Rogue Sequence

Ander Rade #1

by Zac Topping

It's 2091 and independent contract companies around the world are producing genetically modified soldiers…to be sold to the highest bidders.

Ander Rade is a super-soldier, a genetically engineered living weapon, and has been dutifully following orders since he gave himself to Xyphos Industries’ Gene-Mod Program several years ago. But when a mission goes sideways, he’s captured, imprisoned, and forced into brutally violent fighting pits for the better part of the next decade…until agents from the Genetic Compliance Department of the United American Provinces appear in the visitors room.

Things have changed since Rade was captured. Shortly after his incarceration, the World Unity Council banned human genetic engineering and deemed all modified individuals a threat to society. Overnight, an entire subculture of people became outlaws simply for existing. But instead of leaving Rade locked behind bars, the GCD agents have come with an offer: Freedom in exchange for his help tracking down one of his former teammates from that ill-fated mission all those years ago.

It's an offer Rade can't refuse, but he soon realizes that the situation is far more volatile than anyone had anticipated, and is forced to take matters into his own hands as he tries to figure out whose side he’s really on, and why?

Genres: Science Fiction, Thriller, Audiobook, Fiction, Adult

352 pages, Hardcover

Published June 11, 2024

Reviews

[Zac Topping]

I'm actually the author of this book so I can't really review it, but I will say that I'm incredibly proud of it and excited for people to read it. This is an action-packed sci-fi thriller heavily inspired by...well, all the various forms of entertainment I've consumed over the years; from the explosive action movies of the 80's and 90's, to the complex speculative written works of writers like Philip K. Dick, Richard K. Morgan, and Michael Crichton. While the book has all the crunching action one could want (hopefully) from a sci-fi action thriller, it also explores some deeper themes like confronting trauma, understanding the self, and questioning the importance of loyalty and to whom we give it, if given at all. ROGUE SEQUENCE is JACK REACHER meets BLADE RUNNER, and I can't wait for everyone to be able to read it on 6/11/2024.

[Britt Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️

I listened to this book as an audiobook and absolutely loved it! It is fast-paced, action-packed, and is well written. The writing combined with the narration really sucks you into this futuristic dystopian world. The year is 2091, Ander Rade is a genetically engineered super-soldier who has been imprisoned in an underground fighting ring after an op went sideways. In that time genetically modified individuals have become illegal. Rade is found by the Genetic Compliance Department of the United American Provinces and offered the opportunity for freedom in exchange for tracking down a rogue team-mate of his.

Zac Topping wrote a fantastic Sci-Fi novel that feels so gritty and well fleshed-out. The amount of world building was perfectly balanced to give the world a lived-in feel while not taking away from the storyline or feeling like it was interrupting the plot. It also feels like a world that could actually happen in our future, which makes the book feel all the more edge-of-your-seat. The narrator did an excellent job of giving feel, emotion, tension, and grit to this dystopian world. The characters were easy to tell apart and the speaking pace, while quick, played into that fast paced action feel. Some listeners may find the speed of reading to be a bit fast, so try 0.75 speed if you need a bit slower. I had the start the book at 0.75 too keep up with the world setting and opening, but then could switch to 1x speed. Otherwise, great book that kept me rivetted and completely hooked. I highly recommend reading or listening to this book. SO GOOD! Best SciFi I have "read" in years. I need this author to write a sequel.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing this audiobook for my honest review consideration. All opinions are my own.

[John Kozak · Rating 4 out of 5]

The brooding darkness that pervades much of the landscape is a sharp contrast to the glimmering outposts of high society along with their abundance of wealth, technology and power. The mixing of these two worlds keeps one engaged as we follow our hero on his journey of violence filled revenge. The metamorphosis from a weapon to a man fighting for what is “right” is predictable but in a welcoming way. The near ending leaves us gleefully exhausted as battles are waged and resolution achieved. Not to be outdone, the final act picks us up as a lingering mystery is exposed and we all get to anticipate what is sure to be another exciting sequel in the adventures of Rade.

[R.W.W. Greene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got my eyes on an ARC of this page-turner. Tight, fast action sequences and a hero who's paying the price of becoming a super soldier. Lots of good metaphor and deep thought for such an entertaining book.

[Maudaevee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite good, it drops you right into the action and was rather compelling. I don’t often read this type of book but I enjoyed this one.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! You may need to sit down after reading this one!
Fast paced, lots of action, futuristic dystopian type world at war.
Ander Rade is the MMC. He is a genetically altered FIGHTING MACHINE in the year 2091.
But, when a mission goes off the rails, and he is captured, he spends many years locked up…only being let out to fight til death…
So when a government agency comes to him with an offer at getting out…well, he has to at least think about it…right?
He is paired up with a human, Morgan Moreno, the FMC. Neither of them really WANTS to be working together, but they have to get through this…

Lots of action packed scenes, some twists, and the ending…. 😮😮😮
Well, hopefully this means there will be a book two coming!

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ go me!

#RogueSequence by #ZacTopping and narrated nicely by #MattFletcherMacdonald.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Release date is tomorrow 6/11/24!

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Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends!! 📚⭐️

[Tomasz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Score rounded down, a little, because I'm not in a charitable mood anymore, not after the ending to this one. Which was even more predictable, even more clichéd, than I expected, and my expectations weren't exactly high at that stage. Because Zac Topping is a poor man's Richard K. Morgan, he thinks small, appears constitutionally unable to invent something truly fresh (here he steals from Dune, too, and to a risibly poor effect) or even going beyond fire team scale. Wake of War hinted at such a state of things, here it is confirmed. Not gonna investigate this author any further.
(Oh, and the title? Doesn't make any sense, whether within the novel or without it. Yay.)

[Joshua Del Toro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4.5/5

This book was fast paced & action packed the entire way through. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait for book 2 (with the way it ended I’m very much hoping / needing a book 2) I would love to explore the landscape of the world a little bit more and see all the things that are going on, especially politically as we did see some in this book. It was pretty fast read, and yet so much happened. I absolutely recommend this title!

Thank you Tor for an ARC & NetGalley for an ALC!

[Grady · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in the 2090s, a genetically modified supersoldier is brought out of a hellish captivity to help track down the supersoldier who betrayed him and is now part of an obscure terrorist plot, with the help of a straight-arrow team leader. It was fine, and felt very much like the author took the plot of a near-future dystopian role playing campaign and turned it into a novel. Often science fiction and fantasy books clearly couldn't have come from an RPG campaign - the plot structure is different, the characters develop in ways that an RPG doesn't easily support. But in this case, the plot structure is classic for an RPG, with initial encounters with low level minions (but a peek at the BBEG) building to the final confrontation through a series of set piece encounters, and the novel has two kinds of time - general narrative and combat - although the transitions are handled pretty smoothly. The characters are tropes - paladin forced to cross the lines; barbarian/ outcast from civilization on a mission of vengeance - but for all that, they are appealing enough and well constructed.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review: Rogue Sequence by Zac Topping
*ARC Review.
Now available

Quotes: "The problem with innovative technology is that it doesn't take too long to become weaponized."

"But a good plan never survives contact with the enemy."

"There's no erasing a past like mine."
"How about making up for it then?"

"He couldn't remember the last time things had gone right."

"After all this, you're still clinging to that sense of morality?"
"We have rules for a reason. You break one now, you'll break another later, then you'll start tossing the rules out the window."

Review: Set about 70 years from now, companies all around the world create genetically modified soldiers.
The main character, Rade, is captured on a mission gone wrong and imprisoned. During that time genetically altered people are outlawed. 7 years lated he's offered a chance to free himself and start over if he helps the government stop a threat. The threat being a former friend of his he be dead. While in pursuit of this, he finds out that mods such as himself are on burrowed time. As their bodies will give out far faster than non-altered people.

The main story, an old soldier offered a second chance and all isn't a new one. I think the added time clock on the main character made it more interesting. The action sequences were well done.

I think the story is interesting enough and easily could turn into a series. Military/sci-fi is an interesting genre and while this may not have been revolutionary to the genre, it was entertaining and fast paced.
There's no lull in the writing.
Rade is almost like a Jack Reacher character with a Sci-fi twist and set in the future.
I'd give this 3.75 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for the advanced copy of this for my unbiased review

[Miles Lyon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping, action-packed, and cinematic, Zac Topping’s Rogue Sequence is a brand new pulse-pounding thrill ride that will leave you turning the pages as quickly as you can.

The year is 2091. Ander Rade is a corporate mercenary, part of an operations crew of genetically modified soldiers sold out for use to the highest bidder. He’s crushed rebellion, destroyed terrorist networks, and cashed out on killing anything in his way until it all went south and he was betrayed and captured. Now, after 7 years of prison cells and gladiatorial pits, fighting for the entertainment of the world’s worst criminals, he’s got the chance to repay the favor when an agent for a special government branch offers him freedom in exchange for tracking down a member of his old death squad.

A contemporary sci-fi novel perfect for fans of Upgrade by Blake Crouch, Amazon Prime’s The Terminal List, and Netflix’s Extraction movies, Rogue Sequence is a high-octane sophomore release filled with fresh ideas and action-a-plenty. And between its cyber- and bio-punk pages, Zac Topping seeks an answer to the question that all great technothrillers seem to ask: in a world full of self-serving ethics, who can you really trust?

Filled with moral commentary and just enough hard science, Rogue Sequence is much more than the bullet-flinging military action story the cover would lead you to believe. While there is plenty of shootouts and fist fights and high-speed, quick cut explosions that would make even the skimpiest of surround sound systems tremble with bass were it a movie, they are not used as the pinnacle of the scene. Rather, their context is used to drive home the underlying effect that selective gene editing can have on society - and how quickly its use can result in political or economic gain if it falls into the wrong hands. It is a book that drives us toward a dystopian future, one all too believable, and rather eerily breaks down the seemingly simple route that we could take to get there - exploring the individual, city, and population-level results that widespread access to genetic manipulation could cause.

Further, it goes on to ask a very important scientific question that is often overlooked in books that explore selective gene editing - what are the down stream effects of change? The proteins encoded by genes can do different things in the different cells that express them. Thus, changing the rate of global expression for even a single gene can result in massive, unpredictable biological change throughout the organism, and it’s that theme that spearheads a great portion of the underlying tone in the book. The consequences to Rade’s mods are deeply intertwined with the plot, and the symptoms of their failures are well thought out. The reorganization of society as a result of rapid genetic influence and freelance modding into biological black markets is a terrifying prospect, presented in legitimately feasible ways.

Indeed, it is this level of far-reaching, but believable imagination that has garnered a likening to that of Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan and Count Zero by William Gibson, and fans of those books may consider picking this one up as well, for it shares a similar pacing and fat-trimmed prose.

But for those just looking for a compelling, quick read, know that Rogue Sequence will fit the bill just as well, and is one of those books sure to pull you out of a slump.

Thus, whether you’re looking to dive deep into the underlying science and the effects they could cause on society, or you’re just in the mood for a book that will leave you flipping pages late into the night, Zac Topping’s Rogue Sequence needs to be next on your list.

[Therearenobadbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this one. Super soldier, yes, please. Rogue? Thriller vibes. I'm in. Has a great start. Read half of it in one go (had to sleep) but went back to it the next day. He has a grumpy, predisposition towards violence already (which in part made him accept to be augmented) but ending 7 years in Latin America as a gladiator for the worst kind of people has increased his level of impatience and violence. He accepts to hunt down an old colleague who sold him out. Is he on the right side fighting for the right thing? I love his partner, the fact that is not a very far future. I am a gamer who grew up watching Jean Claude V D as a super soldier one of my 80s favorite movies. Also, I love thrillers Michael Chrichton style with a bit of tech and corporations, government, and hired guns.
The author describes great action. I want to collect it as well as an audiobook.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this title because I realized that I'd been approved to read book 2 on NetGalley without realizing it was the second in a series. You have to read the opening book don't you? Well I do! This was a fast-paced action sci-fi thriller that readers of action books would enjoy. Suspend your disbelief at the door though...

This wasn't a deep, twisty thriller where you get all wrapped up in what-ifs from the get go - you get dropped into a spec-ops team having things go massively awry, and then we flip to our hero, years later, imprisoned in a lawless country and kept as a fighting dog in their pit fits. The government needs his services to find a former member of his genetically modded team, and the tale zips off from there. It's a good thriller that doesn't demand a lot from you as a reader - sometimes that's a good thing.

[Henry Lazarus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readers who love action tales like the Reacher series will love Zac Topping’s tale set in the coming nineties when things have gotten much worse. Ander Rade was one of many shaped genetically into a super-soldier. Captured before the process was declared illegal, he spent seven years in a prison in South America fighting in death duels for the Warden’s amusement. Then Agent Morgan Moreno of the Genetic Compliance Department gets him out of prison to help her hunt Darius Turnin, a super-soldier hired to create a terror attack in Atlanta. Thus he and the agents follow a Rogue Sequence(hard from Tor) of exciting action scenes in a pulse-pounding adventure in the future. I couldn’t put it down and really hope Ander has more adventures coming.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave it 4 star but it's more of an 4.5 stars!

This is my first scifi book and let me say that i ATE that book, from start to end. It's really a page turner packed with action!

I love allllll the characters, the writing, the storyand throughout the book, thoughts came in that this can very well be a possible near futur.
Even after a full week, I still think about that book. you get the feels that it's written with knowledge.

Zac Topping you surprised me there! Looking foward to your other books.

And thank you for letting me have that beautiful book as I'd been selected for a giveaway :)

[Rashmi P. Menon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy a good sci-fi thriller and this audiobook was no different. It is a fast-paced, adventurous, and engaging techno-thriller that kept me listening. I was intrigued to find out how the story wraps up. I also enjoyed the dystopian world setting and the world war scenario. This author was new to me, but I enjoyed the book and am open to reading more from the author. The narrator did an excellent job with the emotions, tension, and grit of this dystopian world.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

[Sarah Ehinger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book as a goodreads giveaway. This was a paramilitary mission style book with a soft science fiction component that added to the variety of tactics and gear used. The combat scenes were clearly written by someone who understood how combat works, so it avoided the mistake of throwing in things that were so nonplausible to the story line as to throw the rest out of immersion. I enjoyed the main character and would have liked to have seen more development of others in the team.

[Cj Zawacki · Rating 5 out of 5]

In our future, a contract company begins to sell genetically modified soldiers. When one mission goes bad, Ander Rade, the only survivor finds himself captured. saved after seven years sets out to find the traitor. However, Rade also finds himself outlawed in in world. So who has released him, and why should he be on their side.
Zac Topping creats a interesting sci-fi novel of generically morals in this thriller.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this far more than I expected to. I'm not a big fan of espionage thrillers or stories that involve the military but this one is so well done that it kept me engaged. It has a post apocalyptic/dystopian feel to it and it includes genetically modified individuals, something I don't generally read about. The novel is fast-paced and adventurous, and the story is filled with tension. For those who enjoy this type of theme, I highly recommend it.

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

There wasn't much tension in this story- one knows who the bad guy is the first time he appears and it's fairly clear what's going on. The is no character development at all - it felt much like a comic book - the main character is like Hulk - don't make him mad --over and over again. The fight scenes are pages long -easy to skip and don't add much to the story. This is the first in a series, maybe, there is a second book but this story was not for me.

[souymuilk · Rating 3 out of 5]

just your average action movie in book form. solid. great read the fight scenes got a little choppy but your run of the mill cop character who cant let go of morals and jaded ex military experiment whose been hurt by the system but still wants to do good. all this needs is a zack snyder edit on the big screen lol

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of action in this book. Two main characters who do not trust at first. Plenty of tension as the plot unfolds. Good world building with some character development. Looks like the first in a new series as one thing is stopped but plenty more waiting to cause trouble.

[Ryan Hillis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not enjoy. Very boring and dull.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLGa39SX/

Thank you to Tor for my review copy!

[Tikri /Letitia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slam bam, shoot them with a SiFi twist.

[Sara Hernandez · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you for picking me as a giveaway winner. There was so much cussing it was distracting.

[Michael Hirsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Competently written thriller of a genre engineered warrior fighting the system and finding their humanity. 3.5 stars

[Matthew Whalen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining, but formulaic, read focused on enhanced human soldiers. Good pacing, and the action and dialogue were solid.

[Ryan Colbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad. A fun and exciting pseudo-cyberpunk action thriller. A nice change of pace from the Scifi/Fantasy I've been reading.

[Ezra Owl · Rating 4 out of 5]

If it was a movie, it would be a Vin Diesel movie (compliment).