H. Ripley Rawlings https://riprawlings.com is the author of three novels. Assault by Fire was published in 2020 and it is the first volume in his Tyce Asher series. It is the 15th book I completed reading in 2023.

Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence and mature language, I categorize this novel as R. The primary character is 26-year-old U.S. Marine Major Tyce Asher.

Asher is still on active duty even though he lost part of his leg in Iraq. He is on an exercise with the National Guard and a group of Marines when the unthinkable happens. The US is attacked. A Russian computer expert has developed a sophisticated simulator and planned a sneak attack. Troops are landed and aircraft attack critical facilities.

Asher takes his remaining men into the West Virginia mountains and forms a resistance unit. They are able to merge with a special forces unit that was in the field for training. He leads his men in attacks on Russian patrols and becomes a major irritant to the invaders. Among the way the remains of a Navy medical until joins the rebels. It is led by the surgeon Commander Victoria Remington. As they spend time together and suffer through combat with the Russians, a romantic connection develops with Asher.

I enjoyed the 8 hours I spent reading this 370-page thriller. The plot is full of action. The author brings experience from his extensive military background to the plot. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4.5 (rounded to 5) out of 5.

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Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Lots of non=stop action. Probably will continue on to numeruous follow on stories. Told here is a very big story but this novel is only a small part. An invasion of the US could not help but develop into a world war but seeminly does not happen. Not much is brought to the readers attention about what is going on in the wifer world. What are our allies doing? Where is the Navy? Many things I wanted to know about but had to guess.

A great book to read. This book is about 2 main adversaries, Russia who is entering the United States with the intention of overthrowing the government, and a group of National Guard people who are determined to defend their country at all cost. Action-packed adventure on every page. I would highly recommend it.

Tyce Asher is just the latest action hero that thriller readers will enjoy for years to come. Rip Rawlings nailed this first installment in what I hope will many more to come from Rip. I read his first book Red Metal and this book is no different. If you like military thrillers in the same vein of W.G. Griffin you will definitely enjoy this book.

This is the first book ever I have read by H. Ripley Rawlings and the title is Assult by Fire. First I have to thank #KensingtonBooks #Pinnacle and #Netgalley for giving it to me. Wow, what a story and it is well written and exciting. Full of action and not just the usual terrorist stuff, no this time it's full war and assault on a country. The russians are coming. I grew up with the threat from the east and now it's back. I am already looking forward to the next one in this series. I really liked it.

Fans of military novels will like this one for the non-stop action. Suppose the Russians attacked the US? What would we do? That's the question facing Tyce Archer, who thought he was out of the business of war. He manages to pull together what might be called. rag tag bunch of veterans and others to repel the invaders and set things to rights. It's not deep, the characters are broadly drawn, but it will pull you in and have you turning the pages. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Let's hope this never happens.

If you are a fan of military thrillers, this is a really exciting entry. The author creates an innovative scenario involving a full-scale Russian military invasion. Once a reader buys into this possibility, the story is gripping, and maintains a high level of suspense throughout. There are some very interesting characters, with real weaknesses and colorful backgrounds, including some strong female characters. There are no superhuman fighters or comic-book characters on either side of the conflict, just real people with real shortcomings and a heavy doses of courage. His protagonist is likeable and well-developed. The strongest aspect of Assault by Fire is the action and the presentation of military tactics that the non-technical reader can understand and appreciate. The bulk of the story contains two such actions, an ambush of a larger force, and an assault on an airport. These actions are well-presented, and realistic, involving the tactical level as well as the point of view of the individual soldier. Ripley writes about these battles with terrific authority. He knows what he writes about.

I believe the author could add more development to his secondary characters. He has created a host of interesting characters, with a lot of possibilities. This potential was not realized in Assault by Fire, however. I have a feeling we will be seeing some of these characters again, and I am looking forward to seeing them grow in the future. There was also a brief romance in the book, that I found a little bit out of place. The author's strength is in the combat scenes.

Rawlings knows how to write a good story and keep the reader awake at night. It is an innovative book, with a masterful discussion of military tactics.