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Small Unit Tactics #1
Small Unit Tactics: Volume #1
A strange, foreign world. Mysterious judges with capricious rules. Thousands of gamers find themselves split into factions and pitted against each other at the whim of an unknown higher power, with no idea how they got there or why they were chosen. Dying in this world hurts, but it's not the end: dead players always respawn to fight again.
Echo, with his extensive knowledge of fighting, armor, and weapons, has all the makings of a great leader. The ragtag recruits fighting for him under the less-than-threatening name "Society of Pinprick Enthusiasts" become the bane of the opposing factions, sowing terror in their wake. But this game won't be won in straightforward skirmishes. The squad will have to forge pacts with their own faction, the judges, and even their enemies. Each day brings new twists, new rules, and new ways to play, and a step that seemed to be in the right direction might suddenly become a fatal mistake.
Brute force and bravado won't be enough for Echo to carve his way to the top and stay there. He will have to lead his squad through mistakes, good fortune, victory, and defeat in his quest to secure his position.
The two-part epic Small Unit Tactics has a massive fanbase in Russia, and these novels were in many ways forerunners to some of the most famous Russian LitRPG cycles. Departing from the genre standard, there are no system messages or stat sheets here. Instead, the author uses an artistic touch to illustrate the characters' growth as they level up and improve their skills, which undeniably sets these books apart. We are pleased to present them for the first time in English.
Echo, with his extensive knowledge of fighting, armor, and weapons, has all the makings of a great leader. The ragtag recruits fighting for him under the less-than-threatening name "Society of Pinprick Enthusiasts" become the bane of the opposing factions, sowing terror in their wake. But this game won't be won in straightforward skirmishes. The squad will have to forge pacts with their own faction, the judges, and even their enemies. Each day brings new twists, new rules, and new ways to play, and a step that seemed to be in the right direction might suddenly become a fatal mistake.
Brute force and bravado won't be enough for Echo to carve his way to the top and stay there. He will have to lead his squad through mistakes, good fortune, victory, and defeat in his quest to secure his position.
The two-part epic Small Unit Tactics has a massive fanbase in Russia, and these novels were in many ways forerunners to some of the most famous Russian LitRPG cycles. Departing from the genre standard, there are no system messages or stat sheets here. Instead, the author uses an artistic touch to illustrate the characters' growth as they level up and improve their skills, which undeniably sets these books apart. We are pleased to present them for the first time in English.
547 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 27, 2020
47 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Alexander Romanov
3 books2 followersAlexander Romanov is a sci-fi/fantasy author from Saint Petersburg. At first glance, his early life was nothing out of the ordinary: an unremarkable childhood, then school and higher education. He studied at the Polygraphic Institute, where he was drawn to the printed word and earned a degree in printing production technology, a field he still works in to this day. But this ordinary man also has some extraordinary talents.
His first forays into writing as a hobby brought him near instant acclaim from readers. Mainstream publishers discovered him soon after, and his work started showing up in bookstores. What really stood out about his books were the precise, expertly rendered descriptions of close combat weapons and their use. This is another of his hobbies, these deadly weapons: his passion for historical fencing and experience in battle reconstructions brings his in-depth, first-hand knowledge of melee combat to the forefront. He’s a master of both sword and pen.
While not willing to constrain himself to a single genre, his greatest commercial success has been in LitRPG. His two-volume set Small Unit Tactics has become a cult favorite, with fans begging him to continue the series. However, he has stated that the work will stand alone, with no sequels planned. Alexander is consistently one of the top ten authors on the largest Russian self-publishing portal, and he continues to delight readers with new releases each year.
His first forays into writing as a hobby brought him near instant acclaim from readers. Mainstream publishers discovered him soon after, and his work started showing up in bookstores. What really stood out about his books were the precise, expertly rendered descriptions of close combat weapons and their use. This is another of his hobbies, these deadly weapons: his passion for historical fencing and experience in battle reconstructions brings his in-depth, first-hand knowledge of melee combat to the forefront. He’s a master of both sword and pen.
While not willing to constrain himself to a single genre, his greatest commercial success has been in LitRPG. His two-volume set Small Unit Tactics has become a cult favorite, with fans begging him to continue the series. However, he has stated that the work will stand alone, with no sequels planned. Alexander is consistently one of the top ten authors on the largest Russian self-publishing portal, and he continues to delight readers with new releases each year.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 27, 2023
"Small Unit Tactics: Volume #1" by Alexander Romanov is a book that promises to delve into an essential and often complex subject matter, but it falls short in various key areas. While it may contain valuable information, the book's execution leaves much to be desired.
One of the primary issues with this volume is its lack of structure and organization. Tactical manuals are expected to present information in a clear, concise, and systematic manner to assist readers in grasping and applying the concepts effectively. Unfortunately, this book lacks a cohesive flow, making it challenging for readers to follow the content logically.
The writing style used in the book is not as reader-friendly as one would expect from an instructional or educational work. The use of technical jargon and complex terminology without adequate explanations may alienate readers who are not already well-versed in the subject matter. A good instructional manual should strive to be accessible to a wide range of readers, from beginners to experts, but this book may prove to be daunting for many.
A significant shortcoming is the absence of visual aids, diagrams, or illustrations. In tactical manuals, visual aids play a crucial role in helping readers comprehend and apply the concepts discussed. The lack of these aids in this volume is a considerable drawback, as it hampers the ability to visualize and understand the tactical principles being presented.
The book also lacks practical examples or case studies. Practical applications and scenarios are vital for readers to see how the tactics described can be effectively utilized in real-life situations. Without these, readers may find it challenging to bridge the gap between theory and practice.
In conclusion, "Small Unit Tactics: Volume #1" by Alexander Romanov, while potentially containing valuable information, is hindered by a lack of organization, accessibility, and visual aids. Tactical manuals should aim to educate and guide readers effectively, but this volume may leave many readers feeling lost and frustrated due to its lack of structure and explanations. For those interested in studying small unit tactics, there are likely better resources available that offer a more comprehensive and reader-friendly educational experience.
One of the primary issues with this volume is its lack of structure and organization. Tactical manuals are expected to present information in a clear, concise, and systematic manner to assist readers in grasping and applying the concepts effectively. Unfortunately, this book lacks a cohesive flow, making it challenging for readers to follow the content logically.
The writing style used in the book is not as reader-friendly as one would expect from an instructional or educational work. The use of technical jargon and complex terminology without adequate explanations may alienate readers who are not already well-versed in the subject matter. A good instructional manual should strive to be accessible to a wide range of readers, from beginners to experts, but this book may prove to be daunting for many.
A significant shortcoming is the absence of visual aids, diagrams, or illustrations. In tactical manuals, visual aids play a crucial role in helping readers comprehend and apply the concepts discussed. The lack of these aids in this volume is a considerable drawback, as it hampers the ability to visualize and understand the tactical principles being presented.
The book also lacks practical examples or case studies. Practical applications and scenarios are vital for readers to see how the tactics described can be effectively utilized in real-life situations. Without these, readers may find it challenging to bridge the gap between theory and practice.
In conclusion, "Small Unit Tactics: Volume #1" by Alexander Romanov, while potentially containing valuable information, is hindered by a lack of organization, accessibility, and visual aids. Tactical manuals should aim to educate and guide readers effectively, but this volume may leave many readers feeling lost and frustrated due to its lack of structure and explanations. For those interested in studying small unit tactics, there are likely better resources available that offer a more comprehensive and reader-friendly educational experience.
August 24, 2020
I received a review copy of this book.
This book starts rather abruptly. It's almost like the book had the first 3 chapters chopped off, and the book begins at the point wen everyone's backstories has already been explained, and everyone is in the assembly hall waiting for the main event.
It makes for some rather awkward reading at first. However, once the book gets a bit farther along, it actually turns out to be quite the interesting read.
One point of interest which (for me) didn't affect the story at all was the author's decision of instead of having footnotes, and a place at the end of the book where you could read all of them, game terms were explained where they occurred with some symbols to offset them from the text. To me, this makes perfect sense, because nobody wants to stop reading a good story to go look up a term. I'd not seen this kind of layout before, and I actually found this to work much better for the most part. Some authors try to work the definition into the story, and that makes for odd turns of phrase sometimes, this method clearly separates the definitions from the story, but still doesn't wrench the reader away from the story to offer a definition. I don't know about others, but I liked this method.
It should be very interesting to read the next book in the series, since this one performed an epic setup for a battle royale, and I for one most definitely look forward to that.
There's a few items in the story that may throw some, such as the constant references to game mechanics, even when the world as a whole doesn't really mention them, it's a bit jarring at times. Otherwise, I believe most LitRPG fans will enjoy this offering.
This book starts rather abruptly. It's almost like the book had the first 3 chapters chopped off, and the book begins at the point wen everyone's backstories has already been explained, and everyone is in the assembly hall waiting for the main event.
It makes for some rather awkward reading at first. However, once the book gets a bit farther along, it actually turns out to be quite the interesting read.
One point of interest which (for me) didn't affect the story at all was the author's decision of instead of having footnotes, and a place at the end of the book where you could read all of them, game terms were explained where they occurred with some symbols to offset them from the text. To me, this makes perfect sense, because nobody wants to stop reading a good story to go look up a term. I'd not seen this kind of layout before, and I actually found this to work much better for the most part. Some authors try to work the definition into the story, and that makes for odd turns of phrase sometimes, this method clearly separates the definitions from the story, but still doesn't wrench the reader away from the story to offer a definition. I don't know about others, but I liked this method.
It should be very interesting to read the next book in the series, since this one performed an epic setup for a battle royale, and I for one most definitely look forward to that.
There's a few items in the story that may throw some, such as the constant references to game mechanics, even when the world as a whole doesn't really mention them, it's a bit jarring at times. Otherwise, I believe most LitRPG fans will enjoy this offering.
August 28, 2020
First, my review: “This was a fun book. I am glad that I read it. You should try it too.”
Over the past year it has become apparent that my reviews are somewhat antagonistic and I apologize to those of you that have taken offense. I think I had hoped to change peoples’ minds about reviewing works of art and that seems to have backfired spectacularly. However, I am still going to be true to myself and write what I believe.
To the author: Thank you for this chance to escape reality and enjoy the world you created! Keep up the good work.
To my fellow reviewers: Messaging me and reviewing my reviews is as productive as trying to shovel water out of the ocean. Stop. I get it. Let’s just all live peacefully.
To potential readers: Art needs to be experienced at an individual level. You are the only one that can determine what you like and don’t like. Don’t let others make that decision for you. You should definitely read the book and completely ignore all of the reviews. You are a much better judge of what you will like than anyone here.
Cheers
Over the past year it has become apparent that my reviews are somewhat antagonistic and I apologize to those of you that have taken offense. I think I had hoped to change peoples’ minds about reviewing works of art and that seems to have backfired spectacularly. However, I am still going to be true to myself and write what I believe.
To the author: Thank you for this chance to escape reality and enjoy the world you created! Keep up the good work.
To my fellow reviewers: Messaging me and reviewing my reviews is as productive as trying to shovel water out of the ocean. Stop. I get it. Let’s just all live peacefully.
To potential readers: Art needs to be experienced at an individual level. You are the only one that can determine what you like and don’t like. Don’t let others make that decision for you. You should definitely read the book and completely ignore all of the reviews. You are a much better judge of what you will like than anyone here.
Cheers
September 11, 2020
Decent premise ruined by terrible structure
Imagine you were trying to write a scene where the hero is in a huge battle and he wins. In this book, that scene would take place in 2 or 3 miniscule chapters which depict the start of the battle, something unexpected happening (but not actually described, just reactions to that thing), and then a chapter set an hour after the battle ends where he talks to someone obliquely about what happened. Does that sound like a stupid way to write a book?
I COMPLETELY AGREE.
Also the beginning of the book is a hot mess. It's a shame too, this story showed a lot of promise.
Imagine you were trying to write a scene where the hero is in a huge battle and he wins. In this book, that scene would take place in 2 or 3 miniscule chapters which depict the start of the battle, something unexpected happening (but not actually described, just reactions to that thing), and then a chapter set an hour after the battle ends where he talks to someone obliquely about what happened. Does that sound like a stupid way to write a book?
I COMPLETELY AGREE.
Also the beginning of the book is a hot mess. It's a shame too, this story showed a lot of promise.
October 5, 2020
One of the best litrpg books
Tired of endless harems, 10,000 mentions of stats and perks, manual length diatribes about game mechanics and the same bland boring ass nerd character? Then this book is for you. This genre had swiftly overwhelmed but its own tropes and its isekai forebears tropes but this book manages to cleave to the heart of both subgenres keeping both fast pulpy action with the spirit of playing a game without the terrible bits of reading about someone else playing a game.
Tired of endless harems, 10,000 mentions of stats and perks, manual length diatribes about game mechanics and the same bland boring ass nerd character? Then this book is for you. This genre had swiftly overwhelmed but its own tropes and its isekai forebears tropes but this book manages to cleave to the heart of both subgenres keeping both fast pulpy action with the spirit of playing a game without the terrible bits of reading about someone else playing a game.
August 16, 2021
Undervalued Gold LitRPG!
Great story with lots of action and unbelievable accuracy on the weapons. The author reminds me of Larry Correia that writes what some describe as gun porn, except this author writes historical weapon porn. Very interesting story line.
Great story with lots of action and unbelievable accuracy on the weapons. The author reminds me of Larry Correia that writes what some describe as gun porn, except this author writes historical weapon porn. Very interesting story line.
October 21, 2020
Very entertaining read
I enjoyed reading this book very much and would recommend it highly to anyone that like gamer type of books
I enjoyed reading this book very much and would recommend it highly to anyone that like gamer type of books
February 17, 2022
Really good.
Highly recommend this book and series. It has great details in the weapons used vs he picks up a sword. I cannot wait to read the next book.
Highly recommend this book and series. It has great details in the weapons used vs he picks up a sword. I cannot wait to read the next book.
July 16, 2024
I finished it, but it is not a series I will continue. It was not for me.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews