Princess Ryan's Star
Marines "highly recommended" "Romp in the 23rd Century"
A fan of the game
just posted this about my Princess Ryan's Star Marines novel:
"I found
myself quickly wrapped up in the crew of the Schenectady as they found
themselves in unplanned action against the enemy (no spoilers here) and the
book IS a page turner fueled by the light hearted but relentless action of this
very light infantry unit. While I would have preferred the crew I loved for so
many years, I was still able to root for the Star Marines as they found
themselves with their backs to the wall and as I finished Part One of the book,
I found myself wanting more. Some books are hard to get into for a variety of
reasons, but this isn't one of them. This book is just the opposite and it
literally pulls you along as you read the story. So, cover and cast aside, it's
a book I highly recommend for a run romp in the 23rd century."
The "crew I loved for years”
by the way IS in the book (as the dramatis personae notes), but they show up later,
during the big battle scenes (these
include Captain Bob “Buckets of Blood” Watts, Lt. Crystelle, Sergeant Marty “Steel Dome” Fanalon and, of
course, “Hank the Tank,” who appear as
Marines in the deck of cards in the game).
Many of the sites on the game board are in the book, as are many of the
weapons depicted on the cards and the enemies from the Black Guard deck (the “suicide fappers” being a personal
favorite).
The reviewer did prefer the
cover of the game to that of the novel, but the book cover is my son’s homage
to the cover for the original miniatures’ game “Princess Ryan’s Space Marines”
done by William Lindsay more than 20 years ago.
That game, by the way, was playtested by the real Bob Watts and Hank the
Tank Martin, and was produced by Marty
Fenelon of Simtac, Inc.
So, a big thanks to the reviewer, Jaycee Rabidushominis, for an honest and balanced commentary...as the marines say "It's better that way!"
...and PS: Jaycee followed up later with:
Chris and I have been playing Mark McLaughlin's Princess Ryan's Star Marines since the late 90s. Advertised as a card and board game, it is a thrilling romp where a light infantry squad has to battle through ever changing (that's what the cards are for) hostile territory to rescue the damsel (i.e. Princess Ryan) before it's too late (there is a timer but the good guys do get some breaks). It's our most played game over a two decade period. That game is now the subject of a novel by the same Mr. McLaughlin and it is a lot of fun to read. The game is sadly out of print but the novel is available!
