yonkeltron's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
dlsmall's review against another edition
4.0
Weird that I read this only weeks after K. Eason’s Nightwatch on the Hinterlands…another mysterious, cryptic military planetary investigation…only with magic….it hit me maybe halfway in. I enjoyed both.
pamwinkler's review
2.0
Alright, so my thoughts. I don't normally write reviews of books. I do reviews of story collections, so I know what authors were in them and which authors I liked or not.
I have a lot of issues with this book. It was very well written and entertaining. I thought it would be military SF, similar to Tanya Huff's Confederation of Valor series. The main character is basically a investigator, trying to solve a crime/mystery.
The universe is heavily colonist, and I wasn't sure to what extent the main character/author was aware of it. And the main character does some deeply horrifying actions at the end, and seems to be very much of the attitude of 'I did what had to be done'. No, you committed a war crime and you should be shot for crimes against humanity. You are not redeemable.
I have a lot of issues with this book. It was very well written and entertaining. I thought it would be military SF, similar to Tanya Huff's Confederation of Valor series. The main character is basically a investigator, trying to solve a crime/mystery.
The universe is heavily colonist, and I wasn't sure to what extent the main character/author was aware of it. And the main character does some deeply horrifying actions at the end, and seems to be very much of the attitude of 'I did what had to be done'. No, you committed a war crime and you should be shot for crimes against humanity. You are not redeemable.
ewdocparris's review
5.0
Sir, yes Sir! Get ready to run a mile in the boots of a war-hardened colonel on a mission to solve a mystery that takes its share of twists and turns. Mammay's debut novel is a solid head scratcher wrapped in inter species intrigue. A fun listen. Feels like a combo of Heartbreak Ridge, Heart of Darkness, and Starship Troopers. His MC sounds like Gibbs from NCIS.
Engaging and full of believable military detail.
Engaging and full of believable military detail.
jmy's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide, Genocide, War, and Violence
sch33r's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent
Honestly was not expecting much but man I couldn’t stop reading. It’s not an overly complicated story but the characters have so much hidden back story that you experience at just the right pace.
I hope there’s more in the series. Either way I’ll be adding mammay to my author list.
Honestly was not expecting much but man I couldn’t stop reading. It’s not an overly complicated story but the characters have so much hidden back story that you experience at just the right pace.
I hope there’s more in the series. Either way I’ll be adding mammay to my author list.
addypap's review
4.0
Solid, story feels like it could have used a little umpfh but good character development.
kitvaria_sarene's review
5.0
This was a quick and really good read!
It is definitely scifi, but there's no big space battles or voyages as a main plot. Instead it starts off a mystery with the main character looking for a the missing son of an important military man. It almost completely takes place on one planet and the space station near it.
What really worked well for me was the main character. He grew on me very quickly, and I really enjoyed his "down to earth" attitude. He clearly knows his place and order, but also doesn't mistreat the lower soldiers, instead takes them seriously.
I liked how the story changed direction a few times, but won't say much more about that so as to not spoil anything.
A really great character driven military scifi that I can wholeheartedly recommend!
It is definitely scifi, but there's no big space battles or voyages as a main plot. Instead it starts off a mystery with the main character looking for a the missing son of an important military man. It almost completely takes place on one planet and the space station near it.
What really worked well for me was the main character. He grew on me very quickly, and I really enjoyed his "down to earth" attitude. He clearly knows his place and order, but also doesn't mistreat the lower soldiers, instead takes them seriously.
I liked how the story changed direction a few times, but won't say much more about that so as to not spoil anything.
A really great character driven military scifi that I can wholeheartedly recommend!