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Attack Planet
Militarized companies control the planet.
No problem for country boy Flint, until his mother gets shot by raiders and lands in hospital. To cope with extortionate medical costs, Flint comes up with a plan to get rich in the planet’s number one private industry—warfare.
A powerful enemy awaits.
Flint's squad consists of an exoskeleton-loving super soldier, an anti-human eco-sniper, and a pro-robot warhipster. Not to mention the veteran instructor with his humor-based torture training and the anime AI that pitches Flint overpriced firearms, even during his sleep. Things are tough but a dangerous enemy is lurking on the horizon.
During Flint's fight for survival, he discovers the dark secrets behind the planet’s origin. Because on Fortuna, nothing is what it seems…
No problem for country boy Flint, until his mother gets shot by raiders and lands in hospital. To cope with extortionate medical costs, Flint comes up with a plan to get rich in the planet’s number one private industry—warfare.
A powerful enemy awaits.
Flint's squad consists of an exoskeleton-loving super soldier, an anti-human eco-sniper, and a pro-robot warhipster. Not to mention the veteran instructor with his humor-based torture training and the anime AI that pitches Flint overpriced firearms, even during his sleep. Things are tough but a dangerous enemy is lurking on the horizon.
During Flint's fight for survival, he discovers the dark secrets behind the planet’s origin. Because on Fortuna, nothing is what it seems…
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 14, 2014
3 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
Mars Dorian
9 books28 followersMars Dorian is a recovering world traveler, a web-based illustrator and an indie sci-fi author.
He's created artwork for startups and popular podcasts such as The Unmistakable Creative and written viral articles for renowned marketing blog 'Grow' by Mark Schaefer.
He loves telling compelling stories using words and pictures, dealing with future technologies and how they impact human lives...forever. His books tackle futuristic topics such as privatized military, human/alien contacts and cybernetic humanity.
When Mars is not busy getting lost in the worlds he has created, he can be contacted via his website www.marsdorian.com/contact
He's created artwork for startups and popular podcasts such as The Unmistakable Creative and written viral articles for renowned marketing blog 'Grow' by Mark Schaefer.
He loves telling compelling stories using words and pictures, dealing with future technologies and how they impact human lives...forever. His books tackle futuristic topics such as privatized military, human/alien contacts and cybernetic humanity.
When Mars is not busy getting lost in the worlds he has created, he can be contacted via his website www.marsdorian.com/contact
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 12, 2015
This book is somewhat different from my normal diet of military science fiction. It is really a crazy whacky ride into a surreal world of warhipsters (that is what the author calls the main characters and I tend to agree with the name), competing suppliers of military equipment, degenerate brutes and some behind the scenes scheming and secrets just for added flavor.
It is probably a book that would have passed below my radar if the author had not contacted me on Goodreads after reading a few of my reviews and suggested the book to me. He even offered a free copy but since the book is quite reasonably priced on Kindle and I believe in supporting the authors, especially new independent ones, I bought it and downloaded it the normal way.
The story is not an entirely uncommon one. Country boy gets thrown into the deep end and has to learn and adapt…quickly. However that is more or less where the commonality with most of these bread and butter stories stops. In order to save his mother’s life Flint does not really enlist with the traditional military but he enlist to become a kind of “war entrepreneur”, a strange cross between mercenary and businessman. In Flint’s new world everything has a cost and his skills are determined not only by how well he fights but on the return on investment. Use up too many bullets and you might win the battle but loose the contract. Negotiations and purchases can be made in the middle of a battle. That may sound rather dull but the way it is written and the way the story unfolds makes it quite fun reading actually.
The author claims that he does not like tech-stuff in his books. I guess he mostly means technical details and explanations. It shows. The tech is pretty wild, especially their system of ordering and “printing” new weapons, ammo etc. in the middle of the action. Not surprisingly there are zero technical details and it certainly wonders into the twilight zone of believability. The action is pretty much devoid of any real military strategy but more the kind “shoot a lot and then shoot some more”. Personally I prefer a wee bit more believable tech-oriented sci-fi but sure, not all readers like tech-dumps. I do wish the author would cut down on a few of the silly names though. Stuff like “accessing his gizmo” and ammo types called “NeverMissus” bullet is a bit too much on the silly side for this reader. Then again, I guess the “terminology” does fit the style of the book.
The story in all its wackiness actually holds together though. Personally I took a liking for this crazy “Ocelot” and his adventures. There is a bit of mystery behind Flint as well. A mystery which seems to be the reason that Flint actually gets sponsored so that he can begin his training in the first place (everything in Flint’s new world has a cost remember…). On the whole I want to know where the story goes and what happens to Flint and his buddies next.
I would say that the book as such is generally well written. The author repeats himself a couple of times but that is minor things. For being a new author (as far as I understand it this is his second book) it is quite well done. It is light fun reading which was a very enjoyable detour from my normal military sci-fi. If you hesitate whether the book is worth your time I would say go for it. It has rather different fresh “youngish” style which by itself can be rewarding and, at no more than 300 pages, it is easy reading which does not require much effort to finish. I certainly would like to know what happens to Flint next in this crazy world of his so if the author writes a second Space Ocelot book I will most likely pick it up.
It is probably a book that would have passed below my radar if the author had not contacted me on Goodreads after reading a few of my reviews and suggested the book to me. He even offered a free copy but since the book is quite reasonably priced on Kindle and I believe in supporting the authors, especially new independent ones, I bought it and downloaded it the normal way.
The story is not an entirely uncommon one. Country boy gets thrown into the deep end and has to learn and adapt…quickly. However that is more or less where the commonality with most of these bread and butter stories stops. In order to save his mother’s life Flint does not really enlist with the traditional military but he enlist to become a kind of “war entrepreneur”, a strange cross between mercenary and businessman. In Flint’s new world everything has a cost and his skills are determined not only by how well he fights but on the return on investment. Use up too many bullets and you might win the battle but loose the contract. Negotiations and purchases can be made in the middle of a battle. That may sound rather dull but the way it is written and the way the story unfolds makes it quite fun reading actually.
The author claims that he does not like tech-stuff in his books. I guess he mostly means technical details and explanations. It shows. The tech is pretty wild, especially their system of ordering and “printing” new weapons, ammo etc. in the middle of the action. Not surprisingly there are zero technical details and it certainly wonders into the twilight zone of believability. The action is pretty much devoid of any real military strategy but more the kind “shoot a lot and then shoot some more”. Personally I prefer a wee bit more believable tech-oriented sci-fi but sure, not all readers like tech-dumps. I do wish the author would cut down on a few of the silly names though. Stuff like “accessing his gizmo” and ammo types called “NeverMissus” bullet is a bit too much on the silly side for this reader. Then again, I guess the “terminology” does fit the style of the book.
The story in all its wackiness actually holds together though. Personally I took a liking for this crazy “Ocelot” and his adventures. There is a bit of mystery behind Flint as well. A mystery which seems to be the reason that Flint actually gets sponsored so that he can begin his training in the first place (everything in Flint’s new world has a cost remember…). On the whole I want to know where the story goes and what happens to Flint and his buddies next.
I would say that the book as such is generally well written. The author repeats himself a couple of times but that is minor things. For being a new author (as far as I understand it this is his second book) it is quite well done. It is light fun reading which was a very enjoyable detour from my normal military sci-fi. If you hesitate whether the book is worth your time I would say go for it. It has rather different fresh “youngish” style which by itself can be rewarding and, at no more than 300 pages, it is easy reading which does not require much effort to finish. I certainly would like to know what happens to Flint next in this crazy world of his so if the author writes a second Space Ocelot book I will most likely pick it up.
February 24, 2015
My second sci-fi book.
I wanted to write a fun space opera with witty dialogue, cool tech and over-the-top characters set on a planet where militarized startups ruled the economy.
Think Star Wars/Starship Troopers meets Silicon Valley.
Although it's tongue-in-cheek military space opera, it's focused on characters, action and story. Don't expect technical exposition. I hate that stuff in books and just want to read what's happening to the characters.
I hope you enjoy the premise and the characters in this story. I worked a lot of hours, and got a lot of help from my proofreaders and editor to make this the most compelling read I was capable of.
Please enjoy.
I wanted to write a fun space opera with witty dialogue, cool tech and over-the-top characters set on a planet where militarized startups ruled the economy.
Think Star Wars/Starship Troopers meets Silicon Valley.
Although it's tongue-in-cheek military space opera, it's focused on characters, action and story. Don't expect technical exposition. I hate that stuff in books and just want to read what's happening to the characters.
I hope you enjoy the premise and the characters in this story. I worked a lot of hours, and got a lot of help from my proofreaders and editor to make this the most compelling read I was capable of.
Please enjoy.
January 12, 2015
I was provided with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book grew on me immensely as I progressed. The pacing was spot on, the characters quirky, the premises unique, and refreshing. I look forward to the rest of this series.
This book grew on me immensely as I progressed. The pacing was spot on, the characters quirky, the premises unique, and refreshing. I look forward to the rest of this series.
April 3, 2015
I must begin with the disclaimer that this book was given to me by the author in exchange for a frank review.
That having been said, the good, the bad, and the ugly follows.
The Good.
This was an entertaining read. In fact, it was entertaining enough, that I plan to acquire the next volume in the series. This is always a good thing to find in a reviewer's comments: "I liked it well enough to continue reading." Many of the characters were well developed, the world was internally self-consistent, the plot none too confusing, and the flow nicely paced. There were hints at more complexity under the surface, and I sincerely hope that the next volume fleshes these potential embellishments nicely.
The Bad.
There were a number of difficulties. First, the protagonist (Ocelot) felt extremely shallow and two dimensional. He was hard to sympathize with, seemed to have few redeeming qualities, besides an almost monomaniacal fixation on getting his mother's medical debts repaid. While single-mindedness of purpose is an admirable quality in a hero, it seemed to rather limit some of his choices and behaviors. His backstory was poorly fleshed out, and while details surfaced from time to time, their appearance in the story seemed rather awkwardly timed to me.
While the story was listed as having been "professionally" edited, there were grammatical, spelling, and even homophone errors (choosing a word that sounds like the word you mean, e.g., "Well, than you know you don't have to reload...") scattered throughout the text. A really good proof-reading and Q&A with the author should have caught many of these prior to publishing. Mr. Dorian's story deserved better treatment, and I found many of the errors particularly jarring, especially when they were embedded in an action sequence. Examples abound: use of "less" where "fewer" was meant, odd punctuation, breaking compound sentences into a sentence and a sentence fragment ("When Flint entered the path, he hit his nose. Into nothing."), use of non-words, ("She bursted [sic] another gum bubble..."), plain wrong word choice ("You simple order the amount of bullets..."), etc.
As a biologist, I was also amused by the confusion between XX (girls) and XY (boys) at location 3548 (I read the Kindle version). Girls are XX. Really. Look it up. Not as big a problem, but it caught my attention. Another way to say what was intended would be, "Too many X chromosomes," or, "Too many Barr Bodies" (look that up, too - it's funny, and most folks don't get the joke, so it's less insulting to the girl/woman you say it to).
In addition, the story started out quite rough. It was clear that Mr. Dorian's writing matured significantly through the process of writing the book, to the point that a re-write of the first few chapters could have made a significant improvement in the overall book (and would have earned an additional star in my review). Further, a better introduction to the economics of the world, why the 'unobtanium' (in this book, called, "Amazium") is so important, or at least, some reason for Flint to think he knows why, even if he's wrong.
Rough start having been pointed out, I'm glad I pushed through the difficult start. By the end of the first section, I was starting to enjoy the story, and by the end of the book it was positively entertaining. As mentioned before, it ended well enough that I fully intend to read the sequel. I have enough interest invested in Flint and his foxhole buddies that I look forward to reading the next installment. Further, as Mars Dorian's writing has matured this significantly over one volume, I expect him to produce a much better tale from the beginning in the next. I hope that he considers a rewrite of the first few chapters, but I wouldn't let that dissuade any interested parties who seek my opinion.
Finally, The Ugly
Jargon, slang, and confusion. Admittedly, this is part of the milieu, and is intended to set some of the atmosphere of this possible future, but could have been handled a bit more smoothly. As a great example of how to handle this, see, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (the book from which Blade Runner is derived). Even Asimov's Caves of Steel has some good examples. The use of so many 'future slang' words made telling intentional and unintentional grammatical errors apart difficult.
The Conclusion.
Overall, a very good story, told with some problems. The story started out rough, but the Author matured significantly during the telling. The jargon was troublesome, but eventually made something approaching sense. The editing was weak, and the author definitely deserved better.
Will I read the next volume? Definitely.
That having been said, the good, the bad, and the ugly follows.
The Good.
This was an entertaining read. In fact, it was entertaining enough, that I plan to acquire the next volume in the series. This is always a good thing to find in a reviewer's comments: "I liked it well enough to continue reading." Many of the characters were well developed, the world was internally self-consistent, the plot none too confusing, and the flow nicely paced. There were hints at more complexity under the surface, and I sincerely hope that the next volume fleshes these potential embellishments nicely.
The Bad.
There were a number of difficulties. First, the protagonist (Ocelot) felt extremely shallow and two dimensional. He was hard to sympathize with, seemed to have few redeeming qualities, besides an almost monomaniacal fixation on getting his mother's medical debts repaid. While single-mindedness of purpose is an admirable quality in a hero, it seemed to rather limit some of his choices and behaviors. His backstory was poorly fleshed out, and while details surfaced from time to time, their appearance in the story seemed rather awkwardly timed to me.
While the story was listed as having been "professionally" edited, there were grammatical, spelling, and even homophone errors (choosing a word that sounds like the word you mean, e.g., "Well, than you know you don't have to reload...") scattered throughout the text. A really good proof-reading and Q&A with the author should have caught many of these prior to publishing. Mr. Dorian's story deserved better treatment, and I found many of the errors particularly jarring, especially when they were embedded in an action sequence. Examples abound: use of "less" where "fewer" was meant, odd punctuation, breaking compound sentences into a sentence and a sentence fragment ("When Flint entered the path, he hit his nose. Into nothing."), use of non-words, ("She bursted [sic] another gum bubble..."), plain wrong word choice ("You simple order the amount of bullets..."), etc.
As a biologist, I was also amused by the confusion between XX (girls) and XY (boys) at location 3548 (I read the Kindle version). Girls are XX. Really. Look it up. Not as big a problem, but it caught my attention. Another way to say what was intended would be, "Too many X chromosomes," or, "Too many Barr Bodies" (look that up, too - it's funny, and most folks don't get the joke, so it's less insulting to the girl/woman you say it to).
In addition, the story started out quite rough. It was clear that Mr. Dorian's writing matured significantly through the process of writing the book, to the point that a re-write of the first few chapters could have made a significant improvement in the overall book (and would have earned an additional star in my review). Further, a better introduction to the economics of the world, why the 'unobtanium' (in this book, called, "Amazium") is so important, or at least, some reason for Flint to think he knows why, even if he's wrong.
Rough start having been pointed out, I'm glad I pushed through the difficult start. By the end of the first section, I was starting to enjoy the story, and by the end of the book it was positively entertaining. As mentioned before, it ended well enough that I fully intend to read the sequel. I have enough interest invested in Flint and his foxhole buddies that I look forward to reading the next installment. Further, as Mars Dorian's writing has matured this significantly over one volume, I expect him to produce a much better tale from the beginning in the next. I hope that he considers a rewrite of the first few chapters, but I wouldn't let that dissuade any interested parties who seek my opinion.
Finally, The Ugly
Jargon, slang, and confusion. Admittedly, this is part of the milieu, and is intended to set some of the atmosphere of this possible future, but could have been handled a bit more smoothly. As a great example of how to handle this, see, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (the book from which Blade Runner is derived). Even Asimov's Caves of Steel has some good examples. The use of so many 'future slang' words made telling intentional and unintentional grammatical errors apart difficult.
The Conclusion.
Overall, a very good story, told with some problems. The story started out rough, but the Author matured significantly during the telling. The jargon was troublesome, but eventually made something approaching sense. The editing was weak, and the author definitely deserved better.
Will I read the next volume? Definitely.
March 22, 2015
In a galaxy far, far away where Earth (or Terra) is but a distant memory, Flint Ocelot heads into the Grasslands to shoot some wraggs for dinner. The creature is predatory and is as likely to kill, especially in packs, as be killed. But Flint is determined to put dinner on the table. He's not real bright but loves his family. This is how Mars Dorian starts "Attack Planet: A Space Opera Novel." Flint, just another kid in the Outback, Bush, Plains, wherever. But then, Dorian turns up the action a couple notches, Mad Max style. Flint returns home to find it under attack by a group of Scavages, people who want nothing more than to rip any regular resident to shreds and steal whatever they can get their hands on. Flint and his family make short work of the invaders, but his mother is injured critically. To get her the help she needs requires a massive amount of credits, and here's where Dorian lays out the theme of his novel. Medical care costs money. Regular folk just don't have it. Flint decides he will stop at nothing to raise the necessary cash. He jumps on the holoweb and punches in something like "how to make millions of credits." He finds the answer, become a private soldier, the modern entrepreneur. His dad thinks he's nuts. Dad doesn't have a huge opinion of Flint's lackluster intellect anyway. But Flint has guts. He proved it against the wragg pack that tried to kill him and the scavages who tried to kill his family. So he goes to sign up as a merc. But Dorian has created a world that's so privatized, the soldier for hire is really the one driving the economy on the planet called Fortuna. Miners have already mined out all the minerals and left a drifting, lackluster job market. So there's not much going on. The government troops are underfunded and don't get paid much so the trademarked privateers do everything for them. But it costs money. No money, no protection. Somehow Flint gets a crass billionaire to sponsor his training. But Flint is a bumpkin. He knows nothing of modern warfare where computers are implanted and weapons automatically printed when requested. Dorian's descriptions and language propel the story forward. He's got a distinct spare writing style that incorporates new slang and scenarios. The battle scene at the end is awesome, and he gives the reader a lot to chew on. His world is different. This isn't Earth. There are strange rules. He gives just enough detail that I kept wanting more. Like who the hell are these scavages? Are they really original settlers who were marginalized by the corporate raiders (with heavy guns)? Who runs the economy that thrives on the military industrial complex the Eisenhower warned us about? Is Flint really a simple-minded bumpkin with a streak of fearlessness or can he learn to enough to lead his very able squad? I'm looking forward to what Dorian comes up with in his subsequent novels.
September 21, 2015
Hogwarts or Ender's Battle School in a prequel to Borderlands taking place in a society designed by Ayn Rand. The pacing was quite good in this story and the writing improves as the book goes on. Mars Dorian does not shy away from dialog and does a pretty good job at differentiating the characters and what drives them, even if they are a bit shallow. I was fascinated by the idea that EVERYTHING in this world is stock indexed and monetized... and nanonprinting. Awesome! It was essentially a magic system without being one and was quite clever. I believe he could have taken the idea even further. A great cover, by the way.
If I had any criticism, it would be the oft-visited "boy goes to school/learns about larger world" setup. Of course there will be a girl he likes and of course there will be an adversarial relationship between another student and an instructor. Flint's motivation is basically no different than Happy Gilmore's. Plus, I just don't have enough room in my life for another series. I realize indie authors are trying to chase the multi-volume money train, but there are so many good ideas in this novel, inevitably stretched thin to allow for future volumes. Also, there are occasional shifts of POV, without changes in voice or tone. Is Flint inside the minds of the other characters? Is there an unrevealed narrator? I only say because the narrator editorializes quite a bit. It can be a bit jarring. I'll repeat that the book is very good, but would actually better stand out in today's glutted market had the author left it all on the table and had this been a completely one volume story with a giant exclamation point/mic drop at the end. If that makes sense. I have grown a bit weary of "Want the reeaaall story? Just wait until book 2!" There's just a fatigue setting in of that kind of just-the-tip marketing.
I don't want to sell this story short. Mars Dorian is certainly talented, particularly at staging action and world building on the run, without tons of exposition or data dump. This is like a raw first album that promises great things to come. I see he has written other works, perhaps I'll check them out.
If I had any criticism, it would be the oft-visited "boy goes to school/learns about larger world" setup. Of course there will be a girl he likes and of course there will be an adversarial relationship between another student and an instructor. Flint's motivation is basically no different than Happy Gilmore's. Plus, I just don't have enough room in my life for another series. I realize indie authors are trying to chase the multi-volume money train, but there are so many good ideas in this novel, inevitably stretched thin to allow for future volumes. Also, there are occasional shifts of POV, without changes in voice or tone. Is Flint inside the minds of the other characters? Is there an unrevealed narrator? I only say because the narrator editorializes quite a bit. It can be a bit jarring. I'll repeat that the book is very good, but would actually better stand out in today's glutted market had the author left it all on the table and had this been a completely one volume story with a giant exclamation point/mic drop at the end. If that makes sense. I have grown a bit weary of "Want the reeaaall story? Just wait until book 2!" There's just a fatigue setting in of that kind of just-the-tip marketing.
I don't want to sell this story short. Mars Dorian is certainly talented, particularly at staging action and world building on the run, without tons of exposition or data dump. This is like a raw first album that promises great things to come. I see he has written other works, perhaps I'll check them out.
February 21, 2015
Attack Planet is the story of Flint, a backwoods boy in an area called The Meadows, whose mother is severely injured in an attack by “scravengers.” She needs immediate organ replacement to live, but the family can’t pay for it. So Flint goes to town and signs up for the military/mercenary corporation called BEAM.
The story follows his entry into BEAM and ends at his conclusion of training. It’s an uphill battle (which is an element I always like), and sometimes you aren’t sure he will make it. Flint doesn’t seem to have a lot of smarts, and messes up often, even when those around him seem to surpass him. But just like Forrest Gump, he seems to have goodheartedness and luck on his side.
One of the things I liked most about the story was also something that needed some improvement. Dorian has created a universe where everything has a price, and in some cases determines if you live or die. Everything is a commodity, which is emphasized with the (trademark) TM insignia following every brand name. As part of this universe, he also created vocabulary that is unique to this experience. Where it needs help is that the voice of Flint, unique, fun and very readable, continues on–at least for the first part of the book–to everyone else as well.
In addition, like a lot of indie books, it could benefit from some editing and proofreading, but it wasn’t so bad that I couldn’t read it.
That brings me to the second issue, which is where I feel the book is most lacking. It’s a great premise and lots of fun, but I found myself wanting more characterization. Flint and his fellows were two-dimensional to me. Flint has a great backstory, and you understand why he does what he does. But he and the characters around him aren’t solid enough for the reader to really care about them.
The story follows his entry into BEAM and ends at his conclusion of training. It’s an uphill battle (which is an element I always like), and sometimes you aren’t sure he will make it. Flint doesn’t seem to have a lot of smarts, and messes up often, even when those around him seem to surpass him. But just like Forrest Gump, he seems to have goodheartedness and luck on his side.
One of the things I liked most about the story was also something that needed some improvement. Dorian has created a universe where everything has a price, and in some cases determines if you live or die. Everything is a commodity, which is emphasized with the (trademark) TM insignia following every brand name. As part of this universe, he also created vocabulary that is unique to this experience. Where it needs help is that the voice of Flint, unique, fun and very readable, continues on–at least for the first part of the book–to everyone else as well.
In addition, like a lot of indie books, it could benefit from some editing and proofreading, but it wasn’t so bad that I couldn’t read it.
That brings me to the second issue, which is where I feel the book is most lacking. It’s a great premise and lots of fun, but I found myself wanting more characterization. Flint and his fellows were two-dimensional to me. Flint has a great backstory, and you understand why he does what he does. But he and the characters around him aren’t solid enough for the reader to really care about them.
February 24, 2015
“Attack Planet” is based on the planet Fortuna where the economy is focussed on warfare and start-ups. The main character, Flint, is thrown from a simple life outside of this sphere and is thrust right into the thick of things where he needs to learn about warfare, business and a whole host of cool new technologies.
Being aware of our Earth based startup scene, it is quite thought provoking to consider how the ideas can be applied in very different arenas as the author has done with great success.
When I was in the discovery phase of the book and learning about the characters, I had a few moments where I was concerned about how the author was going to take things forward but I was really pleased to find that things moved along at a great pace with some very unique ideas. I also moved through the book quickly and found it hard to put down at times.
The execution seems quite original to me and I found myself invested in the story enough to anticipate the release of the second book.
I’d like to thank the author for providing me with a free copy of the book review.
Being aware of our Earth based startup scene, it is quite thought provoking to consider how the ideas can be applied in very different arenas as the author has done with great success.
When I was in the discovery phase of the book and learning about the characters, I had a few moments where I was concerned about how the author was going to take things forward but I was really pleased to find that things moved along at a great pace with some very unique ideas. I also moved through the book quickly and found it hard to put down at times.
The execution seems quite original to me and I found myself invested in the story enough to anticipate the release of the second book.
I’d like to thank the author for providing me with a free copy of the book review.
January 13, 2015
Very interesting premise in a very interesting world. I get a Tank Girl meets Harry Potter vibe that's hard to describe but fun to read. Incredibly funny tongue in cheek digs at pop cultural clicks that make a good mil sci fi story even better.
I will say the editing and vocabulary/sentence structure could use some work, but aside from a few scenes that were hard to understand and some dialog that sounded odd it wasn't a deal breaker.
All in all a solid 3.5 stars that I rounded up to 4 because I like seeing people put out art that they feel passionately about. I'll be looking for the sequel.
I will say the editing and vocabulary/sentence structure could use some work, but aside from a few scenes that were hard to understand and some dialog that sounded odd it wasn't a deal breaker.
All in all a solid 3.5 stars that I rounded up to 4 because I like seeing people put out art that they feel passionately about. I'll be looking for the sequel.
March 3, 2015
The book has a different style then most. There's a lot of short chapters intertwined with news casts from the world. Style and story feels like a comic book or a computer game. We're on planet Fortuna where economy is focused around military companies - training, equipment, hired specialists and AI-s selling all this stuff. With advanced nano technologies all things are created basically out of thin air - delivered in 'as a service' model. We follow rookie Flint that comes from a region a bit behind in technology, so learning all the stuff with the reader.
Overall the book is a different look at military sci-fi and with funny AI-s it's good for a light read.
Overall the book is a different look at military sci-fi and with funny AI-s it's good for a light read.
February 10, 2015
If you're looking for something fresh in the way of military sci-fi, this might catch your interest. The basic premise - country boy signs up for the military in the big city - is familiar, but it's viewed through the zany lens of an ultra-capitalist private military corporation set in a seemingly post-apocalyptic environment. It managed to hold my attention, and I'm interested to see what happens in the next book in the series, so I give it four stars.
July 21, 2015
The second novel I've read by Mars Dorian.
Attack Planet is about a country boy on a distant planet where militarized companies rule. To pay for his mother's medical bills, he enrolls in the private military complex and enters a world of competition, conspiracies and reckless savages with tremendous firepower.
It's a bit ridiculous at times, at least compared to the author's other book, Fear The Liberator, which I've read first. But after a so-so beginning, the pace really moves up and leads to an intense climax.
The female scav is my favorite character--I hope she makes it to book 2, whenever that comes out.
All in all, Attack Planet is a light-weight, fun space opera with good action and over-the-top characters that could use a bit more depth. It's certainly original, so I give it 5 stars.
Attack Planet is about a country boy on a distant planet where militarized companies rule. To pay for his mother's medical bills, he enrolls in the private military complex and enters a world of competition, conspiracies and reckless savages with tremendous firepower.
It's a bit ridiculous at times, at least compared to the author's other book, Fear The Liberator, which I've read first. But after a so-so beginning, the pace really moves up and leads to an intense climax.
The female scav is my favorite character--I hope she makes it to book 2, whenever that comes out.
All in all, Attack Planet is a light-weight, fun space opera with good action and over-the-top characters that could use a bit more depth. It's certainly original, so I give it 5 stars.
August 20, 2015
This book was pathetic and a waste of time. At the start it was quite good and well written, but the performance after that was much to be desired.
I think what really let down the book was the story and the characters. The main character was dumb, weak, scared, and incompetent. It seemed more probable the sci fi things in the book than the protagonist's actions and character. Also, his so called friends were horrible, rude , mean, and condescending at best to him.
This book might just be the worse book I have read so far this year. In addition, it's also probably the first time I have tried self-mutation, because that's the only way you could describe reading this book.
I think what really let down the book was the story and the characters. The main character was dumb, weak, scared, and incompetent. It seemed more probable the sci fi things in the book than the protagonist's actions and character. Also, his so called friends were horrible, rude , mean, and condescending at best to him.
This book might just be the worse book I have read so far this year. In addition, it's also probably the first time I have tried self-mutation, because that's the only way you could describe reading this book.
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