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Undying Mercenaries #23
Rage World
The Rebellion against Earth expands to new worlds. Left to die on a volcanic world by the Skrull, McGill and his mercenaries face waves of missile attacks with nowhere to hide. When the Skrull seal themselves inside an impenetrable energy dome, McGill knows he has to get creative. Even if that means sabotaging alien power plants, blackmailing his superior officers, and using his own troops as bait in a deadly game of cat and mouse.
But the real enemy isn't the dome, or even the Rebel Blue Skrull forces trying to overrun the planet. It's McGill's commanding officers, who are looking for any excuse to execute him for insubordination. Now McGill has to pull off his riskiest gambit yet—turning certain defeat into victory while staying just barely on the right side of mutiny.
RAGE WORLD is the latest action-packed entry in B.V. Larson's bestselling Undying Mercenaries series.
But the real enemy isn't the dome, or even the Rebel Blue Skrull forces trying to overrun the planet. It's McGill's commanding officers, who are looking for any excuse to execute him for insubordination. Now McGill has to pull off his riskiest gambit yet—turning certain defeat into victory while staying just barely on the right side of mutiny.
RAGE WORLD is the latest action-packed entry in B.V. Larson's bestselling Undying Mercenaries series.
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Published July 1, 2025
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About the author
B.V. Larson
134 books1,529 followersBrian Larson is an American science fiction and fantasy author
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
March 10, 2025
classic James McGill
But for the first time in 23 books. I think at about 97% you will see some actual character growth. Don’t get me wrong. I’m a big fan of these books, but I was getting to the point where I was questioning if I would continue. You can only read the same thing for so long. But it looks like maybe our favorite centurion might actually surprise us in the next book
But for the first time in 23 books. I think at about 97% you will see some actual character growth. Don’t get me wrong. I’m a big fan of these books, but I was getting to the point where I was questioning if I would continue. You can only read the same thing for so long. But it looks like maybe our favorite centurion might actually surprise us in the next book
September 13, 2025
Really enjoyed this book as so many storylines Of characters seem to coalesce.
This book was a lot of fun as there were new enemies And a lot of people from past books made appearances. As usual McGill is up to his chaotic antics and playing dumb. Once again he manages to save the day by accident But he is finally Seen as a good force although he now has a lot of questions about his family.
This book was a lot of fun as there were new enemies And a lot of people from past books made appearances. As usual McGill is up to his chaotic antics and playing dumb. Once again he manages to save the day by accident But he is finally Seen as a good force although he now has a lot of questions about his family.
March 22, 2025
This is the first book in this series that is actually good.
There are some new bad guys (skull cyborg shrimp).
A new planet(tidally locked rage world)
And some actual beginnings of character development for McGill.
Cringe quote gallery:
"Manfred, ride herd on the marines and watch our six."
"Better to keep quiet, keep drinking beer, and deal with problems as they came."
There are some new bad guys (skull cyborg shrimp).
A new planet(tidally locked rage world)
And some actual beginnings of character development for McGill.
Cringe quote gallery:
"Manfred, ride herd on the marines and watch our six."
"Better to keep quiet, keep drinking beer, and deal with problems as they came."
May 7, 2025
Not the usual.
Something about the writing was off. I checked after reading to see if there was a co-author. Storyline was good but writing seems different some how. Another review mentioned AI?
Something about the writing was off. I checked after reading to see if there was a co-author. Storyline was good but writing seems different some how. Another review mentioned AI?
March 14, 2025
Something new
Not sure what the whole fiend business was about, McGill hadn't been acting particularly differently. Was an interesting subplot at least, even if no one could convincingly articulate what he was doing that was unusual for him. He's always been pro Earth, same as Graves, from day 1. The whole spiel about him being expected to join the rebels doesn't line up with everything he's done and said over the past hundred years in story.
Next world would be interesting to see underground. Root World. Or Hollow World.
Not sure what the whole fiend business was about, McGill hadn't been acting particularly differently. Was an interesting subplot at least, even if no one could convincingly articulate what he was doing that was unusual for him. He's always been pro Earth, same as Graves, from day 1. The whole spiel about him being expected to join the rebels doesn't line up with everything he's done and said over the past hundred years in story.
Next world would be interesting to see underground. Root World. Or Hollow World.
March 15, 2025
I was just starting to get bored with this and towards the end there’s this whole issue of how much the main character has changed. The series has lost a lot because everything feels redundant at some point, but this theme opens up the possibility that future books are going in a different direction. I really hope they do.
April 23, 2025
==[Note: As of 12/03/2023, this will not be published on Amazon since I have been banned from posting reviews for some unknown reason. Once the ban is lifted, assuming it does get lifted, I’ll go back and post this to Amazon.]==
So, we’re 23 books into this series and things are beginning to change just a little. I’m not sure where things are heading, but I think the author might be getting a little tired of writing about this same character, Jame McGill, all the time. Still, James is a Legion Varus Legionnaire and he’ll do what his duty calls. In this book, something comes calling on him.
Yes, he’s back in Georgia, resting in his shack out behind his parent’s house. He’s doing his usual late night drinking when he notices two figures coming out of the swamp. That’s highly irregular since no one in their right mind would be coming from the swamp. James has on occasion taken people into the swamp and, “Yes”, some of them got accidentally lost, but that’s life!
Anyway, these to humanoid things look kind of blue and have some kind of hard shell on the bodies. Anyway, James goes to investigate and finds out that these things are out to kill him. That’s not all that unusual in and of itself because a lot of people would like to kill Jame McGill. Still, James doesn’t think he’s done anything lately to offend anybody so he’s kind of put out that someone would seen alien assassins out after him in his own home.
Needless to say, James takes the time to dispatch both of these assailants. They don’t know the swamp like a McGill does so it’s not hard work getting them to step in the wrong places. So after dispatching these two monstrosities, James is surprised by a very pleasant visit by Etta, his daughter with her husband and the Grand-baby in tow. Now Etta and Derek are from Dust World which happens to now be called Rebel World since that’s what it is (read the last book). They aren’t actually supposed to be on Earth and if they do anything to upset the authorities, they’ll be sent packing pretty quick. James doesn’t initially think it’s a coincidence that his daughter just happened to show up after those blue assassins.
After asking James if he’s had anything unusual happening around the farm. James starts becoming a little bit suspicious. Still, James describes what just recently happened with the blue horrors that he had to dispose of in the swamp. Etta begins insisting that James report the incursion to the authorities at Hegemony HQ, That of itself is strange since he can’t figure out why his rebel daughter would want to have anything to do with Hegemony HQ. Jame sure doesn’t. He’s not about to report something like this and then have to go in and explain everything he reported. No sir! He’s not doing that even if he does tell Etta that he sent the report.
James starts to wonder if his daughter might have something to do with these blue assassins. She’s a smart cookie that used to work in the dungeons of HQ doing all sorts of scientific experiments. She’s also the Granddaughter of the Investigator, the mad scientist that does weird stuff back on Dust/Rebel World. The Investigator is also James’ father-in-law so James has a lot of family contacts with those rebels which has been already noted by his command. He doesn’t want to start something that has anything to do with Dust/Rebel World, Etta or the Investigator.
So as this story progresses, we find out that another world occupied by the Skrull have reported they have a rebel problem themselves. The Skrull are kind of like Earth shrimp whereas they float around in water-filled domes doing their business on Earth. These particular Skrull are red in color. They are reporting that some rebel Skrull who are blue in color are giving them a hard time and they need Earth troops to settle this rebellion before it spreads. Apparently the blue Skrull are looking to join Dust/Rebel World in breaking away from Earth.
Earth can’t have another world under their protection to breakaway. It would look very bad for them with the Galactics and cause all sorts of additional problems. So, Earth volunteers to send Legion Varus out to the Skrull planet to settle things between the red and blue Skrull. Only someone has been helping the blue Skrull by making some very large modifications to their genetics. They are producing huge Skrull that can fight and were tested right there at the McGill farms!
The changes I mentioned earlier lie in the fact that Graves, a somewhat wary previous friend of McGill, has been come a Tribune and now leads Legion Varus. The former Tribune, Winslade has been demoted to Primus over Centurion McGill and neither are very supportive of one James McGill. While McGill does all the fighting, neither of these two people recognized that fact, but if something goes wrong, they are quick to blame James. Sometimes this gets a little tiring to read about. What used to be funny with McGill getting in trouble now seems kind of unfair, but that’s the way things are going so I don’t know how much farther this storyline will continue.
As usual, the next book in this series won’t be known until it’s published. I’ll be waiting for it.
September 17, 2025
A good addition to the Undying Mercenaries series and one that you do need to read to get the evolving picture. The book follows in the footsteps of the previous books by presenting a contained, Veris-deployment-based, storyline that provides entertainment while delivering a major, single plot point in the evolving long term narrative.
In the last book, it felt as if James had begun to stagnate as a character. Regardless if that was due to the questions about how that book was written or if done in a deliberate way to setup this book, the character development here (or more like the beginning of development) sets the stage for some interesting questions. Ones that I hope will be continued to be addressed in the next book.
As for the cover, I'd say with fair certainty that the AI generated cover images have continued; which, as I must iterate each time I mention this, is an observation not a condemnation. What's more important is that the cover does not provide a hint at story within the book. Instead it just shows two ships sitting in orbit of a planet that could be the one experienced in the book.
Overall, Rage World is one of the good selections from the Undying Mercenaries series and continues to evolve the extended plot.
In the last book, it felt as if James had begun to stagnate as a character. Regardless if that was due to the questions about how that book was written or if done in a deliberate way to setup this book, the character development here (or more like the beginning of development) sets the stage for some interesting questions. Ones that I hope will be continued to be addressed in the next book.
As for the cover, I'd say with fair certainty that the AI generated cover images have continued; which, as I must iterate each time I mention this, is an observation not a condemnation. What's more important is that the cover does not provide a hint at story within the book. Instead it just shows two ships sitting in orbit of a planet that could be the one experienced in the book.
Overall, Rage World is one of the good selections from the Undying Mercenaries series and continues to evolve the extended plot.
April 13, 2025
More of the same
As one off these are good books, but as book 23 of a series it has got to the point that are becoming repetitive
McGill is his usual scheming lying self, the Legion is the usual dregs that get the bad jobs and the political elite are scheming in their usual ways for the betterment of themselves
This book revolves around another planet trying to leave the hegemony and Earth's leaders doing what they can to prevent it. There is little of Galina in this one, but lots of McGill and his family, primarily his daughter Etta.
There a lot of scheming on the rebels part and McGill gets caught up in the middle of it. For once coming out of it smelling of roses
Given McGills usual methods, this one is different and rather than him scheming his way to survival, it's others schemes that make him look good. And it's this part that makes this different to recent books
Hopefully we get some new storylines and characters soon as it is becoming a bit of the same, just a different planet
As one off these are good books, but as book 23 of a series it has got to the point that are becoming repetitive
McGill is his usual scheming lying self, the Legion is the usual dregs that get the bad jobs and the political elite are scheming in their usual ways for the betterment of themselves
This book revolves around another planet trying to leave the hegemony and Earth's leaders doing what they can to prevent it. There is little of Galina in this one, but lots of McGill and his family, primarily his daughter Etta.
There a lot of scheming on the rebels part and McGill gets caught up in the middle of it. For once coming out of it smelling of roses
Given McGills usual methods, this one is different and rather than him scheming his way to survival, it's others schemes that make him look good. And it's this part that makes this different to recent books
Hopefully we get some new storylines and characters soon as it is becoming a bit of the same, just a different planet
August 22, 2025
I have been a fan of the series book after book and will continue. However, the last few books always left me wanting. They seemed to be a blend and reshaping of the same story. Which I do see the irony of the undying mercenaries plot.. This book was a kickstart for me and reminded me how much I like the first few. BV introduces an over arching theme deeper than any previous ones that really breathes life into the series. Kind of like a Rick and Morty episode where you notice nuggets that relate to past season and add to the whole underlying story, making everything more meaningful.
Thanks BVL ! Get the next one out soon please! Strike while it’s hot!
Thanks BVL ! Get the next one out soon please! Strike while it’s hot!
March 12, 2025
Finally an arc of character maturity! After the AI-generated garbage of the last story, this chapter has a great story arc, fun dialogue and it looks like McGill is actually aging and has thoughts about the future!
Each book was getting old in how repetitive it was, even though that’s why *part* of it is enjoyable. But doing the same thing over and over with the same character was finally wearing out for me. You could read the last 15 out of order and not be confused.
So it’s good to see here that time does take its toll, and the characters do need to change.
Each book was getting old in how repetitive it was, even though that’s why *part* of it is enjoyable. But doing the same thing over and over with the same character was finally wearing out for me. You could read the last 15 out of order and not be confused.
So it’s good to see here that time does take its toll, and the characters do need to change.
October 27, 2025
This series is without question the worst series I have read more than 5 volumes, and now I am 23. I can't recommend it, and I honestly am not sure why I keep going, yet I do. The plot holes are laughable. The suspension of disbelief needed to just get through these books could be a genre unto itself. I don't like calling this a guilty pleasure as I don't feel that guilty, and the pleasure is more like pain. I wish I understood the hold this series has on me. I intend to quit with each volume, but who am I kidding? I'll read the next one, and probably any installment after that.
March 23, 2025
Another battle, another world, same old McGill
I am continually entertained by how the main character stumbles into situations that take him from hero to zero and back again. However, for the first time, he experiences some introspection. Is he just getting old? Or has some nefarious force changed him? I can't wait to find out. I wonder if out there somewhere is a Ghost World that needs him?
I am continually entertained by how the main character stumbles into situations that take him from hero to zero and back again. However, for the first time, he experiences some introspection. Is he just getting old? Or has some nefarious force changed him? I can't wait to find out. I wonder if out there somewhere is a Ghost World that needs him?
June 30, 2025
A Great Series
Another great book in a great series. Love this series of books and the odd hero of James McGill. He is in Legion Varus the worst Legion from Earth way in the future. His Legion is always called on todo the worst part of the war. They always find a way to win while he finds a way to get in trouble. I won’t spoil it for you but go read the full series. I highly recommend it.n
Another great book in a great series. Love this series of books and the odd hero of James McGill. He is in Legion Varus the worst Legion from Earth way in the future. His Legion is always called on todo the worst part of the war. They always find a way to win while he finds a way to get in trouble. I won’t spoil it for you but go read the full series. I highly recommend it.n
March 31, 2025
Again, a page turner.
Interesting turn of events. Hundreds of revivals later and perhaps things are no longer what they seem. This feels like an inflection point in the story we've thought we knew.
Let's hope the next story follows quickly on the heels of this fine new chapter of James McGill story.
Interesting turn of events. Hundreds of revivals later and perhaps things are no longer what they seem. This feels like an inflection point in the story we've thought we knew.
Let's hope the next story follows quickly on the heels of this fine new chapter of James McGill story.
December 20, 2025
I'm about one third into the book and I have been very pleasantly surprised. In any long term series, it becomes stale at some point and the Undying Mercenaries have been heading in that direction. This book introduced a few twists that offer hope for some interesting new developments. No spoilers, but I'm enjoying the character interactions, so far.
March 13, 2025
A Great Return to McGill’s Combat Roots
A return to the classic Edgar Rice Burroughs style of the early titles in the Undying Mercenaries series. Great action and minimal Galina - really enjoyed the fight sequences - especially with Armel. Keep them coming, please!
A return to the classic Edgar Rice Burroughs style of the early titles in the Undying Mercenaries series. Great action and minimal Galina - really enjoyed the fight sequences - especially with Armel. Keep them coming, please!
March 16, 2025
great reading
Good story I don’t read a lot but I could not put this one down I had listened to the other two on tape but really enjoyed reading this last episode can’t wait for more
Good story I don’t read a lot but I could not put this one down I had listened to the other two on tape but really enjoyed reading this last episode can’t wait for more
March 22, 2025
McGill the Hero?
Larson, just like McGill, always comes through. I have read all 23 books in this series and thoroughly enjoyed each of them. Thank you BV Larson for keeping James McGill alive and well.
Larson, just like McGill, always comes through. I have read all 23 books in this series and thoroughly enjoyed each of them. Thank you BV Larson for keeping James McGill alive and well.
March 26, 2025
When are they going to make this a show :-)
Story continues to move along. Always sad when I finish. Would make, I think, a wonderful NC17 TV series. Not the formula junk we keep getting fed.
Story continues to move along. Always sad when I finish. Would make, I think, a wonderful NC17 TV series. Not the formula junk we keep getting fed.
March 28, 2025
Good book but the charter McGill stills needs to grow into something more than a killing machine. This book sort of hints that there maybe a change forthcoming. Maybe push him 200 years into the future through some weird event then bring him back into president day.
April 16, 2025
McGill has doubts
This entry follows initially McGill as usual antics but soon you start to realize something is different. McGill is caught between family and loyalty to earth which way will he go. I think this book is one of the best in the series.
This entry follows initially McGill as usual antics but soon you start to realize something is different. McGill is caught between family and loyalty to earth which way will he go. I think this book is one of the best in the series.
June 21, 2025
The Skrull
This was another exciting rendition in the Undying Mercenary series! I always look forward to the next chapter of James McGill’s exploits! Thank you Mr. Larson for your vivid imagination!
This was another exciting rendition in the Undying Mercenary series! I always look forward to the next chapter of James McGill’s exploits! Thank you Mr. Larson for your vivid imagination!
June 28, 2025
Literally, top 2 favorite book series
Can't wait to read more of this storyline as the main character goes through huge character arcs. It's intriguing how past events shape us into versions we never thought possible.
Can't wait to read more of this storyline as the main character goes through huge character arcs. It's intriguing how past events shape us into versions we never thought possible.
October 18, 2025
3.5 ⭐ (Really Liked It)
Still a really fun and good book, but not quite as good as the ones previous. I think that after reading 23 books in the series and I'm excited for the 24th shows just how much fun I have reading these books.
Still a really fun and good book, but not quite as good as the ones previous. I think that after reading 23 books in the series and I'm excited for the 24th shows just how much fun I have reading these books.
March 10, 2025
WOW! What a ride
The story arc has changed and it is awesome! I cannot wait for the next book and am left wondering how Graves and McGill move onward
The story arc has changed and it is awesome! I cannot wait for the next book and am left wondering how Graves and McGill move onward
March 14, 2025
The best one yet
I thought the last book was good. Then this one turns up. Well done I will be waiting for the next one
I thought the last book was good. Then this one turns up. Well done I will be waiting for the next one
March 16, 2025
Another good read
Not too surprising that after 23 books the series is getting a bit stale not the best in the series by far but still a good read.
Not too surprising that after 23 books the series is getting a bit stale not the best in the series by far but still a good read.
March 16, 2025
hard choices are made
Loyalty and Family and war not easy choices but evocative. I was unsure where things were going and where things will go in the future, good cliffhanger.
Loyalty and Family and war not easy choices but evocative. I was unsure where things were going and where things will go in the future, good cliffhanger.
March 18, 2025
Rage world
As usual a great storyline I have read every b ook in this series and they just keep getting better I have no idea where the next will be but I'm sure.it will be good
As usual a great storyline I have read every b ook in this series and they just keep getting better I have no idea where the next will be but I'm sure.it will be good
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews