"Raptor 6" by Ronie Kendig

“Raptor 6” begins the start of Ronie Kendig’s newest series, “Quiet Professionals.” Captain Dean Watters comes to the forefront in this novel as the fearless leader who has earned the admiration and respect of his team. Zahrah Zarrick, a local opinionated Afghani missionary, turns his world (and heart) upside down when she doesn’t take orders as easily as his team and becomes a target of local terrorists.

Ronie proves her knowledge of military life as she creates an intense world in Afghanistan where a computer hacker is compromising the military’s secrets. Die-hard fans of Kendig won’t be disappointed with this fast-paced novel; however, readers new to Kendig will find certain scenes, particularly one with torture involved, harsh, abrasive, and the balance with romance a bit unrealistic. Even though this series isn’t off to the start I expected, it isn’t keeping me from eagerly anticipating the next one. November can’t get here soon enough with the continuation of the series in “Hawk.”

"Fives and Twenty-Fives" by Michael Pitre

They say that in combat, the team that you live, train, and fight with become closer to you than your own family. Michael Pitre creates a story that shows how important that bond of brotherhood is even after returning home. Using his own experience in the Marines, “Fives and Twenty-Fives” is a realistic, yet fictional story about three such brothers and how they try to piece together their lives after returning home from war. Flashbacks throughout the book show what their lives looked like during war.

This book is a good one for those who desire a real-life view of what the war in Iraq has looked like. The author’s own experience infuses the book with a rawness that is a good reminder that just because our soldiers return home, doesn’t mean the return home the same.