Star Venture

This cover would have to go into the worst cover ever basket as the two depicted characters look like they have eye shadow and lipstick on and maybe should have been featuring on the cover of some other magazine appealing to like folks. BUT It is what is inside the covers that counts and this title whilst very low down the scale on action scenes VERY much makes up for it with a fantastic story and plot lines. As per the back cover a space shuttle has been hijacked and the Chinese have started deploying deep space nukes. This results in Phoenix going to China to try and recover or destroy the shuttle and Able off into space to take care of the other concern. On reading that I thought to myself sounds interesting should be good. So it is but it goes pretty quickly and both objectives are resolved but hang on we are only half way through the title? Enter some very special writing here based in space, it is so good you can feel the tension rising as you read the pages flicking them over in your haste. The storyline absolutely grabbed me here, everything is explained so perfectly the author displays either extensive knowledge regarding what he is writing or exhaustive research on the subjects. You will feel a sense of relief when it finally finishes that extended section but it ain't over yet and Barb and Katz set up an unauthorised mission to take out the plotters of the title where Hal makes himself scarce. Well we were a little down on action scenes in this title so we whack a few in the end? Fair enough I guess and it was pretty good reading as well. Highly recommended once again here from this author.

Well, here it is...one of the few 1 star reviews from me. I don't know what everyone else was reading, but I sure wasn't reading a StonyMan novel. It was just a technothriller with the Stony Men in it, which a lot of the time is the norm for Kasner. First off, we have Lyons and Gadgets diddling around in space?? Okay, whatever. Then we have Pol acting like a P.I. And to top it off, Phoenix and Bolan are dropped deep into China, and assault their premier space facility, and hijack a space shuttle...all in about 10 pages?? Comon!! No kick-ass action...nothing. Personally, Kasner's novels are usually "okay". I always associate his books with being more like standard technothrillers, than being "real" Stony Man books. I think his books are EXTREMELY overrated on this site. But, that's just me. I think more highly of some of the old Cunningham and Mertz novels than some people do. But, with this one, I didn't even finish it. I gave it all I could, but there just wasn't much of interest.

I was wary of this book at first because I didn't think a space-based Stony Man would fly (pardon the pun). Kasner rose to the challenge and did a great job of making the whole thing seem at least reasonably plausible. That said, I found the down-to-earth portion of the book better and think the book would have been stronger if Bolan had sat this one out and given more play to AT/PF. Still, a more than decent change of pace from the standard fare.

Another of my favorites. Michael Kasner pulls out all the stops on this one. I thought Able Team played a great role in Star Venture, with Pol tracking down the Chinese spy ring and Gadgets and Ironman in outer space saving the earth with experimental tech. I mean, come on, how could you not love that? Bolan, Grimaldi, and Phoenix Force also had plenty to do with the strike on China and the rescue of 2/3 of Able Team. Great action sequences, tense suspense, and, as always, Kasner's awesome portrayal of the personnel back at the Farm.

Kasner gets high marks for tackling an easily doomable premise -- sending our boys into space. He managed to make it all seem plausible while still keeping the action going and giving AT and PF a chance to shine instead of leaving all the major heroics to Bolan. Nice battle scenes in the Gobi Desert, too.

I can't add much more to the kudos already heaped on this book. It's good when the series deviates now and then and takes on another venue without verging on silliness. This space-oreinted mission is a perfect example, and it contained some of Kasner's best writing.

Outstanding! I loved this Michael Kasner entry from start to end I Finished it in one day and was left craving more. Even though I am not a big fan of books that take place in space, or that lack tons of action, I could feel the Stony Man support team's agony in not knowing the fait of their family. An outstanding page-turner

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST STONY MAN BOOKS OUT THERE. I LOVED IT FROM START TO FINISH. IT WILL BE A CLASSIC. THE FUNNIEST SM BOOK I HAVE EVER READ. YOU MUST READ THIS ONE !!!!

Like almost everybody else, I finished this one in two days, and I found myself wanting to know what happens next, which is extremely unusual for a Mack Bolan novel. It reminded me a little of the film Moonraker, but with a lot stonger plot. The low body count was a welcome relief, especially when Able Team let one of the middle men in the smuggling operation go when he promised never to return to California. There were a few points where I felt that Mr Kasner could have done something different. The main problem that I found was that Bolan wasn't needed for the Phoenix mission, and perhap could have better been used chasing the leads in California along with Pol. Also, it seemed far to easy for Phoenix to get to the Venture Star and steal it back. The final problem was that both Jack and David have been in space before, in Stony Man III, but it seems that Mr Kasner was unaware of that fact. Otherwise, an excellent adventure in space. The cover also let the book down, but that most certainly is not Mr Kasner's fault. A recommended book.

OK, so it may have a little bit far fetched but this was one entertaining read and from where I stand that's the main thing. This is the first Stony Man I have read (finished it today) and the I've first book I've read by Mr Kasner, suffice to say I will be continuing to read both this series and Mr Kasner's work. Recommended!

I give this book a 3. Sorry to have to disagree with everyone, but I feel the book was too far fetched. Kasner definitely used his deepest imaginations when he wrote this one.

Finally, the Ironman has been launched into orbit! Jeez, everybody but Katz and Blancanales get to take the ride, which makes me feel sad for those two, but it's not like Katz or Politician were sitting on their thumbs. I've occasionally busted Kasner's chops on some reviews, but this book was wholly satisfying. The Gobi mission was interesting, but the real excitement came with Able and Phoenix's orbital missions. The book as a whole was very attention getting, and riveting. I finished it in two days, even without the churning butt-whuppin' of the other books. Not that Stony Man has a low-body count mission here. Bolan and the boys executing the Chinese and their buddies for their transgressions against America and the space program was CLASSIC Stony Man. Three notes: Don always loved to say Mack Bolan was no superman at the beginning of his novels. Well, now Mack has more in common with the last Son of Krypton in terms of nuclear weapons disposal. (Read the book. :) ) The scene with Bolan looking at the Earth from orbit was yet again a return to the classic Executioner. Big heart, deep thoughts, simple soul. And between the K-1 from War Bird and the Venture Star, Jack's flying some pretty nifty damn stuff! On a scale of 1-10.... a 10.

Wow. Fantastic book - finished this in 2 days myself. I can't really add much to what Doug said, but I think it would make a great book to give to a non-Bolan fan to hook them in to the series. It has great adventure, some mystery, some high-tech, some spaceflight, a relatively-low bodycount, and a plotline that drags the reader in - a real page turner. I got a kick out of the first time the location is stated as "Space". Brought a smile to my face. As Doug said, Mack's reflection as he watches Earth was great - but I also enjoyed Grimaldi's reminiscing about his spaceflight afterwards as well. And of course I loved the few scenes were the Stony Men chewed out some of the NASA boys and the Astronauts. Kasner has definitely perfected the chew-out scene. :) A must read. This is one slam-bang adventure, sure to please everyone.

I'm just going to say "Kicked ass" and leave it at that since further discription of how good this one was is beyond my vocabulary...

The Stony Men in space. Why the heck not?(MINOR SPOILERS,BEWARE) This was a fresh,original concept(except for the evil Red Chinese) and there was a charming little gunfight in the last part of the novel. The whole crew went cowboy at the end-behind Hal's back- which I thought was nice. Everybody had plenty of "screen time",the villains were solid, though somewhat stereoyped and there was enough action and suspense to make this a solid entry. NOTE.:I like how Bolan does not hog the whole book in Kasner's Stony Mans,but is still the "leader",as no decision is made without his all-important silent nods.

Another outstanding Stony Man from Kasner - he is putting together a body of work that one day may approach William Fieldhouse. I loved this book because of the ingenuity in the plot, it was just so different and put the Stony Man warriors in a completely different environment then they were accustomed and it was fun to see how they responded. I can't wait for Kasner's next book.