Thanks to Angry Robot for the ARC of this one.
I’ve read a lot of Myke Cole over the last few years. I thought his Shadow Ops modern military fantasy series was excellent, and the prequel trilogy was solid. His Armored Saint fantasy series was a departure from his comfort zone, with a truly awesome premise. The books didn’t quite live up to the premise’s promise, but the first two were still decent, and I look forward to reading the third in the trilogy. And I have a lot of respect for Cole writing outside of his comfort zone for the sake of pushing himself as a writer. A lot of writers have their own “voice” that’s pretty consistent across books: a Brandon Sanderson or Robin Hobb or Neil Gaiman book sounds like it was written by Sanderson or Hobb or Gaiman, as a rule. This isn’t a bad thing, but I respect Cole for pushing himself to break out of that mold.
Sixteenth Watch is both a return to form (in that it’s modern military) and a departure (in that it’s hard sci-fi rather than fantasy). The premise is that the US and China are both working to ensure they have access to Helium-3 on the Moon, and tensions between the two countries are rising. The US Navy has been muscling the US Coast Guard out of operations on the lunar border between American and Chinese territories. The protagonist is Coast Guard Captain Jane Oliver, nearing the end of her career. Her goal is to avoid a war, and as long as the Navy is dealing with border issues, every situation will be approached as a potential combat situation (because the Navy is made to fight wars, and when all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail). The Coast Guard, while still one of the armed services and able to fight, is more of a law enforcement agency. The Coast Guard, in Oliver’s opinion (and the Coast Guard brass’s opinion) can manage the border without escalating things and triggering a war.
So that’s the premise. Oliver is put in charge of a PR mission to convince the politicians and the public that the Coast Guard can handle the job, and is working to assert the Coast Guard against heavy pushback from the Navy and Marines.
Now I have no problem with wish fulfillment fantasy. It can be both fun and rewarding to sink into a story of fun and adventure, putting yourself in the place of an awesome protagonist doing awesome things. But in reading Sixteenth Watch, I kept thinking this is the most specific wish fulfillment that I’ve ever read: the wish that the Coast Guard would get the respect it deserves from the other armed services, particularly the Navy. I have nothing but respect for the Coast Guard (though I will admit I don’t think about them much), but it’s not the easiest premise to relate to.
Cole himself is a Coast Guard vet, and it shows. He brings an authenticity to modern military fantasy/sci-fi that is usually a delight to read. But here, it was something of a drag. Reading about a team of Coast Guard operators training to prove that they can do boarding operations better than the Marines? That’s great. Reading about arguments between Coast Guard and Navy admirals arguing over whose interpretation of titles 10 and 14 of the United States Code is correct? Less great. Did you know that according to the 1972 COLREGS (International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea), for both international and inland navigation, the right-of-way is given to the starboard vessel? Well, after reading Sixteenth Watch, I do.
So this book is highly recommended if you have served in the Coast Guard, or as a gift for a loved one who is serving or has served in the Coast Guard. I know I’m making fun here, but only mildly. It was just hard to shake the bemusement I felt while reading and thinking, “this is awfully specific wish fulfillment.” The book is well-written, and the main character is very compelling to read. I’m hoping there is a sequel – the story itself doesn’t need one, but there’s a rather big loose thread that I really want to see tied up. Between that and the protagonist alone I want more. But this is also a straightforward fun and exciting read.