PURGATORY'S SHORE - Taylor Anderson


It is 1847 and a group of American soldiers are on their way to fight in the Mexican-American War. They are meant to join General Scott's troupes at Veracruz, but something happens along the way and they never arrive to join up with General Scott's campaign.

These wayward soldiers are a mixed group of dragoons and infantry and even mounted riflemen. They are not meant to be a solo fighting unit, but are in need of a strong commander to keep them focused and engaged in battle. Now, dropped into a wholly unexpected and unreal alternate timeline, Major Lewis Cayce is in charge of this ragtag unit and must find a way to bring them together.  This may not be the Mexican-American War they were expecting, but there's still a war on and the only way this unit will survive is to work together. Can they do this when faced with dinosaurs on one side and religious fanatics on the other?

I am not the target audience for this book.

Typically I would say that I don't care for 'alternate history' books nor for sci-fi military fiction, but in recent months I've read books that would fall into both of those categories and I have enjoyed those books.  So I thought it was time for me to open up my reading horizons and explore some more.  This book, the first in a planned series, seemed like a really great place to start.

Unfortunately this just brought me right back to where I usually fall when it comes to the subject of Military SciFi Alternative History books ... meh.

There seemed to be a lot of detail about the military aspects, which military historians probably really get into, but for me, it was just slowed the pace down a lot.  I felt the author was showing how much he knew, rather than getting the reader into the action.

The contrivance ... 1800's soldiers with dinosaurs ... was way out of my willing suspension of belief.

I'm back to thinking I don't care for military scifi or alternative history scifi.

Looking for a good book? If you like military scifi and alternative history scifi, then Taylor Anderson's Purgatory's Shore is probably right for you.  If, like me, you don't usually care for these types of books, this likely won't change your mind.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

2 stars

* * * * * *

Purgatory's Shore

author: Taylor Anderson

series: Artillerymen #1

publisher: Ace Books

ISBN: 0593200713

hardcover, 496 pages

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