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Infinity Squad #1
Infinity Squad
Second Lieutenant Jonah Forrest is finding out that having infinite lives doesn't make war any easier. Sure, downloading into a cloned body when you die is better than the alternative, but that doesn't make a Hell-Spider's claws hurt any less. Or his General's orders for suicide missions any more sane.
But when his First Lieutenant gets killed in action, really killed, and when a captured Hell-Spider offers a way to get 'kills' without taking on the enemy, Forrest and his Infinity Squad will have to decide how hard they are willing to work to take the easy way out. Especially when the General starts catching on to their schemes. And when their Hell-Spider prisoner starts suggesting more and more dangerous alternative missions. And when they start suspecting that not ALL of their consciousness is transferring into their new cloned bodies.
Infinity Squad: Willing to die to free your planet from alien invaders. More than once if necessary.
**Update from author 3/24/15: This book is now free for download at Amazon.com!**
But when his First Lieutenant gets killed in action, really killed, and when a captured Hell-Spider offers a way to get 'kills' without taking on the enemy, Forrest and his Infinity Squad will have to decide how hard they are willing to work to take the easy way out. Especially when the General starts catching on to their schemes. And when their Hell-Spider prisoner starts suggesting more and more dangerous alternative missions. And when they start suspecting that not ALL of their consciousness is transferring into their new cloned bodies.
Infinity Squad: Willing to die to free your planet from alien invaders. More than once if necessary.
**Update from author 3/24/15: This book is now free for download at Amazon.com!**
260 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 20, 2012
40 people are currently reading
190 people want to read
About the author
Shuvom Ghose
2 books21 followersShuvom Ghose is a Libertarian who escaped to New Hampshire as part of the Free State Project and could not be happier.
He loves writing science fiction along with his wife Llalania, and he promises that, if 1,000 people buy and love "Infinity Squad", there will be a sequel!
If you have comments, find typos, or just want to talk about his books, please contact him through Goodreads.
He loves writing science fiction along with his wife Llalania, and he promises that, if 1,000 people buy and love "Infinity Squad", there will be a sequel!
If you have comments, find typos, or just want to talk about his books, please contact him through Goodreads.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
November 3, 2012
In the interest of full disclosure, I feel it only fair to mention at the beginning of this review, that I am the authors wife. I also happen to be a very picky reader. I have not liked everything my husband has written. We have wildly different styles when it comes to writing, so I feel that while I might be somewhat biased, I'm not altogether useless as a reviewer either.
I'm not going to put the synopses in this review, because it's annoying. I'm going to assume you've already read it, since you're here.
Let's start with the good. The story is interesting, full of humor and excellently paced. The author has a great sense of how long he can keep you at an action peak before it becomes too much, and how long to let the slow parts run before the reader gets bored. You never get bored reading this book. The dialogue is very well written and snappy and never falls into the trap of using it for long swaths of exposition. The plot drives along at break neck speed making it hard to put down.
The theme and social commentary of the book are clear without either bogging the story down, eclipsing it, or being vague. You know what the author is trying to say, but he doesn't beat you over the head with it or let it ruin a good story. (I'm looking at you Mockingjay!) Instead, the author brings up several thoughts and questions in the book, things that don't really come to the fore of your mind until you're done reading. This is a skill that few have and it's refreshing to find books that linger in your mind for days after. That's how a book should be, fun to read, but with a depth that doesn't interfere with the reading.
The science part of it is also clear, but steers clear of techno babble or long treatises of techno porn. That could be considered on the drawback side of the ledger too, if you want to get technical. There was one spot where I wondered if what the characters did was either advisable or possible, but that only happened once. (Are you sure you should be eating something with blue blood?)
Now on to the bad. Again, to be fair, a lot of these critiques are a matter of opinion, so take them with a grain of salt.
The author thinks he's painted a bit of romance into the book, but it's thin at best. It's very standard of what you see in most male written romance. (She's hot, witty comments, dashing action, obviously she digs me.) It's par for the course frankly, so I didn't expect anything more from it. It's better than the relationship outlined in Armor, so there you go.
This is not a character driven piece. It's plot driven. Frankly, I could have read this from the POV of any of the main characters and it wouldn't have changed the story much at all. Not to say the characters are flat, because they aren't, but if you are looking for long introspections, or much introspection at all really, you'll be looking in vain. It's not that kind of book.
The ending is a little abrupt, with a pretty good info dump at the end and then nothing. Resolution is not the authors strong point. He doesn't linger on the afterglow but he does tie up all the loose ends. And a mark in the good column, I didn't see this ending coming! I have a nasty habit of seeing things coming a lime away in both books and movies. This is more like a Terentino movie, where you think it going one way, but then realize that's not where it's going at all. But it makes sense, so you aren't left scratching you're head wondering what happened.
On the whole, this is a fun book to read. It's like reading an action Sci-Fi movie. It hits all the right notes and leaves a pleasant taste in your mouth when you're done, and avoids all the pitfalls so typical of this genre. I gave it five stars because it's a perfect genre book, the kind that has been missing from the Sci-Fi scene for too many years. Welcome back to the classics by way of the best of the present.
I'm not going to put the synopses in this review, because it's annoying. I'm going to assume you've already read it, since you're here.
Let's start with the good. The story is interesting, full of humor and excellently paced. The author has a great sense of how long he can keep you at an action peak before it becomes too much, and how long to let the slow parts run before the reader gets bored. You never get bored reading this book. The dialogue is very well written and snappy and never falls into the trap of using it for long swaths of exposition. The plot drives along at break neck speed making it hard to put down.
The theme and social commentary of the book are clear without either bogging the story down, eclipsing it, or being vague. You know what the author is trying to say, but he doesn't beat you over the head with it or let it ruin a good story. (I'm looking at you Mockingjay!) Instead, the author brings up several thoughts and questions in the book, things that don't really come to the fore of your mind until you're done reading. This is a skill that few have and it's refreshing to find books that linger in your mind for days after. That's how a book should be, fun to read, but with a depth that doesn't interfere with the reading.
The science part of it is also clear, but steers clear of techno babble or long treatises of techno porn. That could be considered on the drawback side of the ledger too, if you want to get technical. There was one spot where I wondered if what the characters did was either advisable or possible, but that only happened once. (Are you sure you should be eating something with blue blood?)
Now on to the bad. Again, to be fair, a lot of these critiques are a matter of opinion, so take them with a grain of salt.
The author thinks he's painted a bit of romance into the book, but it's thin at best. It's very standard of what you see in most male written romance. (She's hot, witty comments, dashing action, obviously she digs me.) It's par for the course frankly, so I didn't expect anything more from it. It's better than the relationship outlined in Armor, so there you go.
This is not a character driven piece. It's plot driven. Frankly, I could have read this from the POV of any of the main characters and it wouldn't have changed the story much at all. Not to say the characters are flat, because they aren't, but if you are looking for long introspections, or much introspection at all really, you'll be looking in vain. It's not that kind of book.
The ending is a little abrupt, with a pretty good info dump at the end and then nothing. Resolution is not the authors strong point. He doesn't linger on the afterglow but he does tie up all the loose ends. And a mark in the good column, I didn't see this ending coming! I have a nasty habit of seeing things coming a lime away in both books and movies. This is more like a Terentino movie, where you think it going one way, but then realize that's not where it's going at all. But it makes sense, so you aren't left scratching you're head wondering what happened.
On the whole, this is a fun book to read. It's like reading an action Sci-Fi movie. It hits all the right notes and leaves a pleasant taste in your mouth when you're done, and avoids all the pitfalls so typical of this genre. I gave it five stars because it's a perfect genre book, the kind that has been missing from the Sci-Fi scene for too many years. Welcome back to the classics by way of the best of the present.
January 7, 2015
As the author of this book, I consider it meandering, wordy in parts, with much room for improvement. Other folks seem to like it though. Especially if they liked sci-fi classics like Starship Troopers, Armor, or silly military fun like Catch-22. All mixed together in a blender.
December 4, 2012
This book deserves a 6 out of 5. I was going through the book at a nice steady pace, about a chapter every night. However, when I got about 40% through the book, I couldn’t put it down. I finished it that night. Last time I read a book that I couldn’t put down would have been the first time I read the Hunger Games. If you want to read an amazing military sci-fi book, this is the book for you!
The characters are amazingly well developed, and by the end of the book I knew I was going to miss these characters. I had grown to know them well and appreciated each ones contribution to the squad and the book, besides of course the characters I hated and wanted to see die.
The plot line is excellent and fast moving, so once you get into the story you can’t put it down. Well written and well thought out! Once I get to the end of the book and all the loose ends are tied up, I had this ah ha moment. I could see how everything that was revealed fit and made perfect sense, but I also knew I never would have guessed the outcome! Amazing!
The world was beautifully made, and the military was very realistic. And I love what Shuvom did with cloning technology. Sheer brilliance!
I also love the alien cultures he created too, and his many hints that a libertarian society would be doable and better then the one we live in today.
I look forward to the next book!!! In fact, I’m going to have a hard time waiting!!! I’ll definitely be rereading this one soon!
Just two warnings: This book does contain minor drug use, and lots of swearing.
The characters are amazingly well developed, and by the end of the book I knew I was going to miss these characters. I had grown to know them well and appreciated each ones contribution to the squad and the book, besides of course the characters I hated and wanted to see die.
The plot line is excellent and fast moving, so once you get into the story you can’t put it down. Well written and well thought out! Once I get to the end of the book and all the loose ends are tied up, I had this ah ha moment. I could see how everything that was revealed fit and made perfect sense, but I also knew I never would have guessed the outcome! Amazing!
The world was beautifully made, and the military was very realistic. And I love what Shuvom did with cloning technology. Sheer brilliance!
I also love the alien cultures he created too, and his many hints that a libertarian society would be doable and better then the one we live in today.
I look forward to the next book!!! In fact, I’m going to have a hard time waiting!!! I’ll definitely be rereading this one soon!
Just two warnings: This book does contain minor drug use, and lots of swearing.
December 9, 2012
What a treat! Clever, fast paced, and for something that is clearly trying to be a "Catch-22 in space," a surprising amount of heart. It's somewhat anti-war, and I suppose I could get into argument on some statements sprinkled throughout. But mostly, as the best sci-fi AND best military fiction is supposed to do, it raises universal questions of human condition- identity, loyalty, courage and honor. I liked the humor, both the dark and slapstick kind. I appreciated the female characters being portrayed as actual females while still being strong and admirable (and the avoidance of the "tiny woman knocks out a slab-of-beef trained fighter" trope). I was surprisingly OK with the main premise that actually annoyed the you-know-what out of me in a book considered one of scifi greatest but somehow it just worked for me here. The ending was very satisfying; some may call it too neat, but I like neat. Speaking of the ending, once you get to about 75% point, either prepare to read till the end in one sitting, or put it aside till you have time. You will NOT be able to put it down. I found out the hard way and had to stay up till midnight against my best intentions.
There's definitely space for a sequel, or rather the whole multi-book series, but the author says he will need 1000 people to get the book before he writes another so we'll just have to see.
There's definitely space for a sequel, or rather the whole multi-book series, but the author says he will need 1000 people to get the book before he writes another so we'll just have to see.
January 27, 2016
I loved this book.
In this world, the military has the ability to 'download' your mind into a cloned body if you die in combat (an infinite number of times, presumably). The narrator is Second Lieutenant Jonah Forrest who becomes the commander of Infinity squad after their First Lieutenant dies (permanently) under mysterious circumstances. The humans are in the midst of a war with the Hell Spiders on a planet far from Earth. Forrest discovers something very interesting about this alien enemy and stuff starts to hit the fan in short order.
The military science fiction I've read in the past always moves along at a good clip, not a lot of description or pontificating like fantasy does, but that's not necessarily a bad thing - just different. The focus is on tactics, weapons, explosions- that sort of thing- as opposed to visuals and exhaustive world building. I really liked the narrative voice - it reminded me of Mark Watney from The Martian, but with a lot more swearing. There was also some sexual content, so reader beware.
This was published by an indie author, but again, it doesn't show. It was entertaining and well paced. The characters were funny and real. The premise was well thought out and executed. Some interesting uses for the clone technology are used in the character's various exploits, some of which made me laugh out loud.
Verdict: A-.
In this world, the military has the ability to 'download' your mind into a cloned body if you die in combat (an infinite number of times, presumably). The narrator is Second Lieutenant Jonah Forrest who becomes the commander of Infinity squad after their First Lieutenant dies (permanently) under mysterious circumstances. The humans are in the midst of a war with the Hell Spiders on a planet far from Earth. Forrest discovers something very interesting about this alien enemy and stuff starts to hit the fan in short order.
The military science fiction I've read in the past always moves along at a good clip, not a lot of description or pontificating like fantasy does, but that's not necessarily a bad thing - just different. The focus is on tactics, weapons, explosions- that sort of thing- as opposed to visuals and exhaustive world building. I really liked the narrative voice - it reminded me of Mark Watney from The Martian, but with a lot more swearing. There was also some sexual content, so reader beware.
This was published by an indie author, but again, it doesn't show. It was entertaining and well paced. The characters were funny and real. The premise was well thought out and executed. Some interesting uses for the clone technology are used in the character's various exploits, some of which made me laugh out loud.
Verdict: A-.
February 7, 2013
4.5 stars.
A fast-paced and fun read, like a mash up of Starship Troopers and Catch-22. The characters were vivid, dialogue pretty snappy, and the alien world full of bad bugs and other beasties. The book managed to have some light moments as well as address moral issues and make even temporary death seem saddening. The world, tech, and military situations were generally well thought-out and depicted, and twists and turns were tied up pretty handily at the end.
The only downsides I could see were typos here and there (sadly, I didn't keep track so I could pass them on to the author), and the fact that the women were not that well written, though it sort of seemed to fit the genre. The romance angle was kind of shoehorned in, and though the three main female characters were all pretty different, I thought only Butcher was fleshed out well (pardon the pun). One other small thing: it seemed weird that Forrest was always referred to by surname or rank, but he almost always addressed his squad by first name only.
Military sci-fi is not usually my genre, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I'd definitely recommend this to others, and I look forward to a sequel.
Libboo link, where I got the book from.
A fast-paced and fun read, like a mash up of Starship Troopers and Catch-22. The characters were vivid, dialogue pretty snappy, and the alien world full of bad bugs and other beasties. The book managed to have some light moments as well as address moral issues and make even temporary death seem saddening. The world, tech, and military situations were generally well thought-out and depicted, and twists and turns were tied up pretty handily at the end.
The only downsides I could see were typos here and there (sadly, I didn't keep track so I could pass them on to the author), and the fact that the women were not that well written, though it sort of seemed to fit the genre. The romance angle was kind of shoehorned in, and though the three main female characters were all pretty different, I thought only Butcher was fleshed out well (pardon the pun). One other small thing: it seemed weird that Forrest was always referred to by surname or rank, but he almost always addressed his squad by first name only.
Military sci-fi is not usually my genre, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I'd definitely recommend this to others, and I look forward to a sequel.
Libboo link, where I got the book from.
October 22, 2012
Review
Title: Infinity Squad
Author: Shuvom Ghose
Published on Libboo.com
Excellent beginning... jumps right into the action (I like!)
3am - ran out of bee-, er, refreshment... had to physically restrain myself and put the book down... Got more “refreshments” from the near-by convenience store and resumed reading. It turned into a non–stop, page-turner; cover-to-cover in one setting.
The author displays an excellent understated sense of humor and coupled with believable military tactics... a cross between the military humor of John Ringo and the military aplomb of David Weber. The action is consistent and fast paced; not overly technical, but enough to remind you it IS “SyFy”. The characters are well developed without relying on prequel chapters or inserted flashbacks.
All in all, a very good read and I look forward to a sequel, maybe a lengthy series!?!!
BTW... I didn't see the end coming... took me by surprise. Good Job! (I like... a lot!!)
Larry Downey
Title: Infinity Squad
Author: Shuvom Ghose
Published on Libboo.com
Excellent beginning... jumps right into the action (I like!)
3am - ran out of bee-, er, refreshment... had to physically restrain myself and put the book down... Got more “refreshments” from the near-by convenience store and resumed reading. It turned into a non–stop, page-turner; cover-to-cover in one setting.
The author displays an excellent understated sense of humor and coupled with believable military tactics... a cross between the military humor of John Ringo and the military aplomb of David Weber. The action is consistent and fast paced; not overly technical, but enough to remind you it IS “SyFy”. The characters are well developed without relying on prequel chapters or inserted flashbacks.
All in all, a very good read and I look forward to a sequel, maybe a lengthy series!?!!
BTW... I didn't see the end coming... took me by surprise. Good Job! (I like... a lot!!)
Larry Downey
June 12, 2013
Plenty of fun in this action/comedy/science fiction book.
August 2, 2019
4+ stars! What an absolutely pleasant surprise! "Infinity Squad" really clicked on all levels for me! Plus with it being free to download here on goodreads, even better! But that's good marketing as I'm downloading Book 2 as soon as I'm finished here!
"War does not determine who is right, only who is left."
Shuvom Ghose doesn't waste any time getting things going with his 'Infinity Squad' offer, an often tense, often humourous, always interesting sci-fi tale featuring alien benefactors, human 'soldiers' doing their part to occasionally not do their part, sentient aliens, clones and aliens that just plain want to eat you and/or your brains! What fun! I don't mind saying this reminded me pleasantly of Scalzi's "Old Man's War" series, particularly the way it balanced humankind's need to spread through the stars with their obvious inability to do so in a peaceful or mutually beneficial manner when it pertains to the natives!
The characters are a lot of fun, too. Sure, they can be a bit clichéd at times but it's not like we're photocopying any of the Alien movies. And though a few of the characters come off as a little thick or even just too horny to function at times, they all wind up having admirable traits and provide real contributions to the value of the story-line!
The flora and fauna of the alien planet are also handled with quite a lot of good imagination as it all seems to fit in quite well together. I would say that this was my favorite 'alien planet / new Universe' set up since Jim C. Hines 'Terminal Uprising', another book/series that gets going quick and doesn't necessarily have humans at the top of the food chain! Sure, there are some plot holes here and there (why the hell do we still need Apache helicopters if we're in space, even with the Benefactors help?) but it's nothing that should upset anyone (no, it's not HARD scifi but it is handled very well). Heck, if Gatorade can still exist in the future, maybe there is hope for our species? Besides, if you can also get away with a few pretty obvious jabs at Heinlein's 'Starship Troopers', that only makes it that much better!
A really fun sci-fi romp, you'll enjoy this! Worth every penny and then some!
"War does not determine who is right, only who is left."
Shuvom Ghose doesn't waste any time getting things going with his 'Infinity Squad' offer, an often tense, often humourous, always interesting sci-fi tale featuring alien benefactors, human 'soldiers' doing their part to occasionally not do their part, sentient aliens, clones and aliens that just plain want to eat you and/or your brains! What fun! I don't mind saying this reminded me pleasantly of Scalzi's "Old Man's War" series, particularly the way it balanced humankind's need to spread through the stars with their obvious inability to do so in a peaceful or mutually beneficial manner when it pertains to the natives!
The characters are a lot of fun, too. Sure, they can be a bit clichéd at times but it's not like we're photocopying any of the Alien movies. And though a few of the characters come off as a little thick or even just too horny to function at times, they all wind up having admirable traits and provide real contributions to the value of the story-line!
The flora and fauna of the alien planet are also handled with quite a lot of good imagination as it all seems to fit in quite well together. I would say that this was my favorite 'alien planet / new Universe' set up since Jim C. Hines 'Terminal Uprising', another book/series that gets going quick and doesn't necessarily have humans at the top of the food chain! Sure, there are some plot holes here and there (why the hell do we still need Apache helicopters if we're in space, even with the Benefactors help?) but it's nothing that should upset anyone (no, it's not HARD scifi but it is handled very well). Heck, if Gatorade can still exist in the future, maybe there is hope for our species? Besides, if you can also get away with a few pretty obvious jabs at Heinlein's 'Starship Troopers', that only makes it that much better!
A really fun sci-fi romp, you'll enjoy this! Worth every penny and then some!
November 28, 2018
This is a cracking piece of military sci-fi. Highly irreverent in tone, it is reminiscent of The Forever War as well as being gung-ho like Starship Troopers.
There’s a clever conceit, namely a resurrection technology that enables slain soldiers to wake in cloned bodies and fight on. This technology is used in plot twist after plot twist, and is central to the story’s thrust rather than a gimmick. It does make the plot complex to follow, but that’s the whole point as all hell breaks loose time and time again. The narration is engaging, frequently hilarious, if somewhat unfairly misogynistic (the female characters are all fully equal to the men in capacity and agency for almost the whole story, so their cheap final treatment does rankle), and the action is non-stop with some formidable and wildly imaginative set pieces.
The only things holding me back from five stars (other than the gripe above), are a few preposterous plot holes. For an army that has resurrection technology, everything else is astoundingly low tech, particularly the security and surveillance, which allows the protagonists to get away with some almost comedic sneaking around a military base and completely improbable fraternising with the only alien to have ever been captured and experimented upon - without anyone ever noticing until the ending, which then becomes a little exercise in Deus ex Machina that spoils the fun. Even if it does set up an intriguing series to come, with an interesting take on benevolent over-arching alien control. And why are the highly insubordinated members of the Infinity Squad such good guys, driven to do the right thing, when their first instinct should have been consistent with their normal practice, to gain some advantage from their connection with the captured alien?
Nevertheless, this story comes highly recommended as a solid, tongue-in-cheek piece of rollicking, testosterone-fuelled and explosion-driven fun.
There’s a clever conceit, namely a resurrection technology that enables slain soldiers to wake in cloned bodies and fight on. This technology is used in plot twist after plot twist, and is central to the story’s thrust rather than a gimmick. It does make the plot complex to follow, but that’s the whole point as all hell breaks loose time and time again. The narration is engaging, frequently hilarious, if somewhat unfairly misogynistic (the female characters are all fully equal to the men in capacity and agency for almost the whole story, so their cheap final treatment does rankle), and the action is non-stop with some formidable and wildly imaginative set pieces.
The only things holding me back from five stars (other than the gripe above), are a few preposterous plot holes. For an army that has resurrection technology, everything else is astoundingly low tech, particularly the security and surveillance, which allows the protagonists to get away with some almost comedic sneaking around a military base and completely improbable fraternising with the only alien to have ever been captured and experimented upon - without anyone ever noticing until the ending, which then becomes a little exercise in Deus ex Machina that spoils the fun. Even if it does set up an intriguing series to come, with an interesting take on benevolent over-arching alien control. And why are the highly insubordinated members of the Infinity Squad such good guys, driven to do the right thing, when their first instinct should have been consistent with their normal practice, to gain some advantage from their connection with the captured alien?
Nevertheless, this story comes highly recommended as a solid, tongue-in-cheek piece of rollicking, testosterone-fuelled and explosion-driven fun.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2019
Sci-fi with humor, interesting points of view, and fully developed characters!
Very enjoyable book with a great mix of military sci-fi, social commentary, comedy, and a little sex. The U.S. wants to colonize a planet whose dominant lifeform are these spiders that are as big as horses. Of course the military is called in to wipe them out. The story is about what happens to a soldier killed in the line of duty, and the relationship that develops between one squad and the Hell Spiders.
Very enjoyable book with a great mix of military sci-fi, social commentary, comedy, and a little sex. The U.S. wants to colonize a planet whose dominant lifeform are these spiders that are as big as horses. Of course the military is called in to wipe them out. The story is about what happens to a soldier killed in the line of duty, and the relationship that develops between one squad and the Hell Spiders.
February 13, 2022
The opening chapter was amazing! It slowed down quite a bit in chapter two, as I felt bombarded by too many characters. However, after moving past it, the story is well-paced with the appropriate amount of comic relief. I highly enjoyed this, and will be starting the sequel soon.
December 29, 2017
Tis is well-wriitten and enormously fun (and often funny) sci-fi story with enough clever ideas to keep it fresh. I enjoyed it a lot.
January 7, 2018
Not your usual sci-fi
Really enjoyed this book. The plot was original and kept me wanting to read more. I would recommend it to fans of sci-fi or military fiction.
Really enjoyed this book. The plot was original and kept me wanting to read more. I would recommend it to fans of sci-fi or military fiction.
April 12, 2019
Fun, fast-paced story.
March 19, 2015
An absolutely great book
Not since Starship Troopers have I seen such a tight and well written space/military science fiction book.
It is fresh and original, although it does have clear roots in "classic" science fiction.
The characters, although varied, are all well developed and very well put together. The fact that any body and everybody can end up in a cloned body saves a lot of physical descriptions...except for said cloned bodies, that is. The plot is excellent and the author should be praised for a great job. It is indeed a great book, thoroughly enjoyable and with enough twists and turns that it keeps you hooked and will not let go (once you get to the juicy parts, it is very, very difficult to put down).
The heavy drug and alcohol use at the beginning is...a little disturbing, but it fits well with the image the author wants you to develop quickly regarding Infinity Squad. It is successful, although there is a lot of wishful thinking in regards how much drug takes somebody to become hooked, and the how long somebody hooked on drugs can go without them. Withdrawal syndrome is not fun, and it will present. Sooner rather than later with some drugs, but, for the purpose of the book, yeah, they are a happy go lucky bunch. In real life, they'd be dead and would stay dead. But those are details, not relevant to the quality of the book and the story.
There is one (that I perceived) glaring continuity error. For people highly technologically advanced and with a lot of access to time stamped and coded data, something's that the Lieutenant gets away with would not be possible. But, again it is a very minor detail in an otherwise excellent book.
Really enjoyable and can not wait to read the next installment...and find out just how much the original persona survives in the clone, however many times he...or she, dies and gets transferred.
Not since Starship Troopers have I seen such a tight and well written space/military science fiction book.
It is fresh and original, although it does have clear roots in "classic" science fiction.
The characters, although varied, are all well developed and very well put together. The fact that any body and everybody can end up in a cloned body saves a lot of physical descriptions...except for said cloned bodies, that is. The plot is excellent and the author should be praised for a great job. It is indeed a great book, thoroughly enjoyable and with enough twists and turns that it keeps you hooked and will not let go (once you get to the juicy parts, it is very, very difficult to put down).
The heavy drug and alcohol use at the beginning is...a little disturbing, but it fits well with the image the author wants you to develop quickly regarding Infinity Squad. It is successful, although there is a lot of wishful thinking in regards how much drug takes somebody to become hooked, and the how long somebody hooked on drugs can go without them. Withdrawal syndrome is not fun, and it will present. Sooner rather than later with some drugs, but, for the purpose of the book, yeah, they are a happy go lucky bunch. In real life, they'd be dead and would stay dead. But those are details, not relevant to the quality of the book and the story.
There is one (that I perceived) glaring continuity error. For people highly technologically advanced and with a lot of access to time stamped and coded data, something's that the Lieutenant gets away with would not be possible. But, again it is a very minor detail in an otherwise excellent book.
Really enjoyable and can not wait to read the next installment...and find out just how much the original persona survives in the clone, however many times he...or she, dies and gets transferred.
April 7, 2016
Did you like the Starship Troopers movie? Well, this novel is similar in nature- Space soldiers, hell-spiders, brain slugs, and massive wasps. The difference is that with the technology in their buffering bands, the soldiers can die and wake up in new clone bodies. What is more efficient than a soldier who can’t die? But what are the consequences?
Infinity Squad was a lot of fun. Perhaps, not my usual type of read, and at times the narrative and plot twists and turns were so fast that I felt like I had been spun three hundred and sixty degrees at light speed, but it was exciting and not at all deep. The ‘who is the real enemy’ story line was an interesting and compelling route to take.
The main character and his two closest sub characters were well developed, and their dialogue read easily. The rest felt a little stilted and hard to differentiate. The hell-spiders almost seemed more believable in many ways- they had their own codes, rules, and hierarchy.
The concept was inventive, and like I already stated, a lot of fun. If you want an easy read with a humourous, yet dark, space colonisation story line, then I would definitely recommend this book to you. I will probably give book two a shot!
Infinity Squad was a lot of fun. Perhaps, not my usual type of read, and at times the narrative and plot twists and turns were so fast that I felt like I had been spun three hundred and sixty degrees at light speed, but it was exciting and not at all deep. The ‘who is the real enemy’ story line was an interesting and compelling route to take.
The main character and his two closest sub characters were well developed, and their dialogue read easily. The rest felt a little stilted and hard to differentiate. The hell-spiders almost seemed more believable in many ways- they had their own codes, rules, and hierarchy.
The concept was inventive, and like I already stated, a lot of fun. If you want an easy read with a humourous, yet dark, space colonisation story line, then I would definitely recommend this book to you. I will probably give book two a shot!
November 30, 2014
This was a gem buried in a mountain of dirt and rock. It has a great blend of humor, sci-fi, and story. I got a sense of some things to come at various points, but still was surprised by the various twists and turns and the not over the top ending most books have. It was a perfect read after numerous sci-fi operas and hardcore thrillers, since it was so well balanced. Kind of like the perfect meal and a wonderful glass of wine.
I'm hoping for more from Mr. Ghose, particularly if he stays true to this style. I really enjoyed the interjections of humor and the subtle teasing moments of seduction without going too far in any direction. In a way it reminds me of the video game Battlefield: Bad Company, where there is a constant but not annoying banter and jocularity among the team as they do battle.
Looking forward to the next installment or even a new story altogether!
I'm hoping for more from Mr. Ghose, particularly if he stays true to this style. I really enjoyed the interjections of humor and the subtle teasing moments of seduction without going too far in any direction. In a way it reminds me of the video game Battlefield: Bad Company, where there is a constant but not annoying banter and jocularity among the team as they do battle.
Looking forward to the next installment or even a new story altogether!
December 21, 2015
Funny, clever, fast-paced, tense...pretty much the military sci-fi equivalent of a heist movie! If you like the "screw-ups make good" plots, or the "building a team" plots, or the "nail-biting oh crap how will they deal with all these issues!?" plots, I think you'll like this book. Really wonderfully enjoyable, with a lot of different subplots, a refreshingly collaborative take on how to get things done, and great characters all around. I took off one star because the end came together rather quickly and there were so many ideas flying that I'm not really sure if it all made perfect sense, but it didn't really kill my enjoyment much.
January 27, 2013
Flawed, but a lot of fun. *Infinity Squad* reads like the novelization of a Hollywood bastardization of *Starship Troopers* and *Catch-22*, gratuitous blonde bimbos and all. Clunky dialog and movie-magic lapses in realism and accuracy detract only a little from this speedy little scifi novel. It's pulpy, it's fun, it has giant spiders and flamethrowers. There are typos and mistakes, but the writing is fairly good for it being self-published.
I actually almost dropped it altogether at the start--the dialog was that bad, and there were some sloppy mistakes. But it was fun.
I actually almost dropped it altogether at the start--the dialog was that bad, and there were some sloppy mistakes. But it was fun.
October 13, 2012
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
As a veteran of 10 years, some of the inaccuracies in rank and chain of command, tactical realities, and doctrine nagged at me a bit, but beyond that, it was a fun read.
Somewhat reminiscent of "Catch-22" and "Bill the Galactic Hero" and such.
I think the author dealt pretty well with some interesting concepts and scenarios, without getting too deep for simple entertainment.
I look forward to a potential sequel.
As a veteran of 10 years, some of the inaccuracies in rank and chain of command, tactical realities, and doctrine nagged at me a bit, but beyond that, it was a fun read.
Somewhat reminiscent of "Catch-22" and "Bill the Galactic Hero" and such.
I think the author dealt pretty well with some interesting concepts and scenarios, without getting too deep for simple entertainment.
I look forward to a potential sequel.
October 15, 2014
I was really looking forward to reading this book but I have to say that I was a bit worried that it wouldn't live up to what I was hoping for.
How happy am I that it was a fantastic book, action and humour from the first page - no reading pages (or chapters) of boring stuff, waiting for it to get good. Also a fresh, new premise, which doesn't seem to happen very often.
Can't wait for the next in the series.
How happy am I that it was a fantastic book, action and humour from the first page - no reading pages (or chapters) of boring stuff, waiting for it to get good. Also a fresh, new premise, which doesn't seem to happen very often.
Can't wait for the next in the series.
May 10, 2015
This was actually rather good. I enjoy a military thing of this calibre a great deal and this one delivered in all the right places. Cleverly put together technology, a poor Second Lieutenant everyone can get behind and with senior officers less comprehensible than the aliens sometimes, it’s good, gun-carrying fun for any military sci-fi enthusiast or Rick Shelley fan.
February 8, 2015
YES
Fascinating, silly. Very entertaining. I hope there are many books by this author as I have every book available by my favorites and have been diligently searching for a new on to ad to my collection. Thank you for a very enjoyable evenings read.
Fascinating, silly. Very entertaining. I hope there are many books by this author as I have every book available by my favorites and have been diligently searching for a new on to ad to my collection. Thank you for a very enjoyable evenings read.
March 23, 2015
Brilliant!
The only drawback to this great read,is that the book itself isn't infinite. I would love to keep up with the squads future endeavors,and want to thank Mr. Those for writing a time worthy of pulling me back into the realm of sci fi. Well done!
The only drawback to this great read,is that the book itself isn't infinite. I would love to keep up with the squads future endeavors,and want to thank Mr. Those for writing a time worthy of pulling me back into the realm of sci fi. Well done!
May 6, 2015
Good book
This was a good book. I enjoyed it immensely. I took a star for a part of the story that felt confusing. The book has humor, action, drama, and political intrigue. All that with aliens and space craft. What else do you need. I will be reading the next one.
This was a good book. I enjoyed it immensely. I took a star for a part of the story that felt confusing. The book has humor, action, drama, and political intrigue. All that with aliens and space craft. What else do you need. I will be reading the next one.
August 30, 2015
I liked this book
While I am a big fan of sci-fi, and of military sci-fi in particular this book falls right into my fun read because it's a conveyor of humor as well as serious reading.
While I am a big fan of sci-fi, and of military sci-fi in particular this book falls right into my fun read because it's a conveyor of humor as well as serious reading.
February 15, 2016
REFRESHINGLY ORIGINAL AND UTTER GENIOUS
This is a book in a billion! Truly original, believable and written with brilliant imagination, artistic flair and a storyline that will imprint itself on your memory.
This is a book in a billion! Truly original, believable and written with brilliant imagination, artistic flair and a storyline that will imprint itself on your memory.
October 12, 2012
Two words... witty and fun!
December 20, 2013
It will go into my classical war stories pile with forever war and old man war.
Funny, paced, could have been longer and the end more detailed. But I enjoyed it a lot.
Funny, paced, could have been longer and the end more detailed. But I enjoyed it a lot.
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