Infliction

Mech Wars #4

by Scott Bartlett

This star system is burning down.

Seaman Jake Price's "betters" have failed the people of the Steele System, so he's taking matters into his own hands.

Darkstream has tricked the public into believing the Quatro are the enemy, but the company has already sold the system's security to the true enemy: the Progenitors.

Now, Jake is calling on everyone who remembers what it means to fight out of duty instead of money. If they can't stop Darkstream in time, the system will burn, and the inferno will consume everyone in it.

Genres: Science Fiction, Audiobook

271 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 28, 2017

About the author

Scott Bartlett writes his books from inside a mech, which is inside the hangar bay of a light armored cruiser stationed just past Jupiter.

Certain parts of the last sentence may not be completely true.

Here are some more believable statements:

Scott was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland – the easternmost province of Canada.

During his decade-long journey to become a full-time author, he supported himself by working an assortment of jobs…

...salmon hatchery technician, grocery clerk, youth care worker, ghostwriter, research assistant, pita maker, and freelance editor.

In 2014, he succeeded in becoming a full-time novelist, and he’s been writing science fiction at light speed ever since.

Get 3 FREE military space opera ebooks:

https://www.scottplots.com

Reviews

[J.R. Handley · Rating 5 out of 5]

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. Further, I wanted to provide a spoiler-free review, so here goes nothing!

In this stunning conclusion to the Mech Wars Saga, the star system is burning down. Seaman Jake Price’s “betters” have failed the people of the Steele System, so he’s taking matters into his own hands. Darkstream has tricked the public into believing the Quatro are the enemy, but the company has already sold the system’s security to the true enemy: The Progenitors. Now, Jake is calling on everyone who remembers what it means to fight out of duty instead of money. If they can’t stop Darkstream in time, the system will burn, and the inferno will consume everyone in it.

Like in the previous novels, we’re again with Jake Price. He’s managed to maintain control of his humanity without merging with the alien mech, but can he control its power? Can he harness the alien tech and counter the power of Darkstream? If he can, the survivors of the Steel System stand a chance. If he fails, everyone dies. The mission is simple; defeat the tyrannical Darkstream and help the Quatro find their way home.

Characters:
In this novel, we get to interact with a smaller cast of characters than the previous novel. It was still a larger cast than many authors can manage, but to be honest, I think it was necessary to cover the scope of the author’s expansive universe. All of the characters were flushed out, and three-dimensional that I thought were a lot of fun to get to know. I felt like the characters continued to grow, and didn’t stagnate after he first introduced them. They’re all so flushed out at this point, maybe we should advance him to four-dimensional! I felt like I could relate to them as people, and I would love to hang out and drink a beer with them. Here’s a summary of the main characters.

Jake Price: He’s the son of a former Darkstream soldier, who follows his father’s footsteps, despite his father’s reluctance to support the decision. He graduates from the mech unit training and becomes one of the leaders in the small unit, the Oneiri Squad. He shows his prowess in combat and demonstrates that his top marks during his training weren’t just a fluke. After the training and real-world experience from the first two books, he begins to shine as a rising star. We learn of his deep love for his ailing sister, which motivates him to fight so he can pay for her medical care. Through this family trauma, we learn that he’s a man of strong moral fiber and the kind of person you’d want on your side in a pinch. When he assumes command of the alien mech, he fights off the voices urging himself to surrender his humanity. His love for his brothers and sisters in arms drives him to greatness and makes him an awesome character to get to know. Overall, I really loved Jake’s character development throughout the story. I can’t tell you more about this character without spoilers, so I’ll leave it right here!
Lisa Sato: She was a junior enlisted soldier for the Darkstream military, and true believer. That is, until reality smacked her in her face. This religious fervor was shaken by the events of the first three books, and oh what a ride you had with her. It only gets better in this book, as we get to see her final maturation and growth into a formidable combat leader of the resistance fighting for their homeworld against Darkstream. I’d love to hash that out, but I promised a spoiler free review. In this novel, Infliction, we see her grow as both a leader and diplomat. She fights through her conflicted relationship with Jake and Andy and comes out on the other end. More importantly, we see the results of her evolution from soldier to combat leader, and it was a fun evolution. I’d give an example, but again with that spoiler-free review!
Tess Notaras: She is a gray-haired, retired Darkstream soldier, who is disillusioned and jaded. She’s got nothing nice to say about the company and thinks they train soft soldiers, unlike her training in the UAF military. She righteously takes full advantage of this weakness when she joins forces to combat the corruption within Darkstream. She deepens her friendship with Lisa and seeks to shepherd her into the promised land of leadership competency. In this novel, we learn more about her backstory and see her grow and mature. Finally, a character arc worthy of her potential! This doesn’t feel like pandering though, as you never feel like she’s a superfluous addition to the universe. If you want to include a mentor archetype, follow Scott Bartlett’s example because he got it right with Tess.
Quatro: This is the alien species that inhabit the Steel System, and I envision as a cross between a horse and a bear. Humanity still thinks they’re not fully sentient, merely apex predators and that’s all I can say without spoiling bits of the plot. If you didn’t read book one, skip this line! Okay, so we now know these aliens are sentient, and we find out a lot more about them in this book. Let’s leave it at saying you’d feed them your Granny to get away from these hulking monstrosities!
Meddlers: This was the alien species that wasn’t around much, but they lurked around in the backdrop. The veil was lifted, and we see more of these mechanical monsters. We still don’t know a lot about them, but you get the idea that they’re not the kind of alien you bring home to mommy. The created the Amblers and the Gathers, robots that seemed to collect resources for some unknown reason. The humans in the system took advantage of this, never wondering about who or what built these machines and whether or not they would come back. Towards the end of the novel we get our answers, but it also raises more questions. Overall, they were an awesome bad guy and a testament to Bartlett’s creativity.

Overall, I will give these characters 5 out of 5 Grenades and can’t wait to see where the author takes these character throughout this new series!


Plot:
Like most of the military fiction, I love to read, this was an action-packed novel. I didn’t think that Scott Bartlett could outdo himself, but he’s again raised the bar with this novel. The story is set in a world where humanity is post-Sol System. The premise for this series has humanity having used wormholes to permanently colonize the Steel System, under a purely capitalistic society run by the Darkstream Corporation. Unfortunately, the system was occupied and not every race is keen on sharing. A war ensues, and now there’s a third player in the game, the mysterious “meddlers.” They’re playing both sides, and I think they’re planning on swooping in to kill whoever survivors. It was a good set-up and well-executed premise that held my interest from the first minute of audio. The plot grew and expanded, and never once did you ever feel cheated for not having read Scotts earlier books in this larger world. The author balanced the action, with the exposition and world-building, so the story never felt flat. Everything that was good about the first three books remained, but he kicked the espionage and intrigue up a notch! The action continued right up to the end – until we got the surprise conclusion you won’t see coming. We a lot more of the “meddlers,” which I saw coming. I just didn’t see them being used in this way. I give Scott Bartlett points for his original plotting! I really got into this book and couldn’t put it down because the plot was that compelling. Even in the audiobook format, the novel was easy to follow. I really loved the premise of this plot, and more importantly, I enjoyed how he executed it. The pacing was excellent, and there was never a slow moment. I couldn’t ask for anything more; a unique premise, perfect execution, and incredible pacing! I again give Scott 5 out of 5 Grenades!


World Building:
This is the fourth and final book in the Mech Wars Series, and I absolutely loved how Scott wrapped it up. I liked it even better than the last book, it just kept getting better. Whenever I get some cash, I’ll be buying Scott Bartlett’s entire back catalog! This novel had a very fleshed out world that was consistent, made sense and sucked you in. I loved the way he handled inserting new tidbits about the larger universe and history in such a way that you didn’t even notice. In this novel, we see a lot more of those tidbits, though they didn’t feel like info dumps. We learn how all of these pieces that he’s dropped along the way fit in and wrap up into a neat little bow. Scott Bartlett did it so well that I was able to start with this series, even though it’s an offshoot of his earlier The Ixan Prophecies Trilogy. You never felt like you were missing anything to understand the world. It made me want to become part of the larger world, and now I’m excited to read the series that came before this novel and the ones that come after. I’m hooked, now I want to know it all! Maybe it’s time to start considering Scott Bartlett Worlds Support Groups? Scott described the world with just enough details to let me picture it. However, I still struggled to visualize the Quatro aliens. This has been the one sticking point for me in this series, though not so much that it took me out of the story. Maybe it was the audio? I never did look it up in the eBooks, so it could just be the medium. On the plus side, you can visualize these aliens when they’re in their space suits or other external garments. Since I didn’t read it too, I’m still willing to give Scott the benefit of the doubt. Another thing that I haven’t gotten into was Scott’s decision to use naval ranks for the Darkstream military. It still feels odd, since these troops are serving a dirt side garrison and policing role, which made that choice stand out. It didn’t distract from the plot, so I merely note it here for those who care about such things. Maybe my own Army bias? If you’ve read this series, let me know what you think! Finally, the last piece of world building to discuss is the development of the “meddlers.” We see more of them, and they seem genuinely scary in their silence. When we found out more about these aliens, they were even more scary! I really appreciate this development, it didn’t feel like the letdown I feared it might be. This time the Progenitors spoke directly to key members of the story, leaving you guessing. I loved this development and can’t wait to see where it ends in the follow-on series. 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 Scott created. It was a fun ride that made me wanna suit up…which is the goal of action/adventure authors! Like much 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 still give the world building 5 out of 5 Grenades. It was a step up from the last book, and if I could’ve pictured the Quatro better, it would’ve been a perfect score.


Description:
I have to give it to the author, this novel was chalk full of visualization, and you could definitely imagine yourself in this world. The only scenes that were confusing and difficult to envision were the alien species known as the Quatro. This is a bit more problematic, as we’re four books in. Luckily, once they get their super-secret outfits I had no problem visualizing them! I wouldn’t mind it one bit if the author shared artists rendering of these creatures! Seriously, it would’ve made reading this book a lot easier. This issue wasn’t so glaring that I couldn’t enjoy the hell out of the book, and those loving books light on description will be in heaven. Another place where Scott went lite on the details was on how everyone looked. This is where the narrator came in, with the various accents he added to the characters. I don’t know if this matches the ebook, but it helped me picture them. I know this is the current trend, so I reluctantly accept it, but I don’t personally like it. I’ll reign in my rant and move on to the next point of this section. The good news is that Scott has improved in describing parts of the world in which the series is set. A huge plus for me was Scott’s descriptive use of language, he balanced the explanation of this new world with the need to move a story along. 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 his universe was so evocative that I began imagining myself in the mech suit fighting with Jake and Lisa. It only got better in this book, when compared to the last three. The description of the combat scenes were truly Grade A top line stuff. This is partly because one book in the series builds on the next but even as a standalone it was good. There was only one slight drawback on how descriptive Scott was, it could be a little bit distracting. Seriously, it made you wanna take a moment and explore every nook and cranny, but that’s a sign of an amazingly built universe. I loved seeing the space station, and the combat scenes set on it were compelling and the descriptions were done subtly and with a finesse than most authors can manage. In summary, I didn’t find any issues with the descriptions, except for the previously mentioned alien species. In other ways, it got better in how he described the world around the main characters. Like many authors these days, Scott Bartlett was lite on some of the details of what the various characters looked like. I don’t really like this trend, but the action was so gripping that I just didn’t care. I wanted the action, the adventure, and the PEW PEW! Scott brought it, this was definitely his A game. I give Scott 5 out of 5 grenades in this category.


Narration Quality:
I’ve become a veteran in the audiobook revolution, and I’ve learned what my preferences are with regards to narration. I’ve started listening to audiobooks while on my morning walks, it’s how I keep myself motivated. I listen while doing chores, running errands and just going about my daily life. I hate accents that seem too cheesy and despise narrators that sound like robots. With those pesky caveats, I will review the narration quality of this novel. The audiobook was well done, and the accents were consistent. The narrator, Mark Boyett, did a fantastic job narrating this book. Like I said in the last three Mech Wars book reviews, I’d definitely listen to more books by him. With Amazon’s recent audiobook price increase, that is saying something. Heck, I went searching for more books narrated by him on Audible when I received my monthly credit. Let’s be honest, the recently increased price of audiobooks has taken them out of the range of impulse buys. I did become an Audible member, but that’s still only one audiobook a month. This scarcity means I’m very discerning with my audiobook purchases. Even at the new price, I would listen to more by this narrator! He didn’t bore you, or make you zone out because of his monotone. His performance didn’t feel robotic like a machine was reading the novel to me. You’ll often see that from me because it’ll drag me out of a book so fast that I can’t listen to it anymore. With Mark Boyett, it felt like a friend was sitting with me reading an amazing story that he couldn’t put down. Only he made kind of cool voices, with believable accents that didn’t yank you out of the story. He built the tension at the appropriate plot points, and I felt chills when I thought my favorite characters might die. With that in mind, I give him another 5 out of 5 grenades for his performance.

Overall:
I really loved this book, and it made my morning walks extremely enjoyable despite the death by yellow snow! As a caveat to my review, I want to remind you that I “read” this book entirely via the audiobook format. I did buy the eBook, but I never felt the need to break it out because the narration quality was that good. The production quality of the audio narration was top notch, and the story was compelling. Gave me a case of the feels, as I found myself getting angry at the injustices perpetrated by the Darkstream Company and the losses suffered by the Resistance Movement. I had moments of frustration, as we saw things the characters didn’t. I metaphorically screamed, “look behind you,” a few times. Scott did his job, and nobody came away unscathed. Seriously, I wanted to strap into a mech and storm down the orbital elevators with the reserve regiments! I even mourned the loss of the brave warriors killed in battle and drank a few shots in their honor! This was my fourth novel by author Scott Bartlett, and I’m sold on his writing style. When my wife unfreezes my credit card, I’ll probably binge read his entire back catalog! What first caught my eye was the fantastic cover, it was amazingly compelling. 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! They fit into the genre, while not looking like a cookie cutter version of what’s already out there. I especially liked how Scott made this cover fit with those for the other three novels in this series; they really work together. The military culture shown in this book was spot on, and unlike the last book in this series, there were no issues with rank confusion or the military culture. In this book, we saw Scott stop and show the conclusion of the conflict that exists within the survivors of the Oneiroi Squad. It was emotionally compelling and added tension to the plot arc. Scott addressed the consequences of the moral ambiguity that sometimes happens when a military splinters and turns on itself. Where does duty fit in the moral realm? The internal conflicts only added that bit of grounding that every military science fiction novel needs. They DO run into tough choices and have regrets for the calls they have to make which is a plus in my book. Another good thing about this book, and the series writ large, was how Scott used the mech technology he created in the Steel Universe. He kept the science of the mechs close to the vest, which was a smart way to handle the situation and I took notes for my own later use. Moving right along, the ground combat Scott described was visceral and immersive, just what you want from the military science fiction genre. I said in my review for Powered that “I’ve never considered mech combat in my worlds, so I’ve not had reason to think about what their tactics might be.” Well, after reading all four of these books I’ve begun to consider this concept, and I’m even more impressed with Scott’s work. It’s even more clear that the author has spent A LOT of time reasoning this. If I ever have a panel on mech robots, I’d have Scott sitting proudly next to Robert Heinlein and the creators of the Four Horsemen Universe. The battle scenes he wrote with these mechs were believable, gripping and the machines weren’t portrayed as godlike. I never felt like the author missed a chance to get creative with the tactics. Such a detailed portrayal of the tactics is rare, especially when coming from a civilian. Seriously, the author weaponized the awesome power of the PEW PEW and is now a certified Grand Master in the Church of the PEW! I was hooked from the first page! He wove the action in such a compelling way that you wanted to jump into a mech as well. Basically, Scott had me hooked from the beginning and kept it going throughout the whole novel. Buy the book! But hey, it’s easy to spend someone else’s money! I give this novel a 5 out of 5 grenades!

[Jas · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this 4th book, which is a lead into the next series by Bartlett, it becomes clear the Darkstream have been lying to everyone, that the Quatro are not the enemy they have been made out to be, and that it was all a ploy to get humans and Quatro to fight each other for the interests of the Progenitors.
Jake has decided to take the war to Darkstream after everything that has happened and put an end to them, and with the help of Lisa, he is hoping to consolidate all of humanity and Quatro and unite them against the Darkstream forces that are left.
Of course, the Progenitors have different ideas.
This is the culmination of everything that has been leading up to in the first 3 books, and in this final book, we not only get a bunch of answers we have been waiting for (some that will make a lot of sense for Bartlett’s new series ‘The Ixan Legacy’ as well), we also get to see a lot of scores settled.
There are battles galore in this book, this is seriously a full on book of battle after battle as each of the different groups clash and settle their differences, bringing an end to Darkstream, uniting the Quatro and then having to take on the might of the Progenitors.
If you have been reading the rest of the series, you are going to love the end of this series, it provides a lot of satisfaction in answers and battles, but it also provides some new twists that will lead into the new series.
If you have been reading Bartlett’s other books, the Ixan series, then this is definitely worth reading as it will explain a lot of things that will make a lot more sense in those series, especially in ‘Capital Starship’.
Regardless, this is just a fantastically fun book to read with Mechs, armies, drones, giant beasts and other things all fighting to the death for the sake of Humanity, with full on Heroes, bad guys, and some serious Heroines this has something for everyone. Get into it and enjoy!

[R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scott Bartlett’s fourth and final entry in the Mech Wars series really delivers! Bartlett is a rising voice in the Military SF genre. You will not be disappointed by his fast-paced, action writing style. As this is a story of warfare, be prepared for the violence.

The Darkstream remnant made a home in the Steele System, but a home built on lies. As a house built on lies does not last, neither does a system. Darkstream stands exposed for their duplicitous behavior, and the true enemies, the Progenitors, take the stage.

Infliction is the tale of survival. How the Steele System humans and Quatro must work together to keep the inferno from destroying both their races. Jake Price must inspire the Steele System humans to place duty over profit.

The story comes full circle as the inhabitants of the Steele System discover humanity won the Ixan war. Bartlett leaves the reader wanting to know how the future will unfold with the Steele System inhabitants discovering they are not the last remaining humans . . .

Note: This reviewer received a proof copy of the ARC for constructive feedback and an honest review.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Infliction is the fourth book in the Mech Wars series. If you are looking for a well written SciFi Military book series, this is a good one to read. You can read this as a standalone book but it does start from and end in a cliffhanger. There is a lot of violence.

The book blurb adequately describes the storyline so I'm not going to repeat all of that info here. The author has done a good job of keeping elements of his Ixan Prophecy future universe that was full of aliens, old tech and new tech, people in power who will do anything too continue to remain in power. Yet he combined that with new enemies, or maybe allies, as well as new problems to deal with. As usual, everything and everyone are not as they seem. Overall I enjoyed reading this book and want to read more.

[Sheila Beitler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually, I wanted to rate it 4.5 but the system doesn't allow halves! Infliction is a wonderful followup to MELTDOWN, picking up seamlessly where it left off. Fighting Darkstream is still the utmost reason for fighting. Taking down the enemy, however, brings the same problems as the last 3 Mech Wars books -- are your fighting companions loyal to you? Were the new soldiers friends? Foes? It's hard enough to fight a battle, let alone wondering about the previous enemy fighting by your side. There's a lot more violence here,(my reason for 4 1/2 stars) and a lot of tech talk, but Infliction is a great book.

[odedo1 Audio book worm. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished listening to Infliction book 4 the last of the Mech Wars series written by the awesome Scott Bartletts creative mind and I’m really really totally speechless.
There is so much that needs to be said about this extra ordinary masterpiece but I can’t find the words to describe how awesome of a creation was accomplished here which leaves me totally as I already said speechless.
So all I’ll say is that Scott is one of the most talented author that I’ve in countered and Mark Boyett was the perfect choice in narrating those books.

I fully and absolutely recommend this book and any of Scott Bartlett amazing books !!!

[Manie · Rating 4 out of 5]

To Jake and even Lisa it has become clear that humanity might be doomed what with their secret alien adversary not only pulling the strings with the Darkstream board, but by the introduction of alien mech even for the Quatro, both aimed almost exclusively at enslaving or wiping out humanity in the Steele System.
Still, van they somehow still beat the odds?
Perhaps the time has come for humans and Quatro to work together but can they?
Another action packed book with many surprises sprung by the author, Scott Bartlett, ensures that the reader will not dare put the book down before reaching the final paragraph in it.
Enjoy.

[Randall Medlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good conclusion to the Mech Wars series. Closed out the story well, and set the stage for the next series. Overall I enjoyed the series. It is good military science fiction, though with corporate military instead of a governmental military. I have yet to go back to the series that started the story, Ixan Prophecies, but will likely pick it up at some point in the future.

Disclaimer: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Infliction is the fourth book in the Mech Wars series by Scott Bartlett - which is a high-octane blend of military sci-fi action, tactical intrigue, and dramatic storytelling that thrusts us into high-stakes battles and plenty more page-turning developments.
A must-read for fans of space battles, mech wars, and intriguing sci-fi.
Happy Reading…

[Brant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not to bad

I started this series not to long ago and the author hooked me through his writing style. I am sure this genre is not for most but I certainly enjoyed this series so far. Cannot wait for the next book.

[Christopher Connell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reunited with Oneari Jake joins with his old friends and one very old friend from Hub. He learns of the Quattro assistance and warily embraces them in an alliance against Darkstream and the Progenitors. Oneari adds some new mech pilots and it seems like the team is finally whole again.

[jack L.Wynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book

[DAVID · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

Well once again you have surpassed yourself in another great storyline totally looking forward to the next book to come out

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great finish to this exciting series definitely recommend