What do you think?
Rate this book
Galaxy's Edge #3
Kill Team
Always make 'em pay.
In the aftermath of the Battle of Kublar—and the destruction of the battleship Chiasm—Legion Dark Ops recruits Chhun, Wraith, and the survivors of Victory Company to form an elite Kill Team of legionnaires. Their secret mission is as clear as it is deadly: find and eliminate those responsible for the Kublar disaster.
Standing between them and their objective are a maze of corrupt Republic officials, a spy on the verge of losing himself in deep cover, and the Zhee—a murderous species who will stop at nothing. But perhaps the biggest threat of all is the truth they seek to uncover.
A truth that could ignite a revolution—and engulf the galaxy in flames…
…unless the Kill Team is willing to finish the job. At any cost.
In the aftermath of the Battle of Kublar—and the destruction of the battleship Chiasm—Legion Dark Ops recruits Chhun, Wraith, and the survivors of Victory Company to form an elite Kill Team of legionnaires. Their secret mission is as clear as it is deadly: find and eliminate those responsible for the Kublar disaster.
Standing between them and their objective are a maze of corrupt Republic officials, a spy on the verge of losing himself in deep cover, and the Zhee—a murderous species who will stop at nothing. But perhaps the biggest threat of all is the truth they seek to uncover.
A truth that could ignite a revolution—and engulf the galaxy in flames…
…unless the Kill Team is willing to finish the job. At any cost.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 13, 2017
1361 people are currently reading
556 people want to read
About the author
Jason Anspach
186 books839 followersJASON ANSPACH is the author of Galaxy's Edge, Wayward Galaxy, Forgotten Ruin. and more.
He lives in Puyallup, WA with his wife and their seven (not a typo) children.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
September 21, 2019
Believable, well-written military sci-fi
Review of Kindle edition
Kill Team
Publication date: August 13, 2017
Publisher: Galaxy's Edge Press
Language: English
ASIN: B073WQN9KM
336 pages
Several of the survivors of the disaster on Kublar are recruited into Legion Black Ops as members of a kill team. Their primary mission? Make those responsible for the Kublar disaster and the destruction of the 'Chiasm' pay. (See volume 1, LEGIONAIRE) But the Republic has darker secrets and a darker agency than Legion Black Ops, Nether Ops commanded by the mysterious X with virtually no oversight.
This is still military sci-fi but with a very heavy infusion of intelligence gathering and special operations. I found the descriptions of the mental processes and trials and tribulations of a long term, deep undercover agent very interesting. Based upon my admittedly meager experience with such agents, I found this part of the story as believable as the military operations and action scenes.
Review of Kindle edition
Kill Team
Publication date: August 13, 2017
Publisher: Galaxy's Edge Press
Language: English
ASIN: B073WQN9KM
336 pages
Several of the survivors of the disaster on Kublar are recruited into Legion Black Ops as members of a kill team. Their primary mission? Make those responsible for the Kublar disaster and the destruction of the 'Chiasm' pay. (See volume 1, LEGIONAIRE) But the Republic has darker secrets and a darker agency than Legion Black Ops, Nether Ops commanded by the mysterious X with virtually no oversight.
This is still military sci-fi but with a very heavy infusion of intelligence gathering and special operations. I found the descriptions of the mental processes and trials and tribulations of a long term, deep undercover agent very interesting. Based upon my admittedly meager experience with such agents, I found this part of the story as believable as the military operations and action scenes.
September 15, 2017
This is the best book in the series so far. Every book has been the best so far. This series is like Star Wars if modern Star Wars had the balls to tell a story worth hearing. Start with Legionnaire and then clear your schedule because you'll want to keep going.
Just wow.
Just wow.
October 8, 2017
Summary:
First, let me say that none of what I’ll say in this section couldn’t be found on the back copy of the novel. Heck, I cribbed this summary from the back, and then I add my own twist! And not even much of one, since most of the books I read have kick butt descriptions (aka blurbs). If the blurb doesn’t catch my eye, then I tend to skip the book unless a friend recommends it. Generally speaking, my goal is to provide a spoiler-free review, so here goes nothing!
In the aftermath of the Battle of Kublar and the destruction of the battleship Chiasm, the Legion recruits Victory Company’s survivors into Dark Ops. They’re called to live up to their mantra; Always Make ‘Em Pay. We’re again reunited with Chhun, Wraith, Exo, Kags, and Twenties as the survivors of Victory Company form an elite Kill Team. They become the embodiment of legionnaire lethality. Their secret mission is as clear as it is deadly: find and eliminate those responsible for the Kublar disaster. Standing between them and their objectives are a maze of corrupt Republic officials, a spy on the verge of losing himself to the allure of his deep cover, and the Zhee. These aliens are a murderous species who will stop at nothing to bring their death god to life. But perhaps the biggest threat to the galaxy is the truth they seek to uncover. It’s a truth that could ignite a revolution, and engulf the galaxy in flames… unless the Kill Team is willing to finish the job. At any cost.
If you like epic space opera, with a side of military science fiction, you should read this series. Plenty of explosions, with authentically gritty combat. If this sounds like your flavor of badassery, then you’ve come to the right place! This novel is a brilliant continuation to the Galaxy’s Edge Universe, where they fix everything George Lucas broke in this Star-Wars-Not-Star-Wars adventure. I wish I could give you an easy comparison, if you enjoyed Book X, buy this book but I really feel like Nick and Jason broke new ground here. They’ve revived that sense of newness and fun that we loved as children, that brought most of us to the science fiction genre! There are other military sci-fi books out there, but none quite like this!
Characters:
In this novel, we catch up with the survivors of Victory Company and two Nether Ops agents, but the main characters are Legionnaire Lieutenant Cohen Chhun, Tom, and Mr. X. None of them felt flat, and you could definitely relate to them as people. You definitely won’t have anything to complain about in this regards, these were real people and not cardboard cutouts. Seriously. When they cried, I cried. When they laughed, I laughed. Everything you want from your fictional characters! But let’s move past the platitudes and talk specifics. There were several main characters in this novel, so I’ll break them down for you.
Cohen Chhun: He’s a grizzled veteran of the numerous campaigns, but he felt real and not one of those stereotypical military killers. He was badass, a consummate professional and genuinely good officer for his troops. He’s the kind of guy you’d want on your side in a firefight, and he seems to be more relaxed and less of an ass than he was in the first novel. I would definitely say we’ve seen some character growth from Chhun, which made his character even more enjoyable in this book. I know, after his appearance in Legionnaire it’s hard to imagine that he got even more awesome! In this instance, it just seems like his growth is part of the larger Dark Ops culture. Less parade ground, more covert assassin. In the previous review, I said that the lack of growth from Chhun felt like they’re building something huge, and boy was I right! Wow, he was my favorite character in this novel! Overall, I really liked him and felt like there was so much more to come from him!
Tom: He’s a deep cover operative, seeking to uncover which bad guys are selling weapons to the evil MCR. The Mid-Core Rebellion must be stopped, and he just might be the man to do it! Can’t say more in a spoiler-free review, but he seemed like a stand-up fellow caught in a nasty game of cat and mouse. Or whatever the intergalactic version of it is?
Mr. X.: He’s a deep cover operative in the Carnivale Department of Nether Ops. He runs their clandestine operations and is Tom’s handler for his covert mission. We don’t know much about him, even the Mister part could be a ploy to hide the feminine mystique. What we do know is he’s survived to reach the top of a deadly covert counter-intelligence operation, and that alone makes him a force to be reckoned with. Hopefully, we learn more about him as the next few novels.
In addition to the main characters, there were other Legionnaires in Victory Company that we meet as well. All of these warriors felt flushed out and three-dimensional. They all added to what is clearly a vast and expansive universe. All of the characters were a lot of fun to get to know and made me feel like I was back in the Army again. I especially liked seeing Kags again and watching how he evolved and grew from a Repub Army soldier into a legionnaire. Basically, I still felt like I could relate to them as people, and I would love to hang out and drink a beer with them. If you were going into harm’s way, you’d want Victory Company with you. Even if there are less of them than there was before.
Overall, I will give these characters 5 out of 5 Grenades and can’t wait to see where the author takes this character throughout this new series!
Plot:
Like most of the military fiction, I love to read, this was an action-packed novel. The story is set in a galaxy far, far away in a Star-Wars-Not-Star-Wars Universe. The grand premise for this series was to take the kind of Star Wars stories we used to love, strip out all of the political messaging, and just tell fun tales. Escapism and enjoyment, under the banner of intergalactic science fiction. We again get to see the world through a first-person point-of-view, which didn’t even bother me this time around. I’ve come to appreciate this point of view, at least when it’s executed well. And like book two, we see the world from multiple points of view in this novel. Like in the previous novel, you feel the chaos and confusion that combat and intergalactic intrigue brings. It was a good set-up and well-executed premise that held my interest from the first sentence. The plot grew and expanded from where we left it in Galactic Outlaw, and I can only imagine even bigger things coming from the Galaxy’s Edge world.
The authors balanced the action with the exposition and world-building, so the story never felt flat. Unlike the first book, I never felt confused by the universe, as the world felt intuitive and you could so easily immerse yourself in the book. More of the world was being threaded together and woven into a tapestry of epic awesomeness, and I heartily approve! This book answered any remaining questions from book one in regards to world building, and it did this without negatively impacting the plot. Heck, those answers were part of the main story arc for this novel. I think that I’ve become conditioned to these vast expansive worlds because of the copious amounts of space opera that I read. I only remind you of that, to point out that your mileage may vary on some of the ways I adapted to this story. With the fast pacing, this action-packed adventure story never slowed down and left you wanting more. I’m seriously concerned about the withdrawal symptoms I’ll experience when I catch up and finish the 5th book. I’ll likely finish book 4 before the next one is released and then what will I do?
As you can tell by the gushing, I’m still addicted to this universe. I couldn’t put it down, the plot was that compelling. I really loved the premise, and more importantly, I enjoyed how the execution. The pacing was excellent, and there was never a slow moment. I couldn’t ask for anything more; a fun premise, perfect execution, and incredible pacing! I again give Anspach and Cole 5 out of 5 Grenades!
World Building:
This is the third book in the Galaxy’s Edge Series, and I absolutely loved it. Can I say that enough? Seriously, each one’s been better than the last! Okay, onward to the nitty-gritty of the review. This novel, like its predecessors, had a very fleshed out world. It was consistent, made sense and sucked you in. As usual, the world Anspach and Cole created visceral emotions that made you want to punch the bad guys and suit up with the good guys. The authors still manage to covertly insert new tidbits about the larger universe, and it was smooth like butter! The authors fit in the universe history in such a way that left you wanting more, while not pulling you out of the story. If you weren’t looking for it, your probably wouldn’t even notice. In previous reviews I mentioned that it felt like parts of the world building were intentionally left out, creating the feel of a much larger universe. I have to say, in this novel, they delivered on many of those threads and woven them into a very compelling rope that they used to climb Mount Awesome with! I’m still digging it, and it still makes me want to become part of the larger world. Seriously, I need to convince the wife to let me buy some Galaxy’s Edge swag? I’m hooked, and now I want all of it! Heck, if I had the skills I would make myself some Legionnaire armor. I definitely see room for CosPlay and a fandom for this world, and can’t wait for my own space ship! Think they could wrap an Ohio Class Battleship for me? I mean, for research of course. It’d be tax deductible, I’m sure of it! Anspach and Cole described the world with plenty of details, and there wasn’t a scene where I couldn’t picture it. They didn’t reinvent the wheel and built on the existing tropes of science fiction. They just made it sexier! Overall, the world building was well done, and I was sold on the way it happened. It felt believable, and the characters fit within the universe Anspach and Cole created. It was a fun ride that made me wanna suit up…which is the goal of action/adventure authors! Like most of the stories I read, this one didn’t take itself too seriously, which allowed you to focus on the fun which is why I read in the first place. I give the world building 5 out of 5 Grenades.
Description:
I have to give it to the authors, this novel was chalk full of visualization, and you could definitely imagine yourself in this world. Even three books in, they continue to described things across the sensory spectrum; sights, sounds, smells and even how the world felt. This is how it’s done, and I hope to get that good someday. While I could visualize all of the planets, I would still love it if the authors shared artists renderings from this immersive world! If it’s only a tenth as cool as what I pictured in my head, it would be worth every penny. Unlike previous books, I didn’t notice that the authors were lite on details until I sat down to write this review. And like before, I was too busy picturing them as Storm-Troopers-Not-Storm-Troopers. A huge plus for me was Nick Cole and Jason Anspach’s descriptive use of language, they balanced the explanation of this new world with the need to move a story along. Basically, they took what worked from the previous two novels and kept it going. This book was a hit in the description categories. This book didn’t have a single place where I couldn’t picture the scenery and the equipment, which added to the world that felt tangible and I enjoyed it. The author’s description of their universe was evocative, and converted me into an uber fan! Seriously, the level of description made you wanna take a moment and explore every nook and cranny, but that’s a sign of an amazingly built universe. I’ve heard that they’ve got more books in this universe planned and I can’t hardly wait because a little birdy told me that they DO intend to explore those nooks and crannies! In summary, I didn’t find any issues with the descriptions and was impressed by the literary skills of the authors. The action was gripping, and the story was fun. If you want the action, the adventure, and the PEW PEW, then this is the book for you! Nick Cole and Jason Anspach brought it, they were definitely their A game. I give them 5 out of 5 grenades in this category.
Overall:
I really loved this book, it was a lot of fun to read. It brought back the epic space romps I read and loved as a kid. No deep messages, or political themes, just good clean fun. Anspach and Cole have kept everything that was awesome with the first two books and kept it going. Heck, they turned it up a notch! I’ve taken to using these books as a reward to myself for accomplishing my daily tasks. Kill Team was a compelling story and made me want to join the Legion even more. Well, maybe the Dark Ops cause they’re more relaxed with cooler toys. Let’s be real, my fighting days are over, but I could forget that while I read this book. I could be young and spry again, capable of chewing lead, spitting out bullets and walking through fire. And isn’t that the essence of why we read military science fiction? So we could again reach for greatness and be gods among men?
This novel definitely gave me a case of the feels, and I found myself wanting to be a part of it all. I started a fan club on Facebook because I loved it that much and you should join us as we nerd out over the epic goodness of this space adventure. While I wasn’t one of those who found this universe before it went live, preventing me from becoming a paying member of the Galactic Legion, I could at least serve in an auxiliary role by spreading the word. I don’t want to come on too strong, but I loved this book! Each book has been better than the last, and I’m loving this book like a fat boy loves cake! It’s right up there with Terry Mixon’s Empire of Bones series. I’m just goNick Colenna commit and say that there’s just something about a few old Army guys telling stories that I love. Go Army, Beat Navy!
Now that I’ve got that out of my system let me continue my review! When I read this book, I mourned the loss of the brave warriors killed in battle. I can’t tell you which soldiers because that would be a spoiler, but I’ll raise my beer and toast in their honor! This was my third Nick Cole and Jason Anspach novel, and I’ve moved them over into the “auto-buy” list. The first thing that caught my eye was the fantastic cover, it was amazingly compelling. I’m stuck though since I loved Legionnaire’s cover as well. I think these two are tied for the best cover ever award! Seriously, if I weren’t colorblind and art dumb, I’d add a section to the book review template on the covers because so many of them are kicking butt these days! The Galaxy’s Edge covers remind me of the fun comic images I loved as a kid. Or movie posters from the action adventures I read when I was supposed to be studying. Seriously, hats off to their cover designer. When I finally have a dedicated office or man cave, I’m decorating it with these covers! The good thing is that they sell swag now so I can make it happen!
Anyway, onward to the book itself. The military culture shown was spot on, just what I’d expect from an Army veteran. If you’ve ever seen a movie describing the culture of the special forces, you could relate to the temperament of the kill teams of the Dark Ops. That’s right, Nick Cole served in the US Army, and it showed in his understanding of the culture of the grunt! Speaking of, I really need to corner him so I can do one of my warrior weekend interviews of him! Because of this real-world experience, and a healthy dose of common sense, Nick and Jason didn’t fall into some of the traps most military sci-fi did. The troops run out of ammo, dumb luck happens, and good soldiers still die. The ground combat was primal, immersive, and easy to visualize. Everything you could possibly want from this genre. The battle scenes were believable, gripping and I never felt like the author missed a chance to get creative with the tactics. It was textbook KTF, the mantra of the Legionnaire! Kill them first! Such a detailed portrayal of the tactics is rare. The characters were well written and helped flush out the larger world, which all lent itself to a perfectly executed plot. Each individual element of this novel was executed perfectly, but it was in the union of the various aspects of the story that the universe really shined. It all tied together nicely, and by the end of this novel you couldn’t help but say AH HA as the parts fit nicely together into a creation that was greater than the sum of its parts.
Seriously, I realize I’ve gone full fanboy, but the authors have definitely raised the bar for military science fiction authors everywhere. I was hooked from the first page! They wove the action in such a compelling way that you wanted to jump into the Legionnaire Armor myself. Okay, maybe Dark Ops since they’ve got a cooler kit! Basically, they had me hooked from the beginning and kept it going throughout the whole novel. This is a book I would happily recommend, and an author I will definitely read again. Buy the novel! I give this novel a 5 out of 5 grenades! If it weren’t cheating, I’d give it 6 grenades!
First, let me say that none of what I’ll say in this section couldn’t be found on the back copy of the novel. Heck, I cribbed this summary from the back, and then I add my own twist! And not even much of one, since most of the books I read have kick butt descriptions (aka blurbs). If the blurb doesn’t catch my eye, then I tend to skip the book unless a friend recommends it. Generally speaking, my goal is to provide a spoiler-free review, so here goes nothing!
In the aftermath of the Battle of Kublar and the destruction of the battleship Chiasm, the Legion recruits Victory Company’s survivors into Dark Ops. They’re called to live up to their mantra; Always Make ‘Em Pay. We’re again reunited with Chhun, Wraith, Exo, Kags, and Twenties as the survivors of Victory Company form an elite Kill Team. They become the embodiment of legionnaire lethality. Their secret mission is as clear as it is deadly: find and eliminate those responsible for the Kublar disaster. Standing between them and their objectives are a maze of corrupt Republic officials, a spy on the verge of losing himself to the allure of his deep cover, and the Zhee. These aliens are a murderous species who will stop at nothing to bring their death god to life. But perhaps the biggest threat to the galaxy is the truth they seek to uncover. It’s a truth that could ignite a revolution, and engulf the galaxy in flames… unless the Kill Team is willing to finish the job. At any cost.
If you like epic space opera, with a side of military science fiction, you should read this series. Plenty of explosions, with authentically gritty combat. If this sounds like your flavor of badassery, then you’ve come to the right place! This novel is a brilliant continuation to the Galaxy’s Edge Universe, where they fix everything George Lucas broke in this Star-Wars-Not-Star-Wars adventure. I wish I could give you an easy comparison, if you enjoyed Book X, buy this book but I really feel like Nick and Jason broke new ground here. They’ve revived that sense of newness and fun that we loved as children, that brought most of us to the science fiction genre! There are other military sci-fi books out there, but none quite like this!
Characters:
In this novel, we catch up with the survivors of Victory Company and two Nether Ops agents, but the main characters are Legionnaire Lieutenant Cohen Chhun, Tom, and Mr. X. None of them felt flat, and you could definitely relate to them as people. You definitely won’t have anything to complain about in this regards, these were real people and not cardboard cutouts. Seriously. When they cried, I cried. When they laughed, I laughed. Everything you want from your fictional characters! But let’s move past the platitudes and talk specifics. There were several main characters in this novel, so I’ll break them down for you.
Cohen Chhun: He’s a grizzled veteran of the numerous campaigns, but he felt real and not one of those stereotypical military killers. He was badass, a consummate professional and genuinely good officer for his troops. He’s the kind of guy you’d want on your side in a firefight, and he seems to be more relaxed and less of an ass than he was in the first novel. I would definitely say we’ve seen some character growth from Chhun, which made his character even more enjoyable in this book. I know, after his appearance in Legionnaire it’s hard to imagine that he got even more awesome! In this instance, it just seems like his growth is part of the larger Dark Ops culture. Less parade ground, more covert assassin. In the previous review, I said that the lack of growth from Chhun felt like they’re building something huge, and boy was I right! Wow, he was my favorite character in this novel! Overall, I really liked him and felt like there was so much more to come from him!
Tom: He’s a deep cover operative, seeking to uncover which bad guys are selling weapons to the evil MCR. The Mid-Core Rebellion must be stopped, and he just might be the man to do it! Can’t say more in a spoiler-free review, but he seemed like a stand-up fellow caught in a nasty game of cat and mouse. Or whatever the intergalactic version of it is?
Mr. X.: He’s a deep cover operative in the Carnivale Department of Nether Ops. He runs their clandestine operations and is Tom’s handler for his covert mission. We don’t know much about him, even the Mister part could be a ploy to hide the feminine mystique. What we do know is he’s survived to reach the top of a deadly covert counter-intelligence operation, and that alone makes him a force to be reckoned with. Hopefully, we learn more about him as the next few novels.
In addition to the main characters, there were other Legionnaires in Victory Company that we meet as well. All of these warriors felt flushed out and three-dimensional. They all added to what is clearly a vast and expansive universe. All of the characters were a lot of fun to get to know and made me feel like I was back in the Army again. I especially liked seeing Kags again and watching how he evolved and grew from a Repub Army soldier into a legionnaire. Basically, I still felt like I could relate to them as people, and I would love to hang out and drink a beer with them. If you were going into harm’s way, you’d want Victory Company with you. Even if there are less of them than there was before.
Overall, I will give these characters 5 out of 5 Grenades and can’t wait to see where the author takes this character throughout this new series!
Plot:
Like most of the military fiction, I love to read, this was an action-packed novel. The story is set in a galaxy far, far away in a Star-Wars-Not-Star-Wars Universe. The grand premise for this series was to take the kind of Star Wars stories we used to love, strip out all of the political messaging, and just tell fun tales. Escapism and enjoyment, under the banner of intergalactic science fiction. We again get to see the world through a first-person point-of-view, which didn’t even bother me this time around. I’ve come to appreciate this point of view, at least when it’s executed well. And like book two, we see the world from multiple points of view in this novel. Like in the previous novel, you feel the chaos and confusion that combat and intergalactic intrigue brings. It was a good set-up and well-executed premise that held my interest from the first sentence. The plot grew and expanded from where we left it in Galactic Outlaw, and I can only imagine even bigger things coming from the Galaxy’s Edge world.
The authors balanced the action with the exposition and world-building, so the story never felt flat. Unlike the first book, I never felt confused by the universe, as the world felt intuitive and you could so easily immerse yourself in the book. More of the world was being threaded together and woven into a tapestry of epic awesomeness, and I heartily approve! This book answered any remaining questions from book one in regards to world building, and it did this without negatively impacting the plot. Heck, those answers were part of the main story arc for this novel. I think that I’ve become conditioned to these vast expansive worlds because of the copious amounts of space opera that I read. I only remind you of that, to point out that your mileage may vary on some of the ways I adapted to this story. With the fast pacing, this action-packed adventure story never slowed down and left you wanting more. I’m seriously concerned about the withdrawal symptoms I’ll experience when I catch up and finish the 5th book. I’ll likely finish book 4 before the next one is released and then what will I do?
As you can tell by the gushing, I’m still addicted to this universe. I couldn’t put it down, the plot was that compelling. I really loved the premise, and more importantly, I enjoyed how the execution. The pacing was excellent, and there was never a slow moment. I couldn’t ask for anything more; a fun premise, perfect execution, and incredible pacing! I again give Anspach and Cole 5 out of 5 Grenades!
World Building:
This is the third book in the Galaxy’s Edge Series, and I absolutely loved it. Can I say that enough? Seriously, each one’s been better than the last! Okay, onward to the nitty-gritty of the review. This novel, like its predecessors, had a very fleshed out world. It was consistent, made sense and sucked you in. As usual, the world Anspach and Cole created visceral emotions that made you want to punch the bad guys and suit up with the good guys. The authors still manage to covertly insert new tidbits about the larger universe, and it was smooth like butter! The authors fit in the universe history in such a way that left you wanting more, while not pulling you out of the story. If you weren’t looking for it, your probably wouldn’t even notice. In previous reviews I mentioned that it felt like parts of the world building were intentionally left out, creating the feel of a much larger universe. I have to say, in this novel, they delivered on many of those threads and woven them into a very compelling rope that they used to climb Mount Awesome with! I’m still digging it, and it still makes me want to become part of the larger world. Seriously, I need to convince the wife to let me buy some Galaxy’s Edge swag? I’m hooked, and now I want all of it! Heck, if I had the skills I would make myself some Legionnaire armor. I definitely see room for CosPlay and a fandom for this world, and can’t wait for my own space ship! Think they could wrap an Ohio Class Battleship for me? I mean, for research of course. It’d be tax deductible, I’m sure of it! Anspach and Cole described the world with plenty of details, and there wasn’t a scene where I couldn’t picture it. They didn’t reinvent the wheel and built on the existing tropes of science fiction. They just made it sexier! Overall, the world building was well done, and I was sold on the way it happened. It felt believable, and the characters fit within the universe Anspach and Cole created. It was a fun ride that made me wanna suit up…which is the goal of action/adventure authors! Like most of the stories I read, this one didn’t take itself too seriously, which allowed you to focus on the fun which is why I read in the first place. I give the world building 5 out of 5 Grenades.
Description:
I have to give it to the authors, this novel was chalk full of visualization, and you could definitely imagine yourself in this world. Even three books in, they continue to described things across the sensory spectrum; sights, sounds, smells and even how the world felt. This is how it’s done, and I hope to get that good someday. While I could visualize all of the planets, I would still love it if the authors shared artists renderings from this immersive world! If it’s only a tenth as cool as what I pictured in my head, it would be worth every penny. Unlike previous books, I didn’t notice that the authors were lite on details until I sat down to write this review. And like before, I was too busy picturing them as Storm-Troopers-Not-Storm-Troopers. A huge plus for me was Nick Cole and Jason Anspach’s descriptive use of language, they balanced the explanation of this new world with the need to move a story along. Basically, they took what worked from the previous two novels and kept it going. This book was a hit in the description categories. This book didn’t have a single place where I couldn’t picture the scenery and the equipment, which added to the world that felt tangible and I enjoyed it. The author’s description of their universe was evocative, and converted me into an uber fan! Seriously, the level of description made you wanna take a moment and explore every nook and cranny, but that’s a sign of an amazingly built universe. I’ve heard that they’ve got more books in this universe planned and I can’t hardly wait because a little birdy told me that they DO intend to explore those nooks and crannies! In summary, I didn’t find any issues with the descriptions and was impressed by the literary skills of the authors. The action was gripping, and the story was fun. If you want the action, the adventure, and the PEW PEW, then this is the book for you! Nick Cole and Jason Anspach brought it, they were definitely their A game. I give them 5 out of 5 grenades in this category.
Overall:
I really loved this book, it was a lot of fun to read. It brought back the epic space romps I read and loved as a kid. No deep messages, or political themes, just good clean fun. Anspach and Cole have kept everything that was awesome with the first two books and kept it going. Heck, they turned it up a notch! I’ve taken to using these books as a reward to myself for accomplishing my daily tasks. Kill Team was a compelling story and made me want to join the Legion even more. Well, maybe the Dark Ops cause they’re more relaxed with cooler toys. Let’s be real, my fighting days are over, but I could forget that while I read this book. I could be young and spry again, capable of chewing lead, spitting out bullets and walking through fire. And isn’t that the essence of why we read military science fiction? So we could again reach for greatness and be gods among men?
This novel definitely gave me a case of the feels, and I found myself wanting to be a part of it all. I started a fan club on Facebook because I loved it that much and you should join us as we nerd out over the epic goodness of this space adventure. While I wasn’t one of those who found this universe before it went live, preventing me from becoming a paying member of the Galactic Legion, I could at least serve in an auxiliary role by spreading the word. I don’t want to come on too strong, but I loved this book! Each book has been better than the last, and I’m loving this book like a fat boy loves cake! It’s right up there with Terry Mixon’s Empire of Bones series. I’m just goNick Colenna commit and say that there’s just something about a few old Army guys telling stories that I love. Go Army, Beat Navy!
Now that I’ve got that out of my system let me continue my review! When I read this book, I mourned the loss of the brave warriors killed in battle. I can’t tell you which soldiers because that would be a spoiler, but I’ll raise my beer and toast in their honor! This was my third Nick Cole and Jason Anspach novel, and I’ve moved them over into the “auto-buy” list. The first thing that caught my eye was the fantastic cover, it was amazingly compelling. I’m stuck though since I loved Legionnaire’s cover as well. I think these two are tied for the best cover ever award! Seriously, if I weren’t colorblind and art dumb, I’d add a section to the book review template on the covers because so many of them are kicking butt these days! The Galaxy’s Edge covers remind me of the fun comic images I loved as a kid. Or movie posters from the action adventures I read when I was supposed to be studying. Seriously, hats off to their cover designer. When I finally have a dedicated office or man cave, I’m decorating it with these covers! The good thing is that they sell swag now so I can make it happen!
Anyway, onward to the book itself. The military culture shown was spot on, just what I’d expect from an Army veteran. If you’ve ever seen a movie describing the culture of the special forces, you could relate to the temperament of the kill teams of the Dark Ops. That’s right, Nick Cole served in the US Army, and it showed in his understanding of the culture of the grunt! Speaking of, I really need to corner him so I can do one of my warrior weekend interviews of him! Because of this real-world experience, and a healthy dose of common sense, Nick and Jason didn’t fall into some of the traps most military sci-fi did. The troops run out of ammo, dumb luck happens, and good soldiers still die. The ground combat was primal, immersive, and easy to visualize. Everything you could possibly want from this genre. The battle scenes were believable, gripping and I never felt like the author missed a chance to get creative with the tactics. It was textbook KTF, the mantra of the Legionnaire! Kill them first! Such a detailed portrayal of the tactics is rare. The characters were well written and helped flush out the larger world, which all lent itself to a perfectly executed plot. Each individual element of this novel was executed perfectly, but it was in the union of the various aspects of the story that the universe really shined. It all tied together nicely, and by the end of this novel you couldn’t help but say AH HA as the parts fit nicely together into a creation that was greater than the sum of its parts.
Seriously, I realize I’ve gone full fanboy, but the authors have definitely raised the bar for military science fiction authors everywhere. I was hooked from the first page! They wove the action in such a compelling way that you wanted to jump into the Legionnaire Armor myself. Okay, maybe Dark Ops since they’ve got a cooler kit! Basically, they had me hooked from the beginning and kept it going throughout the whole novel. This is a book I would happily recommend, and an author I will definitely read again. Buy the novel! I give this novel a 5 out of 5 grenades! If it weren’t cheating, I’d give it 6 grenades!
September 19, 2021
The best of the series so far. Book one was one long battle that introduced the world, book two was an adventure helping set up the big conflict, and this book was where it started to come together.
We got reunited with some of the legionnaires from the first book, going back before the events of book two. The authors also added a parallel storyline regarding a deep cover agent. The writing style was different, but it was very moody and atmospheric. It also kept things interesting by adding some espionage thriller elements to the series.
We also are starting to get a better picture of the broader plot of the series. It feels like the first three books have been a lot of introduction, but they never felt like filler, they’ve all been entertaining in their own right.
That said, I’m excited to see where the series goes now that it’s all coming together.
We got reunited with some of the legionnaires from the first book, going back before the events of book two. The authors also added a parallel storyline regarding a deep cover agent. The writing style was different, but it was very moody and atmospheric. It also kept things interesting by adding some espionage thriller elements to the series.
We also are starting to get a better picture of the broader plot of the series. It feels like the first three books have been a lot of introduction, but they never felt like filler, they’ve all been entertaining in their own right.
That said, I’m excited to see where the series goes now that it’s all coming together.
April 1, 2019
I really liked how this book tided up loose ends from book 2 and how it revealed the greater conspiracies behind the stories from the first two books.
Still, I feel like this one had a pretty flat story, especially at the middle. Otherwise it was as great as the first two books.
Still, I feel like this one had a pretty flat story, especially at the middle. Otherwise it was as great as the first two books.
December 28, 2017
Vuelve Anspach y vuelve la parte divertida de esta saga escrita a dos manos. Mientras que Nick Cole se pierde en una space-opera que recuerda demasiado a los clásicos, Anspach prosigue con su versión militar, y de nuevo acompañamos al ahora teniente Chhun, que se une a la élite de la Legión, los Dark Ops y se enfrenta a una amenaza global.
Es sencillo, es peliculero y es fácil de leer. Hay dos lineas que se van desarrollando en paralelo, la de Chhun y la de Tom, que convergen en una parte final emocionante. Lo mas flojo (amén de los huecos de guión tipo Hollywood) es la necesidad de ajustarse a la parte que escribe Cole, que no tiene la misma habilidad narrativa que Anspach y obliga a ciertos giros de la trama un poco forzados.
Pero es entretenido y dinámico. Lo malo es que seguir la serie me obligaría a leer el siguiente, escrito por Cole. Y no me apetece absolutamente nada...
Es sencillo, es peliculero y es fácil de leer. Hay dos lineas que se van desarrollando en paralelo, la de Chhun y la de Tom, que convergen en una parte final emocionante. Lo mas flojo (amén de los huecos de guión tipo Hollywood) es la necesidad de ajustarse a la parte que escribe Cole, que no tiene la misma habilidad narrativa que Anspach y obliga a ciertos giros de la trama un poco forzados.
Pero es entretenido y dinámico. Lo malo es que seguir la serie me obligaría a leer el siguiente, escrito por Cole. Y no me apetece absolutamente nada...
July 18, 2018
A step back in time revealing the events behind the massacre in the first book.
Introducing the Republic Dark Ops- the clandestine arm of the military. These mysterious forces undertake missions the public don't need to know about. Kidnapping, assassinations, exterminations.
Then there are the Nether Ops - for the jobs that even Dark Ops don't have the stomach for. If you need to kill thousands of your own people, who you gonna call?
The surviving legionnaires are not the type to shrug 'c'est la vie'. They want targets, then blood. The Ops seem like a good place to start.
More well written intrigue and bloodshed.
Introducing the Republic Dark Ops- the clandestine arm of the military. These mysterious forces undertake missions the public don't need to know about. Kidnapping, assassinations, exterminations.
Then there are the Nether Ops - for the jobs that even Dark Ops don't have the stomach for. If you need to kill thousands of your own people, who you gonna call?
The surviving legionnaires are not the type to shrug 'c'est la vie'. They want targets, then blood. The Ops seem like a good place to start.
More well written intrigue and bloodshed.
November 10, 2017
Wow! I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Some books just ramp up the action each book, and you ride along afraid to get off. This was such a book. It's a wild ride as the survivors of Victory Company join the Dark Ops. They are out for revenge after the rest of their company were killed on Kublar in Book 1. The only problem is, the guy who caused all those deaths is really a Republic spy, sent by Nether Ops, to find and kill a master weapons smuggler named Scarpia. Tom (Not his real name) has infiltrated Scarpia's operation, but each time he does something to get deeper in, more people die. The Kill Team are slowly making their way across the galaxy fighting Zhree and the MCR to find him, Tom's fighting to keep his identity secret, and to find out wht Scarpia is really up to. Eventually, things come to a head, the Kill Team boards the ship Tom and Scarpia, the Zhree and MCR have turned into a gigantic space borne bomb, and Tom manages to somehow help the Leej's kill or capture them all.. KTF..
August 7, 2017
A whole new level of danger.
"In combat I am a thinking beast who out-savages the monsters that seek to destroy me." That is the role of a Legionnaire, a killing machine, but not indiscriminately, for the good of the galaxy.
This book takes us back, revealing more players in the fight and exactly what happened to the surviving members of Wraith's team from book 1.
This is not just a shoot-em-up military sci-fi, it goes way deeper and that is what makes these books so enjoyable. There is brotherhood and unity, depth of emotion from an elite band of soldiers. Then there is the flip side; the scum, the arms dealers, the terrorists, psychopaths. Separately they are exciting but when they collide it goes to a whole new level.
The pairing of Cole and Anspach means a polished and clever story that whisks the reader into a dangerous world that sucks you in and leaves you wanting more.
"In combat I am a thinking beast who out-savages the monsters that seek to destroy me." That is the role of a Legionnaire, a killing machine, but not indiscriminately, for the good of the galaxy.
This book takes us back, revealing more players in the fight and exactly what happened to the surviving members of Wraith's team from book 1.
This is not just a shoot-em-up military sci-fi, it goes way deeper and that is what makes these books so enjoyable. There is brotherhood and unity, depth of emotion from an elite band of soldiers. Then there is the flip side; the scum, the arms dealers, the terrorists, psychopaths. Separately they are exciting but when they collide it goes to a whole new level.
The pairing of Cole and Anspach means a polished and clever story that whisks the reader into a dangerous world that sucks you in and leaves you wanting more.
March 11, 2018
I absolutely loved the story they told, and how it finally tied the first two books together. One of the better sci-fi action stories I've read.
That having been said, I don't love the way the two authors choose to tell the story. Switching between first, second, and third person, depending on which perspective that section of the story was being told was unique, but maybe there's a reason other people do that. It was jarring and odd, and second person should never be used to tell a story.
This didn't stop my enjoyment of the book, I really enjoyed it and can't wait to eat number 4, but it did show down how quickly I got into it and finished it. Otherwise, great book and great story.
That having been said, I don't love the way the two authors choose to tell the story. Switching between first, second, and third person, depending on which perspective that section of the story was being told was unique, but maybe there's a reason other people do that. It was jarring and odd, and second person should never be used to tell a story.
This didn't stop my enjoyment of the book, I really enjoyed it and can't wait to eat number 4, but it did show down how quickly I got into it and finished it. Otherwise, great book and great story.
January 18, 2021
Narrative switches are bloody awful.
Ugh. Not a terrible story, but all the Tom chapters are bloody awful because of the weird perspective/narrative. Chhun being first person is OK, though I prefer third like in Galactic Outlaws. Honestly would be four stars if it weren't for the awful Tim chapters.
Ugh. Not a terrible story, but all the Tom chapters are bloody awful because of the weird perspective/narrative. Chhun being first person is OK, though I prefer third like in Galactic Outlaws. Honestly would be four stars if it weren't for the awful Tim chapters.
August 19, 2017
Excellence
Really starting to get my brain around this series.All the different themes and subplots are starting to come together.Might have to reread full series from book one just to get my head round full series!!!!
Really starting to get my brain around this series.All the different themes and subplots are starting to come together.Might have to reread full series from book one just to get my head round full series!!!!
September 23, 2017
Its all coming together
Got to love Victory Squad! This series continues to go strong! Read the first three in the series in about a weeks time, and very much looking forward to number four.
Got to love Victory Squad! This series continues to go strong! Read the first three in the series in about a weeks time, and very much looking forward to number four.
August 17, 2017
Wow
This series just gets better every book. Non stop action and a great storyline. I really recommend this series. Picked this up on Kindle Unlimited.
This series just gets better every book. Non stop action and a great storyline. I really recommend this series. Picked this up on Kindle Unlimited.
May 5, 2021
Good quality fun.
May 2, 2025
Half of the chapters in this book are written from the point of view of the leader of a black-ops "Kill Team" and the other half are written from the PoV of a deep-cover operative.
The Kill Team storyline is written in first-person, present tense, begins immediately after the events of the previous book, and covers training for special operations. There are a few actual small missions along with the various training evolutions. The writing flows well and we get some minor character development.
The deep cover storyline is written in second-person, present tense and begins before the end of the previous book. It explains many of the events leading to the uprising and the run-up to another huge operation. Second-person is used to emphasize the assumed personality of the character the deep-cover operative is playing. While I would normally despise that writing style, it kind of works here. Second-person is still often jarring, but at least there is a solid reason for the choice. And the jarring effect does help to communicate the strange psychology of an agent in that kind of high-stress environment.
Unfortunately, the constant shifting from one PoV to the other along with the shifting of tense disrupts the narrative flow and damages reader immersion.
The plot is an interesting one, covering an attempt to stop a huge terrorist attack from both inside and outside. Some information is kept hidden from the reader (and I suspect it will become important in future volumes).
Overall, this was an interesting experiment in narrative structure. I don't regret reading the book, and I'll continue the series for at least one more volume, but I can't call this book much more than "OK".
The Kill Team storyline is written in first-person, present tense, begins immediately after the events of the previous book, and covers training for special operations. There are a few actual small missions along with the various training evolutions. The writing flows well and we get some minor character development.
The deep cover storyline is written in second-person, present tense and begins before the end of the previous book. It explains many of the events leading to the uprising and the run-up to another huge operation. Second-person is used to emphasize the assumed personality of the character the deep-cover operative is playing. While I would normally despise that writing style, it kind of works here. Second-person is still often jarring, but at least there is a solid reason for the choice. And the jarring effect does help to communicate the strange psychology of an agent in that kind of high-stress environment.
Unfortunately, the constant shifting from one PoV to the other along with the shifting of tense disrupts the narrative flow and damages reader immersion.
The plot is an interesting one, covering an attempt to stop a huge terrorist attack from both inside and outside. Some information is kept hidden from the reader (and I suspect it will become important in future volumes).
Overall, this was an interesting experiment in narrative structure. I don't regret reading the book, and I'll continue the series for at least one more volume, but I can't call this book much more than "OK".
September 22, 2023
Tom - not Tom has been my favorite character by far of this series.
August 3, 2025
was excited when, unlike book 2, this seemed to be a direct sequel to book 1.
But suddenly we switch to 2nd person narrative.... did not enjoy those parts at all.
But suddenly we switch to 2nd person narrative.... did not enjoy those parts at all.
January 28, 2024
A great return to form. I loved this so much and was very excited to be back with characters from Legionnaire.
November 8, 2018
After the battle for Kublar, the Legionnaires want answers, they want to know who is responsible for the loss of so many lives, and for the destruction of their ship over the planet. Expecting to lose their Field Commissions on return to another ship, Captain Ford and Lieutenant Chhun are instead surprised to find that they are permanently appointed to these positions, and even more surprised when they are offered a position on a Kill Team doing Dark Ops. Joined by an experienced Dark Ops operative, they are quickly off on missions to track down those that cost the Legion, those that sold the bombs, and to find out what could be next.
Whilst running missions, they learn from an inside source that things are worse than they thought, another mission is planned by the MCR and this time their target will upset the entire Galaxy.
It is up to the Indelible 6, a Dark Ops Kill Team made up of the Legions best, to stop it, to save the Galaxy before it burns. Time to KTF.
Whilst it might seem that this books are guns and glory, they aren’t. These are well thought out, incredibly well written stories with keen tactical and strategic knowledge, exceptional characters and some brilliant tech. The combat scenes are outstanding, written with in-depth skill, so that you feel like you are standing in the room watching the battle take place in front on you.
This is a book that will suit all readers, those looking for a fantastic read of black ops, and skilled combat (I still say it has an edge of an Adults Only version of Star Wars the Clone Wars, with the Elite Clones to TacOps), but it also covers aspects of the Political Intrigue going on behind the scenes, looks at the soldier’s lives and how this is affecting them, and then there is the Espionage aspect of it as well, with all the cloak and dagger stuff going on behind the scenes as well. This book has something for everyone.
Best of all though, it is just exceptionally well written, Chhun, Tom, and all the other characters are just beautifully constructed, so real, so in-depth with their emotions, their responses, the dialogue.
This is a book that you will pick up, and just be glued to, whipping through pages and not be able to put down as you have to know what happens.
Galaxy’s Edge is the place to be, for a brilliant read you don’t want to miss.
Whilst running missions, they learn from an inside source that things are worse than they thought, another mission is planned by the MCR and this time their target will upset the entire Galaxy.
It is up to the Indelible 6, a Dark Ops Kill Team made up of the Legions best, to stop it, to save the Galaxy before it burns. Time to KTF.
Whilst it might seem that this books are guns and glory, they aren’t. These are well thought out, incredibly well written stories with keen tactical and strategic knowledge, exceptional characters and some brilliant tech. The combat scenes are outstanding, written with in-depth skill, so that you feel like you are standing in the room watching the battle take place in front on you.
This is a book that will suit all readers, those looking for a fantastic read of black ops, and skilled combat (I still say it has an edge of an Adults Only version of Star Wars the Clone Wars, with the Elite Clones to TacOps), but it also covers aspects of the Political Intrigue going on behind the scenes, looks at the soldier’s lives and how this is affecting them, and then there is the Espionage aspect of it as well, with all the cloak and dagger stuff going on behind the scenes as well. This book has something for everyone.
Best of all though, it is just exceptionally well written, Chhun, Tom, and all the other characters are just beautifully constructed, so real, so in-depth with their emotions, their responses, the dialogue.
This is a book that you will pick up, and just be glued to, whipping through pages and not be able to put down as you have to know what happens.
Galaxy’s Edge is the place to be, for a brilliant read you don’t want to miss.
January 13, 2018
Kill Team brings us back to where we started in the Galaxy's Edge series: highly trained military professionals who get to kill people and break stuff, hopefully in the service of the greater good. We also return the viewpoint of Lieutenant Chhun, survivor of Kublar and general bad-ass.
Galactic Outlaws had a pretty different feel than Legionnaire. In part, that was due to the alternation of viewpoints between Aeson Keel and Tyrus Rechs. This made the book a little bit hard to follow, but I am willing to endure such things, because some of my favorite books have been hard to follow the first [few] times I've read them. There were a lot of questions left hanging at the end of Galactic Outlaws, and at least a few of them get wrapped up by Kill Team. My patience was rewarded.
We also get a good hard look at the dark underbelly of counter-intelligence and counter-terrorism work. False flag operations and double agents are an expected part of the wilderness of mirrors that characterizes the human side of intelligence gathering, but simply acknowledging that doesn't really count the human cost on the agents who infiltrate terrorist organizations to expose and subvert them.
The moral tradition of which I am a part insists that it is never permissible to do evil in order to achieve good. "Tom," ex-navy undercover operative, has an uneasy conscience about the horrible things he does in order to prevent yet more horrible things. His moral intuition matches up with the moral maxim, but he does those things because they are his mission. In the end, "Tom" receives a kind of rough justice. I'm not sure that what happened to him is just. I'm also not sure is exactly unjust.
As I mentioned in my review of Galactic Outlaws, I appreciate the moral realism of the Galaxy's Edge series. There are very real dangers lurking for the rough men who guard us in our sleep, the temptation to become the monsters they fight, spurred by their often justified contempt for the polished and comfortable who blithely send them to die. "Tom" is a man of integrity, as are most of the Legionnaires we meet. Unfortunately for them, the harshness you need to survive can slowly sap away your humanity. Which is why the real heroes are very often dead.
Galactic Outlaws had a pretty different feel than Legionnaire. In part, that was due to the alternation of viewpoints between Aeson Keel and Tyrus Rechs. This made the book a little bit hard to follow, but I am willing to endure such things, because some of my favorite books have been hard to follow the first [few] times I've read them. There were a lot of questions left hanging at the end of Galactic Outlaws, and at least a few of them get wrapped up by Kill Team. My patience was rewarded.
We also get a good hard look at the dark underbelly of counter-intelligence and counter-terrorism work. False flag operations and double agents are an expected part of the wilderness of mirrors that characterizes the human side of intelligence gathering, but simply acknowledging that doesn't really count the human cost on the agents who infiltrate terrorist organizations to expose and subvert them.
The moral tradition of which I am a part insists that it is never permissible to do evil in order to achieve good. "Tom," ex-navy undercover operative, has an uneasy conscience about the horrible things he does in order to prevent yet more horrible things. His moral intuition matches up with the moral maxim, but he does those things because they are his mission. In the end, "Tom" receives a kind of rough justice. I'm not sure that what happened to him is just. I'm also not sure is exactly unjust.
As I mentioned in my review of Galactic Outlaws, I appreciate the moral realism of the Galaxy's Edge series. There are very real dangers lurking for the rough men who guard us in our sleep, the temptation to become the monsters they fight, spurred by their often justified contempt for the polished and comfortable who blithely send them to die. "Tom" is a man of integrity, as are most of the Legionnaires we meet. Unfortunately for them, the harshness you need to survive can slowly sap away your humanity. Which is why the real heroes are very often dead.
October 25, 2018
Essentially the chronological sequel to the first book in the series picking up directly where it left off (or perhaps where the prologue of the second book left off) with the surviving legionnaires of the Battle of Kublar. Immediately, the many of the remaining of Leejes (and an Army soldier who fought with them on the ground) get a ride with the Republic Marines boarding the Mid-Core Rebel ship that featured briefly in the end of the first book. Once they take over the ship, effectively ending the battle, they return to the Mercutio and both Wraith and Chhun are promptly targeted for recruitment into Dark Ops, the elite special operations division of the Legion and given their pick of team members. The first of two parallel story-lines follows the new Victory Squad kill team on their mission to eliminate whoever was responsible for the destruction of The Chiasm and Camp Forge on Kublar.
Also introduced in this book is Nether Ops, a clandestine organization that answers to the House of Reason and largely engages in espionage operations so ethically questionable that the Legion and Dark Ops wouldn't touch them. We follow the story of Tom (not his real name), told in second person by the enigmatic Mr X of Nether Ops as Tom struggles not to lose himself in deep cover, working with some of the most dangerous people in the galaxy.
Anyone concerned based on the first book that this series would be unambiguously pro-military action can rest assured that morality in this universe is not so black and white. Heroes and villains are increasingly difficult to discern. Good people do terrible things for what they can only hope is the greater good. While the soldiers themselves tend to be good people, looking to make the galaxy a better and safer place, the causes and authorities they fight for are not always so easy to justify.
What is not ambiguous is to me is the high quality of this story in particular. It answers plenty of questions raised in the previous books, some of which you may not have realized needed to be answered, while still managing a fairly self-contained story-arc.
Also introduced in this book is Nether Ops, a clandestine organization that answers to the House of Reason and largely engages in espionage operations so ethically questionable that the Legion and Dark Ops wouldn't touch them. We follow the story of Tom (not his real name), told in second person by the enigmatic Mr X of Nether Ops as Tom struggles not to lose himself in deep cover, working with some of the most dangerous people in the galaxy.
Anyone concerned based on the first book that this series would be unambiguously pro-military action can rest assured that morality in this universe is not so black and white. Heroes and villains are increasingly difficult to discern. Good people do terrible things for what they can only hope is the greater good. While the soldiers themselves tend to be good people, looking to make the galaxy a better and safer place, the causes and authorities they fight for are not always so easy to justify.
What is not ambiguous is to me is the high quality of this story in particular. It answers plenty of questions raised in the previous books, some of which you may not have realized needed to be answered, while still managing a fairly self-contained story-arc.
October 23, 2019
Once I got over the chronological order of the book series being wacky, this all makes sense. Here we return to the aftermath of events on Kublar, more specifically how the survivors of Victory Company (now squad sized) are recruited into Legion Dark Ops and save the Republic for at least this little while. Pieces of the back story are starting to fall into place (admittedly, I went back to reread the epilogue to Legionnaire and pieces of Galactic Outlaws as well), and I want to know where these leejs are headed to do.
The majority of the story is a return to the first person narration of Lt Chhun, and I was really glad about that. I like the character's voice and he's a reliable narrator of the events around him. The POV shifts to Tom are a bit offputting at first because I hate second person POVs, but it makes sense in the context of the story. The opening question posed in the prologue is half answered, and now I'm ready to return to that part of the timeline with a better understanding how characters got there. Luckily for me, if the authors can keep up this pace, in a month, I get to return to this galaxy and enjoy more good guys facing overwhelming odds and bad guys being oh so bad.
Lastly, there are no punches pulled as to the zhee and their real world analogues. I found it hilarious, but your mileage may vary.
The majority of the story is a return to the first person narration of Lt Chhun, and I was really glad about that. I like the character's voice and he's a reliable narrator of the events around him. The POV shifts to Tom are a bit offputting at first because I hate second person POVs, but it makes sense in the context of the story. The opening question posed in the prologue is half answered, and now I'm ready to return to that part of the timeline with a better understanding how characters got there. Luckily for me, if the authors can keep up this pace, in a month, I get to return to this galaxy and enjoy more good guys facing overwhelming odds and bad guys being oh so bad.
Lastly, there are no punches pulled as to the zhee and their real world analogues. I found it hilarious, but your mileage may vary.
December 9, 2017
I like how the timeline is working in this series. I picked up all of the books on a promotion where they were 99 cents each. So glad I did.
As to timeline, the first book galaxy's edge #1 puts us in the Battle of Kublar, the second book galaxy's edge #2 puts us a few years after that, where the legionaries are now galactic outlaws; and THIS book galaxy's edge #3, clarifies the events leading up to Kublar and shortly after.
In this book, we get a really great "battle (kill) team" novel, buddies, bravado and bullets (er... lasers). And also a spy novel where our (anti) hero is in too deep, letting his "cover" personality bury his own humanity. This spy story is pretty much The Night Manager in space. That "pretty good" book was made into an absolutely excellent AMC/BBC series with Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie. (Hmmm.... maybe why our spy's cover-name was "Tom"? I dunno.)
As to timeline, the first book galaxy's edge #1 puts us in the Battle of Kublar, the second book galaxy's edge #2 puts us a few years after that, where the legionaries are now galactic outlaws; and THIS book galaxy's edge #3, clarifies the events leading up to Kublar and shortly after.
In this book, we get a really great "battle (kill) team" novel, buddies, bravado and bullets (er... lasers). And also a spy novel where our (anti) hero is in too deep, letting his "cover" personality bury his own humanity. This spy story is pretty much The Night Manager in space. That "pretty good" book was made into an absolutely excellent AMC/BBC series with Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie. (Hmmm.... maybe why our spy's cover-name was "Tom"? I dunno.)
September 10, 2017
It's a dirty, nasty job, keeping order in the crumbling and corrupt Republic. In Kill Team we are reacquainted with the bloodied survivors of Legionnaire, the first book, as they are formed into a kill team to hunt down and punish the traitors and rebels responsible for the destruction of their ship, the Chiasm, that originally stranded them on a hellscape world behind enemy lines.
But it turns out that act of sabotage has deeper, political connections than they could guess, as evidenced by the second POV thread, as told by a deep-cover operative assigned to get close to an arms dealer supplying weapons to the rebels and terrorists, and to do anything necessary to fulfill the mission.
What particularly impresses me with the unfolding series is the layering. Each new installment casts new light on what came before, showing earlier events from different perspectives and conveying a greater understanding of what's going on and why. On completing the book, the first thing I wanted to do is go back and re-read the prior two to see what I missed.
New books are coming, and I'm eager to see how this epic unfolds.
But it turns out that act of sabotage has deeper, political connections than they could guess, as evidenced by the second POV thread, as told by a deep-cover operative assigned to get close to an arms dealer supplying weapons to the rebels and terrorists, and to do anything necessary to fulfill the mission.
What particularly impresses me with the unfolding series is the layering. Each new installment casts new light on what came before, showing earlier events from different perspectives and conveying a greater understanding of what's going on and why. On completing the book, the first thing I wanted to do is go back and re-read the prior two to see what I missed.
New books are coming, and I'm eager to see how this epic unfolds.
August 23, 2017
I've been reading this series from the beginning and the tension just keeps building. The two authors write the story from different perspectives that come together with a crash. In this episode, a character says,
And then she closes the door on your face and you might as well just fade back to Nether Ops because they say, over there at Nether Ops Command, there really is no going back.
No going back. That's a theme here. No going back for the antihero Tom whose mission is to dive into the slime and expose the bad guys to the Kill Team.
No going back for the leej team who must stop the MCR from a major act of planetary-scale terrorism.
No going back for the casualties we'll miss.
So, I'll keep going forward and reading each release and waiting on the edge of my seat for the next.
And then she closes the door on your face and you might as well just fade back to Nether Ops because they say, over there at Nether Ops Command, there really is no going back.
No going back. That's a theme here. No going back for the antihero Tom whose mission is to dive into the slime and expose the bad guys to the Kill Team.
No going back for the leej team who must stop the MCR from a major act of planetary-scale terrorism.
No going back for the casualties we'll miss.
So, I'll keep going forward and reading each release and waiting on the edge of my seat for the next.
September 15, 2017
Amazing. absolutely amazing!
Here is the 3rd in the great Galaxy's Edge. Although it's part of a series, this book supports itself as a separate stand-alone novel and can be enjoyed without having read the other 2 books. The best thing about this book is the" real people" characters who are completely believable and have true to life issues. The characters are well developed which helps to understand their motivation even if you don't have all the details yet. But it's more than that. I am Lt Chhun, bleeding through my neoprene. I am Tom, guilty for the lives of so many innocents; and I saved the Republic.
Here is the 3rd in the great Galaxy's Edge. Although it's part of a series, this book supports itself as a separate stand-alone novel and can be enjoyed without having read the other 2 books. The best thing about this book is the" real people" characters who are completely believable and have true to life issues. The characters are well developed which helps to understand their motivation even if you don't have all the details yet. But it's more than that. I am Lt Chhun, bleeding through my neoprene. I am Tom, guilty for the lives of so many innocents; and I saved the Republic.
December 12, 2017
Holy fuck
So yeah, book 1 was ok. Book 2 started up the fire that will surely burn the galaxy down. Book 3 continues from where book 2 ended and then just goes on a crazy history of our characters and while you want to get back to the present. It just doesn’t matter because it is so fricking awesome.
I originally got these because I was waiting for another series to publish, but yeah I am all in now. I should have been asleep hours ago. Just wait til the end of this one. Holy bomb shells of non linear story telling. So insane. So awesome
So yeah, book 1 was ok. Book 2 started up the fire that will surely burn the galaxy down. Book 3 continues from where book 2 ended and then just goes on a crazy history of our characters and while you want to get back to the present. It just doesn’t matter because it is so fricking awesome.
I originally got these because I was waiting for another series to publish, but yeah I am all in now. I should have been asleep hours ago. Just wait til the end of this one. Holy bomb shells of non linear story telling. So insane. So awesome
May 2, 2018
Great sci fi Save the world combat series!
This is book 3 of the Galaxy’s Edge series. I listened to books 1 and 2 on Audible (GREAT narrator) but had to read this one because the audiobook is not yet available. I made the mistake of starting it in the evening. At 0300 I put it down with only 70 pages to go. I HAD to get some sleep! If you like space combat books, read this series. I had to listen to books 1 and 2 twice but that was okay because I picked up some things I missed the first time. In this book, it all starts coming together.....
This is book 3 of the Galaxy’s Edge series. I listened to books 1 and 2 on Audible (GREAT narrator) but had to read this one because the audiobook is not yet available. I made the mistake of starting it in the evening. At 0300 I put it down with only 70 pages to go. I HAD to get some sleep! If you like space combat books, read this series. I had to listen to books 1 and 2 twice but that was okay because I picked up some things I missed the first time. In this book, it all starts coming together.....
July 23, 2018
Kill Team picks off where Book 1 Legionnaire left off and I must admit that although it's only been a few months since I finished listening to Legionnaire, I did not remember all the details of the first book. The author jumped right into it without any explanation and I was left a little disoriented.
Otherwise I greatly enjoyed Kill Team because it follows largely in the same vein as Legionnaire but with more excitement and new adventures for the team.
Otherwise I greatly enjoyed Kill Team because it follows largely in the same vein as Legionnaire but with more excitement and new adventures for the team.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews