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One Man's War
There's no good way to prepare yourself to die...
Guerro runs a kill team. They're good. Better than good. Or they were, until they walked into an ambush that wiped his team out and left Guerro for dead.
All the evidence suggests they were betrayed, but by who, and why?
Determined to avenge his team and settle old scores, Guerro embarks upon a one man war, knowing that whoever put the kill order out on his people is still out there, watching for him to show his face so they can end him.
A relentless science fiction thriller in the vein of Bladerunner, Altered Carbon, and Titanborn.
Also Available on Audible narrated by the award-winning R.C. Bray (Galaxy's Edge, The Martian)
Guerro runs a kill team. They're good. Better than good. Or they were, until they walked into an ambush that wiped his team out and left Guerro for dead.
All the evidence suggests they were betrayed, but by who, and why?
Determined to avenge his team and settle old scores, Guerro embarks upon a one man war, knowing that whoever put the kill order out on his people is still out there, watching for him to show his face so they can end him.
A relentless science fiction thriller in the vein of Bladerunner, Altered Carbon, and Titanborn.
Also Available on Audible narrated by the award-winning R.C. Bray (Galaxy's Edge, The Martian)
179 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2019
29 people are currently reading
61 people want to read
About the author
Steven Savile
247 books250 followersSteven Savile (born October 12, 1969, in Newcastle, England) is a British fantasy, horror and thriller writer, and editor living in Sala, Sweden.
Under the Ronan Frost penname (inspired by the hero of his bestselling novel, Silver) he has also written the action thriller White Peak, and as Matt Langley was a finalist for the People's Book Prize.
Under the Ronan Frost penname (inspired by the hero of his bestselling novel, Silver) he has also written the action thriller White Peak, and as Matt Langley was a finalist for the People's Book Prize.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
October 12, 2019
( Format : Audiobook )
"Ashes, ashes, we all fall down eventually."
Narrator R.C. Bray becomes the adrenaline fueled, money orientated, battle loving assassin Marco, for hire with his team. It's the 22nd Century and several corporations essentially rule the world and the population of sixteen billion. Corporate trouble shouting is often exactly that, and his team of four bleeders - Marco, Swan, Mardigan and Fate - are the best at what they do with over 50 successful missions. Then it all goes wrong, only Marco narrowly escaping with his life. They must have been betrayed. And with simple death too easy on the traitor, Marco forms a new team to revenge his crew and to pull off the con of a lifetime.
Despite it's short duration, and the near constant action, One Man's War still delivers two very memorable characters. The main protagonist in particular, by virtue of being the man recounting the story, becomes not just three dimensional but also someone the reader actually knows well. He is not a pleasant man but has a defined code of conduct, loyalty and keeping his word. The con itself is meticulously plotted and the reader is also treated to backstories of other missions completed before the crew was destroyed. All is told in a cynical, sardonic writing style, perfect for the nature of the book. It is great, especially narrated by Bray, who captures the essence of storyteller and text perfectly as well as individually voicing every protagonist to suite their personalities.
I was fortunate in being freely gifted with a complimentary copy of One Man's War, at my request, by the rights holder. Thank you so much. It is one of those occasional books that I wish could be awarded an extra super star in the ratings. Immaginative, energizing and fun to hear, it was a delight - just over too soon. A definite recommendation to all S.F.fans, as well as lovers of colourful characters, action thrillers and anyone who enjoyed the film, The Sting: it would make a truly explosive film itself.
"Ashes, ashes, we all fall down eventually."
Narrator R.C. Bray becomes the adrenaline fueled, money orientated, battle loving assassin Marco, for hire with his team. It's the 22nd Century and several corporations essentially rule the world and the population of sixteen billion. Corporate trouble shouting is often exactly that, and his team of four bleeders - Marco, Swan, Mardigan and Fate - are the best at what they do with over 50 successful missions. Then it all goes wrong, only Marco narrowly escaping with his life. They must have been betrayed. And with simple death too easy on the traitor, Marco forms a new team to revenge his crew and to pull off the con of a lifetime.
Despite it's short duration, and the near constant action, One Man's War still delivers two very memorable characters. The main protagonist in particular, by virtue of being the man recounting the story, becomes not just three dimensional but also someone the reader actually knows well. He is not a pleasant man but has a defined code of conduct, loyalty and keeping his word. The con itself is meticulously plotted and the reader is also treated to backstories of other missions completed before the crew was destroyed. All is told in a cynical, sardonic writing style, perfect for the nature of the book. It is great, especially narrated by Bray, who captures the essence of storyteller and text perfectly as well as individually voicing every protagonist to suite their personalities.
I was fortunate in being freely gifted with a complimentary copy of One Man's War, at my request, by the rights holder. Thank you so much. It is one of those occasional books that I wish could be awarded an extra super star in the ratings. Immaginative, energizing and fun to hear, it was a delight - just over too soon. A definite recommendation to all S.F.fans, as well as lovers of colourful characters, action thrillers and anyone who enjoyed the film, The Sting: it would make a truly explosive film itself.
December 27, 2019
It is what it is. I chose the audio book version read by R.C. Bray, who really did breathe fire into it. Apart from some great sci fi detective style banter from the mercenaries, it had little to offer. A good offering for those looking for something to wile away the hours without having to think deeply.
December 1, 2020
Great literature, this is not. Great actionpacked fun, however? Hell yes. A fastpaced sci-fi revenge thriller featuring a lot of firefights and an elaborate con - because sometimes you just need some "switch off your brain and get out the popcorn" kind of entertainment, which this certainly provided in spades.
November 14, 2019
Review originally published at: https://www.lomeraniel.com/audiobookr...
During one of his men’s funeral, the rest of Guerrero’s crew is taken down and an attempt is also made on his life. A bleeder’s life is not an easy one, and Guerrero will have to embark on the mission of his life, not only to avenge his crew, but also to find out who is behind all this without being killed.
This was an entertaining and fast-paced story, with plenty of special effects and futuristic technology. It is written in first person, from Guerrero’s point of view. Guerrero’s voice is sarcastic and humorous, often using very graphic images. The only drawback regarding this is that some of the expressions were used more than once, which became a bit repetitive and made the images lose their impact.
There is not a lot of character development. We know that Gerrero is a bleeder, a mercenary, and also some of his fears. But we do not have his backstory or how long he has been a bleeder. I think this is why I was not able to relate to him. I also missed some world building. We got a little glimpse of the world towards the end, which left me wanting to know more. Anyway, I feel this came too late in the story, like a second thought.
I would also have appreciated more descriptions of places and people, and a better flow between scenes. The transitions felt abrupt most of the time, clunky. I think it was a good story but it needed to be a bit more polished to grab my full attention.
R.C. Bray’s narration was excellent, as usual. His portrayal of Guerrero was spot on, as someone who is reckless and disenchanted. Bray’s steady narration helped me to keep my attention focused on the story. It definitely added something to the book, making it more enjoyable.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
During one of his men’s funeral, the rest of Guerrero’s crew is taken down and an attempt is also made on his life. A bleeder’s life is not an easy one, and Guerrero will have to embark on the mission of his life, not only to avenge his crew, but also to find out who is behind all this without being killed.
This was an entertaining and fast-paced story, with plenty of special effects and futuristic technology. It is written in first person, from Guerrero’s point of view. Guerrero’s voice is sarcastic and humorous, often using very graphic images. The only drawback regarding this is that some of the expressions were used more than once, which became a bit repetitive and made the images lose their impact.
There is not a lot of character development. We know that Gerrero is a bleeder, a mercenary, and also some of his fears. But we do not have his backstory or how long he has been a bleeder. I think this is why I was not able to relate to him. I also missed some world building. We got a little glimpse of the world towards the end, which left me wanting to know more. Anyway, I feel this came too late in the story, like a second thought.
I would also have appreciated more descriptions of places and people, and a better flow between scenes. The transitions felt abrupt most of the time, clunky. I think it was a good story but it needed to be a bit more polished to grab my full attention.
R.C. Bray’s narration was excellent, as usual. His portrayal of Guerrero was spot on, as someone who is reckless and disenchanted. Bray’s steady narration helped me to keep my attention focused on the story. It definitely added something to the book, making it more enjoyable.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
October 7, 2019
Audible
Hard-broiled sci-fi revenge story. Good stuff.
Hard-broiled sci-fi revenge story. Good stuff.
May 5, 2020
I give it a 3.5.
I listened to the audio book so, as always RC Bray is freaking great.
Story wise it is okay. The ending is cathartic enough to warrant the build up but sometimes the main character is so damn insufferable. It makes the story drag on at times and in moments when it tries it make humor it simply just makes me do eye rolls. I got through it cause it was a short listen but overall it was a slog at some points.
I listened to the audio book so, as always RC Bray is freaking great.
Story wise it is okay. The ending is cathartic enough to warrant the build up but sometimes the main character is so damn insufferable. It makes the story drag on at times and in moments when it tries it make humor it simply just makes me do eye rolls. I got through it cause it was a short listen but overall it was a slog at some points.
Read
June 21, 20233.5 stars.
Fast paced - check!
Cohesive story - check!
Lots of fun trash talk - check!
Lots of action - check!
Rock solid conclusion - check, check, and double check!
Fast paced - check!
Cohesive story - check!
Lots of fun trash talk - check!
Lots of action - check!
Rock solid conclusion - check, check, and double check!
December 30, 2019
This is a full-on intense revenge-based thriller, that just does not stop, from the moment you start reading, to the very last page.
The story is based around Marco Guerra, a Mercenary soldier in an elite unit that does high grade military tasks, breaking into secret facilities type of work, assassination when required, but all at the extreme end of the spectrum.
Marco works with a team of four, himself, Fate, Martagen and Swann.
Things have always gone well for the team, they work exceptionally well together, they all have good skill sets that mean that they are capable of doing basically anything, and, with Fate being their point man, leading their jobs, getting info etc, they have never had problems, as Fate has a way of just getting the job done, of pulling the team and himself out of the fire (so to speak), consistently so they never get caught, and there is never any problems.
However, after one mission, things go horribly wrong, and Fate is killed, the others barely escaping.
There is a funeral, at which Martagan and Swann attend, but Marco doesn’t, not openly, he only attends, hiding in the trees at a long distance, no one knows he is there. But someone does know. And at the funeral, Martagan and Swann are gunned down in cold blood as Marco watches, and he is also attacked.
And this is where the real story starts.
I don’t want to give too much away, what I have discussed is pretty much given away in the preamble on the back of the book.
Without giving spoilers (because there are just too many twists and turns in this book, it is very clever and you just have to read it), Marco realises that Fate is actually alive, having faked his death, and now killed the team, all for money. Marco, having survived, goes on what can only be called one of the darkest revenge streaks known to man.
He puts together a new team, Tembrae, this awesome warrior woman who is just incredible. He has to involve some underhive scum to help him as he needs it, that takes the form of Gant, and he is such a brilliant slimy character. The other member of his team is probably the most dangerous, even though she never leaves a computer terminal, her name is Mel, and she is so scary, that you never want to mess with her.
The character work in this story is utterly brilliant. This is nothing more than a blood thirsty revenge thriller, and to be honest, it could have been quite unoriginal. Saville however, has taken the one man’s war, and given it his own unique twist. As stated, his characters are just exceptional, and it is this character work that truly makes this book worth the read. And whilst the main character of Marco is a lot of fun, it is the side characters that deserve a lot of the credit for making this book such a success. Marco’s original team are excellent in re-telling stories early in the book, and later, his new team are both terrifying, and hilarious as they provide both background stories, as well as create this story for the ages.
What really makes this story great though, is just how utterly sadistic Saville is in his revenge tactics as Marco hunts down Fate, and you find yourself utterly captivated by the thrill of the chase, but at the same time, kind of horrified that you are enjoying it so much.
For warning, this is a full-on, at times incredibly brutal story, Saville does not hold back. But then again, this is war, and this story is very realistic in its telling.
Overall, it is a lot of fun, a great read, and some exceptional character work, but it is not for the light hearted, but then again, are any of this style of book? Awesome read!!
The story is based around Marco Guerra, a Mercenary soldier in an elite unit that does high grade military tasks, breaking into secret facilities type of work, assassination when required, but all at the extreme end of the spectrum.
Marco works with a team of four, himself, Fate, Martagen and Swann.
Things have always gone well for the team, they work exceptionally well together, they all have good skill sets that mean that they are capable of doing basically anything, and, with Fate being their point man, leading their jobs, getting info etc, they have never had problems, as Fate has a way of just getting the job done, of pulling the team and himself out of the fire (so to speak), consistently so they never get caught, and there is never any problems.
However, after one mission, things go horribly wrong, and Fate is killed, the others barely escaping.
There is a funeral, at which Martagan and Swann attend, but Marco doesn’t, not openly, he only attends, hiding in the trees at a long distance, no one knows he is there. But someone does know. And at the funeral, Martagan and Swann are gunned down in cold blood as Marco watches, and he is also attacked.
And this is where the real story starts.
I don’t want to give too much away, what I have discussed is pretty much given away in the preamble on the back of the book.
Without giving spoilers (because there are just too many twists and turns in this book, it is very clever and you just have to read it), Marco realises that Fate is actually alive, having faked his death, and now killed the team, all for money. Marco, having survived, goes on what can only be called one of the darkest revenge streaks known to man.
He puts together a new team, Tembrae, this awesome warrior woman who is just incredible. He has to involve some underhive scum to help him as he needs it, that takes the form of Gant, and he is such a brilliant slimy character. The other member of his team is probably the most dangerous, even though she never leaves a computer terminal, her name is Mel, and she is so scary, that you never want to mess with her.
The character work in this story is utterly brilliant. This is nothing more than a blood thirsty revenge thriller, and to be honest, it could have been quite unoriginal. Saville however, has taken the one man’s war, and given it his own unique twist. As stated, his characters are just exceptional, and it is this character work that truly makes this book worth the read. And whilst the main character of Marco is a lot of fun, it is the side characters that deserve a lot of the credit for making this book such a success. Marco’s original team are excellent in re-telling stories early in the book, and later, his new team are both terrifying, and hilarious as they provide both background stories, as well as create this story for the ages.
What really makes this story great though, is just how utterly sadistic Saville is in his revenge tactics as Marco hunts down Fate, and you find yourself utterly captivated by the thrill of the chase, but at the same time, kind of horrified that you are enjoying it so much.
For warning, this is a full-on, at times incredibly brutal story, Saville does not hold back. But then again, this is war, and this story is very realistic in its telling.
Overall, it is a lot of fun, a great read, and some exceptional character work, but it is not for the light hearted, but then again, are any of this style of book? Awesome read!!
December 27, 2019
I normally never write a bad review. I prefer to contact the author or authors and suggest possible changes to their story, whether that be to correct spelling, grammar, structure, etc., but this was actually fairly well written English.
That problems with this story are immense, so there is no way to correct anything.
I don’t want to give out any spoilers so I’ll keep this in general terms as much as possible.
The story is a mess of out of this world technology that pops up as needed with no forethought or preparation.
The author just adds what he needs in order to protect his protagonists so the story can move forward to the next ridiculous situation.
Even though it is set in the future there’s no realism, it’s all pure fantasy where it should have been grounded in some form of reality for this type of story.
The worst part is it’s entirely depressing.
It’s extremely difficult to read a story that makes the reader not want to read it anymore.
Every time we picked the book back up hoping for something good to happen it just made my reader and I even more depressed.
We got to the point where it was obvious as to how it would all end and said enough is enough and threw it away.
It’s kinda sad because I could see that the author(s) are talented in composing well written English, but their idea of content fell way short of any talent at all.
I hope whomever does read this story has a different view and enjoys it.
We could not as there isn’t anything redeemable about it in our opinion.
Just to clarify, I am blind to reading and I need a narrator. We both felt the very same about this book.
I’m giving this two stars for the mostly good use of the English language, but that’s all.
Good luck to anyone who gives this a go.
That problems with this story are immense, so there is no way to correct anything.
I don’t want to give out any spoilers so I’ll keep this in general terms as much as possible.
The story is a mess of out of this world technology that pops up as needed with no forethought or preparation.
The author just adds what he needs in order to protect his protagonists so the story can move forward to the next ridiculous situation.
Even though it is set in the future there’s no realism, it’s all pure fantasy where it should have been grounded in some form of reality for this type of story.
The worst part is it’s entirely depressing.
It’s extremely difficult to read a story that makes the reader not want to read it anymore.
Every time we picked the book back up hoping for something good to happen it just made my reader and I even more depressed.
We got to the point where it was obvious as to how it would all end and said enough is enough and threw it away.
It’s kinda sad because I could see that the author(s) are talented in composing well written English, but their idea of content fell way short of any talent at all.
I hope whomever does read this story has a different view and enjoys it.
We could not as there isn’t anything redeemable about it in our opinion.
Just to clarify, I am blind to reading and I need a narrator. We both felt the very same about this book.
I’m giving this two stars for the mostly good use of the English language, but that’s all.
Good luck to anyone who gives this a go.
December 20, 2020
This novel contains strong language and some dialogue.
Written by Steven Saville, One Man’s War is an action-packed thriller that’s heavy on thrills but light on substance. The work follows Guerro, a mercenary who’s willing to take on the most dangerous jobs. When his team is ambushed and he’s nearly killed, he embarks on a journey of revenge. His mission is marred by lackluster dialogue and light character development. The work is passable thanks to the narrative skill of R.C. Bray. Fans of the Saville or Bray will find something to enjoy here, but everyone else should look elsewhere.
The ruthless team of aptly named “bleeders'' are willing to sacrifice themselves for a job. These mercenaries hold a ruthless determination and drive that’s unmatched. Their successes have brought them increasingly daring and dangerous missions. Their leader and the protagonist of this work, Guerro, is a brash, callous, brute with a one track mind. When his team is blindsided and slaughtered by a mysterious aggressor, he can think of nothing beyond avenging the deaths of his closest companions. He sets out to build a new team and craft an intricate plan of revenge. His work culminates in a satisfying and unpredictable conclusion.
Saville lies the groundwork for an engaging premise and intricate plot. He writes thrilling action scenes with high stakes and unrelenting progression. Environments are described in intricate detail and set pieces are engaging. Character development is where the novel severely falters. Despite being the star of the work, Guerro is a flat character with few motivations. His backstory is thin and uninteresting. His rude personality, merciless actions and perverse proclivities all contribute to a character who is wholly unlikable. One positive aspect of Guerro’s character is his ability to elicit a reaction in the reader, even if it is a negative one. The side characters and primary villain, on the other hand, are so dull and without clear motivation that it’s difficult to recall their names. They feel like devices for plot progression as opposed to fully-fledged human personas. The overall pacing is adequate across the five hour and four minute duration, but the simple dialogue is decidedly average.
R.C. Bray elevates this novel to a bearable state. He is a legend in the narrative space, and he delivers some of his best work here. His accents are realistic and fitting for each role. His emotional progression is excellent, as he expertly matches scenes with the appropriate tone and inflection. His contributions cannot fix dull characters, but he still brings excitement and passion to every scene.
One Man’s War has more issues than its intense action backdrops can fix. Guerro is an unpleasant individual that’s nearly impossible to root for. Side characters are boring and lack depth. R.C. elevates the novel with convincing, heartfelt narration. However, there are much better works available that match his skill with equally engaging characters and dialogue. Fans of action novels and thrillers should elsewhere for their next fix.
Written by Steven Saville, One Man’s War is an action-packed thriller that’s heavy on thrills but light on substance. The work follows Guerro, a mercenary who’s willing to take on the most dangerous jobs. When his team is ambushed and he’s nearly killed, he embarks on a journey of revenge. His mission is marred by lackluster dialogue and light character development. The work is passable thanks to the narrative skill of R.C. Bray. Fans of the Saville or Bray will find something to enjoy here, but everyone else should look elsewhere.
The ruthless team of aptly named “bleeders'' are willing to sacrifice themselves for a job. These mercenaries hold a ruthless determination and drive that’s unmatched. Their successes have brought them increasingly daring and dangerous missions. Their leader and the protagonist of this work, Guerro, is a brash, callous, brute with a one track mind. When his team is blindsided and slaughtered by a mysterious aggressor, he can think of nothing beyond avenging the deaths of his closest companions. He sets out to build a new team and craft an intricate plan of revenge. His work culminates in a satisfying and unpredictable conclusion.
Saville lies the groundwork for an engaging premise and intricate plot. He writes thrilling action scenes with high stakes and unrelenting progression. Environments are described in intricate detail and set pieces are engaging. Character development is where the novel severely falters. Despite being the star of the work, Guerro is a flat character with few motivations. His backstory is thin and uninteresting. His rude personality, merciless actions and perverse proclivities all contribute to a character who is wholly unlikable. One positive aspect of Guerro’s character is his ability to elicit a reaction in the reader, even if it is a negative one. The side characters and primary villain, on the other hand, are so dull and without clear motivation that it’s difficult to recall their names. They feel like devices for plot progression as opposed to fully-fledged human personas. The overall pacing is adequate across the five hour and four minute duration, but the simple dialogue is decidedly average.
R.C. Bray elevates this novel to a bearable state. He is a legend in the narrative space, and he delivers some of his best work here. His accents are realistic and fitting for each role. His emotional progression is excellent, as he expertly matches scenes with the appropriate tone and inflection. His contributions cannot fix dull characters, but he still brings excitement and passion to every scene.
One Man’s War has more issues than its intense action backdrops can fix. Guerro is an unpleasant individual that’s nearly impossible to root for. Side characters are boring and lack depth. R.C. elevates the novel with convincing, heartfelt narration. However, there are much better works available that match his skill with equally engaging characters and dialogue. Fans of action novels and thrillers should elsewhere for their next fix.
November 30, 2020
I picked this one up because I saw a review that described it as “non-stop.” Yes. I can confirm it. This one starts in fifth gear and never shifts down below third.
There’s nothing subtle here. Guerro is a “bleeder,” a mercenary for 22nd Century corporations who push against their rivals with bullets and bombs as much as with technological breakthroughs. It’s a semi-familiar world with corporations that look enough like Microsoft and Google for us to know whom we’re talking about.
The novel opens with Guerro double-crossed and assumed dead after a raid goes bad. And then, no surprise, he decides he’s going to get revenge.
I’m not spoiling anything. Most of that happens in the first few pages. I have to quote, admiringly, a review from Ecualegacy, a user on Audible, “this book’s pace makes The Fast and the Furious seem like a Ken Burns documentary.” We get the failed raid in sensaround detail, and Savile has the wisdom to cut the backstory. There’s gunfire, a nanosecond to reload, and then more gunfire.
Things “calm down” in the middle when Guerro sets out to recruit a new team to execute his plan. Savile struggles here more than elsewhere. He meanders into backstory in places, and he lingers – “lingers” being a relative term in this one – over the biographies of some the newly introduced characters.
And then I got nervous. It becomes increasingly clear that Guerro is after more than just a bang-bang win. He wants to pull off a “scam.” He admits he’s not the sort who usually manages something like that – he’s more of a two-fisted (and two-barreled) kind of guy – and Savile hardly seems the sort either.
I got frustrated a few times when he could easily kill his target, and I was on the brink of docking this a star and possibly two. As a basic rule, a book should know what’s doing and then do it well.
By the end, though, Savile won me over. [SPOILER:] As Guerro tells us, he doesn’t just want to kill his enemy (I’ll spare who that is since it’s not certain until a quarter of the way into the book), he wants to humiliate and torture him. So, in a way that depends on almost, but not quote, too much contrivance, he steals the man’s money and then uploads his consciousness into a computer. Then, destroying the man’s body, he leaves him in perpetual torment, alive inside a machine without the capacity to move, sleep, or end his torment.
As revenge goes, that’s pretty effective, and it is a reasonable culmination of the one-man-war of his title.
To be clear, this is far from what I’d call art, but it understands its genre and plays cleverly within it. I was looking for something distracting and fun with this, and it came through.
There’s nothing subtle here. Guerro is a “bleeder,” a mercenary for 22nd Century corporations who push against their rivals with bullets and bombs as much as with technological breakthroughs. It’s a semi-familiar world with corporations that look enough like Microsoft and Google for us to know whom we’re talking about.
The novel opens with Guerro double-crossed and assumed dead after a raid goes bad. And then, no surprise, he decides he’s going to get revenge.
I’m not spoiling anything. Most of that happens in the first few pages. I have to quote, admiringly, a review from Ecualegacy, a user on Audible, “this book’s pace makes The Fast and the Furious seem like a Ken Burns documentary.” We get the failed raid in sensaround detail, and Savile has the wisdom to cut the backstory. There’s gunfire, a nanosecond to reload, and then more gunfire.
Things “calm down” in the middle when Guerro sets out to recruit a new team to execute his plan. Savile struggles here more than elsewhere. He meanders into backstory in places, and he lingers – “lingers” being a relative term in this one – over the biographies of some the newly introduced characters.
And then I got nervous. It becomes increasingly clear that Guerro is after more than just a bang-bang win. He wants to pull off a “scam.” He admits he’s not the sort who usually manages something like that – he’s more of a two-fisted (and two-barreled) kind of guy – and Savile hardly seems the sort either.
I got frustrated a few times when he could easily kill his target, and I was on the brink of docking this a star and possibly two. As a basic rule, a book should know what’s doing and then do it well.
By the end, though, Savile won me over. [SPOILER:] As Guerro tells us, he doesn’t just want to kill his enemy (I’ll spare who that is since it’s not certain until a quarter of the way into the book), he wants to humiliate and torture him. So, in a way that depends on almost, but not quote, too much contrivance, he steals the man’s money and then uploads his consciousness into a computer. Then, destroying the man’s body, he leaves him in perpetual torment, alive inside a machine without the capacity to move, sleep, or end his torment.
As revenge goes, that’s pretty effective, and it is a reasonable culmination of the one-man-war of his title.
To be clear, this is far from what I’d call art, but it understands its genre and plays cleverly within it. I was looking for something distracting and fun with this, and it came through.
July 27, 2020
There were two sides of this book for me. On one side, there's the iconic R.C. Bray. On the other is a story that sometimes had me scratching my head over specific plot points and unable to move past.
Let's get the best out of the way first: R.C. Bray. You've most likely heard of him, you may have already listened to something narrated by him. I'm officially part of the club besotted with Bray's work. Yes, his gravelly baritone was perfect for Marco Guerro. But what set Bray apart from the pack is how he sometimes says a turn of phrase or narrates a scene where it doesn't even feel like you're listening to an audiobook anymore - you're actually there in the moment. It takes just the right touch to get to this point without overdoing it, and I think Bray just nailed this performance.
As for the story itself, I enjoyed the first half of the book more than the second half. Though I wasn't expecting the backtracking at the beginning, it laid the groundwork for how Guerro and his team operated, which I really enjoyed seeing. I wasn't as excited about the con/heist in the second half of the book. It just seemed rushed and not as exciting.
My two sticking points:
Those two things kept my brain running in a loop trying to work through them.
I think the second half of this book could have been much better, but I did overall enjoy listening to it.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request from Audiobook Boom and have voluntarily left this review.
Let's get the best out of the way first: R.C. Bray. You've most likely heard of him, you may have already listened to something narrated by him. I'm officially part of the club besotted with Bray's work. Yes, his gravelly baritone was perfect for Marco Guerro. But what set Bray apart from the pack is how he sometimes says a turn of phrase or narrates a scene where it doesn't even feel like you're listening to an audiobook anymore - you're actually there in the moment. It takes just the right touch to get to this point without overdoing it, and I think Bray just nailed this performance.
As for the story itself, I enjoyed the first half of the book more than the second half. Though I wasn't expecting the backtracking at the beginning, it laid the groundwork for how Guerro and his team operated, which I really enjoyed seeing. I wasn't as excited about the con/heist in the second half of the book. It just seemed rushed and not as exciting.
My two sticking points:
Those two things kept my brain running in a loop trying to work through them.
I think the second half of this book could have been much better, but I did overall enjoy listening to it.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request from Audiobook Boom and have voluntarily left this review.
January 2, 2021
Want a quick read to end out the year and this one was sitting in my queue for a bit. Not sure how it got into my list, but I decided to give it a go.
I do not regret reading the book, but I was not that impressed with it either. The book starts off with the teams last job and how it went all wrong, then a plot twist, and finally to the revenge part of the story, except it's more of a long con of a story verses revenge. So long, that only being a 178 page Kindle book, the second half of the book dragged on far longer than expected. This felt more like two short stories with a couple lines of dialogue in-between then to tie them in.
Story is base in the near future, with technology and science far more advanced. Example, hand held short distance teleporting device that runs on a single 9-volt battery and whoo-whoo science. There's a lot of that in this short story, force fields, portable holographic projection devices, cybernetics, and the list goes on. I forgotten how much I dislike Technobable in my SciFi.
Off topic, author seriously like bringing up a man's private part. Dialogue between characters and their willies is often use to compensate for... well, you know.
That said, I didn't hate the book. The story was interesting, and while I didn't expect an Oceans 2055 story, it still kept my interest long enough to see how the story ended.
Finally, why does a One Man's War need a team of experts to get the job done???
I do not regret reading the book, but I was not that impressed with it either. The book starts off with the teams last job and how it went all wrong, then a plot twist, and finally to the revenge part of the story, except it's more of a long con of a story verses revenge. So long, that only being a 178 page Kindle book, the second half of the book dragged on far longer than expected. This felt more like two short stories with a couple lines of dialogue in-between then to tie them in.
Story is base in the near future, with technology and science far more advanced. Example, hand held short distance teleporting device that runs on a single 9-volt battery and whoo-whoo science. There's a lot of that in this short story, force fields, portable holographic projection devices, cybernetics, and the list goes on. I forgotten how much I dislike Technobable in my SciFi.
Off topic, author seriously like bringing up a man's private part. Dialogue between characters and their willies is often use to compensate for... well, you know.
That said, I didn't hate the book. The story was interesting, and while I didn't expect an Oceans 2055 story, it still kept my interest long enough to see how the story ended.
Finally, why does a One Man's War need a team of experts to get the job done???
December 19, 2020
If you are looking for an action-packed story about a team of assassins in a future time, One Man’s War just may fill that desire. Mr. Savile has created some very well-developed characters wrapped up in a timeline that shifts for present to past and a few points in-between. These perspective shifts work very well in creating a very rich story. There were a few times when I felt like I knew what was coming next only to find that I had no clue and was presently surprised each time. I listened to Mr. R.C. Bray narrate this story and he certainly brought this story to life with his awesome skills and voice.
March 7, 2021
This was one of those audio shorts that I downloaded because I found it on sale. I've never read the author before and it was not part of a series that I was aware of. So, basically I went into this book or short story completely cold, not knowing what the story was about or knowing any of the characters.
This was a short story that revolved around a member of a team - 4 people - that were pretty much mercenaries from a time in the future. One of the team betrays them all and somehow, our narrator survives. The rest of the book deals with his revenge. In his words, "it would be too easy to just kill him, he wanted him to suffer".
I enjoyed the story. For the most part, things moved fairly quickly and there was non stop action. The characters were fleshed out enough to gain our interest and the revenge plot was definitely original.
This was a short story that revolved around a member of a team - 4 people - that were pretty much mercenaries from a time in the future. One of the team betrays them all and somehow, our narrator survives. The rest of the book deals with his revenge. In his words, "it would be too easy to just kill him, he wanted him to suffer".
I enjoyed the story. For the most part, things moved fairly quickly and there was non stop action. The characters were fleshed out enough to gain our interest and the revenge plot was definitely original.
June 27, 2020
Retribution can be satisfying
This I found to be a very deep and exceedingly well written story, it was difficult to put down and the twist at the end showed a very devious author, well done, well done Steven I look forward to reading more of your efforts.
This I found to be a very deep and exceedingly well written story, it was difficult to put down and the twist at the end showed a very devious author, well done, well done Steven I look forward to reading more of your efforts.
November 24, 2020
Quick and fun. With a classic RC Bray narration.
November 30, 2020
A science fiction revenge story that is well written with compelling characters.
December 1, 2020
Fairly straightforward cyberpunk revenge story. Gets weak around the end, and a few questions went unanswered, but it was quite enjoyable and briskly paced.
March 22, 2021
I actually really enjoyed this. just action action and more action. so what the story wasn't that great still an enjoyable read.
September 12, 2021
Started but wasn’t captivated so stopped not far into the book.
January 8, 2023
Good way to spend an afternoon with one of my favorite narrators.
July 23, 2024
I have no idea what the point of this story was. Just some revenge crap that went nowhere and had zero impact. I cared not at all about any of these characters or what they were doing.
October 2, 2019
I received a free review copy of this audio book, at my request, and am voluntarily leaving this unbiased review.
This is a fast paced and straight forward revenge story that is fun and satisfying.
At 5 hours (audiobook), there is little time for world building and character development, as the narrative is completely focused on furthering the plot. The world does get fleshed out, to some degree, but the characters remain flat. They are completely 1 dimensional and we are given little to no insight into their true nature. More time is given to naming the guns involved, then explaining the characters.
In a longer book this could be a major problem, however, this isn't the intention of this story. It is meant to be fast, and constantly on the move, and stopping to figure out character back stories and motivations would just slow it down.
The world is somewhat developed, in passing, describing the current culture and living conditions. Typical dystopian Corporate future, where companies own land and people and outsiders are eating out of the trash. There is some mention of how things became like that, but not much is expanded on. Also, for a planet of 16 billion people, they are not forced into populated areas often.
Apart from the 1 dimensional characters (which I believe was an necessary evil) my main complaint of the book is the false science, like memories and "mussle memory" being the same thing, or USB drives being used 100+ years in the future, etc. This did dome thing to take me out of the story, and I feel the author could use a bit more research to get the tech right.
The voice performance by RC Bray was top notch, as always. He always brings his A game. Passable female characters, different male voices, know who's talking before a "he said or she said". The man is a pro. Although, it was hard, at times, to not hear about Joe and Skippy, as I expect when I hear his voice.
All in all a fun, fast paced, satisfying revenge book. Short and to the point, definitely worth the time. Just don't come in with hopes of a deep story with well developed characters, that isn't this book.
There is bad music at the beginning and the end, just for a few seconds, but don't worry, it isn't present through out the story.
This is a fast paced and straight forward revenge story that is fun and satisfying.
At 5 hours (audiobook), there is little time for world building and character development, as the narrative is completely focused on furthering the plot. The world does get fleshed out, to some degree, but the characters remain flat. They are completely 1 dimensional and we are given little to no insight into their true nature. More time is given to naming the guns involved, then explaining the characters.
In a longer book this could be a major problem, however, this isn't the intention of this story. It is meant to be fast, and constantly on the move, and stopping to figure out character back stories and motivations would just slow it down.
The world is somewhat developed, in passing, describing the current culture and living conditions. Typical dystopian Corporate future, where companies own land and people and outsiders are eating out of the trash. There is some mention of how things became like that, but not much is expanded on. Also, for a planet of 16 billion people, they are not forced into populated areas often.
Apart from the 1 dimensional characters (which I believe was an necessary evil) my main complaint of the book is the false science, like memories and "mussle memory" being the same thing, or USB drives being used 100+ years in the future, etc. This did dome thing to take me out of the story, and I feel the author could use a bit more research to get the tech right.
The voice performance by RC Bray was top notch, as always. He always brings his A game. Passable female characters, different male voices, know who's talking before a "he said or she said". The man is a pro. Although, it was hard, at times, to not hear about Joe and Skippy, as I expect when I hear his voice.
All in all a fun, fast paced, satisfying revenge book. Short and to the point, definitely worth the time. Just don't come in with hopes of a deep story with well developed characters, that isn't this book.
There is bad music at the beginning and the end, just for a few seconds, but don't worry, it isn't present through out the story.
January 26, 2020
After there final mission together goes wrong, Marco Guerro is out for revenge, but who was to blame!! Good book that moves at a nice pace, the only problem is the con seems to be far to complex for just revenge.
July 30, 2023
Disclaimer: I give good stories 3 stars, great stories 4 stars and earth shattering stories 5 stars. This book was almost good but not quite.
I requested a promo code via r/Audible and have listened to the audio version.
I love the locations such as Africa, Old Tokyo, and the irradiated zone. I sensed a Judge Dredd like feeling in certain parts of the book. I actually sympathize more with Fate than I did with Guerrero. Maybe that was the Authors intention. I think the best scene was the fighting in Africa. I think the most stimulating parts were describing the 7-8 foot robots with erased human brains and the cannabilistic by-blows.
I couldn't really sympathize with Guerrero trying to feign righteousness through revenge. He was just as a shitty of a person as Fate. The sci fi aspects of the book were good but the plot got really simple and really convoluted at the same time. I couldn't really feel a change in scenery with the dialog. It felt like every scene was taking place in a laboratory.
I requested a promo code via r/Audible and have listened to the audio version.
I love the locations such as Africa, Old Tokyo, and the irradiated zone. I sensed a Judge Dredd like feeling in certain parts of the book. I actually sympathize more with Fate than I did with Guerrero. Maybe that was the Authors intention. I think the best scene was the fighting in Africa. I think the most stimulating parts were describing the 7-8 foot robots with erased human brains and the cannabilistic by-blows.
I couldn't really sympathize with Guerrero trying to feign righteousness through revenge. He was just as a shitty of a person as Fate. The sci fi aspects of the book were good but the plot got really simple and really convoluted at the same time. I couldn't really feel a change in scenery with the dialog. It felt like every scene was taking place in a laboratory.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2020
This story is a nice revenge and hustle based in the future with a good set of characters and is well written.
The plot isn't new but the way it is brought to fruition is very well done.
Surprisingly enough it's the narration that brings this down as a good 4 chapters of the narration is done so similar to his Titanborn stories that it took me an unusual long time to properly get into the story and foget the similarities.
This is not to say that the narration isn't good ,but the subject matter and character along with the voice used is too close to the mentioned series.
With this being so short it takes up too much of the overall story for my comfort although overall this was enjoyable and wouldn't put me off either the author or narrator overall
The plot isn't new but the way it is brought to fruition is very well done.
Surprisingly enough it's the narration that brings this down as a good 4 chapters of the narration is done so similar to his Titanborn stories that it took me an unusual long time to properly get into the story and foget the similarities.
This is not to say that the narration isn't good ,but the subject matter and character along with the voice used is too close to the mentioned series.
With this being so short it takes up too much of the overall story for my comfort although overall this was enjoyable and wouldn't put me off either the author or narrator overall
October 6, 2019
Wow, what a high-octane scifi thriller this was! Not a slow moment in this baby... I guarantee it!
Bullets start flying on the very first pages, and the action continues to shred up the book, right on through... and I freakin' loved it! I happen to like a good revenge story, as well as a good con game tale, and One Man's War gave me Both! Remember the TV series, Leverage? It's one of my favorite shows!
So if you're lookin for a thriller that metes out some truly righteous payback, this is an absolute must-have for your library!
As if all that weren't enough, it's narrated by RC Bray!!! The man is Golden, I swear!
Grab One Man's War... and get sucked into the fray!
Bullets start flying on the very first pages, and the action continues to shred up the book, right on through... and I freakin' loved it! I happen to like a good revenge story, as well as a good con game tale, and One Man's War gave me Both! Remember the TV series, Leverage? It's one of my favorite shows!
So if you're lookin for a thriller that metes out some truly righteous payback, this is an absolute must-have for your library!
As if all that weren't enough, it's narrated by RC Bray!!! The man is Golden, I swear!
Grab One Man's War... and get sucked into the fray!
December 13, 2019
I loved this book! I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by RC Bray.
The story is told in first person, the hired mercenary/assassin Marco Guerra narrating the tale. It's fast-paced, gritty, and one helluva ride! Lots of hurt-em-bad action and twists. The ending could have been a little stronger - that's my only criticism.
If you’re someone who doesn’t like sci-fi but likes Lee Child/assassin-type action thrillers, then I recommend this. It’s fairly light on the sci-fi, a few advanced weapons and pieces of tech, and some genetic engineering is as sci-fi as it gets.
This was my first Steven Savile book. It won’t be my last.
The story is told in first person, the hired mercenary/assassin Marco Guerra narrating the tale. It's fast-paced, gritty, and one helluva ride! Lots of hurt-em-bad action and twists. The ending could have been a little stronger - that's my only criticism.
If you’re someone who doesn’t like sci-fi but likes Lee Child/assassin-type action thrillers, then I recommend this. It’s fairly light on the sci-fi, a few advanced weapons and pieces of tech, and some genetic engineering is as sci-fi as it gets.
This was my first Steven Savile book. It won’t be my last.
October 22, 2019
It was an interesting twist on the whole revenge thing, it was also very extremely well thought out. The Author thought of the tiniest of details, to bring the story to life.
The Narrator did a brilliant job of adding the main character’s nark.
(Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the Publisher. Does not affect my review)
The Narrator did a brilliant job of adding the main character’s nark.
(Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the Publisher. Does not affect my review)
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