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Tier Zero
Tommy Scarred Wolf thought he had smelled the powder for the last time ten years ago. Then somebody messed with his family.
With no government willing or able to help out, it's up to Tommy and his detective brother, Vince, to find Vince's kidnapped daughter halfway around the world. But freeing her from her captives is going to take funding, firepower, and friends. Fortunately, Tommy knows some shooters just crazy enough to tag along--including some survivors from his last suicide mission: retired SEAL team commander Rocco Cavarra; former Delta Force operator Jake McCallum; and the unflappable sniper Leon Campbell.
On the ocean, in the jungle, and an urban purgatory, Tommy Scarred Wolf and his warrior brothers will face human traffickers, modern-day pirates, a typhoon, and an ultra-secret black ops team so dangerous even the CIA can’t touch them. There's something far more sinister than just "white slavery" going on here, and it's about to ram these men through a crucible which may never end...except in death.
With no government willing or able to help out, it's up to Tommy and his detective brother, Vince, to find Vince's kidnapped daughter halfway around the world. But freeing her from her captives is going to take funding, firepower, and friends. Fortunately, Tommy knows some shooters just crazy enough to tag along--including some survivors from his last suicide mission: retired SEAL team commander Rocco Cavarra; former Delta Force operator Jake McCallum; and the unflappable sniper Leon Campbell.
On the ocean, in the jungle, and an urban purgatory, Tommy Scarred Wolf and his warrior brothers will face human traffickers, modern-day pirates, a typhoon, and an ultra-secret black ops team so dangerous even the CIA can’t touch them. There's something far more sinister than just "white slavery" going on here, and it's about to ram these men through a crucible which may never end...except in death.
- GenresAdventure
292 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
63 people are currently reading
158 people want to read
About the author
Henry Brown
12 books31 followersI prefer a big ol' greasy hamburger to a caviar dish, and my taste in books growing up was very similar. I read tons of non-fiction (mostly history), and fiction in most genres. I didn't read most of the classics and am still fairly lacking in that regard.
BTW, Goodreads is NOT idiot-proof. I'm still trying to figure it all out.
Anyhoo, so far everything I've published is adventure of one flavor or another.
If you want me to let you know in advance when my next book is coming out, click here!
BTW, Goodreads is NOT idiot-proof. I'm still trying to figure it all out.
Anyhoo, so far everything I've published is adventure of one flavor or another.
If you want me to let you know in advance when my next book is coming out, click here!
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 13, 2018
Another first time author read for me... in fact I had not heard of this author until mentioned on my daily book bub. An opportunity to read another action author, and I am glad I did read this great book.
Firstly, let me mention one thing, to the publisher cover of this book is awful, looks like a cheap cover, but this is my only negative comment.
Tommy Scarred Wolf thought he had smelled the powder for the last time ten years ago. Then somebody messed with his family. With no government willing or able to help out, it's up to Tommy and his detective brother, Vince, to find Vince's kidnapped daughter halfway around the world. But rescuing her is going to take funding, firepower, and friends. Fortunately, Tommy knows some shooters just crazy enough to tag along--including survivors from his last suicide mission: retired SEAL team commander Rocco Cavarra; former Delta Force operator Jake McCallum; and the unflappable sniper Leon Campbell. On the ocean and in jungles both natural and urban, Tommy Scarred Wolf and his warrior brothers will face human traffickers, modern day pirates, a freak typhoon, and an ultra-secret black ops team so dangerous even the CIA can't touch them. There's something far more sinister than just "white slavery" going on here, and it's about to ram these men through a crucible which may never end...except in death.
This is a fast paced, action packed roller coaster ride filled with an array of great characters, from Tommy to his brother Vince, to Tommy's great team who all have a great depth of personality.
Kept at a great pace, with action in the jungle, on tropical islands to balmy hot cities, to personality clashes to nasty villains, what more can you ask for.
A great military action packed thriller. Four Stars
Firstly, let me mention one thing, to the publisher cover of this book is awful, looks like a cheap cover, but this is my only negative comment.
Tommy Scarred Wolf thought he had smelled the powder for the last time ten years ago. Then somebody messed with his family. With no government willing or able to help out, it's up to Tommy and his detective brother, Vince, to find Vince's kidnapped daughter halfway around the world. But rescuing her is going to take funding, firepower, and friends. Fortunately, Tommy knows some shooters just crazy enough to tag along--including survivors from his last suicide mission: retired SEAL team commander Rocco Cavarra; former Delta Force operator Jake McCallum; and the unflappable sniper Leon Campbell. On the ocean and in jungles both natural and urban, Tommy Scarred Wolf and his warrior brothers will face human traffickers, modern day pirates, a freak typhoon, and an ultra-secret black ops team so dangerous even the CIA can't touch them. There's something far more sinister than just "white slavery" going on here, and it's about to ram these men through a crucible which may never end...except in death.
This is a fast paced, action packed roller coaster ride filled with an array of great characters, from Tommy to his brother Vince, to Tommy's great team who all have a great depth of personality.
Kept at a great pace, with action in the jungle, on tropical islands to balmy hot cities, to personality clashes to nasty villains, what more can you ask for.
A great military action packed thriller. Four Stars
April 7, 2014
This review is from: Tier Zero (Paperback)
It would be difficult to exaggerate how good this book is as an adventure tale, or how much fun it is to read it. It involves a group of old operators being drawn into the fray again when the daughter of one and niece of another are kidnapped off the high seas and threatened with sexual slavery. The girls themselves are no slouches when it comes to dealing with baddies, and the best of them manage to avoid the worst of their captivity.
But the baddies are connected, and at a very high level. So the old guys are not up against simple primitive pirates, but also against some elite operators working for very powerful people. I'm not going to tell you how they handle them, except to say that how they do it is satisfying indeed.
It would be difficult to exaggerate how good this book is as an adventure tale, or how much fun it is to read it. It involves a group of old operators being drawn into the fray again when the daughter of one and niece of another are kidnapped off the high seas and threatened with sexual slavery. The girls themselves are no slouches when it comes to dealing with baddies, and the best of them manage to avoid the worst of their captivity.
But the baddies are connected, and at a very high level. So the old guys are not up against simple primitive pirates, but also against some elite operators working for very powerful people. I'm not going to tell you how they handle them, except to say that how they do it is satisfying indeed.
August 13, 2014
Solid five star action thriller. Excellent story, character development, etc. I listened to the audible version, and it kept me entertained from start to finish. I like to listen to audiobooks while working in the yard, doing home improvement projects and any other time I'm doing anything mindless. This was a good audiobook because in addition to the reasons listed above, the narrator was a good match for the characters. I'll be looking for more from this author.
July 17, 2015
I was absolutely lucky enough to receive this book for free through Goodreads First Reads!
The book is fast, real fast. I did not want this book to end. The story line and prose twisted and turned. The male characters are insane and you find yourself rooting for them the entire way. The main female characters are gutsy and likable. What more do you need to hear? Get a copy and read it!
The book is fast, real fast. I did not want this book to end. The story line and prose twisted and turned. The male characters are insane and you find yourself rooting for them the entire way. The main female characters are gutsy and likable. What more do you need to hear? Get a copy and read it!
March 1, 2013
*Pulp Warning* All of my reading and reviewing is skewed towards epulp. All reviews are therefore skewed to that end. Reader beware :) *Pulp Warning*
Overall: 4 stars (Recommended) - but drop a star if you're a pulp purist or think the politics may annoy you.
Tier Zero, though not the pulpiest read you're likely to find, is a good read in the vein of an old-school men's adventure paperback. It moves at a fast clip and has plenty of authentic military action and hardware to satisfy any enthusiast but the American politics can be a bit much if you're not that way inclined.
Pacing and Action: 3 stars.
If there's one thing this story does well it's the authentic use of military hardware and action. Clearly the author has some form of military background and the story benefits, conveying the use of hardware and what it's like to be on a battlefield, all while moving the plot at a rapid fire pace. Battle scenes are explosive, the characters know what they're doing, and what they achieve is built on a solid foundation of training, making much of what happens completely believeable. On the battlefield at least.
Where the story can bog down is with the politics. Maybe it's an American thing but, as an Australian, I found the political discussions a bit jarring. Long arguments full of assumptions I clearly wasn't privy to slowed the action down. It also sounded a bit one-sided so I can imagine that if you're American and you have a different set of political beliefs you may also be rubbed the wrong way. But, again, I'm clearly out of the loop of these discussions.
I'd also imagine pulp purists would find it a bit annoying. It does tend to suck the fun out of a story.
But this story isn't, per se pulp, more like a paperback from the 70s or 80s with a very strong retro vibe so if that's what you're after, you'll get it in spades. Less so if you're just after pulp or don't appreciate the strong political message.
Pulp Concept: 4 stars.
It's an okay concept but I think the author carries it a long way. Were it in the hands of someone who wasn't as comfortable with military characters it may have been a shallow read but the author is able to give the situation a lot of authenticity and depth. There's also plenty of material to mine from the subject matter so overall it's a fairly satisfying concept, mostly thanks to the execution.
Character Development: 4 stars.
Military stories are usually ensemble stories and the author does very well bringing together an eclectic group of people who still work together in an authentic way. There's plenty of inter group drama and very different personalities but they're handled very well, each character achieving some sort of depth. Some characters felt like they only existed to support the politics but overall it was very good.
Production: 3 stars.
Spelling and grammar were good. There were a few weird page breaks in the middle of the book and for some reason, every time I turned on my Kobo the bookmark was about 8 or 9 pages back from where I finished last. But this could be a problem with the Kobo as much as the book. Where the production is really let down is the cover which, while serviceable, does sell the story short. The content inside deserves better.
Series Potential: 3.5 stars.
There's plenty more story left in this series with ramifications for the protagonist that could be interesting to explore later. But at the same time there isn't a lot there to suggest there's more to come. The characters are likeable enough to sustain another sequel (I think this is the second in the series) but it could also finish there without too many problems.
Wrap Up.
Tier Zero is a well written men's adventure action story with an old-school vibe but there are some aspects that will mean it's not for everyone. However, if old-school men's adventure is what you're after then this is a good example.
Overall: 4 stars (Recommended) - but drop a star if you're a pulp purist or think the politics may annoy you.
Tier Zero, though not the pulpiest read you're likely to find, is a good read in the vein of an old-school men's adventure paperback. It moves at a fast clip and has plenty of authentic military action and hardware to satisfy any enthusiast but the American politics can be a bit much if you're not that way inclined.
Pacing and Action: 3 stars.
If there's one thing this story does well it's the authentic use of military hardware and action. Clearly the author has some form of military background and the story benefits, conveying the use of hardware and what it's like to be on a battlefield, all while moving the plot at a rapid fire pace. Battle scenes are explosive, the characters know what they're doing, and what they achieve is built on a solid foundation of training, making much of what happens completely believeable. On the battlefield at least.
Where the story can bog down is with the politics. Maybe it's an American thing but, as an Australian, I found the political discussions a bit jarring. Long arguments full of assumptions I clearly wasn't privy to slowed the action down. It also sounded a bit one-sided so I can imagine that if you're American and you have a different set of political beliefs you may also be rubbed the wrong way. But, again, I'm clearly out of the loop of these discussions.
I'd also imagine pulp purists would find it a bit annoying. It does tend to suck the fun out of a story.
But this story isn't, per se pulp, more like a paperback from the 70s or 80s with a very strong retro vibe so if that's what you're after, you'll get it in spades. Less so if you're just after pulp or don't appreciate the strong political message.
Pulp Concept: 4 stars.
It's an okay concept but I think the author carries it a long way. Were it in the hands of someone who wasn't as comfortable with military characters it may have been a shallow read but the author is able to give the situation a lot of authenticity and depth. There's also plenty of material to mine from the subject matter so overall it's a fairly satisfying concept, mostly thanks to the execution.
Character Development: 4 stars.
Military stories are usually ensemble stories and the author does very well bringing together an eclectic group of people who still work together in an authentic way. There's plenty of inter group drama and very different personalities but they're handled very well, each character achieving some sort of depth. Some characters felt like they only existed to support the politics but overall it was very good.
Production: 3 stars.
Spelling and grammar were good. There were a few weird page breaks in the middle of the book and for some reason, every time I turned on my Kobo the bookmark was about 8 or 9 pages back from where I finished last. But this could be a problem with the Kobo as much as the book. Where the production is really let down is the cover which, while serviceable, does sell the story short. The content inside deserves better.
Series Potential: 3.5 stars.
There's plenty more story left in this series with ramifications for the protagonist that could be interesting to explore later. But at the same time there isn't a lot there to suggest there's more to come. The characters are likeable enough to sustain another sequel (I think this is the second in the series) but it could also finish there without too many problems.
Wrap Up.
Tier Zero is a well written men's adventure action story with an old-school vibe but there are some aspects that will mean it's not for everyone. However, if old-school men's adventure is what you're after then this is a good example.
January 30, 2013
I don't get jealous easily. I'm a confident writer, proud of my accomplishments in the field, and while I respect other authors, I seldom get envious when reading their work. In fact, I oftentimes nitpick their word choices, plotlines, and copyedit their work even when reading for pleasure.
With that in mind, consider the following statement: I wish I'd written this book.
That's right, I'm downright jealous about it. Brown takes everything great about the adventure genre and packs it tightly between (the awesomely illustrated) covers on this one.
Tier Zero comes loaded with a kickass protagonist--unique, flawed, thoughtful, and capable of extreme violence--hitting southeast Asia in a rescue mission alongside a team of mercenary ex-soldiers (all equally unique and memorable) that bring so much ass-kick to the game it makes me want to write every action-film director and tell them to stay home--their work bores me.
Now, I know Brown likes to call his work an homage to the bygone mens' pulp-fiction genre, but it surpasses that. Sure, he hits on the essentials--the attractive women, the brave, rugged fighting men, and the unmistakably evil bad guys--but he's a master storyteller, too. The plotline isn't so intricate you need to take notes, but it's engaging. The dialogue feels authentic, not stilted like that of so many others in the genre. The characters are developed and rich--bad dudes included--but without falling into that nasty trap of unnecessary and distracting detail.
Brown is well researched, but exercises restraint when presenting information he clearly knows a great deal about, giving clear explanations of acronyms, weapons, or procedures that would otherwise be lost on a civilian like myself.
The only thing that I feel could have been improved with this novel is the same thing I see in every book I've ever opened (traditionally published not exempted): the occasional grammatical slip up. Read my books sometime and you'll find them there, too. Those damn doubled-up words, misspellings, or usage errors sneak in and out of even the most warily guarded manuscripts like some kind of infectious disease. This shouldn't deter your from picking up this book; I want to resoundingly emphasize that.
Though I'll never be able to point to this book and proudly say, "I wrote that," that won't keep me from putting it on my shelf and reminding myself what to strive for as an author, and what quality writing looks like as a reader.
-Nate Granzow, author of THE SCORPION'S NEST
With that in mind, consider the following statement: I wish I'd written this book.
That's right, I'm downright jealous about it. Brown takes everything great about the adventure genre and packs it tightly between (the awesomely illustrated) covers on this one.
Tier Zero comes loaded with a kickass protagonist--unique, flawed, thoughtful, and capable of extreme violence--hitting southeast Asia in a rescue mission alongside a team of mercenary ex-soldiers (all equally unique and memorable) that bring so much ass-kick to the game it makes me want to write every action-film director and tell them to stay home--their work bores me.
