Colonel

Dirigent Mercenary Corps #6

by Rick Shelley

Explosive space combat as a soldier faces his final battle—from the national bestselling author of the Federation War series.
The year is 2804 AD. Humanity has colonized the universe. But the authority of the Confederation of Human Worlds is spread thin. Where the army of planet Earth cannot reach, mercenaries must keep the peace—and the Dirigent Mercenary Corps are the best of the best.
As a young cadet, all Lon Nolan ever dreamed of was serving in the military of planet Earth. After a dishonorable discharge on trumped-up charges, he saved himself and his honor by joining up with the Dirigent Mercenary Corps. Over the decades he's forged himself a place with the DMC—and shown himself to be a true hero. There's even talk that he might become the next General.
But Lon isn't after a promotion—in fact, he's thinking about retirement. With his son in the Corps, he's hoping he can leave the fighting to the next generation. But when the political machinations of the Confederation of Human Worlds get in the way, Lon has to return to the front lines, leading not just his troops, but his son among them, into a final bitter campaign.
"Rick Shelley was a soldier at heart, and his books were written from the heart. They carry the real feel of the sweat, blood, and camaraderie of those on the front lines." —Jack Campbell, New York Times–bestselling author
"Rick Shelly knows how to write compelling military science fiction thrillers that are so action packed, readers hardly have a moment for an oxygen break." —AllReaders.com

Genres: Science Fiction, Military Fiction, Military Science Fiction, Fiction

276 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Timothy Aull · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good simple sci-fi action war.

[Otis Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colonel by Rick Shelley is the grand finale of this whole interstellar march, and it hits harder than a double shot of mountain dew. Our boy Lon Nolan has finally climbed all the way to the top of the mountain, earning his eagle pins as a full-fledged colonel in the Dirigent Mercenary Corps. After years of watching his buddies get patched up or planted in the dirt, Lon is plumb tuckered out and looking to put war behind him. But just when he's fixing to sit on the porch and watch the grass grow, the big-wigs from a planet called Elysium come knocking. They’re getting absolute fits thrown at 'em by some mean, pillaging raiders from New Sparta, and they need Lon and his hard-nosed soldiers to come bail 'em out. To make things even heavier on his heart, Lon is facing the grim choice of whether to send his own flesh-and-blood sons out to the front lines. This final chapter from the year 2000 wraps up the whole six-book saga cleaner than a freshly scrubbed kitchen table. Since ol' Rick Shelley knew his way around a real military camp, the battle logic, corporate greed, and base-camp gossip feel as real as a calloused hand. It don't give you no fancy alien monsters or strange magic tricks; it’s just pure, blue-collar infantry warfare about good men holding the line together while the political slickers try to pull the wool over their eyes. It’s a mighty satisfying ending for folks who stuck by Lon from his greenhorn academy days all the way to his gray-haired command.

[Doug Sundseth · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

In this last book in the series, we see Lon commanding a multi-regimental job to defend a university world from Earth domination.

Lon's mental agonies about his son's safety and the losses caused by his command decisions are among the best character work in the series. Other than that, though, the characters don't have much depth.

The combat scenes are drawn well for what they are, but as with the whole series, there is little in the way of real combined arms action at any point. But at least this time, the other arms do get mentions and important jobs.

There is still very little that firmly makes this series SF other than the spaceships. The weapons would occasion hardly any surprise on a late-20th century battlefield, and there is no indication that technological change has driven significant tactical changes.

As with the other books, this book ends with very little in the way of a denouement, which is more a choice than a failing, but it does feel rather abrupt.

Overall, the series was entertaining, but it will never be a favorite. The military descriptions are strong (both the military tactics and the military culture), but the character work, world design, and science fiction elements are lacking. I would only recommend this for a serious MilSF fan who has already read the better offerings in the sub-genre.

[Doc · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last of six books that trace the career of a soldier of Dirigent, a planet whose main industry is providing mercenary services. Good, solid military stuff.

[Sean Randall · Rating 4 out of 5]

hard to believe I've finished these. They weren't anything truly amazing, but it was nice to always fall back on a book where you knew how things would go.

[Jim Stennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A satisfying conclusion to the series. Exciting action sequences and believable character development.