Commonality Games

by Mark Rounds

Aliens have taken over the Earth and installed their own government and rebuilt the economy of the planet. Poverty is mostly eradicated and the masses of Earth's population are growing. The new diversion is the Games. Gladiators done the clothing and equipment of many historical eras and brawl to entertain the masses. Taol Ubner and his friends are drawn into the Games and must be victorious or die in the attempt.

250 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 1, 2018

Reviews

[Claire Self · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I have given this book one out of five stars ⭐️
In all honesty, I have had a good think about this book and have come to the conclusion that this type of war and sci-fi genre mix really isn't for me. I can definitely appreciate this kind of genre especially when a novel like 'tis has been written by Mark Rounds as I was still intrigued to find out what happened at the end of the novel due to the great use of descriptive writing and the concept of the story itself however, for me, I couldn't keep up with all the well-descriptive-weapons being used but that's because I don't have a great knowledge on the combat and gun forefront.
Due to my lack of understanding and knowledge, I did find it a lot harder to connect with any of the characters within this book. There were only a couple of times I became confused due to the large multi-character and couldn't figure out who was who.
I have definitely taken on board that Mark Rounds is a fantastic author who has incredible knowledge or has done a lot of thorough research for this book and I admire that dedication and expertise of his. Also, I love the use of descriptive writing and how he made the action throughout the book build in a great way, taking us through the process of training not just going straight into the "game".
If you enjoy reading about war and sci-fi novels mixed together, I would definitely recommend this book to you.

[Arjay Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action packed Sci-Fi / War games hybrid

This was a wonderful read. I’ll be honest, I am not usually interested in novels featuring war games, though I am a big fan of Sci-Fi. However, Mark Rounds obviously is an expert in historical weapons as well as the process a group of fighters goes through to become a unit. The characters developed well and believably, and the action built well, with enough highs and lows to maintain the tension throughout. The research and explanation of weaponry became a fascinating part of the story arc. It was also impressive, as a large multi-character novel is very hard to do, and a reader can often become confused as to who is who. I had no trouble following the leads as well as the secondary persona. If you would enjoy “The Hunger Games” crossed with military history, and a touch of aliens and other worlds, then this is the book for you!

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Commonality Games is set against an interesting backdrop. It’s a gripping plot to think Aliens have been in control of our planet for almost 200 years and are making strides to either understand the universe or manipulate it.

Population control is in place and a mutated influenza epidemic has killed off some colonists. Aliens now dictate the direction of humanity and if their authority is not followed, you're toast, or at least your brain is, wiped, and replaced with a smile.

In this adrenaline-fueled read, there are some strong and likable characters. My favorites are Taol and Jeffrey. Taol is twenty, a little cocky, and he’s a coordinating authority in building this mercenary company. The other is Sergeant Major Jefferson (Jeffrey). He is a guy with a big grin who's confined to a chair as a result of previous mortar bursts. Thankfully, his chair fits into an armored car.

Now, one might think a grudge match is a unique assignment but we see Taol and Jeffrey collaborate together to combine a unit of noncombatants and technicians that can negotiate this match using a diverse tactical discipline. Shattering my illusions that there was no permanent harm that the games caused was the mention that about one death occurs in every twenty or thirty phantom deaths.

Despite my rather limited knowledge of combat, I knew they would need to prepare, and, what better two to lead, than these two men who have the fire in their bellies?

This story does paint a convincing picture, we know that they use guidance and support to seek out vulnerabilities and discourage the enemy. Amongst the maneuvers, explosions and small arms fire, there are many valuable lessons from which we can learn themes of innocence and experience, comfort and suffering, bravery and fear. I expect the faint echo of Sousa's, 'The Stars and Stripes Forever' rings in their ear even when it's not coming across their radio.

In closing, Commonality Games was an entertaining read. The pace is steady and rhythmic. Much of the power of this novel is in recognizing that these men perform this mission by analyzing, examining and procuring morale. This story cleverly fuses a token expression most of us have heard a time or two, “ A man is made by the company he keeps.”

I received a copy of this book from the author. He was very generous with his time and allowed me to bombard him with questions about his writing process. The interview is on my blog if you are interested.