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The Bastard Legion #2
Friendly Fire
Four hundred years in the future, the most dangerous criminals are kept in suspended animation aboard prison ships and "rehabilitated" in a shared virtual reality environment. But Miska Storrow, a thief and hacker with a background in black ops, has stolen one of these ships, the Hangman's Daughter, and made it her own. Controlled by explosive collars and trained in virtual reality by the electronic ghost of a dead marine sergeant, the thieves, gangsters, murderers, and worse are transformed into Miska's own private indentured army: the Bastard Legion.
In FRIENDLY FIRE, the Bastard Legion are hired to pull off a daring power-armoured heist of propriety tech.
Getting the tech will be hard. Getting off the planet, deadly.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 19, 2017
10 people are currently reading
86 people want to read
About the author
Gavin G. Smith
23 books102 followersGavin Smith was born in Dundee in the same year that Iron Butterfly recorded Inna-Gadda-da-Vida. He has also lived in Camberley, Hayling Island, Portsmouth, Hull, Leamington Spa and is currently living a near feral existence in Leicester (if you see him in the streets he will write science fiction for sweeties). Anyone who has been to any of these places will understand why his fiction is like it is.
He has a degree in writing for film and a Masters in medieval history. Veteran is his first novel but he is patiently waiting for one of the 2.5 scripts that have been optioned to be turned into films.
He likes to travel and dive when he can afford it and in his free time he enjoys getting the s**t kicked out of him whilst practicing Silat. He is hoping that his books do well so he can buy a motorbike.
He has a degree in writing for film and a Masters in medieval history. Veteran is his first novel but he is patiently waiting for one of the 2.5 scripts that have been optioned to be turned into films.
He likes to travel and dive when he can afford it and in his free time he enjoys getting the s**t kicked out of him whilst practicing Silat. He is hoping that his books do well so he can buy a motorbike.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 23, 2018
‘Never popular in high school. Steal a prison barge and suddenly everyone wants to know me.’
Miska’s first outing with her legion was FUBAR, but most of them managed to make it out okay (ish). They might even come out ahead if she can sell the stolen spaceship in Maw City, making the whole thing a resounding success. She only had to explode a few heads after all. But now she’s been given another job by her FBI contact: find the possible alien artefact on Barney Prime and keep it away from Mars. Easy peasy. Except nobody knows what it is or what it does, it’s currently in unknown hands, but undoubtedly well guarded, somewhere in New Verona, home city of the Mafia boys she has collared, and on top of all that, she has a significant bounty on her head. Oh, and a warrant out for her arrest. Nobody said this shit was going to be easy…
Just like the first in the series, it takes a while to get into the story. Not for the action to get going, that’s page one material, but for the mind to adjust to all the vocab and tech innovations. Perhaps that’s more a personal issue, as I don’t read as much military sci fi, but both books are dense with futuristic detail, especially equipment spec and mechanical and human augmentations. The immersion might come slowly, but once you’re there, all this added information grounds the story with layered authenticity, each detail normalising a world filled with useable tech. What’s more, this instalment doesn’t suffer as much with over explanation, the jargon expanded upon within the flow of the story rather than on top of it. It is packed with action, from space battles with pirates to Fast and Furious style truck heists, gun battles and cyber duels.
It only leaves a little space for character development, but it is there. This is especially the case for Miska. She does much less talking about how much of a badass she is and much more proving. I could have done without her obsessing about the Ultra, but the wish fulfilment sexuality has been turned down at least. She’s starting to connect with the men she has enslaved, seeing them as more than just throwaway items. Of course, she thinks that one of them might be responsible for her father’s death, so she can’t just kill them all unless she’s prepared for the possibility that she might never know who did it. But even this slight alteration in her outlook makes her enslavement of them all the more insupportable. The morality of it has always been questionable, but the idea was that she didn’t care. Whatever necessary to fulfil her goals. Now her claims to have no conscience seem to be an attempt to convince herself as much as those under her command. It’s reflected in their responses to her too. The ethics of their situation is raised repeatedly throughout the story, with characters highlighting their enslavement and the limits of what they’re prepared to do to remain alive. Slowly, slowly, members of the team are being fleshed out and given more motivation for action than simply avoiding death by head detonation. Suddenly, there’s more negotiation and more definitive lines drawn as it becomes clear each person has their own notions about personal morality, which the threat of death will not overcome. Each compromise might seem practical, but it’s also emotional. Miska is changing. Of course, she’s still an arsehole, willing to kill anyone not on her team who gets in the way as well as those on the team who pose a threat, and they still want to kill her, they’re bad guys, plotting escape is what they do. It’s becoming a whole new ball game- one that’s far more interesting to watch.
Just like Miska herself, this book is much less shouty, not trying too hard to impress. With all the noise dialled down, what comes though is the humour and detailed, dirty reality of this created world. Without doubt, i’m hooked. This offering was significantly better than the first, in style, pacing, and character. Not only that, the hints for what’s to come signal a much larger scope than the investigation into Miska’s father’s murder or the goings on of a prison legion. The introduction of Classical mythology is a huge plus for me and poses so many questions: who is Pavor? Does the Owl signify what I think it does? And what happened with/in the artefact? I can’t tell you how excited I am to see the new team in action, too. We can rebuild him…. BRING. IT. ON.
ARC via publisher
Miska’s first outing with her legion was FUBAR, but most of them managed to make it out okay (ish). They might even come out ahead if she can sell the stolen spaceship in Maw City, making the whole thing a resounding success. She only had to explode a few heads after all. But now she’s been given another job by her FBI contact: find the possible alien artefact on Barney Prime and keep it away from Mars. Easy peasy. Except nobody knows what it is or what it does, it’s currently in unknown hands, but undoubtedly well guarded, somewhere in New Verona, home city of the Mafia boys she has collared, and on top of all that, she has a significant bounty on her head. Oh, and a warrant out for her arrest. Nobody said this shit was going to be easy…
Just like the first in the series, it takes a while to get into the story. Not for the action to get going, that’s page one material, but for the mind to adjust to all the vocab and tech innovations. Perhaps that’s more a personal issue, as I don’t read as much military sci fi, but both books are dense with futuristic detail, especially equipment spec and mechanical and human augmentations. The immersion might come slowly, but once you’re there, all this added information grounds the story with layered authenticity, each detail normalising a world filled with useable tech. What’s more, this instalment doesn’t suffer as much with over explanation, the jargon expanded upon within the flow of the story rather than on top of it. It is packed with action, from space battles with pirates to Fast and Furious style truck heists, gun battles and cyber duels.
It only leaves a little space for character development, but it is there. This is especially the case for Miska. She does much less talking about how much of a badass she is and much more proving. I could have done without her obsessing about the Ultra, but the wish fulfilment sexuality has been turned down at least. She’s starting to connect with the men she has enslaved, seeing them as more than just throwaway items. Of course, she thinks that one of them might be responsible for her father’s death, so she can’t just kill them all unless she’s prepared for the possibility that she might never know who did it. But even this slight alteration in her outlook makes her enslavement of them all the more insupportable. The morality of it has always been questionable, but the idea was that she didn’t care. Whatever necessary to fulfil her goals. Now her claims to have no conscience seem to be an attempt to convince herself as much as those under her command. It’s reflected in their responses to her too. The ethics of their situation is raised repeatedly throughout the story, with characters highlighting their enslavement and the limits of what they’re prepared to do to remain alive. Slowly, slowly, members of the team are being fleshed out and given more motivation for action than simply avoiding death by head detonation. Suddenly, there’s more negotiation and more definitive lines drawn as it becomes clear each person has their own notions about personal morality, which the threat of death will not overcome. Each compromise might seem practical, but it’s also emotional. Miska is changing. Of course, she’s still an arsehole, willing to kill anyone not on her team who gets in the way as well as those on the team who pose a threat, and they still want to kill her, they’re bad guys, plotting escape is what they do. It’s becoming a whole new ball game- one that’s far more interesting to watch.
Just like Miska herself, this book is much less shouty, not trying too hard to impress. With all the noise dialled down, what comes though is the humour and detailed, dirty reality of this created world. Without doubt, i’m hooked. This offering was significantly better than the first, in style, pacing, and character. Not only that, the hints for what’s to come signal a much larger scope than the investigation into Miska’s father’s murder or the goings on of a prison legion. The introduction of Classical mythology is a huge plus for me and poses so many questions: who is Pavor? Does the Owl signify what I think it does? And what happened with/in the artefact? I can’t tell you how excited I am to see the new team in action, too. We can rebuild him…. BRING. IT. ON.
ARC via publisher
July 14, 2018
I recently picked up The Bastard Legion as an audiobook, and I quite enjoyed it. It was a bit different from my typical read: a sci-fi story about a criminal mercenary team and their various shenanigans in space. It’s the second book in the series, but I haven’t read the first and had no real difficulties understanding what was going on. I started it expecting it to be a bit less serious and a bit more comedic than it was, I’m not entirely sure why, but overall I enjoyed the story a fair bit.
There’s a fairly large array of characters throughout. The main one, Miska, is on a mission to find her father’s killer, while also maintaining control of her Bastards. For a short book, the cast is pretty large and you don’t get too much of a view into each individual motivation, which is partially because a lot of them simply want to survive.
As such, the book is much more action-centric, and it was quite fun to watch the various missions The Bastard Legion go through, and how they affect Miska. As you can probably imagine, a troupe of criminals with bombs in their heads doing various missions is quite violent, which does lend to the militia feel of the legion. There was probably a bit too much focus on plot and not enough on character for my tastes. It was, however, a really good book.
The world is interesting: the Legion visits a plethora of planets/space stations. The reader is given a good view of the space culture, and how Earth and space have evolved from where people are today to this different system. I really liked the little worldbuilding touches.
I would recommend The Bastard Legion to people who enjoy:
* Science-fiction
* Action packed books
* Female MCs
* Diverse casts
For more reviews, check out my blog, The Fantasy Inn
There’s a fairly large array of characters throughout. The main one, Miska, is on a mission to find her father’s killer, while also maintaining control of her Bastards. For a short book, the cast is pretty large and you don’t get too much of a view into each individual motivation, which is partially because a lot of them simply want to survive.
As such, the book is much more action-centric, and it was quite fun to watch the various missions The Bastard Legion go through, and how they affect Miska. As you can probably imagine, a troupe of criminals with bombs in their heads doing various missions is quite violent, which does lend to the militia feel of the legion. There was probably a bit too much focus on plot and not enough on character for my tastes. It was, however, a really good book.
The world is interesting: the Legion visits a plethora of planets/space stations. The reader is given a good view of the space culture, and how Earth and space have evolved from where people are today to this different system. I really liked the little worldbuilding touches.
I would recommend The Bastard Legion to people who enjoy:
* Science-fiction
* Action packed books
* Female MCs
* Diverse casts
For more reviews, check out my blog, The Fantasy Inn
June 3, 2018
Sigue la estela del primero, pero al situarse en un escenario más contenido la acción es constante. Además, los diálogos mejoran (son más divertidos). Sigue siendo space opera militar palomitera, eso sí.
January 30, 2019
The second book in The Bastard Legion series is a rip-roaring heist with the Bastards hired to steal an alien artefact from a corrupt world riddled with gang warfare - a world where some of her enslaved mercenaries are from, which complicates matters.
Lots of guns, gadgets, fancy advanced tech and military action fill the pages as the plan gets very messy on contact with the gangs and opposition. The action is great and the pace is frantic. If you liked the first book you will love this one!
Lots of guns, gadgets, fancy advanced tech and military action fill the pages as the plan gets very messy on contact with the gangs and opposition. The action is great and the pace is frantic. If you liked the first book you will love this one!
March 17, 2018
Eager for next Novel
A strong and funny female lead with salty language ,surrounded by criminals of many different backgrounds with a dash of cyberpunk thrown in. This is the second novel in the series and I enjoyed it immensely. Take my money Mr. Smith I can't wait for the next novel.
A strong and funny female lead with salty language ,surrounded by criminals of many different backgrounds with a dash of cyberpunk thrown in. This is the second novel in the series and I enjoyed it immensely. Take my money Mr. Smith I can't wait for the next novel.
November 9, 2017
I read this in one day. I mean I enjoyed the last one but this was just another level of carnage. But more than that, it was genuinely funny and I really care about the characters, even if they are monsters.
I want this series to go on for much longer
I want this series to go on for much longer
July 12, 2018
Way back in the hoary old days of pulp science fiction, militaristic stories were common, culminating in the truly unpleasant Starship Troopers (1959). From the second half of the 60s, though, when I first got seriously into SF, far more thoughtful and interesting books began to dominate. The military SF space operas never went away, but were relegated to the backwaters. Space opera as a sub-genre became far more sophisticated with Iain M. Banks' superb Culture series.
However, first person shooter video games such as Doom, plus movies Star Wars plus its successors, and the rise of superhero films, brought the militaristic aspect front and centre to the cinema and now it's relatively common again to find novels that glorify big guns and combat. With The Bastard Legion, Gavin Smith showed how to do it with style, combining a Buffy the Vampire Slayer-style subversion of the genre, featuring one woman in charge of 6,000 enslaved hard criminals, with a superb example of 'if you're going to do it, go large.'
In this sequel we get some interesting development of a number of characters who appeared in the first book (I would recommend reading that before this). Even Miska Corbin, the woman who stole the prison ship, has some development of personality in that she now seems to accept that she is a psychopath. As before, the basic premise of training up criminals as mercenaries under the duress that they are fitted with collars that will blow their heads off at a thought from Miska is genuinely effective, though the morality of the whole enterprise remains troubling. The fact that Miska is effectively running a black ops unit for a government agency is, I suspect, meant to make her indulgence in mass murder and slavery acceptable, but it really doesn't.
That all sounds a bit negative, but it is without doubt a rip-roaring read. Smith makes almost the entire second half of the book a single continuous piece of action, where it's very difficult to put the the book down because the writing has immense inertia - it just carries the reader along on an explosive shockwave. Apart from the character development, there is also the added promise of a big picture behind the storyline. Although the book does come to a successful end, some major unknowns are introduced, clearly lining up the next title in the series. Thankfully, though, this doesn't involve the disconcerting sudden stop in the narrative that makes some series books infuriating to read.
My only technical issue was that it did sometimes feel as if it had been written a little too quickly. Several times there were word repetitions that felt like a first draft - and though the main task towards the end of the book gets full coverage, there is a secondary task where it feels as if Smith hadn't the time to write it, so let what amounted to a deus ex machina sort things out.
Although there's always a pleasure in revisiting familiar characters, I wasn't quite as struck by this book as the first in the series - I think because that dramatic main premise is no longer a novelty - but it's a worthy successor and I look forward to reading the next one.
However, first person shooter video games such as Doom, plus movies Star Wars plus its successors, and the rise of superhero films, brought the militaristic aspect front and centre to the cinema and now it's relatively common again to find novels that glorify big guns and combat. With The Bastard Legion, Gavin Smith showed how to do it with style, combining a Buffy the Vampire Slayer-style subversion of the genre, featuring one woman in charge of 6,000 enslaved hard criminals, with a superb example of 'if you're going to do it, go large.'
In this sequel we get some interesting development of a number of characters who appeared in the first book (I would recommend reading that before this). Even Miska Corbin, the woman who stole the prison ship, has some development of personality in that she now seems to accept that she is a psychopath. As before, the basic premise of training up criminals as mercenaries under the duress that they are fitted with collars that will blow their heads off at a thought from Miska is genuinely effective, though the morality of the whole enterprise remains troubling. The fact that Miska is effectively running a black ops unit for a government agency is, I suspect, meant to make her indulgence in mass murder and slavery acceptable, but it really doesn't.
That all sounds a bit negative, but it is without doubt a rip-roaring read. Smith makes almost the entire second half of the book a single continuous piece of action, where it's very difficult to put the the book down because the writing has immense inertia - it just carries the reader along on an explosive shockwave. Apart from the character development, there is also the added promise of a big picture behind the storyline. Although the book does come to a successful end, some major unknowns are introduced, clearly lining up the next title in the series. Thankfully, though, this doesn't involve the disconcerting sudden stop in the narrative that makes some series books infuriating to read.
My only technical issue was that it did sometimes feel as if it had been written a little too quickly. Several times there were word repetitions that felt like a first draft - and though the main task towards the end of the book gets full coverage, there is a secondary task where it feels as if Smith hadn't the time to write it, so let what amounted to a deus ex machina sort things out.
Although there's always a pleasure in revisiting familiar characters, I wasn't quite as struck by this book as the first in the series - I think because that dramatic main premise is no longer a novelty - but it's a worthy successor and I look forward to reading the next one.
December 11, 2017
Friendly Fire is the second book in Smith’s Bastard Legion series, started earlier this year with The Bastard Legion (formerly The Hangman’s Daughter). I loved that first book and thought that there was much potential going forward with both the characters and world-building. Suffice to say my expectations were met as I read through Friendly Fire rather quickly…
Following on from the end of The Bastard Legion, Friendly Fire takes no time in re-introducing us to the world of the Hangman’s Daughter and her somewhat unbalanced chief, Miska Corbin. With her dead father the AI in charge of training the coerced inmates that form Miska’s mercenary force (Miska has a quick kill in place should the inmates turn rogue), we get a first hand look at how that goes, and just what can happen when things go wrong. And that sets the tone for the novel perfectly.
With a new job on the books, along with the need to re-stock and re-supply following their last mission, the Hangman’s Daughter docks where it can get the service it needs, but not without Miska walking right into the aim of an FBI team sent to track her down, led by her none-too-happy sister. With a family reunion cut short, and Miska left rather displeased, the Bastard Legion commence their next job of retrieving an alien artifact, but the planet it’s on is the former home to some of Miska’s unwilling crew, and that in itself is going to cause her problems…
I think what makes Friendly Fire such a good read – aside from the superb action sequences – are the characters. Not only is Miska such a huge grey area in what she does and how she’ll react, but the members of the Bastard Legion on her squad this time get some good characters development. While these are proper bad guys, ranging from mafia boss to yakuza assasin, we get to see different sides to them that make then both endearing and frightening in equal measure.
If I had one complaint it would be about the sub-plot about looking for Miska’s fathers killers. Actually, it’s not even a sub-plot, it’s the whole reason Miska created the Bastard Legion in the first place, and there isn’t much momentum on it in Friendly Fire. But despite that, I can’t wait for War Criminals, the next book in this series, to come rocking along, guns blazing!
Following on from the end of The Bastard Legion, Friendly Fire takes no time in re-introducing us to the world of the Hangman’s Daughter and her somewhat unbalanced chief, Miska Corbin. With her dead father the AI in charge of training the coerced inmates that form Miska’s mercenary force (Miska has a quick kill in place should the inmates turn rogue), we get a first hand look at how that goes, and just what can happen when things go wrong. And that sets the tone for the novel perfectly.
With a new job on the books, along with the need to re-stock and re-supply following their last mission, the Hangman’s Daughter docks where it can get the service it needs, but not without Miska walking right into the aim of an FBI team sent to track her down, led by her none-too-happy sister. With a family reunion cut short, and Miska left rather displeased, the Bastard Legion commence their next job of retrieving an alien artifact, but the planet it’s on is the former home to some of Miska’s unwilling crew, and that in itself is going to cause her problems…
I think what makes Friendly Fire such a good read – aside from the superb action sequences – are the characters. Not only is Miska such a huge grey area in what she does and how she’ll react, but the members of the Bastard Legion on her squad this time get some good characters development. While these are proper bad guys, ranging from mafia boss to yakuza assasin, we get to see different sides to them that make then both endearing and frightening in equal measure.
If I had one complaint it would be about the sub-plot about looking for Miska’s fathers killers. Actually, it’s not even a sub-plot, it’s the whole reason Miska created the Bastard Legion in the first place, and there isn’t much momentum on it in Friendly Fire. But despite that, I can’t wait for War Criminals, the next book in this series, to come rocking along, guns blazing!
October 27, 2017
Following on from the previous book, Miska is once again continuing her rampaging (technically a cover for her careful investigation in to her dad’s death). This book seemed more action packed than the last version, but like with the Hangman’s Daughter, the action happens for reasons, and there are still respites in action giving character's a chance to reflect upon things.
Several of the prisoners get more of the story’s spotlight. I’ll avoid spoilers, but the story absolutely makes things more personal for some of them, which affects the squad, and their understandable paranoia about their chances of survival. Building upon the previous book, and my comparison to something like Gaunt’s Ghosts in regards to character death, and the impact upon the mission and the individuals is quite evident in this book.
Whilst there are big questions still outstanding, which given this is a series that makes sense and should be expected, I felt this book added more depth to the book’s universe. By the end of the book I felt more connections to past events a lot had been added to the setting, and whilst some readers may question this part way through, I think the story builds towards proving this point at the end.
In summary, Fun story, added character depth, expanded lore, and an ending that left me intrigued to know what happens next.
Several of the prisoners get more of the story’s spotlight. I’ll avoid spoilers, but the story absolutely makes things more personal for some of them, which affects the squad, and their understandable paranoia about their chances of survival. Building upon the previous book, and my comparison to something like Gaunt’s Ghosts in regards to character death, and the impact upon the mission and the individuals is quite evident in this book.
Whilst there are big questions still outstanding, which given this is a series that makes sense and should be expected, I felt this book added more depth to the book’s universe. By the end of the book I felt more connections to past events a lot had been added to the setting, and whilst some readers may question this part way through, I think the story builds towards proving this point at the end.
In summary, Fun story, added character depth, expanded lore, and an ending that left me intrigued to know what happens next.
February 26, 2019
Another solid episode in the series. Based more around a single heist than a series of adventures. Of course the whole thing goes utterly wrong right from the start as that's just how this Legion rolls. We get more insight into our the currently named Legionaries tick as well as a continual calling out of the main protagonist for her highly dubious and unethical business plan. Rather refreshing as *everyone* is calling her out as a essentially a slaver. This book had some rather fun juvenile moments that worked well with the cast in hand. We also raise the stakes as an ancient alien/evil is revealed leading to quite a few brown trousers moments.
October 1, 2019
If you like action and loads of psychos, then this is the sequel for you. Miska leads a team of her enslaved prisoners to seize an alien artifact for her bosses in the spy world. It's the home world for some of her mafia-based teammates and that both helps and complicates things as she navigates the pirate world and the overt challengers to her taking the prize. She's still trying to find out who killed her dad and work out a relationship with his avatar and the rest of the Bastard Legion. Almost non-stop action and unsettling revelations about the aliens disturb even her.
November 21, 2019
3.5*
Another quick book to blast through, with mayhem and improvisation on a heist.
A strong, yet fallible main character is back, but I felt the story in the first book was stronger and gelled with me better. Well executed character development with the hook still lingering with who did her old man in around seeing what comes of the alien interaction.
I like the sci-fi vibe dragged into a more mundane reality.
A couple of points pique my curiosity more than the secondary characters. Where will it go next?
Another quick book to blast through, with mayhem and improvisation on a heist.
A strong, yet fallible main character is back, but I felt the story in the first book was stronger and gelled with me better. Well executed character development with the hook still lingering with who did her old man in around seeing what comes of the alien interaction.
I like the sci-fi vibe dragged into a more mundane reality.
A couple of points pique my curiosity more than the secondary characters. Where will it go next?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2018
DNF. Its is basically crappy cowboys in space with an embarrassingly stupid steroetyped female lead - Mills and Space Boons fare.
Hard to believe this is the same author who wrote the veteran and age of scorpio series.
If it's supposed to be YA then I wouldn't want my children reading such one dimensional crap at any age.
And what about Adrian Tchaikovsky, Hannu Rajanniemi - disappointed two class authors would associate their names with this.
Hard to believe this is the same author who wrote the veteran and age of scorpio series.
If it's supposed to be YA then I wouldn't want my children reading such one dimensional crap at any age.
And what about Adrian Tchaikovsky, Hannu Rajanniemi - disappointed two class authors would associate their names with this.
December 9, 2018
Takes a couple of chapters to hit its stride but once it does becomes really enjoyable. Breaks from the more standard military sci fi by reading a lot like crime (specifically of the organised variety) fiction. The plot is engaging & the characters have distinct identities that really do make grow on you. I even chuckled a few times. Continues the tradition of quality from a writer I always enjoy.
January 31, 2020
This book goes up like "a fire at an armaments factory"; carnage in all directions. Even more enjoyable than the previous book. There are hints at deeper mysteries to keep me interested to believe that the universe has a lot more to offer, and the characters themselves are a bundle of contradictions and conflicts, and some a powder-keg of rage, that add a developing character arc. Thoroughly enjoyable.
January 27, 2019
Really impressive sequel to this series that looks at a ship of 6000 mercenaries in space
Full review https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
Full review https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
December 10, 2020
Not, y'know great fiction, but if you want a bunch of military-ish scifi, with a completely crazy leader, you could do worse. Keeps you engaged, and moves right along.
Keeps delivering on the setup of the first novel.
Keeps delivering on the setup of the first novel.
April 9, 2023
Took me long enough to finish, though that isn't anything to do with Gavins' writing lol
It all sort of escalated in the last 100 pages to a thrilling crescendo, leaving me itching to now read the third and final book in the trilogy.
It all sort of escalated in the last 100 pages to a thrilling crescendo, leaving me itching to now read the third and final book in the trilogy.
Read
June 28, 2022An audio copy of this book was provided freely in exchange for an honest review.
The second instalment in the Bastard Legion series is more of the first, and by that I mean it's another adventure of gangs, guerrilla warfare, and gunplay. And like the last book, all of these are done exceptionally well. The legion is tasked with recovering an ancient alien artefact. Only, the planet it's on is controlled by gangsters in the midst of a turf war, and the legion isn't the only one interested in the artefact. It gets very messy, very fast.
There's some smart world-building that never goes as deeply as it could, and there's hardly a moment to catch your breath as the narrative whizzes by in a bulletstorm of incredibly well crafted action.
The protagonist, Myska, is the most psychopathic, narcissistic character in the book, and that's saying something where every other person is a either a hardened criminal serving life sentences, or a planet controlling mobster. I'd come to expect this of her from the first book, so it was less of an issue, but her total disregard for human life and penchant for violence seemed to come from a knee-jerk randomness rather than a product of characterization or deeply ingrained tendencies. I grew to enjoy her company as I grew used to this, but I'm not sure I ever grew to like her. I did find the side characters Terricone and Maas more likeable, and there's a few intimate moment scattered throughout that were sorely missed in the first book. The ending was solid, but didn't take me anywhere I wasn't expecting it to go.
If you didn't like the first book in Gavin Smith's series, you won't like this one. If you did, you'll definitely enjoy this one. It's the better of the two, and there's some wacky gadgets and gonzo tech weirdness to found within. Don't expect it to top your years best, but if you're after a fun, action-packed caped with morally dubious characters, then this is a solid choice.
3.5/5
The second instalment in the Bastard Legion series is more of the first, and by that I mean it's another adventure of gangs, guerrilla warfare, and gunplay. And like the last book, all of these are done exceptionally well. The legion is tasked with recovering an ancient alien artefact. Only, the planet it's on is controlled by gangsters in the midst of a turf war, and the legion isn't the only one interested in the artefact. It gets very messy, very fast.
There's some smart world-building that never goes as deeply as it could, and there's hardly a moment to catch your breath as the narrative whizzes by in a bulletstorm of incredibly well crafted action.
The protagonist, Myska, is the most psychopathic, narcissistic character in the book, and that's saying something where every other person is a either a hardened criminal serving life sentences, or a planet controlling mobster. I'd come to expect this of her from the first book, so it was less of an issue, but her total disregard for human life and penchant for violence seemed to come from a knee-jerk randomness rather than a product of characterization or deeply ingrained tendencies. I grew to enjoy her company as I grew used to this, but I'm not sure I ever grew to like her. I did find the side characters Terricone and Maas more likeable, and there's a few intimate moment scattered throughout that were sorely missed in the first book. The ending was solid, but didn't take me anywhere I wasn't expecting it to go.
If you didn't like the first book in Gavin Smith's series, you won't like this one. If you did, you'll definitely enjoy this one. It's the better of the two, and there's some wacky gadgets and gonzo tech weirdness to found within. Don't expect it to top your years best, but if you're after a fun, action-packed caped with morally dubious characters, then this is a solid choice.
3.5/5
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