natives. On the world is a cathedral, ancient and run down – but with an icon at its heart, a warrior-woman with a bloodied rose on her chest. Is this a symbol that Saint Mina, founder of the Order, once walked on this world? Augusta is determined to find out…"

In Mercy, Sister Superior Augusta and her contingent have been dispatched to the jungle world of Lautis to liaison with Tanichus, a missionary who has been working to bring the light of the Emperor to the indigenous population. However, according to data received, there is the possibility of a holy relic being present on Lautis -  an icon of Saint Mina, founder of the Order of the Bloody Rose. Of course, the Sisters are not the only ones interested in what lies within the ruins...

Mercy is a brief short story, and it is immensely action-heavy. And, the reason why it works so damn well is that Ware is doing the Sisters and their tactics right. Let's see how it all stacks up:

Characters: Yes, there are strong characters in this action piece. It's obvious that Ware has thoughfully (and lovingly) assembled this team, fleshing out the individuals fully. This team is built with legs for the long run, not just a one-off short story (as evidenced in Augusta returning in the new novella The Bloodied Rose. Since I haven't read it yet, I can't say for sure who else is returning).

These Sisters retain all the discipline and zeal instilled in the Schola, yet remain human. They experience tests of their morale in the face of insurmountable odds, they lapse into rage-fueled battle fury. I've always said, the test for good 40K authors is adhering to the certain draconian doctrines of the Imperium, but being skillful enough to show the humanity shining through. Because no matter how oppressive a regime is, it will not quell the basic human spirit. Sisters might be among the most disciplined humans, but they're still human. And that's what will always make stories centered around the Guard or the Sisters more inherently intimate than those following the emotionally-truncated, engineered Space Marines.

Story: The story is in the synopsis....the Sisters come looking for the icon, and get ambushed by orks. It's the most basic of premise, and that's why we focus on the quality of characters and action. There's a little twist thrown in, but it's telegraphed fairly early on. There's still elements to keep the proceedings interesting.

Action: A lot of it, and it's done well. Ware pays attention to the tactics of the Sisters, and the methodology of the weapons utilized. She also has a good handle on the orks; emphasizing the "size and strength rulez" aspect of their tactical acumen. There are good descriptions of their physicality and brute ferocity. I mean, it's orks. I kind of wish she would've played with descriptions regarding the orks fungal nature, and the dank jungle that they were emerging from. Other than that, good stuff.

Overall: Mercy is an auspicious start for Danie Ware's tenure at The Black Library. These are good times when we have both plastic Sisters and solid Sisters fiction to look forward to!

You can buy Mercy as a standalone short or bundled in with Inferno! Vol. 1.

JK Haru Is A Sex Worker In Another World

JK Haru is a Sex Worker in Another World by Ko Hiratori. Translation by Emily Balistrieri. Originally published by J-Novel Club, September 2018. Approx. 334 pages.

The Japanese light novel genre is booming Stateside now. This is a great boon for fans of certain titles. Often, we will see recent anime being developed from light novel sources, where in the past, manga was usually the primary source. Depending on the popularity of said title, a manga adaptation might follow. This gives fans 3 venues through which they can enjoy/revisit beloved titles (light novel/manga/anime). Good times indeed.

One of the most popular sub-genres in the industry, if not the most popular, is "isekai" (another world). These are your stories, which, if you think about it, are most in touch with the true escapist element that fantasy is honestly predicated upon. Put your mundane, oppressive, boring world behind, and step off somewhere amazing, where there are no limits to who you can be or what you can do. Along the anime/manga/novel landscape, we see various methods to 'port over' to the new worlds in question...sometimes, as in SAO, it is via becoming stranded through a VR game. Often, well, it requires reincarnation.

It seems within the sub-genre of isekai, there is yet another sub-genre, that of "being reincarnated in some ludicrous manner or another". Yes, you read that right. We have people being reincarnated as slimes, spiders, and, because why not, vending machines. I mean, they do sound ridiculous, but it isn't like the premise itself is a new one...

On the downside, there's zero waifu material in this title....

Another interesting note about these titles is that a good number of them arise not from commissioned publications, but as serialized stories licensed from Japanese message boards. Such is the case with today's book, JK Haru is a Sex Worker in Another World. Yes, this is assuredly an isekai title. Yes, the title is pretty outrageous and most assuredly in your face. However, the book itself is not a fluff piece. It is a fairly well-balanced work, that, despite some rough edges, offsets its levity with some dark corners and strong characters.

The title, as you most likely could figure, is not just a thesis, but an entire synopsis. Our young protagonist, Haru Koyama, wakes up in a fantasy world, after expiring in our world via the tried and true method of getting hit by a truck. She is joined by classmate Chiba, an introverted otaku who died as well attempting to push her out of the way. Like all standard fantasy alternate worlds, this one is under constant, perennial danger from an evil Demon Lord. 

However, our young heroine has bigger fish to fry. Haru learns quickly that, in this world, the cards aren't exactly stacked in favor of the fairer sex. Her former loser classmate, Chiba, courtesy of some banter with the god who guided them over, finds himself blessed with a broken skill set - one that allows him to 'level up' at 16x the normal speed. Also, the society itself is completely male-dominated. The ubiquitous Adventurers' Guild only issues permits to men. In fact, the only open paths for women seem to be as housewife, priestess/healer (the only way women can be attached to an adventurer), or, sex work. With no skills from her old life to parlay here, Haru opts for the third choice; and then does her damnedest to be the best.

So, how does it all stack up?

Story/Writing: You can tell that this was a serialized piece, which was completed in installments. It all falls under a general thematic arc, but you can still feel that with each chapter, each vignette, the progress and character evolution was more specific to that portion than the overall book. This is not a bad thing, but as each vignette has a somewhat different mood, it plays merry hell on the overall feel of continuity.

The silver lining to this is that the book is, all in all, well-written. Hiratori has put a lot of love into her protagonist, and it allows the readers ease in sympathizing with her. Haru isn't perfect; in Japan, she was one of those materialistic, face in the crowd types (the equivalent of what we call "basic bitches" here). Also, escort and sex work was not entirely new to her when she touched down in the new world. The "JK" in the title stands for "Joshi Kousei", which literally means "High School Girl". However, in recent times, the term has evolved to refer to the compensated dating scene which is prevalent in Japan; and it is basically escort work with the option for sex, and a lot of teen girls engage in it. Haru had done that sort of work to make ends meet in middle school, and she needed to reinvent herself in the wake of it. As the story progresses, Hiratori gives us peeks into Haru's heart, bit by bit, so that you can see, under the veneer, there's a sweet, sensitive, hard-working soul there. And so, by the end of the book, you end up falling in love with Haru as well.

I must also note that, for this book to be so immensely readable to me, a Western reader, a good amount of credit must go to the translator. In this case, that honor goes to Emily Balistrieri. Good job!

World Building: Two ways to look at this one. The world building itself is a bit scanty. We have those aforementioned terms, the ones used in most isekai works, tossed around like window dressing. As for serious discourse regarding industry, economics, climate, etc., it's not there. So is that bad? Not really. Remember, Haru's view is limited to her dedication to working to survive. What we do get is detailed description of life at her workplace. Ergo, we learn about the world in the same manner she does; via her customers. To be honest, that is the best fit for this type of work.

Action: Well, there's action, and there's, ummm, "action". For the former, the clang-clang sword type, there's some, including one magnificent setpiece. As for the sex, well, to be honest, I don't read a lot of that type of fiction, so I can't really appraise it. It is, erm, interesting, to say the least. I did enjoy it, so I'll just say it's well-done.

Overall: Again, all in all it's a fun, heartfelt book. Don't be dissuaded by any perceived implications behind the title. I mean, yes, there is a lot of sex in this book, and there are some precarious situations. But life, as well as this book, is about overcoming those obstacles. While the serialized structure makes it a tad less powerful than a singular piece, and the fact that there are some superfluous elements (the entire Kickin' the Can segment), JK Haru is a Sex Worker in Another World is a solid book that begs for a sequel.

Get your copy of JK Haru here.

Cover:

The artwork is pretty, to be sure, and the color palette enhances the overall effect. However, in my opinion, something along the lines of a bifurcated image - one showing elements of Haru in both worlds, would have worked immensely better.

My other complaint - unlike most other light novels, there's no interior art. Remember, most light novels have a few color plates right after the front cover, as well as an average of 5 interior B&W pics. I'm not even asking for NSFW/hentai pics, just some pics of more of the dramatis personae would have been very welcome. 

On a bright note, though, it looks like a limited comic - JK Haru "Summer", or something to that effect, has been released. Very interested in that; look at that gorgeous cover!

More info here.

Here's hoping for more from Haru - more novels, more manga, and how about an anime?