What do you think?
Rate this book
Shadow Watch: Kethurg War
An elite unit. A dark secret. Can they stop interstellar war before it starts?
The Mandalorian meets The Gladiator with a nod to Firefly in this grimdark, science fiction adventure where the line between friend and foe is as blurred as the star-lines in hyperspace where the best way to solve problems is with the business end of a blaster.
Hex Thorn, a hard-bitten veteran of the elite Special Operations Unit of the Dominion Empire, was content with retirement. He’d seen his share of death in a bitter war that ripped the galaxy apart.
But when an enigmatic stranger makes him an offer he can’t refuse–a chance to own a legendary Lancer ship–Hex is thrust back into the fray.
His mission?
Hunt down the elusive Dr. Attica Tharand, a person whose secrets could shatter the galaxy’s fragile balance of power.
Hex must reassemble his old Special Ops team, a ragtag crew of soldiers as skilled as they are unpredictable. But they soon find out they aren't the only ones after the doctor.
With galactic tension on the razor’s edge, Hex will need all his grit, guile, and gunfire to uncover the truth about his target and those who wish him caught. An elite unit. A dark secret. Can they stop interstellar war before it starts?
SHADOW WATCH is the start of a gritty pulse-pounding interstellar adventure that delivers the action you’ve been waiting for. It’s perfect for fans of B. V. Larson, Jasper Scott, and those who love sci-fi that’s not afraid to get their hands dirty.
The Mandalorian meets The Gladiator with a nod to Firefly in this grimdark, science fiction adventure where the line between friend and foe is as blurred as the star-lines in hyperspace where the best way to solve problems is with the business end of a blaster.
Hex Thorn, a hard-bitten veteran of the elite Special Operations Unit of the Dominion Empire, was content with retirement. He’d seen his share of death in a bitter war that ripped the galaxy apart.
But when an enigmatic stranger makes him an offer he can’t refuse–a chance to own a legendary Lancer ship–Hex is thrust back into the fray.
His mission?
Hunt down the elusive Dr. Attica Tharand, a person whose secrets could shatter the galaxy’s fragile balance of power.
Hex must reassemble his old Special Ops team, a ragtag crew of soldiers as skilled as they are unpredictable. But they soon find out they aren't the only ones after the doctor.
With galactic tension on the razor’s edge, Hex will need all his grit, guile, and gunfire to uncover the truth about his target and those who wish him caught. An elite unit. A dark secret. Can they stop interstellar war before it starts?
SHADOW WATCH is the start of a gritty pulse-pounding interstellar adventure that delivers the action you’ve been waiting for. It’s perfect for fans of B. V. Larson, Jasper Scott, and those who love sci-fi that’s not afraid to get their hands dirty.
440 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 7, 2023
254 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Brandon Ellis
71 books106 followersBrandon Ellis was born in Portland, Oregon and grew up on the outskirts of the city in a little town known as Gladstone, where he graduated high school and moved on to college. After studying Therapeutic Bodywork at East-West College of the Healing Arts, he excelled in his field, becoming one of the Pacific Northwest's leading Therapeutic teachers and bodywork professionals. After several years, the love for writing tugged at his heart so much that he decided to put things aside and live his passion - write. He's now fashioning story after story, creating imaginative worlds of inspiration and art.
The PureLights of Ohm Totem
The PureLights of Ohm Totem
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 24, 2023
[I volunteered to read this Book ARC, and review it, for one of the authors: Brandon Ellis, in return for being given the book].
Being totally honest, what actually caught my eye in the blurb that advertised it, was the mention of Firefly - one of my absolute favourite of series, as well as the film, Serenity.
I figured that anything even remotely similar, might be worth a read, especially as I hadn't heard of either of the authors before (a favourite author, whose work I love, introduced the book to her reading group!)
When I got the book, I'd just finished another, so this gave me a chance to read it straight away!
From the get-go, I was interested in the main character, Hex Thorn, as he seemed to be a very complicated character.
He's a retired soldier of the Dominican who won many medals for bravery, and I felt that, even though he is still very much a man of war, he also knew when to retire.
He still keeps in touch with a group of friends, who are also retired, and his greatest ambition, is to become a Bounty Hunter, rather than making his living playing cards, as he does when introduced - even though he's VERY good at that!
Although Hex has great standards of behaviour to live by, he isn't one to let an opportunity to earn a decent amount of credits, on the quiet, when offered them.
So, when Hex gets on the bad side of a Slith Ganger, called Frokk, who is demanding a crazy amount of Credits from Hex - or Hex will die - he takes his Dominican Service Medals to a Pawn Broker, in the hopes of raising the cash he needs.
When Frokk and his bully boys grab Hex, and take his medals, Hex fights back, but there are too many of them for him to win the fight.
Just as he's about to die, he's rescued by the Pawnbroker he'd tried to sell his medals to, an Ushar who introduced himself as Lieutenant Puulico Yib Sobsyg, of the Internal Special Security Division.
What happens next, is the start of the most crazy adventure that I've read in a loooong time!
The characters in this book, unlike most 'traditional' stories in the past, are neither angelically good, nor the most evil things in creation.
They are a real mix of everything, just like every person I've ever met. Although, in this story, the anti-hero is seriously disturbed, to the point where he really can't see that his plans for Universal domination, would cause the deaths of billions of people, no matter what Race they may be!
But Hex, and his friends who travel with him, are just that same mix of both, that most people become, once they've had some experience of life.
I must admit that there were parts of this story that I found very hard to read - because it really WAS excellently written - but because life throws some really cruel, and exceedingly brutal, curve balls at Hex and his friends!
But, even at it's hardest, I couldn't stop reading this book and, in fact, by the time I was half way through, I had to force myself to stop reading, just so that I could grab something to eat and drink - and, to also search to see if the authors, Brandon Ellis, and Max Wolfe, were planning any more books about these characters, after this book!
Fortunately, they are!
I enjoyed this book so much, that I've already pre-ordered the next two books in this series, which will be published in December, this year, and in February, 2024 - and it's going to be hard, to wait even this long, to see what will happen next!
There were actually times, while reading this book, that the storyline made me feel REALLY uncomfortable, due to the characters behaving . . . well, like normal people, really - but they were put into impossible situations, where they've all been trained to kill, and have fought in some brutal wars, and so those instincts come to the fore!
They said, and did, things that didn't really fit within 'normal' tropes - but, instead, despite them being born of various alien planets, their behaviour was so very 'Human',
As I've said, this wasn't your normal Sci-Fi/war/space battle type book, but one that certainly had me thinking, and enjoying points of view I hadn't thought of before!
Anyhoo, before I got this, I was reading the 'Diary of a Dark Monster' series, so I'm going on from this present book, back to that, and I'm off to read book five: 'Watchman'!
So, once I've finally read it, I'll catch you on the flip side, and let you know what I think of it!
Being totally honest, what actually caught my eye in the blurb that advertised it, was the mention of Firefly - one of my absolute favourite of series, as well as the film, Serenity.
I figured that anything even remotely similar, might be worth a read, especially as I hadn't heard of either of the authors before (a favourite author, whose work I love, introduced the book to her reading group!)
When I got the book, I'd just finished another, so this gave me a chance to read it straight away!
From the get-go, I was interested in the main character, Hex Thorn, as he seemed to be a very complicated character.
He's a retired soldier of the Dominican who won many medals for bravery, and I felt that, even though he is still very much a man of war, he also knew when to retire.
He still keeps in touch with a group of friends, who are also retired, and his greatest ambition, is to become a Bounty Hunter, rather than making his living playing cards, as he does when introduced - even though he's VERY good at that!
Although Hex has great standards of behaviour to live by, he isn't one to let an opportunity to earn a decent amount of credits, on the quiet, when offered them.
So, when Hex gets on the bad side of a Slith Ganger, called Frokk, who is demanding a crazy amount of Credits from Hex - or Hex will die - he takes his Dominican Service Medals to a Pawn Broker, in the hopes of raising the cash he needs.
When Frokk and his bully boys grab Hex, and take his medals, Hex fights back, but there are too many of them for him to win the fight.
Just as he's about to die, he's rescued by the Pawnbroker he'd tried to sell his medals to, an Ushar who introduced himself as Lieutenant Puulico Yib Sobsyg, of the Internal Special Security Division.
What happens next, is the start of the most crazy adventure that I've read in a loooong time!
The characters in this book, unlike most 'traditional' stories in the past, are neither angelically good, nor the most evil things in creation.
They are a real mix of everything, just like every person I've ever met. Although, in this story, the anti-hero is seriously disturbed, to the point where he really can't see that his plans for Universal domination, would cause the deaths of billions of people, no matter what Race they may be!
But Hex, and his friends who travel with him, are just that same mix of both, that most people become, once they've had some experience of life.
I must admit that there were parts of this story that I found very hard to read - because it really WAS excellently written - but because life throws some really cruel, and exceedingly brutal, curve balls at Hex and his friends!
But, even at it's hardest, I couldn't stop reading this book and, in fact, by the time I was half way through, I had to force myself to stop reading, just so that I could grab something to eat and drink - and, to also search to see if the authors, Brandon Ellis, and Max Wolfe, were planning any more books about these characters, after this book!
Fortunately, they are!
I enjoyed this book so much, that I've already pre-ordered the next two books in this series, which will be published in December, this year, and in February, 2024 - and it's going to be hard, to wait even this long, to see what will happen next!
There were actually times, while reading this book, that the storyline made me feel REALLY uncomfortable, due to the characters behaving . . . well, like normal people, really - but they were put into impossible situations, where they've all been trained to kill, and have fought in some brutal wars, and so those instincts come to the fore!
They said, and did, things that didn't really fit within 'normal' tropes - but, instead, despite them being born of various alien planets, their behaviour was so very 'Human',
As I've said, this wasn't your normal Sci-Fi/war/space battle type book, but one that certainly had me thinking, and enjoying points of view I hadn't thought of before!
Anyhoo, before I got this, I was reading the 'Diary of a Dark Monster' series, so I'm going on from this present book, back to that, and I'm off to read book five: 'Watchman'!
So, once I've finally read it, I'll catch you on the flip side, and let you know what I think of it!
January 11, 2024
Hex Thorn is a former soldier for the Dominion. He’s out on his own some five years after the War supposedly ended against the Union of Free Worlds. It’s not been easy for Thorn. He’s a conic gamblers who plays cards for a living and his living hasn’t been so great lately. At the beginning of this story he’s being roughed up by a ganger named Frokk. This is a Slith alien that, unfortunately, Thorn owes money to Frokk, lots of money. He has no way of paying it back right now so he’s in a particularly nasty bind.
Thorn finds himself in a conversation with a local pawn shop owner. Because of his war record, Thorn has a good collection of medals, many representing bravery and valor in combat. The pawn shop owner is reluctant to buy these medals, especially for the price Thorn is asking. The pawn shop clerk asks Thorn if he intends to take the money he gets and go gamble some more. That’s exactly what Thor had planned to do figuring he had just enough time to win enough to pay off Frokk if his luck held. The pawn shop owner tells Thorn to come to his office so they can discuss this purchase in more detail.
It turns out the pawn shop owner is actually Lieutenant Puulico Yin Sobsyg, Internal Special Security Division of the Dominion military. I didn’t make up these names, that’s the fault of the authors. The Lieutenant (Lt.) tells Thorn he has a job that needs to be done and is willing to pay-off all of Thorns gambling debts plus pay one year of rent to his landlord, which of course is way overdue. Thorn doesn’t want anything to do with the Dominion military. He swore he’d never go back into uniform again. The war that was supposed to be over is still going on, but no one talks about it any more. Dominion could be losing the war and that’s not going to be good for anyone.
But, the job Lt. Sobsyg has for Thorn involves the capture of one Doctor Attica Tharand, Chief Scientist at the Esperon Institute. The Lt. is even sweeting the deal by throwing in a Lancer, a small blockade runner displacing 200 tons. He’s also talking about paying Thorn 500 million credits once Doctor Tharand is delivered. That’s a lot of money and the Lancer will be signed over to Thorn while he’s using it and it will be his at the successful completion of the mission. The Lt. says he’ll provide the crew, but Thorn doesn’t want to take that part of the deal. He says he’ll provide his own crew which the Lt. agrees to on one condition, the Lt. will be part of that crew!
So, after Thorn finds out that Frokk isn’t waiting any longer for his money and that Frokk just as well wants Thorn dead, Thorn decides to accept the Lieutenant’s offer. He goes about collecting a few of the people he used to work with and those that still call him a friend. That comes to a crew of four plus the Lt. Then they set out to find the good/bad doctor.
The only problem is that Hex Thorn just can’t seem to stay out of trouble. Even when his crew tells him not to go to a particular section of space, that’s where he heads. Once there he finds a luxury yacht being attacked by two pirate vessels. Noticing that the yacht belongs to the House Oreah, Thorn believes there could be a big reward if he can come to the vessels rescue. Again, his crew tell him that’s not their mission and to forget this little side venture. Of course Thorn doesn’t and because he’s the Captain of the Lancer, they go do what he says.
This is where all of their future problems begin. Thorn falls into one trap after another and winds up getting some of his crew and friends killed. He also gets thrown into a fighting arena, drugged up until he doesn’t know what’s going on and then gets accused of releasing a mysterious alien entities that had been locked behind quantum gates for almost ten-thousand years! These are the Kethurg and they will spell the doom of everything in the universe!
Not a bad book for the start of the series. The title hints to a mysterious group that comes to Thorn’s rescue at times. Yet, there isn’t much of a war with the Kethurg in this book. Maybe they’ll really show up in book 2, “Frontier Worlds”.
Thorn finds himself in a conversation with a local pawn shop owner. Because of his war record, Thorn has a good collection of medals, many representing bravery and valor in combat. The pawn shop owner is reluctant to buy these medals, especially for the price Thorn is asking. The pawn shop clerk asks Thorn if he intends to take the money he gets and go gamble some more. That’s exactly what Thor had planned to do figuring he had just enough time to win enough to pay off Frokk if his luck held. The pawn shop owner tells Thorn to come to his office so they can discuss this purchase in more detail.
It turns out the pawn shop owner is actually Lieutenant Puulico Yin Sobsyg, Internal Special Security Division of the Dominion military. I didn’t make up these names, that’s the fault of the authors. The Lieutenant (Lt.) tells Thorn he has a job that needs to be done and is willing to pay-off all of Thorns gambling debts plus pay one year of rent to his landlord, which of course is way overdue. Thorn doesn’t want anything to do with the Dominion military. He swore he’d never go back into uniform again. The war that was supposed to be over is still going on, but no one talks about it any more. Dominion could be losing the war and that’s not going to be good for anyone.
But, the job Lt. Sobsyg has for Thorn involves the capture of one Doctor Attica Tharand, Chief Scientist at the Esperon Institute. The Lt. is even sweeting the deal by throwing in a Lancer, a small blockade runner displacing 200 tons. He’s also talking about paying Thorn 500 million credits once Doctor Tharand is delivered. That’s a lot of money and the Lancer will be signed over to Thorn while he’s using it and it will be his at the successful completion of the mission. The Lt. says he’ll provide the crew, but Thorn doesn’t want to take that part of the deal. He says he’ll provide his own crew which the Lt. agrees to on one condition, the Lt. will be part of that crew!
So, after Thorn finds out that Frokk isn’t waiting any longer for his money and that Frokk just as well wants Thorn dead, Thorn decides to accept the Lieutenant’s offer. He goes about collecting a few of the people he used to work with and those that still call him a friend. That comes to a crew of four plus the Lt. Then they set out to find the good/bad doctor.
The only problem is that Hex Thorn just can’t seem to stay out of trouble. Even when his crew tells him not to go to a particular section of space, that’s where he heads. Once there he finds a luxury yacht being attacked by two pirate vessels. Noticing that the yacht belongs to the House Oreah, Thorn believes there could be a big reward if he can come to the vessels rescue. Again, his crew tell him that’s not their mission and to forget this little side venture. Of course Thorn doesn’t and because he’s the Captain of the Lancer, they go do what he says.
This is where all of their future problems begin. Thorn falls into one trap after another and winds up getting some of his crew and friends killed. He also gets thrown into a fighting arena, drugged up until he doesn’t know what’s going on and then gets accused of releasing a mysterious alien entities that had been locked behind quantum gates for almost ten-thousand years! These are the Kethurg and they will spell the doom of everything in the universe!
Not a bad book for the start of the series. The title hints to a mysterious group that comes to Thorn’s rescue at times. Yet, there isn’t much of a war with the Kethurg in this book. Maybe they’ll really show up in book 2, “Frontier Worlds”.
February 3, 2024
The universe is kind off in a war...the Dominion v the Union. For Hex Thorn that is just fine since he is not engaged in it at all. He is retired. Sort off.
That is till an Ushan operator, Sobsyg, engaged him to find and arrest a noble called Attica Tharand.
His reward? A fine upgraded spaceship called a Lancer, and that could make him the envy of all he knows.
The problem? That is a doozy. There is also a milennia old alien enemy called the Kethurg, held at bay in an alternate universe and who would love to make everyone in this universe their prey and slaves.
And Attica knows how to accomplish that. And he will not hesitate to do so..as long as he gets to run this universe.
The Kethurg War is a Sci Fi action adventure where the odds are stacked against a hero in the making, Hex Thorne. And what a fighting journey that turns out to be.
Enjoy.
That is till an Ushan operator, Sobsyg, engaged him to find and arrest a noble called Attica Tharand.
His reward? A fine upgraded spaceship called a Lancer, and that could make him the envy of all he knows.
The problem? That is a doozy. There is also a milennia old alien enemy called the Kethurg, held at bay in an alternate universe and who would love to make everyone in this universe their prey and slaves.
And Attica knows how to accomplish that. And he will not hesitate to do so..as long as he gets to run this universe.
The Kethurg War is a Sci Fi action adventure where the odds are stacked against a hero in the making, Hex Thorne. And what a fighting journey that turns out to be.
Enjoy.
November 18, 2023
My response to the first half of the book was purdy lackluster. I soon lost interest in the MC, but the ARC still intrigued me. still Peter Berkrot's narration is easy to listen. The storyline turned sideways and invested a great deal of time in gladiatorial style ring fighting. Which definitely is not my favorite trope. And finally after having escaped from there. He’s waiting trial and execution... It's like watching someone beat a dead animal, sigh... So even though I know somewhere in this book, his luck has'ta turn around. I had to put the book down for awhile... a long while.
I've got up the gumption and girded my loins... And now I'm ready start the second half. Hopefully it gets better. DNF or bust... Yeah it starts easing up on Hex almost immediately. It's still a very dark story with lots of violent action. Plus I absodamnlutely hated the antagonist. The ending was even good enough that I ended up smiling.
I've got up the gumption and girded my loins... And now I'm ready start the second half. Hopefully it gets better. DNF or bust... Yeah it starts easing up on Hex almost immediately. It's still a very dark story with lots of violent action. Plus I absodamnlutely hated the antagonist. The ending was even good enough that I ended up smiling.
May 15, 2025
Shadow Watch had the ingredients of a strong sci-fi story but struggled to pull them together in a way that felt cohesive. The pacing was slow to start, and while it eventually built enough momentum to keep me going, it took a while to really engage. The heavy use of inner dialogue and repeated memory loss after major events felt overdone and, at times, frustrating.
That said, there were moments I genuinely looked forward to picking it up again, and I did finish it. It borrows elements from many of the genres I enjoy, just without fully nailing the execution. I will continue with the series, but this is a book I would only recommend if your to-read pile is running thin.
That said, there were moments I genuinely looked forward to picking it up again, and I did finish it. It borrows elements from many of the genres I enjoy, just without fully nailing the execution. I will continue with the series, but this is a book I would only recommend if your to-read pile is running thin.
November 18, 2023
I took my time reading this book as I wanted to get a lot of the nuances of the story, and boy, am I ever glad I did. I always find it interesting when authors are able to bring such a story to us. Brandon Ellis and Max Wolfe did a fantastic job of keeping everything interesting. And I love when authors are not afraid to have either a main or a secondary character killed off. Keeps things moving along and keeps us on our toes. Thank you, Brandon and Max, for a great read. I hope you will collaborate again in the future if this joining is anything to go by.
November 28, 2023
Military, Mercenary🐺💪🗡🔫💥 sci-fi space opera🚀💫💥
A burned out, disillusion war hero🐺💪🗡🔫 is recruited for a secret mission.
I got this e-book from amazon with kindle unlimited.
Of course this book is one in a three book📚 series and ends in a cliffhanger! -⭐
The next book comes out December 5, 2023. I recommend waiting until all the books are published before reading any of them. I really hate it when the entire series is not available to be read in order. Loss of a star -⭐
By the time the next book comes out you have forgotten about the entire story.
A burned out, disillusion war hero🐺💪🗡🔫 is recruited for a secret mission.
I got this e-book from amazon with kindle unlimited.
Of course this book is one in a three book📚 series and ends in a cliffhanger! -⭐
The next book comes out December 5, 2023. I recommend waiting until all the books are published before reading any of them. I really hate it when the entire series is not available to be read in order. Loss of a star -⭐
By the time the next book comes out you have forgotten about the entire story.
November 8, 2023
This is a fun entertaining read that introduces Hex Thorn in a hilarious way and follows his adventure when he ends up doing a job for the government due to his situation. So in true Hex style he rounds up old friends and off they go on a quest to find a scientist. But of course things are never easy and straight forward and it turns into a wild and fun read with lots of action, danger, fights and surprises. And a few twists to add to the fun. Enjoyed the fun.
November 9, 2023
Shadow Watch brings all the excitement of space travel, and battles, and unexpected aliens who live for the clash of swords and the spilling of blood. Then there is almost an otherworldly or esoteric feeling that Brandon Ellis blends with descriptive narrative so that it all feels natural. Dialogue and characters are stand out.
December 4, 2023
I enjoyed reading this. It has great characters that are described well and interact in ways that make sense. The world building is interesting - especially the Arena.
This story ramps up fast and doesn't let you go until the last chapter. The ending was very satisfying and I'll most likely read more by Ellis in the future.
This story ramps up fast and doesn't let you go until the last chapter. The ending was very satisfying and I'll most likely read more by Ellis in the future.
November 19, 2023
Unreadable
I got just 10 pages into this drivel. Are the authors over hormoned teenagers? I think they got their inspiration for really bad war movies. Wow. Bad.
I got just 10 pages into this drivel. Are the authors over hormoned teenagers? I think they got their inspiration for really bad war movies. Wow. Bad.
December 14, 2023
Complex story.
Long story with too many twist and turns, plenty of intrigue with plots and subplots. It has interesting characters and world building.
Long story with too many twist and turns, plenty of intrigue with plots and subplots. It has interesting characters and world building.
December 28, 2023
Worth reading!
I liked this. It had a good pace to it. I’m interested enough in the characters to read the next book.
You should check it out.
I liked this. It had a good pace to it. I’m interested enough in the characters to read the next book.
You should check it out.
January 26, 2024
story is all over the place
Hard to follow. Could have been interesting but dang. Author needs to slow down and do some world building before moving off to the next world.
Hard to follow. Could have been interesting but dang. Author needs to slow down and do some world building before moving off to the next world.
February 23, 2024
Long read
Good but very long. Good part is with 3 main characters it was very easy to follow. A very Interesting concept.
Good but very long. Good part is with 3 main characters it was very easy to follow. A very Interesting concept.
May 22, 2024
The mind is a wonderful thing
The story was riveting .There was so much action as the story unfolded.
It makes one waiting for the next book.
The story was riveting .There was so much action as the story unfolded.
It makes one waiting for the next book.
December 11, 2024
Entertaining
Good continuation to the previous book. Some minor editing issues, though. The story still has a strange vibe to it, as if I’m missing some important details. Weird.
Good continuation to the previous book. Some minor editing issues, though. The story still has a strange vibe to it, as if I’m missing some important details. Weird.
December 9, 2023
The description sets the expectations well. A "space opera" that follows the MC, Hex Thorn, as he is put through the wringer caught between several powerful forces with their own motives.
It has the feel of action adventures reminiscent of the 80s and 90s. The reader is experiencing the universe through the lens of the MC leaving some things unknown or not wholly spelled out.
Readers familiar with Lovecraftian works or Warhammer 40k will see some similarities in themes.
It has the feel of action adventures reminiscent of the 80s and 90s. The reader is experiencing the universe through the lens of the MC leaving some things unknown or not wholly spelled out.
Readers familiar with Lovecraftian works or Warhammer 40k will see some similarities in themes.
January 18, 2025
Billed as "The Mandalorian meets Gladiator meets Firefly," I definitely wanted to check this out because I like all three of those things!
As it turns out, though, it's really none of those things. I've read a few Brandon Ellis books before and it's kind of the same thing over and over again. The guy has an incredible imagination and clearly has all these unique worlds and galaxies planned out ... but then doesn't put a ton of thought into characterization and storytelling (a lot of his stuff feels like rehashes of stuff that's already out there in pop culture: Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, etc.), and spends a ton of time throwing out as much worldbuilding as he can to make up for the fact that the characters are only mildly interesting and the plots are pretty basic. And there's only so many alien races and future tech that someone can name drop before I start rolling my eyes and going, "I don't even know what that is" and then losing interest before I ever find out.
This book is basically Down on His Luck Guy gets a Once In A Lifetime Opportunity to turn his life around if he'll only do One Last Mission for a Mysterious Employer He Doesn't Trust And Will Probably Try to Double Cross Him. Like I said, not the most original plot I've ever heard before, and the protagonist has a bit of a fatalistic streak to him that makes him kind of irritating to follow along with for 440 pages, as he's constantly moping around or complaining in his own head.
I wanted to like the book because I think a mashup of The Mandalorian, Gladiator, and Firefly would be super cool. But unfortunately it seems this book's only relation to those successful properties is the very basic character archetypes and plot points that were cribbed from them. I think Brandon Ellis is a talented writer, but he'd be so much better if he stopped trying to imitate the stuff he's a fan of, and went a little more original with his work.
As it turns out, though, it's really none of those things. I've read a few Brandon Ellis books before and it's kind of the same thing over and over again. The guy has an incredible imagination and clearly has all these unique worlds and galaxies planned out ... but then doesn't put a ton of thought into characterization and storytelling (a lot of his stuff feels like rehashes of stuff that's already out there in pop culture: Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, etc.), and spends a ton of time throwing out as much worldbuilding as he can to make up for the fact that the characters are only mildly interesting and the plots are pretty basic. And there's only so many alien races and future tech that someone can name drop before I start rolling my eyes and going, "I don't even know what that is" and then losing interest before I ever find out.
This book is basically Down on His Luck Guy gets a Once In A Lifetime Opportunity to turn his life around if he'll only do One Last Mission for a Mysterious Employer He Doesn't Trust And Will Probably Try to Double Cross Him. Like I said, not the most original plot I've ever heard before, and the protagonist has a bit of a fatalistic streak to him that makes him kind of irritating to follow along with for 440 pages, as he's constantly moping around or complaining in his own head.
I wanted to like the book because I think a mashup of The Mandalorian, Gladiator, and Firefly would be super cool. But unfortunately it seems this book's only relation to those successful properties is the very basic character archetypes and plot points that were cribbed from them. I think Brandon Ellis is a talented writer, but he'd be so much better if he stopped trying to imitate the stuff he's a fan of, and went a little more original with his work.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews