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Dead Heroes
At the bleeding edge of space...
In the 35th Century, mankind has colonized vast reaches of space, yet war remains constant as galactic governments and interstellar corporations fight for control of resource-rich planets and lucrative interstellar trade routes. And if centuries of war has taught man one thing, it's that planets are valuable and lives are cheap.
In a desperate attempt to escape his current life, Mark Rizer drops out of his prestigious university and enlists in the elite Marines of the United Systems Alliance defense forces. It's a decision that will take him across the galaxy, first to endure a sadistic boot camp designed to transform him into a ruthless killing machine, and then to join the ranks of the hardened Marines of Murder Company.
Deployed to Verdant, a remote jungle moon at the edge of Alliance space, Mark finds himself fighting a ghostly enemy in an unending conflict where victories are measured in body counts and death is the only ticket home. The daily grind of combat patrols transforms good men into cold-blooded killers and weak ones into bitter memories. At the bleeding edge of space, Mark learns the true cost of war as he fights for his life, his platoon mates, and his humanity.
In the 35th Century, war has evolved.
Man hasn't.
Warning: This book contains graphic violence, profanity, and sexual content. It is intended for a mature audience. Reader discretion is advised.
In the 35th Century, mankind has colonized vast reaches of space, yet war remains constant as galactic governments and interstellar corporations fight for control of resource-rich planets and lucrative interstellar trade routes. And if centuries of war has taught man one thing, it's that planets are valuable and lives are cheap.
In a desperate attempt to escape his current life, Mark Rizer drops out of his prestigious university and enlists in the elite Marines of the United Systems Alliance defense forces. It's a decision that will take him across the galaxy, first to endure a sadistic boot camp designed to transform him into a ruthless killing machine, and then to join the ranks of the hardened Marines of Murder Company.
Deployed to Verdant, a remote jungle moon at the edge of Alliance space, Mark finds himself fighting a ghostly enemy in an unending conflict where victories are measured in body counts and death is the only ticket home. The daily grind of combat patrols transforms good men into cold-blooded killers and weak ones into bitter memories. At the bleeding edge of space, Mark learns the true cost of war as he fights for his life, his platoon mates, and his humanity.
In the 35th Century, war has evolved.
Man hasn't.
Warning: This book contains graphic violence, profanity, and sexual content. It is intended for a mature audience. Reader discretion is advised.
752 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2020
291 people are currently reading
164 people want to read
About the author
Ryan W. Aslesen
36 books71 followersRyan Aslesen is a bestselling author based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a former Marine officer, veteran of the War on Terror, and a graduate of Presentation College and American Military University. His military and work experience have made him one of the premier writers of military science fiction and fantasy. His bestselling Crucible and War's Edge series are highly regarded for their authenticity, explosive action, and military realism. When not writing or out protecting the world, you will find him spending quality time with his family.
Get a free ebook and sign up to receive exclusive content and updates at: www.ryanaslesen.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
May 10, 2020
Set (according to the blurb) in the 35th Century, civilization has spread itself out amongst the stars. The blurb says, "War has evolved". Actually, I dispute this. The story follows Mark Rizer as he drops out to join the Marine Corps. Aslesen was apparently a marine, and he knows a lot about current marines. The story spends a lot of time on training, which is somewhat sadistic. The training is excessive for any military. Sure, it is designed to pick only the elite – only about 10% get through, the rest are consigned to toilet cleaning, or get killed in training. Later in the book, we hear they could have done so much better if only they had more men. Now, I wonder why they do not? Modern armies do have very restrictive selection for Special Forces, but those who do not make it are returned to general forces. It makes no sense to reject so many.
Later, these marines have action on a planet called Verdant. The peculiar thing about this is that the general action is very similar to what you would expect from the USMC, with somewhat enhanced weapons but with more or less the same function as current ones. It is a gritty account, very readable, but it is not what you would expect 1500 years into the future. Read it for what current marine tactics are. A big disappointment was there are chapters where Generals/Admirals talk. The book has no real interest in strategy – all these guys do is complain about not enough troops. The whole point of the General Staff is they have to make do with what they have, and the point of strategy is to make good use of what you have, work out a way to win with what you have, or to retreat, regroup and try again. Here, all they do is send out patrols. Well worth reading from the point of view of an action story, but that is its limit, apart from showing how soldiers look after their mates.
Later, these marines have action on a planet called Verdant. The peculiar thing about this is that the general action is very similar to what you would expect from the USMC, with somewhat enhanced weapons but with more or less the same function as current ones. It is a gritty account, very readable, but it is not what you would expect 1500 years into the future. Read it for what current marine tactics are. A big disappointment was there are chapters where Generals/Admirals talk. The book has no real interest in strategy – all these guys do is complain about not enough troops. The whole point of the General Staff is they have to make do with what they have, and the point of strategy is to make good use of what you have, work out a way to win with what you have, or to retreat, regroup and try again. Here, all they do is send out patrols. Well worth reading from the point of view of an action story, but that is its limit, apart from showing how soldiers look after their mates.
May 12, 2020
a modern take on a classic military sci-fi action thriller. The first of several I hope. I have read all of Ryan's books, but this is the first one written in a Starship Troopers type universe. The others were mostly sci-fi horror (and all pretty darn good). This was military action all the way. From Marine boot camp to epic battles in outer space.
May 11, 2024
It's the 3600s, and, in that more than a millennia and a half "war has evolved." But has it? Let's survey our "universe" here. We have multiple factions of space-faring humanity, which appear to have adopted 20th-21st century American military command structures. While it is indeed extremely "realistic" in terms of the daily duties and training of USA warfare at the beginning of the 21st century, which would be very compelling if written in that context, it's a bewildering lack of evolution, given the futuristic setting in which it is set. We have the same slang terms, same command system and same training regimes as what I presume Aslesen himself experienced as a US Marine. If we consider how much humanity's approach to military has evolved over the last millennia and a half, it's very strange to take the stance that it simply hasn't changed at all for the next 1500 years. Instead, the "evolution" is very much centred on military technologies. A little like if a drop shipment of future military tech unintentionally landed at an early-2000s US military barracks due to a time-travel logistical error, which they then used to dominate the galaxy!
Then, we have the story itself. While Aslesen writes in a way that shows strong capability in storytelling, the story is split between dozens of side characters without clear motives for bringing them into the story, some of whom are mentioned once only (or maybe more than once, but, as I'd long forgotten their names, it felt like only once). The main protagonist also had weak motivations for joining the military. "He was bored...this top university was 'too easy'...etc..." you know, the kind of shrug-like justifications a pre-teen gives when asked why they decided to set the curtains on fire, with little consideration of the consequences. Alongside his lack of clear motives, his character arc was also quite empty. He was abused constantly and bullied, before finally being disillusioned and sacrificed for meaningless ideals and corporate greed. It's difficult to invest yourself into someone that, no matter what he does, can't ever succeed.
Of course, the character, and other elements here feel, at times, as though this was intended as an autobiographical account of Aslesen's own frustrations and disillusionments of war and how military structures serve as a political strongarm for protecting corporate rights over human lives. But it was a little on the nose at times when trying to make that point, without the subtlety and complexity of the issues in terms of how they manifest in reality. More of a way an 18-year-old university student would look at the issues from the comfort of their classroom, rather than a hardened warrior with his "boots in the mud."
Then there are the antagonists: the mysterious "Union" that takes on our protagonists' "Alliance" on the moon Verdant to fight for access to spaceship fuel. We know nothing about them and they're painted somewhat like a generic "evil other" group we so often see in American entertainment. The fighting and action scenes are filled with technical descriptions on how these future military weapons work, almost like it was intended as a training manual for the weapon itself. Even in scenes where the character faces life or death, we're faced with a barrage of technical data and cold analyses of wins and losses that's far from interesting to read!
In short, we do indeed have military realism, but without any reflection on the likely evolution of military warfare. For that reason, less realistic scifi such as Scalzi's Old Man's War and OSC's Ender's Game eats this "hyper-military-realism approach" for breakfast! We also have little compelling story, dozens of characters, no relatable motivations, and pointless arcs, all packaged in what feels more like the cathartic venting of the frustrations of an ex-soldier, rather than a storyteller at the peak of his prime showing us the inner world of what he knows best.
Not a waste of time, but I wouldn't go out of the way to find this one!
Then, we have the story itself. While Aslesen writes in a way that shows strong capability in storytelling, the story is split between dozens of side characters without clear motives for bringing them into the story, some of whom are mentioned once only (or maybe more than once, but, as I'd long forgotten their names, it felt like only once). The main protagonist also had weak motivations for joining the military. "He was bored...this top university was 'too easy'...etc..." you know, the kind of shrug-like justifications a pre-teen gives when asked why they decided to set the curtains on fire, with little consideration of the consequences. Alongside his lack of clear motives, his character arc was also quite empty. He was abused constantly and bullied, before finally being disillusioned and sacrificed for meaningless ideals and corporate greed. It's difficult to invest yourself into someone that, no matter what he does, can't ever succeed.
Of course, the character, and other elements here feel, at times, as though this was intended as an autobiographical account of Aslesen's own frustrations and disillusionments of war and how military structures serve as a political strongarm for protecting corporate rights over human lives. But it was a little on the nose at times when trying to make that point, without the subtlety and complexity of the issues in terms of how they manifest in reality. More of a way an 18-year-old university student would look at the issues from the comfort of their classroom, rather than a hardened warrior with his "boots in the mud."
Then there are the antagonists: the mysterious "Union" that takes on our protagonists' "Alliance" on the moon Verdant to fight for access to spaceship fuel. We know nothing about them and they're painted somewhat like a generic "evil other" group we so often see in American entertainment. The fighting and action scenes are filled with technical descriptions on how these future military weapons work, almost like it was intended as a training manual for the weapon itself. Even in scenes where the character faces life or death, we're faced with a barrage of technical data and cold analyses of wins and losses that's far from interesting to read!
In short, we do indeed have military realism, but without any reflection on the likely evolution of military warfare. For that reason, less realistic scifi such as Scalzi's Old Man's War and OSC's Ender's Game eats this "hyper-military-realism approach" for breakfast! We also have little compelling story, dozens of characters, no relatable motivations, and pointless arcs, all packaged in what feels more like the cathartic venting of the frustrations of an ex-soldier, rather than a storyteller at the peak of his prime showing us the inner world of what he knows best.
Not a waste of time, but I wouldn't go out of the way to find this one!
July 25, 2020
I grabbed War's Edge: Dead Heroes on a recommendation from a friend who is also a fan of military Sci-Fi. I did enjoy War's Edge: Dead Heroes, but I will not read another book by this author (more on why below).
The military action within War's Edge: Dead Heroes is excellent. The skilled author details military life and combat quite well. I was surprised that almost the first entire half of War's Edge: Dead Heroes is spent in basic training. This is the second military Sci-Fi book that I have recently read (the other was Devil Calls the Tune by Chris Maddox) that spent an immense amount of time in basic training.
One of my complaints about War's Edge: Dead Heroes is how brutal Marine boot camp was portrayed. In the author’s world human life is cheap, but it boggles the business-minded me that the military would waste so much time and money washing people out of basic.
Now granted, the Marines have a history as one of the smallest and most exclusive of the services, but I would think the screening process would weed out the non-Marine recruits. When I joined the service, the Marine recruiters excelled at separating out the potential Marine recruits from those, such as I, that were better suited for one of the other military branches.
Another complaint of mine is how US-centric War's Edge: Dead Heroes is. I would think that 1,500 years in the future, the militaries might have a different rank structure. The author could have used US military ranks for simplicity. The military has a history of “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” so perhaps the ranks might stay the same.
What I disliked the most in War's Edge: Dead Heroes was the rampant infidelity and the sexual abuse in basic training by the senior DI. I would think that there would be strict laws (they were when I went through Basic at Ft. Leonard Wood) against sexually harassing recruits.
The infidelity of almost all of the secondary characters I disliked enough that I most likely will not read another book by this author. Even though the pilot was in a “sham” marriage, it still irritated me that both partners stepped outside the marriage. I understand that there are couples (and I even have met some of these couples) who have open marriages or an arrangement. I don’t like sexual infidelity in my fiction, that alone killed War's Edge: Dead Heroes for me.
The military action within War's Edge: Dead Heroes is excellent. The skilled author details military life and combat quite well. I was surprised that almost the first entire half of War's Edge: Dead Heroes is spent in basic training. This is the second military Sci-Fi book that I have recently read (the other was Devil Calls the Tune by Chris Maddox) that spent an immense amount of time in basic training.
One of my complaints about War's Edge: Dead Heroes is how brutal Marine boot camp was portrayed. In the author’s world human life is cheap, but it boggles the business-minded me that the military would waste so much time and money washing people out of basic.
Now granted, the Marines have a history as one of the smallest and most exclusive of the services, but I would think the screening process would weed out the non-Marine recruits. When I joined the service, the Marine recruiters excelled at separating out the potential Marine recruits from those, such as I, that were better suited for one of the other military branches.
Another complaint of mine is how US-centric War's Edge: Dead Heroes is. I would think that 1,500 years in the future, the militaries might have a different rank structure. The author could have used US military ranks for simplicity. The military has a history of “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” so perhaps the ranks might stay the same.
What I disliked the most in War's Edge: Dead Heroes was the rampant infidelity and the sexual abuse in basic training by the senior DI. I would think that there would be strict laws (they were when I went through Basic at Ft. Leonard Wood) against sexually harassing recruits.
The infidelity of almost all of the secondary characters I disliked enough that I most likely will not read another book by this author. Even though the pilot was in a “sham” marriage, it still irritated me that both partners stepped outside the marriage. I understand that there are couples (and I even have met some of these couples) who have open marriages or an arrangement. I don’t like sexual infidelity in my fiction, that alone killed War's Edge: Dead Heroes for me.
February 26, 2021
I would prefer to give it no stars.
I read the whole thing minus the part about genocide and rape.
This book sucks. It is not worth your time and effort. The characters are shallow, not worth your time. Lead character stumbles thru life. In Boot Camp they are vile despicable people, if this is true life they should be arrested and put in jail for the rest of their lives. These are scum bags, trash, worthless people with nothing but gutter speak.
I couldn’t wait to be done with it so I could give it this review.
It is a waste of time. There is nothing redeeming about this book.
I read the whole thing minus the part about genocide and rape.
This book sucks. It is not worth your time and effort. The characters are shallow, not worth your time. Lead character stumbles thru life. In Boot Camp they are vile despicable people, if this is true life they should be arrested and put in jail for the rest of their lives. These are scum bags, trash, worthless people with nothing but gutter speak.
I couldn’t wait to be done with it so I could give it this review.
It is a waste of time. There is nothing redeeming about this book.
April 14, 2020
A well-crafted military sci-fi that will have you on the edge of your seat!
Forty-some years ago my uncle gave me a science fiction anthology. It was a thick red hardback that I read from cover to cover. It inspired a lifelong love of the genre. The stories in that book made me think outside the box. They filled me with awe for the imagination it took to write them. That book remains in my collection today. The title is OMNIBUS OF SCIENCE FICTION, edited by Groff Conklin, a well-known and prolific editor of the genre. It was published in 1952, the Golden Age of Science Fiction. It’s a substantial volume, 562 pages, with 43 stories divided into sections relating to a common theme. Some stories are fun, some are thought-provoking, and some are adventurous. I love them all.
War’s Edge: Dead Heroes by best-selling author Ryan W. Aslesen will grab readers and hurl them far beyond the boundaries of our limited world. Step into other times and places with this first-class sci-fi novel. With intriguing twists and turns it will easily captivate the reader from the first page to the last. The author paints an engaging and thought-provoking story that ‘transforms good men into cold-blooded killers and weak ones into bitter memories.’ The characters are drawn with great credibility and conviction and the story is told in a very vivid and convincing way.
I enjoyed the story, character development, and dialogue. There were plenty of plot twists that I didn’t see coming and that added to the book’s mystique. When I stopped reading to work, I found myself wondering what happened in the book, and replaying parts of the story in my head to see if I could figure more out. It has been a while since I enjoyed a book this much. It’s a well written sci-fi action thriller with perfect pacing. Not much is as it appears here, which is just the way fans of the sci-fi genre will want it.
Highly recommended reading to all fans of the sci-fi genre, and a well-deserved five stars from me.
Forty-some years ago my uncle gave me a science fiction anthology. It was a thick red hardback that I read from cover to cover. It inspired a lifelong love of the genre. The stories in that book made me think outside the box. They filled me with awe for the imagination it took to write them. That book remains in my collection today. The title is OMNIBUS OF SCIENCE FICTION, edited by Groff Conklin, a well-known and prolific editor of the genre. It was published in 1952, the Golden Age of Science Fiction. It’s a substantial volume, 562 pages, with 43 stories divided into sections relating to a common theme. Some stories are fun, some are thought-provoking, and some are adventurous. I love them all.
War’s Edge: Dead Heroes by best-selling author Ryan W. Aslesen will grab readers and hurl them far beyond the boundaries of our limited world. Step into other times and places with this first-class sci-fi novel. With intriguing twists and turns it will easily captivate the reader from the first page to the last. The author paints an engaging and thought-provoking story that ‘transforms good men into cold-blooded killers and weak ones into bitter memories.’ The characters are drawn with great credibility and conviction and the story is told in a very vivid and convincing way.
I enjoyed the story, character development, and dialogue. There were plenty of plot twists that I didn’t see coming and that added to the book’s mystique. When I stopped reading to work, I found myself wondering what happened in the book, and replaying parts of the story in my head to see if I could figure more out. It has been a while since I enjoyed a book this much. It’s a well written sci-fi action thriller with perfect pacing. Not much is as it appears here, which is just the way fans of the sci-fi genre will want it.
Highly recommended reading to all fans of the sci-fi genre, and a well-deserved five stars from me.
January 26, 2024
I liked this. I didn't think I would at first because it was heavy with people "sassing" each other in a (shall we say) juvenile way. And I'm not a fan of frequent frequent extreme swearing.
But.
It held me and drew me in. Solid characters and plot. Interesting world and situations. And pacey enough for the type of tale it is.
Nice work.
But.
It held me and drew me in. Solid characters and plot. Interesting world and situations. And pacey enough for the type of tale it is.
Nice work.
April 21, 2025
One of the best sci/fi books I’ve had the pleasure of reading. Excellent character development, but the hallmark of the book is the ethos capturing the spirit of those who serve and the decisions they mark.
April 21, 2020
At the beginning of the book War's Edge: Dead Heroes, the author Ryan Aslesen gives us a brief summary to be able to locate ourselves within history; in the 35th Century the world has changed a lot. We are in a moment where the conquest of space is the main thing; new resources must be obtained , what has not changed is the way to obtain these resources: through war, now in other worlds and other galaxies
Our protagonist Mark Rizer wants to change his life, leave his protected and privileged life and enlist in the elite of the Marines to receive severe military training and thus be able to fight in the defense forces of the United Systems Alliance. It was an opportunity to take advantage of their own course in life, but for others it was the only way since many of the recruits came from poor or low-tech planets.
It is a future-based war science fiction book, but due to the quality of the elements described and the narrative, you may think that at some point this story might be true. Ryan Aslesen's military experience is remarkable as the details it provides are suitable. If you know military training, it is a constantly action packed and highly entertaining book.
If you are a lover of science fiction books where war is the main topic, you should definitely read this one that keeps you alert from the beginning. I give it five stars and I certainly want to continue reading Ryan Aslesen's books. I find them fabulous.
Our protagonist Mark Rizer wants to change his life, leave his protected and privileged life and enlist in the elite of the Marines to receive severe military training and thus be able to fight in the defense forces of the United Systems Alliance. It was an opportunity to take advantage of their own course in life, but for others it was the only way since many of the recruits came from poor or low-tech planets.
It is a future-based war science fiction book, but due to the quality of the elements described and the narrative, you may think that at some point this story might be true. Ryan Aslesen's military experience is remarkable as the details it provides are suitable. If you know military training, it is a constantly action packed and highly entertaining book.
If you are a lover of science fiction books where war is the main topic, you should definitely read this one that keeps you alert from the beginning. I give it five stars and I certainly want to continue reading Ryan Aslesen's books. I find them fabulous.
April 30, 2020
A Military Story Set in the Future
Ryan Aslesen’s years of experience as a security consultant heavily influenced this story. Set in the 35th Century when men had already taken control of parts of space. War’s Edge is a very energetic book that centers around Mark Rizer.
Rizer’s journey takes him to boot camp, where he enjoys an intense experience and training. He eventually gets enlisted into the marine and was among the team deployed to Verdant. His experience at this jungle planet was a life-changing one. Ryan’s power of imagination and mastery of storytelling can be seen clearly on the pages of this novel. On the one hand, it focuses on entertaining the reader, and on the other hand, it sheds light on what wars will feel and look like in the future.
Ryan flawlessly introduces different characters into the novel while maintaining the tempo and energy. One fascinating aspect of this novel is the way Ryan relayed different battle scenes in very believable ways.
War’s Edge is a fusion of science fiction and military adventures. The author takes it further by creating a whole new world to fit the message he wanted the readers to get. I love this book. It’s sci-fi taken to the next level.
Ryan Aslesen’s years of experience as a security consultant heavily influenced this story. Set in the 35th Century when men had already taken control of parts of space. War’s Edge is a very energetic book that centers around Mark Rizer.
Rizer’s journey takes him to boot camp, where he enjoys an intense experience and training. He eventually gets enlisted into the marine and was among the team deployed to Verdant. His experience at this jungle planet was a life-changing one. Ryan’s power of imagination and mastery of storytelling can be seen clearly on the pages of this novel. On the one hand, it focuses on entertaining the reader, and on the other hand, it sheds light on what wars will feel and look like in the future.
Ryan flawlessly introduces different characters into the novel while maintaining the tempo and energy. One fascinating aspect of this novel is the way Ryan relayed different battle scenes in very believable ways.
War’s Edge is a fusion of science fiction and military adventures. The author takes it further by creating a whole new world to fit the message he wanted the readers to get. I love this book. It’s sci-fi taken to the next level.
April 22, 2020
This is a mesmerizing sci-fi book
This is a great sci-fi futurist book! The book called “War´s Edge: Dead heroes” was written by Ryan Aslesen, a former Marine officer and veteran War, who is also fond of writing. He has made a great job with this book.
In the 35th century, there is a vast part of the space that is colonized by human beings. Unfortunately, there are some struggles that end up in wars among different planets. So, action must be taken to put some order. The story centers on a man who decides to take a different way in his life. Mark Rizer decides to join the elite Marines of the United Systems Alliance forces to help win this brand-new War. He must survive in that chaotic moment against all odds.
It has a gripping and entertaining plot where extreme action is present. There are several interesting twists in the story that hold your attention throughout the reading. I really enjoyed it and recommend this book to anyone who loves reading!
October 10, 2021
DNF. I couldn't pass the first chapter mark. Although the blurb has everything I like in a military sci-fi book, in the first chapter the MC is close to nonexistent, too many characters are introduced at once so I couldn't be bothered to be interested in them, and all the characters, both recruits and DIs, are so caricatural that it was not even fun. I'm really disappointed I couldn't read further since, judging from the general reviews, the book seemed to be good.
January 20, 2022
Holy smokes, I am glad I finished this book. If I had not been sick I would have rated this book a 2, but I am giving the benefit of the doubt because I was sick with covid as I listened to it.
This book seemed to drone on and on. I never made a connection with the characters. It seemed like just another space war book.
This book seemed to drone on and on. I never made a connection with the characters. It seemed like just another space war book.
August 16, 2020
Superior
I enjoyed this novel more than most. it kept my interest from the beginning through the end. The characters were all strong and engaging. All in all one of the best reads so far and looking for a sequel.
I enjoyed this novel more than most. it kept my interest from the beginning through the end. The characters were all strong and engaging. All in all one of the best reads so far and looking for a sequel.
October 30, 2021
Maaaaan. Did not expect it to be this good.
Book was a little long-winded at times, but maaaaaaaaaan it was good. Great story line with a lot of detail and action. 4.6 stars, so I rounded up. On to the book 2!
Book was a little long-winded at times, but maaaaaaaaaan it was good. Great story line with a lot of detail and action. 4.6 stars, so I rounded up. On to the book 2!
April 24, 2020
Come one, come all, come hungry for awesomeness, and you shall be sated.
"Dead Heroes" is a 2020 release by Ryan Aslesen, and is the latest smash hit in an increasingly impressive oeuvre by the author. It is the first novel in Aslesen's new War's Edge series.
Set in the 35th century, "Dead Heroes" primarily follows protagonist Mark Rizer, who drops out of a prestigious university to join the Marines of the United Systems Alliance. The reader follows Rizer through his intense experience at boot camp, infantry training, and through his eventual assignment to a Marine unit. Rizer is deployed to the jungle planet Verdant, where he experiences the horrors of war, experiences that will leave him changed forever--if he can survive the mayhem.
"Dead Heroes" combines the military sf trappings of "Starship Troopers" with the strategic acumen of "Red Storm Rising" with the no-holds-barred look at warfare of "Saving Private Ryan" into a package that is intense, violent, dark, manic, visceral, and ultimately brilliant. "Dead Heroes" marks a new high point for author Aslesen. While his previous novels have certainly been awesome, "DH" reaches new levels of complexity that really give the author room to shine. With a larger scope of action, more characters, and intricate plotting and strategy, "DH" takes Aslesen's signature writing traits and expands them to something even more incredible.
"Dead Heroes" is such an effective novel on many fronts. It works as science fiction thriller, war story, or even character study, and does each of those things well. The novel spends its first 40% relaying the protagonist Rizer's journey through Marine training, and then shifts its focus to the war that Rizer becomes involved in. At that point, more character's viewpoints are introduced, from commanding generals all the way down to grunts on the front line. The author juggles all these perspectives in a masterful way, and handles characterization for each of these very different individuals in a way that feels authentic, as if dredged up from personal experience. Also impressive was the author's ability to relay different types of combat in a way that feels true-to-life, from infantry entanglements in the jungle, to large naval battles between gargantuan spaceships. Weaponry, equipment, and technology were also thought out brilliantly. Combine that with the author's military experience, and it is difficult to tell where reality ends and fiction begins.
Fortunately--while a little different from the author's other books--the classic Aslesen makes a return in "Dead Heroes." Expect plenty of blood, guts, profanity, sex, saltiness, and tight action scenes. Also expect that great character building and insightful peek into the psyche of the man-at-arms, which really helps set Aslesen's work on a pedestal above its competition.
"Dead Heroes" is a no-brainer. Pick it up and be wowed by its effective marriage of science fiction and military action. Ryan Aslesen is quickly proving himself to be the top dog in the genre, and "Dead Heroes" proves it!
"Dead Heroes" is a 2020 release by Ryan Aslesen, and is the latest smash hit in an increasingly impressive oeuvre by the author. It is the first novel in Aslesen's new War's Edge series.
Set in the 35th century, "Dead Heroes" primarily follows protagonist Mark Rizer, who drops out of a prestigious university to join the Marines of the United Systems Alliance. The reader follows Rizer through his intense experience at boot camp, infantry training, and through his eventual assignment to a Marine unit. Rizer is deployed to the jungle planet Verdant, where he experiences the horrors of war, experiences that will leave him changed forever--if he can survive the mayhem.
"Dead Heroes" combines the military sf trappings of "Starship Troopers" with the strategic acumen of "Red Storm Rising" with the no-holds-barred look at warfare of "Saving Private Ryan" into a package that is intense, violent, dark, manic, visceral, and ultimately brilliant. "Dead Heroes" marks a new high point for author Aslesen. While his previous novels have certainly been awesome, "DH" reaches new levels of complexity that really give the author room to shine. With a larger scope of action, more characters, and intricate plotting and strategy, "DH" takes Aslesen's signature writing traits and expands them to something even more incredible.
"Dead Heroes" is such an effective novel on many fronts. It works as science fiction thriller, war story, or even character study, and does each of those things well. The novel spends its first 40% relaying the protagonist Rizer's journey through Marine training, and then shifts its focus to the war that Rizer becomes involved in. At that point, more character's viewpoints are introduced, from commanding generals all the way down to grunts on the front line. The author juggles all these perspectives in a masterful way, and handles characterization for each of these very different individuals in a way that feels authentic, as if dredged up from personal experience. Also impressive was the author's ability to relay different types of combat in a way that feels true-to-life, from infantry entanglements in the jungle, to large naval battles between gargantuan spaceships. Weaponry, equipment, and technology were also thought out brilliantly. Combine that with the author's military experience, and it is difficult to tell where reality ends and fiction begins.
Fortunately--while a little different from the author's other books--the classic Aslesen makes a return in "Dead Heroes." Expect plenty of blood, guts, profanity, sex, saltiness, and tight action scenes. Also expect that great character building and insightful peek into the psyche of the man-at-arms, which really helps set Aslesen's work on a pedestal above its competition.
"Dead Heroes" is a no-brainer. Pick it up and be wowed by its effective marriage of science fiction and military action. Ryan Aslesen is quickly proving himself to be the top dog in the genre, and "Dead Heroes" proves it!
June 17, 2020
Mr. Aslesen certainly knows military tactics, procedures, and has a healthy sense of irony and cynicism – maybe that’s why I enjoyed the book so much. As a bonus, War’s Edge: No Heroes by Ryan Aslesen is a well written, imaginative, and easy to read book.
The author really put a lot of thought into his world building, and created a complex, realistic world. Even though this is a wonderful science-fiction book, the story is still character driven which makes it an engrossing read.
Mark Rizer, the protagonist, got bored of college and decided to find some adventures in the elite forces of the United Systems Alliance Marines. He goes through basic training which was right out of a futuristic vision of Full Metal Jacket.
Frankly I found it a bit unbelievable that basic training is harsh that troops get killed, I know this happens but it’s certainly not by design, especially these days. That being said, the author did write a book where lives are cheap, humans are abundant, so I can certainly see that occurring. From a futuristic standpoint, it seems as if the military went backwards.
I also thought that the future military is too “old US centric”. The ranks are the same, or very similar, same with squads, platoons, attitudes, etc. For example, the decoration for a wounded warrior is still a Purple Heart. These, however, are just pickings of an old soldier and an avid book reader, as well as a life-long cynic which I suspect the author could appreciate. I enjoyed the book and its vision very much.
The author just didn’t write a shoot’em up space western, he really put a lot of effort into trying to weave into the story to politics of this futuristic world. Much like ours, in the future politics and business make strange bedfellows and soldiers often don’t know if they’re fighting for their country or to protect the interests of a private entity pulling the strings behind the curtains.
The narrative is both riveting and compelling, extreme action is either present, or just around the corner. Our protagonist, of course, can’t catch a break which makes the story hold the reader’s attention throughout.
The author really put a lot of thought into his world building, and created a complex, realistic world. Even though this is a wonderful science-fiction book, the story is still character driven which makes it an engrossing read.
Mark Rizer, the protagonist, got bored of college and decided to find some adventures in the elite forces of the United Systems Alliance Marines. He goes through basic training which was right out of a futuristic vision of Full Metal Jacket.
Frankly I found it a bit unbelievable that basic training is harsh that troops get killed, I know this happens but it’s certainly not by design, especially these days. That being said, the author did write a book where lives are cheap, humans are abundant, so I can certainly see that occurring. From a futuristic standpoint, it seems as if the military went backwards.
I also thought that the future military is too “old US centric”. The ranks are the same, or very similar, same with squads, platoons, attitudes, etc. For example, the decoration for a wounded warrior is still a Purple Heart. These, however, are just pickings of an old soldier and an avid book reader, as well as a life-long cynic which I suspect the author could appreciate. I enjoyed the book and its vision very much.
The author just didn’t write a shoot’em up space western, he really put a lot of effort into trying to weave into the story to politics of this futuristic world. Much like ours, in the future politics and business make strange bedfellows and soldiers often don’t know if they’re fighting for their country or to protect the interests of a private entity pulling the strings behind the curtains.
The narrative is both riveting and compelling, extreme action is either present, or just around the corner. Our protagonist, of course, can’t catch a break which makes the story hold the reader’s attention throughout.
June 15, 2020
Excellent Hard Military Science Fiction, A New Classic
Ever since reading Starship Troopers in my early teens is have enjoyed military sci-fi. In my opinion War’s Edge: Dead Heroes will join the upper echelon of classics of the genre. It is a gut wrenchingly visceral tale of how war just may look 15 centuries from now.
War’s Edge tells the story of a young man who leaves a soft life of academia to join the United Space Alliance Marine Corps and quickly discovers that he has no idea what he has signed up for. It details his 40 weeks of brutal MCT (Boot Camp) where he forms bonds with his fellow trainees, all the while knowing that he could at anytime be busted back to week one or even be deemed unfit and relegated to the service Corp to serve out his enlistment cleaning toilets. It’s only after arriving at his first deployment and earning the respect of the men and women with whom he serves in the field that shit really goes south.
I loved this book. The pacing is excellent, the characters are well developed and feel as if they leap off the page. It is not a book for the faint hearted. According to his biography the author is a former Marine combat veteran and he pulls no punches in his descriptions of life in the Corps. From the rigors and discipline of training to the barely controlled chaos of battle to the carnage of the aftermath and the grief of losing teammates, it’s all here. When I say visceral I mean it. After I finished the book I felt I had lived it, not just read it. (Though I know that’s ridiculous, because there’s no way I can truly understand as I’ve never been in combat).
Just in case I haven’t been clear enough, I HIGHLY recommend this book. Buy War’s Edge: Dead Heroes. Read it. You have your orders, Marine! Carry them out!
Ever since reading Starship Troopers in my early teens is have enjoyed military sci-fi. In my opinion War’s Edge: Dead Heroes will join the upper echelon of classics of the genre. It is a gut wrenchingly visceral tale of how war just may look 15 centuries from now.
War’s Edge tells the story of a young man who leaves a soft life of academia to join the United Space Alliance Marine Corps and quickly discovers that he has no idea what he has signed up for. It details his 40 weeks of brutal MCT (Boot Camp) where he forms bonds with his fellow trainees, all the while knowing that he could at anytime be busted back to week one or even be deemed unfit and relegated to the service Corp to serve out his enlistment cleaning toilets. It’s only after arriving at his first deployment and earning the respect of the men and women with whom he serves in the field that shit really goes south.
I loved this book. The pacing is excellent, the characters are well developed and feel as if they leap off the page. It is not a book for the faint hearted. According to his biography the author is a former Marine combat veteran and he pulls no punches in his descriptions of life in the Corps. From the rigors and discipline of training to the barely controlled chaos of battle to the carnage of the aftermath and the grief of losing teammates, it’s all here. When I say visceral I mean it. After I finished the book I felt I had lived it, not just read it. (Though I know that’s ridiculous, because there’s no way I can truly understand as I’ve never been in combat).
Just in case I haven’t been clear enough, I HIGHLY recommend this book. Buy War’s Edge: Dead Heroes. Read it. You have your orders, Marine! Carry them out!
June 27, 2021
I picked up the book as I need another headache book. Something fun that would distract one part of my brain from the pain outside of said brain. I’m always up for military sci-fi, especially with the promise of thought put towards what things will look like in 1500 years.
What I found was a book that didn’t fully know what it wanted to be. First it seemed to be a book focused on Rizer, watching him turn from a soft civilian to a battle hardened Marine. But then it swerved a bit into military space opera, with new characters popping up that had no direct bearing on Rizer. A fighter pilot here, a tanker, there. Plus following a Marine general and his son through the conflict on Verdant.
A lot of effort was put into describing the weapon systems throughout the book. Very little time was spent on characters, knowing who they are or actual character development. A handful of sentences were used to explain why Rizer went from bored college kid to Marine recruit. A lot more were used to describe the Marine battle rifle.
The first third is dull, as it walks us through the 40 weeks of Marine boot camp. It is so tough only 10-15% of recruits make it through. The tasks felt like BUDS, ie SEAL selection, than Marines (even down to Scuba training and Hell week). But if this is what it takes to make Marines, then there shouldn’t be many of them. Once on Verdant, there are lots of them! If they are so good at weeding out the fearful, why is Rizer’s platoon leader on Verdant such a REMF?
The book gets interesting once Rizer reaches Verdant and learns what war is really about. We get action set pieces that use the advantages of Alliance hardware to push back against the insurgents (ie the people who don’t want the Alliance there to help the corporations strip mine their planet). It felt like shades of Vietnam. To save a town, it needed to be destroyed. Points about how mercenaries (ie defense contractors) cause more trouble than there worth are made.
The space fighter scenes felt at odds with physics. Rolling in space isn’t the same as rolling in an atmosphere. Why are the fighters not using maneuvers vacuum allows? Distances didn’t make sense. Some of the dialogue comes straight out of Star Wars.
In the end, we know Rizer will make it. The question becomes if anyone he’s met will make it out with him. As there isn’t a lot of deep character focus, we only see the very shallow surface of Rizer’s hardening shell.
What I found was a book that didn’t fully know what it wanted to be. First it seemed to be a book focused on Rizer, watching him turn from a soft civilian to a battle hardened Marine. But then it swerved a bit into military space opera, with new characters popping up that had no direct bearing on Rizer. A fighter pilot here, a tanker, there. Plus following a Marine general and his son through the conflict on Verdant.
A lot of effort was put into describing the weapon systems throughout the book. Very little time was spent on characters, knowing who they are or actual character development. A handful of sentences were used to explain why Rizer went from bored college kid to Marine recruit. A lot more were used to describe the Marine battle rifle.
The first third is dull, as it walks us through the 40 weeks of Marine boot camp. It is so tough only 10-15% of recruits make it through. The tasks felt like BUDS, ie SEAL selection, than Marines (even down to Scuba training and Hell week). But if this is what it takes to make Marines, then there shouldn’t be many of them. Once on Verdant, there are lots of them! If they are so good at weeding out the fearful, why is Rizer’s platoon leader on Verdant such a REMF?
The book gets interesting once Rizer reaches Verdant and learns what war is really about. We get action set pieces that use the advantages of Alliance hardware to push back against the insurgents (ie the people who don’t want the Alliance there to help the corporations strip mine their planet). It felt like shades of Vietnam. To save a town, it needed to be destroyed. Points about how mercenaries (ie defense contractors) cause more trouble than there worth are made.
The space fighter scenes felt at odds with physics. Rolling in space isn’t the same as rolling in an atmosphere. Why are the fighters not using maneuvers vacuum allows? Distances didn’t make sense. Some of the dialogue comes straight out of Star Wars.
In the end, we know Rizer will make it. The question becomes if anyone he’s met will make it out with him. As there isn’t a lot of deep character focus, we only see the very shallow surface of Rizer’s hardening shell.
April 22, 2020
War’s Edge: Dead Heroes is a science fiction novel written by Ryan Aslesen. As the author is a Marine officer, his vast experience on the topic gives realism to the story and makes him one of the best writers of military narrations.
This fiction book is written for a general audience. It is a really interesting story about a man, Mark Rizer, who wants to escape his ordinary life and he enrolls in the Marines of the United Systems Alliance. He lives hard moments at boot camp and he experiences the cruelty of wars.
The story is narrated in third person and there are plenty of dialogues. It is set in the 35th century. The author’s writing style makes the reading easy and quick to read. The story catches your attention when you start reading the book. You just want to know what the next chapter will bring you. Without hesitation, I am going to read all the novels of this author since this book left me more than caught up in the story.
I would gladly recommend you all, no matter what age to read War’s Edge. It is a fantastic work to explore.
This fiction book is written for a general audience. It is a really interesting story about a man, Mark Rizer, who wants to escape his ordinary life and he enrolls in the Marines of the United Systems Alliance. He lives hard moments at boot camp and he experiences the cruelty of wars.
The story is narrated in third person and there are plenty of dialogues. It is set in the 35th century. The author’s writing style makes the reading easy and quick to read. The story catches your attention when you start reading the book. You just want to know what the next chapter will bring you. Without hesitation, I am going to read all the novels of this author since this book left me more than caught up in the story.
I would gladly recommend you all, no matter what age to read War’s Edge. It is a fantastic work to explore.
April 18, 2020
Far into the future, the 35th Century to be exact, mankind will have reached the vast spaces of the farthest edges of space and colonies are everywhere. In an attempt to pacify the outer colonies, war rages between governments and corporations in a struggle for ultimate control. Against this backdrop we meet Mark Rizer, a young man who wants to make a difference and with that goal in mind he drops out of college to join the United Systems Alliance Forces as a Marine. As a Marine in the infamous Murder Company, Mark is deployed to Verdant, a jungle moon and dropped into a fight against ghostly foes and the war is brutal, bloody and vicious. Just how far are men willing to go in their pursuit of honor and blind acceptance of orders?
Well written and intriguing, the worldbuilding was very well done. Mark was a great choice for the main characters, he brought an interesting and refreshing POV to the Science Fiction genre.
Well written and intriguing, the worldbuilding was very well done. Mark was a great choice for the main characters, he brought an interesting and refreshing POV to the Science Fiction genre.
April 21, 2020
Written in the third person and full of dialogues, War’s Edge: Dead Heroes is a science fiction book that tells the story of Mark Rizer, an ordinary man who decides to make a radical lifestyle change and join the elite Marines of the United Systems Alliance defense forces. After joining the Marines, we can learn how the protagonist fights for survival and all the difficulties he endures. The plot is really captivating since there are unexpected twist all through and would interest any kind of readers, even if this is not their genre of choice.
The story, as well as the characters and dialogues, are entertaining and easy to read and follow, what makes you want to read more and more as the chapters unfold. If you like sci-fi and the marine, this is definitely a must-read for you!
A well-deserved 5 stars for me.
The story, as well as the characters and dialogues, are entertaining and easy to read and follow, what makes you want to read more and more as the chapters unfold. If you like sci-fi and the marine, this is definitely a must-read for you!
A well-deserved 5 stars for me.
November 11, 2020
As a fan of the Author’s Max Ahlgren series (I mean, some are better than others), I have conflicting feelings about the direction being taken in Dead Heroes. Early on, in Extinction, the book was tempered with a heartfelt meditation on PTSD, survivor’s guilt and male comradeship. This added weight to the action horror story and really made it something special.
Now, in Dead Heroes, a creative leap forward in writing skill and world building, Aslesen has given us two of one and one of the other. It’s interesting that this is almost like a biography for the protagonist, as he makes his way through sci-fi boot camp, and becomes and officer and sees action. He sees a lot of good friends die, the impact of which is the focus of a lot of the narrative.
What’s weird is that this is a book surprisingly short on the action it promises. What’s there is mostly disconnected, brief moments. There are some spaceship battles that go on for a pretty long time, but I just found them boring. The various action scenes serve mostly to administer the horrors of war out to the group. And, I dunno, the conclusion that to experience all these terrible and brutal things, wanting to continue? There wasn’t a clear motivation for fighting here either.
The book is mostly just the story of a soldier’s life, which I appreciate, but the book is just so long that the lack of an interesting plot frustrated me.
And then there’s all the cursing, homophobia, the treatment of woman, etc. I can be a real bummer to listen to when it lightens the mood with gay and sex jokes, which is a lot. I appreciate the authenticity and depiction of military culture but it’s not that fun for me to listen to it at extended length.
And lastly, the world building really is interesting and good. I want to know more about this universe! But we aren’t given much of a look into it. The bad guys are forgettable and the subplot of the “older but still hot” woman pilot doesn’t really go anywhere and takes up a lot of the plot. It’s just, the book is kind of a bummer and it doesn’t bring the action and tension of some of his previous books. But because of the contrast between psychological depth and sci fi universe, there is something interesting. It just isn’t all that fun.
Now, in Dead Heroes, a creative leap forward in writing skill and world building, Aslesen has given us two of one and one of the other. It’s interesting that this is almost like a biography for the protagonist, as he makes his way through sci-fi boot camp, and becomes and officer and sees action. He sees a lot of good friends die, the impact of which is the focus of a lot of the narrative.
What’s weird is that this is a book surprisingly short on the action it promises. What’s there is mostly disconnected, brief moments. There are some spaceship battles that go on for a pretty long time, but I just found them boring. The various action scenes serve mostly to administer the horrors of war out to the group. And, I dunno, the conclusion that to experience all these terrible and brutal things, wanting to continue? There wasn’t a clear motivation for fighting here either.
The book is mostly just the story of a soldier’s life, which I appreciate, but the book is just so long that the lack of an interesting plot frustrated me.
And then there’s all the cursing, homophobia, the treatment of woman, etc. I can be a real bummer to listen to when it lightens the mood with gay and sex jokes, which is a lot. I appreciate the authenticity and depiction of military culture but it’s not that fun for me to listen to it at extended length.
And lastly, the world building really is interesting and good. I want to know more about this universe! But we aren’t given much of a look into it. The bad guys are forgettable and the subplot of the “older but still hot” woman pilot doesn’t really go anywhere and takes up a lot of the plot. It’s just, the book is kind of a bummer and it doesn’t bring the action and tension of some of his previous books. But because of the contrast between psychological depth and sci fi universe, there is something interesting. It just isn’t all that fun.
April 14, 2020
This story is about a guy named Mark Rizer who decides to join the marines and escape the life he is currently living. Upon joining up the this elite force, he finds himself halfway across the galaxy in a torturous boot camp that will train him to be a killer or kill him with the training. Surviving this brutal camp leads to a small moon at the edge of the world where Mark finds himself battling unimaginable enemies with the ticket home being a body bag. This is a great scifi adventure with some good military style. Mark is a well developed character that is easy to relate to and the story is a fun and easy read. I enjoyed the journey and the escape to this alternate world created for our reading pleasure. Check this one out folks. It is worth you time to read it.
July 7, 2020
This book was excellent. Based on cover art genre etc I went in with low expectations. It ended up being the best military sci-fi book I've ever read.
It's very focused on the nitty gritty of being a space marine but gradually the overarching plot is revealed. It's not complicated but it was interesting. I ripped through the entire book in a long weekend.
One notable thing was how good some of the action scenes were. The space ship fighting was particularly amazing. I was gripping my kindle with a death grip dodging lasers right with the pilot at the end.
One downside of the book is it's gritty military sci-fi. so the good guys aren't that good and the bad guys aren't that bad. I know I know. Still when I'm reading my cheesey space fantasy I prefer less grit.
It's very focused on the nitty gritty of being a space marine but gradually the overarching plot is revealed. It's not complicated but it was interesting. I ripped through the entire book in a long weekend.
One notable thing was how good some of the action scenes were. The space ship fighting was particularly amazing. I was gripping my kindle with a death grip dodging lasers right with the pilot at the end.
One downside of the book is it's gritty military sci-fi. so the good guys aren't that good and the bad guys aren't that bad. I know I know. Still when I'm reading my cheesey space fantasy I prefer less grit.
April 21, 2020
I’m giving this 5 stars, but with a caveat. You need to be a fan of “Military” Sci-fi to fully enjoy this. If you are, then this is a solid 5 stars. It’s heavy on military jargon and thinking. I suspect veterans will enjoy it even more than us civilians. As a military dependent, growing up on base, a very small part of it sounds familiar. (Mainly listening to the stories My Green Beret father and his buds shared.)
We follow a civilian as he becomes a Marine. Concurrently, we watch as war approaches and the debacle of politicians trying to profit from and spin events. The writing is gritty and nobody is safe. Much like a King novel, being a major character is no guarantee of survival.
If this book hooks you, then good news. Aslesen has many other book in this genre. I suspect there will be follow up books set in this universe. I highly recommend this book to fans of Military Sci-Fi.
We follow a civilian as he becomes a Marine. Concurrently, we watch as war approaches and the debacle of politicians trying to profit from and spin events. The writing is gritty and nobody is safe. Much like a King novel, being a major character is no guarantee of survival.
If this book hooks you, then good news. Aslesen has many other book in this genre. I suspect there will be follow up books set in this universe. I highly recommend this book to fans of Military Sci-Fi.
June 5, 2020
A very gritty and realistic look at war in the 35th century, somewhat depressing.
I enjoyed this book very much, although it had some what of a downside. It was gritty and realistic. In fact it was so realistic you did not know who is going to live or die. Unfortunately they were characters you began to form an attachment to and like real war they were gone just like that. This is the downside I was talking about because you began to form an attachment to them and then they were KIA. If you like a coming of age story with plenty of realism you’ll enjoy this series.
I enjoyed this book very much, although it had some what of a downside. It was gritty and realistic. In fact it was so realistic you did not know who is going to live or die. Unfortunately they were characters you began to form an attachment to and like real war they were gone just like that. This is the downside I was talking about because you began to form an attachment to them and then they were KIA. If you like a coming of age story with plenty of realism you’ll enjoy this series.
June 14, 2022
Yeah you can see where this guy was a Marine
He has the boot camp experience down pat. A rather lengthy retelling but entertaining , you follow cpl Rizer through boot, weapons training
and becoming an Alliance Marine. I enjoy this sort of military sci fi because it is interesting , entertaining, informative, and sobering. My Dad was a combat engineer in WW2 and he didn’t have space, he had Tunisia, Sicily, Normandy, and Germany.
But I digress, a great read, great characters, and many “can’t put it down” moments.
He has the boot camp experience down pat. A rather lengthy retelling but entertaining , you follow cpl Rizer through boot, weapons training
and becoming an Alliance Marine. I enjoy this sort of military sci fi because it is interesting , entertaining, informative, and sobering. My Dad was a combat engineer in WW2 and he didn’t have space, he had Tunisia, Sicily, Normandy, and Germany.
But I digress, a great read, great characters, and many “can’t put it down” moments.
January 14, 2024
This was pretty intense
So I went back and forth on this but really identified with the characters and felt their frustrations. Glad I didn’t go into the military. Their leadership doesn’t care and won’t listen. They arnt even fighting for their country or to save their loved ones. They are fighting for corporate profits. It’s sad but also admirable that he stuck with his commitments. So much sacrifice, I can imagine this being realer to what it really is like. Sad about his friends passing especially so pointlessly.
So I went back and forth on this but really identified with the characters and felt their frustrations. Glad I didn’t go into the military. Their leadership doesn’t care and won’t listen. They arnt even fighting for their country or to save their loved ones. They are fighting for corporate profits. It’s sad but also admirable that he stuck with his commitments. So much sacrifice, I can imagine this being realer to what it really is like. Sad about his friends passing especially so pointlessly.
June 19, 2020
Good story
Yes, it has its cliche's, but the story seems real enough. The characters live, but some die. Some question the big why, others questions why him or her and not me, but the stories are about the human in each and every one of us, the good the bad and yes the ugly. Doesn't have the answers, but asks the questions we all deal with.
Looking forward to more, despite expected marine bashing of army (ha-ha).
Yes, it has its cliche's, but the story seems real enough. The characters live, but some die. Some question the big why, others questions why him or her and not me, but the stories are about the human in each and every one of us, the good the bad and yes the ugly. Doesn't have the answers, but asks the questions we all deal with.
Looking forward to more, despite expected marine bashing of army (ha-ha).
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