Now, I know Brown likes to call his work an homage to the bygone mens' pulp-fiction genre, but it surpasses that. Sure, he hits on the essentials--the attractive women, the brave, rugged fighting men, and the unmistakably evil bad guys--but he's a master storyteller, too. The plotline isn't so intricate you need to take notes, but it's engaging. The dialogue feels authentic, not stilted like that of so many others in the genre. The characters are developed and rich--bad dudes included--but without falling into that nasty trap of unnecessary and distracting detail.
Brown is well researched, but exercises restraint when presenting information he clearly knows a great deal about, giving clear explanations of acronyms, weapons, or procedures that would otherwise be lost on a civilian like myself.
The only thing that I feel could have been improved with this novel is the same thing I see in every book I've ever opened (traditionally published not exempted): the occasional grammatical slip up. Read my books sometime and you'll find them there, too. Those damn doubled-up words, misspellings, or usage errors sneak in and out of even the most warily guarded manuscripts like some kind of infectious disease. This shouldn't deter your from picking up this book; I want to resoundingly emphasize that.
Though I'll never be able to point to this book and proudly say, "I wrote that," that won't keep me from putting it on my shelf and reminding myself what to strive for as an author, and what quality writing looks like as a reader.
-Nate Granzow, author of THE SCORPION'S NEST
July 28, 2018
Tier Zero by Henry Brown
Female college students on a yacht with professors
Pirates on the Java Sea
Kidnapping
Abuse
Auction
Retired military and mercenaries to the rescue…
…for some
This action-packed thriller was just what I needed! The retired military and mercenaries were a motley group that worked together as a team with a common goal and though they had little hope of success, were not always in agreement politically and came from various military disciplines they did achieve more than they had hoped to while thwarting more than one evil they were confronted with.
I love a book that makes me stretch, grow and think while teaching me something I didn’t know before and this book did all of those things. I would love to know more about Tommy Scarred Wolf, the men on his team, the Java Sea, pirates, human trafficking, Black Ops, Tier Zero Ops teams and a few more issues raised in this book. I found the writing kept me on the edge and invested throughout and hopeful that the conclusion of this book would provide some resolution for those that were still standing at the end. I have a feeling this book could be followed by another in the future as it seems that the main issue dogging Tommy may not have yet been totally resolved.
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes, definitely
Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
Female college students on a yacht with professors
Pirates on the Java Sea
Kidnapping
Abuse
Auction
Retired military and mercenaries to the rescue…
…for some
This action-packed thriller was just what I needed! The retired military and mercenaries were a motley group that worked together as a team with a common goal and though they had little hope of success, were not always in agreement politically and came from various military disciplines they did achieve more than they had hoped to while thwarting more than one evil they were confronted with.
I love a book that makes me stretch, grow and think while teaching me something I didn’t know before and this book did all of those things. I would love to know more about Tommy Scarred Wolf, the men on his team, the Java Sea, pirates, human trafficking, Black Ops, Tier Zero Ops teams and a few more issues raised in this book. I found the writing kept me on the edge and invested throughout and hopeful that the conclusion of this book would provide some resolution for those that were still standing at the end. I have a feeling this book could be followed by another in the future as it seems that the main issue dogging Tommy may not have yet been totally resolved.
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes, definitely
Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
June 10, 2015
Fast-paced action, gripping story, good character development, good descriptions - I liked this book very much and have nothing negative to say about it.
I won this book through Goodreads First Reads.
I won this book through Goodreads First Reads.
December 25, 2017
Good book
This book starts a little slow but makes up for it the further you read. I read the books out of order by finding False Flag first and then read this book. Like the fact that the action seemed real and no out of logical sense type events happened in the story line. Love the story and believe the back story.
This book starts a little slow but makes up for it the further you read. I read the books out of order by finding False Flag first and then read this book. Like the fact that the action seemed real and no out of logical sense type events happened in the story line. Love the story and believe the back story.
August 12, 2017
You can read my full review of the Retreads series here:
http://wp.me/p5COur-qw
http://wp.me/p5COur-qw
May 3, 2018
I enjoyed reading this book as it had a gripping storyline that kept you hooked. It was somewhat heavy on the military language, but you soon got used to that.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews