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Dead Six #1
Dead Six
Michael Valentine, veteran and former member of an elite private military company, has been recruited by the government to conduct a secret counter-terror operation in the Persian Gulf nation of Zubara. The unit is called Dead Six. Their mission is to take the fight to the enemy and not get caught.Lorenzo, assassin and thief extraordinaire, is being blackmailed by the world's most vicious crime lord. His team has to infiltrate the Zubaran terrorist network and pull off an impossible heist or his family will die. When Dead Six compromises his objective, Lorenzo has a new Find and kill Valentine.As allegiances are betrayed and the nation descends into a bloody civil war, Lorenzo and Valentine must face off. Two men. Two missions. Only one will win.At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
513 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 7, 2014
90 people are currently reading
1111 people want to read
About the author
Larry Correia
121 books4,396 followersLarry Correia (born 1977) is the New York Times bestselling author of the Monster Hunter International series, the Grimnoir Chronicles, and the thriller Dead Six.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
February 24, 2014
It pains me to rate this book so poorly. I'm a huge Larry Correia fan. I love Monster Hunter International. I love the Grimnoire Chronicles. These books were larger than life and loads of fun with interesting worlds, engaging characters and lots and lots of actions. Dead Six not so much.
Dead Six is about two black-ops type guys - both with questionable back grounds and questionable motives - working to achieve their goals in a Gulf Emirate. One is trying to steal something or all of his loved ones will be killed. The other is trying to knock off all of the terrorist baddies because a shadowy government agency says so. And wouldn't you know it their paths cross with explosive consequences? Underlying this there are interweaving conspiracies and a mysterious (likely supernatural) amulet. Think big budget summer hollywood blockbuster wanna-be. Lots of action - and a couple of smoking hot babes who happen to hook up with the guys. At the end they all come to a deserted Nevada ghost town to shoot it out with the bad guy mastermind and his henchmen.
My gripe with the book started almost immediately. The author switches between the two main characters - Valentine and Lorenzo - frequently. And he uses the first person when writing about these two guys. I found the two guys almost interchangeable - they weren't unique enough - and as a result got thoroughly confused. Did X just happen to Lorenzo, or wait, was that Valentine? Maybe I wasn't reading close enough but, frankly, the burden should not be on the reader to closely follow the story. It should come naturally. Because of this confusion I had a hard time engaging in the larger story.
As I was disillusioned with the main characters and story line, I started nit-picking the book. If you've read one of Larry's books you know the man knows his guns. He is constantly describing the weapons the men use - their load, their accessories, their rate of fire, etc. Monster Hunter International and Grimnoir were so good that it worked. Here it just kind of ticked me off. Yes, Valentine and Lorenzo are super duper bad-asses who know their guns. I get it.
The next thing that ticked me was the author's political philosophy. He's an extreme libertarian. The government is always bad, controlled by mysterious forces, and secretly working to keep the little people in the dark until it is too late. Again, with MHI and Grimnoir, it was somehow charming. Here, it annoyed me.
The one thing that kept me reading was the underlying mystery. What was the amulet? Who was the girl that was rescued at the very beginning by Exodus? Who, exactly, are Exodus? Who is Big Eddie's boss? Or Bosses? Unfortunately, the book left me hanging. It is possible that I might read the next book to find out the answers to those questions, but I kinda doubt it.
Again, so disappointed in this book. I love Larry Correia's other stuff. MHI and Grimnoir are amongst my favorite books. I couldn't believe how bad this book was by comparison. One and a half stars rounded up to two because MHI and Grimnoir were so awesome that he gets the half-point.
Dead Six is about two black-ops type guys - both with questionable back grounds and questionable motives - working to achieve their goals in a Gulf Emirate. One is trying to steal something or all of his loved ones will be killed. The other is trying to knock off all of the terrorist baddies because a shadowy government agency says so. And wouldn't you know it their paths cross with explosive consequences? Underlying this there are interweaving conspiracies and a mysterious (likely supernatural) amulet. Think big budget summer hollywood blockbuster wanna-be. Lots of action - and a couple of smoking hot babes who happen to hook up with the guys. At the end they all come to a deserted Nevada ghost town to shoot it out with the bad guy mastermind and his henchmen.
My gripe with the book started almost immediately. The author switches between the two main characters - Valentine and Lorenzo - frequently. And he uses the first person when writing about these two guys. I found the two guys almost interchangeable - they weren't unique enough - and as a result got thoroughly confused. Did X just happen to Lorenzo, or wait, was that Valentine? Maybe I wasn't reading close enough but, frankly, the burden should not be on the reader to closely follow the story. It should come naturally. Because of this confusion I had a hard time engaging in the larger story.
As I was disillusioned with the main characters and story line, I started nit-picking the book. If you've read one of Larry's books you know the man knows his guns. He is constantly describing the weapons the men use - their load, their accessories, their rate of fire, etc. Monster Hunter International and Grimnoir were so good that it worked. Here it just kind of ticked me off. Yes, Valentine and Lorenzo are super duper bad-asses who know their guns. I get it.
The next thing that ticked me was the author's political philosophy. He's an extreme libertarian. The government is always bad, controlled by mysterious forces, and secretly working to keep the little people in the dark until it is too late. Again, with MHI and Grimnoir, it was somehow charming. Here, it annoyed me.
The one thing that kept me reading was the underlying mystery. What was the amulet? Who was the girl that was rescued at the very beginning by Exodus? Who, exactly, are Exodus? Who is Big Eddie's boss? Or Bosses? Unfortunately, the book left me hanging. It is possible that I might read the next book to find out the answers to those questions, but I kinda doubt it.
Again, so disappointed in this book. I love Larry Correia's other stuff. MHI and Grimnoir are amongst my favorite books. I couldn't believe how bad this book was by comparison. One and a half stars rounded up to two because MHI and Grimnoir were so awesome that he gets the half-point.
August 26, 2012
Well...okay. A 3 is still on the "pretty good" side. This is the lowest rating I've given any book Larry Coreia has had anything to do with. So...what's up? (s'up?)
The book is a pretty good actioner and that part doesn't fall down. There are numerous good scenes full of explosions, gun fire, personal violence, blood...it's got some classic gore-fests.
It's the parts between the action scenes where things become just a bit wanting. It was a bit like some movies I've seen where the special effects were great, but the story was sort of phoned in. I got a little tired "first off" with the back and forth view point, but it was alright. But then when the book just sort of ground down to a crawl in some ways. I could pretty much have dropped it... I didn't even care if I finished it. Too bad, really.
So, nice action, plenty of bang but I wasn't really taken with plot, story or participants (read characters)...and I love good brain candy. This one just didn't click with me. Too bad as I'm a fan of L. Correia. If he/they publish another of these I'll probably give it a try, I live in hope. Still, 3 is as high as I can go on this one.
The book is a pretty good actioner and that part doesn't fall down. There are numerous good scenes full of explosions, gun fire, personal violence, blood...it's got some classic gore-fests.
It's the parts between the action scenes where things become just a bit wanting. It was a bit like some movies I've seen where the special effects were great, but the story was sort of phoned in. I got a little tired "first off" with the back and forth view point, but it was alright. But then when the book just sort of ground down to a crawl in some ways. I could pretty much have dropped it... I didn't even care if I finished it. Too bad, really.
So, nice action, plenty of bang but I wasn't really taken with plot, story or participants (read characters)...and I love good brain candy. This one just didn't click with me. Too bad as I'm a fan of L. Correia. If he/they publish another of these I'll probably give it a try, I live in hope. Still, 3 is as high as I can go on this one.
February 25, 2014
I'm a big fan of Larry Correia's writing, but this is a different genre than I'm used to from him (UF mostly). This is a different genre for me, period. Military action fiction. It's not that far off from parts of UF with all the fire fights and crazed enemies, but I admit I was lost in much of the military jargon. For a lot of it, I could figure out what things were in context, but I think that may have been the reason it took me a long time to become invested in the story and characters. But when I finally did become invested, I was pulled in and swept along by the story.
There are two protagonists; Valentine and Lorenzo. We read the story from each of their first person POVs. It's clearly titled when the POV shifts so it's not a problem at all, and it's nice to get both of their perspectives. Neither one is a hero in any traditional sense. They're both killers, thieves and mercenaries, although only one of them thinks of himself in any way as a "good guy". They both perform brave acts that save others and they both have people they care about that they'd lay down their lives for. This is how they become sympathetic.
My biggest complaint about the characters is that, in order for the action and story to proceed, they're made much more naive than either of these men would be, IMO. Everything they've seen and done tells me they'd be a lot more jaded and a lot less vulnerable to the outside forces that control them. Certainly a lot less trusting. So that was something I needed to get over.
I don't think any of my friends would like this book. I can't imagine one who would go for military fiction with all its acronyms and intricate references to guns and ordnance. But, even though I was certain I would quit this trilogy after this first book, I am now as certain I will continue. It got its hooks in me, what can I say. Ends on a bit of a cliffie, too, but I know it's a trilogy so that's not unexpected.
There are two protagonists; Valentine and Lorenzo. We read the story from each of their first person POVs. It's clearly titled when the POV shifts so it's not a problem at all, and it's nice to get both of their perspectives. Neither one is a hero in any traditional sense. They're both killers, thieves and mercenaries, although only one of them thinks of himself in any way as a "good guy". They both perform brave acts that save others and they both have people they care about that they'd lay down their lives for. This is how they become sympathetic.
My biggest complaint about the characters is that, in order for the action and story to proceed, they're made much more naive than either of these men would be, IMO. Everything they've seen and done tells me they'd be a lot more jaded and a lot less vulnerable to the outside forces that control them. Certainly a lot less trusting. So that was something I needed to get over.
I don't think any of my friends would like this book. I can't imagine one who would go for military fiction with all its acronyms and intricate references to guns and ordnance. But, even though I was certain I would quit this trilogy after this first book, I am now as certain I will continue. It got its hooks in me, what can I say. Ends on a bit of a cliffie, too, but I know it's a trilogy so that's not unexpected.
March 25, 2025
I'm a big Larry Correia fan and I'm a fan of this genre, but this was pretty mid. Also the dueling 1st person POVs didn't work that well in execution because they switch mid chapter and I'd often forget which POV I was reading since the characters weren't that unique.
June 15, 2012
Oh man, do I love reading a Larry Correia book! Is he the best technical writer I've ever read? No. Does he write the most intricate plots on the market? Nah. Are his characters multi-layered and inscrutable? Not even close. So what do I love so much about Larry's stuff? In a word: testosterone. Whether it's the Grimnoir Chronicles or the Monster Hunter series, Larry writes action, 'splosions and good old fashioned blood and guts like nobody else!
Dead Six is a slight departure from Larry's typical format. There were no vampires, werewolves or ancient trans-dimensional deities bent on eating Earth for lunch. There were no pimped out zeppelins, magic samurai or Thompson-wielding supernatural tough guys. What there was was over the top gun violence, graphic jihadist eviscerations and a heaping dose of toe-to-toe, mano-a-mano, smackdown butt kickery. Good times indeed.
I have decided not to even critique Dead Six in a technical way. It wasn't written to impress lit majors. It was written so that gun geeks like me could get a break from the day to day routine and relax with some awesome shoot-em-up fiction.
Fun story, engaging plot, good suspense, occasional romance (to keep the chicks happy) and just plain old awesome. Do I recommend Dead Six? Are you kidding me? Read it now and try not to immediately run out and buy yourself a trunkful of assault rifles.
If you're tired of touchy-feely, new age, get-in-touch-with-your-feminine-side crap, wash your brain out with Larry Correia's Dead Six and be happy...
Dead Six is a slight departure from Larry's typical format. There were no vampires, werewolves or ancient trans-dimensional deities bent on eating Earth for lunch. There were no pimped out zeppelins, magic samurai or Thompson-wielding supernatural tough guys. What there was was over the top gun violence, graphic jihadist eviscerations and a heaping dose of toe-to-toe, mano-a-mano, smackdown butt kickery. Good times indeed.
I have decided not to even critique Dead Six in a technical way. It wasn't written to impress lit majors. It was written so that gun geeks like me could get a break from the day to day routine and relax with some awesome shoot-em-up fiction.
Fun story, engaging plot, good suspense, occasional romance (to keep the chicks happy) and just plain old awesome. Do I recommend Dead Six? Are you kidding me? Read it now and try not to immediately run out and buy yourself a trunkful of assault rifles.
If you're tired of touchy-feely, new age, get-in-touch-with-your-feminine-side crap, wash your brain out with Larry Correia's Dead Six and be happy...
March 8, 2014
One of those books that you don't want to end. Luckily there is a part 2, which I just started.
May 3, 2019
I'm a little more familiar with Correia's usual fare: tending toward urban and traditional fantasy. This book was firmly outside that territory as a military action thriller. There's very little that can be considered fantastical at all, save perhaps the vast conspiracies and power brokers. Overall that's in the background for this book.
Dead Six sports not one but two different protagonists traveling two different storylines that begin to entwine about a third of the way through and put them frequently at cross purposes. The fun part of this book is that by the time I got to the part they were fighting each other, I truly didn't have a side I wanted to prevail over the other. I liked both Valentine and Lorenzo, and I wanted them to somehow succeed in spite of the fact that their goals usually put them at odds.
When I chatted with Correia at the convention where I got the second book (they were sold of out Dead Six and so I checked this one out at the library), he noted that he wrote the narrative for one character and Kupari wrote for the other. The strength of both authors, I believe, is that I enjoyed both and never really could pick out who wrote for whom. There wasn't a perspective that I just didn't want to read, I liked it all. They make a coherent narrative and even pull action scenes that jump between both perspectives with skill. It made for a gripping novel.
Dead Six sports not one but two different protagonists traveling two different storylines that begin to entwine about a third of the way through and put them frequently at cross purposes. The fun part of this book is that by the time I got to the part they were fighting each other, I truly didn't have a side I wanted to prevail over the other. I liked both Valentine and Lorenzo, and I wanted them to somehow succeed in spite of the fact that their goals usually put them at odds.
When I chatted with Correia at the convention where I got the second book (they were sold of out Dead Six and so I checked this one out at the library), he noted that he wrote the narrative for one character and Kupari wrote for the other. The strength of both authors, I believe, is that I enjoyed both and never really could pick out who wrote for whom. There wasn't a perspective that I just didn't want to read, I liked it all. They make a coherent narrative and even pull action scenes that jump between both perspectives with skill. It made for a gripping novel.
May 11, 2020
I get the feeling I should have liked this book more than I did, but the needle never went past three stars as I read it. That surprises me, since Dead Six has all of the things I like in modern adventure stories: Lots of guns, used appropriately and with accurate descriptions, and an interesting plot. Still, it was a good book.
Valentine and Lorenzo (That's a movie series title right there) are two mercenaries doing what they do best on an Earth that is rapidly falling into chaos. Throw into the mix a macguffin that may be extraterrestrial or solves the problem of unlimited energy and you suddenly find yourself in a situation where billionaires play with countries like chess pieces.
BTW, the main villain made me think of a mix of Soros and Elton John. Your take may be different.
The ending is a bit mixed, but sets up for the next book VERY well I thought.
A definite must read for fans of Correia and Kupari. As for the rest of you,
Find it. Buy it. Read it!
Valentine and Lorenzo (That's a movie series title right there) are two mercenaries doing what they do best on an Earth that is rapidly falling into chaos. Throw into the mix a macguffin that may be extraterrestrial or solves the problem of unlimited energy and you suddenly find yourself in a situation where billionaires play with countries like chess pieces.
BTW, the main villain made me think of a mix of Soros and Elton John. Your take may be different.
The ending is a bit mixed, but sets up for the next book VERY well I thought.
A definite must read for fans of Correia and Kupari. As for the rest of you,
Find it. Buy it. Read it!
February 23, 2018
This one is disappointing. I often enjoy this genre as a great palate cleanser in between heavier and more difficult reading. Generally it is exciting, and although the characters are also quite unbelievable because they are too over-the-top they are also fun to chase through the roller coaster that is their lives. Unfortunately the two protagonists of this one were not fun or even unique... in fact it was not easy to remember who was speaking much of the time. They were almost interchangeable. That, combined with the plot which rarely intrigued led me to regret having purchased this one, even on sale.
April 15, 2014
Book Ingredients:
The Good:
Suspenseful action scenes
Interesting setting
Intriguing plot with a few good twists
One well placed “that’s what she said joke”
The Bad:
Gratuitous gun porn
Every corny action cliché there is
Awkward dialogue
Comic book violence
Typical one dimensional action characters: the gun loving red neck, the bad ass killer with a heart, the old gruff man with an eye patch, the nerdy MIT law breaking hacker, the Sauvé thief, the poodle petting villain
The Good:
Suspenseful action scenes
Interesting setting
Intriguing plot with a few good twists
One well placed “that’s what she said joke”
The Bad:
Gratuitous gun porn
Every corny action cliché there is
Awkward dialogue
Comic book violence
Typical one dimensional action characters: the gun loving red neck, the bad ass killer with a heart, the old gruff man with an eye patch, the nerdy MIT law breaking hacker, the Sauvé thief, the poodle petting villain
January 26, 2014
It took me forever to finish this book!! I wanted to love this book like I do the MHI books, but I just didn't. I don't think I am the target audience. Too much gun porn and killing for me. I usually don't mind that, but I guess I need a little romance for it to go down easier? So bring on the next MHI, I am ready to see Owen Z change his first stinky diaper. I think he would rather face a room full of Zombies with a knife and his wits!
March 26, 2014
This is the last Larry Correia that I will read. He used to be pretty good but this one just dragged on. There weren't any characters to like and the story was not compelling or entertaining. Frustrating and dumb.
October 5, 2011
Just fininshe this book. It was great. I am looking forward to seeing these charcters in the future. I highly recommend it.
March 5, 2019
Plot:
This book is presented in the first perspective between two characters, Lorenzo and Valentine. It is hard to get into the plot without including the characters as there is a lot of interchanging between the two. If you ever play games where you have to shift through characters to complete a puzzle than you got the basic handle on the story.
Lorenzo is the lovable thief who steals from terrorists and warlords. He is a con-man who is the master of disguise. His old employer, a Moriarty clone, tells him to steal an item for him. He goes to the stereotypical Arab terrorist town to steal object but the extras from every Ghost Recon game ever made messes up his plans.
Valentine is a mercenary who doesn't give a crap about killing tons of innocent bystanders and police officers but deep down, hey he's the hero of the story so you are forced to love him. He gets hired by a shadowy government paramilitary organisation called Dead 6. He thinks that he is going off to save America. As this is a book about revenge and conspiracies you can tell what is going to happen.
Characters:
There is only two characters you really need to know.
Lorenzo is Hitman.
Valentine is Gruffy Macgruff who is sad because he misses shooting people but gets mad because he didn't read the contract.
The rest are your average check lists. Emo nerd computer hacker. Check. Black muscleman. Check. Crazy side kick who talks friend into plot development. Check. Romantic love interests. Double check.
And lets talk about those love interests for a second. You see Correia got it into his thick head that by stapling a girl to Hitman and the Punisher that it will somehow make them relatable. He does this in the typical fantasy author way by angering the Feminist community.
I mean seriously. Damsel in Distress 1 is in a secret government hit squad with martial arts training but falls in love with Gruffy because he got out of his plane seat. Damsel in Distress 2 is trained in martial arts, has gun training, and she is hot. These two should be more than Princess Peaches strapped to rail road tracks. The book doesn't need them.
With the Sarah character I was skipped the romance stuff. It felt forced, Valentine could have had a sexual relationship with gun and I would have believed it more.
“Curse you evil organisation that I was working for, you scratched my big gun. You must pay. Rrrr. I'm angry. Valentine smash.”
You know that when the bad guys are Moriarty from Sherlock, and a generic government extra that the story isn't going to be breaking any new ground.
What I like:
As always Correia excels at fight scenes. Call of Duty should pick up the rights for this. Good action, believable, nicely choreographed. He also does some good world building.
What I don't like:
I am rather disappointed in Correia for this one. Monster Hunter had good strong female characters that don't feel like they need to stand by a bag of beef to make them seem special.
The book didn't need them. Remove the romance elements and you could still have a strong novel about betrayal and revenge.
This book is presented in the first perspective between two characters, Lorenzo and Valentine. It is hard to get into the plot without including the characters as there is a lot of interchanging between the two. If you ever play games where you have to shift through characters to complete a puzzle than you got the basic handle on the story.
Lorenzo is the lovable thief who steals from terrorists and warlords. He is a con-man who is the master of disguise. His old employer, a Moriarty clone, tells him to steal an item for him. He goes to the stereotypical Arab terrorist town to steal object but the extras from every Ghost Recon game ever made messes up his plans.
Valentine is a mercenary who doesn't give a crap about killing tons of innocent bystanders and police officers but deep down, hey he's the hero of the story so you are forced to love him. He gets hired by a shadowy government paramilitary organisation called Dead 6. He thinks that he is going off to save America. As this is a book about revenge and conspiracies you can tell what is going to happen.
Characters:
There is only two characters you really need to know.
Lorenzo is Hitman.
Valentine is Gruffy Macgruff who is sad because he misses shooting people but gets mad because he didn't read the contract.
The rest are your average check lists. Emo nerd computer hacker. Check. Black muscleman. Check. Crazy side kick who talks friend into plot development. Check. Romantic love interests. Double check.
And lets talk about those love interests for a second. You see Correia got it into his thick head that by stapling a girl to Hitman and the Punisher that it will somehow make them relatable. He does this in the typical fantasy author way by angering the Feminist community.
I mean seriously. Damsel in Distress 1 is in a secret government hit squad with martial arts training but falls in love with Gruffy because he got out of his plane seat. Damsel in Distress 2 is trained in martial arts, has gun training, and she is hot. These two should be more than Princess Peaches strapped to rail road tracks. The book doesn't need them.
With the Sarah character I was skipped the romance stuff. It felt forced, Valentine could have had a sexual relationship with gun and I would have believed it more.
“Curse you evil organisation that I was working for, you scratched my big gun. You must pay. Rrrr. I'm angry. Valentine smash.”
You know that when the bad guys are Moriarty from Sherlock, and a generic government extra that the story isn't going to be breaking any new ground.
What I like:
As always Correia excels at fight scenes. Call of Duty should pick up the rights for this. Good action, believable, nicely choreographed. He also does some good world building.
What I don't like:
I am rather disappointed in Correia for this one. Monster Hunter had good strong female characters that don't feel like they need to stand by a bag of beef to make them seem special.
The book didn't need them. Remove the romance elements and you could still have a strong novel about betrayal and revenge.
February 17, 2018
I like books that are true to what they say the story is about. I get after books that fail this simple criteria. _Dead Six_ is a book that is exactly as it says it is. A combat thriller that strives for accuracy of gear, place and characters.
With _Dead Six_ you get two main characters that are more similar than different. The authors have written it from first person points of view of both characters. This can be a little weird in the beginning and as the two characters keep running into each other. But it works. The characters are talking to you, especially with Lorenzo. His quips and observations are humorous, even at one point saying something is none of the reader’s business to know.
The plot is long, though linear. At one point there was as logical conclusion, a set up for the next book. But you know there is more as there were 200 pages to go. Yep, what is about half a book for other authors is the conclusion/climax for this one (but it works). But the book didn't feel stretched out or long winded. It did keep me up at night, as I didn't want to put it down until the current gun battle was over. There are lots of them and all highly detailed.
This is a book about war and the use of military contractors to further the aims of governments. It is about what happens to those whose everyday experience is that of combat. But don't expect it to be more than that. _Dead Six_ is a thriller. Think of it as a more accurate action movie that just doesn't stop. The weapons are real, used in real ways and with real limitations. The characters move and act in believable ways in as small team operators. As it is a thriller, the characters can take a lot of abuse and still continue on. That long conclusion has a lot of coinsidences that start to stretch credibility, but if you go with it, the explination works. Just don't look too deep.
I liked the character of Lorenzo more than that of Valentine. Lorenzo is a thief and assassin who steals only from other bad people. As he puts it, they deserve it and they have more money. He is more complex and always has a little surprise. He cares, but in his own way. Which can be difficult to fully understand. But it works.
If you are someone who is looking for a well written thriller that doesn’t stop, that understands action, this is your book. If you don’t like violence, graphic depictions of bullet and knife damage and swearing, this isn’t your book. Think John Woo’s Hong Kong films (The Killer is referenced within the book). If you like that kind of relentless action, _Dead Six_ will work for you. Remember, the book isn’t trying to be anything but what it is. For that, I like it. I saw there are two more, so those will go onto my list.
With _Dead Six_ you get two main characters that are more similar than different. The authors have written it from first person points of view of both characters. This can be a little weird in the beginning and as the two characters keep running into each other. But it works. The characters are talking to you, especially with Lorenzo. His quips and observations are humorous, even at one point saying something is none of the reader’s business to know.
The plot is long, though linear. At one point there was as logical conclusion, a set up for the next book. But you know there is more as there were 200 pages to go. Yep, what is about half a book for other authors is the conclusion/climax for this one (but it works). But the book didn't feel stretched out or long winded. It did keep me up at night, as I didn't want to put it down until the current gun battle was over. There are lots of them and all highly detailed.
This is a book about war and the use of military contractors to further the aims of governments. It is about what happens to those whose everyday experience is that of combat. But don't expect it to be more than that. _Dead Six_ is a thriller. Think of it as a more accurate action movie that just doesn't stop. The weapons are real, used in real ways and with real limitations. The characters move and act in believable ways in as small team operators. As it is a thriller, the characters can take a lot of abuse and still continue on. That long conclusion has a lot of coinsidences that start to stretch credibility, but if you go with it, the explination works. Just don't look too deep.
I liked the character of Lorenzo more than that of Valentine. Lorenzo is a thief and assassin who steals only from other bad people. As he puts it, they deserve it and they have more money. He is more complex and always has a little surprise. He cares, but in his own way. Which can be difficult to fully understand. But it works.
If you are someone who is looking for a well written thriller that doesn’t stop, that understands action, this is your book. If you don’t like violence, graphic depictions of bullet and knife damage and swearing, this isn’t your book. Think John Woo’s Hong Kong films (The Killer is referenced within the book). If you like that kind of relentless action, _Dead Six_ will work for you. Remember, the book isn’t trying to be anything but what it is. For that, I like it. I saw there are two more, so those will go onto my list.
March 2, 2020
Alonzo and Valentine live on two different paths along the same river. Alonzo is a thief, and exceptional thief, but a thief. For years he worked under the strong arm of the infamous unworld figure known only as Big Eddie, but finally out from under Big Eddie's thumb he decide to gather his own crew and pull of a few nearly impossible jobs. Now Eddie wants him back for one more major job, and if he refuses, his extended family, all of them, will be killed.
Valentine is a mercenary, a warrior and a stone cold killer. His calling was clear to him from a very early age, and he excels at it. Like many soldiers coming home he is not sure what to do with himself. In one life he mattered, he stop killers, and saved lives, even if he take to take a few to do it. While his gut feeling of right or wrong might not always be on point, his reasoning mind knows it well enough to keep him out of trouble... sometimes.
Dead Six is a Classic Larry Correia type of novel, and pretty darn good if you like Military Fiction. The Gun Geek is alive and well in the spirit of this story, but so is the gritty, boots on the ground feel for it all.
I didn't give it 5 stars because the pacing was off to me a little, and at times the audio narration was annoying, but other then that it was a solid read. I am in the middle of the next book now.
Valentine is a mercenary, a warrior and a stone cold killer. His calling was clear to him from a very early age, and he excels at it. Like many soldiers coming home he is not sure what to do with himself. In one life he mattered, he stop killers, and saved lives, even if he take to take a few to do it. While his gut feeling of right or wrong might not always be on point, his reasoning mind knows it well enough to keep him out of trouble... sometimes.
Dead Six is a Classic Larry Correia type of novel, and pretty darn good if you like Military Fiction. The Gun Geek is alive and well in the spirit of this story, but so is the gritty, boots on the ground feel for it all.
I didn't give it 5 stars because the pacing was off to me a little, and at times the audio narration was annoying, but other then that it was a solid read. I am in the middle of the next book now.
June 18, 2017
Sometimes, coauthored books fall flat, other times, they're fantastic. Dead Six is definitely the latter.
Mike Kupari, Air Force vet, bomb disposal technician, and lucky Michigan escapee co-wrote, with Larry Correia, proud International Lord of Hate, a book that brings a little of everything into it.
Kupari wrote the character Valentine, an Air Force vet cum private contractor who gets involved with a top secret US black op in the Middle East. Waging an offensive war against Jihadists, by fighting terror with terror, they unwittingly help destabilize the nation which erupts into civil war.
Correia wrote Lorenzo, a hardened killer and thief who preys upon the wealthy scum of the earth, but all for a hefty paycheck of course. Lorenzo, like Valentine, is on a mission, though this one is to retrieve artifacts for his own boss, a man known as Big Eddie who is one of the world's top crime Lords.
Their paths cross, more ways than one, and the ride you're taken on is a hell of a blast.
Great military action, amazing gun play, esoterica and conspiracy theory, maybe a hint of ancient aliens like stuff in the background, and some hilarious one liners make this a very ry enjoyable read.
Highly recommended.
Mike Kupari, Air Force vet, bomb disposal technician, and lucky Michigan escapee co-wrote, with Larry Correia, proud International Lord of Hate, a book that brings a little of everything into it.
Kupari wrote the character Valentine, an Air Force vet cum private contractor who gets involved with a top secret US black op in the Middle East. Waging an offensive war against Jihadists, by fighting terror with terror, they unwittingly help destabilize the nation which erupts into civil war.
Correia wrote Lorenzo, a hardened killer and thief who preys upon the wealthy scum of the earth, but all for a hefty paycheck of course. Lorenzo, like Valentine, is on a mission, though this one is to retrieve artifacts for his own boss, a man known as Big Eddie who is one of the world's top crime Lords.
Their paths cross, more ways than one, and the ride you're taken on is a hell of a blast.
Great military action, amazing gun play, esoterica and conspiracy theory, maybe a hint of ancient aliens like stuff in the background, and some hilarious one liners make this a very ry enjoyable read.
Highly recommended.
October 30, 2017
Sorely disappointed! I got it, since I liked Correia's MHI and Hard Magic books, but this one is terrible.
A black-and-white approach might be fun in a fantasy setting, but applied to the real world situation of Islamic terrorists, it's just plain disgusting. The bad guys came in three flavours: sadistic killers, evil moneymakers, and spoiled rich kids. The response to them was the hand-gun version of "Nuke them!".
Our super-combat, bad ass heroes are send in, always understrength wondering loudly that SOMETHING DOES NOT MATCH UP (do not be afraid to miss a clue, the authors won't let you), but pull it off, despite heart-breaking losses. Rinse and repeat. Rinse and repeat. Rinse and repeat. Until they literally run out of bodies. The only saving grace and nod to sanity is the fact that this insane idea backfired on the wider political level.
The second half of the book was better, which still does not mean good.
One can take cliché characters and compile them into a story which, while not terribly innovative, can be vastly entertaining. This failed here completely, not even taking into account the authors political views which unsubtly penetrated the book.
A black-and-white approach might be fun in a fantasy setting, but applied to the real world situation of Islamic terrorists, it's just plain disgusting. The bad guys came in three flavours: sadistic killers, evil moneymakers, and spoiled rich kids. The response to them was the hand-gun version of "Nuke them!".
Our super-combat, bad ass heroes are send in, always understrength wondering loudly that SOMETHING DOES NOT MATCH UP (do not be afraid to miss a clue, the authors won't let you), but pull it off, despite heart-breaking losses. Rinse and repeat. Rinse and repeat. Rinse and repeat. Until they literally run out of bodies. The only saving grace and nod to sanity is the fact that this insane idea backfired on the wider political level.
The second half of the book was better, which still does not mean good.
One can take cliché characters and compile them into a story which, while not terribly innovative, can be vastly entertaining. This failed here completely, not even taking into account the authors political views which unsubtly penetrated the book.
September 27, 2017
3.5 stars
I don't usually listen to military thrillers, but I'm a big Correia fan so I knew I'd eventually give this one a go. It was good. The action was intense, the characters likeable and story captivating enough that I stuck with it. It may have been a little longer than necessary, but not ridiculously so.
Bronson Pinchot narrated the book. He's one of my favorites, with this book being no exception. However, this one occasionally had the feel of either poor audio directing (?) or Pinchot was guessing at his needed tone based on a first pass of the material. For example there were a couple scenes where the character was speaking at a normal tone and then went into an outrageous yelling fit. I think this was a situation where Pinchot would've normally been elevating his volume as he approached the outburst. But done as it was something felt a little OFF. His Big Eddy voice killed me. So funny.
I need a little break before jumping into book two so I'll probably knock out one of the short books on my to-read shelf.
I don't usually listen to military thrillers, but I'm a big Correia fan so I knew I'd eventually give this one a go. It was good. The action was intense, the characters likeable and story captivating enough that I stuck with it. It may have been a little longer than necessary, but not ridiculously so.
Bronson Pinchot narrated the book. He's one of my favorites, with this book being no exception. However, this one occasionally had the feel of either poor audio directing (?) or Pinchot was guessing at his needed tone based on a first pass of the material. For example there were a couple scenes where the character was speaking at a normal tone and then went into an outrageous yelling fit. I think this was a situation where Pinchot would've normally been elevating his volume as he approached the outburst. But done as it was something felt a little OFF. His Big Eddy voice killed me. So funny.
I need a little break before jumping into book two so I'll probably knock out one of the short books on my to-read shelf.
July 12, 2024
Better to read than listen to
I purchased and listened to this book on Audible. While the story is okay (high action), the narration by Bronson Pinchot is very confusing. The story bounces back and forth between two characters following separate storylines for the first half of the book (yes, they converge of course), but the narrator uses the same voice for the two main characters. This made following the different characters and stories very confusing for the listener. While all other aspects of Bronson Pinchot's narration were very good, this glaring issue pretty much ruined the book for me, making it more frustrating than enjoyable. The long storyline was fine - not great, but not bad.
I purchased and listened to this book on Audible. While the story is okay (high action), the narration by Bronson Pinchot is very confusing. The story bounces back and forth between two characters following separate storylines for the first half of the book (yes, they converge of course), but the narrator uses the same voice for the two main characters. This made following the different characters and stories very confusing for the listener. While all other aspects of Bronson Pinchot's narration were very good, this glaring issue pretty much ruined the book for me, making it more frustrating than enjoyable. The long storyline was fine - not great, but not bad.
February 21, 2018
This reminded me a lot of the Jason Bourne stories. Dead Six has more of a military feel, but it has plenty of government agents playing games with peoples lives to fit in the same genre.
This book starts off kind of slow, like until halfway. Not from the perspective of action, but story movement. A lot of filling in the blanks that didn't seem to be necessary to keep the story moving. Overall it was a good read, but not one that made me feel I couldn't wait for the next book.
I started reading this after reading Correia's Monster Hunter International series, and I just didn't feel as enthralled with the Dead Six universe as I did with MHI.
This book starts off kind of slow, like until halfway. Not from the perspective of action, but story movement. A lot of filling in the blanks that didn't seem to be necessary to keep the story moving. Overall it was a good read, but not one that made me feel I couldn't wait for the next book.
I started reading this after reading Correia's Monster Hunter International series, and I just didn't feel as enthralled with the Dead Six universe as I did with MHI.
June 8, 2022
I followed Larry over from his MHI books, and having read Mike Kupari elsewhere, I figured this would be a great team-up! It was a great blend of action and characters and I was happy to wait until all 3 books of the series came out so I could read them all at once without any gaps. Lorenzo and Valentine make for fabulous foils for each other in this first book as they find themselves on opposing sides of a hostile situation in the Middle East. By the end of the book, everyone is intertwined and pointed toward a different objective just to try and stay alive. Highly recommend to anyone that loves MHI or is a fan of Military fiction in general.
October 17, 2020
Nice switch of genre for Larry Correia while continuing to keep the action packed tales he usually tells. I didn't have a problem with the genre change as some of the reviewers have had as I also read quite a bit of techno thrillers and thrillers in general. With this book having two authors, I really had a hard time finding where one writer left off and the other started. Both POV characters had consistent voices and were both compelling in their motivations and actions.
I will be reading the next in the series to see how it continues.
I will be reading the next in the series to see how it continues.
January 17, 2022
Wasn't what I expected, but still a very good story. This book won't be for everyone: good-bad guys, bad-good guys, bad guys who don't know they're bad, shadow governments and mysterious world ruling conspiracies...not everyone's choice but I found it thoroughly enjoyable. Really good character fleshing out, a few surprising twists, and PLENTY of running-and-gunning as well as super secret squirrel ninja-style stuff! I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of this style of story (Maberry, Rollins type writers).
July 26, 2022
almost three books in one - it kept you entertained throughout. Narrator was excellent. Unique voices for each character, even the smaller parts. Lots of unique characters throughout, but easy to follow. Bad guys are really bad with no room for doubt, good guys are . . . mildly better. They still kill as many people, but their motives are more pure and they stop and women and children. A lot of death, mayhem and destruction, but in the end - the good guys sail off into the sunset. It's a john wayne western set in slightly future times.
March 6, 2018
Not a bad story but in comparison the Monster Hunter Series blows it away. Besides periodic shooting and a discovery of a clue there were not a lot of twists or ah-ha moments. Also the main characters were almost identical which at some times was interesting and sometime made it had to follow. I probably will give the next book in the series a chance but I will be hoping for more depth and plot.
May 11, 2018
The main plot is good. The writing is good; a little too detailed for me at some points.
2 Stars because the going back and forth between characters and events is too much (to be fair, I was listening to an Audiobook). Maybe I'll give the written word a chance and see if it improves the experience. Until then I will be listening to the Deep Dark Descending.
2 Stars because the going back and forth between characters and events is too much (to be fair, I was listening to an Audiobook). Maybe I'll give the written word a chance and see if it improves the experience. Until then I will be listening to the Deep Dark Descending.
March 10, 2019
I love Larry Correia's Grimnoir and Monster Hunter series. When I ran out of them, I got to looking for something else from him to start.
I was disappointed in Dead Six. Very predictable plot. Two-dimensional characters. Pretty good dialogue overall which gets quite witty here and there. It was fun enough to finish, but I'm not sure I would bother with the rest of the series.
I was disappointed in Dead Six. Very predictable plot. Two-dimensional characters. Pretty good dialogue overall which gets quite witty here and there. It was fun enough to finish, but I'm not sure I would bother with the rest of the series.
November 22, 2021
A mix of a heist and small team military. The story itself felt like it dragged in places and should have gotten to its point sooner.
The book had a hint of supernatural in a couple places and it is unclear if this is a teaser of what is to come in the series or just leaving mystery to the world.
The book had a hint of supernatural in a couple places and it is unclear if this is a teaser of what is to come in the series or just leaving mystery to the world.
December 3, 2016
The action scenes are great but the story sucks. Constant switch between the two main characters, narrating in the first person, and no real distinguishment between them is really confusing.
I love MI and Grimnoire Chronicles but this book is not anything like them.
I love MI and Grimnoire Chronicles but this book is not anything like them.
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