Orphan Brigade

Sim War #2

by Henry V. O'Neil, Vincent H. O'Neil

The action-packed sequel to Glory Main

Life has not been easy for Lieutenant Jander Mortas since making it to the Glory Main headquarters—with a telepathic alien entity in tow. After turning down his powerful father's offer of a desk job as an ambassador, Jander is heading back to the war zone. After joining an emergency reaction force of combat veterans known as the Orphans, Jander must work hard to get his platoon in shape for the next deployment—while learning the ropes himself. Because disaster soon strikes, and the Orphan Brigade is shipped out to Fractus, a harsh planet invaded by the enemy—the Sims.

Meanwhile, Jander's sister, Ayliss, is on a mission of her own: to uncover a scandal that would bring an end to her father's dubious reign as Chairman of the Emergency Senate. But Olech Mortas is hiding even more than his children could ever know …

Genres: Science Fiction

250 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 6, 2015

About the author

Henry V. O’Neil is the name under which Malice Award-winning mystery novelist Vincent H. O’Neil publishes his science fiction work. In 2017 HarperCollins released the fifth and final novel in his military science Sim War series (Glory Main, Orphan Brigade, Dire Steps, CHOP Line, and Live Echoes).

After graduating from West Point, he served in the US Army Infantry with the Tenth Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York and the 1st Battalion (Airborne) of the 508th Infantry in Panama. He holds a Master’s degree in International Business from The Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy.

In 2005 he won the St. Martin’s Press “Malice Domestic” writing award for his debut novel Murder in Exile. Murder in Exile was the first book in the Frank Cole/Exile series, and was followed by Reduced Circumstances, Exile Trust, and Contest of Wills.

He is also the author of the theater-themed murder mystery Death Troupe and two horror novels called Interlands and Denizens.

Reviews

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

Orphan Brigade is the second entry in the Sim War series and continues the combination of excellent writing with strong characterizations. Although both in the series are technically novellas, neither feel rushed or frustratingly short - they are decidedly worth the investment of time. The books provide a solid and nuanced plot that is both intelligent and grounded and the perfect length for the story being told.

Story: Jander Mortas isn't going to be given time to recover from the loss of his comrades or the surprise of an alien infiltrator. The government doesn't know what to do with him and they aren't happy their most secure base was almost breached. But Jander's father is the most powerful human in the universe and gets his son released eventually. Jander isn't pleased and opts to return to the military, joining the orphan brigade. Meanwhile, his sister will do all she can to destroy her father - even if it means running straight into a trap herself. And above it all, their father plays a very deadly game of war and politic while trying to protect what's left of his family.

In Orphan Brigade, the world opens up a bit as we get three POVs: Jander, his sister, and their father. Each has a secret to reveal and a different perspective on the SIMs that serve the purpose of rounding out the story. Oddly enough, though, my preference would have been to stick solely to Jander and the military sci fi aspect of the story. With the addition of the father and sister, we veer more into space opera/politics and away from the more fascinating SIM battles of military sci fi.

O'Neil's strength in the first book was the very grounded and human storytelling. Each person felt unique and distinct rather than cardboard cliches shambling along to propel a story. I was less invested with Jander's sister and father and preferred to get back into the war scenes with the orphan brigade. The political side just didn't feel as real or grounded as the military story and I came to resent the break up of the battle scenes with the more mundane politics.

As well, though I greatly appreciated women of strength as with Jander's sister and his father's politician lover Reena, both women were a bit one-dimensional in their characters. Reena as a lawn mower and Ayliss as single-minded to the point of self detriment. The men in the story are all allowed weaknesses and nuances that the women weren't (this was the case in the first book as well). But I'll always take fierce women over male-interest rocket scientist supermodel cliches any day.

Orphan Brigade was much slower than the first novella, which was all about survival. I admit to skimming in several places as the descriptions seemed a bit too dense to be necessary to follow the story. That said, the book isn't a techno-heavy sci fi with endless discussions of gun types or how space travel happens. At heart, it's a personal story and the consequences of the war. The casualties are always high.

The above thoughts are really nitpicks for a solidly written and engaging series. Each book has a definite arc with a surprise or twist at the end. As well, there are some very distinct and clever ideas about alien races in here that I found to be very imaginative. Little details, such as the mutilation of specific parts of soldier's bodies by the SIM aliens made a lot of sense and added dimension and intelligence to the story. This isn't a gung ho guns and ammo type of series and it is very thoughtfully written.

After the first book, I eagerly awaited this second book and it did not disappoint. The scope broadens and we get new characters; but the heart O'Neill puts into his plot and characters has remained consistent. I greatly look forward to the third novella.

Reviewed from an ARC provided by the publisher.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second book in The Sim War series finds our intrepid hero, Lieutenant Jander Mortas, joining the veteran combat group known as the Orphans. Thrust into a leadership role, he has to learn the ropes fast before his platoon gets sent to their next battle. Soon they’re shipped out to the planet Fractus, where the enemy Sims have taken hold. Can Jan get his troops to work together as a team to ensure their survival? Meanwhile, Jan’s sister Ayliss goes on a dangerous mission of her own to discredit her father, Chairman of the Emergency Senate. Little does she know of the secret he’s been guarding for years, one that could drastically change her viewpoint. Action-packed scenes follow as the siblings each deal with their own perils. But waiting beyond the stars might be an even bigger threat than either of them realizes.

[Robert Enzenauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good sequel to the Sim War series. The author's military background is evident in the very realistic and plausible future battles. Small unit leadership is obviously the same, whether in the twenty-first century or many centuries into the future. The further character development of the hero - Lieutenant Mortas - is very good. The plot moves very quickly. The new unit - the Orphan Brigade - is as good as any special missions unit in history. For me as good as STARSHIP TROOPERS. I have already moved the THIRD book in the series closer to the top of my reading list.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the next day or two after I finished reading this, I found myself thinking about the characters and wondering what was going to happen to them. And then I realized that I finished the book and would have to wait (hopefully a short time, hint, hint) to find out. Military science fiction is not my usual genre, but this was really well written and kept my interest the whole time I was reading. Looking forward to seeing where this series goes.

[Tessa in Mid-Michigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprise Depth

I expected to just read another SO, but this one was a little better than most. Can’t figure out Ayliss yet though.

[Hélène · Rating 2 out of 5]

At time, this book made me a bit impatient. The setting is enticing : I like interstellar empires/republics with complicated politics and mysterious threats from beyond. I think the major problem is with the titular hero, Lieutenant Jander Mortas who is... bland. Furthermore, he was the lone survivor of the first adventure and has to start again with a new platoon : again very superficial relationships, again severed, as nearly everybody die in this episode. I fear he'll become infamous and be shunned!
The battles are a baffling mix of contemporary ways to fight with some futuristic elements.
So, this book felt unbalanced and left me partly unsatisfied but I still want to know what's at stakes and who are the players

[Gregoire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pas aussi captivé que par le premier tome (beaucoup d'explications et de répétitions) pourtant j'ai toujours envie d'en savoir plus sur les "sims" et sur leur origine ...