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Sentenced to War #1
Sentenced to War
Sit in prison or join the military. The choice is yours.
Convicted of a minor traffic violation, Rev Pelletier is conscripted into the Perseus Union Marine Corps . . . for up to a thirty-year term of service.
Anxious to get back to his civilian life and job, Rev opts for a shorter term as a Marine Raider taking the fight to the enemy.
But with extremely high mortality rates, can he and his friends survive until their term of service is over?
Convicted of a minor traffic violation, Rev Pelletier is conscripted into the Perseus Union Marine Corps . . . for up to a thirty-year term of service.
Anxious to get back to his civilian life and job, Rev opts for a shorter term as a Marine Raider taking the fight to the enemy.
But with extremely high mortality rates, can he and his friends survive until their term of service is over?
374 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 28, 2021
2500 people are currently reading
3660 people want to read
About the author
J.N. Chaney
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 230 reviews
March 9, 2021
Inconsistent, Disappointing
Mildly surprised regarding the entire effort. I'm a sucker for stories where conscripted troops perform well. The story starts with ‘our’ heroes conscripted via penal system....traffic tickets get you hard time in elite Marine units? Worse, the story starts with this plotline but falls off early and only brought up here n there to play on readers emotionally.
The ‘Universe’, the background -- Host, Frisians, etc -- is told poorly, bits and pieces, and gets wordy at times telling us, the reader, very little. Figured out one league, who they were and where they were from, when the MC’s are eating frog legs.
The Mil tech is very inconsistent, just doesn't make sense. Old Fashioned, crude RPG type weapon is the only weapon infantry has to take down an enemy -- each marine gets two shots, their rifles, overall, are useless. After 9-10 years of war, that's the best you got? from a species, humans, who have a millennia of experience in war?
The heart of any story are characters, and authors make readers assume since the charaacters are all cliched, stereotypes. Not a single character stood out and could embrace. MC was privileged youth, and acted like it throughout. His transformation of boy to Marine wasn't done well at all. Authors could have erased him, I would have not felt strongly at all.
Best sub-plotline was under done, the melding of combat suit AI with it's Marine. Specifically, the MC and how he dealt w it. Badly done and certainly not enough. Too bad because it was the best thing going on.
Then there is the overly sensitive handling of PC, especially regarding gender. Sorry, physiological differences affect, impact psychologically. It's fact, but somehow authors disregard and write of a future Marine Corps that's uneven, considerably, by gender. And that's also considering ‘augmentation’.
I believe that authors assume readers will fit everything together, nicely, by themselves. Throw us some big chunks -- have at. If you enjoy stories that have some credibility, especially character, military and logical tech, this dog don't hunt.
Mildly surprised regarding the entire effort. I'm a sucker for stories where conscripted troops perform well. The story starts with ‘our’ heroes conscripted via penal system....traffic tickets get you hard time in elite Marine units? Worse, the story starts with this plotline but falls off early and only brought up here n there to play on readers emotionally.
The ‘Universe’, the background -- Host, Frisians, etc -- is told poorly, bits and pieces, and gets wordy at times telling us, the reader, very little. Figured out one league, who they were and where they were from, when the MC’s are eating frog legs.
The Mil tech is very inconsistent, just doesn't make sense. Old Fashioned, crude RPG type weapon is the only weapon infantry has to take down an enemy -- each marine gets two shots, their rifles, overall, are useless. After 9-10 years of war, that's the best you got? from a species, humans, who have a millennia of experience in war?
The heart of any story are characters, and authors make readers assume since the charaacters are all cliched, stereotypes. Not a single character stood out and could embrace. MC was privileged youth, and acted like it throughout. His transformation of boy to Marine wasn't done well at all. Authors could have erased him, I would have not felt strongly at all.
Best sub-plotline was under done, the melding of combat suit AI with it's Marine. Specifically, the MC and how he dealt w it. Badly done and certainly not enough. Too bad because it was the best thing going on.
Then there is the overly sensitive handling of PC, especially regarding gender. Sorry, physiological differences affect, impact psychologically. It's fact, but somehow authors disregard and write of a future Marine Corps that's uneven, considerably, by gender. And that's also considering ‘augmentation’.
I believe that authors assume readers will fit everything together, nicely, by themselves. Throw us some big chunks -- have at. If you enjoy stories that have some credibility, especially character, military and logical tech, this dog don't hunt.
May 24, 2021
I made it over 40% of the way through. Great military setup so far. That's right ... after nearly 5 hours of reading, I still haven't hit actual combat - the main character is still in training. What finally killed me was when I finally hit what I thought was Centaur military action, and it turned out to be virtual training that stops part-way through. I thought I should follow suit.
25% of the book for setup of a military action is okay, not nearly half. Especially when establishing "life-long" friendships in the military group during boot camp.
Boot camp was boring, with little interaction of characters. Adding to the fact is after boot camp they all SHOULD be assigned to different units (they aren't somehow - rules of the world are broken there - a big minus for me).
Worse, the main character, Rev, isn't good at making friends. The first scene is with a bunch of people he is trying to impress, but doesn't really care about. Then he has a potential girlfriend in the military, but nothing happens before (). He also gets an AI in his head ... which he never uses. I mean, if you can't even interact with another intelligence in your head, befriend it at the least, there is a problem with your character making friends.
No humor. No real character interaction. No military action.
Nearly everything focused on the "augmentation" for military purposes. So "gun porn" as it is sometimes referred to, only not so much about the guns and more about the tech.
Oh, and complaining about not understanding what is going on. Not being told what is going on. And not reading the few instructions about what is going on and complaining about that. If the character is left in the dark (and doesn't actually care enough to figure the little bit he could), why should the reader care?
If you want a humor military sci-fi, read "Old Man's War" by John Scalzi - which this book compares itself to - and "Sentenced to War" is nearly like, except for the characters, the world-building, and the humor.
If you want another amazing augmentation for military purposes, plus romance and military action that actually delivers, try Liana Brooks' "Bodies in Motion" and "Changes in Momentum".
If you want to follow a kid being dragged into the military, "Terms of Enlistment" by Marko Kloos and "Poor Man's Fight" by Elliot Kay are both amazing.
This book is NOT amazing, and there is so many other book in this genre which are. But if you have run out of other options, this book has some really cool military technologies.
(Read through Kindle Unlimited)
25% of the book for setup of a military action is okay, not nearly half. Especially when establishing "life-long" friendships in the military group during boot camp.
Boot camp was boring, with little interaction of characters. Adding to the fact is after boot camp they all SHOULD be assigned to different units (they aren't somehow - rules of the world are broken there - a big minus for me).
Worse, the main character, Rev, isn't good at making friends. The first scene is with a bunch of people he is trying to impress, but doesn't really care about. Then he has a potential girlfriend in the military, but nothing happens before (). He also gets an AI in his head ... which he never uses. I mean, if you can't even interact with another intelligence in your head, befriend it at the least, there is a problem with your character making friends.
No humor. No real character interaction. No military action.
Nearly everything focused on the "augmentation" for military purposes. So "gun porn" as it is sometimes referred to, only not so much about the guns and more about the tech.
Oh, and complaining about not understanding what is going on. Not being told what is going on. And not reading the few instructions about what is going on and complaining about that. If the character is left in the dark (and doesn't actually care enough to figure the little bit he could), why should the reader care?
If you want a humor military sci-fi, read "Old Man's War" by John Scalzi - which this book compares itself to - and "Sentenced to War" is nearly like, except for the characters, the world-building, and the humor.
If you want another amazing augmentation for military purposes, plus romance and military action that actually delivers, try Liana Brooks' "Bodies in Motion" and "Changes in Momentum".
If you want to follow a kid being dragged into the military, "Terms of Enlistment" by Marko Kloos and "Poor Man's Fight" by Elliot Kay are both amazing.
This book is NOT amazing, and there is so many other book in this genre which are. But if you have run out of other options, this book has some really cool military technologies.
(Read through Kindle Unlimited)
June 23, 2021
2 stars rounded up ... and generously at that. But no, despite the unfortunate headings by goodreads, this rating does not indicate that this book was 'ok' (noting I usually reserve 1-star ratings to those books that are not just bad but also poorly written AND unacceptably edited).
"Sentenced to War" is a vapid and lackluster story that is an utter cookie cutter effort in every sense of the phrase. With a good pencil and a bucket of whiteout (or modern equivalent thereof) it could rathere easily be changed to a very! basic! war story from any era (cross out Centaurs, write in the supposed aggressors of your choice and viola! Fit for a Gregory Peck film or a flashback from Marvel!). I'd even go so far as to say this story didn't really need to take place in space or the future at all. Not that any of this Universe is explained sufficiently anyway (insert space opera clichés here about corporations, the competing space governments, yada yada). However - and good golly, too - if humans are still fighting like the ancient Greeks and Romans did, even after (apparently due to the one blurb) achieving FTL travel, genetic alteration and the ability to terraform inhospital worlds, well maybe we deserve to be wiped out. Sheesh.
In case you haven't picked up on it yet, let me just be crystal clear: the flaccid plotting and characterizations - 99% of which would scarcely be sufficient to qualify for the cast of an Archie comic book - left me frustrated to my core. The main pro(?)tagonist is nothing more than an obnoxious punk and later somehow extremely lucky young man who should be spending his time playing the lotto rather than repeatedly drowning his sorrows in standard military bar scenes. But he has no skills in terms of his duty, do not be misled at all by any indication otherwise, and scarcely seems to be capable of coherent thought, even with the aid of his 'battle buddy'. His only skill besides his almost supernatural degree of luck seems to be getting injured just enough to allow the author to squeeze a few more paragraphs out of the following recovery periods and requisite team-building-slash-insincere-displays-of-concern. Gosh but that sure does make him more sympathetic huh? Hornk.
The longer I think about my wasted hours slogging my way through this dull read the angrier I feel to be honest. This feeling is particularly acute here after being suckered in thanks in large part to that wonderfully rendered cover - and comically inaccurate title. Shame these got wasted on a story not even scarcely resembling what either effort teased. If you want to write a love-story to the Marine Corps., then by all means do so, they've earned it ... but tell your audience first that they're in for a simple outlining of basic training and the advent of blood-won camaraderie within a team of standard issue misfits. But oh goodness, if you are a battle-fan, prepare yourself for what limited number of ridiculously formulated battle scenes are available (don't worry, you have over 50% of the book to prepare yourself). P.S. definitely don't forget to respect the fallen... and repeatedly so! Because, um, what's-their-name died so we have to toast to them every few pages. Wait, who was that again (where's my list of minor supporting characters)?
Clearly Chaney seems to value quantity over quality, which I guess for his fans is a godsend as he certainly pumps out enough titles over the course of a short period of time to satisfy same. Even this series (there's what, 4 books now? It increases every time I check) has appeared in record time! Personally, I'll take an author that puts a little more effort and skill into stories that get published once a year or longer over this any day! But there you go...
Time to wrap this up. This is my 2nd Chaney book and also my 2nd disappointing experience. Just the sheer amount of clichés, repetitiveness and utter lack of anything resembling suspense or surprise is mind-boggling, comments I've now repeated. As such, I'm done with this series and done with this author. And to celebrate my salvation from further experiences of this ilk, I will also be returning - unread - another Chaney box-set that's in my Kindle Unlimited collection (99c for 6 books... when will I learn?). I'm not bitter, I'm just done. No re-upping for this soldier, nosirree. Oo-rah y'all!
"Sentenced to War" is a vapid and lackluster story that is an utter cookie cutter effort in every sense of the phrase. With a good pencil and a bucket of whiteout (or modern equivalent thereof) it could rathere easily be changed to a very! basic! war story from any era (cross out Centaurs, write in the supposed aggressors of your choice and viola! Fit for a Gregory Peck film or a flashback from Marvel!). I'd even go so far as to say this story didn't really need to take place in space or the future at all. Not that any of this Universe is explained sufficiently anyway (insert space opera clichés here about corporations, the competing space governments, yada yada). However - and good golly, too - if humans are still fighting like the ancient Greeks and Romans did, even after (apparently due to the one blurb) achieving FTL travel, genetic alteration and the ability to terraform inhospital worlds, well maybe we deserve to be wiped out. Sheesh.
In case you haven't picked up on it yet, let me just be crystal clear: the flaccid plotting and characterizations - 99% of which would scarcely be sufficient to qualify for the cast of an Archie comic book - left me frustrated to my core. The main pro(?)tagonist is nothing more than an obnoxious punk and later somehow extremely lucky young man who should be spending his time playing the lotto rather than repeatedly drowning his sorrows in standard military bar scenes. But he has no skills in terms of his duty, do not be misled at all by any indication otherwise, and scarcely seems to be capable of coherent thought, even with the aid of his 'battle buddy'. His only skill besides his almost supernatural degree of luck seems to be getting injured just enough to allow the author to squeeze a few more paragraphs out of the following recovery periods and requisite team-building-slash-insincere-displays-of-concern. Gosh but that sure does make him more sympathetic huh? Hornk.
The longer I think about my wasted hours slogging my way through this dull read the angrier I feel to be honest. This feeling is particularly acute here after being suckered in thanks in large part to that wonderfully rendered cover - and comically inaccurate title. Shame these got wasted on a story not even scarcely resembling what either effort teased. If you want to write a love-story to the Marine Corps., then by all means do so, they've earned it ... but tell your audience first that they're in for a simple outlining of basic training and the advent of blood-won camaraderie within a team of standard issue misfits. But oh goodness, if you are a battle-fan, prepare yourself for what limited number of ridiculously formulated battle scenes are available (don't worry, you have over 50% of the book to prepare yourself). P.S. definitely don't forget to respect the fallen... and repeatedly so! Because, um, what's-their-name died so we have to toast to them every few pages. Wait, who was that again (where's my list of minor supporting characters)?
Clearly Chaney seems to value quantity over quality, which I guess for his fans is a godsend as he certainly pumps out enough titles over the course of a short period of time to satisfy same. Even this series (there's what, 4 books now? It increases every time I check) has appeared in record time! Personally, I'll take an author that puts a little more effort and skill into stories that get published once a year or longer over this any day! But there you go...
Time to wrap this up. This is my 2nd Chaney book and also my 2nd disappointing experience. Just the sheer amount of clichés, repetitiveness and utter lack of anything resembling suspense or surprise is mind-boggling, comments I've now repeated. As such, I'm done with this series and done with this author. And to celebrate my salvation from further experiences of this ilk, I will also be returning - unread - another Chaney box-set that's in my Kindle Unlimited collection (99c for 6 books... when will I learn?). I'm not bitter, I'm just done. No re-upping for this soldier, nosirree. Oo-rah y'all!
July 7, 2021
If I could EMAIL the Author, I'd have a few questions of him:
1) Why--as I've almost slogged my way thru the entire 1st book--do I still NOT have a SIMPLE DESCRIPTION OF WHAT A CENTUAR LOOKS LIKE? Wow, there I got it off my chest. Instead we get little bread crumbs for what they are, what they look like, etc. I still have no idea how to picture a "Pedestal Cannon"--what is that? It folds out from where and how? Do I set my drink on it? Is it like a mortar tube? They are metal, hence the Tin-Ass nickname. They have, I think!!!, spider like claw metal legs, how many I have no idea. They are organic on the inside? They explode when you kill them. They use beams of some sort - but I think with no colors - which just seems odd to me. Is there a Head? A visual screen they use to "see" or they like bats? Is there a trap door the Organic (creature?) climbs in or is it always inside the Tin? On and on, it is sad to me--that there is simply no coherent CONCRETE description of the enemy. Why do they attack? They need Tin or just do not like neighbors? They over crowded their part of the Galaxy? How do they breed? What color is the Tin? Their is no Leadership class Tin-Ass?
2) Why create a new universe with planets for the setting of a story and then NEVER give us any good descriptions of the planets they are on or traveling too? Like add some background, some details, some color & flavor -- but instead we get almost nothing except Fart Trees. It makes reading the book feel like you're reading a bunch of short essays. One minute they are here, then on a ship, then on the ground basically.
3) Why not add some more personality to the key characters? There is almost no investment into them by me because I get so little info. Rev the main character, I still can't figure if he is even worth reading about. I liked his step-dad. I think I'd actually rather be reading about his "partner' Raider, the Female Tomunko (sp?). She seems more interesting for some reason. And I am sorry, but if the future is like that and there is such a huge mortality rate among the military, they would be having sex non-stop, just to feel that connection before being shredded by a Tin-Ass (whatever that is and however that works). Doesn't need to be over the top or even R rated - just needs it.
4) Weapons & tech in general, is disappointing. These things are a threat to the entire Human Species and the best weapons against them is either A) STICKY MINE (ala WW2) or B) RPG (ala 20th Cent Terrorists). Why? You mean to tell me now one can figure out a Depleted Uranium .50 Cal projection weapon? Or a laser weapon? Or how about a shotgun style Flechette Blast weapon? And yeah, apparently our mech warriors cannot go one-0n-one with them and win most of the time. Seems dumb to me, maybe upgrade the mech weapon system(s)...how about a missile like a Paveway guided 2000 pound warhead fired into the Tin-Asses?
5) Last question: Why no overall description, even a brief one, about the various Human elements (empires? or Federations?) and how they are arranged? Does one excel in ship building? Another has the best ground pounders? What is their overall contribution to war effort against the Tin-Asses, is one of them not pulling their weight in the War? I like the mixture of the various military units, but the whole thing could be flushed out a lot more.
In summary, good sentence structure and writing style, which makes sense because I really like your other books a lot, BUT I don't really get this story line. I love underdog, down on their luck Heroes, especially in Sci-Fi settings. Sadly I will not be finishing this series.
1) Why--as I've almost slogged my way thru the entire 1st book--do I still NOT have a SIMPLE DESCRIPTION OF WHAT A CENTUAR LOOKS LIKE? Wow, there I got it off my chest. Instead we get little bread crumbs for what they are, what they look like, etc. I still have no idea how to picture a "Pedestal Cannon"--what is that? It folds out from where and how? Do I set my drink on it? Is it like a mortar tube? They are metal, hence the Tin-Ass nickname. They have, I think!!!, spider like claw metal legs, how many I have no idea. They are organic on the inside? They explode when you kill them. They use beams of some sort - but I think with no colors - which just seems odd to me. Is there a Head? A visual screen they use to "see" or they like bats? Is there a trap door the Organic (creature?) climbs in or is it always inside the Tin? On and on, it is sad to me--that there is simply no coherent CONCRETE description of the enemy. Why do they attack? They need Tin or just do not like neighbors? They over crowded their part of the Galaxy? How do they breed? What color is the Tin? Their is no Leadership class Tin-Ass?
2) Why create a new universe with planets for the setting of a story and then NEVER give us any good descriptions of the planets they are on or traveling too? Like add some background, some details, some color & flavor -- but instead we get almost nothing except Fart Trees. It makes reading the book feel like you're reading a bunch of short essays. One minute they are here, then on a ship, then on the ground basically.
3) Why not add some more personality to the key characters? There is almost no investment into them by me because I get so little info. Rev the main character, I still can't figure if he is even worth reading about. I liked his step-dad. I think I'd actually rather be reading about his "partner' Raider, the Female Tomunko (sp?). She seems more interesting for some reason. And I am sorry, but if the future is like that and there is such a huge mortality rate among the military, they would be having sex non-stop, just to feel that connection before being shredded by a Tin-Ass (whatever that is and however that works). Doesn't need to be over the top or even R rated - just needs it.
4) Weapons & tech in general, is disappointing. These things are a threat to the entire Human Species and the best weapons against them is either A) STICKY MINE (ala WW2) or B) RPG (ala 20th Cent Terrorists). Why? You mean to tell me now one can figure out a Depleted Uranium .50 Cal projection weapon? Or a laser weapon? Or how about a shotgun style Flechette Blast weapon? And yeah, apparently our mech warriors cannot go one-0n-one with them and win most of the time. Seems dumb to me, maybe upgrade the mech weapon system(s)...how about a missile like a Paveway guided 2000 pound warhead fired into the Tin-Asses?
5) Last question: Why no overall description, even a brief one, about the various Human elements (empires? or Federations?) and how they are arranged? Does one excel in ship building? Another has the best ground pounders? What is their overall contribution to war effort against the Tin-Asses, is one of them not pulling their weight in the War? I like the mixture of the various military units, but the whole thing could be flushed out a lot more.
In summary, good sentence structure and writing style, which makes sense because I really like your other books a lot, BUT I don't really get this story line. I love underdog, down on their luck Heroes, especially in Sci-Fi settings. Sadly I will not be finishing this series.
March 28, 2021
Big Bust
Very disappointed in this book. I was hoping for a good old ,Star Troopers ,kinda story but there were only 2 battles and endless training and the angst exhibited by the protagonist ,was borrring. Also aggravated by the unrealistic scenarios. The guy gets an A.I.and only use 10% of its capabilities,in battle. He gets put in a foxhole,promptly turns music on and doesn't hear the enemy get within 30 feet of him. So many problems with the narrative. It ain't worth reading
Very disappointed in this book. I was hoping for a good old ,Star Troopers ,kinda story but there were only 2 battles and endless training and the angst exhibited by the protagonist ,was borrring. Also aggravated by the unrealistic scenarios. The guy gets an A.I.and only use 10% of its capabilities,in battle. He gets put in a foxhole,promptly turns music on and doesn't hear the enemy get within 30 feet of him. So many problems with the narrative. It ain't worth reading
February 11, 2022
Dark and well written
I thought this would be a lot lighter but it is a very dark and somber story that reminded me of the movie Stop Loss. You know, except in space. It has a very STARSHIP TROOPERS sort of feel but the effectiveness is dealing with the sheer unfairness and cruelty of the system that is designed to chew him up then spit him out. Action-wise it's very good but I don't think I'll be picking up the next books in the series as I feel like the combat isn't what got me involved but the fact our protagonist is forced into the line of fire by a awful government. Not much hope there as the best thing for him is to be able to get out.
I thought this would be a lot lighter but it is a very dark and somber story that reminded me of the movie Stop Loss. You know, except in space. It has a very STARSHIP TROOPERS sort of feel but the effectiveness is dealing with the sheer unfairness and cruelty of the system that is designed to chew him up then spit him out. Action-wise it's very good but I don't think I'll be picking up the next books in the series as I feel like the combat isn't what got me involved but the fact our protagonist is forced into the line of fire by a awful government. Not much hope there as the best thing for him is to be able to get out.
March 20, 2021
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I like stories where we follow young people getting started on a military career. This book starts out exactly that way. Reverent (Rev) Pelletier is seventeen years old, just a few months away from his eighteenth birthday and he should have been very careful. He was hoping to graduate and get inducted into the Benevolent Order of Crystal Technicians (BOCT). That meant he was going to get a job and this job would be considered vital to the current war effort which would prevent him having to serve in the military. It didn't work out that way because Rev got careless!
Yeah, he got a traffic ticket, class fourteen, on the way home one evening! That ticket said he was illegally operating a motor vehicle in an automated vehicle only area! So, Rev went to court with his step-Dad to find out what his fine would be. He figured his Dad would pay the fine and he'd pay him back from his first paycheck. Only the judge wasn't thinking the same way. Apparently, humanity is in a pretty serious war with the "Centaurs" and the humans were losing! The military was needing every able body they could get, so even minor traffic tickets could turn into lengthy sentences with the Pegasus Union Marine Corps! And that's exactly what the Judge gave Rev...sentenced to a single term in the Pegasus Union Marine Corps for a traffic ticket! Now, they did some of that when I was a young man, but you definitely had to do something much more serious than a traffic ticket! Good think I don't live where and when Rev did!
But, this Union Marine Corps isn't the same as what you know of today. It's kind of more laid back, but it's still basic training. Rev has some interesting day ahead of him and he's definitely going to get in shape. That's one thing that doesn't change with the Marines, you will get in shape and stay in shape of your NCO's will be kicking your backside daily! Rev didn't think he was that out of shape, but he did have his struggles. Then finally the day came when he would find out what his classification was going to be. Now, he does have some flexibility in his choices and this was a very interesting part of the book. It seems the Marine's job classifications were largely based on what they thought you could handle and what the recruit chose for themselves. The two were not mutually agreeable! If you were physically fit and could take the potential augmentations and enhancements covering physical and genetic modifications, then you could cut your length of service way, way down. Of course, those jobs with limited service time, had a less than stellar life expectancy! For example, a Direct Combat slot carried only a three year tour. Do your three years and punch out, no problems. Except there was a 78% chance you wouldn't live to the end of your three years! The other choice open to Rev was to accept a MilDes 99 job which would make him slave labor for the Marines doing whatever needed done for twenty to twenty-five years! Yikes! Neither option seemed that great to Rev, but he was given the choice.
I'm sure you'll want to know what he chose! Of course he can't die right away or that would make this book awful short so he does get his assignment and then gets into some pretty hairy missions. He does have friends with him and they stay with him through almost all of his time. He's not going to be the same person he was before he went in and that's not necessarily a bad thing. The Marines are using "convicts" such as Rev and volunteers and some of the time they don't get along. It takes awhile for everyone in the Marines to realize that regardless of where they came from, the all have to pull together to get the mission done. While his basic training didn't seem to be that difficult, Rev will go into combat and attempt to live out his entire enlistment. It's not going to be easy!
This was a very good start to what could be a pretty good series. The next book won't be out until April 2021, but I've already pre-ordered "Children of Angels" and I can't wait. I strongly recommend you start reading this book now.
Yeah, he got a traffic ticket, class fourteen, on the way home one evening! That ticket said he was illegally operating a motor vehicle in an automated vehicle only area! So, Rev went to court with his step-Dad to find out what his fine would be. He figured his Dad would pay the fine and he'd pay him back from his first paycheck. Only the judge wasn't thinking the same way. Apparently, humanity is in a pretty serious war with the "Centaurs" and the humans were losing! The military was needing every able body they could get, so even minor traffic tickets could turn into lengthy sentences with the Pegasus Union Marine Corps! And that's exactly what the Judge gave Rev...sentenced to a single term in the Pegasus Union Marine Corps for a traffic ticket! Now, they did some of that when I was a young man, but you definitely had to do something much more serious than a traffic ticket! Good think I don't live where and when Rev did!
But, this Union Marine Corps isn't the same as what you know of today. It's kind of more laid back, but it's still basic training. Rev has some interesting day ahead of him and he's definitely going to get in shape. That's one thing that doesn't change with the Marines, you will get in shape and stay in shape of your NCO's will be kicking your backside daily! Rev didn't think he was that out of shape, but he did have his struggles. Then finally the day came when he would find out what his classification was going to be. Now, he does have some flexibility in his choices and this was a very interesting part of the book. It seems the Marine's job classifications were largely based on what they thought you could handle and what the recruit chose for themselves. The two were not mutually agreeable! If you were physically fit and could take the potential augmentations and enhancements covering physical and genetic modifications, then you could cut your length of service way, way down. Of course, those jobs with limited service time, had a less than stellar life expectancy! For example, a Direct Combat slot carried only a three year tour. Do your three years and punch out, no problems. Except there was a 78% chance you wouldn't live to the end of your three years! The other choice open to Rev was to accept a MilDes 99 job which would make him slave labor for the Marines doing whatever needed done for twenty to twenty-five years! Yikes! Neither option seemed that great to Rev, but he was given the choice.
I'm sure you'll want to know what he chose! Of course he can't die right away or that would make this book awful short so he does get his assignment and then gets into some pretty hairy missions. He does have friends with him and they stay with him through almost all of his time. He's not going to be the same person he was before he went in and that's not necessarily a bad thing. The Marines are using "convicts" such as Rev and volunteers and some of the time they don't get along. It takes awhile for everyone in the Marines to realize that regardless of where they came from, the all have to pull together to get the mission done. While his basic training didn't seem to be that difficult, Rev will go into combat and attempt to live out his entire enlistment. It's not going to be easy!
This was a very good start to what could be a pretty good series. The next book won't be out until April 2021, but I've already pre-ordered "Children of Angels" and I can't wait. I strongly recommend you start reading this book now.
March 15, 2024
I love initiation stories, whether military or school. Sometimes to the point of overlooking the flaws of these stories.
For this book, my enthusiasm only lasted a few chapters. It is very disjointed, long, with some terribly boring passages. The characters are bland, the universe too skimmed. Apart from a few passable scenes, it's a real disappointment.
For this book, my enthusiasm only lasted a few chapters. It is very disjointed, long, with some terribly boring passages. The characters are bland, the universe too skimmed. Apart from a few passable scenes, it's a real disappointment.
August 20, 2021
Weird pacing, no world building, overall, I'm not sure what to think about this book. I will give it one more go with a next part.
December 21, 2024
A good space marine spin on the super soldier story.
April 6, 2023
Rather Good
I put off reading this book for a while because I wasn't sure the story would really deliver. Once started, it was nicely written but seemed initially a bit tame. Except the further I read the more it grabbed me. I liked the characters and settings, only wished for a little less sitting around talking. To my surprise, by the end I was so absorbed I hated to finish it. Thankfully it is the beginning of a series.
I put off reading this book for a while because I wasn't sure the story would really deliver. Once started, it was nicely written but seemed initially a bit tame. Except the further I read the more it grabbed me. I liked the characters and settings, only wished for a little less sitting around talking. To my surprise, by the end I was so absorbed I hated to finish it. Thankfully it is the beginning of a series.
September 7, 2021
I do not typically gravitate to reading sci-fi. However, I won Sentenced to War in a GR giveaway. I am so glad I did!! Thanks to Mr. Chaney for offering me a copy for free. I’m not obligated to write a review on a giveaway win but I feel it’s only fair and give my review below voluntarily.
The story starts with a arrogant teenager named Reverent (Rev) with a bit of an anger streak and a loud mouth about to turn 18 who’s trying to impress “friends” (the popular crowd by way of his current girlfriend), who quickly gets himself into a legal pickle. From the first few pages in, I was hooked.
Convicts and volunteers alike go through basic training to become badass marines; then once graduated to phase 3, had major surgical augmentations of every variety to prepare their bodies for future stressful battles. Interface jacks, an AI program with adjustable PQ, biosynth/mech/etc. changes done to their organs and joints and even medi-nanos to help with rapid healing and/or limb regrowth! Sounds awesome right?
Then comes the missions to planets light years away and epic intergalactic battles vs. some huge ass multi-limb aliens called Centaurs — all in the name of humanity... it's so good, what’s not to like?!
Considering how immature Rev was at the start of the book, I wasn’t expecting to read as Rev entered the military and learned how to channel his temper and fight for humanity in such a way that he not only saved his brothers and sisters in arms from harm, but also that he made a name for himself. He forged lasting friendships that mattered. Bundy, Miko, Fyr, Yancey, Udu, Orpheus and others were great compadres to Rev while also battling their own inner demons and aliens. By the end of the book, Reverent Pelletier had done exactly what his first name embodies… earned respect.
The world Chaney built in this first book of the series was nothing short of amazing. I hadn’t expected there to be as much military components as there was, but it worked out great. There were a ton of characters for Chaney to juggle and I think he did a fabulous job with it. As a reader with not much sci-fi knowledge, I appreciated his extreme attention to detail describing the world and what the characters were going through. There was a lot for Chaney to tell so his readers understood not only what was going on but also could visualize it as they read. I’ve read other reviews from not so happy readers saying there was too much military and too much world building… not for me. This is what I loved most.
I will definitely be reading the rest of this series and others by Chaney. I’ve even told a few of my friends about this series too. I recommend this book and series for anyone who likes sci-fi, military, space and of course, aliens.
All in all, 5 stars. The only thing I wished was to learn what each of those weird medical acronyms and test results meant for Rev. He never came out and asked the multitude of questions he wanted to. I wished he had, I think it would’ve made sense to the readers to understand more about the things Rev was capable of as a marine, but perhaps that’ll come in future books of this series.
The story starts with a arrogant teenager named Reverent (Rev) with a bit of an anger streak and a loud mouth about to turn 18 who’s trying to impress “friends” (the popular crowd by way of his current girlfriend), who quickly gets himself into a legal pickle. From the first few pages in, I was hooked.
Convicts and volunteers alike go through basic training to become badass marines; then once graduated to phase 3, had major surgical augmentations of every variety to prepare their bodies for future stressful battles. Interface jacks, an AI program with adjustable PQ, biosynth/mech/etc. changes done to their organs and joints and even medi-nanos to help with rapid healing and/or limb regrowth! Sounds awesome right?
Then comes the missions to planets light years away and epic intergalactic battles vs. some huge ass multi-limb aliens called Centaurs — all in the name of humanity... it's so good, what’s not to like?!
Considering how immature Rev was at the start of the book, I wasn’t expecting to read as Rev entered the military and learned how to channel his temper and fight for humanity in such a way that he not only saved his brothers and sisters in arms from harm, but also that he made a name for himself. He forged lasting friendships that mattered. Bundy, Miko, Fyr, Yancey, Udu, Orpheus and others were great compadres to Rev while also battling their own inner demons and aliens. By the end of the book, Reverent Pelletier had done exactly what his first name embodies… earned respect.
The world Chaney built in this first book of the series was nothing short of amazing. I hadn’t expected there to be as much military components as there was, but it worked out great. There were a ton of characters for Chaney to juggle and I think he did a fabulous job with it. As a reader with not much sci-fi knowledge, I appreciated his extreme attention to detail describing the world and what the characters were going through. There was a lot for Chaney to tell so his readers understood not only what was going on but also could visualize it as they read. I’ve read other reviews from not so happy readers saying there was too much military and too much world building… not for me. This is what I loved most.
I will definitely be reading the rest of this series and others by Chaney. I’ve even told a few of my friends about this series too. I recommend this book and series for anyone who likes sci-fi, military, space and of course, aliens.
All in all, 5 stars. The only thing I wished was to learn what each of those weird medical acronyms and test results meant for Rev. He never came out and asked the multitude of questions he wanted to. I wished he had, I think it would’ve made sense to the readers to understand more about the things Rev was capable of as a marine, but perhaps that’ll come in future books of this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2023
Sentenced to War tells the story of Reverent R Pelletier, known to most as just ‘Rev’, a young man of 17yrs who has his whole future ahead of him. He has a job already set out for him in his Step-Fathers guild, the Benevolent Order of Crystal Technicians. However, one afternoon, he stupidly tries to impress his girlfriend, and gets into a fight, and whilst he doesn’t get caught for fighting, he does get stopped when trying to flee the scene.
This story is set in a futuristic, dystopian universe, one in which humanity has settled many worlds, having moved off of Earth, and technology has also changed significantly. In this universe, Humanity is struggling in a war against a superior Alien race called the Centaur, and for this reason, anyone caught breaking the law is generally punished by a term of conscription in the Union Marine Corps.
Initially Rev believes that he will be fine on several different aspects, his offence is only a class 13 offence, and these are not on the Conscription list, he is only 17, and therefore can’t be conscripted, and, he has a job lined up in an organisation that is important to the war effort. Unfortunately, things don’t go Rev’s way. (Otherwise this would have been a very short story, and the cover would have made no sense!)
Rev is sentenced to the Pegasus Union Marine Corp, and finds that he has a couple of options open to him, some that leave him a Grunt for over 20yrs of service, but not in the line of fire, or, the option of DC – Direct Combat, and only 3yrs of Service, if you live of course, but the survival rate is not very high.
Rev of course takes the DC route, hoping he will not only survive the training (otherwise it’s back to the long route home and 20+yrs as a Grunt), but more to the point, survives the next several years as a Marine.
It is here that I should really point out that the story, the writing and the Characters are just exceptional. There are hundreds of books in which a young guy gets dragged into military service, and goes off to war, so if you are going to write one, you have to make it stand out, and worth reading, and that is exactly what Brazee and Chaney have done.
The Characters are incredibly real, the young, headstrong man that Rev is. The initial fight scene, in which he knew it was wrong, but also knew he would lose his girl if he didn’t stick up for her, the entire situation was so realistic, even the flow-on after. Rev then thinks he will be ok, until the Judge does otherwise, because that is how court goes – and having been a Cop who has worked in the courts, I have seen very similar situations happen (Literally teenagers going to jail for stupid things because a Judge is on a crusade). But Rev also knows he made a mistake, and he has to fix it. The processing in the Marines, the initial meeting of each of the other recruits, is all so real (Seriously, flashbacks to academy days!!) The dialogue, interactions and interplay between each of the characters is brilliant.
I don’t want to extend too far into the story, or give too much away, but needless to say, this story continues on with a phase of training, before they are moved out into the universe, and live operations.
During this time, Rev meets a group of Recruits and that group make a pact to get together at the end of their term.
Some of them are with Rev in his team, one in particular becomes Rev’s best friend in a way, Tomiko Reiser.
As a part of their training, they are augmented, upgraded, (I’ll let you read about that, don’t want to spoil the fun), but one aspect of it, is they get an A.I. implanted in their heads, and this provides for some hilarious interactions.
Initially, Rev is reluctant to use it, and the Marine can actually set the level of ‘Intelligence’ the AI has, as in it only operates at 20% capacity etc.
Rev and his AI have an amusing relationship, and when it starts to tell him jokes (OMG, the jokes are a mixture of ‘Dad’ jokes, and others that if you are listening to this in public, you will embarrass yourself when you laugh out loud). Overall this book has a wicked sense of humour, and it really adds an extra dimension to the story. I will say that it is not an overbearing or continuous stream of humour like some Mil Sci-Fi stories have chosen to go with, it is a more ‘discrete’ humour, but the points it happens you will be on the floor in tears.
The other side of that, is that this is a powerfully emotive story, one in which none of the main characters are safe. The Authors have no problem with killing any of their characters (or maiming them), and you will be reading/listening along, when you have to stop and go back to make sure you heard/read right, that a particular favourite character was just eliminated by enemy fire.
The combat scenes in this book are nothing short of brutal, chaotic, and viciously realistic. They have been written by someone that knows the utter adrenaline fueled fear, chaos, elation, terror, at times hope, and at other times despair of combat.
Whilst I have not been in military combat, I have been in the middle of riots, and had to fight for my life on a couple of occasions when I was in the Police, and can in some small way, empathise with the situation, and the scenes in these books are breathtaking in their realism, totally engaging, you won’t be able to put them down.
As well as the extraordinary combat scenes, there has been remarkable effort put into the world building as well, with each of the different locations that Rev and his crew go to being described with such brilliant detail, and fantastic depth, really bring them to life so that as they are moving through these places, you feel like you can see them, you get to look through their eyes, and visualise the worlds they see, as well as the enemies they are hunting, and on occasions, the people they meet, those that they may be trying to save. The world building in this story is just masterful.
This book has so many fantastic things that really set it apart from the others in the same genre. The combat scenes are an obvious given, they are just outstanding. But the thing that really makes this book worth reading, is the incredibly powerful Character Driven Story, because the Character work in this book is absolutely sensational, and makes this series a true standout.
I have already finished Book 2, and I am about to start Book 3, the series just keeps getting better, and the Character Building only gets stronger, in what is a gritty, emotive and powerful story. This is one series that should NOT be missed!!
This story is set in a futuristic, dystopian universe, one in which humanity has settled many worlds, having moved off of Earth, and technology has also changed significantly. In this universe, Humanity is struggling in a war against a superior Alien race called the Centaur, and for this reason, anyone caught breaking the law is generally punished by a term of conscription in the Union Marine Corps.
Initially Rev believes that he will be fine on several different aspects, his offence is only a class 13 offence, and these are not on the Conscription list, he is only 17, and therefore can’t be conscripted, and, he has a job lined up in an organisation that is important to the war effort. Unfortunately, things don’t go Rev’s way. (Otherwise this would have been a very short story, and the cover would have made no sense!)
Rev is sentenced to the Pegasus Union Marine Corp, and finds that he has a couple of options open to him, some that leave him a Grunt for over 20yrs of service, but not in the line of fire, or, the option of DC – Direct Combat, and only 3yrs of Service, if you live of course, but the survival rate is not very high.
Rev of course takes the DC route, hoping he will not only survive the training (otherwise it’s back to the long route home and 20+yrs as a Grunt), but more to the point, survives the next several years as a Marine.
It is here that I should really point out that the story, the writing and the Characters are just exceptional. There are hundreds of books in which a young guy gets dragged into military service, and goes off to war, so if you are going to write one, you have to make it stand out, and worth reading, and that is exactly what Brazee and Chaney have done.
The Characters are incredibly real, the young, headstrong man that Rev is. The initial fight scene, in which he knew it was wrong, but also knew he would lose his girl if he didn’t stick up for her, the entire situation was so realistic, even the flow-on after. Rev then thinks he will be ok, until the Judge does otherwise, because that is how court goes – and having been a Cop who has worked in the courts, I have seen very similar situations happen (Literally teenagers going to jail for stupid things because a Judge is on a crusade). But Rev also knows he made a mistake, and he has to fix it. The processing in the Marines, the initial meeting of each of the other recruits, is all so real (Seriously, flashbacks to academy days!!) The dialogue, interactions and interplay between each of the characters is brilliant.
I don’t want to extend too far into the story, or give too much away, but needless to say, this story continues on with a phase of training, before they are moved out into the universe, and live operations.
During this time, Rev meets a group of Recruits and that group make a pact to get together at the end of their term.
Some of them are with Rev in his team, one in particular becomes Rev’s best friend in a way, Tomiko Reiser.
As a part of their training, they are augmented, upgraded, (I’ll let you read about that, don’t want to spoil the fun), but one aspect of it, is they get an A.I. implanted in their heads, and this provides for some hilarious interactions.
Initially, Rev is reluctant to use it, and the Marine can actually set the level of ‘Intelligence’ the AI has, as in it only operates at 20% capacity etc.
Rev and his AI have an amusing relationship, and when it starts to tell him jokes (OMG, the jokes are a mixture of ‘Dad’ jokes, and others that if you are listening to this in public, you will embarrass yourself when you laugh out loud). Overall this book has a wicked sense of humour, and it really adds an extra dimension to the story. I will say that it is not an overbearing or continuous stream of humour like some Mil Sci-Fi stories have chosen to go with, it is a more ‘discrete’ humour, but the points it happens you will be on the floor in tears.
The other side of that, is that this is a powerfully emotive story, one in which none of the main characters are safe. The Authors have no problem with killing any of their characters (or maiming them), and you will be reading/listening along, when you have to stop and go back to make sure you heard/read right, that a particular favourite character was just eliminated by enemy fire.
The combat scenes in this book are nothing short of brutal, chaotic, and viciously realistic. They have been written by someone that knows the utter adrenaline fueled fear, chaos, elation, terror, at times hope, and at other times despair of combat.
Whilst I have not been in military combat, I have been in the middle of riots, and had to fight for my life on a couple of occasions when I was in the Police, and can in some small way, empathise with the situation, and the scenes in these books are breathtaking in their realism, totally engaging, you won’t be able to put them down.
As well as the extraordinary combat scenes, there has been remarkable effort put into the world building as well, with each of the different locations that Rev and his crew go to being described with such brilliant detail, and fantastic depth, really bring them to life so that as they are moving through these places, you feel like you can see them, you get to look through their eyes, and visualise the worlds they see, as well as the enemies they are hunting, and on occasions, the people they meet, those that they may be trying to save. The world building in this story is just masterful.
This book has so many fantastic things that really set it apart from the others in the same genre. The combat scenes are an obvious given, they are just outstanding. But the thing that really makes this book worth reading, is the incredibly powerful Character Driven Story, because the Character work in this book is absolutely sensational, and makes this series a true standout.
I have already finished Book 2, and I am about to start Book 3, the series just keeps getting better, and the Character Building only gets stronger, in what is a gritty, emotive and powerful story. This is one series that should NOT be missed!!
June 20, 2021
Straightforward sci-fi military story. Starts with high school boy getting conscripted and sentenced to the Marines to fight the invading aliens.
The story takes Rev through in-processing, boot camp and into the fleet.
Nice twist on this tried and true format dating back to Heinlein and probably longer.
One thing though. Humanity seems to be fighting the 'Centaurs' for a few years when we pick up the story, maybe even up to 10, can we get the grunts a decent weapon please! Why can't humanity build a better alien killer in these Sci-Fi stories? (this point is not specific to this series alone)
This is not the first story line that has the soldiers fielding weapons inadequate for the job, and i know it won't be the last book series i read either that has this issue : )
After 5-10 years i would think a species able to cross the stars and to find ways to build spaceships and other wonders can figure out how to create a weapon that has the ability to at least wound a creature that is determined to wipe out the human race.
Other than that, since this series is not alone in this criticism, i like the story itself and will read the further adventures of Rev and his squad-mates.
The story takes Rev through in-processing, boot camp and into the fleet.
Nice twist on this tried and true format dating back to Heinlein and probably longer.
One thing though. Humanity seems to be fighting the 'Centaurs' for a few years when we pick up the story, maybe even up to 10, can we get the grunts a decent weapon please! Why can't humanity build a better alien killer in these Sci-Fi stories? (this point is not specific to this series alone)
This is not the first story line that has the soldiers fielding weapons inadequate for the job, and i know it won't be the last book series i read either that has this issue : )
After 5-10 years i would think a species able to cross the stars and to find ways to build spaceships and other wonders can figure out how to create a weapon that has the ability to at least wound a creature that is determined to wipe out the human race.
Other than that, since this series is not alone in this criticism, i like the story itself and will read the further adventures of Rev and his squad-mates.
November 11, 2022
This had good world building and military set up felt real and made sense. Main character felt kinda stilted though ? And a good amount of lines felt cheesy to me. I think other people would disagree and like it much more though, just not the series for me.
dnf
January 18, 2024MilSF with a weird edge that might just be awkwardness or might be a heavy hint of axe-grinding against social programs and those who use them.
May 13, 2024
Its not very good but I immediately started reading the sequel so make of that what you will
February 27, 2022
I have mixed feelings about this one, I liked the military setup, most of this book is about the MC and his team training and really liked that, in my opinion it was realistic. But what I didn't like is the characters, some were okay, some were dull, I didn't care about most of them and no world building, I almost dnfed it, but i forced myself and finished it, and I must say the last pages made it slightly better plus the plot twist. So I'm giving this series a chance by reading the sequel and see if its worth finishing or not.
February 16, 2022
The author has envisioned a world for this novel along with a bunch of stuff. I think he tends to forget that we weren’t present at the time. All I ever figured out about the world was that it wasn’t earth. There are references to things that exist with no explanation, for instance a Shrike fighter and a chameleon pad. If the reader isn’t told what they are, why mention them at all? It’s meaningless to us. The first few pages is a glossary of terms used in the novel. There are a whole bunch of terms missing.
The characters never felt real to me, possibly because there’s not much in the way of description.
The main character is forced to serve in the military to fight a battle with centaurs; the Bad Guys. I know what a centaur is, but in this world, it isn’t. I think they’re invading, but it wasn’t that clear. Who they are and why they’re called that, and what they look like are questions without answers. And, centaur isn’t in the glossary. I gradually realized that the Good Guys don’t know that much about them and we are sharing that lack of knowledge. I just got frustrated.
I think there’s an excellent plot hidden in this novel, but I was just too frustrated to enjoy it. I got really tired of doing searches on my Kindle making sure whatever I didn’t understand hadn’t actually been explained and I just forgot.
The characters never felt real to me, possibly because there’s not much in the way of description.
The main character is forced to serve in the military to fight a battle with centaurs; the Bad Guys. I know what a centaur is, but in this world, it isn’t. I think they’re invading, but it wasn’t that clear. Who they are and why they’re called that, and what they look like are questions without answers. And, centaur isn’t in the glossary. I gradually realized that the Good Guys don’t know that much about them and we are sharing that lack of knowledge. I just got frustrated.
I think there’s an excellent plot hidden in this novel, but I was just too frustrated to enjoy it. I got really tired of doing searches on my Kindle making sure whatever I didn’t understand hadn’t actually been explained and I just forgot.
April 17, 2021
I really liked the first chapter of this book. The basic setup was pretty funny and I was all set for some epic military sci-fi adventure.
Basically all the tropes were there. Long training montage. Meet some cool buddies. Become a super soldier etc.
It was all fun and exciting till near the end when I was like where's the action? Where's the butt kicking. Where's the romance etc.
Basically when I read pulpy cheesy scifi I want the hero to kick butt and get the girl. I also want the hero to be clever and outwit the system enemy etc.
I think this book tried not to be too cheesy. It succeeded in that I never cringed. At the same time I think it ultimately failed because there was no payoff. I finished the last 25% in a state of total boredom. Like yeah I get it he actually likes the marines and would probably rather re-up then go back to civilian life. Woohoo!!
Basically all the tropes were there. Long training montage. Meet some cool buddies. Become a super soldier etc.
It was all fun and exciting till near the end when I was like where's the action? Where's the butt kicking. Where's the romance etc.
Basically when I read pulpy cheesy scifi I want the hero to kick butt and get the girl. I also want the hero to be clever and outwit the system enemy etc.
I think this book tried not to be too cheesy. It succeeded in that I never cringed. At the same time I think it ultimately failed because there was no payoff. I finished the last 25% in a state of total boredom. Like yeah I get it he actually likes the marines and would probably rather re-up then go back to civilian life. Woohoo!!
March 19, 2021
excellent beginning to a new series, what’s with the authors main characters not getting along with their artificial intelligence is?
This is an excellent series as I said in the title, I enjoyed the main protagonist even though he is a hothead. This is not the first book I have read by one of these authors whose main protagonist does not get along with their artificial intelligence. It seems to be a theme in other books I have read. The character development is good, the action sequences are OK, it just makes me wonder how mankind can defeat a seemingly undefeatable foe. I hope the science fiction aspects of the book ramp up a little bit more in the second book of the series. If you like soldiers, artificial intelligence, ground combat, good story development you will enjoy this book.
This is an excellent series as I said in the title, I enjoyed the main protagonist even though he is a hothead. This is not the first book I have read by one of these authors whose main protagonist does not get along with their artificial intelligence. It seems to be a theme in other books I have read. The character development is good, the action sequences are OK, it just makes me wonder how mankind can defeat a seemingly undefeatable foe. I hope the science fiction aspects of the book ramp up a little bit more in the second book of the series. If you like soldiers, artificial intelligence, ground combat, good story development you will enjoy this book.
March 23, 2021
Very fun read
The book starts a little slow, But gets going after a few chapters And find it's legs. It's little confusing determining which characters are which sometimes the author's which is between the last name and the 1st name It's somewhat Unclear. However the stories fine the enemy is tough, the main character is not a superman but blundering is way through a bunch of problems. He gets taken by the system a lot. And realizes it later. And it seems to progress in a fairly good fashion. The author has not fallen into the trap of the super AI. Lots of fun, lots of action, a good story. I'm looking forward to reading the series
The book starts a little slow, But gets going after a few chapters And find it's legs. It's little confusing determining which characters are which sometimes the author's which is between the last name and the 1st name It's somewhat Unclear. However the stories fine the enemy is tough, the main character is not a superman but blundering is way through a bunch of problems. He gets taken by the system a lot. And realizes it later. And it seems to progress in a fairly good fashion. The author has not fallen into the trap of the super AI. Lots of fun, lots of action, a good story. I'm looking forward to reading the series
March 13, 2021
Interesting
Usually I’m not big on military type books usually they get to technical and have more military information than story line but this was a great read a little scary because what happened is altogether possible the powers that be getting so powerful they do what they want not to mention the total abuse of the earth so this story would be enjoyable to military buff or not it was hard to put down and I became interested in the characters that’s how I know it’s a great story
Usually I’m not big on military type books usually they get to technical and have more military information than story line but this was a great read a little scary because what happened is altogether possible the powers that be getting so powerful they do what they want not to mention the total abuse of the earth so this story would be enjoyable to military buff or not it was hard to put down and I became interested in the characters that’s how I know it’s a great story
March 31, 2021
Shades of Heinlein
A very good space opera/marines war story. Very reminiscent of Heinlein’s writing e.g. Starship Troopers. A totally different story but with the same feel. In this book the main characters are forced into the Marines for minor offences such as a traffic infringement. They realise that they haven’t been told the truth
about the war that is being waged with an alien race. I like the fact that the main character, Reverent Pelletier, is not a superhero but just a guy trying to cope with an unfair world.
A very good space opera/marines war story. Very reminiscent of Heinlein’s writing e.g. Starship Troopers. A totally different story but with the same feel. In this book the main characters are forced into the Marines for minor offences such as a traffic infringement. They realise that they haven’t been told the truth
about the war that is being waged with an alien race. I like the fact that the main character, Reverent Pelletier, is not a superhero but just a guy trying to cope with an unfair world.
May 11, 2021
Just Imagine
Okay, I will be honest. I did not believe I was going to enjoy this story as much as I did. I like Sci/Fi/Drama. For me, it is important to have a central character and not wander all over the storyline. Character first, storyline second. "Sentenced" does that. If there is a negative it is that I do not understand why people, or even alien beings, seem disposed to fighting one another. In this story, death is lightly glossed over. However, friendships, are highlighted, which I think are more important than fighting each other. Just imagine....
Okay, I will be honest. I did not believe I was going to enjoy this story as much as I did. I like Sci/Fi/Drama. For me, it is important to have a central character and not wander all over the storyline. Character first, storyline second. "Sentenced" does that. If there is a negative it is that I do not understand why people, or even alien beings, seem disposed to fighting one another. In this story, death is lightly glossed over. However, friendships, are highlighted, which I think are more important than fighting each other. Just imagine....
March 17, 2021
You need to read this Book!
I enjoyed this book. It started a bit slow, but it sped up real fast. I have to say that it is a close contender to Starship Troopers. Very close.
You know about the hero at the beginning of the story, yet you still feel the suspense of what is going to happen to him. At the end of the book a new wrinkle is added. What about Love?
Both of the authors are good on there own, here they multiply.
I enjoyed this book. It started a bit slow, but it sped up real fast. I have to say that it is a close contender to Starship Troopers. Very close.
You know about the hero at the beginning of the story, yet you still feel the suspense of what is going to happen to him. At the end of the book a new wrinkle is added. What about Love?
Both of the authors are good on there own, here they multiply.
Read
March 25, 2021The protagonist gets conscripted after he overrides his vehicle's automatic driver and gets caught speeding. So he's off to fight the aliens who are really killing the humans in their interstellar war.
He gets enhanced and is fighting with Marines that enlisted with him, hoping to survive long enough to get back to his father's guild. But his companions mean more to him than the life he left behind.
He gets enhanced and is fighting with Marines that enlisted with him, hoping to survive long enough to get back to his father's guild. But his companions mean more to him than the life he left behind.
June 18, 2022
I hate to give one star. I do. But this book was SO boring. First, look at that fantastic cover. Looks like a hardened criminal being given just punishment. Not a teenager convicted of a traffic violation. And it ALL goes down hill from there. This book was dull from the beginning to the very end and I am sorry I wasted my time listening to the very end! I should have returned it after a few chapters. I had hopes it would get better. It never did.
September 21, 2021
This was a pretty quick and straightforward read. It seemed like a lot of military sci-fi books with following Heinlein's Starship Troopers formula. Rev is conscripted to join the space marines, learns about himself, and becomes a good marine. Some of the technology and the enemy are pretty interesting.
2.5 rounded up.
2.5 rounded up.
October 20, 2022
As much as I enjoy Chaney’s works, this one was terrible, and I read just the first few chapters before I returned it on Kindle Unlimited.
I was a bit surprised to see other reviews that had the same complaints I had. My advice? Stay away, and try the Drop Trooper series if you want a “Voluntold for Military Service” series.
I was a bit surprised to see other reviews that had the same complaints I had. My advice? Stay away, and try the Drop Trooper series if you want a “Voluntold for Military Service” series.
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