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Standing Alone
The Assassin lurched and staggered, vanishing from view in a fountain of mud, water and splintering metal. It emerged after a second, one arm hanging limply and its torso armour pitted and dented. Halsey dropped the cannon on target and let fly on maximum rapid fire, shells slamming from the massive bore and tearing into the Assassin's chest cavity.
The WarMek stumbled, then toppled forwards into the swamp. A great cloud of steam erupted around it, then an explosion rocked the swamp. Fragments of Mek, fallen logs and a wall of boiling water scattered across the battleground. For an instant everyone was blind.
As the Armageddon War of 2089 escalates, the United States of America and the European Federation constantly vie for new advantages. The paranoia and mutual suspicion of the two combatants is at an all-time high. Each jockeys for position across the globe, goaded on by Russia and the Tiger Combine, both of whom see an opportunity to advance their own agendas at the expense of the warring superpowers. Hopelessly outmatched by the might of the European Federation, the United Kingdom fights its War of Independence with American aid. Its fate will be decided by a few warriors fighting in the most powerful land-based war machines ever devised.
The WarMek stumbled, then toppled forwards into the swamp. A great cloud of steam erupted around it, then an explosion rocked the swamp. Fragments of Mek, fallen logs and a wall of boiling water scattered across the battleground. For an instant everyone was blind.
As the Armageddon War of 2089 escalates, the United States of America and the European Federation constantly vie for new advantages. The paranoia and mutual suspicion of the two combatants is at an all-time high. Each jockeys for position across the globe, goaded on by Russia and the Tiger Combine, both of whom see an opportunity to advance their own agendas at the expense of the warring superpowers. Hopelessly outmatched by the might of the European Federation, the United Kingdom fights its War of Independence with American aid. Its fate will be decided by a few warriors fighting in the most powerful land-based war machines ever devised.
- GenresScience Fiction
Kindle Edition
First published September 13, 2011
3 people want to read
About the author
Martin J. Dougherty
181 books54 followersHailing from northeast England, Martin J Dougherty is a professional writer specialising in military history. He has been at times a games designer, an engineer, a self-protection instructor, a teacher and a defence analyst. Martin has published a range of books covering topics as diverse as self-protection, medieval warfare and space flight, and has addressed international conferences on anti-shipping missiles and homeland security issues.
Martin's interests include martial arts and fencing. He has coached Fencing, Ju-Jitsu, Self-Defence and Kickboxing for many years at the University of Sunderland, and has competed to national level as a fencer. As a martial artist he holds black belts in Combat Ju-Jitsu, Nihon Tai-Jitsu and Self-Defence. Martin is a Senior Assessor with the Self-Defence Federation and an IL1 instructor/assessor with the Britsh Federation for Historical Swordplay, specialising in the Military Sabre and the Smallsword.
Martin's interests include martial arts and fencing. He has coached Fencing, Ju-Jitsu, Self-Defence and Kickboxing for many years at the University of Sunderland, and has competed to national level as a fencer. As a martial artist he holds black belts in Combat Ju-Jitsu, Nihon Tai-Jitsu and Self-Defence. Martin is a Senior Assessor with the Self-Defence Federation and an IL1 instructor/assessor with the Britsh Federation for Historical Swordplay, specialising in the Military Sabre and the Smallsword.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 16, 2013
Review edited to reflect the good work of the new publisher.
Rating: Initially 3 1/2 stars due to lack of editing support from the original publisher. Antimony Sun's rescue makes it a 4.
Mike Halsey is a former Mek (that machine on the cover) pilot. He survives an ambush in Thailand and eventually makes his way back to England where he joins Britain's struggle for independence from the European Federation.
Before I review the book, I need to provide a bit of background. Standing Alone is a novel intended to put a face on Armageddon: 2089, a role playing game (RPG) from Mongoose Publishing. Novels based on RPG's and video games are fairly common. Authors are hired to write novels to enhance the gaming experience. Such is the role of Mr. Dougherty here. What is unusual in this case is that this game has been defunct for several years. While the book was written when the game was still viable, it wasn't published until September of last year. Rumor has it that the setting is going to be re-released with a different rule set.
When the game was conceived, the European Union's star was on the rise. Its economic success suggested that political sovereignty would soon follow. The game was born out of the British reaction against that move. In the game (which the book is faithful to), the European Federation has risen to ascendency and is now the most powerful nation in the world. The USA is still faithful to the "cowboy diplomacy" philosophy of the George W. Bush administration even after 80 years. China? No direct mention here (must be part of the Tiger Combine briefly talked about in the Introduction). As time tends to be merciless to the predictions of science fiction writers, history has taken a different course. The Great Recession has sent corporations and governments to the brink of bankruptcy (bailouts for everyone!). The EU is struggling to survive as an economic entity. For the foreseeable future, the likelihood of a political union in Europe is now small.
Putting that aside (as it isn't the author's fault), I can say that Mr. Dougherty has given us a good military sci-fi story.
Mr. Dougherty has written several non-fiction books that cover military history and current day armaments and is a martial arts instructor. Without question, this story has a solid technical footing. Sometimes a term will come along that will leave the layman scratching his head, but by no means is this just a weapons catalog with narrative verse. However, I'm not sure I needed to know what weapon everyone was carrying in non-combat scenes.
Dougherty gives his main characters depth. Mike Halsey is a skilled soldier and Mek pilot but he's not without issues. His mother walked out on him and his father. In turn, his father later died in a plane crash (a heroic ditch into the sea to spare civilians). It's clear he has abandonment issues and avoids getting too close to people. He distrusts authority but believes in the cause of a Free Britain.
Elizabeth Sinclair is the de facto leader of the Free Britain government in hiding. Having survived a harrowing attack by a European raid on the then intact government, she's had to order people on suicide missions just to keep hope alive. Her conscience has taken a beating and she doubts that any of it will do any good in the long run. As her command decisions weigh on her soul, she takes it out on her liver.
There were a lot of secondary and minor characters. While some received sufficient coverage to become memorable, some others tended to blur together. Two of the better drawn characters were Palmer, Halsey's Mek pilot rival, and General Lavalle. Palmer's personality served as nice contrast to Halsey's generally dour disposition while General Lavalle spent his time scheming such that one can't wait for his comeuppance.
It should come as no surprise that action is heavy in Standing Alone. In the opening chapter, Halsey's Mek unit is ambushed in Thailand. Dougherty provides a heavily detailed account of the battle, which goes to underscore Halsey's skill as a Mek pilot. Similar levels of detail are provided in subsequent battles and chases in the book. But in all cases the action is there to support the plot, rather than being the plot.
There were many typos in the PDF copy of the book I received. It wasn't a case of American English vs. the Queen's English. I've read enough work by British authors to know the difference. No, it looks like Mongoose Publishing (the initial publisher) was remiss in its responsibility to edit, or at the very least proofread, Mr. Dougherty's work before publishing it. Either that or the editor needs to be sacked. However, Antimony Sun has acquired the book, proofread it, and re-published it. I've had a look through the online previews and it does indeed appear that my typo concerns have been addressed. Be sure that you get their version of the book and not Mongoose.
One recommendation I'd still make would be to get rid of the Introduction. The information contained therein would've been better served if brought out during the story. Instead, all it does is delay and clutter the reader's mind. We don't need to know the background before we read this book. This is a story about Mike Halsey's role in the fight for British Independence. We can pick that other stuff up later.
In summary, Standing Alone is an action-packed story for military sci-fi aficionados. Dougherty provides expert level of detail with his combat scenes and gives us realistic characters we can root for. It's too bad that Mongoose neglected its responsibility for editorial support and thus left Mr. Dougherty standing alone. Fortunately for him, Antimony Sun took on the role of cavalry and came to his rescue.
Rating: Initially 3 1/2 stars due to lack of editing support from the original publisher. Antimony Sun's rescue makes it a 4.
Mike Halsey is a former Mek (that machine on the cover) pilot. He survives an ambush in Thailand and eventually makes his way back to England where he joins Britain's struggle for independence from the European Federation.
Before I review the book, I need to provide a bit of background. Standing Alone is a novel intended to put a face on Armageddon: 2089, a role playing game (RPG) from Mongoose Publishing. Novels based on RPG's and video games are fairly common. Authors are hired to write novels to enhance the gaming experience. Such is the role of Mr. Dougherty here. What is unusual in this case is that this game has been defunct for several years. While the book was written when the game was still viable, it wasn't published until September of last year. Rumor has it that the setting is going to be re-released with a different rule set.
When the game was conceived, the European Union's star was on the rise. Its economic success suggested that political sovereignty would soon follow. The game was born out of the British reaction against that move. In the game (which the book is faithful to), the European Federation has risen to ascendency and is now the most powerful nation in the world. The USA is still faithful to the "cowboy diplomacy" philosophy of the George W. Bush administration even after 80 years. China? No direct mention here (must be part of the Tiger Combine briefly talked about in the Introduction). As time tends to be merciless to the predictions of science fiction writers, history has taken a different course. The Great Recession has sent corporations and governments to the brink of bankruptcy (bailouts for everyone!). The EU is struggling to survive as an economic entity. For the foreseeable future, the likelihood of a political union in Europe is now small.
Putting that aside (as it isn't the author's fault), I can say that Mr. Dougherty has given us a good military sci-fi story.
Mr. Dougherty has written several non-fiction books that cover military history and current day armaments and is a martial arts instructor. Without question, this story has a solid technical footing. Sometimes a term will come along that will leave the layman scratching his head, but by no means is this just a weapons catalog with narrative verse. However, I'm not sure I needed to know what weapon everyone was carrying in non-combat scenes.
Dougherty gives his main characters depth. Mike Halsey is a skilled soldier and Mek pilot but he's not without issues. His mother walked out on him and his father. In turn, his father later died in a plane crash (a heroic ditch into the sea to spare civilians). It's clear he has abandonment issues and avoids getting too close to people. He distrusts authority but believes in the cause of a Free Britain.
Elizabeth Sinclair is the de facto leader of the Free Britain government in hiding. Having survived a harrowing attack by a European raid on the then intact government, she's had to order people on suicide missions just to keep hope alive. Her conscience has taken a beating and she doubts that any of it will do any good in the long run. As her command decisions weigh on her soul, she takes it out on her liver.
There were a lot of secondary and minor characters. While some received sufficient coverage to become memorable, some others tended to blur together. Two of the better drawn characters were Palmer, Halsey's Mek pilot rival, and General Lavalle. Palmer's personality served as nice contrast to Halsey's generally dour disposition while General Lavalle spent his time scheming such that one can't wait for his comeuppance.
It should come as no surprise that action is heavy in Standing Alone. In the opening chapter, Halsey's Mek unit is ambushed in Thailand. Dougherty provides a heavily detailed account of the battle, which goes to underscore Halsey's skill as a Mek pilot. Similar levels of detail are provided in subsequent battles and chases in the book. But in all cases the action is there to support the plot, rather than being the plot.
There were many typos in the PDF copy of the book I received. It wasn't a case of American English vs. the Queen's English. I've read enough work by British authors to know the difference. No, it looks like Mongoose Publishing (the initial publisher) was remiss in its responsibility to edit, or at the very least proofread, Mr. Dougherty's work before publishing it. Either that or the editor needs to be sacked. However, Antimony Sun has acquired the book, proofread it, and re-published it. I've had a look through the online previews and it does indeed appear that my typo concerns have been addressed. Be sure that you get their version of the book and not Mongoose.
One recommendation I'd still make would be to get rid of the Introduction. The information contained therein would've been better served if brought out during the story. Instead, all it does is delay and clutter the reader's mind. We don't need to know the background before we read this book. This is a story about Mike Halsey's role in the fight for British Independence. We can pick that other stuff up later.
In summary, Standing Alone is an action-packed story for military sci-fi aficionados. Dougherty provides expert level of detail with his combat scenes and gives us realistic characters we can root for. It's too bad that Mongoose neglected its responsibility for editorial support and thus left Mr. Dougherty standing alone. Fortunately for him, Antimony Sun took on the role of cavalry and came to his rescue.
Displaying 1 of 1 review