# Dog Soldier

![Book cover of Dog Soldier](/books/covers/dog_soldier.jpg)

by [Scott Warren](/books/authors/scott_warren/)
Book 4 of [War Horses](/books/series/war_horses/)
★★★☆☆

## Review

_Dog Soldier_, by Scott Warren,
is the fourth book in the _War Horses_ series. It concludes
the Cinto DaSelva campaign and further develops the setting's backstory.

While similar in length to previous books in the series, _Dog Soldier_ feels
much faster-paced. The story is divided into three main sections:

- The first part takes place on Cinto DaSelva, where the rebellion and
  Chevaliers launch an ill-advised attack at union-leader Helene DeChile's
  command. Despite warnings from the mercenaries, the advance stretches their
  supply lines and ends in disaster.

- The second part moves to a Paladin Devils ship, where the Chevaliers
  conspire with their employer to remove the power-hungry and increasingly
  unstable Helene from command.

- The third part returns to Cinto DaSelva, as the Chevaliers put their
  assassination plot into motion. Using wormholes to bypass the front line,
  they assault the capital and end up in a brutal fight against the paranoid
  Helene and her remaining loyalists.

The transitions between these three parts aren't as smooth as in [_Serpent Valley_](/books/serpent_valley/), but
they're still more polished than [_Ymir_](/books/ymir/).

The mech battles are well written, with some unique twists, and feel like they
have high stakes. Scott Warren has done a good job of scaling up the mimic
threat, making it pivotal to both taking the capital and covering up Helene's
assassination.

The book plants several seeds for future storylines: Vandel's developing
relationship with Duri; Duri's company's work on revolutionary power-armor
that could shake up the balance of power in the region; the introduction of
the Romans as a mysteriously vanished advanced civilization; and deeper
exploration of the Paladin Devils from [_Chevalier_](/books/chevalier/), with old rivalries reignited.

With the Cinto DaSelva plot-line wrapped up, I'm excited to see where [_Grand Melee_](/books/grand_melee/)
will take the series next.

## Reviews that mention _Dog Soldier_
- [_Grand Melee_](/books/grand_melee/)
- [_On Basilisk Station_](/books/on_basilisk_station/)†
- [_Serpent Valley_](/books/serpent_valley/)
- [_Sunstone Imperative_](/books/sunstone_imperative/)
- [_Surface Detail_](/books/surface_detail/)†

† _Mentioned via a link to the series._

## Related Books
- [_Ymir_](/books/ymir/) by [Scott Warren](/books/authors/scott_warren/) --- ★★★☆☆: Ymir is the second book in the War Horses series, keeping Chevalier’s action and quick pacing while adding more backstory, character development, and a more complex plot.
- [_Serpent Valley_](/books/serpent_valley/) by [Scott Warren](/books/authors/scott_warren/) --- ★★★★☆: Serpent Valley, the third book in the War Horses series, is another quick, action-packed read—but without the flaws holding back its predecessors. Easily my favorite of the series so far!
- [_Grand Melee_](/books/grand_melee/) by [Scott Warren](/books/authors/scott_warren/) --- ★★★☆☆: Grand Melee, by Scott Warren, is the fifth book in the War Horses series. In it, the Chevaliers take a break from wartime contracts to participate in a massive mech tournament.