Legion of the Damned (1993) by William C. Dietz dramatises an interstellar war on multiple scales and fronts. As a former marine Dietz understands the role of war and uses it to tell the story. By including the mystique and romance of the Foreign Legion Legion of the Damned takes on a mythical quality. Legion of the Damned is full of grit and action but Dietz takes a risk to include something more personal. And it pays off in a big way.

The Hudathan Fleet’s attack on Worber’s World is swift and unrelenting. Millions are killed and the planet’s defences are destroyed. Only a handful of message torpedo’s escape to warn the Human Empre that war has begun.

When news of the attack reaches Earth the Emperor must decide how to proceed. The navy favours protecting the core worlds. The plan is conservative but allows millions of people to die at the hands of the invading Hudathans. The Legion favours an immediate response to defend every planet metre by metre.

With the Hudathans attacking and the navy and legion at odds the Legion homeworld of Algeron is left isolated and exposed. Already fighting the indigenous people of Algeron, the Legion must now decide whether to leave Algeron to the Hudathans or mutiny. One path leads to billions dead the other could lead to billions dead and the Legion’s demise.

Legion of the Damned opens with the aftermath of the Hudathan invasion of Worber’s World. From the very beginning Dietz puts the reader off balance. The commanding officer attempts to surrender but the Hudathan’s don’t recognise the idea of surrender. Understanding this gives the reader a different view of everything that will follow.

Dietz tells the story from multiple perspectives. This can get unwieldy for some authors and readers, however, Dietz uses the style well. It allows the reader to follow the invasion and war on strategic, tactical, and personal levels. Some military SF bogs down in overly complex combat sequences but Dietz doesn’t fall into this trap.

At the top level there are conspiracies and intrigues designed to eliminate enemies, consolodate personal power, and possibly destroy the defense of the human empire. Watching these conspiracies unfold are particularily interesting for the reader as they understand the Hudathans better than the characters involved. It’s an idea not often capitalised by authors.

There is a large and varied cast of characters in Legion of the Damned but there is no difficulty in following each character’s thread. This highlights Dietz’s clear writing and precise storytelling. Dietz also does some surprising things with his characters. Surprising because they seem improbable at times. Whether the reader can accept these ideas is up to them.

Given the large number of characters there is also the danger of them becoming two dimensional. Dietz avoids this for the most part as well. Some characters receive more development than other but outside of one or two instances they all feel fleshed out.

Where Legion of the Damned excels, though, is in the action. This is not unusual with military SF, however, Dietz’s talents are exceptional. Some authors can do squad level action well, or company, or larger. Dietz is equally skilled at all levels bringing everything from hand-to-hand fights all the way to Fleet actions to realistic life. He does this by keeping the reader involved in the action regardless of the scale.

Where Legion of the Damned falls short is in the ending. The story and conflict builds to the inevitable breaking point but the resolution is a little too deus ex machina. It is not an impossible or even unlikely ending but it is somewhat unsatisfying. However, Legion of the Damned is the opening salvo in a ten book series (thirteen if you include the prequels) so perhaps this is the plan.

Legion of the Damned combines several of my guilty pleasures. Good military SF, stories involving or based on the Foreign Legion, and alien invasions, so it is unsurprising that I greatly enjoyed Legion of the Damned. If only one or two of these elements had come together I think Dietz’s efforts would be worth your time. But by combining all the elements Legion of the Damned ranks among some of the best military SF ever written.