The author calls this chapter in the novel "Spin". He talks about little things about the war and how you could put a spin on even the worst situations to make them sound good. He does this by saying "On occasions the war was like a Ping Pong ball, You could put a fancy spin on it, you could make it dance." I think this is his way of thinking back on the war and his time in the military in a not so morbid way seeing as how it's what he bases most of his writing on. As I read this I get the feeling as though he missed it. Not the war necessarily but the company and the times he spent with the men he formed a brotherhood with. He talks about how all the men would joke around with Ted Lavender when he took to much tranquilizers and whenever someone would ask him " How's the war today?" and he would reply with a spacey smile "Mellow man". Or when he talks about how sad it was when he and the men had to leave poppa-san, the man who led them through mine fields for months. I can connect personally and relate to the way he feels about all this I understand why he misses the companionship. Believe me I haven't been through nearly as hard of times as he has but I know what it's like to be part of a team and a brotherhood. Mine being my lacrosse team, we sweat and bleed together on and off the feild, we all had each other's back no matter what. If you messed with one of us you had to deal with all of us. We much like Tim O'Brien shared a lot of good memories outside of the blood shed and intensity. I still to this day think back to the post game BBQs the team would have so we could unwind after a hard fought victory or a tough heart-crushing defeat. I also know how sad it is when you have to leave that brotherhood, that team, much like he did with poppa-san. Just like the author I think back and remember not just the bad stuff but all the good things as well. It makes the bad things seem not so bad.

Okay so we decided to switch gears alittle bit with the book we are reading. Its called " The Things They Carried" by Tim O Brien. To this point in the novel, since its's still early it  basically is giving you some background info on the characters. It even goes as far as explaining the gear they all carried and it goes as far as telling us the weight of every item they caried from 6 ounces all the way up to the radio that stood at a staggering 30 pounds. Its clear that when hesays The Things They Carried he left nothing out.

We do all though already get a conflict in this story. It lies with the first liutenant Jimmy Cross who is obsessed with this girl Martha even though they arent together and he isnt even sure that she feels the way about him that he does about her. He loves her so much his brain will just start to wonder off and think about her no matter the situation he is in.This is unfortunitly how they lost Tod Lavender. He was shot in the face while Cross was supposed to be keeping watch while a man was clearing a rat hole. Its safe to say the liutenant puts the blame on himself while all the men greive the loss of a good man. Now its up to Cross to decide what he needs to do in order to get his head right and lead his men properly without anymore casualties. Even if that means curling up in his fox hole at night and crying his eyes out like he does so he doesnt do it infront of his men.

I feel this is personally a very good novel even though im not really that far into it. It has the potential to be a real page turner and I can't wait to pick it up again tommorw and read deeper into this developing story. This seems like the best option if I was going to recommend any book to anyone of my friends.

The most recent part of the novel i've read is basically just telling you what went on outside of Captain Cortez’s unit during the Day of Foundation ceremonies. We pick up the story at the top of the HellBlade mountains where the landing pad is for the Crimson Fists base of operation. Standing there is Ramie Savales, an old man who's tasked with overseeing the arrival of the governor of New Rynn City (Lady Maia Cagliostro) as she is to stand witness to the ceremonies of one the most celebrated days in the chapter of the Crimson Fist. At arrival she is very nervous but excited because she has never been to the ceremonies but once when she was much younger and can barely remember it. When she enters the gates of the base she is met by all 10 companies of the Fist lined up at attention in full gear to show their respects to the Governor seeing how how it is that it is an honor to have her oversee ceremonies. She is completely overtaken by the beauty of the famous cathedral from its black marble walls the altar where Tomasi as we found out leads the ceremonies. It is a rather boring part of the book and i'm not quite sure why the author put it in because for the rest of the time it just shows her sitting and talking to the nobles of the land about nothing relevant to the main conflict in the story.

Up to this point if you were to ask me about the genre of this book I would have to say science fiction. Just based on the fact that it takes place in space and involves a bunch of 10 foot tall super soldiers whose only  goal is to to expand there empire (much like the Romans) throughout the galaxies while fighting any and all races of orcs, aliens, and monsters that get in the way. It just strikes me as the nerdy science fiction type stuff that you'd find on the SciFi channel early in the morning.

If I had to make up a fake award for this book to win it would be the “ Hardest Book to Put Down” award. I think this because if you're like me you like anything military based and love a good ambush scene like they have in the beginning. Yeah the book has slowed down but I can't stop turning the pages in spite of that because I just want to see how it will end. Will the Greenskins succeed in taking over Rynn’s world? Will the Fist be able to stop them if they do come to their front door? Will the Crimson fist respond and go after the marines that got ambushed and if so will they make it in time? It's questions like this that make me never want to put this book down.

Up to this point in the book it's hard to tell what character will play the biggest role in the main story line but if I had to choose it would be Captain Cortez because up to this point he's had to the most “ FaceTime” if you will in the story. Also the parts that revolve around him seem to be the parts that involve more of the main plot and story than any other character. He isn't just touring the Base or talking in ceremonies he is the one that is ready and willing to fight and heard the distress call and got excited to hear of the enemy because of how hard they are to fight.

So at this point in the book it is weeks following the battle scene where the marines were attacked by the green skins, we join the Captain Alessio Cortez ( One of the most decorated, feared and respected members of the Fists) and the Crimson Fist as all the companies of the chapter fill into a giant cathedral. They are all gathering for a ceremony celebrating the Day of Foundation, which is basically celebrating the day the chapter was founded by the Space Marines. They all filed into this cathedral with a man named Tomasi standing at the alter. Tomasi is one of the most respected of all the Crimson Fist members and is the leader of all spiritual gatherings the Crimson Fist have, but I wouldn't underestimate him in battle seeing how he is a 10 foot tall decorated Marine who is just as dangerous as the rest of them. After this long and boring ceremony Cortez leads his men outside in the snow covered courtyard where a small man dressed in black robes comes stumbling to the gate but does not enter because he knows anyone that enters without permission from the Crimson Fist commander Lord Pedro Kantor won't leave. Cortez approaches this man and finds out he is a messenger for Javier Adon the leader of the Communicatus which is basically a fancy name for post office. He carried the message that was sent to the Fists by the marines that were attacked by the greenskins weeks ago. Cortez listens to  the distress call and gets excited saying that the greenskins are “ An enemy that knows how to put up a fight.” and goes despite it being the Day of Foundation to Lord Kantor who is standing in the cathedral to deliver the message. He meets a fellow Captain on his way  who asks Cortez what he is doing and Cortez only says one thing..prepare for war.

There are many characters in this novel but none related to each other more than Captain Cortez and lord Kantor. The only real difference is the fact that Cortex is a Captain and Kantor is a consitore a lord. They both are highly respected amongst not only the lower ranking members of the Crimson Fist but the higher ranking ones as well. they both have served countless tours of duty and both only live to serve the Fists. Even in their appearances they're similar both being taller than the men by a good 3 feet and having the most spectacular looking armour only being bested by Tomasi.

Part of me can only wonder what would have happened if the messenger wasn't aware of the code of the Crimson Fists and walked behind the gate and into the chapters compound without the lord consent. I could only predict that we would have been killed by the men father quickly seeing how it is that they tower over him and are trained killers, but I can't help but think what would have happened if they killed him and never received the message about the greenskins. Would the greenskins just keep marching on destroying everythings and wiping out the Crimson Fist just like they did to that base of Space Marines. Or would the stout Marines of the Crimson Fist be able to hold on and outlast the Orc attack and fend them off. I guess we will never find out, but I can't help but wonder.

Personally I would rate this book so far off of what i read so far a 8 out of 10. This novel is action pact and has a great story line. There is also a lot of detail that I spare you in this blog or else we’d be here all day, everything down the way the cathedral lights looked in the early mornings sun was very detailed and vivid. It makes me feel as if i'm in the novel fighting next to Captain cortez. If you ask me it might not be a 10 out 10 but its close.