VICTORY, VOL. I

The first of five volumes in a series of short WWII novels offers "gripping stories of war as it really was." While the stories, "The Sea Witch" by Stephen Coonts and "Wolf Flight" by Jim DeFelice, are certainly interesting--and readers Eric Conger and Ron McLarty perform them nicely--the question of why fiction is superior to fact remains unanswered. Conger's performance of "The Sea Witch" is the better of the two; his dry style allows the story to build to its surprising ending. McLarty, on the other hand, is a bit over the top and never seems fully comfortable with the material. Still, Coonts's readers may be disappointed that he doesn't narrate his own story. D.J.S. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 03]