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Chaos of the Covenant #1
Hell's Rejects
The most powerful starships ever constructed are taken. Thousands are dead. A fleet is in ruins... Lieutenant Abigail Cage never expected to find herself in Hell. There was a time when she was one of the most respected operatives in the military. Now she's doing hard labor on the most miserable planet in the universe. Not for long. The Republic is looking for the most dangerous individuals it can control. The best of the worst, and Abbey is one of them. Joined by the most ragtag collection of criminals the galaxy has to offer, she sets out to recover the ships and take down the traitors who stole them. There's only one problem... A new evil is rising in the galaxy. One with a power unlike anything anyone has ever seen. One that's been waiting for this moment for a very, very long time. And it wants Abbey too. If you love Captain Marvel, Guardians of the Galaxy, or Star Wars, you’ll love riding along with the Rejects in this fun-filled, action-packed space opera adventure from million-selling author M.R. Forbes.
321 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 19, 2017
875 people are currently reading
712 people want to read
About the author
M.R. Forbes
165 books1,007 followersM.R. Forbes is the author of a growing number of science-fiction series including Rebellion, War Eternal, Chaos of the Covenant, Stars End, and the Forgotten novels. Having spent his childhood trying to read every sci-fi novel he could find (and write his own too), play every sci-fi video game he could get his hands on, and see every sci-fi movie that made it into the theater, he has a true love of the genre across every medium. He works hard to bring that same energy to his own stories, with a continuing goal to entertain, delight, fascinate, and surprise.
He maintains a true appreciation for his readers and is always happy to hear from them.
To learn more about M.R. Forbes or just say hello:
Visit his website:
mrforbes.com
Send him an e-mail:
michael@mrforbes.com
Check out his Facebook page:
facebook.com/mrforbes.author
Join his Facebook fan group:
facebook.com/groups/mrforbes
Follow him on Instagram:
instagram.com/mrforbes_author
Find him on Goodreads:
goodreads.com/mrforbes
Follow him on Bookbub:
bookbub.com/authors/m-r-forbes
He maintains a true appreciation for his readers and is always happy to hear from them.
To learn more about M.R. Forbes or just say hello:
Visit his website:
mrforbes.com
Send him an e-mail:
michael@mrforbes.com
Check out his Facebook page:
facebook.com/mrforbes.author
Join his Facebook fan group:
facebook.com/groups/mrforbes
Follow him on Instagram:
instagram.com/mrforbes_author
Find him on Goodreads:
goodreads.com/mrforbes
Follow him on Bookbub:
bookbub.com/authors/m-r-forbes
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
December 22, 2025
Re-read 12-22-25 Plan to continue more of the series. Needed to refresh my memory of book #1.
Hell's Rejects
Chaos of the Covenant, Volume 1
By: M.R. Forbes
Narrated by: Jeff Hays
This is a great start for a new series! The wild, wild space with bandits, corrupt officials, prisons worse than hell, and the ultimate jail breaks! The action, adventure, scary and unique characters, and wonderful plot have me hooked already on another of Forbes' series.
Of course, the narration is excellent, it has Jeff Hays who can perform any voice or sounds in multiple universes! Wonderful job as usual!!!
Hell's Rejects
Chaos of the Covenant, Volume 1
By: M.R. Forbes
Narrated by: Jeff Hays
This is a great start for a new series! The wild, wild space with bandits, corrupt officials, prisons worse than hell, and the ultimate jail breaks! The action, adventure, scary and unique characters, and wonderful plot have me hooked already on another of Forbes' series.
Of course, the narration is excellent, it has Jeff Hays who can perform any voice or sounds in multiple universes! Wonderful job as usual!!!
Read
December 5, 2017You'll notice that as in a few other cases I do not rate this book. If I did I'd have to go one (1) star... But I'm not rating it. That one star rating would be for this edition alone.
I have the audio edition I bought from Audible. The plot seems as if it should be an interesting one I picked the book up on the strength of the synopsis and the reaction of other readers. Sadly this edition doesn't hold my interest. The book has some weaknesses that bother me a little. Combine that with a lackluster narrator as omnipotent story teller and different readers for different characters reading in a rather stiff and stilted manner and I got about halfway through the book (dropping off to sleep a few times) and laid it aside. I plan to return the book to Audible.
Here we have a universe where one side of a galactic conflict should already have smashed the other as they have ships so advanced that they can't even be scratched by their enemies and one shot from them pierces the shields of the other side... Also we have physical confrontations where the same thing seems to apply, one race so strong and powerful the other can't even harm them (yet manages to win a fight using a piece of bent metal). The logic holes here are...well annoying.
Then as I said the narration is at best (to use the same word) lackluster. No I'm moving on to another book. maybe someday I'll try the print version...but probably not.
I have the audio edition I bought from Audible. The plot seems as if it should be an interesting one I picked the book up on the strength of the synopsis and the reaction of other readers. Sadly this edition doesn't hold my interest. The book has some weaknesses that bother me a little. Combine that with a lackluster narrator as omnipotent story teller and different readers for different characters reading in a rather stiff and stilted manner and I got about halfway through the book (dropping off to sleep a few times) and laid it aside. I plan to return the book to Audible.
Here we have a universe where one side of a galactic conflict should already have smashed the other as they have ships so advanced that they can't even be scratched by their enemies and one shot from them pierces the shields of the other side... Also we have physical confrontations where the same thing seems to apply, one race so strong and powerful the other can't even harm them (yet manages to win a fight using a piece of bent metal). The logic holes here are...well annoying.
Then as I said the narration is at best (to use the same word) lackluster. No I'm moving on to another book. maybe someday I'll try the print version...but probably not.
March 2, 2017
If Suicide Squad, Guardians of the Galaxy and Star Wars had an orgy, 9 months later this book would be the result.
July 11, 2017
There's a bigger, prettier version of this review here, on my blog.
A space opera series with a strong female protagonist? Sign me the fuck up for that! That was the first thing that caught my attention when I read the blurb for this one. So, with the knowledge that Jeff Hays narrates this as well (like many of Forbes’ other audiobooks) and that it would therefore be well narrated and likely full of cool special effects and stuff, I jumped right in head first.
Well, ears first. LOLOLOLokay I’ll stop. >.>
You know, it took me a long while (and admittedly a lot of experimentation) to learn that not only are a great many self published books good, but their audio versions, if given proper love and attention are fucking amazeballs as well. This one is no exception. Special effects like… communication over a radio sounding like communication over a radio, characters sounding muffled when the text indicates they would be, and things like that give the book an immersive quality that really makes it hard to stop listening. A great narration can help me cheer for characters I might not actually care so much about in print, or hate villains that I’m supposed to hate but can’t visualize hating and so don’t. I’m way more likely to listen to books that I likely wouldn’t read but want to experience. Space operas usually fall into this category for me, for while I love-love-love the idea of them, I sometimes find them a chore to actually get through in print.
If someone reads them to me though, well… I could (and can… and have…) handle that all day long.
This one was a fun, spacey-but-not-overdoing-the-spacey ride, which occasionally brought to mind some of my favorite sci-fi titles. Battlestar Galactica, various Star Trek iterations, The Hyperion Cantos, etc, etc, etc. This is not a bad thing. It made the story more relatable to me, which made it more immersive. Not that I’m not a fan of military/war based sci-fi (Old Man’s War is in my top 10 sci-fi books ever; Mass Effect is among my favorite video games of all time; I can probably quote entire episodes of TNG from memory…), but more that I have no frame of reference, having never been in nor all that interested in the inner workings of the various branches of the military. I suppose it could be said that I don’t really take an active interest in war stories….. unless it’s space war. That’s totally different (because space). You know… war… in the stars… eeeheheheokay I’ll really stop now. >.>
Anyway, like a few other reviewers have said, this one felt like a spacey Suicide Squad. Take a bunch of convicts, place kill switches in their bodies, then send them on a dangerous AF mission for the greater good. In space. With spaceships and laser blasters and shit. It worked for me, similarities or no.
I liked Abbey as a character, though I felt at times that she was almost overly good at everything she did. Part of that was admittedly the point, but even before she was… gifted… Abbey was just the best at everything she did. Even despite that though, she still seemed human to me, what with the struggle of not being able to see her daughter, and the emotional stress that causes. That was all believable. Gant, who I imagined as something along the lines of an Ewok mixed with a sloth, was another awesome character that was well used as… not exactly a comic relief, but something that kept the book from getting too dark. Awesome character.
Anyway, I thought this was a great use of 9 or so hours of my time, and I’ll definitely try and continue the series. Though this one is #1 in a series, and was only released earlier this year, the series is already 5 books long. Because apparently Forbes can just churn books out like it’s nobody’s business (*cough* I’ll take some more Ghosts & Magic tho while you’re churning >.>). Part of the sweet, sweet goodness of self publishing, is that you can publish as many damn books as you want whenever you want.
Sometimes that works, and sometimes it doesn’t. In this case, it works. It totally works. Make it fuckin raaaaiiin books.
A space opera series with a strong female protagonist? Sign me the fuck up for that! That was the first thing that caught my attention when I read the blurb for this one. So, with the knowledge that Jeff Hays narrates this as well (like many of Forbes’ other audiobooks) and that it would therefore be well narrated and likely full of cool special effects and stuff, I jumped right in head first.
Well, ears first. LOLOLOLokay I’ll stop. >.>
You know, it took me a long while (and admittedly a lot of experimentation) to learn that not only are a great many self published books good, but their audio versions, if given proper love and attention are fucking amazeballs as well. This one is no exception. Special effects like… communication over a radio sounding like communication over a radio, characters sounding muffled when the text indicates they would be, and things like that give the book an immersive quality that really makes it hard to stop listening. A great narration can help me cheer for characters I might not actually care so much about in print, or hate villains that I’m supposed to hate but can’t visualize hating and so don’t. I’m way more likely to listen to books that I likely wouldn’t read but want to experience. Space operas usually fall into this category for me, for while I love-love-love the idea of them, I sometimes find them a chore to actually get through in print.
If someone reads them to me though, well… I could (and can… and have…) handle that all day long.
This one was a fun, spacey-but-not-overdoing-the-spacey ride, which occasionally brought to mind some of my favorite sci-fi titles. Battlestar Galactica, various Star Trek iterations, The Hyperion Cantos, etc, etc, etc. This is not a bad thing. It made the story more relatable to me, which made it more immersive. Not that I’m not a fan of military/war based sci-fi (Old Man’s War is in my top 10 sci-fi books ever; Mass Effect is among my favorite video games of all time; I can probably quote entire episodes of TNG from memory…), but more that I have no frame of reference, having never been in nor all that interested in the inner workings of the various branches of the military. I suppose it could be said that I don’t really take an active interest in war stories….. unless it’s space war. That’s totally different (because space). You know… war… in the stars… eeeheheheokay I’ll really stop now. >.>
Anyway, like a few other reviewers have said, this one felt like a spacey Suicide Squad. Take a bunch of convicts, place kill switches in their bodies, then send them on a dangerous AF mission for the greater good. In space. With spaceships and laser blasters and shit. It worked for me, similarities or no.
I liked Abbey as a character, though I felt at times that she was almost overly good at everything she did. Part of that was admittedly the point, but even before she was… gifted… Abbey was just the best at everything she did. Even despite that though, she still seemed human to me, what with the struggle of not being able to see her daughter, and the emotional stress that causes. That was all believable. Gant, who I imagined as something along the lines of an Ewok mixed with a sloth, was another awesome character that was well used as… not exactly a comic relief, but something that kept the book from getting too dark. Awesome character.
Anyway, I thought this was a great use of 9 or so hours of my time, and I’ll definitely try and continue the series. Though this one is #1 in a series, and was only released earlier this year, the series is already 5 books long. Because apparently Forbes can just churn books out like it’s nobody’s business (*cough* I’ll take some more Ghosts & Magic tho while you’re churning >.>). Part of the sweet, sweet goodness of self publishing, is that you can publish as many damn books as you want whenever you want.
Sometimes that works, and sometimes it doesn’t. In this case, it works. It totally works. Make it fuckin raaaaiiin books.
August 11, 2017
A new author for me and a new series just beginning. This is a very good book. It’s my kind of book in that there is a lot of action and fighting. Unfortunately, the lead character is female. Now before everyone accuses me of being a male chauvinist pig, you should realize that I am one, so your accusations don’t matter! I don’t like female heroes. Readers, or at least this one, like to put themselves into the story and assume the role of a character. I’m always thinking, “Now, what would I have done?”, but with a female lead, I, personally can’t do that. But, I do have to say, this female lead is one hell of a fighter. She goes by the name Abigail Cage, a.k.a, Abbey. She’s military and a special forces operative with training gained through HSOC, which I think stands for Headquarters, Special Operations Command, although it’s never spelled out in the book. She has a background in computer sciences and linguistics which means she’s trained to be a “Breaker”. That, I believe is similar to what we would call a hacker. She’s very good at what she does and has been doing it for almost six years. Abbey is about to end her military career after this one last mission. She’s going home to her daughter and live a “normal” life for a change. Well, she would have if she hadn’t been framed for treason!
This book introduces a lot of characters. Some don’t stay around for very long. I did mention there is a lot of fighting and, well, people usually get killed when that happens. We do get to meet one other character that is main to the story and he’s Captain Olus Mann, Chief of the OSI for the Republic. He’s a very dangerous man although he hasn’t done actual field work for some time. It seems that he’ll be needing to get back into the field if he wants to find out what happened to the two brand new starships that were just captured and taken by the Outworlders. They some how managed to do this right under the noses of most of the ranking Republic leadership, but that leadership, for the most part, won’t be around to worry about the theft since they were all on the space station and it was totally destroyed. As I mentioned, there are lots of dead people in this book.
We do get to meet a lot of alien characters. That makes the book that much more interesting, although I hate it when authors start creating alien names. Most I can’t even pronounce and those are the names supposedly in English. You’ll find a fair number of those aliens around, but fortunately, the ones we encounter the most have pretty short and pronounceable names. Then there’s the Outworlders. Something has shown up that doesn’t make sense. The Outworlders beyond the Fringe of known space haven’t been overly aggressive until lately. Now they have stolen two of the Republic’s newest starships and they appear to be heading for war. But, no one on the Republic’s side knows who is leading this rabble. The Outworlders don’t have their own military; each independent planet has it’s own military structure and to date, no one has bothered trying to combine them into a cohesive fighting force for the Outworlders. Still, there is something out there and Captain Mann has to find out what it is. But, he needs a special kind of operative with a team that can get the job done. He would go to Hell if that’s what necessary to get this kind of team together and that’s exactly what he does.
The second book is out, “Fire and Brimstone”, and, of course, I already have it. This is going to be a very good series if I can get past the fact that our hero is a girl!!!!!
This book introduces a lot of characters. Some don’t stay around for very long. I did mention there is a lot of fighting and, well, people usually get killed when that happens. We do get to meet one other character that is main to the story and he’s Captain Olus Mann, Chief of the OSI for the Republic. He’s a very dangerous man although he hasn’t done actual field work for some time. It seems that he’ll be needing to get back into the field if he wants to find out what happened to the two brand new starships that were just captured and taken by the Outworlders. They some how managed to do this right under the noses of most of the ranking Republic leadership, but that leadership, for the most part, won’t be around to worry about the theft since they were all on the space station and it was totally destroyed. As I mentioned, there are lots of dead people in this book.
We do get to meet a lot of alien characters. That makes the book that much more interesting, although I hate it when authors start creating alien names. Most I can’t even pronounce and those are the names supposedly in English. You’ll find a fair number of those aliens around, but fortunately, the ones we encounter the most have pretty short and pronounceable names. Then there’s the Outworlders. Something has shown up that doesn’t make sense. The Outworlders beyond the Fringe of known space haven’t been overly aggressive until lately. Now they have stolen two of the Republic’s newest starships and they appear to be heading for war. But, no one on the Republic’s side knows who is leading this rabble. The Outworlders don’t have their own military; each independent planet has it’s own military structure and to date, no one has bothered trying to combine them into a cohesive fighting force for the Outworlders. Still, there is something out there and Captain Mann has to find out what it is. But, he needs a special kind of operative with a team that can get the job done. He would go to Hell if that’s what necessary to get this kind of team together and that’s exactly what he does.
The second book is out, “Fire and Brimstone”, and, of course, I already have it. This is going to be a very good series if I can get past the fact that our hero is a girl!!!!!
September 25, 2017
Just didn't deliver...
I like M. R. Forbes as an author. This effort just falls short of what I've come to expect from him. I tried repeatedly to get into the story but it's just all over the place and lacks continuity. The heroes and villains have little to no real character depth and the author takes convenient leap after convenient leap without any doses of reality in between. The result is a story that is difficult to stay invested in add frankly not very believable. All in all, a fairly tough read.
I like M. R. Forbes as an author. This effort just falls short of what I've come to expect from him. I tried repeatedly to get into the story but it's just all over the place and lacks continuity. The heroes and villains have little to no real character depth and the author takes convenient leap after convenient leap without any doses of reality in between. The result is a story that is difficult to stay invested in add frankly not very believable. All in all, a fairly tough read.
May 4, 2019
Full review: https://girlswithguns.org/hells-rejec...
The first in the “Chaos of the Covenant” series, it strikes a decent enough balance between telling a self-contained tale and luring you in to the next volume. As the tagline at the top – not an actual quote from the book! – suggests, it falls somewhere between, and owes a big debt to, both Guardians of the Galaxy and Suicide Squad. With a side order of La Femme Nikita. There’s a big sprawling universe out there, and Cage has to try and wrangle her motley crew of species through a task which rarely seems less than an impossible assignment.
Fortunately, if a little conveniently, Mann has a very discerning eye for personnel, and put together a good team as backup, out of the pieces to hand in the prison. For instance, one is an incredible pilot, another a wiz with machinery, etc. Cage, meanwhile, can keep them all in line, both through her force of personality and with force if necessary. She’s desperate to complete the mission, win her freedom and return to her daughter – who doesn’t even know Mom is in prison, let alone has been broken out in order to chase a stolen spaceship across the galaxy.
The first in the “Chaos of the Covenant” series, it strikes a decent enough balance between telling a self-contained tale and luring you in to the next volume. As the tagline at the top – not an actual quote from the book! – suggests, it falls somewhere between, and owes a big debt to, both Guardians of the Galaxy and Suicide Squad. With a side order of La Femme Nikita. There’s a big sprawling universe out there, and Cage has to try and wrangle her motley crew of species through a task which rarely seems less than an impossible assignment.
Fortunately, if a little conveniently, Mann has a very discerning eye for personnel, and put together a good team as backup, out of the pieces to hand in the prison. For instance, one is an incredible pilot, another a wiz with machinery, etc. Cage, meanwhile, can keep them all in line, both through her force of personality and with force if necessary. She’s desperate to complete the mission, win her freedom and return to her daughter – who doesn’t even know Mom is in prison, let alone has been broken out in order to chase a stolen spaceship across the galaxy.
March 28, 2017
A solid 3.5
Very entertaining, kept me flipping the pages until the end.
Very entertaining, kept me flipping the pages until the end.
December 7, 2025
jeff hays is the best!
March 27, 2021
This is military SF set during a war between the Republic and the Outworlders. The Republic has a lot more resources that the other side. We get POVs from both sides of the conflict but our heroine is a Republic soldier.
Lieutenant Abigail Cage is a breaker, a hacker. She’s also a mother, looking forward to retiring and spending time with her daughter. She’s assigned to a team which is dropped to enemy territory. She does have some experience with combat so she’s more worried about the couple of less experienced soldiers. But during the mission, something goes wrong and she finds a code she can’t break. Soon after they get back, the whole team is arrested. Abby protests that whatever the others might have done, she’s not part of it. Very quickly, the whole team is sentenced to a maximum security prison called Hell. And she’s put on one of the most difficult levels on the whole prison. She must fight constantly to survive.
However, the book moved on quickly to a point where it became more interesting to me.
In addition to Abby we have several other POVs. This world has aliens but they seem to be Star Trek types rather than completely alien aliens. Abby is a capable fighter and becomes even better during the book. She’s a patriot but she mostly just wants to get back to her daughter.
This was a fast-paced story with both fierce combat scenes and a complex scheme in the background which one of the other characters is trying to solve. The Republic has recently finished building two starships, Fire and Brimstone, which are so powerful that nothing can stand against them. But they have been stolen and of course the Republic is frantic to get them back.
I have the first four books in audio and I’ll likely continue to the next one. This first book ends in a huge cliffhanger.
Lieutenant Abigail Cage is a breaker, a hacker. She’s also a mother, looking forward to retiring and spending time with her daughter. She’s assigned to a team which is dropped to enemy territory. She does have some experience with combat so she’s more worried about the couple of less experienced soldiers. But during the mission, something goes wrong and she finds a code she can’t break. Soon after they get back, the whole team is arrested. Abby protests that whatever the others might have done, she’s not part of it. Very quickly, the whole team is sentenced to a maximum security prison called Hell. And she’s put on one of the most difficult levels on the whole prison. She must fight constantly to survive.
However, the book moved on quickly to a point where it became more interesting to me.
In addition to Abby we have several other POVs. This world has aliens but they seem to be Star Trek types rather than completely alien aliens. Abby is a capable fighter and becomes even better during the book. She’s a patriot but she mostly just wants to get back to her daughter.
This was a fast-paced story with both fierce combat scenes and a complex scheme in the background which one of the other characters is trying to solve. The Republic has recently finished building two starships, Fire and Brimstone, which are so powerful that nothing can stand against them. But they have been stolen and of course the Republic is frantic to get them back.
I have the first four books in audio and I’ll likely continue to the next one. This first book ends in a huge cliffhanger.
April 8, 2017
Great series so far. Love the kick ass female MC. Does space opera very well, from a Firefly esqe viewpoint. Not at all what I expected from the blurb. I even like the bad guys, despite them all being batshit crazy whackjobs.
July 19, 2017
An entertaining amalgamation of Sci-Fi tropes, not the best I have read but it's certainly not the worst.
October 19, 2018
Enjoyable but just not for me
I enjoyed this book.....but I found it just wasn't a story that pulled me in book. Line. And sinker. The characters and the storyline were both well written.
I enjoyed this book.....but I found it just wasn't a story that pulled me in book. Line. And sinker. The characters and the storyline were both well written.
Read
October 1, 2024Eh. At best. See Mike (the Paladin)’s review.
March 18, 2017
Excellent
Plenty of action, suspense. Very fun to read and worth the effort. I look forward to the next installment
Thank you.
Plenty of action, suspense. Very fun to read and worth the effort. I look forward to the next installment
Thank you.
December 9, 2018
REREAD: Having just finished War Eternal and loved it, I thought I’d try this series again. I read this book back in March, but failed to read on in the series. So, a quick reread and here we are.
I didn’t fall for this one as heavily as I did War Eternal. That could be because of the main protagonist. I loved Mitchell! Or it could be the world building. Or maybe even the fact that I’d read this book already and nothing was a surprise.
So, I’ll reserve final judgement until I read book two..and then we’ll see if Mr Forbes has done it again...and sucked me into another enthralling sci-fi story.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
7/10: Good solid read, something to get your teeth into.
I think I could get into this. Hoping for some romance. I know. I know. Blind hope. But if there were...then this would be a 5-Star read for me.
On to the next.
I didn’t fall for this one as heavily as I did War Eternal. That could be because of the main protagonist. I loved Mitchell! Or it could be the world building. Or maybe even the fact that I’d read this book already and nothing was a surprise.
So, I’ll reserve final judgement until I read book two..and then we’ll see if Mr Forbes has done it again...and sucked me into another enthralling sci-fi story.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
7/10: Good solid read, something to get your teeth into.
I think I could get into this. Hoping for some romance. I know. I know. Blind hope. But if there were...then this would be a 5-Star read for me.
On to the next.
May 18, 2019
(May contain spoilers)
I love Space opera with strong characters almost as much as I hate vampire novels! Which is why I was so disappointed that the mysterious enemies in the story may turn out to be my least favourite villains. Infected blood, great strength, transformation, fangs...
Just no!
I love Space opera with strong characters almost as much as I hate vampire novels! Which is why I was so disappointed that the mysterious enemies in the story may turn out to be my least favourite villains. Infected blood, great strength, transformation, fangs...
Just no!
July 9, 2017
First, the synopsis pulls me right in and I (very excitedly) download the book. After devouring the book in an afternoon, I would have to say I loved it.
However, Abbey, the heroine, is basically infallible who, seemingly, has no issues learning and overcoming things she had never seen before and had no knowledge base for. This gives the book a lighter, easy read feel, but definitely enters Mary Sue territory. I happen to love Mary Sues (though AB does not) and female protagonists in space operas, so I was sold (and bought the book). Overall, this book had an engaging structure starting in the middle of the action, with background information seamlessly woven into the story. Another great plus is that all of the things hinted at in the synopsis happen very quickly.
Overall, this book had an engaging structure starting in the middle of the action, with background information seamlessly woven into the story. Another great plus is that all of the things hinted at in the synopsis happen very quickly. Without getting spoilery, the ending was great--keeping open the story for future books without being so cliff hangery it seems to end in the middle of a phrase.
I was not disappointed. This first book so far reminds me a lot of Thomas DePrima's A Galaxy Unknown series so if you like this book, you'll probably like these ones too.
I give this book a stellar 3.5 stars (which I rounded up). Like I've said in previous reviews, 3 stars is great and means I will buy the next in the series, but not so great that I have future release dates marked as calendar reminders. This book was definitely above average, but not one of my top faves; it just didn’t have that *spark* that makes me give it 4-5 stars.
However, Abbey, the heroine, is basically infallible who, seemingly, has no issues learning and overcoming things she had never seen before and had no knowledge base for. This gives the book a lighter, easy read feel, but definitely enters Mary Sue territory. I happen to love Mary Sues (though AB does not) and female protagonists in space operas, so I was sold (and bought the book). Overall, this book had an engaging structure starting in the middle of the action, with background information seamlessly woven into the story. Another great plus is that all of the things hinted at in the synopsis happen very quickly.
Overall, this book had an engaging structure starting in the middle of the action, with background information seamlessly woven into the story. Another great plus is that all of the things hinted at in the synopsis happen very quickly. Without getting spoilery, the ending was great--keeping open the story for future books without being so cliff hangery it seems to end in the middle of a phrase.
I was not disappointed. This first book so far reminds me a lot of Thomas DePrima's A Galaxy Unknown series so if you like this book, you'll probably like these ones too.
I give this book a stellar 3.5 stars (which I rounded up). Like I've said in previous reviews, 3 stars is great and means I will buy the next in the series, but not so great that I have future release dates marked as calendar reminders. This book was definitely above average, but not one of my top faves; it just didn’t have that *spark* that makes me give it 4-5 stars.
April 20, 2025
The series isn't a set of 7 books. It's one long book with 7 chapters presented as "books" for easier reading. They are arbitrarily split based on the number of pages. That's why each "book" has a cliff hanger—there is no separate story arch with resolution in each chapter. The whole thing is one endless pulp.
That's why the review is applicable to the whole series and every chapter individually. They are virtually the same plot with too many endless details of action/fighting scenes that just annoy after a couple of times and not enough story, world building, or character development to make it more than a junk space fantasy that feels like a "fast food" type of reading.
Looks like the author was training his writing muscles and repurposed—for the lack of the better word—many ideas and concepts from popular sci-fi books and movies. Think of the Chaos of the Covenant as the Star Wars with less story and more fights and a mix of Suicide Squad and Guardian of the Galaxy movies' characters as "rebels".
That's why the review is applicable to the whole series and every chapter individually. They are virtually the same plot with too many endless details of action/fighting scenes that just annoy after a couple of times and not enough story, world building, or character development to make it more than a junk space fantasy that feels like a "fast food" type of reading.
Looks like the author was training his writing muscles and repurposed—for the lack of the better word—many ideas and concepts from popular sci-fi books and movies. Think of the Chaos of the Covenant as the Star Wars with less story and more fights and a mix of Suicide Squad and Guardian of the Galaxy movies' characters as "rebels".
May 23, 2019
I bought this on a whim, after seeing it advertised on Facebook. I've always been a fan of Sci-Fi and of groups of characters working together as a unit.
My favourite film is Aliens and the Colonial Marines are my favourite group of characters, Hicks, Hudson, Frost, Dietrich and Drake fuelled my imagination as a teenager. The soldiers in Starship Troopers, though little more than cannon fodder were the characters I looked to, not the stars. Richard Sharpe's fellow soldiers, Hagman and Harry, Harper and Perkins were the ones I cared about, so the set up of this book was perfect for me.
A group of misfits, each with their own individual skill set are forcibly recruited to help solve a universal problem. Spaceships, prison breaks, guns, alien lifeforms, comaradery and humour, a great excape from reality.
M.R.Forbes writes in a very easy to read style, the characters are well developed, the story interesting and I was very happy to see the main plot of the story was nowehre near finished in this book and there are 6 more books in the 'Chaos of the Covenant' series. Let's see what Abbey, Fury, Lucifer, Jester, Okay and Gant get up to next.
My favourite film is Aliens and the Colonial Marines are my favourite group of characters, Hicks, Hudson, Frost, Dietrich and Drake fuelled my imagination as a teenager. The soldiers in Starship Troopers, though little more than cannon fodder were the characters I looked to, not the stars. Richard Sharpe's fellow soldiers, Hagman and Harry, Harper and Perkins were the ones I cared about, so the set up of this book was perfect for me.
A group of misfits, each with their own individual skill set are forcibly recruited to help solve a universal problem. Spaceships, prison breaks, guns, alien lifeforms, comaradery and humour, a great excape from reality.
M.R.Forbes writes in a very easy to read style, the characters are well developed, the story interesting and I was very happy to see the main plot of the story was nowehre near finished in this book and there are 6 more books in the 'Chaos of the Covenant' series. Let's see what Abbey, Fury, Lucifer, Jester, Okay and Gant get up to next.
May 22, 2019
I have to remind myself that indie authors' extended series tend to have formats more like television shows--meant to continue on over many books--than films, which complete in one shot or a trilogy. I'm not the biggest fan of this method, but its how these writers make their living.
"Hell's Rejects" has a well-crafted world and a hell (heh) of an opening, but the story momentum falls apart about halfway into the book, once the eponymous ex-cons form their team. At this point, MR Forbes rapidly establishes the relationships between the team members--maybe too rapidly. Often, the dynamic of these characters feels forced, as with MC Abbey Cage's flirtatious relationship with one character and her friendship with another. On the other hand, her prison-buddy relationship with Gant is fun to read.
A near-end-of-book twist regarding the nature of the antagonists caused me to roll my eyes a little bit. I kind of hope the story doesn't go in the direction I expect, but I'll likely give "Fire and Brimstone" the old college try and see if it doesn't surprise me.
"Hell's Rejects" has a well-crafted world and a hell (heh) of an opening, but the story momentum falls apart about halfway into the book, once the eponymous ex-cons form their team. At this point, MR Forbes rapidly establishes the relationships between the team members--maybe too rapidly. Often, the dynamic of these characters feels forced, as with MC Abbey Cage's flirtatious relationship with one character and her friendship with another. On the other hand, her prison-buddy relationship with Gant is fun to read.
A near-end-of-book twist regarding the nature of the antagonists caused me to roll my eyes a little bit. I kind of hope the story doesn't go in the direction I expect, but I'll likely give "Fire and Brimstone" the old college try and see if it doesn't surprise me.
digital
February 6, 2023The most powerful starships ever constructed are gone. Thousands are dead. A fleet is in ruins. The attackers are unknown. The orders are clear: Recover the ships. Bury the bastards who stole them.
Lieutenant Abigail Cage never expected to find herself in Hell. As a Highly Specialized Operational Combatant, she was one of the most respected soldiers in the military. Now she's doing hard labor on the most miserable planet in the universe.
Not for long.
The Earth Republic is looking for the most dangerous individuals it can control. The best of the worst, and Abbey happens to be one of them. The deal is simple: Bring back the starships, earn your freedom. Try to run, you die. It's a suicide mission, but she has nothing to lose.
The only problem? There's a new threat in the galaxy. One with a power unlike anything anyone has ever seen. One that's been waiting for this moment for a very, very, long time. And they want Abbey, too. Be careful what you wish for.
They say Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. They have no idea...
September 5, 2021
Solid start to the series.
Taking a bunch of criminals and recruiting them for a last chance mission, is a tried and true formula and one that has always appealed to me.
The trick is making them somewhat likeable or interesting in some way and while this book doesn't spend much time on fleshing out the characters, it does lay the foundations.
It's a fast paced ride with plenty of action and if the book 1 isn't a clue it is very much the first in an intended series.
It has some nice ideas that I am keen to learn more about as the story progresses.
All in all a good start and I look forward to the next one.
Taking a bunch of criminals and recruiting them for a last chance mission, is a tried and true formula and one that has always appealed to me.
The trick is making them somewhat likeable or interesting in some way and while this book doesn't spend much time on fleshing out the characters, it does lay the foundations.
It's a fast paced ride with plenty of action and if the book 1 isn't a clue it is very much the first in an intended series.
It has some nice ideas that I am keen to learn more about as the story progresses.
All in all a good start and I look forward to the next one.
June 21, 2017
Worth the turn
So I'm giving this book five stars. Not because it was the most awesome page turner in history but because I like a hodge podge of characters that fit into my need of cheesy sci fi. I read it in bed, at the,gym, and on the bus. It has everything you need to just jump into the story and enjoy. The character types were kinda borrowed yeah but every character in every sci fi book is lime another. If you want a good read for a cheap kindle price stick your nose in here.
So I'm giving this book five stars. Not because it was the most awesome page turner in history but because I like a hodge podge of characters that fit into my need of cheesy sci fi. I read it in bed, at the,gym, and on the bus. It has everything you need to just jump into the story and enjoy. The character types were kinda borrowed yeah but every character in every sci fi book is lime another. If you want a good read for a cheap kindle price stick your nose in here.
August 11, 2017
The Unwanted Gift
lt. Abigail Cage is a competent yet sympathetic character. Many people want to enslave her in one way or another to use her skills and potential. All she wanted was to finish her term in the military and get home to her daughter, but she was thwarted by being framed, impressed into a probable suicide mission, and several kidnap attempts. Will she learn to use the unwanted "gift" of powers forced on her by kidnappers? Will Gant gain revenge for the perceived loss of his. Alpha? I am now downloading the next book Fire and Brimstone.
lt. Abigail Cage is a competent yet sympathetic character. Many people want to enslave her in one way or another to use her skills and potential. All she wanted was to finish her term in the military and get home to her daughter, but she was thwarted by being framed, impressed into a probable suicide mission, and several kidnap attempts. Will she learn to use the unwanted "gift" of powers forced on her by kidnappers? Will Gant gain revenge for the perceived loss of his. Alpha? I am now downloading the next book Fire and Brimstone.
October 6, 2017
"Fragging" good!
Space Opera en estado puro, acción a cada paso, protagonista femenina kick ass total y grupo de renegados que dan mucho juego en una trama que atrapa desde el primer capitulo.
Le resto estrella por el cliffhanger.
Mención especial al narrador Jeff Hays, 5* por un trabajo magnífico, con distintivas voces para cada uno de los (muchos) personajes de la novela así tengan una sola línea de diálogo. Al principio he creído que las voces femeninas eran de otra narradora pero no, es él, demás los efectos de sonido son excelentes y ayudan a dar el ambiente necesario.
Space Opera en estado puro, acción a cada paso, protagonista femenina kick ass total y grupo de renegados que dan mucho juego en una trama que atrapa desde el primer capitulo.
Le resto estrella por el cliffhanger.
Mención especial al narrador Jeff Hays, 5* por un trabajo magnífico, con distintivas voces para cada uno de los (muchos) personajes de la novela así tengan una sola línea de diálogo. Al principio he creído que las voces femeninas eran de otra narradora pero no, es él, demás los efectos de sonido son excelentes y ayudan a dar el ambiente necesario.
April 8, 2018
A fun action packed romp through space with a guardians of the galaxy/Dirty dozen/Sven hassel (minus the depressing tone and nazis) feel about a rag tag bunch going on a suicide mission. It is an interesting universe with some cool alien species designs. Feels a bit pulpy, no deeper themes being explored but that's fine its still a fun and engaging read. As the squad is made of ex-cons I wish there were more moments of moral grayness to make them seem more like the anti-heroes they are meant to be. It does some of the rag tag team well though.
September 28, 2019
War amongst the stars
When I first started to read this book, I must admit to being a bit disappointed. I just put it to one side and thought of it as another book I wouldn't be finishing. I'm so glad I gave it another shot because I was so wrong. It has a great plot, a reluctant heroine , who just wants to go home, a rag-tag crew of likeable cons and starships going to battle. Who are the villains? Who can the Rejects trusts? What is The Gift really about? So many questions I need an answer to I'd better get reading the next book!
When I first started to read this book, I must admit to being a bit disappointed. I just put it to one side and thought of it as another book I wouldn't be finishing. I'm so glad I gave it another shot because I was so wrong. It has a great plot, a reluctant heroine , who just wants to go home, a rag-tag crew of likeable cons and starships going to battle. Who are the villains? Who can the Rejects trusts? What is The Gift really about? So many questions I need an answer to I'd better get reading the next book!
July 7, 2017
Don't reject this book.
,' “Damned if we do, damned if we don’t,” Benhil said. “You’re the Queen of the Damned, Queenie,..." '
Having a crew of traitors and killers as the protagonists works very well, though we don't find out exactly what all their stories are. I liked them all, especially Gant.
Not knowing exactly who is on the 'right' side, or even which is the good side, makes it all the more exciting and helps pull you further into the story.
Awesome, plain and simple.
,' “Damned if we do, damned if we don’t,” Benhil said. “You’re the Queen of the Damned, Queenie,..." '
Having a crew of traitors and killers as the protagonists works very well, though we don't find out exactly what all their stories are. I liked them all, especially Gant.
Not knowing exactly who is on the 'right' side, or even which is the good side, makes it all the more exciting and helps pull you further into the story.
Awesome, plain and simple.
September 2, 2017
Interesting, Confusing, Let's see where this goes!
Without providing (too many) spoilers, I'll say that this is an interesting exploration into a new series, it's a sci-fi novel that seems to have quite a backstory with a hint of the supernatural. This is the first novel from this author for me, can't say that I'm addicted to his books yet, but definitely game to continue for another book or two...
Without providing (too many) spoilers, I'll say that this is an interesting exploration into a new series, it's a sci-fi novel that seems to have quite a backstory with a hint of the supernatural. This is the first novel from this author for me, can't say that I'm addicted to his books yet, but definitely game to continue for another book or two...
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