William R. Forstchen
A Union infantry unit aboard a transport ship is mysteriously transported to a planet inhabited by medieval Russians and Mongol-like-hordes of 9-foot-tall man-eating creatures who endlessly circle the planet on horseback harvesting the humans they call “cattle”. The human rulers go along with this practice, making sure that only the lower classes end up as meat on the table.
This is basically “A Maine Yankee in Ivan the Terrible’s Court”. The officers and men of the 35th Maine bring republican government and the industrial revolution to the Russians while fighting one of the hordes. The tales of inventiveness and political maneuvering are interesting but what really distinguishes this book is the military “history”. The battle scenes are exceptionally well done and it’s almost impossible to put down one you start the grand battle that fills the book’s last 100 pages.
This book is a lot of fun. I’m delighted that there are 8 more in the series.