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Kill Switch: Serial Escalation
‘You deserve to be here’ says the note Thao Seong finds pinned to his chest when he wakes up on the set of Slayerz. For over ten seasons, Slayerz has been dealing in the very best of death and destruction, and the ratings are higher than ever. But America’s favourite reality TV bloodsport may still have some twists to come!Thao has no memory of who he is or how he became a Slayerz contestant. He only knows that he must find out what’s really going on behind the scenes of the show. But first, he and his unwilling partner, the ex-military cyborg Layla Jackson, will have to survive the other fourteen teams of criminals out for their blood.Up against human-skinning serial killers, mass-murdering punk rockers, vigilantes, crazy cult leaders, psycho teens, and even worse, Wall St bankers, kill or be killed are the only options! The one rule is the team that slays together, stays together.
403 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 30, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 7, 2018
KILL SWITCH: SERIAL ESCALATION is the sequel to the underrated satirical action novel KILL SWITCH from 2017. The premise of Kill Switch is one which has been done in RUNNING MAN, GAMER, and DEATH RACE but rarely in literature form. [Note: Yes, I know Running Man was originally a novel but it was a considerably less crazy and fun work than the Arnuld movie.]
Sean E. Britten has created a magnificent world of over-the-top violence, bizarre repulsive characters, and hilarious commercials. The premise is simple enough: all life imprisonment or death row inmates in America have been sold to the show Slayerz. They then compete in gladiator competitions to the death with a partner in a variety of burned out arenas and ruins. Some of the criminals are complete scum and some of them are more justified.
I enjoyed the original Kill Switch but this version has an even more entertaining plot this time around. Slayerz is running out of hardened criminals to kill after a decade of seasons, so they've started throwing in political prisoners (or clones of them or both) with false backstories as well as drugs that suppress their memories. Newcomer Thao isn't sure if he's actually the monster he's accused of being but his partner, ex-soldier Layla believes he's a rapist and murderer.
There's a bunch ot other dangerous people in the arena that include a few monsters that have redeeming qualities like a Punisher-esque vigilante and a self-styled saint. Our heroes must form alliances to survive even as they know only two of them are going to get out of this event alive. These interactions and the hamminess of the characters are incredibly entertaining.
The best part of the book, though, is undoubtedly the commercials. Mentioned above, at the beginning of every chapter, is an over-the-top future commercial like the kind found in Paul Verhoven's works. They advertise human meat restaurants (with cloned celebrities providing the food), clones of yourself to replace your dead family, and other ridiculous stories. They're arguably the highlight of the book.
In conclusion, this is a great book if you want a zany murder-heavy action-filled romp. It's silly, bloody, and fun.
9/10
Sean E. Britten has created a magnificent world of over-the-top violence, bizarre repulsive characters, and hilarious commercials. The premise is simple enough: all life imprisonment or death row inmates in America have been sold to the show Slayerz. They then compete in gladiator competitions to the death with a partner in a variety of burned out arenas and ruins. Some of the criminals are complete scum and some of them are more justified.
I enjoyed the original Kill Switch but this version has an even more entertaining plot this time around. Slayerz is running out of hardened criminals to kill after a decade of seasons, so they've started throwing in political prisoners (or clones of them or both) with false backstories as well as drugs that suppress their memories. Newcomer Thao isn't sure if he's actually the monster he's accused of being but his partner, ex-soldier Layla believes he's a rapist and murderer.
There's a bunch ot other dangerous people in the arena that include a few monsters that have redeeming qualities like a Punisher-esque vigilante and a self-styled saint. Our heroes must form alliances to survive even as they know only two of them are going to get out of this event alive. These interactions and the hamminess of the characters are incredibly entertaining.
The best part of the book, though, is undoubtedly the commercials. Mentioned above, at the beginning of every chapter, is an over-the-top future commercial like the kind found in Paul Verhoven's works. They advertise human meat restaurants (with cloned celebrities providing the food), clones of yourself to replace your dead family, and other ridiculous stories. They're arguably the highlight of the book.
In conclusion, this is a great book if you want a zany murder-heavy action-filled romp. It's silly, bloody, and fun.
9/10
December 8, 2019
This second instalment of the Kill Switch trilogy is just as brutal as the last. Kill Switch is a TV program watched by hundreds of millions in which thirty hardcore criminals, paired into teams of two are set to fight against one another inside a massive arena. Each crim wears a kill switch, a metal bracelet that will inject them with a lethal concoction of drugs should their partner die in combat. As the saying goes, if they want to stay together, they must slay together.
Enter Thao Seong who is a contestant in the second season of the show. Problem is, Thao has no memory of who he is or what crime he committed. He only knows he must kill or be killed. As the story progresses Thao finds more out about his history and who he is, and it's not what you might think.
The story is fast-paced and the combat scenes are well done, dragging the reader in front and centre and keeping your attention engaged. The adverts at the beginning of each chapter are fantastic. They're full of sarcastic or black humour which I found really appealing. If you're a fan of battle royale type scenarios, then this trilogy is a must-read. The twist at the end is surprising. Recommended!
Enter Thao Seong who is a contestant in the second season of the show. Problem is, Thao has no memory of who he is or what crime he committed. He only knows he must kill or be killed. As the story progresses Thao finds more out about his history and who he is, and it's not what you might think.
The story is fast-paced and the combat scenes are well done, dragging the reader in front and centre and keeping your attention engaged. The adverts at the beginning of each chapter are fantastic. They're full of sarcastic or black humour which I found really appealing. If you're a fan of battle royale type scenarios, then this trilogy is a must-read. The twist at the end is surprising. Recommended!
August 8, 2018
Mr. Britten achieves what he sets out to do with this sequel to his first novel, Kill Switch. This time around, there are more contestants, more surprises, more weapons, more death, and, yes, even more betrayal. Without spoiling it, there's a new element near the end that literally changes everything and allows for future growth in this series. While my favorite parts remain the dark, dystopian and often laugh-out-loud commercials between action sequences (and this book is literally non-stop action), readers will enjoy the strong female characters and the author's endlessly imaginative "kills." If you are disturbed by or opposed to violence, this book is not for you. If, on the other hand, you enjoy Predator-style action, you can hardly do better than Kill Switch: Escalation.
December 29, 2019
“More contestants! More challenges!..."
“More contestants! More challenges! New weapons! New traps! The return of an earlier season’s champion? And, an Abomination round?”
This is the second book in a gruesome trilogy. Book one was KILL SWITCH and book three is KILL SWITCH: FINAL SEASON. Book one was good, exciting but I enjoyed this book more.
Criminals on life sentences or death row are recruited in fifteen pairs for a gladiator-style fight to the death reality show. Last pair standing wins their freedom. This season, though, there are three contestants with amnesia that don't remember the crimes they're accused of.
There are different challenges this season, even ones that wouldn't be condoned by the public if they knew.
One thing I forgot to mention in my review of the first book and are included in this book too are sponsored advertisements during the event that are warped and hilarious - I loved them.
Don't read these books if you have a queasy stomach. Otherwise, enjoy.
“More contestants! More challenges! New weapons! New traps! The return of an earlier season’s champion? And, an Abomination round?”
This is the second book in a gruesome trilogy. Book one was KILL SWITCH and book three is KILL SWITCH: FINAL SEASON. Book one was good, exciting but I enjoyed this book more.
Criminals on life sentences or death row are recruited in fifteen pairs for a gladiator-style fight to the death reality show. Last pair standing wins their freedom. This season, though, there are three contestants with amnesia that don't remember the crimes they're accused of.
There are different challenges this season, even ones that wouldn't be condoned by the public if they knew.
One thing I forgot to mention in my review of the first book and are included in this book too are sponsored advertisements during the event that are warped and hilarious - I loved them.
Don't read these books if you have a queasy stomach. Otherwise, enjoy.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews