Pariah

The Eternity War #1

by Jamie Sawyer

The first novel in a brand-new series from rising SF star Jamie Sawyer, The Eternity War: Pariah is an action-packed adventure set in the same universe as his acclaimed Lazarus War novels.
The soldiers of the Simulant Operations Programme are mankind's elite warriors. Veterans of a thousand battles across a hundred worlds, they undertake suicidal missions to protect humanity from the insidious Krell Empire and the mysterious machine race known as the Shard.

Lieutenant Keira Jenkins is an experienced simulant operative and leader of the Jackals, a team of raw recruits keen to taste battle. They soon get their chance when the Black Spiral terrorist network seizes control of a space station.

Yet no amount of training could have prepared the Jackals for the deadly conspiracy they soon find themselves drawn into - a conspiracy that is set to spark a furious new war across the galaxy.

For more from Jamie Sawyer, check out:


The Lazarus War: Artefact
The Lazarus War: Legion
The Lazarus War: Origins

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Fiction, Military Fiction, Military Science Fiction

480 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published September 26, 2017

About the author

Jamie Sawyer is a science fiction writer from England, first published in 2016. He is the writer of the Lazarus War and Eternity War book series. When he isn’t working on his day-job, he is an enthusiastic reader of all types of SF, especially classic authors such as Heinlein and Haldeman.

Reviews

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first foray into the writing of Jamie Sawyer – I have not (yet) read The Lazarus War trilogy (but now have them ordered and on the way) – and seriously it was banging brilliant all the way through, a beautifully epic feeling action adventure with a wonderful touch of geeky speculative technology and characters to die for. Over and over again….

The story is absolutely stunningly gripping, with spaceships and aliens and simulants and death and more death then some epic battles followed by some contemplation and just a *touch* of romance that isn’t at all romantic. I loved the Jackals – one of the huge strengths of Pariah (apart from the actual Pariah of the title which I won’t talk about in case of spoilers) was the slow burn team building, this diverse and eclectic group who should be working together but have not yet developed that trust – from the convict to the politicians daughter they are all completely fascinating. Keira is a long suffering leader, a woman who knows her own mind (and doesn’t need validation from anyone) – perhaps a little impulsive but seriously I think you need to be when you are shooting around the galaxy often not even in your own body. You’d think there wouldn’t be edge of seat trauma worry for the characters you fall in love with when even in death they get another go round but think again.

The underlying plot is complex and beautifully layered – secrets and possible conspiracies abound and the world building is elegantly achieved. This trilogy is set in the same world as the last one but you needn’t fear you will miss the subtleties, it is accessible for both previous readers and new ones like me. In fact I can’t wait to read the Lazarus War so I can meet some more of Jamie Sawyer’s brilliantly imagined characters and, well presumably, see the last big thing this universe was caught up in.

Ooh which brings me nicely onto the ending of Pariah which made me grit my teeth in anticipation of book 2 – in fact if only I could do some kind of space jump that kills some time and lands me right when it’s ready to go that would be cool. What only in books and films? Dammit somebody really should get onto that one..

Consider me converted to the cause. massive amounts of fun, warp speed ahead (or whatever, hey I grew up with Star Trek) a brilliant, entertaining, full of soul piece of science fiction with a spoonful of shiver and a huge helping of heart.

Highly Recommended fellow Jackals.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sawyer's next trilogy after The Lazarus War kicks off with Pariah, set in the same universe a few years later, and staring Keira Jenkins, one of the Lazarus Legion members. The Lazarus War ended with a real peace between the alien Krell and the Alliance, somehow forged by their collectively thwarting the reemergence of the Shard (a Directorate plot). Remember, the Directorate represent the other 'power bloc' of humanity.

Jenkins has a new squad of sims, seemingly the bottom of the barrel-- a 'lifer' from Russia who has his sentence reduced by serving, the daughter of a powerful senator from the Alliance, an ex-alliance trooper clone, and Riggs, simply another noobie Alliance soldier. As usual, this kicks off with a bang and 'Jenkin's Jackals', along with several other sim teams, try to evac some high brass from a space habitat that stopped communicating a few days ago. We are introduced here to a new enemy-- 'the spiral'-- who seem to be home-grown terrorists, but well organized ones; they are the ones that took the habitat. Things go to shit (also as usual) and the Jackals are ordered to return to command. Once there, they are ordered on yet another mysterious mission deep into Krell territory...

Sawyer improved his pacing issues here, largely because the 'damsel in distress'/romance between Lazarus and Elena vanished (our main protagonist is Jenkins now). So, unlike the previous series, where we had lurid action sequences spaced by flashbacks of Lazarus and Elena's romance, here we go from action sequence to sequence non-stop. If you like your military science fiction hot and heavy, this will probably scratch your itch for sure! Yes, we do have some politics here with the 'terrorist' spiral group, and also some mysterious military intelligence types running around (and leading the mission into Krell space), but it is not overwhelming by any means.

My worries for the rest of the series concern Sawyer becoming a bit to formulaic. Each book seems to start with an action sequence, then a mission deep into 'enemy' territory; this makes four in a row. Yet, there are worse formulas one could fall into. This one did have some interesting surprises, and the Krell get a bit more fleshed out-- it seems they are not just mindless 'fish heads' after all! Sawyer also leaves us hanging on quite a cliff hanger; also something new as prior books entailed some sort of conclusion. Recommended for fans of military scifi for sure. 3.5 stars, rounding up!

[RG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this novel. Take Matthew Reilly and make him write a military space opera in the vein of Starship Troopers. Fun, exciting full of action and great characters. The plotting is simple but theres enough twists and turns to make this a great reading start to 2018. The Jackals are sent to a Space station to invetsigate this hostage situation from Terrorists. From here conspiracy and intrigue begin to unravel, and we have an action packed read. Eagerly awaiting the 2nd in the series. Dont pick this up expecting heavy scifi or Expanse level of science fiction. This is very straight forward action in space but OH so fun.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hugely fun and exciting! Excellent aliens!

[The Tattooed Book Geek (Drew). · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always this review can also be found on my blog The Tattooed Book Geek: https://thetattooedbookgeek.wordpress...

I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

It has to be said that SFF isn’t a genre that I frequent. I don’t mind it but I wouldn’t normally choose to read it as I tend to find it slow and the science and terminology used confusing. It’s not down there with the likes of romance books or Dino/Monster/Alien porn as complete ‘hell no I’m not reading that‘ material but it’s not my preferred choice of reading either.

Hhhmm, mentioning Alien porn. If Sawyer wanted to branch out and try a different genre just for a laugh. Then he could use the aliens (Krell) that are found in The Eternity War and write some Alien porn! I’d suggest: ‘Space, The Full Frontal Frontier: Saucy Simulants and The Kinky Krell‘ sounds like a winner to me!😂

Back on track otherwise I’ll be blacklisted by the publicist who kindly sent me the book!

The war between the Alliance and the Krell is over and an uneasy peace has been brokered and is holding. Throughout Alliance space, the Black Spiral, a terrorist network are causing mayhem. After the Black Spiral takes control of an outpost and the resulting rescue mission goes wrong. Jenkins’ Jackals, the only Sim Ops (Army Simulant Operations) team to make it to the ground are blamed. Their punishment, escort duty aboard the Santa Fe (a starship) that is being sent to investigate a missing starship deep in the Maelstrom, an area of space inhabited by the Krell (the alien race in The Eternity War). Suffice to say that things don’t go according to plan and what should be a routine mission turns into something far larger that could result in a catastrophic new war starting.

Jenkins’ Jackals are Lieutenant Keira Jenkins, leader of the Jackals and a veteran of over 200 Sim Ops transitions. The raw recruits with only a handful of transitions each, Novak, a Russian convict and lifer, signed on to Sim Ops and with each transition/extraction gets the time of his sentence. Lopez, the daughter of a senator. Riggs, marine type, Feng, an Asian Directorate clone rescued from one of their crèches. And, Zero, the group’s handler who keeps tabs on them during missions from the simulant operations centre (SOC) located aboard the starships.

We get to learn bits about each of the Jackals separate back stories. While never overly complex, we are given enough that they don’t feel like cardboard cutouts. Sawyer delves deep enough that you find yourself liking this eclectic group and rooting for them all. From their fractured start, you watch as they grow together, learning to trust each other and instead of each being a singular ‘Jackal‘ they bond and become Jenkins’ Jackals.

Out of the Jackals, Novak was my favourite, an all around badass that you wouldn’t want to fuck with. Another favourite character of mine was Captain Carmine dubbed ‘Carmine the Carbine‘ the tough as old boots captain of the Santa Fe.

There’s some great combat gear in Pariah and none more so than the HURT suit that Jenkins gets to wear, a sweet bit of combat badassery.👌

The Krell is a cool race of alien bio-forms with a variety of castes (Navigator, primary, secondary) weapons and ships.

The Black Spiral also add another dimension to the story. They always seem to be one step ahead and their leader ‘Warlord‘ is a decent character whose back story we are given and we learn why he has grievances with both the Alliance and the Krell.

I had one slight niggle reading Pariah. During their missions, you might find yourself questioning whether the Jackals are in any ‘real‘ danger or not. When the simulants die the human operator is extracted back to the SOC and their own body. Luckily, there are enough times throughout Pariah where the operators aren’t skinned (in their simulant bodies) and there are also other characters who aren’t Sim Ops that you get a feeling of lives being at stake. But, being honest, it really didn’t bother me that much as I got so caught up and engrossed in the book and action that at times, I completely forgot the Jackals were in their simulants and really did fear for them and their lives!

I found the writing in Pariah to be stellar. Sawyer knows how to tell a great story, writing in a fun, engaging and never overly complex style that pulls you in from the get go through to the ending. The pacing is fantastic throughout never wavering as you Q-jump (you’ll get it if you read the book) from one action packed scenario to the next.

The story itself told in Pariah is a good one. Plenty of twists turns and treachery and as the first instalment in a trilogy, it does a damn fine job of setting things up and making you invested in what will happen next.

There’s lots of action in Pariah, from space battles between starships to gun fights aboard space stations and ships against both the human foe of the Black Spiral and the alien menace of the Krell. All are top quality making for an action packed read.

As I mentioned at the beginning, I often find SFF both slow, confusing and it generally doesn’t hold my interest. Pariah wasn’t like that at all! Pariah feels like half its length as the pages fly by in a blur of frenetic action and explosive top quality storytelling and I absolutely loved it!👌

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a massive fan of Mil Sci fi being of a military background and picked this book up as a holiday read. firstly I acknowledge that Sawyer is a good writer. I like his style, it flows well and keeps a good pace. The story involves a top tier operations group with a veteran officer that leads a bunch naive unskilled insubordinate reprobates. My question is how are a bunch of green fools a top tier special forces team. The leader Jenkins has so many insecurities and unprofessional in nearly every discipline, one minute accosting and ordering her superiors then pandering and fraternising to junior staff. The characters to me are quite one dimensional and reek of a goon squad. The main story is the traditional evil corp in the guise of black spiral. I dont want to ruin the story as alot of people are invested in the series. To finish , I like my sci fi hard and based in a dash of reality with competent characters. it appears Jenkins Jackels are the opposite and my suspension of disbelief falls with this and I wont be continuing the series.

[Kriemhild · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could not help comparing this against the Lazarus trilogy and it's not as good. The team camaraderie isn't there, the Legend isn't there, and the characters are a little stilted. Same derogatory statements made over and over again. Also, I pegged the surprise early on, not because I'm especially adept, but because the red herrings were just too obviously that.

On a positive note, the universe is still richly developed, the Krell still make you feel unsettled, and the combat sequences are still bad ass. Will definitely read the sequel.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kiera Jenkins commands a squad of marines known as Jenkins’ Jackals. With the exception of their leader, they are a pretty green bunch. Between them all they have only participated in a handful of missions. Fortunately for them, Kiera is an experienced warrior. I couldn’t help but find myself warming to the Lieutenant. Though more than confident in her own abilities, her new squad are relatively untested and she hasn’t quite found her feet when it comes to leadership. Initially she stumbles and makes more than a few mistakes, but that just makes her come across as that much more human. I liked the juxtaposition between Keira’s cynical world weariness and her uncertainty when it comes to her new command.

There is a lot to like about the character of Keira Jenkins, but there were another couple of others characters I loved. Captain Miriam Carmine (The Carbine) is a no-nonsense space captain with a penchant for flying by the seat of her pants. Like Kiera, she is a natural survivor and doesn’t suffer fools gladly. I loved her introduction and her been-there-done-that attitude. She rolls with the punches and comes across as being more than able to adapt to any given situation. The other standout character is a member of Kiera’s squad, a lowly private called Novak. While the majority of the group have enlisted to be part of the Simulant Operations Programme Novak is an ex-member of the Russian Bratva. Due to his criminal status, he has no choice but to fight in the war. Far more complex than he first appears, it is only later in the plot you get to discover what has made him the way he is. I’d like to think if you checked the dictionary definition for the term “loose cannon”, you’d see a picture of Novak grinning back at you. Mad, bad and dangerous to know most of my favourite scenes in the novel feature Novak front and centre. Miriam and Novak are great fun, I’m always a huge fan of characters who come across as unpredictable.

The Krell Empire are the sort of adversary that humanity can’t ever hope to properly understand. Their society is split into various complex factions and behaves in an almost hive like fashion. The marines refer to the Krell as ‘fishes’, and based on the description of this alien species I can’t help but agree. I found myself picturing something akin to Sharktopus with the addition of a human torso and limbs. They sound pretty badass to me. There is also mention made of a race known as the Shard, but they remain conspicuous by their absence. The only indication they exist are the jump gate technology they created that allows for long distance space travel. The Shard appear to be quite the enigmatic bunch. I can only assume more of this race will be revealed in the future.

As if the threat of multiple alien races wasn’t enough, the Jackals also have Black Spiral to contend with. They are a terrorist organisation hell bent on achieve their own political aims. The big question is why are Black Spiral so interested in the Krell? There are suggestions scattered throughout the narrative that there is some sort of conspiracy going on, and that Kiera and her squad are being manipulated as part of that. This additional thread of the plot adds a nice additional urgency to all the action. What exactly is going on? Who is it pulling all the strings? Who can Keira trust? Are the Black Spiral exactly how they are painted to be?

I’ve not read The Lazarus War, the trilogy that precedes this book, but I get the distinct impression that there is a direct connection between the two. From what I can gather, there certainly appears to be mention of characters that appear in both. I’m sure fans of that series are going to enjoy this new adventure.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The characters are great, the plot is chock full of fast paced action and everything is set up nicely for a sequel (which is handy because there is going to be one). I can heartily recommend The Eternity War is you are looking for science fiction delivered at breakneck speed. This new series is off to a flying start.

[Lianne Pheno · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://delivreenlivres.blogspot.com/...

On retourne en plein dans l'action avec ce nouveau début de trilogie après Lazare en guerre. Pour l'instant j'accroche un peu moins au personnage principal mais ça reste très sympa à lire tout de même.


Kiera Jenkins commande maintenant sa propre unité les Jackals. Celle ci n'est quasiment composé que de bleus ayant tous des passés peu recommandable. Mais elle est bien motivée pour transformer cette bande de tache en vrai soldats malgré tout.
Après une mission complétement ratée ou elle a échoué à faire un mouvement décisif et à sauver des otages, son équipe et elle se retrouvent volontaires forcés dans une étrange mission secrète bien mal adaptée à leurs capacités ...

Niveau contexte la guerre contre les Krells et le directoire est enfin terminée, mais d'autres ennemis se profilent, ainsi qu'une affaire concernant d'étranges disparitions d'étoiles dans la zone la plus peuplée du Maelstrom.

Jenkins a encore du mal avec le commandement. Elle a des idées très arrêté sur ses propres hommes et ne leur fait absolument pas confiance. En gros elle se comporte plus comme une babysitteur que comme une vrai chef du moins au début. Elle fait pourtant de son mieux, et les élèves qu'on lui a filé ne l'aident pas vraiment.

Novak est un russe. C'est un criminel, une grosse brute, très grand et effrayant, qui est entré dans le programme simulant pour réduire sa peine de prison. Bien plus complexe qu'il n'y parait au premier abord c'est un personnage que j'ai beaucoup aimé. Évidemment personne ne lui fait confiance et encore moins Jenkins.

Lopez est la fille d'un sénateur qui milite contre les Sim Ops, et on comprend bien qu'elle a choisi cette voie la pour le mettre en colère. C'est un peu le point faible du groupe, il va falloir tout faire pour la faire rentrer intacte sinon le programme entier pourrait être enterré en moins de temps qu'il faut pour le dire. En plus elle n'est la que pour faire son service militaire obligatoire sur sa planète, donc elle n'est pas la plus motivée du groupe.

Feng est un clone du directoire. Ceux ci, grandit de façon rapide et manipulés mentalement étaient les plus redoutables ennemis de l'alliance avant que la paix relative entre les humains arrive. Feng a été retiré à sa crèche avant que les dommages ne soient fait mais il est sans cesse remis en question. Jenkins n'imagine même pas le laisser seul un seul instant ou lui donner la moindre responsabilité tellement elle s'en méfie. C'est bête parce qu'il semble être le membre le plus motivé et sincère de cette troupe de bras cassés.

Et finalement le dernier membre est Riggs, un ancien marine. En fait c'est le seul qui ai un peu d’expérience et en qui Jenkins se fie un minimum. Elle en a fait son second. Il semble un peu le soldat parfait, calme et confiant, sans problème.

A eux se rajoute Zero, leur opératrice de bord. Ancienne victime des Krells dont elle a une peur panique, elle va faire de son mieux pour guider son équipe le plus sereinement possible. C'est un peu la victime que le groupe va sans cesse devoir protéger car elle ne maintient leurs propres corps en vie pendant qu'ils se battent.
Au final si j'ai bien apprécié cette lecture, j'ai moins apprécié Jenkins parce que j'avais du mal avec sa conception de la confiance. Au bout de combien d'insultes et de preuve qu'on ne fait pas confiance à quelqu'un cette personne va finir par vous le faire payer? Elle est bien trop ouverte dans ses idées. Si j'étais Feng ça aurait fait longtemps que j'aurais abandonné l'idée d'essayer de prouver que j'étais digne de confiance. Mais heureusement pour elle il est plus motivé que moi.

D'une équipe complétement désordonnée, Jenkins va devoir en faire de vrai Sim Ops, capable de supporter les morts quelque soit la pression mise sur eux. Et elle va devoir surtout se remettre elle même en question pour y arriver.

Leur principal ennemi dans ce cycle se révèle être la spirale noire. Un groupe terroriste dont on ne comprend pas encore vraiment le but. Ceux ci attaquent des stations habitée un peu au hasard et sont donc imprévisibles.
Un nouveau changement important dans le monde est le fait que les Krells ne sont plus vraiment les ennemis. Ces nouveaux pseudos alliés ne sont vraiment pas facile à comprendre mais on a de l'espoir pour la suite.

L'intrigue est pleine de tours et de détours et on ne sait vraiment pas à l'avance ou elle va nous mener. En plus le livre se termine sur un gros cliffhanger qui me donne presque envie de continuer la série en VO plutôt que d'attendre la VF !


16/20

[elidemelnibone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Après un début un peu laborieux, j'ai lu ce livre d'une traite, beaucoup d'action, beaucoup de combats; les humains se battent encore entre eux (!!); les aliens anciens ennemis sont de possibles alliés pas faciles à comprendre, d'autres aliens restent mystérieux, des systèmes planétaires sont détruits et un virus menace; l'alien Pariah, qui peut communiquer avec les humains et est bien seul, est mon personnage préféré. Divertissant.

[Erica Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love military SF, especially books featuring strong female leads. So I was excited to start this series. While I did finish the book--it has a good pace--I was frequently irritated by the main protagonist, a female lieutenant, Keira Jenkins. Like the plots of some of my favorite mil SF books, The Eternity War features a rag-tag bunch of misfit soldiers who get in over their heads. My expectation was that, through good leadership and the crucible of conflict, these misfits will be forged into a cohesive group capable of taking on whatever they encounter.

Except . . . except that Jenkins isn't a good leader, she doesn't like the members of her own team, and she prioritizes her own squabbles over the safety of her squad. She's constantly insubordinate and giving orders to people outside of her own chain of command, including a starship captain.

I think the author's idea here was to make Jenkins seem like an underdog, defying authority when she feels that she's right, but it just doesn't work. Jenkins doesn't have the moral authority of a young Honor Harrington or the kick-ass track record of Torin Kerr (from Tanya Huff's excellent series). Instead, Jenkins sleeps with her corporal, treats her sergeant like a kid sister, and generally behaves unprofessionally.

While I enjoyed the idea of simulants--human soldiers implanted in disposable clone-like bodies to take on suicide missions--I won't be picking up the next book in the series.

[La librairie de Charron · Rating 3 out of 5]

On retourne dans le monde de Lazare, enfin, plus ou moins, avec l'un de anciens membres, la lieutenante Keira Jenkins. J'avais déjà chroniqué les quatre tomes de la série de Lazare en guerre avec les tomes 1, 2, 2.5 et 3. On se situe donc ici plusieurs années après cette saga, bien que cela fasse un bon moment que j'ai lu et chroniqué cette saga que j'avais adoré.

L'histoire débute avec la lieutenante Keira Jenkins alors qu'elle est appelée par le commandement pour avoir de nouveaux soldats sous ses ordres et on peut remarquer que c'est une équipe assez variée : un ancien prisonnier russe, qui s'est engagé dans l'armée pour diminuer sa peine s'il se comporte bien ainsi que la fille d'un sénateur qui n'est même pas compatible avec les SimOps et qui se voit donc reléguée à un poste de surveillance, entre autre. Dans l'ensemble, son équipe n'a effectué que 7 sorties, des bleus en somme. Bref, la voilà qu'une mission importante lui est confiée : sauver des scientifiques pris en otage dans l'avant-poste de Daktar, même si cela est de la reconnaissance car il y a plusieurs tours sur le terrain. L'ennemi est tout simplement une organisation terroriste qui a déjà attaqué plusieurs installations et son chef, le Maréchal, est un homme sans merci au passé trouble.

Malheureusement, ça ne se passe pas comme prévu et voilà que Jenkins est envoyé à l'autre bout de la galaxie via un trou blanc pour une autre mission, qu'elle ne voit pas d'un bon oeil, car elle voit cela comme une punition non méritée. De plus, elle sent que quelque chose ne va pas et qu'on ne lui dit pas tout. En effet, l'une des sous-missions d'un haut-gradé qui va les accompagner est d'enquêter sur la disparition de centaines d'étoiles dans la partie du Maelström, comme si quelqu'un les avait « tuer ». Bien sûr, cela ne sera pas de tout repos car les Krells sont encore présents et tous ne sont pas amicaux envers les Humains car même si les Krells, comme les Humains, sont divisés en castes, chacun des deux camps ne considèrent l'autre uniquement QUE comme des Humains ou QUE comme des Krells. Comme si cette missions n'étaient déjà pas de tout repos pour Jenkins, voilà qu'un possible traître est présent dans les Chacals.

Dans l'ensemble, j'avoue que j'ai eu du mal à m'y remettre dans cette saga. J'avais adoré la saga Lazare en guerre mais le début de l'histoire est un peu lent. Ce n'est qu'à partir du deuxième tiers de l'histoire que j'ai vraiment commencé à accrocher et à vraiment me plonger dans l'histoire. Ce qui m'a un peu « énervé » mais c'est tout gentillet, c'est que l'on voit Jenkins faire des parties de jambes en l'air avec son caporal mais qu'ils ne s'en tiennent qu'à ça, sans attachements mais on voit au bout d'un moment que Jenkins ressent des choses pour son caporal mais ne fait rien jusqu'à en devenir un peu énervant à force. A part cela, j'ai bien aimé l'histoire en général malgré les débuts difficiles, un vaisseau Krell qui a été décrit m'a fait penser à un vaisseau à la façon Tyranide ou Aliens où les murs sont composés de matières biologiques assez moches. Vers le derniers tiers de l'ouvrage, on voit que ça s'accélère assez vite au niveau de l'histoire mais la fin se finit un peu en cliffhanger, mais vu que cela va continuer dans le tome 2, on connaîtra assez rapidement la suite. Bref, je ne pense pas lire le tome 2 tout de suite, je le lirai sûrement dans quelques semaines et on verra bien ce que ça donne d'ici là.

[Sam Gor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid first book for the new tribology (probably)
This time around we have Jenkins being in the main seat. Reminds of how Scalzi starts using his secondary characters as main once the main book is up. But granted Scalzi used really secondary characters. Jenkins here was present for most of the last trilogy.
Makes me wonder where is the rest of the team.

So, here again we are introduce to a new team, jackals and probably we won't know too much about them until book 3. However, this team is a lot more diverse than lasts.
We have a lifer Sim Op, a Directorate clone, a politician's daughter, and a dedicated SOC handler. I think Zero's inclusion and closeness with Jenkins changed the dynamics a lot more and added things that weren't really addressed with the last trilogy.

The beginning takes a bit to get into as they are thrown around and are super green. So that's another new thing. Legion was full of vets but this time they're all green and it does get frustrating how green they are cause a lot of stuff that happens in action sequences are a 'ugh, why ....' type of vibe but it does paint itself different to the first trilogy.

The ending here leads straight into a sequel whereas the first book last time not as much.
So that's something to look forward to.
To see where all these characters are going to end up and also the narrative is blown wide open.
Things are much more intense and serious than Legion even though when reading that last trilogy things were pretty intense already.

So yeah, enjoyed it for what its worth.
Looking forward to the next one.

[Phoenix · Rating 4 out of 5]

[No Spoilers] The Eternity War #1 - Pariah - Jamie Sawyer

Overall Rating - 3.75/5

I will preface this review by stating this book was received as part of a sci-fi/fantasy subscription box, A Box of Stories (Not Sponsored) and while I adore fantasy, this is not something I would have been drawn to, however that was the intention of my buying the box. To expand my reading repertoire.

This first book to the Eternity War saga by Jamie Sawyer, in which we follow the fights and flights of an uncoordinated operatives group - The Jackals. The team, headed by Lieutenant Keira Jenkins, an experienced simulant operative, quickly finding her work cut out for her in leading a collection recruits itching to taste action.

Simulant Operations soldiers are mankind's answer to conflict, protecting humanity from the Krell Empire and a machine race known as the Shard. They are elite warriors and veterans of more battles than imaginable (although you can be damn sure they count each and every one). They are able to undertake missions so suicidal that know one else can, thanks to the use of their sims, and guns, really big guns.

Thrown into the action when one event propels the Jackals full force into the next and the Black Spiral terrorist group takes over a space station. Keira and her team find themselves at the heart of conspiracy poised to ignite a new war across the galaxy.
Jamie Sawyer does a good job in introducing us to his new galaxy and setting the stage for events to come. The world is fast paced, yet broad. Laying a foundation for lore and politics to build and diversify over the saga. However I do feel that this first entry sacrificed some of the world building in favour of pace. This is understandable, the action propels the novel forwards and it would be jarring in many situations to stop and focus on less urgent matters of the past. That being said, I would have appreciated a little more richness to draw me into the world.

The characters, as unlikely of heroes as they may be, are likeable. Although, I would have liked to see a little more development throughout the tale and depth as a result of this. I did enjoy the interactions between the crew, the dialogue eliciting an audible laugh on occasion.

The politics at play, by both the those in charge and the terrorist organisation Black Spiral, add an interesting dynamic within the plot leaving plenty to be discovered in future works. The story benefits greatly from this, with the reader slowly understanding more of the motivations and deceptions in play from the other players on the board.

There is plenty to enjoy in this book, the fighting is wonderfully choreographed and fast paced. At no point did I find myself having to re-read passages during the action, trying to discern what had happened to each party. The technology and use of the simulants is intriguing, I'm unsure whether I found it altered the impact the building stakes Sawyer punishes his characters with to be less nerve racking at times but the events that unfold soon rectify any concerns of that.

My largest complaint outside of being disappointed but understanding, of there being less world and character development than I would personally like. Is that I was left feeling that the (I) the reader can't be trusted to remember the brief backstory we are given in regards to previous engagements that have been had. It feels forced repeatedly into her internal monologue in situations it would be unnecessary which pulled me out of the moment quite abruptly. This could have been made more apparent by the short window of time it took me to read the book, and may not be as notable if consumed over a larger time frame.

Over-all this was a fun and quick read, very much fulfilling the brief when it comes to a fast paced sci-fi action novel and despite my minor complaints and finding the plot a little predictable in places. I will pick up the next book in the saga and happily delve back in to see what mess the Jackals find themselves in.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in the "Eternity War" series by Jamie Sawyer. It is set in the same universe as his "Lazarus War" trilogy. This one takes palace several years after the events in the Lazarus War books. In this one Conrad Harris has retired and Lieutenant Keria Jenkins now has her own team of simulants. Simulants are a special team of solders who fight the alien Krell and sometimes also fight the Asian Directorate. They also have a new enemy know as the Black Sprial. Simulants are bio-engineered bodies which the team members control remotely by transitioning their consciousness into the simulant body. Then even if they are killed their consciousness merely returns to it's original body and they live to fight another day. After a mission gone bad Keria's team is assigned to help Military Intelligence on a clandestine operation to retrieve a scientist from a remote space station and then with his help discover what happened to one of the Alliance's space ships which was on it's own secret mission in Krell space. Almost from the very beginning things seem to go wrong for the team. The Black Spiral attacks the space station while they are attempting a rescue and again later when they reach Krell space. It soon becomes apparent that someone aboard their ship is a traitor, but who can it be? This book is a great start to this new series and I recommend it to all fans of Military Science Fiction.

[Fandom SK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recenziu pre Fandom.sk napísala Ena:

Odpadlík je prvá časť série Věčná válka. Už úvodná časť naznačuje, že to bude napínavé čítanie. Príbeh ubieha poriadne rýchlo. Akcia strieda akciu a v tých pohodovejších úsekoch sa zoznamujeme a zžívame so svetom príbehu a postavami, ktoré nás ním budú sprevádzať.

Odpadlík je akčný román. Ak patríte medzi čitateľov, ktorí si na akciách a ich zrozumiteľnosti zakladajú, možno zostanete trošku sklamaní, lebo občas sú postavy jedno bojujúce klbko, v ktorom sa okamžite nevyznáte. Ak si tieto pasáže nepotrebujete dokonale vizualizovať, začnete si napäto obhrýzať nechty (či niečo iné, čo nájdete) a na výsadkoch Dingov sa dobre zabavíte...

Celú recenziu nájdete na Fandom.sk https://www.fandom.sk/clanok/recenzia...

[Gregor Gross · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really a book for SciFi fans of military or war deep space scenarios. We have a military unit full of rookies, which are not a team at all. And of course, they grow fond of each other during their first, desastrous missions and campaigns. There are other units who look down on them, but of course the plot gets rid of the other units to focus on the greenhorns, who grow together and win. And they win only because of how they do their stuff and because their hearts are at the right place bla bla and so on.

Yet even if the structure is clear, the action is satisfyingly tense and fact-paced and one turns the pages as fast as possible.

I was looking for exactly this and got what I wanted.

[Sontaranpr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, back to the universe where your military career in the simulant brigades means you have to die. A whole lot. New and old characters return as we're now years into the uneasy peace between us and the certainly not Tyranids. New hostilities break out as a human band of seemingly terrorists are determined to screw everything up as we're not allowed nice things.

The author answers our usual question when it comes to powered armour of what happens when you need more dakka? Enter the dreadnought category of dakka dakka dakka.

Ends on a cliff hanger so we'll have to wait it out for the next one.

[Gregoire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un ton en dessous de la première série mais l'univers se développe et l'action est toujours prenante J'ai moins accroché avec l'équipe des Jackals et leur chef Kieren Voir si les membres de cette équipe se montrent à la hauteur d'un univers qui s'agrandit et fait peur malgré l'action à travers les sims ...
Je lirai donc le prochain opus, ne serait ce que pour en savoir davantage sur ces Krells, aliens particulièrement réussis et décrits avec son lot de mystères et de différences de mentalité (à mon humble avis).

[Nick Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was a kid I remember a cartoon character called “The Martian Manhunter” who had extra bodies stored that he could “jump” into when needed.
This features a team of highly trained “simulant” operatives who can go into action in a cloned skin, while their real bodies remain safe. A bunch of bad guys have managed to gain a cult like following and not only does mankind now face this threat from within, alien races will play a significant part in who emerges victorious.
It’s action packed space opera and rather good fun.

[Joshua Oyola · Rating 4 out of 5]

if i could give it a 4 1/2 i could. a really solid, action-packed sci-fi with a lot of cool technology and elements. very easy read, even for someone like me who doesn’t have a ton of military knowledge.

I genuinely had a hard time putting this book down, i thought it was so engaging, vivid, and exciting. the action was really fun and interesting — Sawyer did a great job incorporating technology with the action, while not making it feel like the Jackals were too overpowered.

I need the next book based off of the cliffhanger ALONE.

[Lola Rachels · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to reading this as I had enjoyed The Lazarus War series from this author. Great character building and interesting developments with the Krell too. New enemies on the horizon keep you on your toes as well as old foes. Full of action and plenty of skinned up, sims moments too, which I love to read about. Characters like Novak and Zero have really peaked my interest so am on a seat edge to see what happens with them next.

[Dr. T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super entertaining! Great characters, cool technology and creepy aliens. Theres a mystery that keeps you on the edge of you seat. I'll definitely continue this series.
I also really appreciate a scyfy from a male author that has good female representation and no stereotypes! Thanks for making it so easy, a note to fellow male writers!

[Vegard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eg likte den førre trilogien mykje betre. I denne boka var det mest spelet mellom alliansar og fraksjonar, og den overordna historia og utviklinga, som var spennande. Du blir forsvinnande lite kjent med persongalleriet, enda det er knapt ei handfull. Og den store plot-twisten i slutten var veldig føreseieleg. Har kjøpt toaren, så eg får vel berre lesa på.

[Dalen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was alright, pretty decent mil-sci-fi. I wish it had done a bit more with the power armor tech, but overall it was fine. Characters were fairly stock and the writing was merely competent, but not bad overall.

[Dr Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun romp of a Space Opera! Pariah, the fish alien, is my favourite character! Another star if aside from Novak, the newbies in the Jackals had been a little less cliché types (eg pretty rich girl toughens up etc). But a non stop good action packed read.

[Ben · Rating 1 out of 5]

It has been a couple times when I stopped reading a book halfway. This was one of those instances. Fighting sequences without character development or context is for comics. I stopped looking at comics when I was 10.

[Evan Bennewies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best $7 I’ve spent at an airport. The book is somewhat generic with the classic space opera dynamics and technology. Despite that it’s still engaging and pretty thrilling. Good pick for some easy reading sci-fi

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced and a decent story line. And a slightly different slant on the usual Sci Fi ‘shoot em up’. Well worth a read if you don’t want anything too heavy. Good bed time reading.

[Rich Van Ollefen · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good space opera - be forewarned however, that the ending is a cliffhanger