summerisle
The rain, it raineth every day
Anybody read this ? lol
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The GOT Book Club
- Thread starter chicoazul
- Start date
random
Player Valuation: £15m
Gone away from thrillers after the last let down and back to a bit of sci-fi.
Space Deputy by Jenny Schwartz
Blurb...
A millennium into the future, the Saloon Sector is where the Wild West meets the 1950s, in space, with robots. It’s where careers go to die.
Thelma Bach graduated top of her class after four years at the Galactic Justice academy. But she’s a Rock Sector citizen. The core worlders were never going to let her transcend her background. So she’s been assigned to serve her seven years as a deputy in the Saloon Sector. The message for the Federation’s out-world citizens is clear: you’ll never be our equal, so don’t even try.
On Goodreads and Amazon, this gets ratings similar to Old Mans War which is one of my favorite sci-fi books so I thought this was worth giving a go. To be honest I nearly swerved this one because of the wild west story style implication, but am glad I gave it a go.
It has quirks, there are some really interesting story arcs and the main story is very good as is the telling of it. Unfortunately, there are a couple of situations that stop this from being a really top-notch effort, but to highlight them would spoiler the story. It might be that I am just being harsh in my assessment and you should not let that detract you from reading this book.
From the way the story and characters develop I would say the closest thing to this I have read is the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, I think if you liked those books then you will like this.
But it's an easy read that dragged me in despite my initial trepidation. It's not a 'male' orientated book though, can't put it any other way, don't expect loads of face-splattering violence.
Reviews
1. Really enjoyable! Don’t let the cover fool you, everything I’ve read by her has been excellent. This author stands out like gold among the usual dross in KU. A major publisher needs to pick up this author she’s a gem. Looking forward to reading the next one.
2. This is not the wild west but it is the edge of space and not the best posting for a deputy. Thelma Bach was top of her class but did not get a prime assignment. Instead she was sent to Saloon Sector but all was not lost. She had a plan and it was fun watching her work it. I loved the characters;
3. There's a lot about this book that is just plain fun. The blurb describes the environment as "the Wild West meets the 1950s" and that's about right. We meet prospectors looking for El Dorado, a crooked religious zealot, a vindictive politician, several sentient alien species - and Sheriff Max Smith, an enigmatic ex-space marine who happens to have known Thelma's brother, Joe.
4. I hate to only give this book three stars because I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. The writing is breezy and conversational, the plot approaches unique, and the characters are engaging. The author has attempted a mashup of popular genres including science fiction, western, and romance. Personally, I think this is a laudable enterprise, but it is one that requires really good execution to succeed. Instead, in this instance, we wind up with a muddled, over-complicated narrative that is, thankfully, mostly offset by a pretty good style of writing.
Review 4. is the one I agree with the most.
Free on kindle unlimited, gotta be worth your time at least to check this one out, fun read and nothing too taxing on the brain.
There are another two books in the series, and I will be checking out number two at some point.
Space Deputy by Jenny Schwartz
Blurb...
A millennium into the future, the Saloon Sector is where the Wild West meets the 1950s, in space, with robots. It’s where careers go to die.
Thelma Bach graduated top of her class after four years at the Galactic Justice academy. But she’s a Rock Sector citizen. The core worlders were never going to let her transcend her background. So she’s been assigned to serve her seven years as a deputy in the Saloon Sector. The message for the Federation’s out-world citizens is clear: you’ll never be our equal, so don’t even try.
On Goodreads and Amazon, this gets ratings similar to Old Mans War which is one of my favorite sci-fi books so I thought this was worth giving a go. To be honest I nearly swerved this one because of the wild west story style implication, but am glad I gave it a go.
It has quirks, there are some really interesting story arcs and the main story is very good as is the telling of it. Unfortunately, there are a couple of situations that stop this from being a really top-notch effort, but to highlight them would spoiler the story. It might be that I am just being harsh in my assessment and you should not let that detract you from reading this book.
From the way the story and characters develop I would say the closest thing to this I have read is the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, I think if you liked those books then you will like this.
But it's an easy read that dragged me in despite my initial trepidation. It's not a 'male' orientated book though, can't put it any other way, don't expect loads of face-splattering violence.
Reviews
1. Really enjoyable! Don’t let the cover fool you, everything I’ve read by her has been excellent. This author stands out like gold among the usual dross in KU. A major publisher needs to pick up this author she’s a gem. Looking forward to reading the next one.
2. This is not the wild west but it is the edge of space and not the best posting for a deputy. Thelma Bach was top of her class but did not get a prime assignment. Instead she was sent to Saloon Sector but all was not lost. She had a plan and it was fun watching her work it. I loved the characters;
3. There's a lot about this book that is just plain fun. The blurb describes the environment as "the Wild West meets the 1950s" and that's about right. We meet prospectors looking for El Dorado, a crooked religious zealot, a vindictive politician, several sentient alien species - and Sheriff Max Smith, an enigmatic ex-space marine who happens to have known Thelma's brother, Joe.
4. I hate to only give this book three stars because I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. The writing is breezy and conversational, the plot approaches unique, and the characters are engaging. The author has attempted a mashup of popular genres including science fiction, western, and romance. Personally, I think this is a laudable enterprise, but it is one that requires really good execution to succeed. Instead, in this instance, we wind up with a muddled, over-complicated narrative that is, thankfully, mostly offset by a pretty good style of writing.
Review 4. is the one I agree with the most.
Free on kindle unlimited, gotta be worth your time at least to check this one out, fun read and nothing too taxing on the brain.
There are another two books in the series, and I will be checking out number two at some point.
On my list, but currently working my way through this one...Anybody read this ? lol
He's amazing.
random
Player Valuation: £15m
Woolverhampton_Blue
Player Valuation: £35m
I’m just over half way through and it’s not really that difficult so far. Certainly not unreadable.
My supplier has all the bodice rippers, but not the one you mentioned - par for the course
random
Player Valuation: £15m
I recently reviewed a book by Patrick Tomlinson, I came across another of his called In the Black
Blurb
Hunt for Red October in Space
In a demilitarized zone on the border of human space, long range spy satellites are mysteriously going quiet, and no one knows why. Captain Susan Kamala and her crew are dispatched to figure out what's going on and solve the problem.
That problem, however, is a mysterious, bleeding edge alien ship that no human vessel could hope to match in open conflict. But, it's not spoiling for a fight.
Now, the Captain and her Crew must figure out how to navigate a complicated game of diplomacy, balancing the needs of their corporate overlords, and the honest desire for a lasting peace between the two races, all without letting a long standing cold war turn hot.
Gets good reviews on both Amazon and Goodreads (although there seems to be some troll reviewing going on)
Anyways, I liked the previous book and the storyline of this one intrigued me so I thought it worthy of a go. I think this is a step above most of the sci-fi that is out there, the author seems to have found his feet with his writing style and the story kept me wanting to find out what was going to happen next. There were two or three story arcs going on and towards the end of the book they converged nicely. The book could have been just a space battle book, but there is a company espionage tale dropped in amongst the fighting to add another element into things.
The book has an alien species (which isn't my favorite type of tale, I prefer warring human factions), however, the species in this did come across 'alien', and although they were seen as the enemy, I couldn't help rooting for them as well as the human side. If that was the aim of the author he did a cracking job.
No overly complicated explanation of the technology, just some background and some pointers, but enough is left out for you to connect the dots.
One reviewer thought it was a little slow at the beginning, I can't say I really thought that the pacing was anything different from any other book that is setting the scene.
Reviews
1. For everyone who doesn't want their sci-fi to come with a slice of misogyny In the Black is an absolute gift.
This novel from Patrick S. Tomlinson is full of believable, genuine characters who avoid the usual tired clichés. Yes there's a Female star ship captain but she's not unusually attractive, neurotic, or damaged from a flawed relationship. Yes there is a corporate CEO but he's not a caricature of avarice, greed and incompetence. There's a scientist who's not a terribly clumsy introvert with no social abilities. There are aliens who have their own objectives that aren't "impossible to comprehend if you aren't a member of their species".
2. Really good space opera, likeable characters and believable threat.
Plausible science if you allow the Alcubierre drive, with no telepathy or magic devices. And I like the aliens!
Tomlinson does a very good job of both keeping things exciting and tying all of these loose threads together at the end in a believable manner. He's also created an interesting and realistic cast of characters. Although not billed as such, it feels like the beginning of an interesting series. I found it highly entertaining and devoured it in one sitting.
3. I found this to be a solid military SF book with decent action, good dialogue, interesting aliens, an interesting setting, and solid pacing. Not a dense David Weber tome with lots of detail but a brisk novel that held my interest throughout. Ending begs one or more sequels which I expect to enjoy.
4. I enjoyed this very much and look forward to the next book. It was a little dry at the beginning. It talked a lot about Navy procedures which I didn't care about so I just skipped those parts. As it went along you really started getting into the characters in the storyline itself. It has strong woman characters (as well as men).
Old enemies are manipulated to try to start a fight The captain of both ships are smarter than those who are trying to manipulate them.I know this says nothing about what the actual story is which is about the people. Even if you don't like science fiction give it a chance. Like I said the first two chapters are just boring and you have no idea what's going on but 1/3 into the way in it really gets good
Price:
£7 for kindle £12 for paperback. This is one of the pricier ebooks out there, I am notorious for steering people away from £3 books (even free ones) if I think they are pants, but this book is worth the purchase even at the price asked.
Of all the sci-fi I have read over the past couple of years I would put this in my top five easily. With the usual caveat that your taste in books may not gel with mine.
This will be number one in a series, the ending was too sudden for it to be anything else. I must admit I will for sure be getting my hands on number two if there is one.
Blurb
Hunt for Red October in Space
In a demilitarized zone on the border of human space, long range spy satellites are mysteriously going quiet, and no one knows why. Captain Susan Kamala and her crew are dispatched to figure out what's going on and solve the problem.
That problem, however, is a mysterious, bleeding edge alien ship that no human vessel could hope to match in open conflict. But, it's not spoiling for a fight.
Now, the Captain and her Crew must figure out how to navigate a complicated game of diplomacy, balancing the needs of their corporate overlords, and the honest desire for a lasting peace between the two races, all without letting a long standing cold war turn hot.
Gets good reviews on both Amazon and Goodreads (although there seems to be some troll reviewing going on)
Anyways, I liked the previous book and the storyline of this one intrigued me so I thought it worthy of a go. I think this is a step above most of the sci-fi that is out there, the author seems to have found his feet with his writing style and the story kept me wanting to find out what was going to happen next. There were two or three story arcs going on and towards the end of the book they converged nicely. The book could have been just a space battle book, but there is a company espionage tale dropped in amongst the fighting to add another element into things.
The book has an alien species (which isn't my favorite type of tale, I prefer warring human factions), however, the species in this did come across 'alien', and although they were seen as the enemy, I couldn't help rooting for them as well as the human side. If that was the aim of the author he did a cracking job.
No overly complicated explanation of the technology, just some background and some pointers, but enough is left out for you to connect the dots.
One reviewer thought it was a little slow at the beginning, I can't say I really thought that the pacing was anything different from any other book that is setting the scene.
Reviews
1. For everyone who doesn't want their sci-fi to come with a slice of misogyny In the Black is an absolute gift.
This novel from Patrick S. Tomlinson is full of believable, genuine characters who avoid the usual tired clichés. Yes there's a Female star ship captain but she's not unusually attractive, neurotic, or damaged from a flawed relationship. Yes there is a corporate CEO but he's not a caricature of avarice, greed and incompetence. There's a scientist who's not a terribly clumsy introvert with no social abilities. There are aliens who have their own objectives that aren't "impossible to comprehend if you aren't a member of their species".
2. Really good space opera, likeable characters and believable threat.
Plausible science if you allow the Alcubierre drive, with no telepathy or magic devices. And I like the aliens!
Tomlinson does a very good job of both keeping things exciting and tying all of these loose threads together at the end in a believable manner. He's also created an interesting and realistic cast of characters. Although not billed as such, it feels like the beginning of an interesting series. I found it highly entertaining and devoured it in one sitting.
3. I found this to be a solid military SF book with decent action, good dialogue, interesting aliens, an interesting setting, and solid pacing. Not a dense David Weber tome with lots of detail but a brisk novel that held my interest throughout. Ending begs one or more sequels which I expect to enjoy.
4. I enjoyed this very much and look forward to the next book. It was a little dry at the beginning. It talked a lot about Navy procedures which I didn't care about so I just skipped those parts. As it went along you really started getting into the characters in the storyline itself. It has strong woman characters (as well as men).
Old enemies are manipulated to try to start a fight The captain of both ships are smarter than those who are trying to manipulate them.I know this says nothing about what the actual story is which is about the people. Even if you don't like science fiction give it a chance. Like I said the first two chapters are just boring and you have no idea what's going on but 1/3 into the way in it really gets good
Price:
£7 for kindle £12 for paperback. This is one of the pricier ebooks out there, I am notorious for steering people away from £3 books (even free ones) if I think they are pants, but this book is worth the purchase even at the price asked.
Of all the sci-fi I have read over the past couple of years I would put this in my top five easily. With the usual caveat that your taste in books may not gel with mine.
This will be number one in a series, the ending was too sudden for it to be anything else. I must admit I will for sure be getting my hands on number two if there is one.
Have been really enjoying “Misbehaving” by Richard Thaler
random
Player Valuation: £15m
Contact Front: Drop Trooper by Rick Partlow
Blurb:
Go to war or go to jail.
For small-time street hustler Cam Alvarez, the choice is simple. He has no family, no friends, no place in the world…nothing to lose. When his latest con results in the death of a cartel hitman, Cam opts to join the Marines and leave Earth to fight a vicious alien enemy.
Drafted into the Marine Drop-Troopers, Cam discovers there’s one thing he’s even better at than running street-con games, and that’s killing the enemy. Wrapped in an armored battlesuit, Cam finds purpose amidst the horror and destruction of the war, and the opportunity for a new sort of friends and family…if he can break the habits of a life spent alone, trusting no one.
Rick Partlow is a name I have seen quite often when browsing Goodreads and Amazon for sci-fi and as this one gets a very high average review score it looked like it was worth a go. I wasn't looking out for anything too original with regards the story, bad boy goes to boot camp, trains as a killer, gets sent out into the field and excels. OK, not an issue there have been some very good books along those lines. But given the un-original story arc, I would want to see some decent writing and some elements of excitement.
Unfortunately, there was neither. I had no empathy for the hero, he could get fragged for all I cared. I know he doesn't because there are six books in this series.
Kindle Unlimited pays authors 1p for every two pages read, therefore it behooves budding authors to crank out as many pages/books as they can, (those 1p's add up). The end result is readers invest time (sometimes money) into a book only to realise that it's just a letter churning exercise. Which I think this is. Boring and formulaic.
If folks are earning a living at writing this stuff I am starting to fall into the trap of thinking I could do better.
I gave it a go - did not finish and gave up at the 50% stage.
Reviews
1. Really enjoyed this - takes the old "poor kid joins military and does good" storyline but fleshes it out well and crafts a good, well-crafted tale that is engaging and fun to read. Looking forward to the next installment.
2. Rick Partlow, the best-selling writer of Glory Boy and Recon novels, returns to this universe of military sf stories with a new series, Drop Trooper. Contact Front combines a bit of military mech and space marine ops with heart-pumping action and thrilling adventure. Yet Partlow maintains a strong character-driven story as he recounts the tale of new recruit, Cam Alvarez, on his first series of missions. This combination of strong, believable characters in tough, demanding situations (while avoiding a lot of unnecessary space tech jargon) is one of the author's strengths. Recommended for fans of the genre and for those just getting into military sf adventure like I am
3. This didn't really add anything to the genre at all but was a nice distraction for an evening away from my computer and work. The hero is a likable enough guy, but the characters came across as a bit 2D and the plot was telegraphed a mile away...
4. Lots of repetition in Book 1 (and it only gets worse through Book 6), with worn out, lackluster, formulaic storylines seen all too often before from a myriad of other authors, and rampant ‘cut and paste’ from one book to the next by Mr. Partlow. Additionally, a SJW feminist mindset, liberal ‘borrowing’ from others’ works, the lack of internal continuity, and the poor writing basic skill set adds to the annoying slog of a read.
Price:
It's free on Kindle Unlimited and £10 for paperback
Don't pay a tenner, maybe try it out for free, you may enjoy this more than I did.
YMMV
However, given the choice, I would rather pay for The Forever War by Joe Haldeman than waste time on this one for free
I don't often stick a review up on books I haven't finished as I don't think it's entirely correct to do so as some book endings might make it worth the effort. However, I think I will start to do this more (unfinished book review) so you can either try something you were not aware of and maybe give a counter review to mine, or alternatively swerve, save your time and read an alternative.
Blurb:
Go to war or go to jail.
For small-time street hustler Cam Alvarez, the choice is simple. He has no family, no friends, no place in the world…nothing to lose. When his latest con results in the death of a cartel hitman, Cam opts to join the Marines and leave Earth to fight a vicious alien enemy.
Drafted into the Marine Drop-Troopers, Cam discovers there’s one thing he’s even better at than running street-con games, and that’s killing the enemy. Wrapped in an armored battlesuit, Cam finds purpose amidst the horror and destruction of the war, and the opportunity for a new sort of friends and family…if he can break the habits of a life spent alone, trusting no one.
Rick Partlow is a name I have seen quite often when browsing Goodreads and Amazon for sci-fi and as this one gets a very high average review score it looked like it was worth a go. I wasn't looking out for anything too original with regards the story, bad boy goes to boot camp, trains as a killer, gets sent out into the field and excels. OK, not an issue there have been some very good books along those lines. But given the un-original story arc, I would want to see some decent writing and some elements of excitement.
Unfortunately, there was neither. I had no empathy for the hero, he could get fragged for all I cared. I know he doesn't because there are six books in this series.
Kindle Unlimited pays authors 1p for every two pages read, therefore it behooves budding authors to crank out as many pages/books as they can, (those 1p's add up). The end result is readers invest time (sometimes money) into a book only to realise that it's just a letter churning exercise. Which I think this is. Boring and formulaic.
If folks are earning a living at writing this stuff I am starting to fall into the trap of thinking I could do better.
I gave it a go - did not finish and gave up at the 50% stage.
Reviews
1. Really enjoyed this - takes the old "poor kid joins military and does good" storyline but fleshes it out well and crafts a good, well-crafted tale that is engaging and fun to read. Looking forward to the next installment.
2. Rick Partlow, the best-selling writer of Glory Boy and Recon novels, returns to this universe of military sf stories with a new series, Drop Trooper. Contact Front combines a bit of military mech and space marine ops with heart-pumping action and thrilling adventure. Yet Partlow maintains a strong character-driven story as he recounts the tale of new recruit, Cam Alvarez, on his first series of missions. This combination of strong, believable characters in tough, demanding situations (while avoiding a lot of unnecessary space tech jargon) is one of the author's strengths. Recommended for fans of the genre and for those just getting into military sf adventure like I am
3. This didn't really add anything to the genre at all but was a nice distraction for an evening away from my computer and work. The hero is a likable enough guy, but the characters came across as a bit 2D and the plot was telegraphed a mile away...
4. Lots of repetition in Book 1 (and it only gets worse through Book 6), with worn out, lackluster, formulaic storylines seen all too often before from a myriad of other authors, and rampant ‘cut and paste’ from one book to the next by Mr. Partlow. Additionally, a SJW feminist mindset, liberal ‘borrowing’ from others’ works, the lack of internal continuity, and the poor writing basic skill set adds to the annoying slog of a read.
Price:
It's free on Kindle Unlimited and £10 for paperback
Don't pay a tenner, maybe try it out for free, you may enjoy this more than I did.
YMMV
However, given the choice, I would rather pay for The Forever War by Joe Haldeman than waste time on this one for free
I don't often stick a review up on books I haven't finished as I don't think it's entirely correct to do so as some book endings might make it worth the effort. However, I think I will start to do this more (unfinished book review) so you can either try something you were not aware of and maybe give a counter review to mine, or alternatively swerve, save your time and read an alternative.
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Sounds a bit like Starship Trooper mets Bill the Galactic Hero...I can struggle to the end of most things, so if you bailed, that'll do for me.
Joe Haldeman, there a writer.
gonetomorrow
Player Valuation: £70m
I'm reading Orlando by Virginia Woolf. It's actually quite funny. She mentions The Great Frost of 1709 when the Thames froze over. Orlando and his lover skated for miles up and down the river.
"Birds froze in mid-air and fell like stones to the ground." It took me a while to realise she was being ironic.
"The King directed that the river, which was frozen to a depth of twenty feet and more for six or seven miles on either side, should be swept, decorated and given all the semblance of a park or pleasure ground, with arbours, mazes, alleys, drinking booths, etc. at his expense."
This, at least, was true although the twenty feet depth of ice is debatable. The reason I mention this is that you can learn stuff from good writers.
"Birds froze in mid-air and fell like stones to the ground." It took me a while to realise she was being ironic.
"The King directed that the river, which was frozen to a depth of twenty feet and more for six or seven miles on either side, should be swept, decorated and given all the semblance of a park or pleasure ground, with arbours, mazes, alleys, drinking booths, etc. at his expense."
This, at least, was true although the twenty feet depth of ice is debatable. The reason I mention this is that you can learn stuff from good writers.
random
Player Valuation: £15m
Zone War by John Conroe
Blurb
A few short years from now, eco-terrorists unleash the worst attack the world has ever seen. Over 25,000 autonomous combat drones are released in Manhattan from the hold of a ship. Hundreds of thousands are dead, and the entire island is evacuated and quarantined in just a few days’ time.
Ten years later, Manhattan is still empty of humans, with the exception of the salvage specialists of the most watched reality show in history: Zone War. Produced live and unedited, the show follows five teams of armored vehicle specialists who brave the active drones to recover lost riches and collect bounties on dead ones. Ram it, slam it, grab the goods and bull your way back out. And don’t break down, because no one will be coming to your aid. Armored entry is the way to go… Unless…
Meet Ajaya “AJ” Gurung, sniper’s son, drone technician and Zone infiltrator. Following his father’s footsteps while forging ahead in ways all his own, AJ has the potential to be the most successful recovery specialist of all time. The drones are changing, the rules have been thrown out and nothing about the Zone is what it seems. Adapt or die.
Well it's an imaginative scenario I will give it that, makes a nice change to read something original. I wasn't sure what to expect, the book could have gone one of two ways for me. The good news is that it is a cracking read, for once the high 4.57 ratings on Goodreads are accurate, the Amazon ratings are even higher at 89% 5 stars.
Was a page-turner as soon as I got about 10% into it, couldn't put the thing down. If the writer had fleshed some scenes out with more description and action he could have made the book longer and I don't think it would have been any the worse for it. In fact, I think there are some things that are touched on that should have been given more in-depth explanations. As it is there is zero wastage in the writing style, but plenty of action to keep you occupied.
It is set in the not too distant future (?), the only really advanced tech in the story is that computer chips have evolved, but nothing that seems to stretch belief too much. A little warning, it could have easily veered into a young adult book, and although it bordered on that genre in places there was just enough to keep it as a very decent novel to read. An experienced author and it shows in the quality of the writing. I wasn't 100% sure on this, but am really glad I gave it a go.
It's like a mash-up of Enemy at the Gates, The Terminator, The Running Man, and Slaughterbots (youtube slaughterbots if you haven't heard of it before).
Reviews
1. I brought this book on a Wednesday, had read it by the Friday staying up till one in the morning to finish it. I was gripped by the writing, the plot, the characters, and the originality of it all. I won't give anything away re the plot but I've now HAD to buy the next two in the series because I need to know what happens next. If you love sci-fi, with a great set of characters you'll care about. then this is for you. If I could have given 10 stars I would.
2. I started reading this midnight last night thinking maybe a chapter or two before I went to sleep, just to see if it was worth keeping for my next flight. Boy was I wrong. The next thing I knew it was 8am and I was still reading. I eventually fell asleep from exhaustion around 8.30 only to wake up at 11am unable to stop myself from finishing the book.
3. Very interesting world. The best part is I have no idea what direction the next book will go. Near future combat drones, sniper training, A.I., Ghurka mythos, and a little bit of teenage lust. Add in some high-level corporate intrigue and reality shows, and you have a really fun story. I will buy the next novel as soon as it is released.
4. Set in a futuristic America, Zone War was fantastically told and addictive from the beginning. I loved the pace and characters and felt each appropriate for the other. Really digging Conroe's writing style and while I loved it, I am happy to see a trilogy. I sometimes need to know a series ends on a note where I want more rather than fizzle out after so many books. Moving on to the sequel now
Price
Now the good news, free on Kindle unlimited. £13 for the paperback.
Get hold of it if you own a kindle and give it a go, paperback price is a little on the high side, but if the story appeals to you then for sure check out some more reviews and invest the money.
As I was going back over the info for this review, I found out that there are a couple more in this series, happy days !
Book number two just got added to my must-read list.
Blurb
A few short years from now, eco-terrorists unleash the worst attack the world has ever seen. Over 25,000 autonomous combat drones are released in Manhattan from the hold of a ship. Hundreds of thousands are dead, and the entire island is evacuated and quarantined in just a few days’ time.
Ten years later, Manhattan is still empty of humans, with the exception of the salvage specialists of the most watched reality show in history: Zone War. Produced live and unedited, the show follows five teams of armored vehicle specialists who brave the active drones to recover lost riches and collect bounties on dead ones. Ram it, slam it, grab the goods and bull your way back out. And don’t break down, because no one will be coming to your aid. Armored entry is the way to go… Unless…
Meet Ajaya “AJ” Gurung, sniper’s son, drone technician and Zone infiltrator. Following his father’s footsteps while forging ahead in ways all his own, AJ has the potential to be the most successful recovery specialist of all time. The drones are changing, the rules have been thrown out and nothing about the Zone is what it seems. Adapt or die.
Well it's an imaginative scenario I will give it that, makes a nice change to read something original. I wasn't sure what to expect, the book could have gone one of two ways for me. The good news is that it is a cracking read, for once the high 4.57 ratings on Goodreads are accurate, the Amazon ratings are even higher at 89% 5 stars.
Was a page-turner as soon as I got about 10% into it, couldn't put the thing down. If the writer had fleshed some scenes out with more description and action he could have made the book longer and I don't think it would have been any the worse for it. In fact, I think there are some things that are touched on that should have been given more in-depth explanations. As it is there is zero wastage in the writing style, but plenty of action to keep you occupied.
It is set in the not too distant future (?), the only really advanced tech in the story is that computer chips have evolved, but nothing that seems to stretch belief too much. A little warning, it could have easily veered into a young adult book, and although it bordered on that genre in places there was just enough to keep it as a very decent novel to read. An experienced author and it shows in the quality of the writing. I wasn't 100% sure on this, but am really glad I gave it a go.
It's like a mash-up of Enemy at the Gates, The Terminator, The Running Man, and Slaughterbots (youtube slaughterbots if you haven't heard of it before).
Reviews
1. I brought this book on a Wednesday, had read it by the Friday staying up till one in the morning to finish it. I was gripped by the writing, the plot, the characters, and the originality of it all. I won't give anything away re the plot but I've now HAD to buy the next two in the series because I need to know what happens next. If you love sci-fi, with a great set of characters you'll care about. then this is for you. If I could have given 10 stars I would.
2. I started reading this midnight last night thinking maybe a chapter or two before I went to sleep, just to see if it was worth keeping for my next flight. Boy was I wrong. The next thing I knew it was 8am and I was still reading. I eventually fell asleep from exhaustion around 8.30 only to wake up at 11am unable to stop myself from finishing the book.
3. Very interesting world. The best part is I have no idea what direction the next book will go. Near future combat drones, sniper training, A.I., Ghurka mythos, and a little bit of teenage lust. Add in some high-level corporate intrigue and reality shows, and you have a really fun story. I will buy the next novel as soon as it is released.
4. Set in a futuristic America, Zone War was fantastically told and addictive from the beginning. I loved the pace and characters and felt each appropriate for the other. Really digging Conroe's writing style and while I loved it, I am happy to see a trilogy. I sometimes need to know a series ends on a note where I want more rather than fizzle out after so many books. Moving on to the sequel now
Price
Now the good news, free on Kindle unlimited. £13 for the paperback.
Get hold of it if you own a kindle and give it a go, paperback price is a little on the high side, but if the story appeals to you then for sure check out some more reviews and invest the money.
As I was going back over the info for this review, I found out that there are a couple more in this series, happy days !
Book number two just got added to my must-read list.