Pass of Fire (Destroyermen #14)

In the solid 14th volume (after River of Bones) of the saga of a WWII destroyer transported to a dinosaur-dominated alternate Earth, the war between the reptilian Grik Empire and a multispecies Grand Alliance reaches a climax. Capt. Matt Reddy, commander of the Alliance (which includes displaced humans, native sentient mammals called Lemurians, and non-Grik reptilians), coordinates a land, air, and sea assault on the capital of the enemy queen, whose general has kamikaze “flying bombs” from his Japanese subordinates. In the Americas, the Alliance continues its invasion of the bloodthirsty human Dominion, whose fanatic priests offer human sacrifices, employ child soldiers, and plan to unleash their own surprise weapons against the invaders. Anderson occasionally overloads his narrative with reappearances of characters (the list of which runs 10 pages) and detailed musings on military equipment and tactics, but stays focused on the two main battles while also providing needed glimpses of the rest of his world. Some well-placed gallows humor lightens the scenes of bloody warfare. Devoted readers will be satisfied with developments that advance the series arc (including the addition of tanks and paratroopers) and hint at its resolution. Agent: Russell Galen, Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary. (June)