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Drop Trooper: Recon #1
Recon: A Military Sci-Fi Series
Tyler Callas had a life most people would kill for... He killed to escape it.
Tyler is the pampered heir of a high-level Corporate Council executive, groomed from birth to take a seat beside her as a member of the ruling class of the Commonwealth society.
But the bloody war with the alien Tahni has hit close to home and Tyler wants to join the military, something his powerful mother won’t allow.
Desperate to escape her control, Tyler changes his identity to Randall Munroe, a product of the poverty-stricken Underground, and enlists in the Marines.
There he flourishes, becoming a member of an elite Force Recon unit and striking deep behind enemy lines.
But when his platoon is assigned to take back the colony on Demeter from the Tahni, the mission falls apart, most of his comrades are killed and Munroe is wounded, separated from his unit and left for dead on an enemy occupied world.
With no other choice, he organizes the civilian colonists into a resistance movement and begins fighting against the occupation with limited supplies and no support.
As the situation becomes more and more desperate, what began as a high-tech, interstellar conflict will become a war to the knife…
Tyler is the pampered heir of a high-level Corporate Council executive, groomed from birth to take a seat beside her as a member of the ruling class of the Commonwealth society.
But the bloody war with the alien Tahni has hit close to home and Tyler wants to join the military, something his powerful mother won’t allow.
Desperate to escape her control, Tyler changes his identity to Randall Munroe, a product of the poverty-stricken Underground, and enlists in the Marines.
There he flourishes, becoming a member of an elite Force Recon unit and striking deep behind enemy lines.
But when his platoon is assigned to take back the colony on Demeter from the Tahni, the mission falls apart, most of his comrades are killed and Munroe is wounded, separated from his unit and left for dead on an enemy occupied world.
With no other choice, he organizes the civilian colonists into a resistance movement and begins fighting against the occupation with limited supplies and no support.
As the situation becomes more and more desperate, what began as a high-tech, interstellar conflict will become a war to the knife…
- GenresScience Fiction
Kindle Edition
Published February 1, 2023
258 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Rick Partlow
212 books373 followersRick Partlow is that rarest of species, a native Floridian. Born in Tampa, he attended Florida Southern College and graduated with a degree in History and a commission in the US Army as an Infantry officer.
His lifelong love of science fiction began with Have Space Suit---Will Travel and the other Heinlein juveniles and traveled through Clifford Simak, Asimov, Clarke and on to William Gibson, Walter Jon Williams and Peter F Hamilton. And somewhere, submerged in the worlds of others, Rick began to create his own worlds.
He has written over 70 books in over a dozen different series, and his short stories have been included in many different anthologies.
He currently lives in norther Wyoming with his wife and their dog. Besides writing and reading science fiction and fantasy, he enjoys outdoor photography, hiking and camping.
His lifelong love of science fiction began with Have Space Suit---Will Travel and the other Heinlein juveniles and traveled through Clifford Simak, Asimov, Clarke and on to William Gibson, Walter Jon Williams and Peter F Hamilton. And somewhere, submerged in the worlds of others, Rick began to create his own worlds.
He has written over 70 books in over a dozen different series, and his short stories have been included in many different anthologies.
He currently lives in norther Wyoming with his wife and their dog. Besides writing and reading science fiction and fantasy, he enjoys outdoor photography, hiking and camping.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 21, 2023
A Military Space Opera
If you love shoot ‘em up blood and gore drama in an Interstellar setting you should love this story. The alien opponents seem to be available mainly to provide handy targets for the action. I’m not a fan of extreme violence for no apparent reason; preferring stories focused on imagination and exploration for my sci-fi reading.
If you love shoot ‘em up blood and gore drama in an Interstellar setting you should love this story. The alien opponents seem to be available mainly to provide handy targets for the action. I’m not a fan of extreme violence for no apparent reason; preferring stories focused on imagination and exploration for my sci-fi reading.
March 25, 2023
Military sci-fi🚀💫 action🐺💪🗡🔫💥!
I got this e-book from amazon📚 with kindle unlimited.
This book is part of a series and should be read in order.
On to book 2!
I got this e-book from amazon📚 with kindle unlimited.
This book is part of a series and should be read in order.
On to book 2!
June 22, 2023
I guess if you have a good pattern for a book then why not use it again. This book reads a lot like some of the other Rick Partlow books. The main character in this one is a very rich kid that isn’t happy with his life because it’s being managed very strictly by his mother. She is a very overbearing, extremely rich executive that owns or believe she owns everybody and everything, including her son. Tyler Callas is the son and he certainly wishes he was someone else entirely. His only link to anyone he feels knows what the real world is like is his Grandfather or Gramps for shore.
He had long talks with his Gramps about what it was like before the corporations took over everything and especially about the First Tahni War. People now lived in huge cities and since the Sino-Russian War nobody lived outside the cities. Yet, Gramps took young Tyler on camping trips as often as he could. During these trips, they’d talk about Gramp’s time with the Marines. Gramps would show him how to survive in the woods and some of the techniques he was taught while in the Marines. It wasn’t long before Tyler came to conclusion that he wanted to attend the Academy and become a Marine Officer. He felt it was his duty to do so since the Second Tahni War was just beginning. He also found out from his mom that she and her corporate friends had been manipulating this whole war and peace thing since they saw a profit in the war. The Common Wealth could have and should have stopped the Tahni completely at the end of the First Tahni War, but they didn’t.
Of course Tyler’s mom was dead-set against Tyler having anything to do with the military. He was going to the University to study business and finances and some day replace her as a corporate executive and possibly sit on the Corporate Council. That was her plan and it was one Tyler absolutely didn’t want to happen. But there wasn’t much he could do about it until he had one final meeting with his Gramps.
They had to meet on the outskirts of the city at an abandoned gas station. Tyler told his Gramps of his dilemma, but Gramps wasn’t sure he should help Tyler go against his daughter’s (Tyler’s mom) wishes. That is until the mother’s bodyguard showed up with the intent to kill Gramps and stop all his ridiculous talk of the Marines or any military career for Tyler. Tyler wasn’t going to let that happen and when the bodyguard pulled his gun, Tyler jump in front of his Gramps and wrestled the with the guy. The guy went off between the two and then Tyler realized he has just killed someone.
So here’s where the story takes off. Gramps knows people. He got Tyler fixed up with a guy that can change DNA markers and also do facial remodeling that could make Tyler into a entirely different person, if not permanently, at least long enough for Tyler to join the Marines. Tyler did just that although his name was now Randall Munroe. He managed to get through Marine boot camp without much trouble thanks to his prior knowledge given to him by his Gramps. After that he also found out that he was going to Marine Force Recon. This was something unusual since they picked the cream of the crop for this elite force. He reported to his new unit and it wasn’t long before his background story was not accepted by his new CO. But, the CO didn’t care where Munroe came from as long as he was a good Recon Marine!
Now we start reading about the missions this young Recon Marine will go on and the things he has to do to survive. It’s a very interesting story although similar to some of the other Marine stories Mr. Partlow writes about in his other Drop Trooper books. While I like the story, it’s kind of easy to figure out where things are going but this one seems to move pretty fast. It’s not long until now Sergeant Munroe is involved in the invasion of the Tahni homeworld. You would know from previous books that the humans did quite well against the Tahni even thought they were larger and stronger. They still had some religious hang-ups that put them at a disadvantage that the humans were quick to exploit. So, it’s know of interesting that this Second Tahni War ends at the end of this book.
I’m not sure where this story will go now, but I do know that Mr. Partlow has written several books with characters going far beyond their Tahni war experiences. Some even had former Tahni warriors working with them as they did other thing. We’ll just have to read book 2, “The Hunter”, which is on my reading list right now.
He had long talks with his Gramps about what it was like before the corporations took over everything and especially about the First Tahni War. People now lived in huge cities and since the Sino-Russian War nobody lived outside the cities. Yet, Gramps took young Tyler on camping trips as often as he could. During these trips, they’d talk about Gramp’s time with the Marines. Gramps would show him how to survive in the woods and some of the techniques he was taught while in the Marines. It wasn’t long before Tyler came to conclusion that he wanted to attend the Academy and become a Marine Officer. He felt it was his duty to do so since the Second Tahni War was just beginning. He also found out from his mom that she and her corporate friends had been manipulating this whole war and peace thing since they saw a profit in the war. The Common Wealth could have and should have stopped the Tahni completely at the end of the First Tahni War, but they didn’t.
Of course Tyler’s mom was dead-set against Tyler having anything to do with the military. He was going to the University to study business and finances and some day replace her as a corporate executive and possibly sit on the Corporate Council. That was her plan and it was one Tyler absolutely didn’t want to happen. But there wasn’t much he could do about it until he had one final meeting with his Gramps.
They had to meet on the outskirts of the city at an abandoned gas station. Tyler told his Gramps of his dilemma, but Gramps wasn’t sure he should help Tyler go against his daughter’s (Tyler’s mom) wishes. That is until the mother’s bodyguard showed up with the intent to kill Gramps and stop all his ridiculous talk of the Marines or any military career for Tyler. Tyler wasn’t going to let that happen and when the bodyguard pulled his gun, Tyler jump in front of his Gramps and wrestled the with the guy. The guy went off between the two and then Tyler realized he has just killed someone.
So here’s where the story takes off. Gramps knows people. He got Tyler fixed up with a guy that can change DNA markers and also do facial remodeling that could make Tyler into a entirely different person, if not permanently, at least long enough for Tyler to join the Marines. Tyler did just that although his name was now Randall Munroe. He managed to get through Marine boot camp without much trouble thanks to his prior knowledge given to him by his Gramps. After that he also found out that he was going to Marine Force Recon. This was something unusual since they picked the cream of the crop for this elite force. He reported to his new unit and it wasn’t long before his background story was not accepted by his new CO. But, the CO didn’t care where Munroe came from as long as he was a good Recon Marine!
Now we start reading about the missions this young Recon Marine will go on and the things he has to do to survive. It’s a very interesting story although similar to some of the other Marine stories Mr. Partlow writes about in his other Drop Trooper books. While I like the story, it’s kind of easy to figure out where things are going but this one seems to move pretty fast. It’s not long until now Sergeant Munroe is involved in the invasion of the Tahni homeworld. You would know from previous books that the humans did quite well against the Tahni even thought they were larger and stronger. They still had some religious hang-ups that put them at a disadvantage that the humans were quick to exploit. So, it’s know of interesting that this Second Tahni War ends at the end of this book.
I’m not sure where this story will go now, but I do know that Mr. Partlow has written several books with characters going far beyond their Tahni war experiences. Some even had former Tahni warriors working with them as they did other thing. We’ll just have to read book 2, “The Hunter”, which is on my reading list right now.
April 4, 2023
More military focus than sci-fi; intense battle scenes
For readers who love first-person shooter video games, military battle scenes, and a variety of deadly projectiles, this book should be quite satisfying. There are many graphic shootouts, infiltrations, explosions, and near-death, weapons-blazing fights with aliens in fancy exo-gear. There is a bit of relationship-building with a hint of romance, but lots and lots of humans die. There is some political machination by big corporations alluded to, not much exploration of the alien POV, and not much focus on space travel.
The protagonist has a somewhat believable character arc in how he gains his skills as a Marine. The inciting event that launches him on his journey is not resolved by the end of the book, which leaves the author the option of continuing this character’s story. Mostly the protagonist is fighting planet-side against alien soldiers and weaponry while trying to save human colonists.
The violence in this story is vividly described in terms of the damage inflicted on bodies by various types of weapons. It is not for the squeamish.
For readers who love first-person shooter video games, military battle scenes, and a variety of deadly projectiles, this book should be quite satisfying. There are many graphic shootouts, infiltrations, explosions, and near-death, weapons-blazing fights with aliens in fancy exo-gear. There is a bit of relationship-building with a hint of romance, but lots and lots of humans die. There is some political machination by big corporations alluded to, not much exploration of the alien POV, and not much focus on space travel.
The protagonist has a somewhat believable character arc in how he gains his skills as a Marine. The inciting event that launches him on his journey is not resolved by the end of the book, which leaves the author the option of continuing this character’s story. Mostly the protagonist is fighting planet-side against alien soldiers and weaponry while trying to save human colonists.
The violence in this story is vividly described in terms of the damage inflicted on bodies by various types of weapons. It is not for the squeamish.
March 13, 2023
Recon Marines! Munroe was his name now. He'd changed it to escape his mother's plans for his future. He'd also gotten his face changed and his DNA altered to keep her from finding him. He wanted to make a difference, his way. And a Recon Marine was what he wanted to be. And he was good at it! Real good! If only he can stay under his mother's wide-sweeping net.
The Tahni invasion had been pushed back and everyone thought they'd been defeated a d the war was over. Everyone except those in the systems where the Tahni were busy capturing planets and enslaving and starving the human population. The Marines were still called to fight back, and Recon spearheaded the thrust!
Great action! Lively characters! And a great storyline. This is a good read! Very entertaining.
The Tahni invasion had been pushed back and everyone thought they'd been defeated a d the war was over. Everyone except those in the systems where the Tahni were busy capturing planets and enslaving and starving the human population. The Marines were still called to fight back, and Recon spearheaded the thrust!
Great action! Lively characters! And a great storyline. This is a good read! Very entertaining.
February 27, 2023
Monroe Keeps a Promise!
Monroe is the name chosen to escape his mother’s plans for his future. Following in his grandfather’s footsteps, Monroe sees too much death and destruction, too many bad memories at too young an age. How can he return to a normal life? With maturity forced through combat, and a powerful mother seeking to return Monroe/Tyler to his planned future, he seeks to decompress with the one person who journeyed through his crucible, the woman he loves. Is that too much to ask? Great read with action, suspense and romance! A sci-fi junkie can’t ask for more!
Monroe is the name chosen to escape his mother’s plans for his future. Following in his grandfather’s footsteps, Monroe sees too much death and destruction, too many bad memories at too young an age. How can he return to a normal life? With maturity forced through combat, and a powerful mother seeking to return Monroe/Tyler to his planned future, he seeks to decompress with the one person who journeyed through his crucible, the woman he loves. Is that too much to ask? Great read with action, suspense and romance! A sci-fi junkie can’t ask for more!
March 22, 2023
Lots of action and fun characters
This book was filled with action and interesting and fun characters. Too bad the main characters great grandfather didn’t show up again, but maybe they will show up in future books. There was a lot of detailed environments and interesting dialogues between the characters. I really enjoyed this book and am glad to see there are at least three more books in the series. I recommend this book.
This book was filled with action and interesting and fun characters. Too bad the main characters great grandfather didn’t show up again, but maybe they will show up in future books. There was a lot of detailed environments and interesting dialogues between the characters. I really enjoyed this book and am glad to see there are at least three more books in the series. I recommend this book.
November 9, 2024
This book was an absolute joy to read. The story was engaging, with a plot that kept me guessing and characters that felt like old friends. The themes were handled with such nuance and care, adding depth to what could have been a straightforward narrative. The author’s writing style is so immersive that I lost track of time while reading. It’s one of those rare books that leaves you feeling both satisfied and wanting more.
November 9, 2024
This book had a fantastic premise, but the execution left me with mixed feelings. The world-building was impressive, creating a vivid backdrop for the story. However, the characters felt one-dimensional, and the dialogue was occasionally stilted. The pacing was off, with certain scenes dragging on longer than necessary. That said, the ending was well-done, wrapping up the story in a way that was both satisfying and thought-provoking.
February 23, 2023
Recon-mend
Outstanding drop trooper adventure in RECON. A wealthy young man’s decides to disobey his mother’s wishes for his life and the Corporate Life. He instead chooses to blend into the ranks of the Recon Marines and leave his wealthy life behind and to liberate the world held by aliens. Great! Try not to read pass midnight.
Outstanding drop trooper adventure in RECON. A wealthy young man’s decides to disobey his mother’s wishes for his life and the Corporate Life. He instead chooses to blend into the ranks of the Recon Marines and leave his wealthy life behind and to liberate the world held by aliens. Great! Try not to read pass midnight.
February 26, 2023
This was a pretty good story. I've read other things by this author, and those were pretty good too, so it's likely I'll find more stuff by this author I like as well. Definitely want to read more in this series though.
I can easily recommend this one especially if you're a scifi fan. Good stuff here.
I can easily recommend this one especially if you're a scifi fan. Good stuff here.
February 28, 2023
Semper Fi, brother!
We see Tyler as he has major changes in his life that even changes his name. The book doesn’t spend much time in his training to become a Recon Marine choosing instead to show us how he deals with the challenges of being at war for the majority of the book. The author has done a good job of showing the reader the world view changes he has along the way.
We see Tyler as he has major changes in his life that even changes his name. The book doesn’t spend much time in his training to become a Recon Marine choosing instead to show us how he deals with the challenges of being at war for the majority of the book. The author has done a good job of showing the reader the world view changes he has along the way.
July 24, 2023
Good Yarn
A good read. Boy grows up with everything,, a rich mother who had his DNA designed so there was very little of the father. His great grandfather is his best friend, takes him camping and teaches him a sense of worth.
Mom has his corporate future all planned out but he rebels.
A good read. Boy grows up with everything,, a rich mother who had his DNA designed so there was very little of the father. His great grandfather is his best friend, takes him camping and teaches him a sense of worth.
Mom has his corporate future all planned out but he rebels.
April 5, 2023
Excellent reading
Good action and character development. This book runs a good line between the action and characters without getting gory yet still giving a reader a sense of the violence and it's results. I enjoyed this book and will be following this series.
Good action and character development. This book runs a good line between the action and characters without getting gory yet still giving a reader a sense of the violence and it's results. I enjoyed this book and will be following this series.
May 25, 2023
good space marine sci-fi
Read a lot of space marine/military sci-fi and this one is a better one, Partlow knows how to spin this type of book with the best. Looking forward to the next in the series
Read a lot of space marine/military sci-fi and this one is a better one, Partlow knows how to spin this type of book with the best. Looking forward to the next in the series
September 9, 2023
Engaging!
Well written with a quick moving plot. The characters a rich and well developed, and there is enough world building to make everything seem realistic without being boring. Great stuff and well worth the read.
Well written with a quick moving plot. The characters a rich and well developed, and there is enough world building to make everything seem realistic without being boring. Great stuff and well worth the read.
December 19, 2023
The war with a different perspective.
Well scripted, authentic characters. Felt bad when some died. I enjoyed the story and various problems that cropped up. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
Well scripted, authentic characters. Felt bad when some died. I enjoyed the story and various problems that cropped up. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
November 9, 2024
This is an emotional rollercoaster in the best way possible! The story is both heartwarming and heartbreaking, with beautifully crafted characters. The writing flows effortlessly, making it a joy to read. I felt completely immersed in the world the author created. Highly recommended!
November 9, 2024
A decent read, but it took a while to get going. The story picked up in the second half, but the beginning was a bit slow. Some characters were well-written, while others felt flat. It had potential, but it didn’t fully deliver on it. Not bad, but not great either.
February 25, 2023
non stop action
If you are a fan of military sci-fi, that continues with non stop action, this is for you. Can’t wait for the follow up. Great plot and story lane
If you are a fan of military sci-fi, that continues with non stop action, this is for you. Can’t wait for the follow up. Great plot and story lane
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March 6, 2023Great reading ,
Positive review of a great start to a hopefully very readable and entertaining series. An excellent way to spend a rainy evening.
Positive review of a great start to a hopefully very readable and entertaining series. An excellent way to spend a rainy evening.
May 7, 2023
Exceptional!
Absolutely amazing book! It goes really well with the Glory Boys. The storyline kept me entranced through the entire book.
Absolutely amazing book! It goes really well with the Glory Boys. The storyline kept me entranced through the entire book.
November 13, 2024
Excellent
This book is as action packed and just as exciting as Rick Partlow's other books. Tyler is the son of one of the Corporate Council and instead of becoming a member of the Council he wants to go to the Academy irregardless of what his mom wants. If you like Rick Partlow's book you will like Recon: A Military Sci-Fi Series (Dro Trooper: Recon Book 1).
This book is as action packed and just as exciting as Rick Partlow's other books. Tyler is the son of one of the Corporate Council and instead of becoming a member of the Council he wants to go to the Academy irregardless of what his mom wants. If you like Rick Partlow's book you will like Recon: A Military Sci-Fi Series (Dro Trooper: Recon Book 1).
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews