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The Subterrene War #3
Chimera
Escaped Germline soldiers need to be cleaned up, and Stan Resnick is the best man for the job. A job that takes him to every dark spot and every rat hole he can find.
Operatives from China and Unified Korea are gathering escaped or stolen Russian and American genetics, and there are reports of new biological half-human things, bred to live their entire lives encased in powered armor suits.
Stan fights to keep himself alive and out of prison while he attempts to capture a genetic, one who will be able to tell him everything he needs to know about an newer threat, the one called "Project Sunshine."
Chimera is the third and final volume of The Subterrene War Trilogy, which tells the story of a single war from the perspective of three different combatants. The first two volumes, Germline and Exogene , are available now.
Operatives from China and Unified Korea are gathering escaped or stolen Russian and American genetics, and there are reports of new biological half-human things, bred to live their entire lives encased in powered armor suits.
Stan fights to keep himself alive and out of prison while he attempts to capture a genetic, one who will be able to tell him everything he needs to know about an newer threat, the one called "Project Sunshine."
Chimera is the third and final volume of The Subterrene War Trilogy, which tells the story of a single war from the perspective of three different combatants. The first two volumes, Germline and Exogene , are available now.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
6 people are currently reading
335 people want to read
About the author
T.C. McCarthy
21 books114 followersDr. Theodore C. McCarthy (“T.C.”) is an award winning and critically acclaimed southern author and technology development strategist. A former CIA weapons expert, T.C. is a recognized authority on the impact of technology on military strategy and is a regular speaker at USSOCOM (US Special Operations Command) and other commands on future warfare topics. Before embarking on a national security career, he earned a PhD in geology and bachelor’s degrees in environmental science and computer science – in addition to being a Fulbright Fellow and Howard Hughes Biomedical Research Fellow – and worked as a patent examiner in complex biotechnology and combinatorial chemistry.
T.C.’s short fiction, both literary and genre, has appeared in Per Contra: The International Journal of the Arts, Literature and Ideas, Story Quarterly, Nature, and multiple anthologies. His debut novels, Germline (the winner of the Compton Crook Award in 2012), and its sequels, Exogene and Chimera, explored current trends in weapons and biotechnology research, applying his insights to construct a near-future, peer-to-peer conflict where infantry combat is forced underground.
T.C.’s short fiction, both literary and genre, has appeared in Per Contra: The International Journal of the Arts, Literature and Ideas, Story Quarterly, Nature, and multiple anthologies. His debut novels, Germline (the winner of the Compton Crook Award in 2012), and its sequels, Exogene and Chimera, explored current trends in weapons and biotechnology research, applying his insights to construct a near-future, peer-to-peer conflict where infantry combat is forced underground.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
May 19, 2013
I started 'Chimera' with a mix of eagerness and sadness-- eagerness because T.C. McCarthy's 'Subterrene War' series has become a new favorite, sadness in knowing that this is the third and final book in the series. All 3 books -- Germline, Exogene & Chimera -- form a cohesive, symbiotic whole, pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly. These books are not easy reads, most certainly not light reads. Each book will repeatedly break your heart. The series is a ride through the highways and byways of pain, doubt, misery, loneliness, self-destruction. They are unsanitized tales of conflict and how pervasive it is, efficiently moving through the veins of everyone involved, directly or indirectly.
All books are first person narratives, each book with a different principal through whose eyes we glimpse the landscape of war. 'Germline' started off with Oscar Wendell, embedded journalist in the frontlines of the war for resources in Kazakhstan. We are introduced to the Germline units -- genetically engineered soldiers tasked with the dirty jobs, wholly dispensable with their built-in expiration date. 'Exogene' continues the story with Catherine, a Germline unit slowly evolving into something far beyond her creators' design. In 'Chimera', we meet Stan Resnick, a Special Forces soldier currently part of a cleanup crew that goes after escaped germline units.
Through Stan's eyes, we get a firsthand look at the frontlines-- the tactics, the weapons, the terrain, the violent skirmishes, the evolved Germline units. When he goes home for a brief hiatus between missions, we learn of what it's like away from the frontlines. Everyone is monitored and everything is highly regulated. The authorities reduce all to statistics and usurp people's right to make choices. There is neither privacy nor autonomy even in one's own home. For the new mission, Stan has a new partner, Jihoon, who provides a good counterpoint. Whereas Stan is a seasoned veteran, Jihoon is on his first mission, still very green, very eager, and very unprepared for what awaits him on the frontlines. Through their interaction, we are watching a soldier's transformation, a sort of before and after tableau. Jihoon is the picture of a soldier yet untouched by war while Stan is what a soldier becomes after war has gotten a tight grip on him.
Reports of Chinese and Korean operatives scavenging germline units for some unknown purpose alarm U.S. authorities. More troubling are rumors of their creation of new genetics -- human-mechanical hybrid constructs. This is Stan's new mission which takes him into Thailand, a country embroiled in a conflict with the Chinese. The Thai line is being held by Germline units led by Margaret whom we first met in 'Exogene'. Since we last met her, Margaret has become both tactical and religious leader to the genetics. Stan must find Margaret to obtain information on the whereabouts of a scientist, Dr. Chen, who may unlock the mystery of the new genetic hybrids. This is not an easy mission for Stan. His wartime experiences and his years of hunting down genetics engendered a deep hatred of them in Stan. He'd sooner kill them than talk to them, much less work with them.
A soldier for twenty years, Stan has seen more than his share of wars, his body and mind riddled with scars. He's a survivor, a creature of marked resilience. He endures not necessarily due to a heroic nature but more to wave both middle fingers at death. He doesn't relish living but he'll be damned if he gets killed in some stupid way or as a pawn of some self-serving bureaucrat.
