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Hell Bent
Alternate cover for ASIN: B077WK5V3L
It was named Relentless; an eight kilometre long starship massing two billion tons capable of waging war across the galaxy against humanity's enemies for years all by itself.
Assumed destroyed by both sides over twenty years ago in one of the last battles of the interstellar war between the Solarian Alliance and the Skiloi Imperium, Relentless has returned with an unquenchable thirst for vengeance, and for the commander at its helm, a man who has lost everything he ever cared about, the war has never ended.
As the Solarian Alliance rapidly mobilises every starship it has in a desperate attempt to locate and stop Relentless, the TSS Satori and her crew find themselves drawn inexorably into the conflict. For failure is not acceptable, and Relentless must be stopped at any cost...
It was named Relentless; an eight kilometre long starship massing two billion tons capable of waging war across the galaxy against humanity's enemies for years all by itself.
Assumed destroyed by both sides over twenty years ago in one of the last battles of the interstellar war between the Solarian Alliance and the Skiloi Imperium, Relentless has returned with an unquenchable thirst for vengeance, and for the commander at its helm, a man who has lost everything he ever cared about, the war has never ended.
As the Solarian Alliance rapidly mobilises every starship it has in a desperate attempt to locate and stop Relentless, the TSS Satori and her crew find themselves drawn inexorably into the conflict. For failure is not acceptable, and Relentless must be stopped at any cost...
183 pages, ebook
Published December 3, 2017
34 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 18, 2018
“The starship in front of you is named Relentless. She was built in the Laxman-22”
Author Nathan Waqa has self-published two disparate books – MATCHMAKER EXTRAORDINARE – a family comedy – and HELL BENT – a science fiction space opera. He offers no biographical data so we are left without background data as to how one author can embrace such a spectrum of stories. But the moment the reader begins this book the evidence is there: create a sci-fi fantasy with characters so human and real they seem like neighbors.
Before launching into this mesmerizing space fantasy Nathan offers a Prologue that hints at many aspects of his book - ’If it were possible for a machine to get bored, the observation satellite that had spent the last seventeen years constantly monitoring the star system humans called XE-1993 for signs of enemy activity would have considered shut-down several billion cycles ago. But it had not, and as it slowly rotated onto a new orientation its sensors caught a faint whiff along the electromagnetic spectrum of something out of the ordinary. The satellite paused, attempting to discern if anything was out there in the darkness ahead of it with its passive sensor arrays before making the decision to take a closer look. The active sensor array came online, probing cautiously outwards, and then the satellite used seven-thousandths of a second to process the data it was receiving. It had just realized what was approaching when a Skiloi stealth missile punched into it and detonated, consuming the satellite in a fusion reaction before it could send out a warning out to SolCom through its QEN module. The yellowy-orange star that signified its death glowed brightly for a few moments more, before fading away into oblivion. Moments later the shadowy shapes of Skiloi starships flashed past, their fusion drives burning brightly as they accelerated towards hyperspace entry speeds. They swept across the derelict star system over several hours on the final leg of a yearlong mission to reach their target undetected, and then slipped silently into hyperspace on the other side. Had the satellite still been intact it would have known their destination immediately: The Luhmann shipyards in the Laxman-22 system.’
To add to the dramatic flair and atmosphere of this adventure Nathan elects to make the star performer a supercharged woman – Ridley Scott. To taste the flavor of this tale, we are told a starship long thought destroyed returns and embarks on a mission of vengeance. And it must be stopped at any cost.
The synopsis is sound – ‘2317 - The dreadnought Relentless leaps into hyperspace during one of the last battles against the alien Skiloi, its destination unknown, and is presumed lost with all hands by humanity. 2337 - Relentless returns to human space, and as its commander begins to blaze a path of destruction across the stars towards Skiloi territories the Solarian Alliance rapidly mobilizes every starship it has in a desperate attempt to stop the rogue starship from restarting the war with their former enemies. As Relentless proceeds inexorably onwards, aboard the TSS Satori, ex-marine Ridley Martini is asked to undertake a perilous mission by her captain: Board Relentless, lead a squad to the bridge and overthrow whoever is in charge when she gets there. The mission's goal is simple: Failure is not acceptable, and Relentless must be stopped at any cost...’
And all of this is related in language that refuses to distance the reader: the prose draws us into the story and holds our attention until the final resolve. Nathan Waqa has the gift and he deserves our attention. Recommended.
Author Nathan Waqa has self-published two disparate books – MATCHMAKER EXTRAORDINARE – a family comedy – and HELL BENT – a science fiction space opera. He offers no biographical data so we are left without background data as to how one author can embrace such a spectrum of stories. But the moment the reader begins this book the evidence is there: create a sci-fi fantasy with characters so human and real they seem like neighbors.
Before launching into this mesmerizing space fantasy Nathan offers a Prologue that hints at many aspects of his book - ’If it were possible for a machine to get bored, the observation satellite that had spent the last seventeen years constantly monitoring the star system humans called XE-1993 for signs of enemy activity would have considered shut-down several billion cycles ago. But it had not, and as it slowly rotated onto a new orientation its sensors caught a faint whiff along the electromagnetic spectrum of something out of the ordinary. The satellite paused, attempting to discern if anything was out there in the darkness ahead of it with its passive sensor arrays before making the decision to take a closer look. The active sensor array came online, probing cautiously outwards, and then the satellite used seven-thousandths of a second to process the data it was receiving. It had just realized what was approaching when a Skiloi stealth missile punched into it and detonated, consuming the satellite in a fusion reaction before it could send out a warning out to SolCom through its QEN module. The yellowy-orange star that signified its death glowed brightly for a few moments more, before fading away into oblivion. Moments later the shadowy shapes of Skiloi starships flashed past, their fusion drives burning brightly as they accelerated towards hyperspace entry speeds. They swept across the derelict star system over several hours on the final leg of a yearlong mission to reach their target undetected, and then slipped silently into hyperspace on the other side. Had the satellite still been intact it would have known their destination immediately: The Luhmann shipyards in the Laxman-22 system.’
To add to the dramatic flair and atmosphere of this adventure Nathan elects to make the star performer a supercharged woman – Ridley Scott. To taste the flavor of this tale, we are told a starship long thought destroyed returns and embarks on a mission of vengeance. And it must be stopped at any cost.
The synopsis is sound – ‘2317 - The dreadnought Relentless leaps into hyperspace during one of the last battles against the alien Skiloi, its destination unknown, and is presumed lost with all hands by humanity. 2337 - Relentless returns to human space, and as its commander begins to blaze a path of destruction across the stars towards Skiloi territories the Solarian Alliance rapidly mobilizes every starship it has in a desperate attempt to stop the rogue starship from restarting the war with their former enemies. As Relentless proceeds inexorably onwards, aboard the TSS Satori, ex-marine Ridley Martini is asked to undertake a perilous mission by her captain: Board Relentless, lead a squad to the bridge and overthrow whoever is in charge when she gets there. The mission's goal is simple: Failure is not acceptable, and Relentless must be stopped at any cost...’
And all of this is related in language that refuses to distance the reader: the prose draws us into the story and holds our attention until the final resolve. Nathan Waqa has the gift and he deserves our attention. Recommended.
November 19, 2018
Hell Bent by Nathan Waqa grabs your attention right from the start with a effectively written domestic scenario, a father and his young daughter having a conversation. From that domestic scene, the story unfolds into a much more dangerous situation, one of incoming enemies, and whether or not they can be fought off effectively. Starships, vengeance, and retribution all figure prominently in this tale as the author develops the plot. Relentless is coming to get the TSS Satori, and it is up to ex-marine Ridley Martini to save the ship and head up the mission. The author creates a sense of intrigue and suspense while finely developing his characters, giving them very real emotions while also fending off enemies. A well written book with a solid plot, good pace, and an ending that wraps up nicely; this book is highly recommended for a great read.
November 23, 2018
The intensity of Hell Bent, by Nathan Waqa, will draw you in quickly as the Relentless flees from an alien attack they could not win. Losing family and friends does not diminish in the twenty years they spend away from the Skiloi territory. When they return with revenge on their mind, it is up to the TSS Satori to stop them to keep the peace they fought hard to get.
Nathan Waqa does well developing his characters and starting the conflict between these two starships. I love the ending as two very competent leaders face each other, one seeking to keep peace for the galaxy, the other seeking retribution for the damage done. There isn’t an easy answer in war as Captain Dean finds out. You may become your own enemy. Hell Bent will satisfy most science fiction readers, especially those interested in space.
Nathan Waqa does well developing his characters and starting the conflict between these two starships. I love the ending as two very competent leaders face each other, one seeking to keep peace for the galaxy, the other seeking retribution for the damage done. There isn’t an easy answer in war as Captain Dean finds out. You may become your own enemy. Hell Bent will satisfy most science fiction readers, especially those interested in space.
December 6, 2018
Science fiction has a reputation for being complex, and that isn’t the case here. What we do have is a spacefaring game of strategy, well-written and immersive. Waqa certainly excels at writing credible environments and emotions, and does so from start to finish.
The plot is certainly fast-paced, and while it’s overall quite linear, there are enough aspects that could be swung either way to keep even the most attentive and genre-savvy of readers from knowing in advance what’s going to happen at any given point. The flip side of this is that it’s constant enough that I found myself not very invested in the outcomes of the various plot points.
The human interactions of the book are credibly written; the technical aspects rather less so; if this latter is the sort of thing you find it easy to overlook, then you won’t be troubled by that, of course.
The plot is certainly fast-paced, and while it’s overall quite linear, there are enough aspects that could be swung either way to keep even the most attentive and genre-savvy of readers from knowing in advance what’s going to happen at any given point. The flip side of this is that it’s constant enough that I found myself not very invested in the outcomes of the various plot points.
The human interactions of the book are credibly written; the technical aspects rather less so; if this latter is the sort of thing you find it easy to overlook, then you won’t be troubled by that, of course.
November 19, 2018
The terror of ‘relentless’ is back and is a threat to the entire universe as we know it. I don’t want to give to much away as to what happens in the book, as you really should read it for yourself and find out! You won’t be disappointed, the writer has a real gift at being able to create a universe completely separate to our own, filled with characters that you can’t help but be drawn towards.
Filled with more twists than a Netflix thriller and the characters feeling just as real as my friends do, I was really blown away by just how drawn into this world I became.
I don’t think there’ll be a sequel to this, but I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for any new stories and worlds that this writer creates.
Filled with more twists than a Netflix thriller and the characters feeling just as real as my friends do, I was really blown away by just how drawn into this world I became.
I don’t think there’ll be a sequel to this, but I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for any new stories and worlds that this writer creates.
September 8, 2018
This was a pretty good tale while classified as science fiction I considered it more of a thriller. The technology wasn’t too over the top, and without having a spoiler the author did a good job of developing the characters and getting you involved with the story. Unlike other science fiction titles I have been reading lately, and a bit refreshing, this one has a complete ending – no to be continued – and I enjoyed it. I wouldn’t mind reading more from this author.
I read this with my Kindle Unlimited subscription vs. paying the full price of $2.99 and certainly received more than $2.99 worth of entertainment value.
I read this with my Kindle Unlimited subscription vs. paying the full price of $2.99 and certainly received more than $2.99 worth of entertainment value.
November 20, 2018
Fiction, Thriller!
A science fiction based on the story to save life from Relentless that has returned to human space. A man ex-marine Ridley Martini is assigned the job to stop Relentless and stop the path of destruction. The plot starts as a family story, but as it unfolds, turns out to be a science thriller with twists and suspense that captivates the reader’s attention. A fast paced story with a message and the goal to succeed as failure is not the end and is not acceptable.
A science fiction based on the story to save life from Relentless that has returned to human space. A man ex-marine Ridley Martini is assigned the job to stop Relentless and stop the path of destruction. The plot starts as a family story, but as it unfolds, turns out to be a science thriller with twists and suspense that captivates the reader’s attention. A fast paced story with a message and the goal to succeed as failure is not the end and is not acceptable.
October 19, 2023
Quite impressed with this book, it was well written few if any grammar/typos and the story flowed. A bit too much detail on opening and closing airlocks! But despite that refreshing to see the "heroes" not having a typical happy ever after and passing on to sequel after sequel. The military routines and knowledge seemed very on point and made sense. Would definitely recommend
May 29, 2021
Great Adventure
An action packed sci-fi adventure full of plot twist and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The storyline and characters were easy to follow and identify with. I really liked this book and I highly recommend it.
An action packed sci-fi adventure full of plot twist and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The storyline and characters were easy to follow and identify with. I really liked this book and I highly recommend it.
December 13, 2019
Awesome
I loved it ❤️. It touches something deep within the human experience. I would definitely recommend this book, but be prepared to cry
I loved it ❤️. It touches something deep within the human experience. I would definitely recommend this book, but be prepared to cry
May 19, 2020
good fast read. Enjoyed the action very much. I highly recommend it.
January 13, 2023
Excellent read
I really enjoyed this book, great characters and excellent dialog. I would like to read other books by this author.
I really enjoyed this book, great characters and excellent dialog. I would like to read other books by this author.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews