Bane of the Dead: A Mecha Sci Fi Adventure

Seraphim Revival #1

by Jacob Holo

Fueled by the Soul. Commanded by the Dead.

In an empire ruled by the honored dead, seraphs are the ultimate weapons. Fueled by the pilot’s very soul, these colossal humanoid mecha are unstoppable in battle.

Jack Donolon is the most powerful pilot in existence, a hero of Earth with a mind fractured by his seraph. On the far side of the galaxy, he uncovers a terrible truth about the seraphs and their pilots. Now he must return on a mission no one will understand, to face and kill the people who once called him friend and comrade.

But the death he will bring is insignificant next to the destruction that will follow, should he fail...

From national bestselling author Jacob Holo comes an action-packed read for fans of Gundam, Evangelion, Pacific Rim, and anyone who's ever wanted to pilot a giant robot!

Start the adventure today!

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy

325 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 13, 2015

About the author

Jacob Holo has been a recreational geek since childhood, when he discovered Star Wars and Star Trek, and a professional geek since college, when he graduated from Youngstown State University with a degree in Electrical and Controls Engineering. He started writing when his parents bought that “new” IBM 286 desktop, and over the years, those powers combined to push him to the next level of nerddom: a sci-fi author who designs intricate worlds and tech systems...and promptly blows them up in a string of nonstop action.

He is the author of seven books, including national bestseller The Gordian Protocol (with David Weber), military sci-fi The Dragons of Jupiter, YA urban fantasy Time Reavers (a Kirkus Reviews Best Indie Book of 2014), and the mecha space opera trilogy Seraphim Revival (Bane of the Dead, Throne of the Dead, Disciple of the Dead); and YA steampunk fantasy The Wizard’s Way (with H.P. Holo).

Between novels, Jacob enjoys gaming of all sorts, whether video gaming, card gaming, miniature wargaming, or watching speed runs on YouTube. He is a former-Ohioan, former-Michigander who now lives in South Carolina with his wife/boss H.P. and his cat/boss Nova.

Reviews

[Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of a little evangelion mashed up with space opera. Enjoyed the characters and lore. The descriptions of combat and how the mechs move reminded me of xenogears cinematics which is always a plus. Looking forward to reading more in this world.

[Cedar Sanderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The basic premise of the book is that Earth is only one of many, many worlds 'seeded' by an alien race which originated in another dimension. Eleven beings - no, twelve - were exiled because they had created the twelfth. The twelfth was the creature called Bane. Holo does an excellent job of beginning the book with action, threading his world-building in and around that action and slowly unfolding it.

bane of the deadBane of the Dead is pure Space Opera. Discard all your puny notions of the laws of physics, and just enjoy the almost cinematic descriptions of machines and men melded into seraphim, the protectors of humanity and their titanic clashes with the ironically bureaucratic Fallen. In a universe where not one, but two 'spare' planets have been set into orbit around Earth (and one leaves abruptly) without any mention of that mass affecting the Earth, it is not a surprise to learn of mental powers that can extend to... but that's a spoiler.

This isn't a story about the characters, who remain elusively aloof from the reader. Although they are well-enough described, I was never quite able to connect with them emotionally. The dialogue is lacking flavor, but that's not why you read books like this. This one is a fun tour de force of chaos sword battles, hand-to-hand Mecha combat, and the dead world hiding terrible secrets at the center of it all. If you enjoyed Saberhagen's Berserker series, this may appeal to you.

[Shane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jacob Holo has an interesting style. I really enjoyed "Dragons of Jupiter" so I thought I would give this a try. Let me start off by saying that battling six-winged giant robots are not my thing. I almost gave up on this book about a third of the way in. Fortunately I stuck it out because it soon became a fun, if different, read.

Once it gets going it is pretty good, I characters have some depth and dimension and the battle sequences are entertaining but not overwhelming. I did figure out 'Vierj' pretty quickly, but that didn't distract from the story. Fun read, but I don't think I will pick up the second book from this universe.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fast-paced story about giant fighting space robots. It would have benefited from a more straightforward explanation of the setting and characters' backstories. Normally I wouldn't be fussed about character relationships in this type of book, but the emotional connection between three of the characters was a major driving force for the plot and would have hit home harder if it had been better established. Still, it was an exciting read, well suited for people who like lots of action packed sci fi battles.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super Mecha Opera

Gundam meets Neon Evangelion in this clash of titanic mecha. The overall story was strong and the fighting was intense. The ending left me wanting to see more of this expanded universe. The dangers are not over, but I fear they are only beginning for our heroes. Why not four stars? I wanted more character development and await the next book of this space opera. Till then...

[Gil T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mecha Matic

In the future, we have left Earth and traveled to the stars. We have found life but they are also humans. We have grown and matured…or have we? The Forsaken and the Fallen are two empires always at each other’s throats. Jack is on the edge of the galaxy looking for something. He is out there by himself, well himself and his seraph. Jack has a symbiotic relationship with it. He can feel it when it is close to him. When he steps into the giant mecha, he becomes the seraph not just its pilot.

Jack flies the seraph out of his ship. Jack can sense some of his enemies, Disciples, are nearby. He calls them out and they attack. First they target his ship and causes it’s his only way home. Luckily, the ship has some self-healing ability. He has to take out his enemies before they cause too much damage to his ship or to his seraph. Outgunned, outmanned, he has to make this quick. His ship continues to take damage and radiation leaks into some of the compartments. If he can hit them, his seraph can cause more damage than they are doing to his ship. Damage alerts flip across his vision. He finally whittles them down to one ship and as its dying effort it shoots out 40 torpedoes towards the ship. As he took out the last ship, he waited to see if his ride home had survived. It was over.

Or so he thought just then, a dreadnought class appeared on the horizon. His ship took even more damage. Jack’s only choice was to attack the dreadnought. He avoided its fire and rammed it while shooting. He went through floors and saw people in suits. So it was already depressurized for the battle, he pushed on through the decks until he was on the control deck, then the bridge. He powered up his cannons, obliterated the captain then shot up the deck. It was over, he went back to his ship and shot 3 light years away, to his true destination. Here he would find what he had been searching for, for over 15 years.

[S · Rating 2 out of 5]

This looked like it would be a fun read, however once I started reading I thought Jack was a 12 y/o boy. His inner narrative sounded very much like an adolescent. At first I thought it was a bit of a joke and was expecting any minute for the character to say “just kidding” and go on to be a bit more mature. While the words sounded sci-fi enough the actions and the lack of character depth made this feel like a bunch of big theatre sci-fi movies all mashed together with anime.

The law of physics was definitely neglected in the fight scenes, equal and opposite actions was not applied at all. Characters during a fight scene would appear and reappear without explanation. Instead of the action letting us see and understand what was happening we were told by the characters in a pull up a chair let me fill you in type scenario.

Was not able to connect with the characters as this felt like a bunch of 12 y/o’s in giant cardboard costumes acting and describing the parts as they all talk over each other with coming up with outlandish battles that happen almost every chapter.

It had potential but needed a bit of realism thrown into the mix for this all to gel, plus characters that were bit more fleshed out.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[J Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tantalizing start to a new series.

This new Sci-Fi Mecha book provides a world-building glimpse of a possible future. A future where Earth is only one cog in a much larger wheel and the universe is dominated by Aktenai technology in an eternal war with the Grendeni. The Choir rules all and the most talented are the Seraphs who live to defeat the Bane.

The battles are fierce and the action is non-stop. Although the ending is a cliffhanger it provides an excellent jumping-off point for the next story. The book is well written and the plot has good depth. The characters are well-developed with relatable humanity. I'm really excited to see where the series goes from here. I received an advance copy but my review is honest and voluntary.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not perfect, but fun.

The pitch was a “shut up and take my money” one: soul fueled mechs, space opera, dead rulers still ruling. Everything that’s been promised is here, but it doesn’t quite stick the landing. There are a lot of moments where I sat back and thought, man, I wish this had been the reveal at the end of a novel. (For example, the reveal about the construction of the seraphs.) So it lacked punch for me in a lot of places.

That having been said, I came here hoping for an anime-style, absurd mech story, and that’s what I got. I enjoyed it, despite the flaws, and I’ll be picking up the next book. 3.5 stars in my book, rounded up to 4.

[Kris10 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Space Operas aren't my go-to reads, but Jacob Holo is!! He's done a brilliant job at creating an incredible world, mystifying races, action-packed battle scenes and awesome storylines!! I was hooked from the beginning and couldn't put it down until I finished it!! It was a quick read full of mayhem and suspense and humor, allowing me to escape from the real world and get lost in a world I'm glad we don't currently live in!! This would make an epic anime series...or a blockbuster hit movie. Either one, I'm not picky!!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Aidan Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want action and big fights between big robots piloted by humans with mysterious, supernatural powers, then this book is for you. If you're looking for a character-driven story with protagonists for whom you become emotionally involved, not so much. The writing, editing, and formatting are very clean, so there won't be much, if anything, to jar you from the story. Despite the lack of depth in the characters, I still chose to give this story 4-stars because it did a great job in accomplishing what it promised to do: big space battles with spaceships and space-mechs in space.

[Wanda Jewell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had previously read a book by Jacob Holo that I thought was very good. I had high expectations going into the book. The start of the book was a bit slow for me even though there was a battle scene. It didn't grab me and I didn't connect with the characters at first. The longer I read the better it got. It was a decent read, but it just didn't capture my imagination like the first book I read. If you like mechanized space fiction you will like this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good. It took me a bit to get into and I really wasn't sure what was going on but I think that was the point upon reflection. You learn about characters and events as it unfolds as well as the history of not only those characters but entire races. It was really fun. I would recommend it to people who like mobile suits, mecha and political intrigue. There is a good amount of action and paced well.

[Jason Hennigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like space battles in addition to giant mechs participating in those fights, this book is worth picking up. The actual story part though is weak and borrows heavily from multiple anime and video game storied and just mashes them together. Halo and Evangelion being the two biggest in my opinion.

[Sam Westlake · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started with a character that is frankly super cartoonish, so I was very worried about continuing past the first 20 pages. Luckily, it got way better after that and this author became kind of a menace in writing this, as they are not afraid to kill off characters at all. Overall super easy read with some unique plot points and some more generic ones.

[Malena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-written sci-fi. Original story line and a couple relatable characters. Only three stars, as I feel the author could have done a little more character building over all, and the story didn't grip me the way some others have. Still, it is quality writing.

[Heather Fausnacht · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and I think it would be great as an audio book. The premise of the book got my attention right away and it made me want to keep reading.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[READERS RETREAT · Rating 3 out of 5]

It kept most of my attention.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awesome book if you love space and mechs this is for you.

[James M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly a fantastic novel with great twists and turns through out, I felt like Jacob did an amazing job in building the world created in his novel.

[Moose · Rating 2 out of 5]

Three stars if you went to Pacific Rim in theaters, own at least three gundam miniatures, and can win a voltron trivia contest. Less stars if you're not *that* invested in giant robot fights.

The writing isn't super to my liking?
Don't bother trying to plot out the logic or location of actors in the fight scenes. Two robits clash, one goes flying and lands on something. It's super rubble now. Robit gets up, jumps back into the fray. Somebody else approaches from behind. Where were they and how did they get there without being spotted? Doesn't matter. Stealthy super giant robits. Someone else arrives exactly in the nick of time. The fight is won.
There's also several scenes where two characters sit down and have a conversation with each other telling each other (ie the reader) exactly what's going on just so everyone's aware of plot details that got sorta glossed over. "Hey honey, so that thing that just happened? Yeah, here's what it was."
The book relies on prior experience seeing how giant robot anime works. Distance in space is meaningless, direction is meaningless. When a giant robot floating in space punches another robot in the chest, only one goes flying backwards. Two robots whack at each other with magic swords. The shockwave obliterates a ring of buildings into floating dust.

Rule of Cool definitely outweighs actual physics and science in this book and the plot revolves around reading about how cool the fights these robots have are.

It is all very cool though. So much cool. Boring stuff gets glossed over ("Hey honey! Here's the boring stuff!") In favor of moving the plot along right from one cool thing to the next cool thing.

More of that boring stuff would have been nice, though. The world outside the giant robots feels somewhat wavery and less developed than it could have been. And the history of how giant robots came to be is hinted at, but not completely explained.

Which is a good set up for the sequel. I'm invested enough to go scrounge up a copy and receive my worldbuilding in tiny chunks episode by episode.

Oops. Not an anime. Chapter by chapter.

[Aaron Nagy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

This should of been a 5/5.

I'm going to start with the good, great action, great world, great plot, good characters.

Wow you might say that sounds like everything...well except for one problem, the writing never really made any of the characters while they were described well and I can imagine them well in my head. I could never feel them come out of the writing. While the action scenes were really cool...again I couldn't feel the frenzy it was too much and then lots of lasers went off and exploded which again it didn't sell me on the fact that lasers were going off and exploding.

The whole book honestly feels like it needed a decent bit of rewriting. But now your like but wait you said 3.5/5 and you give low ratings. Yes because it really was cool in a lot of ways but if the writing was able to suck me in and sell me on the characters and action this would of been a 5/5 easy.

That being said I do want to read more of the series, I just really hope the writing improves.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me begin by stating that while I enjoy space operas, they are not my typical go-to novels. That being said, once I read the synopsis and saw this trilogy was being compared to Gundam and Neon Evangelion, I couldn't pass it up.

I was not disappointed.

While this first book lacked the level of character development I usually enjoy, the overall plot concept, battle scenes, and seraphs themselves were enough to keep me engaged and looking for the sequel once I reached the end. I wasn't emotionally attached to the characters (due to a lack of true character development), but I can definitely say I enjoyed Bane of the Dead nonetheless, as it followed through on its promise of action and dramatics!

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Gundam Wing as I was growing up in my childhood. I have also enjoyed the Pacific Rim movies. I stumbled onto this book through my recommendations and decided to give it a shot. I was very impressed in the story line. Starting with the first chapter this book had grabbed my attention. The story was told extremely well. I got involved with the characters and the plot. As the turn of events unfolded I couldn't put it down. Just when you think you know what's happening a surprise occurs, making sense at the same time. This book doesn't feel put together on a whim. It was definitely thought out. Solid part 1 of a trilogy. Hopefully the rest of the series keeps up the pace. I give this 5 stars.

[Benjamin Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpected developments

I really liked this book. It was fun to see the dramatic advancements of mankind in the future. Artificial planets, robotic fleets, and magical science.
But what I enjoyed most in this book was the unexpected character paths within. I won't ruin it, but it was a fun buildup with twists and turns that kept me reading long into the night.
Great book and highly recommended.

[Jeffery Chatham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Sci-fi book and I need to pick up book 2 soon. I'd highly recommend this book if you ever enjoyed any of the Gundam tv shows. The characters are compelling and the fights are amazing.

[Bill Ramsell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read.