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Wolfhounds #1
Stand Alone: Wolfhounds - Book One
Chase had it all planned out, do a little time in one of the emperor's jails, say a four year stretch for getting rid of some trash that no one would miss, and when he got out, the path to the leadership would be wide open. It wasn't enough to be one of the gang's rising stars, or better lieutenants, he needed jail time, serious jail time — not that juvie crap or just going to county, to garner the respect he needed and deserved.
Unfortunately his bastard of a father, the same one that left his mother to die in poverty and him to run wild on the streets took an interest. Seeing him sitting on the bench when his case went to court was a shock. But not as big a shock as being sentenced to ten years in the Imperial Navy.
That's just the first of Chase's nasty surprises as he finds himself among the Emperor's Own - The Wolfhounds. How, and why, his bastard father sent him there is a secret that only the base AI knows the answer to. When that same AI decides to use Chase to fulfill its own orders, Chase soon finds himself in a situation where if he doesn't die honorably in combat due to the enemy, his own side will arrange those circumstances for him.
Unfortunately for everyone involved, Chase is proving to be just as tough of a bastard as the man who sent him there.
Unfortunately his bastard of a father, the same one that left his mother to die in poverty and him to run wild on the streets took an interest. Seeing him sitting on the bench when his case went to court was a shock. But not as big a shock as being sentenced to ten years in the Imperial Navy.
That's just the first of Chase's nasty surprises as he finds himself among the Emperor's Own - The Wolfhounds. How, and why, his bastard father sent him there is a secret that only the base AI knows the answer to. When that same AI decides to use Chase to fulfill its own orders, Chase soon finds himself in a situation where if he doesn't die honorably in combat due to the enemy, his own side will arrange those circumstances for him.
Unfortunately for everyone involved, Chase is proving to be just as tough of a bastard as the man who sent him there.
387 pages, Paperback
First published September 24, 2023
768 people are currently reading
1355 people want to read
About the author
John Van Stry
48 books364 followersI've had a very varied life. I grew up in New York, on Long Island.
I went to school to become an Engineer, then joined the Air Force.
After that I worked first in Robotics, then in Aerospace as a Flight Test Engineer. I moved into the medical fields, then into more Technical markets working for a number of high tech companies where I became a Contractor.
I used to own and raise big cats. I love motorcycles and old cars. I'm a pilot and former martial arts instructor. I'm a fan of the Reno Air Races.
Then there's the stuff I'm not supposed to talk about, but that's another story.
I've seen a lot of interesting stuff go by, met a lot of interesting, wonderful, strange, or sometimes just psychotic people. I've had the opportunity to work on some truly game changing technologies. And while I've had some very bad things happen to me in my life, I've never let it stop me.
Keep smiling.
-John
I went to school to become an Engineer, then joined the Air Force.
After that I worked first in Robotics, then in Aerospace as a Flight Test Engineer. I moved into the medical fields, then into more Technical markets working for a number of high tech companies where I became a Contractor.
I used to own and raise big cats. I love motorcycles and old cars. I'm a pilot and former martial arts instructor. I'm a fan of the Reno Air Races.
Then there's the stuff I'm not supposed to talk about, but that's another story.
I've seen a lot of interesting stuff go by, met a lot of interesting, wonderful, strange, or sometimes just psychotic people. I've had the opportunity to work on some truly game changing technologies. And while I've had some very bad things happen to me in my life, I've never let it stop me.
Keep smiling.
-John
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews
January 28, 2025
Ironic title for the start of a series... On purpose? No idea. Anyway, I took a shot and wasn't disappointed. It's a good action story with an engaging protagonist. Unfortunately, I finished it a couple of weeks ago and have lost details I can share.
I will say that the protagonist is a super special boy and that more or less works with the background. He's maybe a little too precocious, but I didn't care because it was fun.
I knew I'd go with four stars but again, I've lost details. I will say that I'm not terribly interested in the rest of the series and that puzzles me a little bit. I think it's because so much of the coming plot is pretty obvious from here and the bad-guy PoV gave away just how thin the evil is in this story. I'd suspect that the author was trying to say something about fascist dictators, but it's only what everybody says about fascist dictators and a police state is a police state and there aren't any surprises or depth here.
A note about Chaste/Steamy: Chase finds a girl and she's awesome. Plus she doesn't like him. Until she does. They eventually go to pound-town, as they say, and we get some of the splash back on that. Enough that this isn't chaste. But there's no real detail so I'm having a tough time calling it steamy, either. So neither tag really applies.
I will say that the protagonist is a super special boy and that more or less works with the background. He's maybe a little too precocious, but I didn't care because it was fun.
I knew I'd go with four stars but again, I've lost details. I will say that I'm not terribly interested in the rest of the series and that puzzles me a little bit. I think it's because so much of the coming plot is pretty obvious from here and the bad-guy PoV gave away just how thin the evil is in this story. I'd suspect that the author was trying to say something about fascist dictators, but it's only what everybody says about fascist dictators and a police state is a police state and there aren't any surprises or depth here.
A note about Chaste/Steamy: Chase finds a girl and she's awesome. Plus she doesn't like him. Until she does. They eventually go to pound-town, as they say, and we get some of the splash back on that. Enough that this isn't chaste. But there's no real detail so I'm having a tough time calling it steamy, either. So neither tag really applies.
June 8, 2024
one of his best
Sci-fi space opera / military Sci-fi with fighting mechs. Lost empire / regain the throne.
This is very much a John Van Stry story with John Van Stry characters. The non-harem FTB sex is toned way down for him and is mostly just implied.
In the Afterward of this book John Van Stry says he's been kicking this story around for years. I completely believe him. This story, this world and theses characters seem so fully formed. There is a depth here rarely found in Space-Opera. The way all the pieces fit together, and the little understated touches of brilliance all serve as spice in this savory stew.
-After that disaster "Summer's End" (my opinion, apparently sales were good) I feared John Van Stry had lost his writing talent, or just his powers of discernment. But this book was a cracking good read AND restored my faith in a damn good writer.
