| "[O]nce in a while...a contemporary author penetrates to the heart of Heinlein's vision...to replicate the master's effects...[O]ne such book [is] Robert Buettner's Orphanage." - The Washington Post "
It's not every day that a...first novel draws praise...and comparisons with Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers. Robert Buettner's Orphanage, though, certainly deserves...the accolades." - Rambles
"[In Orphan's Destiny] Buettner has succeeded marvelously...once again show[ing] how within all of us lurks a spark of glory and heroism...positvely prophetic." - SciFi Channel's Science Fiction Weekly
"Excellent...[Orphan's Destiny] defines twenty-first [century] military science fiction...also a coming of age tale of an infantry soldier with plenty of action...in a near future that is totally believable." - The Best Reviews
"5 stars. [O]riginal and highly recommended science fiction." - Midwest Book Review
"Exciting and suspenseful, [Orphan's Destiny is] a tribute to the real-life soldiers and rescue personnel who have been so severely tested in recent real world crises. [T]he action moves at a fast clip...a satisfying sequel." - Bookloons
"Visceral action, first-rate characterization, and solid science...[Orphanage is] one of the best...of the year, if not the decade...could [be] this generation's high point, much like Starship Troopers and The Forever War both represent their[s]." - SF Site
"A-minus. [A] tale of heroism, duty, sacrifice, friendship and honor. [T]he reader's defenses crumble...given the overwhelming firepower of Buettner's emotional narrative. [T]opicality lends [Orphanage] even more heft. This volume will spark some of the same controversy occasioned by Starship Troopers." - SciFi Channel's SciFi.com
"Buy this book! Robert Buettner is a great writer. You just don't want to put the book down. I care about his characters, their mission and the fate of humanity. There is plenty of originality in this book...and hard SF fans will find absolutely nothing to bitch at. I'm actually looking forward to the sequels. Me. The guy who could give rat fart one about military SF. Rating 4 out of 5." - The Dragon Page Radio Talk Show
"Entertaining. Buettner shows the Heinlein touch." - Denver Post
"[T]errifically fast paced, inventive and very, very gritty. Joe Haldeman calls this book a tribute to [Robert Heinlein's Starship] Troopers...and a fine tribute it is. A...book lives or dies on its characters, and fortunately these are every bit as engaging as...their comrades from Heinlein's seminal work, so the book flies by in a maelstrom of duty, death and honor. [Orphanage] kept me up 'til o-dark thirty finishing it, and I'm looking forward to the sequel." - SFRevu at sfrevu.com
"Really a good read...fast, sharp, this future war tale rings with the authority of a writer who knows the Army from the inside out. Amid all the military sf, this one gets it clear, straight and right." - Gregory Benford, Nebula Award-winning author of Timescape and winner of the United Nations Medal for Literature
"Orphanage is raw and real - and a hell of a good read. A great book. Those last fifty pages (which anybody else would have padded to about 300) were completely breathtaking." - Kevin J. Anderson, New York Times best-selling co-author of Paul of Dune
"[A] fast-moving action story with heart. Buettner uses his science fiction flourishes skillfully, never distracting from the plot or from his well-formed characters." - Wichita Eagle
"[A]s much action as any military SF fan could hope for...but more importantly...fun to read." - John Scalzi, author of Old Man's War
"Buettner['s]...characters are memorable, his writing is so good you immediately forget everything except the story, and the arc and the sweep of the novel are exactly what I've missed since the great SF authors passed on...a story not about aliens attacking but about mankind. I wept for the dead in this book, because they had become my friends. And I wept for the sacrifice they made to keep us alive and keep us free." - Bonnie Ramthun, author of Ground Zero
"Robert Heinlein would have enjoyed this exciting homage to Starship Troopers. The first page...was interesting enough for me to take it to the tub. By page 115 I had to reluctantly put it down or turn into a prune. Buettner goes well beyond...military science fiction...he understands...living as a soldier - the boredom punctuated by terror, the constant anxiety and self-doubt, the random chaos that battle always is, and the emotional glue that holds together people who may have nothing in common except absolute responsibility for one another's lives. The near future he paints is as believable as it is terrible." - Joe Haldeman, Hugo and Nebula Award-Winning author of The Forever War, in the Heinlein Society Newsletter.
"[A]n account of personal discovery [and] a rousing tale of courage...convincing...well written...gripping...also...howlingly funny. [A]bove all, Buettner reminds us that war brings with it a terrible price. And, apparently...a sequel...which is welcome news." - BookLoons
"[F]abulous...extremely fast paced, filled with interesting characters... extremely well done." - Fantastica Daily "[Often] compared to Starship Troopers and The Forever War...this fast paced military SF stands well on its own. [A]ppalingly real...I'm grateful that this glimpse of battle is as close as I'll ever come. Buettner [is] a true artist as he paints characters with depth. If you enjoy gritty military SF with great characteriztion then this is the book for you!" - FantaFiction
"Wow. [A] great book. Good characters, good story, just a damned fine job all around. Jason Wander...is worth revisiting. I can't wait." - C.E. Murphy, author of Urban Shaman
"[A]n impressive debut...tale with a cinematic flare...characters with depth and plausibility and...a future...conceivable...and...scary." - sffworld.com
"Radioactive." (Highest rating. "This material is hot.") - Galacticum.com
"At last, a worthy successor to Starship Troopers and The Forever War. Buettner offers more than simple homage. An excellent, excellent work of post-9/11 military SF. Heinlein would have loved it." - practical.org
"Strap yourself down for a seat-of-the-pants ride...[Orphan's Destiny] is a fast paced read." - Monsters & Critics
"Witty, fast-paced and solid...The vibrant voice of Jason Wander engaged me from the get-go." - Karin Lowachee, Campbell Award and Philip K. Dick Award finalist and best-selling author of Warchild and Burndive
"[A] fun, over-the-top, tale of human courage in the face of inhuman adversity." - Philly1.com Weekly Press
"It's impossible to read this and not think of our military personnel who are fighting now...complete and compelling...with several unexpected twists. Highly recommended. Rating 4-plus out of 5, 'Outstanding.'" - The Romance Reader's Connection
"[A] riveting tale of warfare...in 2040...that today's readers can relate to...Iraq and Afghanistan." - Gothic Revue
"[Orphan's Destiny is] an exhilirating sequel...as fast-paced and exciting as [Orphanage] - Fresh Fiction
"In science fiction, one of the hardest things to do is write a book and make it read like a personal account. Buettner has been able to pull it off...expect to hear more from him...very readable...very enjoyable. I'm looking forward to a sequel and I'm sure you will be too." - Baryon Online Magazine "[A]ppeals to the seasoned fan of science fiction as well as to those just getting their feet wet in the genre...a coming-of-age story of a young man...given the option of enlisting in the army or going to jail. [F]rom boot camp, through the trials of a footsoldier, to...General...this is the tale of a war between two worlds [with] well-rounded characters...And then there are the girls...Women assume an assertive role in this story. Of course, there is a bit of male army macho...- and humor. I loved the book and look forward to the sequel." - Polaris - Reviews from HB Fenn Distributors Canada
Best of the 'Blogs - Weblog comments, Reader reviews, Fanmail
"[C]an you synthesize the anti-war power and hopeless anger of Forever War with the almost romantic joy of Starship Troopers? Buettner with...deft but not tiresome parallels...show[s] us that Heinlein's vision was both deeply shadowed and brilliantly colored. And the best 'romance in a fox hole' story ever." - toquam.journalspace.com
"God [the Orphanage] books are highly entertaining though they...make me cry." - Jim Campbell...formerly 24663180 L/Cpl Campbell JS 15th (SV) and 2nd Btns, The Parachute Regiment; Cardiff, Wales
"The most engaging book I've read in years. As [a] veteran of...Just Cause & Desert Storm it was like going back to my brothers...hit[s] the nail on the head with both humor and soldiers feelings for one another." - James L. Nichols; Lynchburg, VA
"The best novel of the year. Incredible." - Paul Schell
"One of the most enjoyable reads I've had for quite some time...not only a worthy homage to Heinlein, but also a gripping creator of its own niche. I [would have finished Orphanage in one night] had I not needed to teach my Shakespeare course...[Buettner] is so good at generating both the feeling of reading Heinlein when I was a kid and the sophistication of modern fiction." - Patrick D. Enright
"[R]eflects more eloquently than I could ever describe what it means to be a grunt...[Orphanage and Orphan's Destiny] have already been passed around my squad." - SPC Thaddeus G. Moore; 1-184th INF (AASLT), 4th BDE, 3rd ID, Baghdad, Iraq
"Will go on a top book shelf with other books signed by the likes of Isaac Asimov...13 books by...the best authors I've read...a greater compliment I could not give." - Roger Watts; Manassas, VA
"[Orphanage and Orphan's Destiny] are making the rounds over here and are very popular. They...get passed from hand to hand among the troops until they fall apart. Well written and one of the few times I've read something that seems to be written for those of us on the ground." - MAJ Jed Welder; Camp Eggers; Kabul, Afghanistan
"As a fan of Heinlein's...the cover...attracted me. [Buettner] did not disappoint. As a Heinlein Society charter member [Buettner is] definitely on my "watch list" from now on. It's a pretty short list." - John Tilden; Millersville, MD
"I was an infantry officer...with service in Berlin and Vietnam and [Orphanage] got it right. I switched services after law school and as we say in the Navy--Bravo Zulu! (Well Done!) - Danny P. Barrett, Commander, JAGC, US Navy (Ret.)
"Five Stars. [B]y far the best sci-fi book I have read this year...certainly...the next big blockbuster movie." - JJohn; VA
"Brilliant!...[A]ll you want from military Sci-Fi...including the smartass hero. This book rocked - at times funny, at times grim, always absorbing and moving quickly. I can't wait for [Buettner's] next book!" - Acme military sf buff
"AWESOME...I am a former soldier and Peace Keeper, and I am proud to say [Orphanage] did the military right. I...want more." - Norman Meredith
"The real deal - a delightful adventure in the grand Heinlein tradition." - Hiawatha Bray; Boston, MA
"I'm a former Marine grunt from 'Nam, a banker...I loved it...and...got...copies for my sons and daughters. [Orphanage has] the feel of being a boot, the anticipation of combat and...a believable and thoroughly engrossing world." - Michael Penn
"[Our major-chain bookstore] sold all...we had...I've resorted to giving out the ISBN...on scrap paper...fantastic...a fast, intense read...a distinctive, honest voice that perfectly contrasts the dark tone of the book." - Laurence MacNaughton
"[T]he positive side of military SF, a novel like Haldeman's Forever War that takes war and uses it to explore its effects on the people involved." - Simon Bisson's Blog, journalspace.com
"As fine a first novel as I've read for quite a while...the feel of Heinlein's Starship Troopers but not as preachy...a former marine [says] thanks for a great read." - Bob Imus; Folsom, CA
"Asimov, Heinlein, Hubbard, Clarke and [Buettner is] now in the same league with Orphanage. Very Well Done." - Stu Sjouwerman; Tampa, FL
"Highly recommended! [A] real 'page turner'...memorable...characters." - Readers Robot Reviews
"I am a retired army aviator, VietNam vet, former infantry...when I was around 12...I read Heinlein's Starship Troopers and reckoned that herein was...truth. Orphanage is the best read I've had in 20 years." - AL Linzy CW3/USA (Ret)
"[A] great read. As a graduate of Fort Dix in 1967...as authentic as anything I've read." - Bob Lambert, Penn State University
"[O]ne of the best...no-nonsense content that made me come back to the book with pleasure." - Sebastian; Denmark
"Great read! [W]ell written...as intense as Starship Troopers, Armor and The Forever War. I could not put it down." - Sean Stansfield; US Navy 88-92
"[Orphanage] healed a hole in my heart that has been there since that other Robert [Heinlein], also born on July 7, died [in 1988]. I read other authors but they just didn't do it." - Kate Gladstone; Albany, NY
"As a former Marine and...combat vet, I was disturbed and entranced by the stark imagery...Orphanage brought back memories both pleasant and unpleasant and I was quite unable to put it down. I re-read it from cover to cover as soon as I finished...and have since read it at least fourteen times. Unlike Heinlein and Haldeman, there is an underlying chord of reality in Orphanage that continues to draw at me...not with thinly clad shadows of real soldiers...[but with] characters believable, touchable and, above all, fallible." - Spencer, Brian J., U.S.M.C. Dis-abled
"[A] corking good read. I had begun to despair of ever again finding the kind of old-fashioned adventure SF I've loved...Orphanage is not just a retro-story, though. [It] has vivid and believable characters, an outlook that maintains that there is a difference between good and evil (a distinction that some modern 'thinkers' are too sophisticated to realize), and crackling good action." - Dan Peed; ESA
"Conjured up the kind of excitement I first felt after reading Starship Troopers...first rate." - Jeff Greene
"My husband, [a] retired AF Lt. Col. shot down twice in WWII, [is] a serious reader, inhales history, and doesn't suffer fools. [Orphanage] is the first sci-fi he's ever read. He started it one afternoon, finished it the next morning and loved it." - Jadeane McDonald; Denver, CO
"[R]eally enjoyed it...as I am a retired Infantry officer." - Steven Stuart; Spokane, WA
"I...was overwhelmed...ranks in the top 5 of my favorite books." - David Kahler
"I'm an avid Sci-Fi reader of 40+ years...never have I had the extreme pleasure of reading such a story since Starship Troopers." - Ted Andress; Fairfax, VA
"[G]reat read...masterful prose...will go on the shelf right alongside [Starship Troopers]." - Jim Gruber; Dayton, OH
"Starship Troopers without all the politics...very enjoyable." - Campesino; Washington Monthly's Political Animal Holiday Books
"Five stars. Intense Fun. - The characters are appropriately complex...the relationships...interesting...dialogue...believable, and the story moves along...above everything else, the author obviously knows his business when describing the military...This isn't some cheap rip-off like so many books that see print today...[t]his is the real deal." - Scott Rachui; Allen, TX
"Enjoyed the style as well as content. I have been in the Marine Corps...as a Squad leader and Platoon Sergeant...I can tell those authors that are "faking" it with no real first hand knowledge of the subject they write." - Ed Engberg; Oakland, CA
"[A] marvelous read. The perfect balance of tongue in cheek humor, horror and angst." - Fred Herndon
"Orphanage...has the flavor of Heinlein...and...a nice dose of reality in [its] combat. I eagerly await Orphan's Destiny." - Scott F. Turner; CPT, INF, USAR, Retired
"[A] barn burner...[Buettner has] a rare talent." - Stephen Williams; Santa Cruz, CA
"[V]ery fast moving and highly entertaining...I could not put it down." - Bob Hammond
"What particularly impressed me was the depth of characterization and emotion, and how concisely [Buettner tells] a story while still packing a punch. I knew it was good...but it was better than good." - Susan Mackay Smith
"[G]reat read. Semper Fi." - Clay Betz
"Buettner shows his love for...Starship Troopers in [this] xeno-war saga...an impressive homage...smart, fast paced...and very nostalgic, not for war, but for family, and friendship." - bleedenheart's blog at codeOrange.net
"I may have...1,000 paperbacks in my library...Orphanage was a Gripping Emotional Roller Coaster...I served in the...military and [Buettner has] a fine grasp." - Walter Davidson
"[E]ngrossing...I had a hard time laying it down...as a retired C-130 Loadmaster...I...can't wait for [the] nextbook!" - Jerry Baird; Oregon
"[I]ncredible book! It isn't often that I find one...that I just can't put down...a wonderful story." - Joseph Simon; Smyrna, DE
"Finally, someone that can write about militaria. [Orphanage,]...written with experiences that I actually went through, was hard to put...down. Things never seem to go as planned, especially in the military." - Ralph Dean
"[A] great melding of SF and the military. I am a "brat" twice over, and appreciated the great scope of the book...a great Story!!" - Joyce; Colorado
"Five Stars. Fantastic! [D]raws the reader in from the very first page and keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very last." - KarenM
"Five stars. Couldn't put this book down!" - Ken Browning; Miami, FL
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