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The Widow's Tithe
Sasha Michaels has it all. She’s got the looks, some natural, some bought-and-paid for. She’s got the fame, with over one-hundred million Omniverse subscribers and a shot at breaking into the coveted Top 100. She’s got the wealth that comes with both. And she has the ultimate accessory, an even more famous husband. Alex Michaels is a HotDropper, a cybernetic corporate mercenary whose missions are streamed worldwide. But when Alex is killed on only his second mission, Sasha soon finds out that everything she thought she owned is now property of his paymasters, who invested hundreds of millions in him and intend to collect on the debt. Now she must serve as a rank-and-file trooper in the militia of the LifeWise corporation, until she pays off or she dies. Some people call it indentured service, but the troopers know it by a different name. They call it the Widow’s Tithe.
282 pages, Paperback
Published April 5, 2023
3 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 16, 2024
SPSFC3 Judge
Stars 4
My Rating 8.1
Dystopian, military science fiction where social media and power-hungry corporations can land you conscripted into private mercenary groups.
This story had an interesting concept with potential indebtedness to large media corporations that could land you conscripted into private militaries unable to ever pay off the enormous debts. Our main character ends up indebted in such a way, searching for a way to return to her "influencer" lifestyle, but uncovers deadly secrets and truths. It raises questions of technological power, who should control technology, the impact of social media on civilization, and where we are headed as a society. It was packed full of action, developments, and a surprising twist at the end that was satisfying, built up to, and still surprising. The plot came full circle at the end in an exciting way. The Matrix-esque skill packages, and the use of body mods and tech were woven well into the action.
I recommend this for anyone looking for a quick-paced dystopian military sci-fi story.
Stars 4
My Rating 8.1
Dystopian, military science fiction where social media and power-hungry corporations can land you conscripted into private mercenary groups.
This story had an interesting concept with potential indebtedness to large media corporations that could land you conscripted into private militaries unable to ever pay off the enormous debts. Our main character ends up indebted in such a way, searching for a way to return to her "influencer" lifestyle, but uncovers deadly secrets and truths. It raises questions of technological power, who should control technology, the impact of social media on civilization, and where we are headed as a society. It was packed full of action, developments, and a surprising twist at the end that was satisfying, built up to, and still surprising. The plot came full circle at the end in an exciting way. The Matrix-esque skill packages, and the use of body mods and tech were woven well into the action.
I recommend this for anyone looking for a quick-paced dystopian military sci-fi story.
December 8, 2023
DISCLAIMER - I received a free copy of this book to review for the 2023 Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC).
Let me start by saying that T. R. Peers has written a book with some unique ideas and situations. The book opens with the action presented as if you are in a television director’s chair watching a show get produced; title, zoom, close-up, slam-cut, action. Things quickly shift to a woman, Sasha, live streaming her bedroom sex scene to help her online streaming ratings. Shakespeare’s line, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players” comes to mind.
The plot centers around the fact that Sasha inherits her husband’s debt when he is killed and must serve in the private militia of the LifeWise corporation. There are a lot of different characters and greedy and corrupt companies, all striving to survive in a dystopian future.
As a child I watched Combat! a WWII TV drama broadcast in the early sixties. In between violent depictions of battles, the show focused on the backgrounds and stories of soldiers trying to survive their ordeal. The Widow’s Tithe is Combat! moved two hundred years in the future.
The science fiction part of this book centers around AI and mechanically augmented bodies. There are no aliens, spaceships, or believable science. Primarily this book is over three hundred and fifty pages of fighting, killing, and gore. I am sure the action is appealing to many but The Widow’s Tithe is definitely not my idea of quality science fiction.
Let me start by saying that T. R. Peers has written a book with some unique ideas and situations. The book opens with the action presented as if you are in a television director’s chair watching a show get produced; title, zoom, close-up, slam-cut, action. Things quickly shift to a woman, Sasha, live streaming her bedroom sex scene to help her online streaming ratings. Shakespeare’s line, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players” comes to mind.
The plot centers around the fact that Sasha inherits her husband’s debt when he is killed and must serve in the private militia of the LifeWise corporation. There are a lot of different characters and greedy and corrupt companies, all striving to survive in a dystopian future.
As a child I watched Combat! a WWII TV drama broadcast in the early sixties. In between violent depictions of battles, the show focused on the backgrounds and stories of soldiers trying to survive their ordeal. The Widow’s Tithe is Combat! moved two hundred years in the future.
The science fiction part of this book centers around AI and mechanically augmented bodies. There are no aliens, spaceships, or believable science. Primarily this book is over three hundred and fifty pages of fighting, killing, and gore. I am sure the action is appealing to many but The Widow’s Tithe is definitely not my idea of quality science fiction.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews