The Smugglers of Mars

by S. Evan Townsend

Treachery stalks the red planet... Before he was Rick Bailey, before he hunted for the Treasure of the Black Hole, he was Titus Chumba of the Core Empire Intelligence Corps. Sent to Mars to investigate water smuggling, First Lieutenant Chumba finds a criminal conspiracy that spans from the red planet to the asteroid belt. Will Chumba discover the deadly secrets of the smugglers of Mars, learn the identity of the mysterious woman embroiled in the conspiracy, and prevent a cold war with the reptile-like Malvalkians from turning blazing hot?

189 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 13, 2020

About the author

S. Evan Townsend is a writer living in central Washington State. After spending four years in the U.S. Army in the Military Intelligence branch, he returned to civilian life and college to earn a B.S. in Forest Resources from the University of Washington. In his spare time he enjoys reading, driving (sometimes on a racetrack), meeting people, and talking with friends. He is in a 12-step program for Starbucks addiction. Evan lives with his wife and has three grown sons at various stages of getting out of the nest. He enjoys science fiction, fantasy, history, politics, cars, and travel.

Reviews

[John Dizon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Smugglers of Mars by S. Evan Townsend is a gritty, fast-paced sci-fi suspense/thriller centered on the exploits of Titus Chumba, agent of the Intelligence Corps of the Core Empire. Its interplanetary rival, the Malkavians, are rumored to be organizing a water smuggling conspiracy on the planet Mars. A mysterious Sphere places Titus on the trail of Ekaterina, a Malkavian agent who decides the threat posed by Chumba requires his elimination. The climactic showdown between them is one that readers will long remember.

Sci-fi fans and action/adventure audiences will be enthralled by Townsend's blend of futuristic ambiance with a pulp fictionesque cast of characters. Chumba is a hard-nosed space cop with a Mickey Spillane appeal that you won't forget. The Smugglers of Mars by S. Evan Townsend is a worthy addition to your sci-fi library.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really cool, immersive sci-fi story! The worldbuilding and politics stuff is interesting and the action scenes are all both easy to follow and also pretty darn scary.

The dialogue is really effective here. I like the diplomatic way people talk, even when there’s tension. It's so great when drama and fights happen and yet I don't ever think that any “mistakes” the main character is making is from him being stupid or insufferable. This really helps keep tension high without me ever really thinking “ugh, you got yourself into this”. Really good, it's easy to root for this main character even when wild stuff is happening!

A few little things took me out of the experience here and there, but they were mostly one-offs – most of the time the narrator character is fun to follow, but sometimes he makes comments that feel unnecessary in this advanced futuristic world. I don’t adore the “she scowled which made her less attractive” descriptions that pop up here and there. And sometimes the description gets a little repetitive – there’s a whole lot of “glaring” and descriptions of how peoples’ eyes look around page 145-175, as an example.

But that's pretty nitpicky. The plot is fast and the tension is pretty much always high. Good exciting sci-fi stuff!

[Jeff Dawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read “Annihilation from Above,” and was very impressed with it. This one, not even close. The plot was interesting but lacked the excitement of the prior work. It just plodded along with no real “Gotcha” areas. I found it ludicrous how many times the so-called hero, Titus Chumba was mortally wounded and somehow kept surviving. It just became too over the top. Several times his suit has ripped which would spell doom for the average marine, or Malvalkian, but not him. Oh, no. He puts James Bond to shame when it comes to survival.

And what’s up with the ship the Che Guevara? No other ship in the story gets as much page time as this ship. I’m sorry, but of all the names out there, this one hit a nerve. There was nothing good about this man. For those that don’t know, he was a major backer of Fidel Castro and his brother.

Overall, I’m glad the story is over.

Three stars

[john marsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars, but...

One of the problems I have when reading a first person story is, there is no chance the main character is going to die. This always weakens the story line for me and is the reason I gave it three instead of the four stars it would have otherwise gotten.

[J. Bagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific...

This was a fun read, I enjoyed it a lot. Not overly technical, but solid enough to engage the techies. I would rate it appropriate for both teens and adults. Pacing was well presented and characters believable. Go for it....