David Poyer is to the Navy what Dale Brown is to the Air Force.

I first started reading Poyer with The Med three decades ago. Gritty realism combined with complex characters who had relatable issues. Over the years, his novels have brought me much enjoyment. Recently, however, he's been following a multi-book storyline involving a war with China and suddenly both sides have technology that is obviously too advanced to be based in reality.

His latest novel really puts it over the top. Despite being crippled by unending cyberattacks from China, the U.S. has been able to develop virtual reality CICs, artificially intelligent ground and air drones, and incorporates propulsion technology that--even while "outdated" in the universe--seems far-fetched.

I stopped reading Dale Brown's novels because technology made the B-52s in his novels literally unkillable while they themselves could spit out a wide variety of munitions and almost single-handedly wipe out entire nations. Now that Poyer is following this line of writing, I may just lose yet another terrific author.