Blue Warrior

Troy Pearce #2

by Mike Maden

A brutal conflict in Mali and an international race for rare elements sets the stage for Troy Pearce and his drone technology to rescue an old friend in this adrenaline-fueled series.

Blue Warrior is set in the remote Sahara Desert, where a recently discovered deposit of strategically indispensable Rare Earth Elements (REEs) ignites an international rush to secure them.
            Standing in the way are the Tuaregs, the fierce tribe of warrior nomads of the desert wasteland, who are fighting for their independence. The Chinese offer to help the Malian government crush the rebellion by the Tuaregs in order to gain a foothold in the area, and Al-Qaeda jihadis join the fight. In the midst of all this chaos are Troy Pearce’s closest friend and a mysterious woman from his past who ask him for help.
            Deploying his team and his newest drones to rescue his friends and save the rebellion, Troy finds that he might need more than technology to survive the battle and root out the real puppet masters behind the Tuareg genocide.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Adventure

416 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 16, 2014

About the author

I grew up working in the canneries, feed mills and slaughterhouses of California’s San Joaquin Valley. A lifelong fascination with history and warfare ultimately lead to a Ph.D. in political science focused on conflict and technology in international relations. Like millions of others, I first became a Tom Clancy fan after reading The Hunt for Red October, and began my published fiction career in the same techno-thriller genre, starting with DRONE and the sequels, BLUE WARRIOR, DRONE COMMAND and DRONE THREAT. I’m honored to be joining “The Campus” as a writer in Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Jr., series.

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is an awful racist story of murder with butchery and brutal animal slaughter. 0 of 10 stars

[Russell Atkinson · Rating 1 out of 5]

The term purple prose was invented for books like this. Here are a couple of sentences from Chapter 21: "Distant jet engines split the air like rolling thunder, and black smoke smudged the crystalline blue sky." "...the Pakistani's throat blossomed in petals of blood and meat." The plot, if there is one, seems to be nothing more than a loose thread intended to string together violent action scenes designed mainly to display the author's knowledge of aircraft, weapons, and military stuff in general. The writing and editing are sloppy. He introduces a character called Zhou Yi, then a few paragraphs later he is called Zhao Yi, then back to Zhou briefly, then finally he settles on the name Zhao. Apparently Putnam doesn't employ editors any longer. This book was a disappointment because I owned a "drone," i.e. personal multirotor aircraft, and thought the premise sounded good, but there's a limit to what I can stomach. If you're into drones, try Sting of the Drone: A Novel or Death Row. Both are much better.

[SteVen Hendricks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review - Blue Warrior - Mike Maden
I really enjoyed Mike Maden’s second book in the Troy Pearce, Drone series, “Blue Warrior.” When it comes to modern technology, there is no question about the increasingly important role it plays in our lives and especially in the military and now private sector. “Privately owned drones can do things the government can’t do.” People are more than ever immersed in their electronic devices and machines. Therefore, it’s no surprise that techno thrillers, as a sub-genre of thriller fiction books are on the rise. Mike Maden’s Drone series is a part of the rise. Blue Warrior has good technical detail and it moves along nicely. I would recommend the four-book series to anyone that is a tech Geek like me. It is well written with some really cool and believable technology. It’s suspenseful entertaining and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire narrative. Again, lots of really cool “Wow” technologies incorporated into the drones in these stories. Really good stuff!

[Steve Gilreath · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice step forward from Drone. This is a fast-paced book- written in a staccato style that I find very efficient and energetic. Maden paints the scene clearly enough, but doesn't dwell or go overboard. A few of the tech descriptions are a little obscure for my liking, but I'm sure others drink it in. Similarly, there are some dark corners here, not my fav, but appropriate enough in this setting.
There is a lot of tech and a lot of war in this book- but don't be fooled- Blue Warrior is about the people and relationships. Those in different cultures and how they value family, friends, service to country and what they hold dear. It offers an interesting dive into a few lesser know African cultures that I found fascinating. And Troy Pearce? He's a straight-up hero! Don't miss this one!
I can easily see why Mike Maden was the right choice to move into the world of Tom Clancy!

[dave dunton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hits the mark again

This sequel picks up a short time after a mythical President sacrifices her career to save the Union which, albeit not possible, would be a great move for many present & past holders of the office. The author doesn’t stop there but goes on to describe a future war scenario where robots 🤖 do battle but people still get killed. The best thing about these stories is the “spot on” descriptions of the current political scene, sparing no one in his indictment of the process and how far out of control the whole thing is. Good stuff.

[Linda Schmidt]

Mike Maden knows technology and current events & presents both of them in his exciting Blue Warrior. After his military service, the protagonist, Troy Pearce, starts a technology company which helps environmentalists as well as the U.S. government with drones. This novel presents the conflict in Africa where China is harvesting the essential rare earth minerals and will do anything to anyone it views as a competitor. Not only does Troy Pearce fight for the Africans right to their own land, but Pearce falls in love with an Italian doctor to add another dimension to the adventure.

[Wenzel Roessler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is labeled a techno-war book but it's far from just that. Yes technology plays a big part of the book and there are many battle scenes, but the real heart of the story is about relationships and supporting each other Against All Odds. And the technical battle part of the book and the interpersonal character development part of the book do melt together nicely. I would suggest reading book one first but it's not a requirement, of course if you did not like book one then this one's not for you!

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Troy Pearce is at it again, this time dealing with warlords, terrorists, and the US Air Force in Africa. In addition, we get to see some of Pearce's previous life. Interesting to me is that in the first book, Pearce was very reluctant to get involved. This one, a different story, however the circumstances are a lot closer to home. A lot of high-tech gear that makes the book so much better. Looking to read #3.

[Mikel Rhodes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A excellent story about the future.

A Excellent plot with very interesting characters then add some awesome drones that can fly and fight then throw in a few ground robotic fighters and you have the based for a fast moving thriller. I forgot to mention political intrigue and international political intrigue. All of this made for a very interesting and enjoyable book that I highly recommend.

[Kevin Stumpf · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful, terrible, pointless. Full of action, but, ZERO PLOT. Action for action’s sake. The only way this book is 4+ stars? people that did not actually read the book, Mr. Maiden’s immediate family, and Mr. Maiden’s friends that lie to him have left reviews. Trust me on this, save your time and SKIP THIS “thriller”. The only thrill was when I could say “I FINISHED!!!!!” This book made me wish I was able to quit books but unfortunately I am unable to not complete a book once I have started.

[William Walter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much graphic violence overwhelms a reasonably good plot line. May be accurate and authentic, but some descriptions are excessive in the extreme, would prevent me from recommending the book to others.

[See · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good futuristic (or current?) read on warfare.

Mr Maden took about three chapters to get this story moving, after that it was all action all the time. I can't wait to see what happens in book three.

[Adrian Ramos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty cool book about drone technology and its military and non-military uses. This was book number 2 in the series. Now i have to read number 1. This story involved high tech drones and camels. China, Africa and the US. A former CIA operator turned drone technology company owner.

[Michael P Carroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read.

Best read these books in sequence. Drone & AI stuff is a little over the top at times but overall interesting.

[Jack Mulcahy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intro to all was well defined but slow. Then it took off like a rocket.

[Yuri Yulaev · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good drone tech description, unrealistic plot, shallow characters

[Paul Echols · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took a bit to slog through in the middle, but very informative in the use of drones at so many levels. Characters are enjoyable and fun to follow.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good development of characters within a strong storyline.
I imagine this title may have been the lead into the Jack Ryan Universe ...

[Tom Geelan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom says

A look to what the future could hold for us. Fiction but extremely possible. A very good read and mind stimulating.

[Lori Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good story. It was hard to get into; each of the beginning chapters was introducing different people and with the unknow territories or names it took a lot of concentration..

[wally · Rating 3 out of 5]

i liked it

[Stan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

[Lisa Barnum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this book is 12 years old, but technology is now at the common person’s grasp. Pretty scary stuff! Good story, maybe alittle too real

[Ian Higgs · Rating 4 out of 5]

**SPOILER**
I enjoyed the story but a felt a bit cheated that there was no explanation as to what happened to the people and equipment at Pearce Systems after the FBI stripped it out. You just see later references to Ian McTavish with everything supposedly back to normal.

[Rick-Founder JM CM BOOK CLUB · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so happy to be reading this second book by Mr Maden. His first Drone was a true masterpiece and a writer as good as Maden, cannot but continue to excel. This new novel has instant Classic written all over it!!!!

I have finished this remarkable novel and only wish I could give it 10 stars!!!
The amount of research, the level of detail that Mr. Maden includes in the book is astounding. The main character Troy Pearce is a wonderfully drawn and fully realized character. The supporting characters are also quite well done. The action is fast and furious, yet a writer with Mr. Maden's innate gifts of a storyteller make Blue Warrior far more than simply an action novel. It is full of human drama and several fascinating subplot that all come together in the end to produce a stunner of a read. I cannot wait the the third book in this brilliant series to come out!

Rick Friedman
Founder
The James Mason Community Book Club

[Roberta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this is written as a novel, the author is so informed with minute details in his realistically viable story content that the reader feels the situations vividly described are that which have the likelihood of occurring in the not-too-distant future.

I will say no more than that it all takes place in the Middle East, the author describes the fictitious president in the story being one which does not want American 'boots on the ground,' & Al Qaeda jihadis & drones are involved.

I highly recommend this thriller as a personal must-read by anyone involved with politics, national defense, defense contractors, intel agencies, hardware & software security, plus the military. They will be even more informed after they digest the capabilities for unplanned twists in potential real-life scenarios.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed Mr. Maden's second book and look forward to reading more of his work. Gritty, Geo-political thrillers highlighting technological advances are the highlight of his novels. I'm not sure how well they will age. I'm dubious of some of the technology his mentions, in particular tracking one specific rifle int he Sahara which is tagged with a single RFID chip. Nevertheless, the books are exciting, thought-provoking and address geopolitical challenges that are on the horizon (such as Mexican cartels, turmoil in Africa, and competition with China). This could be my replacement for Tom Clancy.

[Mike OHagerty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not intending to be chauvinistic - this is pure beach reading for guys. If you miss Vince Flynn and Mitch Rapp, then Mike Maden and Troy Pearce are for you. The age of Drone Wars is upon us so the details the author provides about done tech and suggestions of what's coming in that sector is a wee bit scary. Pure fun...in a spook/terrorist sort of way.

[Brenton Jennings · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am going to be able to read and review "Blue Warrior (Troy Pearce #2)" by Mike Maden for free, yes free, thanks to author and Goodreads First Reads giveaway. Thanks!

It is action packed from beginning to end. You can not turn the pages fast enough. WoW!

[Bill Donhiser · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Mike Madden, recommended to me by the Poisoned Pen. It is a good Techno-thriller, well written, along the lines of Tom Clancy, Dale Brown, and Brad Thor. I am looking forward to reading more from this author