What do you think?
Rate this book
Bounty
Nikos Wulf is at the top of his game. Within the sublevels of 2120 Winnipeg, he is the undisputed king of bounty hunters, working for the elite Bounty Commission Eco-Terror Taskforce. The job: maintain the delicate ecological balance in a city holding back climate collapse. But when a series of bounties go wrong, Nikos finds himself on the trail of a troubling new player among the city's anti-establishment. Bound to a sense of duty to the city that made him, Nikos finds himself in a deadly game of catch-up with an insidious enemy bent on bringing down everything he's fought so hard to protect.
- GenresScience Fiction
402 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 27, 2023
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 1, 2024
I really really really really really really tried to love this book but I couldn't do it. I made it about 60% of the way through. I very much liked the premise and the setting but the book got in the way of itself so many times. It just dragged on and on and would not relent in doing so. Eventually it steeped its way into utter pretension with the plot as well. The main character has nothing interesting about him and feels one dimensional. Exposition and world building was handled in a clumsy fashion that would often make the story slow down to a halt.
March 19, 2024
Love the worldbuilding and setting. Winnepeg and the sublevels felt very real. I thought the characters and plot needed some work - everyone but Nikos is a bit flat. The reveal at the end felt a bit forced as I don't think enough work had been done to build up the end plot - I would have liked to see more development of the relationship with Castor and Zara to get me caring about this. The fellow bounty hunters weren't that interesting to me.
I was also a bit disappointed in the plot - the reveal of Prometheus as the final villain was a bit boring to me - I also seemed like a reverse deus ex-machina, with the reveal being an unnecessary plot device to act as a villian. I had wanted to see a more complicated reveal of the eco-corporations as manufacturing things behind the scenes, and I wanted to see Nikos start to question their methods and motives. Not sure if Pchajek is planning this for a later book. Despite all my complaints, I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to sequels!
I was also a bit disappointed in the plot - the reveal of Prometheus as the final villain was a bit boring to me - I also seemed like a reverse deus ex-machina, with the reveal being an unnecessary plot device to act as a villian. I had wanted to see a more complicated reveal of the eco-corporations as manufacturing things behind the scenes, and I wanted to see Nikos start to question their methods and motives. Not sure if Pchajek is planning this for a later book. Despite all my complaints, I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to sequels!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2026
I honestly couldn't put this one down — Pchajek builds this incredible cli-fi world set in the sublevels of 2120 Winnipeg that feels so real and fleshed out, and I loved every minute of being in it. Nikos and Mack's dynamic is honestly one of my favorite parts of the book — their rapport feels so natural and fun, and it adds a lot of heart to an already fantastic story. The story moves at a pace that makes it really easy to just fly through the pages, and for a debut novel, this is seriously impressive. If you're into sci-fi, cli-fi, or just want a gripping story with characters you actually care about, do yourself a favor and pick this up.
Read
January 26, 2024My interview with Pchajek discussing the book is here:
https://umfm.com/programming/broadcas...
https://umfm.com/programming/broadcas...
August 4, 2024
Really enjoyed this book. Hopefully there will be a sequel.
October 29, 2023
The promotional blurb for Jason Pchajek’s new cybercrime novel reads: Nikos Wulf is at the top of his game. Within the sublevels of 2120 Winnipeg, he is the undisputed king of bounty hunters, working for the elite Bounty Commission Eco-Terror Taskforce. The job: maintain the delicate ecological balance in a city holding back climate collapse. But when a series of bounties go wrong, Nikos finds himself on the trail of a troubling new player among the city’s anti-establishment. Bound to a sense of duty to the city that made him, Nikos finds himself in a deadly game of catch-up with an insidious enemy bent on bringing down everything he’s fought so hard to protect.
I have to state unequivocally that had I been browsing for my next read, this is not the sort of novel I would have chosen. To say I have an antipathy toward anything cyberpunk, crime story, or hard-baked drama would be an understatement. That’s why my reaction to Pchajek’s debut novel is startling, because I actually found myself entertained.
First some background on Jason Pchajek. He’s a Manitoban with a Master’s in Sociology from the University of Manitoba, deeply interested in climate, biotechnology, human enhancement, inequality, and the future of humans. He’s also a journalist, radio host, hockey announcer, and corporate researcher. Knowing that, it became clear to me how that experience informed and gave credibility to much of what he presents in this action-packed, Clancy meets Gibson novel.
From the first pages Pchajek creates a real and believable character in Nikos Wulf, a bounty hunter who works in the new version of Winnipeg which not only rises in skyscrapers but delves deeply beneath the tremendous rivers of this remarkable city. If I’m honest, I couldn’t help but think of a version of Thomas Jane’s engaging performance as Josephus Miller in The Expanse, a character I was deeply fascinated by and fond of.
Pchajek’s ability as a writer doesn’t stop with excellent characterization; he has an innate understanding of how to build believable and credible worlds geographically, materially, and sociologically. His is an immersive experience.
Once introduced to Nikos Wulf’s world and occupation, the story charges ahead at a brisk pace, rarely dull, always understandable. The writing is crisp, efficient, as suits the subject.
My only criticism, and this is entirely personal esthetic, is that as the major knock-‘em-down scenes unfolded, the atmosphere and characters took on an almost Marvel Cinematic Universe feeling with cloaked superhero bounty hunters in Bobbie Draper MMC special forces armour. I do, however, know many of my colleagues would twitch with glee reading Pchajek’s novel. And that is as it should be.
Oh, and Jason, yeah, about that antipathy of mine: well done, sir. You absolutely shut down that critical, elitist reader I tend to be and took me on a very entertaining journey. Thanks.
I have to state unequivocally that had I been browsing for my next read, this is not the sort of novel I would have chosen. To say I have an antipathy toward anything cyberpunk, crime story, or hard-baked drama would be an understatement. That’s why my reaction to Pchajek’s debut novel is startling, because I actually found myself entertained.
First some background on Jason Pchajek. He’s a Manitoban with a Master’s in Sociology from the University of Manitoba, deeply interested in climate, biotechnology, human enhancement, inequality, and the future of humans. He’s also a journalist, radio host, hockey announcer, and corporate researcher. Knowing that, it became clear to me how that experience informed and gave credibility to much of what he presents in this action-packed, Clancy meets Gibson novel.
From the first pages Pchajek creates a real and believable character in Nikos Wulf, a bounty hunter who works in the new version of Winnipeg which not only rises in skyscrapers but delves deeply beneath the tremendous rivers of this remarkable city. If I’m honest, I couldn’t help but think of a version of Thomas Jane’s engaging performance as Josephus Miller in The Expanse, a character I was deeply fascinated by and fond of.
Pchajek’s ability as a writer doesn’t stop with excellent characterization; he has an innate understanding of how to build believable and credible worlds geographically, materially, and sociologically. His is an immersive experience.
Once introduced to Nikos Wulf’s world and occupation, the story charges ahead at a brisk pace, rarely dull, always understandable. The writing is crisp, efficient, as suits the subject.
My only criticism, and this is entirely personal esthetic, is that as the major knock-‘em-down scenes unfolded, the atmosphere and characters took on an almost Marvel Cinematic Universe feeling with cloaked superhero bounty hunters in Bobbie Draper MMC special forces armour. I do, however, know many of my colleagues would twitch with glee reading Pchajek’s novel. And that is as it should be.
Oh, and Jason, yeah, about that antipathy of mine: well done, sir. You absolutely shut down that critical, elitist reader I tend to be and took me on a very entertaining journey. Thanks.
September 25, 2024
Science fiction is not one of my go to favourite genres. However, I was really attracted to the cover and the synopsis sounded promising. The red cover really caught my attention, promising danger, excitement, a dystopian setting for sure. The Canadian author and setting of Winnipeg clinched it for me, having relatives who live in that city. I loved the futuristic descriptions of the city.
However, mentioning climate change throughout the novel, sometimes every second page in a chapter really got to me. Please! Enough with climate change propaganda. We hear about it constantly from our government. I don't want to read about it in my novels. They are for my enjoyment. Not to get my blood pressure up. Climate has been changing since the beginning of time. Nothing man does can stop it! You can seed clouds with all the chemtrails you want. People are waking up.
As for the Canadian content. Really, did you really need to explain our health system? Was that necessary to the plot? And to have the RCMP in the story. Will this archaic police force still be around that far in the future? But the real kicker was reading to the end, turning the page and nothing! It ended abruptly! I don't think I will read the continuation. None of the characters grabbed my attention nor my sympathy. And the story line wasn't that interesting. Just a series of chases and violent fights. The hero is so seriously injured and incapacitated, that he immediately gets up in the next scene as if nothing happened. In fact it reminded me of The Terminator movies, where there was no dialogue, just a series of chases and far too loud constant noise, which gave you a migraine by the end of the movie. This whole novel was a disappointment. I stuck it out to the end. I wanted to like it, but it was not to be. I feel I am generous even giving the book a 2 out of 5.
However, mentioning climate change throughout the novel, sometimes every second page in a chapter really got to me. Please! Enough with climate change propaganda. We hear about it constantly from our government. I don't want to read about it in my novels. They are for my enjoyment. Not to get my blood pressure up. Climate has been changing since the beginning of time. Nothing man does can stop it! You can seed clouds with all the chemtrails you want. People are waking up.
As for the Canadian content. Really, did you really need to explain our health system? Was that necessary to the plot? And to have the RCMP in the story. Will this archaic police force still be around that far in the future? But the real kicker was reading to the end, turning the page and nothing! It ended abruptly! I don't think I will read the continuation. None of the characters grabbed my attention nor my sympathy. And the story line wasn't that interesting. Just a series of chases and violent fights. The hero is so seriously injured and incapacitated, that he immediately gets up in the next scene as if nothing happened. In fact it reminded me of The Terminator movies, where there was no dialogue, just a series of chases and far too loud constant noise, which gave you a migraine by the end of the movie. This whole novel was a disappointment. I stuck it out to the end. I wanted to like it, but it was not to be. I feel I am generous even giving the book a 2 out of 5.
August 12, 2024
I hate cliffhangers, would have given it a solid 4 if there was any sort of conclusion to the story. You can write a series where there is resolution to the storyline of the book and still leave a connection to the next chapter/book in the series. John Ringo's Troy Rising or Posleen War series are good examples of this
October 14, 2023
As a filmmaker, I appreciate the cinematic pace of 'Bounty'. Quick-action sequences, romantic tension, imaginative cyberpunk world building, hating on corporate powerhouse structures, and a gripping mystery. It has it all, really.
October 13, 2024
An energetic Cli-Fi, Cyberpunk read. Fans of Philip K. Dick and William Gibson will appreciate the world building here.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews