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Rebellion #1
Man of War
In the year 2280, an alien fleet attacked the Earth. Their weapons were unstoppable, their defenses unbreakable. Our technology was inferior, our militaries overwhelmed. Only one Starship escaped before civilization fell.
Earth was lost. It was never forgotten. Fifty-two years have passed, a message from home has been received. The time to fight for what is ours has come.
Welcome to the rebellion.
Narrated by Jeff Hays.
Earth was lost. It was never forgotten. Fifty-two years have passed, a message from home has been received. The time to fight for what is ours has come.
Welcome to the rebellion.
Narrated by Jeff Hays.
Audiobook
First published February 16, 2016
805 people are currently reading
664 people want to read
About the author
M.R. Forbes
165 books1,009 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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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
January 1, 2019
Man of War by one of my favorite authors! This series has aliens that have invaded and destroyed/killed most of mankind. The few that escaped, 20,000, have found a new place to live but some don't want to give up after over 50 years of fighting. Great action scenes, not knowing who to trust, interesting characters, great world building, love the sci-fi, and the plot.
It is narrated by the great Jeff Hays so you know the narration is excellent!!! Spot on in every way!
It is narrated by the great Jeff Hays so you know the narration is excellent!!! Spot on in every way!
July 9, 2016
Overall not bad, but really not great. Good premise, just not my preference in military sci-fi.
In my opinion, it falls into the trap of creating too many stereotypes. On one hand we have the intellectuals who are moustache-twirling bad guys, happy to kill off half the population. On the other, we have the military and a tough-as-nails ex commander who gets things done through sheer grit and by yelling loud at the scientists.
I think the defining point in the book came for me when the douchy scientist was explaining to the grizzled commander that he was a physicist, and couldn't program the ship's computer because he wasn't a software engineer. Good argument, right? Nope, because according to all the rest of the crew, it doesn't matter what you know, because it's just guts and a can-do attitude that'll see you through. You don't fail because you don't have the means, you fail because you didn't want it enough. I mean every scientist knows how to code as well as perform quantum calculations right? It's all there under "nerd stuff."
Beyond that, it relied on a few too many instances of Deus ex Machina, almost literally in one place, to keep the story going. The sad thing is that I really like the premise, it has a ton of potential, it was just the execution that I didn't appreciate. There is also the very real chance I'm overthinking a book that was meant to be the literary equivalent of Independence Day. I may have to go back to it in a few months to see if that's the case.
In my opinion, it falls into the trap of creating too many stereotypes. On one hand we have the intellectuals who are moustache-twirling bad guys, happy to kill off half the population. On the other, we have the military and a tough-as-nails ex commander who gets things done through sheer grit and by yelling loud at the scientists.
I think the defining point in the book came for me when the douchy scientist was explaining to the grizzled commander that he was a physicist, and couldn't program the ship's computer because he wasn't a software engineer. Good argument, right? Nope, because according to all the rest of the crew, it doesn't matter what you know, because it's just guts and a can-do attitude that'll see you through. You don't fail because you don't have the means, you fail because you didn't want it enough. I mean every scientist knows how to code as well as perform quantum calculations right? It's all there under "nerd stuff."
Beyond that, it relied on a few too many instances of Deus ex Machina, almost literally in one place, to keep the story going. The sad thing is that I really like the premise, it has a ton of potential, it was just the execution that I didn't appreciate. There is also the very real chance I'm overthinking a book that was meant to be the literary equivalent of Independence Day. I may have to go back to it in a few months to see if that's the case.
February 19, 2016
Fantastic new series!
Forbes has outdone himself on this one. Slow start leading up to incredible excitement and suspense . Note to Mr. Forbes: Drop everything. Get the next installment out ASAP!!!
Forbes has outdone himself on this one. Slow start leading up to incredible excitement and suspense . Note to Mr. Forbes: Drop everything. Get the next installment out ASAP!!!
May 10, 2016
I liked it just fine except for the cliffhanger ending. Can no one write a book that actually ends?
Some scattered vulgarity.
Some scattered vulgarity.
July 23, 2016
Intro
Man of War is the 1st book in the Rebellion series by science fiction writer M.R. Forbes and brought to life in audio format by the tallented voice over artist Jeff Hays. This is my first contact with both author and narrator and I can say that I’m impressed. Although I’m not a Sci-Fi fan, I enjoyed this story a lot and in the following lines I’ll tell you why you should give it a try.
The Book
The story in Man of War takes place long after humanity finds a way of traveling to the Stars, but there we encounter other intelligent life forms. There we meet The Dread, a species of aliens, more powerful than we are, more advanced, and they are not friendly! After a war in which we can’t even defend ourselves, losing bilions of lives, Earth is abandoned by the few thousands remaining alive and a some are left behind, forming some sort of a resistance to keep the Dread busy while the others escape.
The actual plot picks up after 52 years from these events and switches between those fortunate enough to have escaped in the starship Magellan, who formed the New Earth Alliance somewhere far from the planet and the few survivors of The Resistance, left to fend for themselves on ruined Earth as they fight an unwinable war. Both factions are lead by heroes, by men of war who never stopped hoping, who never stopped planning, who want Earth back.
This is their story! The story of Starfighter pilot Captain Gabriel Saint Martin and of Major Donovan Peters. We get to know them, we get to care for their wellbeing, we discover dramatic stories. We see them fight, we see them cry, we see them hurt and we see them as they find hope and cling to it. They have to work together to win back their home!
Author M.R. Forbes delivers a compelling story, driven by a great plot and filled with rich and deep characters. From the first sentences the book pulls you in and it doesn’t let go until the end, at which point you are left wanting for more. The personal dramas each main character had endured, the indestructible enemy, called The Dread that lives on Earth in cities made from spaceships, the brilliantly written dialogues and the tense actions scenes make Man of War a sure hit for fans of the Sci-FI and Military thrillers genres alike.
The Narration
As I said in the beginning of this review, this is the first time I experience an audiobook performed by narrator Jeff Hays and I liked his solid performance. Straight from the opening sentence he immerses you into the great story, pulling you in with a full range of voices and accents. He is one of those actors that can switch between characters in a way that you’ll think that you are listening to a full cast recording. Jeff has that very rare talent to give life to male and female characters without becoming ridiculous or pathetic in the process. His narration style reminds me of MacLeod Andrews‘s, but Mr. Hays has his own tricks up his sleeves and he is original in his own personal way.
Yes, this was the first time I listened to a book read by Jeff Hays, but I can assure you that there are many more to come. I enjoyed his performance tremendously and I will hunt his works down and listen to more of them… Who knows, maybe I’ll even review them as well…
Conclusion
I finished listening to Man of War about five days ago, but the story, the characters and Jeff‘s performance are still lingering in my mind. I took this time to put my thoughts in order and I realised that I’m willing to give more chances in the future to Sci-Fi books. My experience in this genre is limited to the Star Trek tv series of which I’m a big fan, to the Mass Effect video games series and to Dune, the movies. I need to listen to the books some day.
As a parting remark, I suggest that you listen to the sample from Man of War on Audible and I’m sure you’ll like it. After that, if you prefer Science Fiction books filled with vivid characters and with thrilling action you can’t go wrong with this one.
Man of War is the 1st book in the Rebellion series by science fiction writer M.R. Forbes and brought to life in audio format by the tallented voice over artist Jeff Hays. This is my first contact with both author and narrator and I can say that I’m impressed. Although I’m not a Sci-Fi fan, I enjoyed this story a lot and in the following lines I’ll tell you why you should give it a try.
The Book
The story in Man of War takes place long after humanity finds a way of traveling to the Stars, but there we encounter other intelligent life forms. There we meet The Dread, a species of aliens, more powerful than we are, more advanced, and they are not friendly! After a war in which we can’t even defend ourselves, losing bilions of lives, Earth is abandoned by the few thousands remaining alive and a some are left behind, forming some sort of a resistance to keep the Dread busy while the others escape.
The actual plot picks up after 52 years from these events and switches between those fortunate enough to have escaped in the starship Magellan, who formed the New Earth Alliance somewhere far from the planet and the few survivors of The Resistance, left to fend for themselves on ruined Earth as they fight an unwinable war. Both factions are lead by heroes, by men of war who never stopped hoping, who never stopped planning, who want Earth back.
This is their story! The story of Starfighter pilot Captain Gabriel Saint Martin and of Major Donovan Peters. We get to know them, we get to care for their wellbeing, we discover dramatic stories. We see them fight, we see them cry, we see them hurt and we see them as they find hope and cling to it. They have to work together to win back their home!
Author M.R. Forbes delivers a compelling story, driven by a great plot and filled with rich and deep characters. From the first sentences the book pulls you in and it doesn’t let go until the end, at which point you are left wanting for more. The personal dramas each main character had endured, the indestructible enemy, called The Dread that lives on Earth in cities made from spaceships, the brilliantly written dialogues and the tense actions scenes make Man of War a sure hit for fans of the Sci-FI and Military thrillers genres alike.
The Narration
As I said in the beginning of this review, this is the first time I experience an audiobook performed by narrator Jeff Hays and I liked his solid performance. Straight from the opening sentence he immerses you into the great story, pulling you in with a full range of voices and accents. He is one of those actors that can switch between characters in a way that you’ll think that you are listening to a full cast recording. Jeff has that very rare talent to give life to male and female characters without becoming ridiculous or pathetic in the process. His narration style reminds me of MacLeod Andrews‘s, but Mr. Hays has his own tricks up his sleeves and he is original in his own personal way.
Yes, this was the first time I listened to a book read by Jeff Hays, but I can assure you that there are many more to come. I enjoyed his performance tremendously and I will hunt his works down and listen to more of them… Who knows, maybe I’ll even review them as well…
Conclusion
I finished listening to Man of War about five days ago, but the story, the characters and Jeff‘s performance are still lingering in my mind. I took this time to put my thoughts in order and I realised that I’m willing to give more chances in the future to Sci-Fi books. My experience in this genre is limited to the Star Trek tv series of which I’m a big fan, to the Mass Effect video games series and to Dune, the movies. I need to listen to the books some day.
As a parting remark, I suggest that you listen to the sample from Man of War on Audible and I’m sure you’ll like it. After that, if you prefer Science Fiction books filled with vivid characters and with thrilling action you can’t go wrong with this one.
October 26, 2019
Not even worth a read at 99 cents for the boxed set.
I liked the first book in The Forgotten series. I feel like M.R. Forbes wrote very good fight scenes in that book, though the second book dragged on.
So I thought I'd give this series a chance. Even at 99 cents for the boxed set, I was disappointed.
I could barely get through book one. I don't like infodumps of backstory right at the beginning of a book. Main character does one paragraph of action, then proceeds to have flashbacks about his entire life, family, how spaceflight came to be and how it was originally funded, how many missions he's flown (sixty seven), and how he is the most successful pilot.
Don't tell me "things were so easy back then." I don't want to know. I want to be immersed in the action. Show me how difficult things are instead of telling me. Don't tell me "she was an even better friend." Show me through dialogue and character interaction. I could barely read the first book.
The author treats us like children. He tells us a spacecraft has a "specially engineered and painted surface". This describes like every single science fiction spacecraft in existence. He also tells us about how slipstream works (I've read, and liked, the Halo books, except for the ones by Karen Travis). I don't need to know how slipstream works at the beginning of a book. Maybe this is his earlier work, but this isn't worth a read.
Don't get me wrong. I like character development and how each author can bring a different take to military science fiction. But I don't like it when all of it is thrown to me at the beginning before I get hooked by a conflict and before I've grown attached to the characters and world.
I will not be reading this series. There are too many flashbacks.
I liked the first book in The Forgotten series. I feel like M.R. Forbes wrote very good fight scenes in that book, though the second book dragged on.
So I thought I'd give this series a chance. Even at 99 cents for the boxed set, I was disappointed.
I could barely get through book one. I don't like infodumps of backstory right at the beginning of a book. Main character does one paragraph of action, then proceeds to have flashbacks about his entire life, family, how spaceflight came to be and how it was originally funded, how many missions he's flown (sixty seven), and how he is the most successful pilot.
Don't tell me "things were so easy back then." I don't want to know. I want to be immersed in the action. Show me how difficult things are instead of telling me. Don't tell me "she was an even better friend." Show me through dialogue and character interaction. I could barely read the first book.
The author treats us like children. He tells us a spacecraft has a "specially engineered and painted surface". This describes like every single science fiction spacecraft in existence. He also tells us about how slipstream works (I've read, and liked, the Halo books, except for the ones by Karen Travis). I don't need to know how slipstream works at the beginning of a book. Maybe this is his earlier work, but this isn't worth a read.
Don't get me wrong. I like character development and how each author can bring a different take to military science fiction. But I don't like it when all of it is thrown to me at the beginning before I get hooked by a conflict and before I've grown attached to the characters and world.
I will not be reading this series. There are too many flashbacks.
October 27, 2019
There is a lot going on in the opening chapters of this book, but the more I read the more I couldn’t help thinking, Why? I really struggled to understand what was going on, yes I understood the mechanics of what was happening, but what were the reasons behind what was happening.
After the initial excitement I’m afraid it was all-downhill after that and the story developed in a direction I really wasn’t interested in. I can understand why some people would like this book, but it just wasn’t for me.
After the initial excitement I’m afraid it was all-downhill after that and the story developed in a direction I really wasn’t interested in. I can understand why some people would like this book, but it just wasn’t for me.
March 28, 2019
Entertaining and fast pace story, but it goes beyond feasible situations. Despite being science fiction, you would expect that the story adheres to logic. I won't ruin the story line but there are many situations in which is obvious that characters only survive because the odds described by the author are in favor of the main characters. I won't follow future books.
August 27, 2025
4/5 (audiobook)
What a pleasant surprise. I took a shot in the dark on this and it impressed me. A very solid military inspired sci-fi thriller with an engaging plot, and basic but easy to like characters. the dialogue isn't great, and character development is static start to end. But I have yet to experience a Sci-fi with excellent dialogue, or great character development.
I am, like so many others, a fan of Dungeon Crawler Carl. But I have read the physical books and not listened to the audiobooks. Well if you know anything about DCC you'll know that Jeff Hays' name is sung from the mountain tops with how excellent his performance is. I don't like to mix Audio and physical when reading a series but I did want to listen to a Hays narration. So I searched his name on Audible and took a stab at this book. I have to say Hays' performance is indeed phenomenal. Every single voice feels like a totally different person, and he makes the stale dialogue come alive. I have added .25 to this book's score just because of the audiobooks performance.
What a pleasant surprise. I took a shot in the dark on this and it impressed me. A very solid military inspired sci-fi thriller with an engaging plot, and basic but easy to like characters. the dialogue isn't great, and character development is static start to end. But I have yet to experience a Sci-fi with excellent dialogue, or great character development.
I am, like so many others, a fan of Dungeon Crawler Carl. But I have read the physical books and not listened to the audiobooks. Well if you know anything about DCC you'll know that Jeff Hays' name is sung from the mountain tops with how excellent his performance is. I don't like to mix Audio and physical when reading a series but I did want to listen to a Hays narration. So I searched his name on Audible and took a stab at this book. I have to say Hays' performance is indeed phenomenal. Every single voice feels like a totally different person, and he makes the stale dialogue come alive. I have added .25 to this book's score just because of the audiobooks performance.
October 17, 2019
Man of War is the first book in the Rebellion series. It ends in a cliffhanger for the next book. There is violence. I want to read more of this series to see what happens, both to the humans on earth and those who escaped.
August 22, 2016
My original Man of War audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
It is a half-century after the Earth is in ruins from an alien invasion. Only a handful of humans remain, trying to stay alive and communicate with their counterparts on the one remaining hidden spaceship. The aliens have shields that have never been penetrated, unknown origins or motivations. Now they have decided to methodically exterminate the last few humans from Earth.
But it’s not over until it’s over. Luck and an accidental discovery allow the humans one last desperate attempt to fight back. Now, a daring attempt from an ace pilot and a few brave resistance fighters on Earth are all that stand between total extinction and taking back humanity’s home.
This action based Sci-Fi thriller is full of ordinary heroes against overwhelming odds. Little is told about the aliens until late in the novel. It gives the listener the feeling of desperation that the survivors would feel. What possible hope could they have, after all? And it is very effective. The characters are believable and we easily empathize with them. It is also interesting that two generations have gone by since the invasion with few living witnesses to the original apocalypse. Many survivors simply want to hide and live as best they can in the ruins. Only when that option is removed do they have to join in the fight.
Jeff Hays provides an exceptional performance, exuding the overwhelming foreboding and desperation in his voice that the characters would feel. His accents and characterizations are excellent and the listener is swept up in the story. It would be difficult to imagine a better match for the novel.
Alien invasion, desperate humans, star-ships, cool weapons, exciting fight scenes and flawed heroes all combine into an extremely entertaining novel. It is clearly the first in a series of unknown length and will have the listener looking forward to the sequels. Highly recommended.
Audiobook was purchased for review by ABR.
It is a half-century after the Earth is in ruins from an alien invasion. Only a handful of humans remain, trying to stay alive and communicate with their counterparts on the one remaining hidden spaceship. The aliens have shields that have never been penetrated, unknown origins or motivations. Now they have decided to methodically exterminate the last few humans from Earth.
But it’s not over until it’s over. Luck and an accidental discovery allow the humans one last desperate attempt to fight back. Now, a daring attempt from an ace pilot and a few brave resistance fighters on Earth are all that stand between total extinction and taking back humanity’s home.
This action based Sci-Fi thriller is full of ordinary heroes against overwhelming odds. Little is told about the aliens until late in the novel. It gives the listener the feeling of desperation that the survivors would feel. What possible hope could they have, after all? And it is very effective. The characters are believable and we easily empathize with them. It is also interesting that two generations have gone by since the invasion with few living witnesses to the original apocalypse. Many survivors simply want to hide and live as best they can in the ruins. Only when that option is removed do they have to join in the fight.
Jeff Hays provides an exceptional performance, exuding the overwhelming foreboding and desperation in his voice that the characters would feel. His accents and characterizations are excellent and the listener is swept up in the story. It would be difficult to imagine a better match for the novel.
Alien invasion, desperate humans, star-ships, cool weapons, exciting fight scenes and flawed heroes all combine into an extremely entertaining novel. It is clearly the first in a series of unknown length and will have the listener looking forward to the sequels. Highly recommended.
Audiobook was purchased for review by ABR.
October 24, 2018
A little light on the science in Sci-Fi.
I was about 7% through and had to keep making exception after exception on the science. No, smearing your face with clay does not block your heat signature for any real amount of time. No, you can't have so many callouses on your feet that you're immune to glass but still feel the vibration in the ground from someone pounding a fist nearby. No, you can't...
I was about 7% through and had to keep making exception after exception on the science. No, smearing your face with clay does not block your heat signature for any real amount of time. No, you can't have so many callouses on your feet that you're immune to glass but still feel the vibration in the ground from someone pounding a fist nearby. No, you can't...
August 27, 2016
Good start of series. Good story, action, and pace. Like able characters. Two story arcs. Enjoyed both. A bit predicable at times.
March 19, 2019
Cheesy, couldn't finish it
May 4, 2020
Just to point out, M.R. Forbes is one of my favourite authors and I love every book in the forgotten universe. However, this was different...
Don't get me wrong, the story is good and I like the way it was built up; Earth has been invaded by aliens and we've fled to a rock in space, but there are still survivors on earth. I really liked the desperation of it all, the survivors on Earth and how they were struggling is fantastic. However, there are some things in books that just annoy me. This one had more than normal which is a shame because it doesn't seem like Forbes. It was so irritating how cheesy it is! There's two main heroes and it just so happens that one of them is the best pilot in the universe, the very best. Then his father is the best starship commander in the universe and his mother is the best woman in the universe who sacrificed herself helping people escape (I still don't understand how she died, apparently she was guiding people to a ship. They couldn't see it?). With that not being tedious enough, the mother just so happens to be the human the aliens have been cloning, because she's that great! And the father, although he's dying (in the beginning), everyone knows who he is and worships him! Generals are saying things like "I'll let you off with that because of who your dad is". However once I read the line "I respect him too damn much" I gave up. I know it's fiction, I know it's not real but come on. That's just too cheesy for me. That's when I decided I'm not going any further. What makes it worse is the bloke keeps calling himself an "old gator" and apparently that gives him the right to treat everyone like crap.
Oh and another thing, anyone planning to write a book using the military....... high ranking officers don't have booming voices! They don't shout over people and talk down to them! That what sergeant majors are for!!! Thankfully Forbes recognised this and made caleb card a sergeant in his later books!
However, sorry for the rant but this book didn't do it for me at all, I'm not reading the rest of the series. I'm glad I read this after I've read the forgotten universe because this would have put me off.
If you want my advice, if you're looking for a good science fiction read then M.R. Forbes is definitely your man. But you need to read the books in the forgotten universe and not this.
Don't get me wrong, the story is good and I like the way it was built up; Earth has been invaded by aliens and we've fled to a rock in space, but there are still survivors on earth. I really liked the desperation of it all, the survivors on Earth and how they were struggling is fantastic. However, there are some things in books that just annoy me. This one had more than normal which is a shame because it doesn't seem like Forbes. It was so irritating how cheesy it is! There's two main heroes and it just so happens that one of them is the best pilot in the universe, the very best. Then his father is the best starship commander in the universe and his mother is the best woman in the universe who sacrificed herself helping people escape (I still don't understand how she died, apparently she was guiding people to a ship. They couldn't see it?). With that not being tedious enough, the mother just so happens to be the human the aliens have been cloning, because she's that great! And the father, although he's dying (in the beginning), everyone knows who he is and worships him! Generals are saying things like "I'll let you off with that because of who your dad is". However once I read the line "I respect him too damn much" I gave up. I know it's fiction, I know it's not real but come on. That's just too cheesy for me. That's when I decided I'm not going any further. What makes it worse is the bloke keeps calling himself an "old gator" and apparently that gives him the right to treat everyone like crap.
Oh and another thing, anyone planning to write a book using the military....... high ranking officers don't have booming voices! They don't shout over people and talk down to them! That what sergeant majors are for!!! Thankfully Forbes recognised this and made caleb card a sergeant in his later books!
However, sorry for the rant but this book didn't do it for me at all, I'm not reading the rest of the series. I'm glad I read this after I've read the forgotten universe because this would have put me off.
If you want my advice, if you're looking for a good science fiction read then M.R. Forbes is definitely your man. But you need to read the books in the forgotten universe and not this.
June 29, 2017
The Human Underdogs VS. The Dread Overlords of The Earth
Humanity is almost extinct. Ten thousand people escaped the planet; adoard a single starship, when the aliens called the Dread invaded. Nearly every human on the planet was exterminated over the next fifty years. Small groupings of Resistance Soldiers and civilian survivors remain in hidden enclaves about the planet, but the Earth belongs to the Dread. So, after fifty years, there are twenty thousand humans living in space stations built in a near by star system and perhaps another twenty thousand spread out in a dozen hidden bases around the world. Defense against the Dread's plasma based weapons remains all but impossible and the Dread's armor remains impenetrable--until a few human soldiers observe that the Dread's own plasma blasts burn through their armor. Thus the mission to secure a functioning Dread Plasma Rifle is formed and engaged.
Humanity is almost extinct. Ten thousand people escaped the planet; adoard a single starship, when the aliens called the Dread invaded. Nearly every human on the planet was exterminated over the next fifty years. Small groupings of Resistance Soldiers and civilian survivors remain in hidden enclaves about the planet, but the Earth belongs to the Dread. So, after fifty years, there are twenty thousand humans living in space stations built in a near by star system and perhaps another twenty thousand spread out in a dozen hidden bases around the world. Defense against the Dread's plasma based weapons remains all but impossible and the Dread's armor remains impenetrable--until a few human soldiers observe that the Dread's own plasma blasts burn through their armor. Thus the mission to secure a functioning Dread Plasma Rifle is formed and engaged.
April 12, 2021
Ooff, can M.R. Forbes write action scenes!
This book was fast pace, and overall pleasing to read. I liked the characters and the plot is pretty interesting too. I got to say though, this book had the potential to be 5 star if the writing was just a bit different. I get it, everyone has their style, but the fact is that Forbes missed on a couple opportunities to make a huge dramatic scene even more dramatic and simply didn't. On another note, from reading this book I feel like all the characters are going to be very static and not undergo much of a character arc (then again, I could be wrong. I'm just guessing here). Defiantly one of the better military sci-fi books I've read and will therefor 100% recommend if you like fast pace action sci-fi books and don't want to mess too much with all the scientific and technical terms. I will warn you, it starts off a bit slow. The first couple chapters are kind of boring. But if you power through, the book is pretty great.
This book was fast pace, and overall pleasing to read. I liked the characters and the plot is pretty interesting too. I got to say though, this book had the potential to be 5 star if the writing was just a bit different. I get it, everyone has their style, but the fact is that Forbes missed on a couple opportunities to make a huge dramatic scene even more dramatic and simply didn't. On another note, from reading this book I feel like all the characters are going to be very static and not undergo much of a character arc (then again, I could be wrong. I'm just guessing here). Defiantly one of the better military sci-fi books I've read and will therefor 100% recommend if you like fast pace action sci-fi books and don't want to mess too much with all the scientific and technical terms. I will warn you, it starts off a bit slow. The first couple chapters are kind of boring. But if you power through, the book is pretty great.
September 21, 2017
This is a good science fiction title that started off a little slow but the action picked up in the latter half of the book. Earth is attacked, small groups of humanity are left, and the fight is on; while we’ve seen this scenario before, the last half of the book picked up the pace and grabbed your attention with a cliffhanger ending –we now have to wait. With the volume of books I read, that’s disappointing as I’m not sure I will remember to follow-up with any sequel.
I picked this up for free using my Kindle Unlimited borrow vs. the book’s normal price of $1.99: I certainly received more than $1.99 worth of entertainment value out of this one. If I were you, I would wait to start this one until there is a book 2 in publication to avoid the frustration.
I picked this up for free using my Kindle Unlimited borrow vs. the book’s normal price of $1.99: I certainly received more than $1.99 worth of entertainment value out of this one. If I were you, I would wait to start this one until there is a book 2 in publication to avoid the frustration.
October 15, 2018
The author writes like he has no idea how social interactions work. It was often hard to not stop mid-sentence and wither away from the cringe. The plot was somewhat intriguing but overall very plain and lacking. I don't recommend this book to anyone who is more interested in the science part of scifi than the fiction. To M.R. Forbes I want to say; keep on writing, as there are clearly people that likes your works, I just ain't one of them.
October 27, 2018
Not my kind of read
I read once a day at night usually. I like series. I get invested in the characters and look forward to their new adventures and more background with each new book. IMO, this author is not writing a series but instead wrote one huge book that was split into 3. The first book ends without resolving the adventure, I want the adventure to end when the book does. I won't be reading the others.
I read once a day at night usually. I like series. I get invested in the characters and look forward to their new adventures and more background with each new book. IMO, this author is not writing a series but instead wrote one huge book that was split into 3. The first book ends without resolving the adventure, I want the adventure to end when the book does. I won't be reading the others.
August 16, 2020
2- 2.5 stars. The earth-based portion is much better than the space-based. There's some inconsistency in the story telling that is annoying... Like it's night, but things that are happening and being described as if it's daylight and the older St. Martin who formal and informal in the same breath, expects people to be one way, acts the opposite of that, focuses on women's physical features, and goes on long, complicated monologs when in a seconds-really-matter situation.
October 16, 2018
Hits a lot of the post apocalyptic beats of other books but the most interesting storyline occurs with the interaction of the one alien and one human. I think its a fun worth while beach afternoon read.
November 21, 2021
This book is kind of tiring and in some places so slow and boring. BUT it is for the most part laying a foundation for next volumes and it is a good material to work with.
By itself not that great as enjoyment goes. Next ones should be really great.
By itself not that great as enjoyment goes. Next ones should be really great.
June 25, 2025
Can a crusty old general and his derring-do pilot son rescue the rebel humans on Earth from the aliens with good armor? Need I say more?
I have a weakness for military space opera like this. But I don’t respect myself in the morning. 3.5.
I have a weakness for military space opera like this. But I don’t respect myself in the morning. 3.5.
November 29, 2017
Overall good story. Slow at parts, and I believe some unneeded tension at points as well. Easy characters to relate too.
August 3, 2017
Let's take insane risks for questionable returns over and over again! It was fun though. Just don't tell me the odds.
August 17, 2017
Another Hit!
OMG, the Foreever War was great , but all I can say about this series is: WOW ! It is Great! Download it NOW !
OMG, the Foreever War was great , but all I can say about this series is: WOW ! It is Great! Download it NOW !
January 1, 2018
M. R. Forbes has become one of my favorite authors.
January 16, 2018
Excellent
Great book! Looking forward to the next two. Definitely have a series here that I am going to really enjoy!
Great book! Looking forward to the next two. Definitely have a series here that I am going to really enjoy!
April 19, 2018
Excellent read
You warm to the characters very quickly. Although you never really get to know the Dread. Fantastic read can't wait for the next one.
You warm to the characters very quickly. Although you never really get to know the Dread. Fantastic read can't wait for the next one.
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