AUTHENTIC MODERN DAY AIRCRAFT CARRIER COMBAT Raven One immerses the reader into the lives of the Raven squadron and protagonist Lieutenant Commander Jim Wilson aboard the fictional nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Valley Forge on deployment to the Persian Gulf. The reader joins Wilson in the cockpit of a carrier-based FA-18 Hornet…and in the ready rooms and bunkrooms of men and women who struggle with their fears and uncertainty in this new way of war - amid leadership challenges that test them further. A "routine" Middle-East deployment takes a sudden and unexpected turn when Washington orders Valley Forge to respond to a crisis no one saw coming. The world watches – and holds its breath.
Kevin Miller’s unforgettable first novel is filled with flying action and adventure – and also examines the actions of imperfect humans as they follow their own agendas in a disciplined world of unrelenting pressure and danger.
PRAISE FOR RAVEN ONE As authentic as it gets. Really amazing look at what it takes to be a fighter pilot in the Navy from an author who's been there and done that. PACO CHIERICI, author of "Lions of the Sky"
Naval aviation as it really is. Miller takes the reader into the ready room, into the skies over the Middle East, into the souls of the Hornet pilots in this compelling story. A great debut novel. ROBERT GANDT, author of "Bogeys and Bandits" and "The President's Pilot"
Wow! This is an I-can't-put-down aerial thriller. One of the very best combat flying books I have read. If you like the details of flying combat jets from carriers, this is as good as it gets. LOU DRENDEL, noted aviation author and artist.
Raven One is an up-to-date thriller centered on a U.S. Navy Hornet squadron onboard a carrier as a crisis erupts in the Persian Gulf. Well-rounded characters, a highly authentic description of day-to-day squadron life and even a plausible enemy "super-weapon." A great read from a first-time author. ROYAL AERONAUTICAL SOCIETY
Raven One is excellent at scale and manages to stay very tight. The squadron is the centerpiece of the story, and what matters is the ability to challenge the squadron, not the U.S. Navy as a whole. In this, Raven One succeeds beautifully, and its pacing doesn't hurt either. Of all the post-1991 thrillers I've read, Raven One is one of the best at managing the challenges of that time period well. This is no small feat. FULDAPOCALYPSE FICTION
Raven One is a superb, well-paced, well-written, and well-read work of art. Raven One and its sequels put Miller in the same category as other military fiction writers like Tom Clancy, P.T. Deutermann, and David Poyer. MICHAEL JUNGE, author of "Crimes of Command"
Kevin Miller’s first air-combat novel has grown on me. The plot develops slowly, introducing the antagonist and main conflict later than most stories, but it does so in exchange for crafting the most impressive presentation of characters I’ve seen in a military combat novel. This, of course, requires strong narrative, which the author delivers in spades. JOHN MONTEITH, author of the "Rogue" submarine series