if [tribe] =

The Bridge Chronicles #3

by Gary Ballard

Leader of the Los Angeles street gang Los Magos is assassinated by the rival El Diablos. As members of the Five Families, war between the two gangs could ignite the whole city, prompting a response from the Chronosoft Law Enforcement Division (CLED) that could destroy all the Families. Artemis Bridge, the amoral fixer with the quick wit vows to stay out of the war despite his friendship with ex-footballer turned gangland revolutionary Stonewall, new leader of Los Magos. Bridge is reluctantly pulled into the middle of the worst civil unrest since the 2027 Riots, where he discovers the war is more than a little tribal bloodletting between rivals. This fast-paced, action-packed cyberpunk thriller is the third in the critically acclaimed Bridge Chronicles series, sequel to Under the Amoral Bridge and The Know Circuit.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Cyberpunk

221 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 11, 2011

About the author

I began writing things down at the age of eleven, and I haven't stopped since. I have written far too many things that have gone unpublished, from very terrible horror novels in my teens, to comics during my time at Belhaven College until finally settling on cyberpunk science fiction after graduation. I have released three novels in a cyberpunk series called The Bridge Chronicles. The Bridge Chronicles in turn is one slice of cohesive universe that began as a pen-and-paper roleplaying game.

I currently live with my beautiful wife and three very insane dogs in Mississippi, where I continue to write my novels.

Reviews

[Caleb Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third and final novel in The Bridge Chronicles, a cyberpunk trilogy set in a near future where corporations own contracts for law enforcement and local government. The premise is not too far-fetched, but the uncomfortable plausibility is offset by a punchy storyline seen through the eyes of the coolest anti-hero money can sometimes buy.

I have enjoyed the entire trilogy of The Bridge Chronicles. The main protagonist is gutsy, seemingly amoral at times, clever and decisive. I’ll take my heroes flawed thanks and Artemis Bridge is about as suspect a role model as anyone could ask for. He’s not just the guy who knows a guy, he’s the guy who’s working every angle, turning even the most horrible events into a morally ambivalent victory.

The plot moves fast and is greatly entertaining. Immersion in technology is inevitable, but relatively painless. Virtual worlds, super powers through the control of mathematics and cybercops all dance with the good stuff – greed, power, dog-eat-dog and the almighty deal.

I think of The Bridge Chronicles as “Snow Crash lite”. The technological aspects of the story are a bit more accessible, the writing slightly less dense, but the feel is similar. It’s a great compliment as Snow Crash is one of my favourite cyberpunk novels.

In this novel the story focuses on the illegal gangs of Los Angeles that run their businesses within the warehouse district of the city. The author has managed to paint an interesting picture of gang life with individual gang leaders adopting philosophies such as Darwinism, Communism and Pacifism. It’s actually interesting to see a world where those that are considered upstanding are only interested in power and wealth and those that are considered criminal are more interested in humanity and ideology.

If you like your cyberpunk readily digestible, your plot punchy and clever and your characters dripping with cynicism while you walk the tightrope between entertainment and uncomfortable near-reality, give this trilogy a chance.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars for the story
4.0 stars for the narration

This is the 3rd book in the Tribe trilogy. I have not read the 2 previous installments. While I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I think I would have enjoyed it even more had I listened to the previous books in the series. The author goes over some of the previous story. A very basic overview to get you caught up, he also weaves some of the background of the previous stories into this book so you know some of the backstory of the situations. I would still start at the beginning of the series.

Entertaining, interesting and enjoyable story. Corporate control gone wild. A world where cities are now governed by corporations. Which if you really stop and think about things in today's world is plausible, in the aspect that some companies are to powerful. Gangs(tribes) that are evolving, influenced either politically, by the corporations and still others have their own ideas.

Artemis Bridge the fixer, is the man who can get whatever you need or want illegal, immoral or otherwise questionable. Every situation has an angle to be worked. Good or bad. Even in a fight between the families and the mayor he finds a solution to the gang wars.

Autonomous zone. Interesting. Great Epilogue

Good story with a great cast of characters. Plenty of twists and turns, double dealing, action, suspense and unusual technology.

Joe Hemple does a really good job with the narration. This is the first time I have listened to anything he has narrated. Nice voice easy to listen to for long periods of time. Clearly spoken. Smooth even pace. Good character voices, even female characters. Perfect voice for narrating audiobooks.

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBoom.com

[Draciana Alonso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book. It's the third book of the series.

[Leslie Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book (the third in the series) was better than the second, and on par with the first, as far as how it held my attention. The plot was interesting, as was the main character. I sometimes get lost with the dialogue and start tuning out, but I got the overall gist. I listened to the Audible audio edition narrated by Joe Hempel. I think he does well with giving each character a unique voice, but I just got so tired of the street talk. That, and I listened to the first three books back-to-back, so I may have gotten a bit burned out on it. Overall, its an interesting book and if you're a fan of cyperpunk, you will enjoy the series.

[Norma · Rating 5 out of 5]

( Format : Audiobook )
"He ain't no saint ... We ain't no charity"
When I first received a complimentary copy of If(tribe)= to review, via Audiobook Boom, it was suggested to me that, if I had not already done so, it would be wise to read the earlier books in the series to fully gain the flavour the world in which this is set and the characters involved. So I purchased book one, Under the Amoral Bridge, listened and thoroughly enjoyed it (see my reviews for this and book two, The Know Circuit). So glad I did. I came to this story set in 2029 (where corporations have the political power, including policing, and also hold the financial purse strings in an otherwise bankrupt country) with an awareness of Bridge, the main protagonist, his loyalties and loves, and his ongoing relationship with the gang leader friend Stonewall and his philosopher bodyguard, Aristotle. All were, therefore, already living, three dimensional beings by the time i started on tbis book.
And what a fun book it is. Bridge retains his characteristic sarcastic wit despite the many life threatening situations in which he and his friends find themselves. But this time he is driven by more than self protection and expectation of financial gain. This time the fate of the five families and his whole way of life is at risk. But if he can also make some money from it - well, he is Bridge, the bridge, the fixer ...

The story is a glorious romp of explosions, fighting, verbal repartee, double dealings and even some techno magic. And Bridge's trademark iingenious solutions. He's not a conventionally nice man by any means but lovable? Oh, yes. Joe Hempel captures all of this to perfection. Evenly paced narration with distinctive individual voices in dialogue, he simply is Bridge, the man who "knows a guy" for any situation.
This book can be read/heard as a stand alone. There is sufficient background material worked into the story to make it comprehensible and enjoyable. But for the full immersion iinto the who, why and all round pleasure, start at the beginning with book one. A real treat for every fan of superfast action and ideas, with terrific characters acting on unexpected ideas in a good versus bad scenario (though sometimes it can be hard to tell which is which!). Brilliant.
Highly recommended

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read, I like the way most of the story arcs get wrapped up in this one.

[Ernst Vorndran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another cracking Cyberpunk read.