The Price of Glory : William H. Kieth Jr.
We begin this story with the GDL (that's Gray Death Legion, for anyone who hasn't caught my nifty acronym) wrapping up a champaign which they successfully fought under contract to the Free Worlds League. By now the Legion has grown in size and reputation and as a reward for their latest victory the FWL has given them a home on Helm which comes with its own unique baggage.
At the fall of the Star League a library memory core and military facility were hidden here and a Comstar Precentor Emelio Rachan is bent on recovering or destroying the memory core at all costs. To this effect he has enlisted Lord Garth Duke of Irian to destroy the GDL's reputation in a murderous plot which sees them outlawed and fighting for their very existence while trying to uncover the plot and the hidden Star League treasures before they are wiped out.
This for me is probably the best Gray Death story so far, and not just because of the returning characters that we already know and love from previous books. McCall shows his chops in the final battle and Ramage gets his moment of glory singlehandedly delivering the legion from radio jamming and certain doom with his downright PBI bad-assery. Hassan Khaled still just broods in the corners all mysterious and dark but by now we're diggin' his style so that's cool. All this while Lori and Gray have their lovers' tiffs and leadership burdens.
So added to all this it appears the GDL are none too tight on their background checks when applications come in as the legion is riddled with spies. The first Judas to spring from the woodwork is a Marik agent named Graff, his betrayal, killing of lots of drop ship crew, defection back into Marik ranks, capture, interrogation and subsequent escape and death all serve to speed the plot on its merry way. Then there's this other guy called King who I initially thought was just a red-coat to send along with Grayson on some deadly mission but then it turned out he was an agent too, but this time for the reddest coat in the inner spere, None other than the Regent of Red, The scion of Scsrlet, the Barron of Burgundy (go on folks come up with more if you can) Duke Hassid Ricol himself, the very nemesis of the GDL, who as it turns out is actually their ticket out of this mess. who'd-a-thunk-it? I really enjoyed this little twist, the playing with how far the Duke can be trusted, if he would really come through in the end, if Grayson really had any other choice. I also liked the opportunity to lift the veil on Ricol and get to know him a little better as a character and not just as a somewhat distant adversary.
Also making I think its first appearance is the by now (form me anyway) very familiar theme of Comstar being a little bit darker than appearances might suggest. The question of how far Precentor Rachan's actions were sanctioned by official Comstar governing bodies hangs in the air after the fact possibly tainting the whole organisation with the responsibility for the Sirius V massacre.
Particularly poignant writing from Keith in the final battle as our beloved Legionaries fight and suffer like stoic heros he has us look on with the jubilant Marik forces jeering and celebrating their demise. The kind of stuff that makes a reader yell in anger at the page on a busy train to the alarm of fellow commuters.
As a Kurita player I'd also like to point out that the respective Davion and Steiner agencies approached by Grayson on this occasion really dropped the ball and Kurita's own best dressed Duke shone like a beacon of intelligence and enlightened self interest. So well done that man, even if a copy of the Helm memory core did reach the NAIS before you handed your one over (in ransom for your Duchy) to Teddy Kurita. Ricol still made it possible, so the next time any of you miserable subjugated worlds complain "What have the Combine ever done for us?" you can add that to your list of concessions.
So Grayson et al go on their merry way (while Daddy Carlyle no doubt spins in his hastily dug mass grave) and we feel that they've fought the good fight, suffered and sacrificed a lot for their honour their name and their status as an all time legendary mercenary force. You just almost wish they were still wanted for that crime they didn't commit just so they could be more like the A-Team. If you need help, and you can find them, maybe you can hire The Gray-Team! *theme tune*
ok so that's it for the Gray Death Legion for now. Once again i'll heartily thank William H. Keith Jr. for another great book, and thanks to you for reading my reviews. Please add to the conversation, if there's anything i've missed, miss-read or am way off on please point it out. Comment on your own views on these books, I'd love to hear them.
Thanks