Review: Tap-Dancing the Minefields

Buy this book now! I have re-read 5 times already. #5star #heartbreaking #fantastic @lyngala
Tap-Dancing the Minefields by Lyn Gala
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Buy this book now. Is this a new series from the talented Ms. Gala? I certainly hope so! Full disclosure, I didn't read the blurb. Ms. Gala is an auto-read for me. I enjoy being surprised by her and prefer to go into a story completely cold. Most of the time it works. This time, it completely transported me into another world and it was a fantastic ride. For those who are lost the first few chapters and wonder if there is a previous book, there is no previous book. Stick with the book, the payoff is amazing.

The main character is Tank. He is a young twenty year old who is at the wrong place at the right time. As part of his duties in the army, he is delivering food to a secret base in the frozen tundra - Alaska. When he becomes entangled in Area 51 type conspiracies, he ends up right where he's been trying to run away from. Except this time, instead a rag tag Scooby-Doo gang, he is part of a covert military team.

I loved Tank. He is an amazingly lovingly crafted character with so much dimension I could visualize him from head to toe. To date, this may be my favourite character created by Ms. Gala. Tank is a young man with a tired old soul. He is a walking paradox and yet he makes so much sense. If there is one word to describe Tank, it would be SURVIVOR. Ms. Gala is a sadist as she puts Tank through the wringer. The hits both physically and metaphorically are intense and just short of cruel. Tank does the best he can to make it through the day. I understand his sense of helplessness and loss of control. What he accomplished at a young age without training is impressive. As we learn what Tank has gone through and how he comes up with creative solutions to problems, I'm in awe. Ms. Gala creates an obviously dysfunctional character with flaws and makes him relateable and loveable.

This book is one I want to read over and over again because of its plot and character development. The plot is short of mindblowing. The concept is one which many writers have toyed with over the centuries. Few have created a world as robust and plausible as Ms. Gala. This book is up there with Neil Gaiman's American Gods. I can see this book turned into a TV series and it would be just as provocative. This story makes me think and wonder possibilities. It makes me lust for another follow up book to learn more about these aliens. What is their end game? Will we ever find out what these aliens look like? There are so many questions left up on the air in this book that it feels like a 500 page cock tease.

How do I describe this book? For those who love Buffy, this is Xander's story. It is more than Buffy. It is Buffy mixed with Stargate and American Gods. There is the alien aspects of Stargate which give this the sci-fi feel I adore. There is the grittiness and unfair pawn playing of American Gods which gives me chills. This fast paced book takes a reader on a thrilling ride and when it ends, I want to get right back on and ride again. This alternate reality novel is highly recommended to sci-fi and fantasy readers who enjoyed Buffy, American Gods, The Hitchhicker's Guide to the Galaxy and Stargate.