Sci-fi space opera / military Sci-fi with fighting mechs. Lost empire / regain the throne.
This is very much a John Van Stry story with John Van Stry characters. The non-harem FTB sex is toned way down for him and is mostly just implied.
In the Afterward of this book John Van Stry says he's been kicking this story around for years. I completely believe him. This story, this world and theses characters seem so fully formed. There is a depth here rarely found in Space-Opera. The way all the pieces fit together, and the little understated touches of brilliance all serve as spice in this savory stew.
-After that disaster "Summer's End" (my opinion, apparently sales were good) I feared John Van Stry had lost his writing talent, or just his powers of discernment. But this book was a cracking good read AND restored my faith in a damn good writer.
October 4, 2023
thoroughly enjoyed
So it says book one, but I’m not seeing book two in the “more by” section, which has me a little anxious. This was a great first story, but obviously leaves the major arch open for more. Not necessarily a cliff hanger, but the good guy is still underestimated and keeping secrets, and the bad guy is still alive and making plans… so far from a conclusive end.
So it says book one, but I’m not seeing book two in the “more by” section, which has me a little anxious. This was a great first story, but obviously leaves the major arch open for more. Not necessarily a cliff hanger, but the good guy is still underestimated and keeping secrets, and the bad guy is still alive and making plans… so far from a conclusive end.
August 27, 2024
DNF, couldn’t get through the cringe dialogue and all the women are just sex objects.
October 17, 2023
Decent story with likable MC
I’m writing this review specifically to respond to an earlier review criticizing the story.
1) The main character is tough and smart but inexperienced with the world outside of his gang. After being pressed into military service he reasonably trusts no one and takes much of the book to get experience, figure out his options, and determine who he can trust.
2) The MC knows what his father looks like but not who he is. The only time he sees his father is as a judge.
3) The abilities of the MC, specifically the interface, are slowly introduced to the reader and the MC. Because of his background he has no experience with it.
4) The complaint about an admiral countermanding the Emperor’s Own forces is not correct. The admiral was able to use his valid authority with the Navy that provided men, ships, and supplies to the Emperor’s Own to get the to temporarily stand down for maintenance. He basically exploited a loophole that existed because nobody thought an office with his authority would be a traitor.
I liked the story and the characters, especially the relationship between the MC and Claire. There aren’t any major surprises and what is revealed had been hinted at before.
Well deserved four stars.
I’m writing this review specifically to respond to an earlier review criticizing the story.
1) The main character is tough and smart but inexperienced with the world outside of his gang. After being pressed into military service he reasonably trusts no one and takes much of the book to get experience, figure out his options, and determine who he can trust.
2) The MC knows what his father looks like but not who he is. The only time he sees his father is as a judge.
3) The abilities of the MC, specifically the interface, are slowly introduced to the reader and the MC. Because of his background he has no experience with it.
4) The complaint about an admiral countermanding the Emperor’s Own forces is not correct. The admiral was able to use his valid authority with the Navy that provided men, ships, and supplies to the Emperor’s Own to get the to temporarily stand down for maintenance. He basically exploited a loophole that existed because nobody thought an office with his authority would be a traitor.
I liked the story and the characters, especially the relationship between the MC and Claire. There aren’t any major surprises and what is revealed had been hinted at before.
Well deserved four stars.
July 8, 2025
DNF series!!!! Too much emphasis is placed on sex drive. The antagonists and the protagonists are all about taking advantage of women. They just go about it in different ways and treat women in demeaning fashion. Oh but its alright for the MC to be crude towards his woman because its consensual? Nope. Big no from me. Also, I dont have any interest in rooting for a crass MC who has daddy issues, has a criminally violent background, and zero conscience for not abiding by the law. He suddenly supports the law when he finds it works in his favor, and better yet, when he is the law. Just stupid and unrealistic. It is not in the nature of such attitudes to realistically be revealed as exemplary persons under all that filth. MC is just as much a psychopath as the main antagonist. He sees himself through extremely tinted glasses
January 7, 2026
If you're in the mood for military sci-fi lite and are okay with some questionable characterization, then you might give this series a try.
Plot - 8/10, Characters - 5/10, Setting - 6/10, Writing - 6/10, Enjoyment - 7/10
Plot
For those who are a fan of the street rat turns into a marine sci-fi story, you will get some of what you expect here. It follows the standard formula, but is very light on the boot camp and military parlance. Instead, it mixed with the hero's journey tropes of a farmboy who's secretly a bastard royal.
The science isn't very crunchy either, so the main draw to the story is the intrigue as our MC navigates his situation, not just as a street rat turned marine, but that he's also being propped up as a figurehead for a rebellion by the empire's former royal guard corps. It's a fun setup and what kept me reading.
Character
Most people won't have a problem here, but there are a few caveats. The main character is kind of a pos, but the author wants the reader to like him so he goes out of his way to make most of the other characters (especially the men) total rapist pos garbage so the MC looks good by comparison. The author writes harem stores under an alt account, so he's pulling a page from that playbook. If you're going to have a problem with the series, this element will probably be what annoys you most.
Other than the prevailing attitude of objectifying women, the cast of characters does its job and mostly serves to keep the plot moving.
Setting
The worldbuilding meets the baseline necessary to keep the story moving. This isn't crunchy science fiction that devles into the physics of anything. Similar to the characterization, the setting is given enough attention to support the plot and keep it moving forward without presenting too many glaring problems. There's no complaints here, but also nothing you haven't seen before if you read the genre often.
That being said, this makes the series a pretty nice entry point into military sci-fi for people who aren't that experienced and feel a little hesitant to get buried under jargon.
Writing
The writing was fine. There were some editing snafus here and there with misspellings and misused words that slipped through proofreading. Maybe a half-dozen that jumped out at me, which isn't horrible, but they did stick out like a sore thumb.
I think the hand-to-hand fight scenes could use some work. The author makes the mistake of being too specific because he wants to describe the scene exactly as he pictures it, so it's important to know this character's left hand did this while he stepped forward with his left foot, etc. It just interferes with the reader's immersion and the author should focus on describing the scene more simply while making sure to emphasize the important bits. Does it matter whether he moved to the left and used his left hand? No. Just say he side-stepped and ducked under the opponent's knife thrust. We want to read a fight scene, not the instructions for a game of Twister.
Enjoyment
I couldn't help but roll my eyes with certain character interactions and also facepalm that the author doesn't see a problem with our MC threatening to rape someone. But if you can get past the fact most of the characters are unlikeable human beings and just view them as pieces moving on a gameboard in a pretty interesting war drama so far, then you might have fun here.
Plot - 8/10, Characters - 5/10, Setting - 6/10, Writing - 6/10, Enjoyment - 7/10
Plot
For those who are a fan of the street rat turns into a marine sci-fi story, you will get some of what you expect here. It follows the standard formula, but is very light on the boot camp and military parlance. Instead, it mixed with the hero's journey tropes of a farmboy who's secretly a bastard royal.
The science isn't very crunchy either, so the main draw to the story is the intrigue as our MC navigates his situation, not just as a street rat turned marine, but that he's also being propped up as a figurehead for a rebellion by the empire's former royal guard corps. It's a fun setup and what kept me reading.
Character
Most people won't have a problem here, but there are a few caveats. The main character is kind of a pos, but the author wants the reader to like him so he goes out of his way to make most of the other characters (especially the men) total rapist pos garbage so the MC looks good by comparison. The author writes harem stores under an alt account, so he's pulling a page from that playbook. If you're going to have a problem with the series, this element will probably be what annoys you most.
Other than the prevailing attitude of objectifying women, the cast of characters does its job and mostly serves to keep the plot moving.
Setting
The worldbuilding meets the baseline necessary to keep the story moving. This isn't crunchy science fiction that devles into the physics of anything. Similar to the characterization, the setting is given enough attention to support the plot and keep it moving forward without presenting too many glaring problems. There's no complaints here, but also nothing you haven't seen before if you read the genre often.
That being said, this makes the series a pretty nice entry point into military sci-fi for people who aren't that experienced and feel a little hesitant to get buried under jargon.
Writing
The writing was fine. There were some editing snafus here and there with misspellings and misused words that slipped through proofreading. Maybe a half-dozen that jumped out at me, which isn't horrible, but they did stick out like a sore thumb.
I think the hand-to-hand fight scenes could use some work. The author makes the mistake of being too specific because he wants to describe the scene exactly as he pictures it, so it's important to know this character's left hand did this while he stepped forward with his left foot, etc. It just interferes with the reader's immersion and the author should focus on describing the scene more simply while making sure to emphasize the important bits. Does it matter whether he moved to the left and used his left hand? No. Just say he side-stepped and ducked under the opponent's knife thrust. We want to read a fight scene, not the instructions for a game of Twister.
Enjoyment
I couldn't help but roll my eyes with certain character interactions and also facepalm that the author doesn't see a problem with our MC threatening to rape someone. But if you can get past the fact most of the characters are unlikeable human beings and just view them as pieces moving on a gameboard in a pretty interesting war drama so far, then you might have fun here.
November 28, 2024
Spoiler-free review. Pretty great read and well-paced between action and character development. The push-pull of the romance between Chase and Claire is also well-done. I could not put it down from start to finish. For sure I'll be rereading this series because it's a great blend of personal adversity in light of massive socio-political upheaval. In true Van Stry fashion, there's yet another estranged father-son relationship (see: Summer's End, etc) but I love how that estrangement works to the benefit of the plot.
I also love the uses of mechs in this story. Mechs being used alongside full on naval battles is one of those buttons I have and this book slams down hard with a sledge for me. I love books that manage to incorporate and world-build the technology into the story's version of conventional warfare. Additionally, the use of the AI in this story, while having a Deus ex Machina-level of involvement, manages to add layers instead of being glaringly annoying.
The only gripes I have (and they're small, not enough to take away stars) is that there's noticeable spelling and grammatical errors in the final manuscript. Some of it is simple stuff that a garden-variety spellchecker wouldn't catch because the words are spelled correctly, but used without context. And it's kind of unclear how the enlisted ranks work where he introduces Chase as a machinist's mate third class (a petty officer's rating) but then he's a crewman apprentice (unrated sailor) in the next chapter. Very confusing in terms of getting the naval hierarchy straight, especially when it occurs in the first 30 pages of the story. Ultimately, it has zero impact on my enjoyment, but it does break a little of that intended verisimilitude for me.
I also love the uses of mechs in this story. Mechs being used alongside full on naval battles is one of those buttons I have and this book slams down hard with a sledge for me. I love books that manage to incorporate and world-build the technology into the story's version of conventional warfare. Additionally, the use of the AI in this story, while having a Deus ex Machina-level of involvement, manages to add layers instead of being glaringly annoying.
The only gripes I have (and they're small, not enough to take away stars) is that there's noticeable spelling and grammatical errors in the final manuscript. Some of it is simple stuff that a garden-variety spellchecker wouldn't catch because the words are spelled correctly, but used without context. And it's kind of unclear how the enlisted ranks work where he introduces Chase as a machinist's mate third class (a petty officer's rating) but then he's a crewman apprentice (unrated sailor) in the next chapter. Very confusing in terms of getting the naval hierarchy straight, especially when it occurs in the first 30 pages of the story. Ultimately, it has zero impact on my enjoyment, but it does break a little of that intended verisimilitude for me.
October 28, 2023
Outstanding! And easy to recommend to others.
This looks like the author's big jump from the rather niche Isekai sub-genre to the much more mainstream Military Sci-Fi genre, and he definitely has the chops for it. This is solid stuff. If you like John Ringo, David Drake, or David Weber, you will absolutely enjoy this book. As a matter of fact, I'd be stunned if Ringo's "Prince Adam" series wasn't a significant influence -the stories are nothing alike, but they "rhyme" thematically.
If you're a fan of Van Stry's earlier work, this has all the action and heroism you're used to, but it's much more mainstream in its romantic sensibilities. It is quite discreet and suitable for all audiences -which is probably the point.
This is good. Really good. And safe to recommend to your friends.
This looks like the author's big jump from the rather niche Isekai sub-genre to the much more mainstream Military Sci-Fi genre, and he definitely has the chops for it. This is solid stuff. If you like John Ringo, David Drake, or David Weber, you will absolutely enjoy this book. As a matter of fact, I'd be stunned if Ringo's "Prince Adam" series wasn't a significant influence -the stories are nothing alike, but they "rhyme" thematically.
If you're a fan of Van Stry's earlier work, this has all the action and heroism you're used to, but it's much more mainstream in its romantic sensibilities. It is quite discreet and suitable for all audiences -which is probably the point.
This is good. Really good. And safe to recommend to your friends.
October 28, 2023
This has one of the most balanced main characters I have seen in awhile.
That combined with a solid setting filled with military intrigue and a very evil enemy makes this about as perfect as you can ask for. Keep the action coming and story balanced and this is a five star series all the way.
That combined with a solid setting filled with military intrigue and a very evil enemy makes this about as perfect as you can ask for. Keep the action coming and story balanced and this is a five star series all the way.
April 2, 2024
Basic
Kissing in a court scene and talk about degrading women.. terrible read worst I've read in ages.. just stuck on an airplane so needed something
Kissing in a court scene and talk about degrading women.. terrible read worst I've read in ages.. just stuck on an airplane so needed something
January 7, 2026
Great read!
I started another series of books by the author and it only has 2, so I tried this series, I'm loving it!
I started another series of books by the author and it only has 2, so I tried this series, I'm loving it!
November 12, 2024
A fun read. I can see the influence of other works of the author here, and how this one. Wonderful characters, well developed pacing and plot. Love the use of mocha and its usage.
May 1, 2025
Started off well...
I'm usually a sucker for mil-sci-fi, mechs and actions, hence I gave this one a bash. It begins quite strongly, a lot of mystery and world building to be done. At that point it was a four-star rating.
Alas, as it went on, the cracks started to show. I couldn't get behind the whole first-name calling in the military, especially an elite unit like the Wolfhounds. The attempt was to make them more of a family than simple a spec ops unit, for me, that failed horribly. I felt that Chase was written more along the lines of a boy's fantasy - suddenly becoming important, everything becomes easy - from being attractive to women, to being an excellent pilot, to skipping the script and doing his own thing that always works out.
That gets tiresome after the first ten times. Claire is another weak character, exceptionally annoying. The whole aspect of her being so angry and the hitting of Chase (even when he assumed the role of the Prince), really got to me. It was stupid, immature and asinine.
Finally, the mystery behind Chase not knowing his father... But knowing his father... While not knowing who his father was. Yeah that didn't make a whole lot of sense.
I'm usually a sucker for mil-sci-fi, mechs and actions, hence I gave this one a bash. It begins quite strongly, a lot of mystery and world building to be done. At that point it was a four-star rating.
Alas, as it went on, the cracks started to show. I couldn't get behind the whole first-name calling in the military, especially an elite unit like the Wolfhounds. The attempt was to make them more of a family than simple a spec ops unit, for me, that failed horribly. I felt that Chase was written more along the lines of a boy's fantasy - suddenly becoming important, everything becomes easy - from being attractive to women, to being an excellent pilot, to skipping the script and doing his own thing that always works out.
That gets tiresome after the first ten times. Claire is another weak character, exceptionally annoying. The whole aspect of her being so angry and the hitting of Chase (even when he assumed the role of the Prince), really got to me. It was stupid, immature and asinine.
Finally, the mystery behind Chase not knowing his father... But knowing his father... While not knowing who his father was. Yeah that didn't make a whole lot of sense.
September 20, 2024
DNF'd.
I won't get too much into this simply because I didn't finish it; but the reason why i didn't finish it is simply because I got bored of it.
I read to page 106, it was not a good time. I didn't feel like anything was happening, it really was quite slow for me.
Would NOT reccomend.
I won't get too much into this simply because I didn't finish it; but the reason why i didn't finish it is simply because I got bored of it.
I read to page 106, it was not a good time. I didn't feel like anything was happening, it really was quite slow for me.
Would NOT reccomend.
September 11, 2024
Choquant ! Ce livre est vraiment mauvais. Les personnages féminins sont réduits à des objets, et le protagoniste a un comportement détestable.
September 27, 2023
This is in response to a review on Amazon, that sadly authors are no longer allowed to reply to:
I really miss the ability to reply to reviews on Amazon - because some people just don't READ all of the book, they skim over them. Yes, there are things I only mention once, because I don't like to belabor a point and my worlds are well thought out.
Now I don't know if 'Valentine' will read this, but allow me to address a few comments they made and if you're planning on reading the book, you may not want to read this as there are minor spoilers:
(their comments are marked with **, my responses are marked with &&)
**What it does have is some serious plot holes. Spoilers ahead!
&&No, there are not serious plot holes - all of these things are on purpose.
**Our hero Chase has an Imperial interface, not sure how the DNA got that to grow in his body, but no one seems to ever check for any interface?
&&This was gone into IN DETAIL as to WHY he had the interface. It was explained. No idea how you missed that. And why would anyone go around checking for interfaces? WHY? Please explain to me why that would happen when they 'know' where they all are? There are many good reasons NOT to do that and no good reasons to do that. Furthermore, when he finally got to a place where they DID check for interfaces, he told the AI not to tell anyone. You obviously missed that part.
**Seems that that would be something checked in an entrance physical to join the military.
&&He didn't go through one, or did you miss that part? Also why would the Nobles and the Emperor ALLOW anyone else to check for something like that? WHY? I can think of a lot of reasons why they wouldn't - and guess what? I even know why they don't!! That's right, there's a reason! So instead of saying 'THEY MISSED THIS' maybe you should ask 'Why don't they do that? Must be a reason!' Stop thinking you're smarter than the author and know what he's thinking - you aren't and you don't.
**Apparently an interface also speeds up your reflexes, but no one notices he's faster than the crew and as fast as his teacher, a duchess?
&&There are fast people who don't have interfaces. Some of that is due to lots and lots of training. The ONLY time it is ever in a situation where others might have seen it was that first knife fight. As for the Duchess - DID YOU EVEN READ THE BOOK? Seriously! This was ALSO addressed! IN DETAIL! It was a freaking PLOT POINT!
**There are other problems, like an Admiral being able to shut down the Emperor's Own, without getting permission from the Emperor.
&&Again, you skimmed and didn't read it. Again, was gone into IN DETAIL.
I honestly don't know how this person missed so many of the details in the book, but I'm guess they skimmed it and didn't actually read it, because several of their 'plot holes' are actually 'plot points' that got mentioned. Some in detail. Others were hinted at or alluded to. Yeah, I miss being able to reply to reviews, so I can point out just how many things that were in the book, that they completely missed. So people reading the review will realize it's not a very well done one.
I really miss the ability to reply to reviews on Amazon - because some people just don't READ all of the book, they skim over them. Yes, there are things I only mention once, because I don't like to belabor a point and my worlds are well thought out.
Now I don't know if 'Valentine' will read this, but allow me to address a few comments they made and if you're planning on reading the book, you may not want to read this as there are minor spoilers:
(their comments are marked with **, my responses are marked with &&)
**What it does have is some serious plot holes. Spoilers ahead!
&&No, there are not serious plot holes - all of these things are on purpose.
**Our hero Chase has an Imperial interface, not sure how the DNA got that to grow in his body, but no one seems to ever check for any interface?
&&This was gone into IN DETAIL as to WHY he had the interface. It was explained. No idea how you missed that. And why would anyone go around checking for interfaces? WHY? Please explain to me why that would happen when they 'know' where they all are? There are many good reasons NOT to do that and no good reasons to do that. Furthermore, when he finally got to a place where they DID check for interfaces, he told the AI not to tell anyone. You obviously missed that part.
**Seems that that would be something checked in an entrance physical to join the military.
&&He didn't go through one, or did you miss that part? Also why would the Nobles and the Emperor ALLOW anyone else to check for something like that? WHY? I can think of a lot of reasons why they wouldn't - and guess what? I even know why they don't!! That's right, there's a reason! So instead of saying 'THEY MISSED THIS' maybe you should ask 'Why don't they do that? Must be a reason!' Stop thinking you're smarter than the author and know what he's thinking - you aren't and you don't.
**Apparently an interface also speeds up your reflexes, but no one notices he's faster than the crew and as fast as his teacher, a duchess?
&&There are fast people who don't have interfaces. Some of that is due to lots and lots of training. The ONLY time it is ever in a situation where others might have seen it was that first knife fight. As for the Duchess - DID YOU EVEN READ THE BOOK? Seriously! This was ALSO addressed! IN DETAIL! It was a freaking PLOT POINT!
**There are other problems, like an Admiral being able to shut down the Emperor's Own, without getting permission from the Emperor.
&&Again, you skimmed and didn't read it. Again, was gone into IN DETAIL.
I honestly don't know how this person missed so many of the details in the book, but I'm guess they skimmed it and didn't actually read it, because several of their 'plot holes' are actually 'plot points' that got mentioned. Some in detail. Others were hinted at or alluded to. Yeah, I miss being able to reply to reviews, so I can point out just how many things that were in the book, that they completely missed. So people reading the review will realize it's not a very well done one.
November 30, 2023
This is a 5-star review. My experience is closer to 4.5-stars, but this a great book. Go read it. Some modest spoilers are in my summary. Just go read the book.
Our protagonist, Chase, is not what he seems. Only he doesn't know it yet.
The society he inhabits is somewhat stratified. There are the common folks living common lives. It appears that moderate success is available to anyone who elects to put in the effort.
Then there are the "royalty". In reality, these are the genetically enhanced humans who can interface with artificial intelligence systems. Being genetically enhanced, the AI interfaced is passed down to their children. Humanity had previously experienced AI systems run amok. It took wars for humanity to reassert control over those computer systems. Now, AI systems require human input before they can carry out complex tasks. Those humans with the genetically engineered interface provide that input.
But wait! Not every interface is equal. Some interfaces provide better access and control of AI systems. The best interfaces are those possessed by the "imperial" family that are passed down to their children.
At some point, a commoner who lacks this interface gains enough governmental power to attempt to overthrow the entire system. He installs an authoritarian system to make things more "fair".
In the meantime, Chase just wanted to improve his position within the criminal world. Some judge tosses him into the Imperial Navy. Chase doesn't understand the judge's motivations. But he quickly adapts to the Navy and learns how to be useful.
His unit gets stuck in a sort of cryosleep. When they awaken, the unit discovers that they have been out of circulation for over a decade. The revolution has killed off the entire imperial family. Other "royals" are now forced to provide the control for the AI system; frequently at gunpoint. The new government is being about as effective as one might imagine.
And Chase might well be the most unlikely person in the universe with the possibility to influence the future.
A great story. Hard to put down. The author has put in a ton of work to make the plot logically consistent and interesting. There simply aren't any unexplained incidents.
I have two critical notes. The first is spelling and grammar. There were less than a dozen instances of poor spelling/grammar.
The second is the concept of "hot". As in "the smokin' hot babe sitting in my Camaro" type of hot. I've read several of this author's books. The women are always "hot". Brother, find a different way of describing women. This wouldn't have been an issue if I hadn't read those other books. But I did. And so it is an issue. Perhaps a minor issue, but an issue.
I will be nominating this book for the Best Novel category of the Hugo Awards of 2024. I think it is that good of a book despite my minor criticism.
Our protagonist, Chase, is not what he seems. Only he doesn't know it yet.
The society he inhabits is somewhat stratified. There are the common folks living common lives. It appears that moderate success is available to anyone who elects to put in the effort.
Then there are the "royalty". In reality, these are the genetically enhanced humans who can interface with artificial intelligence systems. Being genetically enhanced, the AI interfaced is passed down to their children. Humanity had previously experienced AI systems run amok. It took wars for humanity to reassert control over those computer systems. Now, AI systems require human input before they can carry out complex tasks. Those humans with the genetically engineered interface provide that input.
But wait! Not every interface is equal. Some interfaces provide better access and control of AI systems. The best interfaces are those possessed by the "imperial" family that are passed down to their children.
At some point, a commoner who lacks this interface gains enough governmental power to attempt to overthrow the entire system. He installs an authoritarian system to make things more "fair".
In the meantime, Chase just wanted to improve his position within the criminal world. Some judge tosses him into the Imperial Navy. Chase doesn't understand the judge's motivations. But he quickly adapts to the Navy and learns how to be useful.
His unit gets stuck in a sort of cryosleep. When they awaken, the unit discovers that they have been out of circulation for over a decade. The revolution has killed off the entire imperial family. Other "royals" are now forced to provide the control for the AI system; frequently at gunpoint. The new government is being about as effective as one might imagine.
And Chase might well be the most unlikely person in the universe with the possibility to influence the future.
A great story. Hard to put down. The author has put in a ton of work to make the plot logically consistent and interesting. There simply aren't any unexplained incidents.
I have two critical notes. The first is spelling and grammar. There were less than a dozen instances of poor spelling/grammar.
The second is the concept of "hot". As in "the smokin' hot babe sitting in my Camaro" type of hot. I've read several of this author's books. The women are always "hot". Brother, find a different way of describing women. This wouldn't have been an issue if I hadn't read those other books. But I did. And so it is an issue. Perhaps a minor issue, but an issue.
I will be nominating this book for the Best Novel category of the Hugo Awards of 2024. I think it is that good of a book despite my minor criticism.
May 26, 2025
This book just about scrapes it's way into a 3-star rating, but it was a really close call.
When the protagonist is the focus character of the story, the book is interesting enough, but outside of Chase's story, the author doesn't give you any reasons to care. Pretty much any time the story is focusing on anything other than him, my mind goes to sleep because, without a reason to care, my mind doesn't absorb information. I am guessing many people have the same problem, which is why one of the golden rules of writing is to give your readers a reason to care early on. The main way to do this is through creating engaging characters, which, to be fair, the protagonist is. But he's the only one, therefore whenever we aren't following his story directly, I just wasn't engaged.
The second major issue for me is the central romance. This is one of those books where the author tried to write a kick-ass female character whom the protagonist needs to win her respect, and went way too far in the wrong direction. This woman, who starts the novel in a position of power over the protagonist (both physically and socially), severely abuses that power. She physically abuses the protagonist without good reason (he has done nothing to earn her disdain other than existing at the start of the book) to the point of breaking his bones. She is verbally abusive, so unsupportive and unempathetic towards him that it comes across as mental abuse, and she literally tries to murder him at one point because of an act on his part that was so obviously non-predatory that her response to it comes across as her looking for an excuse to murder him.
I just don't get this kind of character, and why the authors who write them can't understand that they are writing a monster, not a love interest. Other than their physical beauty, they have no redeeming qualities. Put any self-respecting man in Chase's situation with this woman, and he would end up hating her, not falling in love. But the story doesn't see this obvious reality, and instead treats this unstable psychopath like a Mary Sue who is loved by everyone and can do no wrong.
Given how much time is spent on this relationship in this book, she really needed to work, and she just doesn't.
So with all that, why does this book get 3 stars? Because it didn't completely suck.
There were fun moments, the story has potential, and it at least kept me reading right through to the end. It hasn't done enough to earn my loyalty in the long run, but I will pick up the next book to see if this story can rescue itself and live up to its potential. For it to do that, though, it really needs to give me a reason to care beyond just the main character.
When the protagonist is the focus character of the story, the book is interesting enough, but outside of Chase's story, the author doesn't give you any reasons to care. Pretty much any time the story is focusing on anything other than him, my mind goes to sleep because, without a reason to care, my mind doesn't absorb information. I am guessing many people have the same problem, which is why one of the golden rules of writing is to give your readers a reason to care early on. The main way to do this is through creating engaging characters, which, to be fair, the protagonist is. But he's the only one, therefore whenever we aren't following his story directly, I just wasn't engaged.
The second major issue for me is the central romance. This is one of those books where the author tried to write a kick-ass female character whom the protagonist needs to win her respect, and went way too far in the wrong direction. This woman, who starts the novel in a position of power over the protagonist (both physically and socially), severely abuses that power. She physically abuses the protagonist without good reason (he has done nothing to earn her disdain other than existing at the start of the book) to the point of breaking his bones. She is verbally abusive, so unsupportive and unempathetic towards him that it comes across as mental abuse, and she literally tries to murder him at one point because of an act on his part that was so obviously non-predatory that her response to it comes across as her looking for an excuse to murder him.
I just don't get this kind of character, and why the authors who write them can't understand that they are writing a monster, not a love interest. Other than their physical beauty, they have no redeeming qualities. Put any self-respecting man in Chase's situation with this woman, and he would end up hating her, not falling in love. But the story doesn't see this obvious reality, and instead treats this unstable psychopath like a Mary Sue who is loved by everyone and can do no wrong.
Given how much time is spent on this relationship in this book, she really needed to work, and she just doesn't.
So with all that, why does this book get 3 stars? Because it didn't completely suck.
There were fun moments, the story has potential, and it at least kept me reading right through to the end. It hasn't done enough to earn my loyalty in the long run, but I will pick up the next book to see if this story can rescue itself and live up to its potential. For it to do that, though, it really needs to give me a reason to care beyond just the main character.
December 9, 2023
Linear Character Arc for Chase
I will try to avoid spoilers because the book is worth reading. Grammar and spelling have a very few flaws, which shows that there was a good editor.
The actual story is interesting and well paced. The characterization of the main players are well done and do not feel like Stereotypes or Cardboard Cutouts. Chase acts as I would expect in this story. The minor surprise is not surprising, but handled well.
The relationship between Chase and his trainer was interesting and I haven’t decided if it needed to change when it did and especially if it needed to change as rapidly and drastically as it did. You’ll know when you get there.
The protagonists are all written very intelligently and are complex. The antagonists are a bit flatter, but they don’t get as many pages, so it may be attributed to lack of exposure to their motivations.
I want book two.
Thanks for writing this John Van Stry.
I will try to avoid spoilers because the book is worth reading. Grammar and spelling have a very few flaws, which shows that there was a good editor.
The actual story is interesting and well paced. The characterization of the main players are well done and do not feel like Stereotypes or Cardboard Cutouts. Chase acts as I would expect in this story. The minor surprise is not surprising, but handled well.
The relationship between Chase and his trainer was interesting and I haven’t decided if it needed to change when it did and especially if it needed to change as rapidly and drastically as it did. You’ll know when you get there.
The protagonists are all written very intelligently and are complex. The antagonists are a bit flatter, but they don’t get as many pages, so it may be attributed to lack of exposure to their motivations.
I want book two.
Thanks for writing this John Van Stry.
October 25, 2023
unlikely hero
It’s an old favorite: lost heir returns to save civilization. Fun and well designed. I especially liked the hereditary AI links. Complicates everything.
The bad: evil doing evil because evil is a bit overdone. Some of the ideas are clever, but it’s too on the nose. That level of ravenous sinfulness (envy, lust, greed, pride, etc.) should be sloppier and less loyal, making for an inherently unstable ‘government’.
The good: the AI links, the concept of stored equipment being out of maintenance, the odd society due to actual hereditary advantages.
I do want the MC to have a few more rough edges. Adaptation as a survival trait on the streets is all well and good, but there should be some oddities that pop up at random that normal people won’t recognize.
I am interested in book 2.
It’s an old favorite: lost heir returns to save civilization. Fun and well designed. I especially liked the hereditary AI links. Complicates everything.
The bad: evil doing evil because evil is a bit overdone. Some of the ideas are clever, but it’s too on the nose. That level of ravenous sinfulness (envy, lust, greed, pride, etc.) should be sloppier and less loyal, making for an inherently unstable ‘government’.
The good: the AI links, the concept of stored equipment being out of maintenance, the odd society due to actual hereditary advantages.
I do want the MC to have a few more rough edges. Adaptation as a survival trait on the streets is all well and good, but there should be some oddities that pop up at random that normal people won’t recognize.
I am interested in book 2.
February 26, 2024
A great start to a new series. After having slogged through a couple bad reads in a row, I was pleasantly surprised by "Stand Alone." In it, Chase goes from gang-leader to...well I won't spoil it all for you. The author keeps the plot moving while allowing for a fair amount of world-building. I really appreciated that the main character makes logical decisions and seems relatively competent (without going so far as to seem untouchable). Chase is morally complex, but seems to work his way around to the correct decisions as time goes on.
Aspects of the villain (and his regime) are a tad over the top (especially in the second book), but not so much as to be unbelievable. The battles are interesting and there's enough mystery to keep you reading on. All in all, I've got this series on my notifications so as to not mix the next installments.
Aspects of the villain (and his regime) are a tad over the top (especially in the second book), but not so much as to be unbelievable. The battles are interesting and there's enough mystery to keep you reading on. All in all, I've got this series on my notifications so as to not mix the next installments.
July 21, 2024
As usual John Van Stry delivers an outstanding story with many realistic characters.
The MC is the illegitimate son of a prince and a noble who was forced by circumstances to survive on the streets. He rose to a leaderdhip position in a gang before being sent off to military service just before a coup took out the imperial family. This is the story of how he became a battle-prince and part of a counter revolution in the vein of "the Empire of Man" series.
The machinations of the noble scions, wether they were imperial or usurper, were quite interesting. The training montages as the MC learned to operate a battle suit, while juggling the creation of relationships with those who could support him was intense. There was also a great meet-cute with a beautiful tsundre officer that was assigned to train him.
Excellent space opera.
The MC is the illegitimate son of a prince and a noble who was forced by circumstances to survive on the streets. He rose to a leaderdhip position in a gang before being sent off to military service just before a coup took out the imperial family. This is the story of how he became a battle-prince and part of a counter revolution in the vein of "the Empire of Man" series.
The machinations of the noble scions, wether they were imperial or usurper, were quite interesting. The training montages as the MC learned to operate a battle suit, while juggling the creation of relationships with those who could support him was intense. There was also a great meet-cute with a beautiful tsundre officer that was assigned to train him.
Excellent space opera.
November 15, 2025
For the first time I felt so betrayed by the Goodreads ratings, like, what is this?
The author can't describe anything properly. Everything is thrown into dialogue. Well, most of the book is dialogues. It goes like this: 1. There is a problem discussed. 2. Some guy gives his take. 3. Someone asks the magic question, "Why?" 4. Explanation of "why" in 3 pages of dialogues. 5. Repeat. It's like we are children and need to have everything explained one by one. There are very few descriptions, almost no worldbuilding whatsoever. Events feel forced. Starship speed measured in miles per hour (XD). I could discuss what's wrong with this book for a long time, almost as long as the author's info dumps in dialogues after the magic question "Why?".
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I have no idea how it almost has a 4.6 rating, literally no clue. The premise is decent, but that's it.
The author can't describe anything properly. Everything is thrown into dialogue. Well, most of the book is dialogues. It goes like this: 1. There is a problem discussed. 2. Some guy gives his take. 3. Someone asks the magic question, "Why?" 4. Explanation of "why" in 3 pages of dialogues. 5. Repeat. It's like we are children and need to have everything explained one by one. There are very few descriptions, almost no worldbuilding whatsoever. Events feel forced. Starship speed measured in miles per hour (XD). I could discuss what's wrong with this book for a long time, almost as long as the author's info dumps in dialogues after the magic question "Why?".
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I have no idea how it almost has a 4.6 rating, literally no clue. The premise is decent, but that's it.
September 28, 2023
Great start to an intriguing space opera
Very enjoyable start to a story that has potential to be a really good series. The pacing and characters have a good edge to them, nobody is a saint. The MC is a street gang lieutenant who does what is needed including killing to get ahead. He is suddenly thrust into the military instead of jail. After a coup, and a long stint in suspended animation he is suddenly thrust into a position of power by allowing a military leader to present him as the bastard son of a prince, to legitimise their retaliatory actions to take back the empire. Space battles and mech warriors fight to bring down an evil dictator. Has a bit of a Star Wars feel to it.
Very enjoyable start to a story that has potential to be a really good series. The pacing and characters have a good edge to them, nobody is a saint. The MC is a street gang lieutenant who does what is needed including killing to get ahead. He is suddenly thrust into the military instead of jail. After a coup, and a long stint in suspended animation he is suddenly thrust into a position of power by allowing a military leader to present him as the bastard son of a prince, to legitimise their retaliatory actions to take back the empire. Space battles and mech warriors fight to bring down an evil dictator. Has a bit of a Star Wars feel to it.
July 5, 2024
A fun space opera with decent writing!
This isn’t perfect, but if you are looking for a fun, reasonably well written sci-fi space opera, Stand Alone is worth a read.
There are some flaws. It’s a cliffhanger. Not even disguised as wrapping anything up, it just stops.
Also, there is a bit of a wolfenstein video game feel to the bad guys, which isn’t terrible, but does tend to create some cardboard stereotypical bad guys.
The romantic subplot is cheesy too. Almost like it was written by a very socially awkward guy who doesn’t know how relationships really develop. This was almost 1950’s romance. Awkward.
All that said, aside from some minor flaws here and there, this is a fun space opera and worth 3.5 stars. I’m going to read book two.
This isn’t perfect, but if you are looking for a fun, reasonably well written sci-fi space opera, Stand Alone is worth a read.
There are some flaws. It’s a cliffhanger. Not even disguised as wrapping anything up, it just stops.
Also, there is a bit of a wolfenstein video game feel to the bad guys, which isn’t terrible, but does tend to create some cardboard stereotypical bad guys.
The romantic subplot is cheesy too. Almost like it was written by a very socially awkward guy who doesn’t know how relationships really develop. This was almost 1950’s romance. Awkward.
All that said, aside from some minor flaws here and there, this is a fun space opera and worth 3.5 stars. I’m going to read book two.
July 15, 2025
The society described in "Stand Alone" is kind of dumb. They're suffering from chronic food shortages because a coup purged too many aristocrats, and only the aristocrats have the interface that can run the food factories. At no point does anyone say "hey, maybe we can install this critical interface in more people so we don't have food shortages and the accompanying unrest."
The protagonist suffers from a serious case of testosterone poisoning. Everything is about posturing with him, and he can't look at any female character without commenting on their level of sexual attractiveness.
When his female trainer, who supposedly hates and resents him, starts acting childishly jealous because he flirted with another woman, that was too much for me. Did not finish.
The protagonist suffers from a serious case of testosterone poisoning. Everything is about posturing with him, and he can't look at any female character without commenting on their level of sexual attractiveness.
When his female trainer, who supposedly hates and resents him, starts acting childishly jealous because he flirted with another woman, that was too much for me. Did not finish.
August 29, 2025
Went in blind & was pleasantly surprised
Picked this up on a whim and found myself rather impressed. The main character is rather more ruthless than a standard protagonists are and i found myself wanting to know more about Artemis as well. Even if there are a bit more "cut away to side characters somewhere else" moments than i normally prefer the story remained well paced. The casual horror that the Committee of Public Safety analog has turned towards seems rather barbaric in only a 10 year span however there are glimpses into the history of the Empire that seem to lead me towards a more complex landscape then what I assumed after learning how cartoonishly evil the rebel gov seemed. Will be reading the next book.
Picked this up on a whim and found myself rather impressed. The main character is rather more ruthless than a standard protagonists are and i found myself wanting to know more about Artemis as well. Even if there are a bit more "cut away to side characters somewhere else" moments than i normally prefer the story remained well paced. The casual horror that the Committee of Public Safety analog has turned towards seems rather barbaric in only a 10 year span however there are glimpses into the history of the Empire that seem to lead me towards a more complex landscape then what I assumed after learning how cartoonishly evil the rebel gov seemed. Will be reading the next book.
December 5, 2023
military space opera at its finest
I read sci-fi; preferring military fiction. I read about 250 books a year and have been for over 50 years. This one shines. The characters are believable, well developed and stay true to their development. The evil is obvious and not omniscient, the good guys don’t lecture the readers. The military is a well thought out team, the leaders are professional and they stay in character. There is no “ragtag” group of “misfits” that bring down empires on their own. The technology is very cool, but not the star of the show. Keep it up JVS, I’m looking forward to the next four or five books.
I read sci-fi; preferring military fiction. I read about 250 books a year and have been for over 50 years. This one shines. The characters are believable, well developed and stay true to their development. The evil is obvious and not omniscient, the good guys don’t lecture the readers. The military is a well thought out team, the leaders are professional and they stay in character. There is no “ragtag” group of “misfits” that bring down empires on their own. The technology is very cool, but not the star of the show. Keep it up JVS, I’m looking forward to the next four or five books.
April 9, 2024
The book defentily has an excellent and well thought out story with interesting world building.
The action sences are ok but don't really have much going for them. The characters also really don't have much going for them. They basically fill a role and that's who they are. The main character is just a gerneal asshole but gets all the women cause why not.
I will say this book goes out of its way to mention the amount of sex slaves there are and how bad that is but then has the main character objectify women like it's no big deal. If this is something you feel strongly about I wouldn't read this book.
Overall a promising series that does need some work but has the ability to shine.
The action sences are ok but don't really have much going for them. The characters also really don't have much going for them. They basically fill a role and that's who they are. The main character is just a gerneal asshole but gets all the women cause why not.
I will say this book goes out of its way to mention the amount of sex slaves there are and how bad that is but then has the main character objectify women like it's no big deal. If this is something you feel strongly about I wouldn't read this book.
Overall a promising series that does need some work but has the ability to shine.
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