Invisible War: A Military Sci-Fi Series

by Joe Kassabian

Their minds stolen. Uploaded into war-machines. They fight a secret war to preserve humanity.What if there was a war raging for one million years, but it was kept secret? It's a question Sargis never considered, born as an upper middle class man living in Prime City during a so-called “Millenia of Peace.” As far as he, or anyone else knows, humanity has no army, no weapons, and no wars.The people of Earth have been expanding into the stars for as long as anyone remembers, free of conflict while the Techno King and his Royal Cabal enrich themselves on the backs of their labor. All was as it always has been.

Then, Sargis dies.

Unbeknownst to him, an app he used every single day of his life hijacks his consciousness and uploads it into a synthetic engine of war known as a sleeve. Along with countless others, he has been conscripted into the Undying Legion, charged with fighting a secret, unending war in the name of humanity.Experience the start of the next explosive Military Sci-Fi series from Joe Kassabian, author of the Liberty of Death Series. This boots-on-the-ground twist on being a soldier is perfect for fans of Rick Partlow, Galaxy's Legionnaire, and Starship Troopers. Like Starship Troopers meets Robocop at a galactic scale!

Genres: Science Fiction

270 pages, Paperback

Published February 20, 2024

Reviews

[James Tullos · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book needed to be 50-100 pages longer. Too much happens in a short time and it rarely has a chance to sink in. That said, the story was good and I liked the setting, so I look forward to the sequel.

[Araceli Bowers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a captivating journey that I didn’t want to end. The author’s talent for world-building is extraordinary, pulling you into a vibrant and engaging setting. The characters were well-developed, with rich backstories that made them feel real. I’m still thinking about it days later. Simply outstanding!

[Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been enjoying Kassabian's Lions Led By Donkeys podcast for about a year now, but this was my first foray into his written work. I wanted to like the book more than I could. It's a brisk read with good premise featuring a sort of technofeudalist/end stage capitalism bent that helps distinguish it from The Forever War or Old Man's War.

My main disappointment was the prose itself, which can be workmanlike. There's no deficit of imagination and Kassabian is never unclear, but the writing and dialogue often feels too rushed or literal. It would really benefit from a more descriptive tone and more breathing room at times.

[Trey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not a good book. It had an interesting concept but terrible execution.

The dystopian earth. It was written too cheesy to take seriously but not cheesy enough to be funny.

The legion. Apparently most soldiers fight several wars per week. No artillery or air support. No space support. They even fight some supposedly advanced species who should be able to wipe the floor with them.

I've got no problems with some they them pronouns but I wish the author would just use the characters name instead. It made for some very confusing passages when more than one character was present.

The pacing is bad. It jumps from battle to battle with no real time for other characters to matter. Parts read almost like an outline of a story that was meant to be filled in later. Read like one of those books that the author really wanted to get somewhere and only wrote what he thought he had to to get there. I think it was a total of 5 pages from a character swearing to continue to withhold her back story from her comrades of 20 years to spilling her guts to the new guy that she literally just met.

The whole book really just needed an editor. Not the biggest stickler for spelling and grammar mistakes but those combined with my observations just ended up being too much.

DNF

[Sean P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Healthcare Now and Here

The way Joe describes the pay for play healthcare in the beginning of this story hit so hard. As a healthcare provider there are more days than not that I feel my care is dictated by a "Cabal." The further story is a fantastic story of fighting against corporate greed. Maybe for another's greed, but freedom? This is a captivating story and I am intrigued by the characters.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not normally one for Sci-fi books but this one sucked me in. The story itself was rather interesting and can be gleaned from the blurb on Amazon. There was a twist I may not have seen coming due to not reading the genre often that was well done in my opinion. I look forward to seeing where this saga goes. And learning how to properly review a book.

[Rob Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I’ve found asking questions about what makes sense and what doesn’t make sense only leads to a drinking problem.”

“I’ve learned that keeping the ghosts of our past locked inside of our heads is fine, but they shouldn’t stop you from continuing to live your life now. Even if it’s a life none of us would have asked for.”

[Phoebe Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This had all the elements I usually enjoy, but it didn’t quite hit the mark. The pacing was uneven, with some parts dragging while others felt rushed. The characters were interesting, but I struggled to connect with them on a deeper level. It was a decent read, but it left me wanting more substance.

[Annie Bowers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a captivating journey that I didn’t want to end. The author’s talent for world-building is extraordinary, pulling you into a vibrant and engaging setting. The characters were well-developed, with rich backstories that made them feel real. I’m still thinking about it days later. Simply outstanding!

[Madison Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to love this, but it was a bit of a rollercoaster. The premise was exciting, but somewhere along the way, it lost its momentum. Some parts were thrilling, while others felt overly detailed and slow. It had moments of brilliance, but they were few and far between. It’s good, just not great.

[Alma Hopper · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were moments of brilliance here, but they were few and far between. The narrative was engaging at times but often lost focus. Some chapters were a joy to read, while others felt like a chore. It’s not a bad read, but it’s not something I’d revisit. Worth a try, but temper your expectations.

[James Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting concept. Reminds me of the series The Old Man's war

Definitely has many twists and turns. How the corrupt powerful use the poor. How humanity is manipulated. And how brave mankind can be.

[Kasper · Rating 3 out of 5]

gig economy dystopia is such a fun and horrific concept. loved all the little geek influences, it's nice to be reminded of the things I love about starship troopers and warhammer while also having an author who knows that fascism is bad.

[Yicheng Liu · Rating 5 out of 5]

good book

Decent start to another science fiction series. I enjoyed it as a fairly interesting take on classic tropes in sci-fi. Enjoyable and entertaining for a casual read and worth recommending.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t expect to cry reading military science-fiction but this book got me several times during its 260 pages. Great characters, clear concepts. Some good one- liners and overall a book I’ll be recommending to friends.

[Jean L Oldham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Exposition!

The idea was interesting. There was a lot of exposition. There were hints of what the author was reading or watching. I would guess the Expansion series and Game of Thrones.

[Alaya Booker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this down! The suspense and tension were perfectly balanced, keeping me on the edge of my seat. The characters were so well fleshed out that I felt like I knew them. The twists were unexpected and added to the excitement. This is a must-read!

[Jay Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

a good book

This book is reminiscent of “the forever war” by haldeman. But instead of fighting for freedom you realize you are on the wrong side.

[Dale (Aus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

was as advertised

This was a standard sci-fi military story with some surprises. Not my type of writing but reasonable with plenty of action and characters.

[John Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Work

Top shelf military sci-fi, standing shoulder to shoulder with John Scalzi and Joe Haldeman in examining the human cost of the future of warfare.

[Ben Rocky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable, fast, & brilliantly antiwar pulp.

[W Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good reading

Just couldn't find a way to put the book down read it almost non-stop well paced story line recommend this book to others to read

[Will Shackley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very enjoyable scifi with some fun concepts and worldbuilding. Engaging battle scenes and fun characters.

[Miles Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this. Wish even more time had been spent in the Techno King's domain.

[Eliott Orr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick story with a crazy cool sci-fi premise.

[Kirsty Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

fun read in chilling dystopia

Great read, and chilling world building. Disturbing tech dystopia and a prescient app name. Sargis reminded me of me when I’m trying and failing to write in the opening!