Stan has spent more time on the frontlines than at home. He is more comfortable in his combat suit in the jungle than he is in the sanitized house he shares with his wife with its automated regulatory systems. His war experience colors the way he sees everything. It upends what is conventionally perceived as normal or real. East is west, up is down, peace is uncomfortable, war is familiar. What Stan has seen, he cannot unsee. There are places you cannot leave behind regardless of how far you run. It is inside you, part of you.
"Being shown the truth like that was like having a one-way ticket to Mars, and once you stepped on board, there wasn't a return flight to the real world."
Perhaps nobody gets to go home again really. Oscar is forever changed, Catherine has evolved far beyond her programming, Stan can imagine no life beyond the jungle. Without giving it away, I'll say that 'Chimera' provides a fitting end to 'The Subterrene War' series. Stan resolves his personal dilemma in the only real way he could. He is finally able to acknowledge and accept the man he's become. Further, without need of a future installment, we get a strong sense from the ending of what will likely happen to McCarthy's world as a result of what was begun in 'Germline'.
I think T.C. McCarthy has a philosopher's soul, a scientist's mind and a storyteller's heart. I won't presume to tell you what McCarthy wanted to say with this series but my personal takeaway is this: War extends far beyond the battlefields. It is a state of mind from which there can be no escaping. The consequences of any given action can potentially grow exponentially, wholly unpredictable and irreversible after set in motion. The best laid plans almost always turn to sh**.
All books are first person narratives, each book with a different principal through whose eyes we glimpse the landscape of war. 'Germline' started off with Oscar Wendell, embedded journalist in the frontlines of the war for resources in Kazakhstan. We are introduced to the Germline units -- genetically engineered soldiers tasked with the dirty jobs, wholly dispensable with their built-in expiration date. 'Exogene' continues the story with Catherine, a Germline unit slowly evolving into something far beyond her creators' design. In 'Chimera', we meet Stan Resnick, a Special Forces soldier currently part of a cleanup crew that goes after escaped germline units.
Through Stan's eyes, we get a firsthand look at the frontlines-- the tactics, the weapons, the terrain, the violent skirmishes, the evolved Germline units. When he goes home for a brief hiatus between missions, we learn of what it's like away from the frontlines. Everyone is monitored and everything is highly regulated. The authorities reduce all to statistics and usurp people's right to make choices. There is neither privacy nor autonomy even in one's own home. For the new mission, Stan has a new partner, Jihoon, who provides a good counterpoint. Whereas Stan is a seasoned veteran, Jihoon is on his first mission, still very green, very eager, and very unprepared for what awaits him on the frontlines. Through their interaction, we are watching a soldier's transformation, a sort of before and after tableau. Jihoon is the picture of a soldier yet untouched by war while Stan is what a soldier becomes after war has gotten a tight grip on him.
Reports of Chinese and Korean operatives scavenging germline units for some unknown purpose alarm U.S. authorities. More troubling are rumors of their creation of new genetics -- human-mechanical hybrid constructs. This is Stan's new mission which takes him into Thailand, a country embroiled in a conflict with the Chinese. The Thai line is being held by Germline units led by Margaret whom we first met in 'Exogene'. Since we last met her, Margaret has become both tactical and religious leader to the genetics. Stan must find Margaret to obtain information on the whereabouts of a scientist, Dr. Chen, who may unlock the mystery of the new genetic hybrids. This is not an easy mission for Stan. His wartime experiences and his years of hunting down genetics engendered a deep hatred of them in Stan. He'd sooner kill them than talk to them, much less work with them.
A soldier for twenty years, Stan has seen more than his share of wars, his body and mind riddled with scars. He's a survivor, a creature of marked resilience. He endures not necessarily due to a heroic nature but more to wave both middle fingers at death. He doesn't relish living but he'll be damned if he gets killed in some stupid way or as a pawn of some self-serving bureaucrat.
Stan has spent more time on the frontlines than at home. He is more comfortable in his combat suit in the jungle than he is in the sanitized house he shares with his wife with its automated regulatory systems. His war experience colors the way he sees everything. It upends what is conventionally perceived as normal or real. East is west, up is down, peace is uncomfortable, war is familiar. What Stan has seen, he cannot unsee. There are places you cannot leave behind regardless of how far you run. It is inside you, part of you.
"Being shown the truth like that was like having a one-way ticket to Mars, and once you stepped on board, there wasn't a return flight to the real world."
Perhaps nobody gets to go home again really. Oscar is forever changed, Catherine has evolved far beyond her programming, Stan can imagine no life beyond the jungle. Without giving it away, I'll say that 'Chimera' provides a fitting end to 'The Subterrene War' series. Stan resolves his personal dilemma in the only real way he could. He is finally able to acknowledge and accept the man he's become. Further, without need of a future installment, we get a strong sense from the ending of what will likely happen to McCarthy's world as a result of what was begun in 'Germline'.
I think T.C. McCarthy has a philosopher's soul, a scientist's mind and a storyteller's heart. I won't presume to tell you what McCarthy wanted to say with this series but my personal takeaway is this: War extends far beyond the battlefields. It is a state of mind from which there can be no escaping. The consequences of any given action can potentially grow exponentially, wholly unpredictable and irreversible after set in motion. The best laid plans almost always turn to sh**.
October 4, 2012
“A fast paced, gripping novel that delivers an explosive, satisfying conclusion to Tc McCarthy’s Subterrene War Trilogy. Amazing stuff.” ~The Founding Fields
The Subterrene War Trilogy’s opener, Germline, if I remember correctly, was one of the first few novels that I received for review outside of tie-in fiction and it’s been a fantastic ride right the way through. Exogene was a stunning follow up that didn’t let me down, and now – having read Chimera in a super quick time, having not being able to put it down, I am pleased to say that Tc McCarthy has written three brilliant novels that will leave me eagerly anticipating any future works by him, whether it be in his already established universe or in a new setting. Although it may not be a perfect read, it sure as hell is a entertaining one, and something that I haven’t heard any negative reception for from the whole trilogy, which is a great achievement especially as it’s Tc McCarthy’s debut trilogy.
"Escaped Germline soldiers need to be cleaned up, and Stan Resnick is the best man for the job. A job that takes him to every dark spot and every rat hole he can find.
Operatives from China and Unified Korea are gathering escaped or stolen Russian and American genetics, and there are reports of new biological nightmares: half-human things, bred to live their entire lives encased in powered armor suits.
Stan fights to keep himself alive and out of prison while he attempts to capture a genetic, one who will be able to tell him everything he needs to know about an newer threat, the one called “Project Sunshine.”
Chimera is the third and final volume of The Subterrene War Trilogy, which tells the story of a single war from the perspective of three different combatants. The first two volumes, GERMLINE and EXOGENE, are available now."
Chimera, despite being in the same universe as Germline and Exogene, and even featuring a character from Exogene, manages to feel just as new and refreshing as Exogene did to Germline. We’ve had three characters to guide us on our tale over the course of the trilogy, and they’ve each been entirely different. First, Germline gave us Oscar Wendell, a war journalist. Then we got a view into the Germline soldiers themselves, with Catherine, and finally - Chimera has given us Stan Resnick, another male protagonist, but shares more in common with Catherine than Oscar. He’s a hunter of escaped Germline soldiers, and it’s interesting to see how he develops over the course of the novel. Having a novel told only from the first person perspective of one character, it’s always going to be a bit of a risk – if the reader doesn’t enjoy the narrative, then chances are, they’re not going to like the novel. But Tc McCarthy has improved on his first-person narrative over the course of the trilogy, and delivers an astounding conclusion to The Subterrene War.
Read the full Review: http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/10/...
The Subterrene War Trilogy’s opener, Germline, if I remember correctly, was one of the first few novels that I received for review outside of tie-in fiction and it’s been a fantastic ride right the way through. Exogene was a stunning follow up that didn’t let me down, and now – having read Chimera in a super quick time, having not being able to put it down, I am pleased to say that Tc McCarthy has written three brilliant novels that will leave me eagerly anticipating any future works by him, whether it be in his already established universe or in a new setting. Although it may not be a perfect read, it sure as hell is a entertaining one, and something that I haven’t heard any negative reception for from the whole trilogy, which is a great achievement especially as it’s Tc McCarthy’s debut trilogy.
"Escaped Germline soldiers need to be cleaned up, and Stan Resnick is the best man for the job. A job that takes him to every dark spot and every rat hole he can find.
Operatives from China and Unified Korea are gathering escaped or stolen Russian and American genetics, and there are reports of new biological nightmares: half-human things, bred to live their entire lives encased in powered armor suits.
Stan fights to keep himself alive and out of prison while he attempts to capture a genetic, one who will be able to tell him everything he needs to know about an newer threat, the one called “Project Sunshine.”
Chimera is the third and final volume of The Subterrene War Trilogy, which tells the story of a single war from the perspective of three different combatants. The first two volumes, GERMLINE and EXOGENE, are available now."
Chimera, despite being in the same universe as Germline and Exogene, and even featuring a character from Exogene, manages to feel just as new and refreshing as Exogene did to Germline. We’ve had three characters to guide us on our tale over the course of the trilogy, and they’ve each been entirely different. First, Germline gave us Oscar Wendell, a war journalist. Then we got a view into the Germline soldiers themselves, with Catherine, and finally - Chimera has given us Stan Resnick, another male protagonist, but shares more in common with Catherine than Oscar. He’s a hunter of escaped Germline soldiers, and it’s interesting to see how he develops over the course of the novel. Having a novel told only from the first person perspective of one character, it’s always going to be a bit of a risk – if the reader doesn’t enjoy the narrative, then chances are, they’re not going to like the novel. But Tc McCarthy has improved on his first-person narrative over the course of the trilogy, and delivers an astounding conclusion to The Subterrene War.
Read the full Review: http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/10/...
August 16, 2012
The final book of the the subterrene war trilogy and another gritty read. The war in Kazakhstan is over, Stan Resnick a veteren soldier is employed by special operations to hunt and kill escaped germline soldiers and harbours an intense hatred for the non human's.
Margaret is one of the germlines to escape from the war to Thailand, where the spoiling process is reversed and in return she and the other germlines swear allegiance to the king of Thailand.
Margaret is revered by all the germlines as there leader both spiritually and their commander in battle. Stan's mission is to hunt this Germline, he needs to obtain her cooperation in his hunt for Dr. Chen a renegade genetic scientist.
The Thai germlines are engaged in jungle warfare with the Chinese to stop an invasion also dealing with the genetic abominations that the Chinese have produced and Stan has to get in the thick of all the action.
The final jungle setting brings back memories of Hollywood Vietnam movies, coupled with the authors vivid world building and technical advancements makes for another fantastic read.
Stan is another intense character who is so psychologically damaged that he is not safe back in civilian population and realises that he can never return to a 'normal' life, yet one of his primary goals is to secure the future of his wife's son from an affair to give him a life where the choices are his own. His hatred and prejudices at the battlefront are questioned and his own allegiances turn during his confrontation with Magaret and the other germline's - a roller coaster ride of violence and emotions see Stan finally embark on a path more befitting.
A fitting end to the trilogy and I look forward to more from the author, maybe even a welcome return to the subterrene world.
Margaret is one of the germlines to escape from the war to Thailand, where the spoiling process is reversed and in return she and the other germlines swear allegiance to the king of Thailand.
Margaret is revered by all the germlines as there leader both spiritually and their commander in battle. Stan's mission is to hunt this Germline, he needs to obtain her cooperation in his hunt for Dr. Chen a renegade genetic scientist.
The Thai germlines are engaged in jungle warfare with the Chinese to stop an invasion also dealing with the genetic abominations that the Chinese have produced and Stan has to get in the thick of all the action.
The final jungle setting brings back memories of Hollywood Vietnam movies, coupled with the authors vivid world building and technical advancements makes for another fantastic read.
Stan is another intense character who is so psychologically damaged that he is not safe back in civilian population and realises that he can never return to a 'normal' life, yet one of his primary goals is to secure the future of his wife's son from an affair to give him a life where the choices are his own. His hatred and prejudices at the battlefront are questioned and his own allegiances turn during his confrontation with Magaret and the other germline's - a roller coaster ride of violence and emotions see Stan finally embark on a path more befitting.
A fitting end to the trilogy and I look forward to more from the author, maybe even a welcome return to the subterrene world.
July 3, 2022
Theo McCathy keeps the level high even with third part of the Subterrene War saga. Despite war stories aren't my forté this one kept me eagerly leafing through the book till the end.
The main character is not somebody you would like to have as neighbour. He drinks too much, smokes too much, doesn't care a lot about anything anymore but the way author lets you to see into his mind makes you like the guy and care about him even though he doesn't. I had mixed feelings about his hate for "satos"(the germline units) for reading the previous part in which you travel with one of them - Margareth - who's also another main character of the story although you meet her just briefly to the end of the story. It all reminded me of Apocalypse Now so much and likely it was source of inspiration for the author. No harm done. The story is rich, keeps quick pace and doesn't bore you even for a while.
Despite the fact I prefer space-oriented sci-fi and cyberpunk, this is solid 5/5. Just go and read it, you won't regret.
The main character is not somebody you would like to have as neighbour. He drinks too much, smokes too much, doesn't care a lot about anything anymore but the way author lets you to see into his mind makes you like the guy and care about him even though he doesn't. I had mixed feelings about his hate for "satos"(the germline units) for reading the previous part in which you travel with one of them - Margareth - who's also another main character of the story although you meet her just briefly to the end of the story. It all reminded me of Apocalypse Now so much and likely it was source of inspiration for the author. No harm done. The story is rich, keeps quick pace and doesn't bore you even for a while.
Despite the fact I prefer space-oriented sci-fi and cyberpunk, this is solid 5/5. Just go and read it, you won't regret.
May 8, 2015
I can't believe this is the last book in the series! This was a hell of a ride.
December 17, 2022
Not nearly as good as the first book, but about on par with the second one. I liked Stan and felt bad for him as he tried to figure out what he was supposed to do once his missions were over and he didn't have a purpose anymore. I still enjoyed the series, but the first book is by far the best one, there was just something special about it and that wasn't here in this book. Overall 3.5 out of 5 stars. The series overall is about a 4 out of 5 stars.
October 22, 2022
Not as good as the first book in the series but way better than the second book. But don't try reading one then three, there is context in two that is needed for three to make sense.
November 3, 2025
Dobre zakończenie serii.
November 30, 2012
I finished this book a few months ago, but have been sitting on this review because I have such mixed feelings about it. I settled on 4 stars because it is written just as well as the other books in the series, but where this one fell short for me was in the likability of the main character.
Stan Resnick is a Special Forces operative in a war that has brought Big Brother out into the open across the world as nations fight tooth and nail for the last natural resources and best military technology. After his wife gives him one of the rawest of deals, all he has left is his job as a mercenary out in the jungle, where Big Brother can't watch his every move. His best friend is the A.I. in his specially designed suit and the guy he has to work with is a product of Big Brother.
The action and in-your-face brutality is as top-notch as the first two books, and has some unforgettable futuristic battle scenarios (jungle battles with flame throwers vs. invisible, metallic dogs anyone?). The series has built up showing us more about the abilities of these advanced soldiers, and T.C. doesn't disappoint in showing the ferocity and stealthiness of the chimeras. I was a little disappointed in the ending not having a more full-scale war, but that isn't what this story is about, nor is this the end of T.C.'s stories in this world.
T.C. has a tremendous gift in writing a cohesive character arc that builds toward a powerful ending. The raw deal that happens to him at the beginning of the story involves an innocent boy. Stan's character arc is of a man who just wants to get lost in the jungle and hunt the abominable genetics, but when he realizes that forsaking his mission could ruin that innocent boy's life, he has to put his needs second before he loses his mind. I really liked this about him. My likability concern was that during the story he makes a lot of despicable and selfish decisions, and those were hard to root for him through. Yes you're reading in hopes of him making the right decision in the end, but it takes a while and wasn't always something I had to read. The other two books had flawed characters, but they were more engaging (maybe because they were less selfish). I liked how this story explored life in the U.S., and really opened up the consequences of this war on non-military people. This aspect of the story was well-placed because of the added burden it placed on Stan to fight for others.
T.C.'s first book, Germline, was one of the best books, if not the best, I've ever read, so to say that I didn't like this one as much isn't really very critical. Reading other people's reviews and seeing them say this book was their favorite shows that you have a very talented writer who tells three different stories through three different people, but who are all linked to this war and their inability to escape the addiction that war created in them. The philosophical depth to their turmoil is also relevant enough to make their journeys life changing for ordinary people who prefer reading about future wars than having to suffer through the realities that would kill them before sunset. In the case of T.C.'s Subterrene War series, I felt every cut and tear. I loved being able to experience that without having to endure the permanence of their scars.
Stan Resnick is a Special Forces operative in a war that has brought Big Brother out into the open across the world as nations fight tooth and nail for the last natural resources and best military technology. After his wife gives him one of the rawest of deals, all he has left is his job as a mercenary out in the jungle, where Big Brother can't watch his every move. His best friend is the A.I. in his specially designed suit and the guy he has to work with is a product of Big Brother.
The action and in-your-face brutality is as top-notch as the first two books, and has some unforgettable futuristic battle scenarios (jungle battles with flame throwers vs. invisible, metallic dogs anyone?). The series has built up showing us more about the abilities of these advanced soldiers, and T.C. doesn't disappoint in showing the ferocity and stealthiness of the chimeras. I was a little disappointed in the ending not having a more full-scale war, but that isn't what this story is about, nor is this the end of T.C.'s stories in this world.
T.C. has a tremendous gift in writing a cohesive character arc that builds toward a powerful ending. The raw deal that happens to him at the beginning of the story involves an innocent boy. Stan's character arc is of a man who just wants to get lost in the jungle and hunt the abominable genetics, but when he realizes that forsaking his mission could ruin that innocent boy's life, he has to put his needs second before he loses his mind. I really liked this about him. My likability concern was that during the story he makes a lot of despicable and selfish decisions, and those were hard to root for him through. Yes you're reading in hopes of him making the right decision in the end, but it takes a while and wasn't always something I had to read. The other two books had flawed characters, but they were more engaging (maybe because they were less selfish). I liked how this story explored life in the U.S., and really opened up the consequences of this war on non-military people. This aspect of the story was well-placed because of the added burden it placed on Stan to fight for others.
T.C.'s first book, Germline, was one of the best books, if not the best, I've ever read, so to say that I didn't like this one as much isn't really very critical. Reading other people's reviews and seeing them say this book was their favorite shows that you have a very talented writer who tells three different stories through three different people, but who are all linked to this war and their inability to escape the addiction that war created in them. The philosophical depth to their turmoil is also relevant enough to make their journeys life changing for ordinary people who prefer reading about future wars than having to suffer through the realities that would kill them before sunset. In the case of T.C.'s Subterrene War series, I felt every cut and tear. I loved being able to experience that without having to endure the permanence of their scars.
September 19, 2012
Chimera is the kind of book that reminds me why I love reading. It didn't change my life or make me think new and amazing things (hence the 4 vs. 5 stars), but it was a legitimately enjoyable ride from beginning to end. I suspect that virtually anyone who likes military science fiction set in distopian worlds will really enjoy it.
The plot is beautifully paced and quite engaging. Stan Resnick (code named Bug)'s job is cleaning up satos – teenaged girls genetically engineered to be perfect warriors. It's pretty much all he knows how to do, as evidenced by repeated failures to deal with civilian life. (Which are drawn out in a way that makes you feel genuinely sympathetic to him, while leaving virtually no doubt as to why his wife would leave him as soon as she got the chance.) At some point, he's called onto a new mission – to follow around Jihoon, a previously office bound intelligence analyst – to figure out what would cause the Koreans to break a treaty against genetic research with a mysterious project code named “Sunshine”. Their adventures take them about the globe and eventually ally them with the most unlikely of people – a group of satos set on a holy crusade that is intertwined with Sunshine and more grotesque experiments on the part of the Chinese. This may not inherently sound all that exciting – but the plot had me riveted, with unexpected twists and turns and enough tension that I found myself repeatedly saying, “Just one more chapter before I go to sleep...”
More than the plot, though, I legitimately liked the characters. Bug was utterly believable as a cold, jaded killer who hopes for more...yet sort of realizes that he's almost as perfect a killing machine as the girls he hunts. Despite in many ways being an abhorrent character, he's sympathetic, with hints as to how he became the monster he is. (And this is hard to do – so many writers tackling a similar character would make them utterly unsympathetic or some sort of emo pity case. This didn't happen here, which I suspect is very hard to do, considering how many times I've seen similar characters fail.) His partner, Jihoon, is also delightfully fleshed out, as a weasly bureaucrat who is in waaay over his head. (Although I might have liked more insight as to his motives and desires, as he struck me as an interesting character who never got the time to fully bloom.)
The world is also well fleshed out, with technologies that feel utterly plausible and a totalitarian government that felt believable. While it's not really new ground (apocalyptic, totalitarian worlds with genetically engineered monstrosities isn't exactly an idea that's never been considered in science fiction), the degree of detail and the realism of the details differentiated Chimera from a lot of books that had me rolling my eyes with their bad technology or world building.
So my over all review is that I really liked this book. (Enough that I bought the earlier two in the series and would highly recommend it to anyone who likes this sort of novel.) It's intelligent, realistic, gruesome and a highly enjoyable read that's hard to put down from beginning to end.
The plot is beautifully paced and quite engaging. Stan Resnick (code named Bug)'s job is cleaning up satos – teenaged girls genetically engineered to be perfect warriors. It's pretty much all he knows how to do, as evidenced by repeated failures to deal with civilian life. (Which are drawn out in a way that makes you feel genuinely sympathetic to him, while leaving virtually no doubt as to why his wife would leave him as soon as she got the chance.) At some point, he's called onto a new mission – to follow around Jihoon, a previously office bound intelligence analyst – to figure out what would cause the Koreans to break a treaty against genetic research with a mysterious project code named “Sunshine”. Their adventures take them about the globe and eventually ally them with the most unlikely of people – a group of satos set on a holy crusade that is intertwined with Sunshine and more grotesque experiments on the part of the Chinese. This may not inherently sound all that exciting – but the plot had me riveted, with unexpected twists and turns and enough tension that I found myself repeatedly saying, “Just one more chapter before I go to sleep...”
More than the plot, though, I legitimately liked the characters. Bug was utterly believable as a cold, jaded killer who hopes for more...yet sort of realizes that he's almost as perfect a killing machine as the girls he hunts. Despite in many ways being an abhorrent character, he's sympathetic, with hints as to how he became the monster he is. (And this is hard to do – so many writers tackling a similar character would make them utterly unsympathetic or some sort of emo pity case. This didn't happen here, which I suspect is very hard to do, considering how many times I've seen similar characters fail.) His partner, Jihoon, is also delightfully fleshed out, as a weasly bureaucrat who is in waaay over his head. (Although I might have liked more insight as to his motives and desires, as he struck me as an interesting character who never got the time to fully bloom.)
The world is also well fleshed out, with technologies that feel utterly plausible and a totalitarian government that felt believable. While it's not really new ground (apocalyptic, totalitarian worlds with genetically engineered monstrosities isn't exactly an idea that's never been considered in science fiction), the degree of detail and the realism of the details differentiated Chimera from a lot of books that had me rolling my eyes with their bad technology or world building.
So my over all review is that I really liked this book. (Enough that I bought the earlier two in the series and would highly recommend it to anyone who likes this sort of novel.) It's intelligent, realistic, gruesome and a highly enjoyable read that's hard to put down from beginning to end.
May 1, 2023
Chimera, book 3 of the Subterrene War Trilogy, keeps on track with the other books in the series along with the war itself. Each book gives insight into the horror of the war and the aftermath felt by country, civilian and soldier.
This book tells the story of a Special Forces soldier that hunts renegade Germline soldiers (Genetically created super-soldier clones.) He suffers from such PTSD it not only affects his private life, but his life within the military. They put up with him because he’s very, very good at his job. You see Germline units are illegal, and the US wants complete deniability regarding these genetically grown killing machines of flesh.
Near the end of his military career with the U.S. Army, he is given the assignment of tracking down a Chinese geneticist who seems to be behind Germline longevity and that has specific knowledge regarding a new type of horror recently reported on the battlefront. In undertaking this mission he must actually join forces with Germline units he’s sworn to destroy in order to complete his task. This mission not only demand he alter his original job and instinct, but will take him to locations from his past that will have a huge impact on his future and a soldier and a man.
This is my second favorite book in the series. The first, Germline book 1, I could not put down. The way T.C. McCarthy described the war, the way soldiers acted towards one another and how they thought regarding what they were required to do hit home with me. Only because I was, and to a point guess still am, a soldier. I just no longer operate in the capacity the Army wants me to.
Still the characters in this world all resonate with realism to me. I had an investment in their tales and desired to know how they concluded. This book left me feeling unsatisfied though with the resulting end to the overall situation.
Just too much of a wimp-out ending for me just did not work. Won’t say what it is, but I’m sorry, it just didn’t match up with the main character for this tales personality.
Outside of that, I really enjoyed the story. Bug’s survival throughout was definitely by skill and skill alone. Simply put he’s one hell of a damaged, bad ass.
I felt for all the characters and the sacrifices they had to make because of various governments and the greed that drives them to declare wars and conflicts and send men, women and children to their deaths while they sit back and eat hot meals in the safety of their countries. This book takes place in the near future and damn if it doesn’t feel like it.
Believe me the characters in this trilogy make some rather large sacrifices just to have the continued pain they face day after day is heartbreaking. That is if you just give them a chance to be heard and not judged by the complexity of their world.
Now I have to mention, this trilogy, though in a way could be read out of order, should not be. To get the full impact of this conflict and the horrors of it, you should start off with Germline, followed by Exogene, then this book.
If you do decide to read them, I do hope you find them as enjoyable as I have. Though Exogene by far is the saddest of the three.
This book tells the story of a Special Forces soldier that hunts renegade Germline soldiers (Genetically created super-soldier clones.) He suffers from such PTSD it not only affects his private life, but his life within the military. They put up with him because he’s very, very good at his job. You see Germline units are illegal, and the US wants complete deniability regarding these genetically grown killing machines of flesh.
Near the end of his military career with the U.S. Army, he is given the assignment of tracking down a Chinese geneticist who seems to be behind Germline longevity and that has specific knowledge regarding a new type of horror recently reported on the battlefront. In undertaking this mission he must actually join forces with Germline units he’s sworn to destroy in order to complete his task. This mission not only demand he alter his original job and instinct, but will take him to locations from his past that will have a huge impact on his future and a soldier and a man.
This is my second favorite book in the series. The first, Germline book 1, I could not put down. The way T.C. McCarthy described the war, the way soldiers acted towards one another and how they thought regarding what they were required to do hit home with me. Only because I was, and to a point guess still am, a soldier. I just no longer operate in the capacity the Army wants me to.
Still the characters in this world all resonate with realism to me. I had an investment in their tales and desired to know how they concluded. This book left me feeling unsatisfied though with the resulting end to the overall situation.
Just too much of a wimp-out ending for me just did not work. Won’t say what it is, but I’m sorry, it just didn’t match up with the main character for this tales personality.
Outside of that, I really enjoyed the story. Bug’s survival throughout was definitely by skill and skill alone. Simply put he’s one hell of a damaged, bad ass.
I felt for all the characters and the sacrifices they had to make because of various governments and the greed that drives them to declare wars and conflicts and send men, women and children to their deaths while they sit back and eat hot meals in the safety of their countries. This book takes place in the near future and damn if it doesn’t feel like it.
Believe me the characters in this trilogy make some rather large sacrifices just to have the continued pain they face day after day is heartbreaking. That is if you just give them a chance to be heard and not judged by the complexity of their world.
Now I have to mention, this trilogy, though in a way could be read out of order, should not be. To get the full impact of this conflict and the horrors of it, you should start off with Germline, followed by Exogene, then this book.
If you do decide to read them, I do hope you find them as enjoyable as I have. Though Exogene by far is the saddest of the three.
October 25, 2012
Impressive end to an impressive trilogy.
Published by Blackstone Audio in 2012
Duration: 10 hours, 57 minutes
Read by John Pruden
Chimera is the third installment of new author T.C. McCarthy's remarkable Subterrene War trilogy. This is not an easy trilogy. It has brutal battle scenes, shows the reader an uncomfortable vision of technology pushed too far and asks important questions about what it is to be human. And, on top of that these three books are well-told, hair-raising trips through three different war zones in a truly dysfunctional world.
In Chimera McCarthy introduces a new set of characters, as he does in every book in the series. Stan Resnick is an assassin. He seeks out and executes germline clones created by the American military to be frontline shock troops in Kazakhstan. They are all female (the males cannot be controlled), start fighting at age 16 and are pre-programmed to die at age 18. But, some have fled the war zone and have escaped to countries all over the world, surviving in a pathetic half-rotted state but still astonishingly dangerous. Resnick's job is to find them and execute them discreetly, if possible.
After a tough mission in which his long-time partner is killed, Resnick is sent home to decompress. Suddenly, he is called back to duty and is offered a mission that is in all probability a suicide mission. He is teamed with a fully human rookie soldier with a genius level knowledge of tactics and strategy because has been trained with new artificial techniques gleaned from the methods used to train the clone soldiers.
Part of the book deals with Resnick's inner demons. He is unhappy with the state of the world, the state of his personal life, the type of man he has become and his new mission. He is prone to drinking binges because he thinks too much and that is the only way he can stop thinking. The tension between the grizzled veteran and the talented rookie is a common theme in books and movie, but McCarthy manages to put his own twist on it and make it work to the story's advantage...
Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2012/...
Published by Blackstone Audio in 2012
Duration: 10 hours, 57 minutes
Read by John Pruden
Chimera is the third installment of new author T.C. McCarthy's remarkable Subterrene War trilogy. This is not an easy trilogy. It has brutal battle scenes, shows the reader an uncomfortable vision of technology pushed too far and asks important questions about what it is to be human. And, on top of that these three books are well-told, hair-raising trips through three different war zones in a truly dysfunctional world.
In Chimera McCarthy introduces a new set of characters, as he does in every book in the series. Stan Resnick is an assassin. He seeks out and executes germline clones created by the American military to be frontline shock troops in Kazakhstan. They are all female (the males cannot be controlled), start fighting at age 16 and are pre-programmed to die at age 18. But, some have fled the war zone and have escaped to countries all over the world, surviving in a pathetic half-rotted state but still astonishingly dangerous. Resnick's job is to find them and execute them discreetly, if possible.
After a tough mission in which his long-time partner is killed, Resnick is sent home to decompress. Suddenly, he is called back to duty and is offered a mission that is in all probability a suicide mission. He is teamed with a fully human rookie soldier with a genius level knowledge of tactics and strategy because has been trained with new artificial techniques gleaned from the methods used to train the clone soldiers.
Part of the book deals with Resnick's inner demons. He is unhappy with the state of the world, the state of his personal life, the type of man he has become and his new mission. He is prone to drinking binges because he thinks too much and that is the only way he can stop thinking. The tension between the grizzled veteran and the talented rookie is a common theme in books and movie, but McCarthy manages to put his own twist on it and make it work to the story's advantage...
Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2012/...
May 1, 2013
Chimera, the third and final story in T.C. McCarthy’s Subterrene War trilogy, is definitely my favorite of the three novels. I found Stan Resnick, a.k.a. “Bug”, to be the most intriguing of the three different main characters in the series. Stan has spent his entire military career thus far hunting escaped Germline units. Now he finds himself on a mission which forces him to work in cooperation with the genetically engineered female warriors to stop an even greater threat.
I’m impressed with the author’s development of the intricate (and somewhat prophetic) political underpinnings which initiated the conflict and now perpetuate the war. I’m even more impressed with his ability to convey the maneuverings of the various interest groups while keeping the story very personal. Fantastic details regarding technological advancements, or simply the futuristic world in which Stan lived, were well distributed throughout the story to keep the reader’s interest level high. The novel is still dark overall, but with a brighter glimmer of hope than the other two.
The author has an amazing ability to convey what many war veterans must go through when they find themselves trying to transition from war-time to “civilization” only to discover they’ve become institutionalized by a psychological prison. In this novel Stan hates the satos, the genetically engineered soldiers, and hates the war, yet he only feels like himself when he’s in the throes of a grisly conflict. I was hooked.
I also love how Catherine, the main character from Exogene (book two in the series that starts with Germline) was referenced in Chimera. It makes her story even more relevant when the reader discovers how her life and experiences have affected the other escaped Germline units.
Overall I’m very impressed with this series. For me it’s kind of like Bourne Legacy meets Vietnam.
I’m impressed with the author’s development of the intricate (and somewhat prophetic) political underpinnings which initiated the conflict and now perpetuate the war. I’m even more impressed with his ability to convey the maneuverings of the various interest groups while keeping the story very personal. Fantastic details regarding technological advancements, or simply the futuristic world in which Stan lived, were well distributed throughout the story to keep the reader’s interest level high. The novel is still dark overall, but with a brighter glimmer of hope than the other two.
The author has an amazing ability to convey what many war veterans must go through when they find themselves trying to transition from war-time to “civilization” only to discover they’ve become institutionalized by a psychological prison. In this novel Stan hates the satos, the genetically engineered soldiers, and hates the war, yet he only feels like himself when he’s in the throes of a grisly conflict. I was hooked.
I also love how Catherine, the main character from Exogene (book two in the series that starts with Germline) was referenced in Chimera. It makes her story even more relevant when the reader discovers how her life and experiences have affected the other escaped Germline units.
Overall I’m very impressed with this series. For me it’s kind of like Bourne Legacy meets Vietnam.
November 3, 2012
Chimera is a fitting end to a dark trilogy. This novel covers and closes the story threads picked up in the previous two stories, tying all three stories together. It is a grim, steely-eyed look at a future of constant industrial war, with nations snatching for strategic resources and redefining humanity through genetic and biological engineering. The prose is sharp and taut, the action scenes brutal and unflinching, and the characters engaging.
Where the story fails at is military and military science. Much of the hardware deployed in this story, like in the rest of the series, simply makes little to no sense from an end-user's perspective -- if at all plausible. Tactics are basic, and hand-to-hand scenes rely more on Hollywood action tropes than realism. The main character, Stan Resnick, is himself described as a Special Forces veteran, but he acts more like a washed-up civilian with some military training than an actual SF soldier. The fact that Resnick is burned-up and washed-out is a hint he isn't SF material, as real-world Special Forces screens for mentally stable personnel and monitors its personnel for signs of combat fatigue.
If you're looking for realistic military action, look elsewhere. But if you want a look at a grim future and a storyline that examines the nature of man's inhumanity to man, Chimera, and the rest of the series, is a good bet.
Where the story fails at is military and military science. Much of the hardware deployed in this story, like in the rest of the series, simply makes little to no sense from an end-user's perspective -- if at all plausible. Tactics are basic, and hand-to-hand scenes rely more on Hollywood action tropes than realism. The main character, Stan Resnick, is himself described as a Special Forces veteran, but he acts more like a washed-up civilian with some military training than an actual SF soldier. The fact that Resnick is burned-up and washed-out is a hint he isn't SF material, as real-world Special Forces screens for mentally stable personnel and monitors its personnel for signs of combat fatigue.
If you're looking for realistic military action, look elsewhere. But if you want a look at a grim future and a storyline that examines the nature of man's inhumanity to man, Chimera, and the rest of the series, is a good bet.
September 4, 2015
With this as a strong finisher I'm now (sadly) done with the germline series. It has taken me from the dusty steppes of Kaz through the snow of Siberia, and finally to the jungles of Thailand. And what a trip it has been.
The sci-fi element in these books is quite low, if you exclude the genetics, but it's still there, and the grim picture that is drawn of the future is very much realistic and plausible. Wars are going on as always, and they're fought by men and women on the ground, as always.
The writing is very good, and the way we can follow the ups and down of each characters mind is very beautifully done. The action scenes are great and thrilling. It's also nice to finally read about doubt and hesitation, and the horrors of war, and not only shiny heroes that do everything right at the right time and saves the day every time.
I just wish that that there was one more book in this series. Just one more.
Death and faith.
The sci-fi element in these books is quite low, if you exclude the genetics, but it's still there, and the grim picture that is drawn of the future is very much realistic and plausible. Wars are going on as always, and they're fought by men and women on the ground, as always.
The writing is very good, and the way we can follow the ups and down of each characters mind is very beautifully done. The action scenes are great and thrilling. It's also nice to finally read about doubt and hesitation, and the horrors of war, and not only shiny heroes that do everything right at the right time and saves the day every time.
I just wish that that there was one more book in this series. Just one more.
Death and faith.
July 19, 2015
I feel like I wandered away from this series feeling like there wasn't much of a point to it. No great sweeping changes for the betterment of people. No acknowledgement of the genetically raised super soldier's person-hood. Shame on the humanity in this series. Again, didn't find the characters to be very likable and, since we're once again paired with a drug addicted male who isn't doing his job, not much for me to connect with.
So that's it. Felt like a very mediocre series. I'm looking forward to reading KOP now, since this more closely fits with what I was looking to be reading in the first place.
So that's it. Felt like a very mediocre series. I'm looking forward to reading KOP now, since this more closely fits with what I was looking to be reading in the first place.
May 18, 2014
The Germline series represents military-science fiction perfection. I am very sad to have completed it and can only hope TC is working on something new...soon!
November 14, 2012
The best of the trilogy.
November 16, 2012
Excellent read, waiting for more.
August 18, 2022
Excellent book!!!
September 10, 2014
Probably the weakest of the Subterrene books, but still a fantastic read. Great perspective to view the world from.
May 28, 2013
I wish it was longer!
November 26, 2013
Redundant macho posturing, any argument or conversation could easily be cut 30% without losing any thing.
February 4, 2016
War. Earth. Near Future. Dystopia. Genetic advances. Transhuman. I loved this book. I loved the whole series. I wish I could find more books like this. Very interesting and well written.
March 14, 2014
This is such a good book, and makes for a good ending in the series of the books.
September 23, 2012
Definitely an enjoyable read; slip sliding through Bug's mind as the story unfolds.
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