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The Janus Group #4
Rath's Trial
Rath thought that defeating the Janus Group and stealing back his hard-earned fortune might help ease his guilty conscience. But when he returns to the planet Scapa to find the woman he loves, his past crimes finally catch up to him. And the police aren’t Rath's only someone's put a price on his head. Rath will need to figure out who his new enemy is if he wants to stay alive. His old friend Beauceron can't help him - especially not when Rath's former colleague, Paisen Oryx, is the primary suspect in the detective's latest investigation. The three former allies each work to unravel the truth in a growing conspiracy … but will fate bring them together as friends, or enemies?
258 pages, Paperback
Published June 2, 2016
49 people are currently reading
49 people want to read
About the author
Piers Platt
21 books73 followersI grew up in Boston, but spent most of my childhood in various boarding schools, including getting trained as a classical singer at a choir school for boys. I joined the Army in 2002, and spent four years on active duty, including a year-long deployment to Iraq in 2004 as a tank and scout platoon leader.
When I’m not spending time with my lovely wife and daughter, I’m frantically working on my next book.
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Also available on Kobo, Scribd, Oyster, and more!
When I’m not spending time with my lovely wife and daughter, I’m frantically working on my next book.
To be the first to hear about new releases - and get a free e-book! - sign up for my newsletter HERE
You can find my books here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords
iTunes
Google Play
Also available on Kobo, Scribd, Oyster, and more!
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 15, 2016
I was approached about joining the ARC team for this series last fall and ended up really enjoying the first three books. Imagine my surprise when I received the latest newsletter announcing there would be another trilogy!
At the end of Book 3, Rath's Reckoning , our heroes more or less wrapped things up in terms of their ongoing battle with the ruthless Janus Group. But nothing can change the regrettable things they did while in the employ of the Guild. Rath's Trial essentially deals with the aftermath: Rath trying to atone for his sins, Paisen trying to stay one step ahead of the law as she continues leading independent operations, Beauceron trying to regain some sense of normalcy in his life, Dasi trying to find new ways to make a difference...and the corrupt powers-that-be frantically trying to pick up the pieces leftover from their precious operation.
These stories are more or less cyberpunk political thrillers. There's action and intrigue and espionage, there's also scheming and powermongering. I admittedly struggle a bit with all the corrupt politicians simply because those aspects aren't really my cup of tea, but the other elements make up for it. There's a certain simplicity about the writing in these books that make them quick, fun reads, but there's enough complexity that you're left wanting more and you find yourself drawn closer and closer to the characters the further you progress.
I went ahead and rated this book 4 stars, simply because I'm not sure if I enjoyed it quite as much as the original three, but revisiting all of these characters was still so much fun. Rath has grown on me with every book and continues to display intelligence and resourcefulness even when in adverse situations that don't require direct action. Paisen is cautious but still as badass as ever. It's neat to see her in a leadership position in this book, willingly working with others and having those people look up to her. Her bluntness and snark never fail to entertain me. Beauceron and Dasi have also both seem a lot of growth, but developments in Dasi's arc in particular has piqued my interest, and it will be cool to see how working with an AI changes her role. A few new characters are also introduced, some allies, some enemies, and some who leave us with many questions. Time will only tell where they fall on the spectrum.
Looking forward to the next installment!
At the end of Book 3, Rath's Reckoning , our heroes more or less wrapped things up in terms of their ongoing battle with the ruthless Janus Group. But nothing can change the regrettable things they did while in the employ of the Guild. Rath's Trial essentially deals with the aftermath: Rath trying to atone for his sins, Paisen trying to stay one step ahead of the law as she continues leading independent operations, Beauceron trying to regain some sense of normalcy in his life, Dasi trying to find new ways to make a difference...and the corrupt powers-that-be frantically trying to pick up the pieces leftover from their precious operation.
These stories are more or less cyberpunk political thrillers. There's action and intrigue and espionage, there's also scheming and powermongering. I admittedly struggle a bit with all the corrupt politicians simply because those aspects aren't really my cup of tea, but the other elements make up for it. There's a certain simplicity about the writing in these books that make them quick, fun reads, but there's enough complexity that you're left wanting more and you find yourself drawn closer and closer to the characters the further you progress.
I went ahead and rated this book 4 stars, simply because I'm not sure if I enjoyed it quite as much as the original three, but revisiting all of these characters was still so much fun. Rath has grown on me with every book and continues to display intelligence and resourcefulness even when in adverse situations that don't require direct action. Paisen is cautious but still as badass as ever. It's neat to see her in a leadership position in this book, willingly working with others and having those people look up to her. Her bluntness and snark never fail to entertain me. Beauceron and Dasi have also both seem a lot of growth, but developments in Dasi's arc in particular has piqued my interest, and it will be cool to see how working with an AI changes her role. A few new characters are also introduced, some allies, some enemies, and some who leave us with many questions. Time will only tell where they fall on the spectrum.
Looking forward to the next installment!
May 20, 2018
Man, I really breezed through this book. It had been a while since I read the third, and the way that ended I really wasn’t sure what to expect with this one. Happy to Report that I was pleasantly surprise. It didn’t take long to be right back in that world, and I like where the story is going. I consumed it in audio form, and like always the narrator was great. Think I’ll start the next one tonight, or tomorrow.
November 11, 2018
The saga continues...
The series continues with the Guild having disbanded and Rath and Paisen looking for another way to keep busy. They form a new organization - an elite information gathering group composed of a number of former Guild assassins and then Rath gets busted... Without getting into details, the twist at the end of this story is worth waiting for!
The series continues with the Guild having disbanded and Rath and Paisen looking for another way to keep busy. They form a new organization - an elite information gathering group composed of a number of former Guild assassins and then Rath gets busted... Without getting into details, the twist at the end of this story is worth waiting for!
April 13, 2020
This one was a little disappointing to me. I loved the three previous books in the series but this one felt a bit too disconnected. Too many people doing too many different things in too many places and I just couldn't get into it. I really hope the next book goes back to focusing more on Rath and brings back the great storytelling from the first three. Still a fan of Piers Platt though....
October 29, 2020
Its time to back to earth and surrender to authorithy, so rath could live a new life. But here the trial must be go ahead and the trial of course not a smooth one. This series still interesting to follow, though it became a bit flat now.
August 1, 2023
3.5 Stars
July 15, 2016
This review was originally posted to Jen in Bookland
4.5 stars
These Janus Group books are so much fun to read. Definitely some of my favorite stories. I read the original trilogy and loved every minute of it so when I saw the author was writing another in the same world I was very excited. I mean getting to see these characters in action once again? Yes please! Please note that this is not a standalone book. Even though it is the start of a new trilogy of books, it is set in the same world with the same characters as the first three. You should read the first three prior to this one. Well you should read all of them regardless, but this was you will be up to speed when you jump into this story.
Rath's Trial picks up after the events of the last book. In the last series you had Rath and Paisen and others working to take down the corrupt Janus group. They worked for the Janus group, but it was not all sunshine and roses or really what they expected. Yes, they did things they probably shouldn't have, namely killed people, but in the end they did try and right some of their wrongs. Rath in particular has a hard time with all of it. He can't forget anything and he does feel guilty for the part he played in the whole thing, though taking them down helped a bit. Now he wants to go back and see a lady he really cared about, but lied to as she was part of a job for him. He wants to see if he can possibly rekindle what they had now that he is no longer an assassin.
Through this story you see how each of these characters are dealing with the aftermath of what happened in the last stories. Rath is trying to make amends, but ends up arrested. He doesn't even really fight it as he knows what he did, but he also doesn't want to die. That and he has a new enemy who is after him for reasons that he does not know. So he has to try and figure out who is after him and why all while not getting the death penalty for killing so many people previously.
Paisen is working to try and use her skills for good, or better, reasons. She has put together a team of highly skilled fighters, though there is to be no more killing. Beauceron is trying to figure out his life now that he is a high profile and I know he has a job to do, but I didn't like him as much in this story. I mean he knows Rath and Paisen!
You also get to know Dasi more. She is trying to figure out how she can be helpful again. She needs a new way to make a difference after everything that happened and I am curious to see where her path with take her. Through this all, through everyone doing their thing, you have some new characters introduced and a whole lot of questions. Who are these people? Are they good or bad? It is not always clear and it will be interesting to see where everyone ends up. Will they all be on the same side fighting against the bad guys? Or will it be more complicated with the bad guys not really as obvious as they were? Will they end up fighting each other for what they think is right? We shall see. I can't wait for the next book so I can read more!
*Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
4.5 stars
These Janus Group books are so much fun to read. Definitely some of my favorite stories. I read the original trilogy and loved every minute of it so when I saw the author was writing another in the same world I was very excited. I mean getting to see these characters in action once again? Yes please! Please note that this is not a standalone book. Even though it is the start of a new trilogy of books, it is set in the same world with the same characters as the first three. You should read the first three prior to this one. Well you should read all of them regardless, but this was you will be up to speed when you jump into this story.
Rath's Trial picks up after the events of the last book. In the last series you had Rath and Paisen and others working to take down the corrupt Janus group. They worked for the Janus group, but it was not all sunshine and roses or really what they expected. Yes, they did things they probably shouldn't have, namely killed people, but in the end they did try and right some of their wrongs. Rath in particular has a hard time with all of it. He can't forget anything and he does feel guilty for the part he played in the whole thing, though taking them down helped a bit. Now he wants to go back and see a lady he really cared about, but lied to as she was part of a job for him. He wants to see if he can possibly rekindle what they had now that he is no longer an assassin.
Through this story you see how each of these characters are dealing with the aftermath of what happened in the last stories. Rath is trying to make amends, but ends up arrested. He doesn't even really fight it as he knows what he did, but he also doesn't want to die. That and he has a new enemy who is after him for reasons that he does not know. So he has to try and figure out who is after him and why all while not getting the death penalty for killing so many people previously.
Paisen is working to try and use her skills for good, or better, reasons. She has put together a team of highly skilled fighters, though there is to be no more killing. Beauceron is trying to figure out his life now that he is a high profile and I know he has a job to do, but I didn't like him as much in this story. I mean he knows Rath and Paisen!
You also get to know Dasi more. She is trying to figure out how she can be helpful again. She needs a new way to make a difference after everything that happened and I am curious to see where her path with take her. Through this all, through everyone doing their thing, you have some new characters introduced and a whole lot of questions. Who are these people? Are they good or bad? It is not always clear and it will be interesting to see where everyone ends up. Will they all be on the same side fighting against the bad guys? Or will it be more complicated with the bad guys not really as obvious as they were? Will they end up fighting each other for what they think is right? We shall see. I can't wait for the next book so I can read more!
*Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
July 17, 2016
WOW!!!!
It's amazing that Piers Platt has managed to make mass murderers so sympathetic. I actually find myself liking the main character in this series, even though he's a murderer. Each book stands on its own but taken together they paint an intriguing picture filled with suspense. These books are just plain fun and I'm along for the ride for as long as it continues. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you do the same.
It's amazing that Piers Platt has managed to make mass murderers so sympathetic. I actually find myself liking the main character in this series, even though he's a murderer. Each book stands on its own but taken together they paint an intriguing picture filled with suspense. These books are just plain fun and I'm along for the ride for as long as it continues. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you do the same.
December 16, 2016
Pretty great book! I honestly thought Rath's Reckoning was the last book in this series and I was pleasantly surprised when I saw it wasn't so.
It's been awhile since I read these books but it was easy to remember most of the details from the first three books while reading this.
This one was mostly a setup for following novels and I like the direction it seems to be going in and I hope the next book is as good if not better.
It's been awhile since I read these books but it was easy to remember most of the details from the first three books while reading this.
This one was mostly a setup for following novels and I like the direction it seems to be going in and I hope the next book is as good if not better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2016
Platt's whole Rath series is tightly written, with an economy of words I rarely find in an author. This is is an engaging series, and his ability to crank out the next book pretty quick keeps me from having to reacquaint myself with the story.
September 4, 2016
I was disappointed by how slow this book was (and it's a short book). I really enjoyed the fast pacing of the first three books and Rath's Trial just didn't hold up in my opinion.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews