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111 Souls
A decade has passed since the Gael conquest of Earth and her allies, and Captain Matthew Jennings has a ship and a good crew: a Cajun first mate that fought with him in the Gael War and cooks like an angel, a doctor from Scotland who picked up his trade while serving a life sentence in prison, and an engineer from Pasqua, a being whose entire race seemed to be born engineers. Jennings’s only problem is that they are flat broke. The universe might be infinite, but the number of ways to make a living was not.
After their last bounty hunting job went south, the crew of the Melody Tryst finds themselves with no money, no fuel, no food, and several pesky warrants currently outstanding for their arrest. So when the leader of the Gael occupation force offers Jennings a life line in the form of a plain and simple bounty hunting job, he reluctantly accepts, even if it means working for his former enemy.
The job is a simple bounty hunt, collecting a radical college student named Michelle Williams, who stood accused of treason, terrorism, and being a member of the Terran Resistance. As much as Jennings despised the Gael, he held an even greater hatred in his heart for the Resistance. As far as he was concerned, they were a bunch of pretend soldiers who had not bothered to pick up a weapon in the Gael War and now bombed civilian targets in the hopes of hitting the occasional Gael or human collaborators.
Not everything is as it seems.
Michelle Williams has been on the run for weeks after seeing her boyfriend get murdered, and has been forced to dodge multiple assassination attempts, escape police custody, and deal with gangsters that would sell her into slavery. Most importantly, she had no idea why any of this is happening to her. The closest she has ever come to actually committing a crime is when she and some of her college friends staged a sit-in in her college’s administrative building as a demonstration against the Gael’s occupation of Earth.
What neither Matthew Jennings nor Michelle Williams know is that the Gael Overseer Pahhal has a list of one hundred eleven humans- one hundred eleven humans that the Gael desperately need, the mere prospect of their capture having driven his people to go to war with Earth. One hundred and ten of those humans have been captured- Michelle Williams is number one hundred eleven.
As Jennings and his crew expend every resource to find Williams, they find themselves on the wrong side of a diminutive Russian bounty hunter whose viciousness is immeasurable, an interstellar crime lord who enjoys trafficking in the flesh trade, a coldblooded assassin who freelances for the Resistance, and the humans of the Terran Gael Force, an army made of those who chose to collaborate with the Gael. All of whom are hell bent on killing Matthew Jennings and claiming Michelle Williams for themselves.
Surrounded by fire on all sides, Captain Jennings begins to realize that the plain and simple bounty is a hell of a lot more complicated than he could have ever imagined and that he is the center of plans that have been ten thousand years in the making. All in a day’s work though for the captain of the Melody Tryst.
After their last bounty hunting job went south, the crew of the Melody Tryst finds themselves with no money, no fuel, no food, and several pesky warrants currently outstanding for their arrest. So when the leader of the Gael occupation force offers Jennings a life line in the form of a plain and simple bounty hunting job, he reluctantly accepts, even if it means working for his former enemy.
The job is a simple bounty hunt, collecting a radical college student named Michelle Williams, who stood accused of treason, terrorism, and being a member of the Terran Resistance. As much as Jennings despised the Gael, he held an even greater hatred in his heart for the Resistance. As far as he was concerned, they were a bunch of pretend soldiers who had not bothered to pick up a weapon in the Gael War and now bombed civilian targets in the hopes of hitting the occasional Gael or human collaborators.
Not everything is as it seems.
Michelle Williams has been on the run for weeks after seeing her boyfriend get murdered, and has been forced to dodge multiple assassination attempts, escape police custody, and deal with gangsters that would sell her into slavery. Most importantly, she had no idea why any of this is happening to her. The closest she has ever come to actually committing a crime is when she and some of her college friends staged a sit-in in her college’s administrative building as a demonstration against the Gael’s occupation of Earth.
What neither Matthew Jennings nor Michelle Williams know is that the Gael Overseer Pahhal has a list of one hundred eleven humans- one hundred eleven humans that the Gael desperately need, the mere prospect of their capture having driven his people to go to war with Earth. One hundred and ten of those humans have been captured- Michelle Williams is number one hundred eleven.
As Jennings and his crew expend every resource to find Williams, they find themselves on the wrong side of a diminutive Russian bounty hunter whose viciousness is immeasurable, an interstellar crime lord who enjoys trafficking in the flesh trade, a coldblooded assassin who freelances for the Resistance, and the humans of the Terran Gael Force, an army made of those who chose to collaborate with the Gael. All of whom are hell bent on killing Matthew Jennings and claiming Michelle Williams for themselves.
Surrounded by fire on all sides, Captain Jennings begins to realize that the plain and simple bounty is a hell of a lot more complicated than he could have ever imagined and that he is the center of plans that have been ten thousand years in the making. All in a day’s work though for the captain of the Melody Tryst.
391 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 6, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 4, 2017
This was a very enjoyable action-packed space opera – if you like Star Wars or Star Trek, you’ll love this one!
On its face, the story is a simple one. Captain Jennings and his intrepid crew take on a bounty-hunting job they don’t really want because they need the money. And the job, despite the high pay, seems a simple one: Find a female member of the Rebellion on Earth and bring her to the Gael (the alien conquerors of Earth) who have hired them for the job. Alive. Unfortunately, Captain Jennings has no idea what he is in for with this relatively easy pickup… until it seems that everybody in the galaxy is after this same girl – some to kill her, some to capture her for the bounty, and all quite happy to kill Captain Jennings for the prize. Worse yet, after he captures her and discovers that she is not a member of the Rebellion but is, in fact, quite an innocent college student, he begins to wonder about fulfilling his job. After all, she will certainly be put to death if he delivers her to the Gael… With a ruthless gangster after him, several talented bounty hunters trying to snatch his catch and the Gael threatening dire consequences if he doesn’t come through, what is Captain Jennings to do?
I’ll be honest, the amazing Captain Jennings in this book reminded me quite a bit of Han Solo – constantly getting into boy-he’ll-never-get-out-of-this situations, and then, of course, coming up with a brilliant way – sometimes with the help of his crew, and sometimes not – of getting out of the tough spot with his life somehow. I also really liked his crew – all very different, and all likeable – especially Squawk… I sure wish I’d gotten to see more of him!
This was a very fast-paced book with tons of excitement, explosions, hand-to-hand combat, hacking, faster-than-light travel… you name it. My only complaint would be that the pacing was occasionally slowed a bit by some of the overly-detailed descriptions of their surroundings, be it a ship, a room in the ship, or whatever. I am certainly convinced that the author had pictured everything down to the finest detail, but not entirely convinced that I needed all that detail myself. :)
Overall a very enjoyable read that definitely had my blood pumping – especially toward the end. If you are looking for an exciting space opera, this is one of the best I’ve read recently!
On its face, the story is a simple one. Captain Jennings and his intrepid crew take on a bounty-hunting job they don’t really want because they need the money. And the job, despite the high pay, seems a simple one: Find a female member of the Rebellion on Earth and bring her to the Gael (the alien conquerors of Earth) who have hired them for the job. Alive. Unfortunately, Captain Jennings has no idea what he is in for with this relatively easy pickup… until it seems that everybody in the galaxy is after this same girl – some to kill her, some to capture her for the bounty, and all quite happy to kill Captain Jennings for the prize. Worse yet, after he captures her and discovers that she is not a member of the Rebellion but is, in fact, quite an innocent college student, he begins to wonder about fulfilling his job. After all, she will certainly be put to death if he delivers her to the Gael… With a ruthless gangster after him, several talented bounty hunters trying to snatch his catch and the Gael threatening dire consequences if he doesn’t come through, what is Captain Jennings to do?
I’ll be honest, the amazing Captain Jennings in this book reminded me quite a bit of Han Solo – constantly getting into boy-he’ll-never-get-out-of-this situations, and then, of course, coming up with a brilliant way – sometimes with the help of his crew, and sometimes not – of getting out of the tough spot with his life somehow. I also really liked his crew – all very different, and all likeable – especially Squawk… I sure wish I’d gotten to see more of him!
This was a very fast-paced book with tons of excitement, explosions, hand-to-hand combat, hacking, faster-than-light travel… you name it. My only complaint would be that the pacing was occasionally slowed a bit by some of the overly-detailed descriptions of their surroundings, be it a ship, a room in the ship, or whatever. I am certainly convinced that the author had pictured everything down to the finest detail, but not entirely convinced that I needed all that detail myself. :)
Overall a very enjoyable read that definitely had my blood pumping – especially toward the end. If you are looking for an exciting space opera, this is one of the best I’ve read recently!
October 4, 2017
I love stories like this. A good, old fashioned winner-takes-all scenario. Bounty Hunters', assassins' and most of the universe (Slight exaggeration) are after the same target, a female by the name of Michelle Williams. She is wanted in connection with terrorist activities committed by the resistance. She is the 111th Soul that the book refers.
Captain Jennings is a down and out bounty Hunter with a clapped out ship, who has been given the task of bringing Williams in, but it seems that everybody wants a piece of her. The story is well written, and pacy. I don't like books that are too slow, so this was right up my alley.
The dialogue was well done, and the concept, although not a new one was good all the same. Nicely done!
4.5 stars rewarded.
Captain Jennings is a down and out bounty Hunter with a clapped out ship, who has been given the task of bringing Williams in, but it seems that everybody wants a piece of her. The story is well written, and pacy. I don't like books that are too slow, so this was right up my alley.
The dialogue was well done, and the concept, although not a new one was good all the same. Nicely done!
4.5 stars rewarded.
October 5, 2017
This is a genre I love, and this book did not disappoint. It had a great backdrop and some cool characters to fill in the foreground.
The story was very pacey, I kind of enjoy a more in depth view of a Universe, just to get a living, breathing feel to it, however the story managed to keep my mind from this slight gripe due to its action.
The story was well woven, and I loved the sense of being hunted, at every turn. I was hoping for a bit more grit when it came to the overall plot, yet found myself enjoying the story nonetheless.
The need for funds in a Universe to keep a team alive and in business resonated well for me, and added to the stories credibility, yet my all-time favorite part of this tale was its ability to make me laugh at genuinely funny moments and lines.
Good time, good read, good fun!
The story was very pacey, I kind of enjoy a more in depth view of a Universe, just to get a living, breathing feel to it, however the story managed to keep my mind from this slight gripe due to its action.
The story was well woven, and I loved the sense of being hunted, at every turn. I was hoping for a bit more grit when it came to the overall plot, yet found myself enjoying the story nonetheless.
The need for funds in a Universe to keep a team alive and in business resonated well for me, and added to the stories credibility, yet my all-time favorite part of this tale was its ability to make me laugh at genuinely funny moments and lines.
Good time, good read, good fun!
September 23, 2017
This is my second Justin Bohardt novel and, once again, I really enjoyed the ride. It had all the elements of a solid sci-fi novel and a lot of really clever, laugh-out-loud one-liners--so many that I had to look up how to undo my Kindle Unlimited borrow so I could buy it outright and save all of the hilarious lines I highlighted to laugh at them (with them?) a second time.
The plot itself is as described. Jennings is a down-on-his-luck ship's captain who is bonded to his underemployed crew and out of options for ways to make a living under the post-war regime. Because he's a skilled tracker, he's approached by the regime he resents to hunt down a woman he's never heard of for an attractive bounty. As with many stories of hired guns, the motivations of those involved become increasingly clear, causing Jennings to remember his moral compass, and to question whether carrying out his task will serve the right side. As the true stakes are revealed, he must fight not only those who are hot on his heels in pursuit of his charge, but also against the nefarious master plan of the Gaels.
From the beginning, Jennings, his ship, and his crew reminded me a bit of Firefly and the Serenity, though the surrounding cast of characters was much saltier. In that sense, it read as a much grittier, much bloodier, more grown-up version of that particular series, but one that still packed a lot of emotional punch and relational appeal.
Overall, the strength of this story, and all of Bohardt's stories, is in spicing up proven tropes with vivid characters in inconvenient situations, who, through it all, experience utterly human moments. Five stars.
The plot itself is as described. Jennings is a down-on-his-luck ship's captain who is bonded to his underemployed crew and out of options for ways to make a living under the post-war regime. Because he's a skilled tracker, he's approached by the regime he resents to hunt down a woman he's never heard of for an attractive bounty. As with many stories of hired guns, the motivations of those involved become increasingly clear, causing Jennings to remember his moral compass, and to question whether carrying out his task will serve the right side. As the true stakes are revealed, he must fight not only those who are hot on his heels in pursuit of his charge, but also against the nefarious master plan of the Gaels.
From the beginning, Jennings, his ship, and his crew reminded me a bit of Firefly and the Serenity, though the surrounding cast of characters was much saltier. In that sense, it read as a much grittier, much bloodier, more grown-up version of that particular series, but one that still packed a lot of emotional punch and relational appeal.
Overall, the strength of this story, and all of Bohardt's stories, is in spicing up proven tropes with vivid characters in inconvenient situations, who, through it all, experience utterly human moments. Five stars.
June 15, 2017
111 Souls is a space-based science fiction adventure novel which reminded me a lot of Star Wars and Star Trek. It has everything you’d expect from such a novel- space travel, space-aged weapon fights, spaceships in distress, getting stranded on strange planets, nifty little futuristic gadgets and lots of action. The characters are well thought out and well developed. The captain is quick witted but doesn’t take himself too seriously which provides for some humor in tense situations. I could have done without the French terms often spoken by one of the crew members but overall the characters were quite colorful. The whole book gives the reader a real “spacey” feel which somehow feels familiar because of the level of comfort with the characters or perhaps the confidence in the captain (probably both).
The writing itself is excellent. My favorite part was reading about the different planets and how Earth has changed. There was a lot of backstory that made me feel like it was perhaps a setup for a prequel. The author has gone to great lengths to make the reader feel at home with the characters.
111 Souls is a long journey with some interesting characters tangled up in some interesting situations. There is an ending and a hint at a sequel. A good choice for readers that enjoy the space opera genre in general.
The writing itself is excellent. My favorite part was reading about the different planets and how Earth has changed. There was a lot of backstory that made me feel like it was perhaps a setup for a prequel. The author has gone to great lengths to make the reader feel at home with the characters.
111 Souls is a long journey with some interesting characters tangled up in some interesting situations. There is an ending and a hint at a sequel. A good choice for readers that enjoy the space opera genre in general.
September 11, 2017
All I can think of to describe this is: ho hum. (And I am a huge sci-fi fan). I want to be gentle about this, it’s a good enough book and many readers will probably like it, but for me it suffers from what too many science fiction novels do: lack of imagination. Here we are thousands of years in the future, humans have colonized the stars and have fought aliens but everyone is still drinking beer and soda pop out of a can, they’re still using dollars, and people are still taking showers, and still wearing fedoras and eyeglasses??!! Come on! Oh we have ‘plasma guns’ and ‘space cannon’ - for sure, but what’s original about that?
I could maybe forgive some of that but the story is difficult to get into and follow at times (the author felt a need to use sub chapters within chapters), some of it doesn’t make sense, and even worse, much worse, it really breaks no new ground, and goes nowhere new or original. Everything is ‘been there, done that’ a thousand times already. (p.s: 'Firefly' was canceled for a reason!)
I want to read science fiction for imaginative new concepts (like ‘Thirteen’ by Richard K Morgan) If a story could just as easily been set in 1966 as 3066 then why bother?
I could maybe forgive some of that but the story is difficult to get into and follow at times (the author felt a need to use sub chapters within chapters), some of it doesn’t make sense, and even worse, much worse, it really breaks no new ground, and goes nowhere new or original. Everything is ‘been there, done that’ a thousand times already. (p.s: 'Firefly' was canceled for a reason!)
I want to read science fiction for imaginative new concepts (like ‘Thirteen’ by Richard K Morgan) If a story could just as easily been set in 1966 as 3066 then why bother?
August 31, 2017
Well written, enjoyable, with only certain aspects that are similar to the TV show Firefly. Overall I enjoyed the book; the characters were well written and you could see the bonds between certain characters. The story had a nice pace and only a couple of the scenes felt unneeded, at least unneeded in their amount of detail.
As a critique, the book could use another go over. While everything is thought out and it all joins together nicely, and the grammar is decent, there are certain words that are wrong or don't belong. This along with a couple of scenes in the book are the reason I am not giving it the five stars the overall story does deserve.
I would recommend this book to lovers of sci-fi, particularly Firefly, because it is a good book, enjoyable and well written. Justin Bohardt did a good job in creating his story and characters and should be proud of the story he put out into the world. A little bit of tweaking, and it'll be better.
As a critique, the book could use another go over. While everything is thought out and it all joins together nicely, and the grammar is decent, there are certain words that are wrong or don't belong. This along with a couple of scenes in the book are the reason I am not giving it the five stars the overall story does deserve.
I would recommend this book to lovers of sci-fi, particularly Firefly, because it is a good book, enjoyable and well written. Justin Bohardt did a good job in creating his story and characters and should be proud of the story he put out into the world. A little bit of tweaking, and it'll be better.
May 19, 2017
Complex and Colorful Space Opera
111 Souls is a good story to spend a long rainy weekend indoors with. The world the author creates is a intricate with a complex past and a colorful cast of characters. The Gael who invaded Earth run a tight "ship" but there is a lot more going on with their hunt for the 111 men and women than they let on. Captain Jennings and his crew have a little bit of a gunslinger feel that creates a humorous dynamic between them.
111 Souls is a good story to spend a long rainy weekend indoors with. The world the author creates is a intricate with a complex past and a colorful cast of characters. The Gael who invaded Earth run a tight "ship" but there is a lot more going on with their hunt for the 111 men and women than they let on. Captain Jennings and his crew have a little bit of a gunslinger feel that creates a humorous dynamic between them.
September 23, 2017
I really enjoyed this book, it was exciting. As someone who quite likes Star Wars, Star Trek and alternative realities written by Terry Pratchett, I thought it was really entertaining and imaginative. I got into it straight away, and there's something authentic and heartfelt about it. You can sense the author's passion, which made me enjoy the book a lot.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews