u/Czar1987

I'm half through. The OPA attack on the Martian fleet makes ZERO sense the way they've set it up. A rag-tag militia is able to pass as martian military, hold their own, and defeat what I assume to be top-notch forces guarding the head of state? Please. Maybe if there was more detail given about fleet strength, but assuming the prime minister is on a donager-class battleship, even a dozen corvettes wouldn't stand a chance. Also, in a time of crisis what military would allow a civilian vessel to join a military relief convoy?

(In normal circumstance....) Analog: Like, even if they had access to proper gear, some militia members in the US wouldn't be able to infiltrate a secret service convoy with POTUS and then be victorious.

Really weak plot device.....the Martian military would be faster, stronger, better trained, etc.

Appreciate any insight. Did some researching first and I know that the 1919 emigration date and pre 1951 marriage may be issues. Thanks!

Great-Grandparents: 

* Date married: 28 Oct 1923, USA

* Date divorced: NA

GGM: 

* Date, place of birth: 19 Mar 1906, USA

* Ethnicity and religion: ? , Catholic

* Occupation: house wife

* Allegiance and dates of military service: n/a

* Date, destination for emigration: n/a

* Date naturalized: listed as USA citizen on death cert

* Date, place of death: 27 Sep 1963, USA

GGF: 

* Date, place of birth: 20 Feb 1904 Poland

* Ethnicity and religion: Ethnicity (?) Catholic

* Occupation: Coal Miner

* Allegiance and dates of military service: none known

* Date, destination for emigration: 1919 > USA

* Date naturalized: uncertain, between 1930/1940 US census

* Date, place of death: 1 Nov 1979 USA

Grandparent: 

* Sex: F

* Date, place of birth: 17 Mar 1925, USA

* Date married: 31 Mar 1947

* Citizenship of spouse: USA

* Date divorced: NA

* Occupation: housewife

* Allegiance and dates of military service: NA

Parent: 

* Sex: M

* Date, place of birth: 2 Feb 1952, USA

* Date married: 23 Aug 1980

* Date divorced: NA

You: 

* Date, place of birth: 24 Nov 1987 USA

Ok, so some questions/annoyances that have come to mind so far, that I haven't seen touched on in other posts (Roci has just touched down and Coop got Murtry'd):

1. Basia literally is the problem: they could have just skedaddled and blown the pad when they first got the news of earlier shuttle ETA. I literally don't understand why they waffled when they still had ample time? He's also just an annoying waste of a man in general.

2. Belters apparently CAN adjust to earth gravity if they hit the gym for a year? In prior books it was implied that Belters (aka Naomi and possible kiddos) could never live in full G.

3. Following #2: So the UN/Mars/OPA had a full year after the colonists ran the ring in order to make a plan before colonists actually made landfall, but went through the full contract process anyways? Not really the way to deal with an emergency situation, no?

4. Oh, lets store explosives that are legit for mining uses in an alien structure just to hope someone notices so we can lure security to investigate and then eliminate them? That's a plan full of ifs, like what??

From what I've seen online, I'll probably have more questions than answers as I continue.....