Lieutenant

Dirigent Mercenary Corps #2

by Rick Shelley

The year is 2804 AD. Humanity has colonized the universe. But the authority of the Confederation of Human Worlds is spread thin. Where the Army of planet Earth cannot reach, mercenaries must keep the peace--and the Dirigent Mercenary Corps are the best of the best.

Kicked out of the prestigious North American Military Academy, Lon Nolan had only a few choices left to him. He chose the hardest one: serving with the Dirigent Mercenary Corps, an elite fighting squad where respect is earned not in the classroom but on the battlefield.

Nolan proved himself on the battlefield on Norbank. But now he’s commanding men of his own, and the stakes are higher. He’s going to learn sooner or later that leadership always comes with a cost ...

Genres: Science Fiction, Military Fiction, Military Science Fiction, Fiction, War

268 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Alex Richmond · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book by any imagination, but I gave it to a slightly lower view then I have other books in the series mainly due to what feels like an unusual shift in personality that I am unsure about. Maybe it’s a natural character progress and I’m not saying it fully, but whether or not that is the case I felt that the ending became rather rushed and was rather weak. I hope others who get the chance to read it don’t feel that way.

[Jim Stennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just good fun if you're into this kinda thing. Is it great literature? Of course not! But the action is nonstop and it's loads of adventure. I read Officer Cadet a year or two (or more?) ago and finally got the rest of the series. This one picks up about a year after the first and takes you through a rollicking good war between two planets. My only 'complaint' is sometimes the battles (especially early on in his books) are a little too easily won by the mercenaries. Seems they would have more problems. This one gets away from that some in the final two battles, however.

[Sean Randall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe i'm totally imagining things, but it seems as though Lon's broadening his thinking a little here. There are a load more books to go, so who knows. A fairly humdrum, so so sort of a caper - but with realisation of the costs of battle a little, perhaps

[Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

1

[Brian Turner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Part of a series following the rise through the ranks of the title character.
Pretty standard fare with some good fight sequences, but fizzles out towards the end with a disappointing finish.