Redspace Rising

by Brian Trent

In the far future revenge does not stop with death. For readers of John Scalzi's Old Man's War and Neuromancer by William Gibson.

Harris Alexander Pope is the man who ended the Partisan War on Mars. All he seeks now is solitude and a return to the life that was stolen from him. Yet when he learns that the worst war criminals are hiding in other bodies, he is forced into an interplanetary pursuit.

Teaming up with other survivors eager for their own brand of vengeance, Harris begins to suspect a darker truth:

Maybe what he remembers about the war isn't what happened at all...

Genres: Science Fiction, Dystopia

478 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 13, 2022

Reviews

[John Mauro · Rating 5 out of 5]

My complete review is published at Grimdark Magazine.

Redspace Rising is Brian Trent’s intelligent, action-packed science fiction thriller set in a universe where human memory is a tangible commodity which can upend the permanence of death itself. From its well-developed cast of characters to its innovative worldbuilding and intriguing plot, Brian Trent has crafted an ingenious masterpiece of military sci-fi.

The novel takes place a few centuries in the future, after humanity has colonized extraterrestrial bodies across the solar system. Most of the plot takes place on Mars, the Martian moon Phobos, and the Jovian moon Ganymede.

As the novel opens, Harris Alexander Pope awakens from unconsciousness with memories of a previous life restored. Harris learns that he is a double agent, stripped of his true identity and living a lie for the past twenty years. Harris’s memory has been manipulated to make him a more convincing agent, but when his original memories are restored, he must deal with overlapping and often conflicting recollections from his double life. But he has little time to process this shocking revelation, since he is immediately sent on a mission to annihilate a rival military base on Phobos.

Redspace Rising expertly deals with issues of identity at both the personal and societal levels. Throughout the novel, the issue of personal identity is complicated by the ability to save and retrieve the entirety of a person’s memory. Hence, the death of a person’s physical body does not necessarily mean the death of the human being itself. The implanting of saved memory data into a new body is a type of rebirth through technology, usurping the finality of death. Hence, the concept of mortality bifurcates into two types of dying: the immediate death of the physical body and the more serious, permanent death of a person whose memories have not been saved.

Beyond its intriguing philosophical implications, the restoration of saved memories in new bodies also creates ample layers of complexity within the story. Brian Trent brilliantly mines these possibilities throughout Redspace Rising, leading to many unexpected plot twists.

Harris Pope is a great main character, serving as a savior but without the associated savior complex. He is a well-honed killing machine who struggles with his own authenticity and with finding sincerity in his relationships. Redspace Rising also features a multifaceted set of supporting characters, including three strong female characters in Natalia Argos, Umerah Javed, and Celeste Segarra. Another favorite character is the notorious fugitive Gethin Bryce, who has many secrets of his own.

Politics play a large role throughout Redspace Rising. Even after the citizens of Earth nearly annihilated themselves through nuclear Armageddon, they still haven’t learned the lesson of the dangers of nationalism. During the time of Redspace Rising, such nationalism occurs at the planetary scale.

Brian Trent is an outstanding writer and has mastered the art of crafting enthralling, sustained action sequences. From the opening pages through the end of the book, Redspace Rising is a nonstop thrill ride of sci-fi action. I especially enjoyed the range of technology employed throughout the fight scenes.

Redspace Rising is marketed as a sequel to Trent’s previous book, Ten Thousand Thunders, which features Gethin Bryce as an investigator for the InterPlanetary Council. Despite being a sequel, Redspace Rising can be treated as a standalone novel. Personally, I read Redspace Rising without any knowledge of Ten Thousand Thunders and had no problem getting introduced to the world, characters, and plot. I don’t feel like I missed anything by starting here with the sequel.

With its fast-paced action, double-crossing characters, and focus on personal identity and memory, Redspace Rising is like a literary sci-fi version of the Jason Bourne movie franchise, with Brian Trent serving as the virtuoso cameraman documenting the gripping adventures of our proficient but broken hero.

[Elena Linville-Abdo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stars: 3 out of 5.

I have a hard time reviewing this book. On one hand, I loved the worldbuilding. It's complex and interesting, and brutal, to be honest. In a way, it reminded me of Altered Carbon. On the other hand, I honestly couldn't care less about the protagonist or the other characters. Hence my dilemma, so I will just rate it middle of the road, I think.

This book illustrates perfectly that the value of a human life goes down significantly when technology is advanced enough to achieve near immortality. Why care about the body if your consciousness is backed up on a regular basis, and you can be decanted into a new clone in a matter of days? It opens the door to great deeds of selflessness, but also to horrible abuse. Just thinking about the torture row on Phobos makes my blood boil. Imagine torture that can last forever, because every time you die, they just decant you into a different clone and start all over again. 

On this one, I wish we would have had a chance to explore the theme of identity a bit more in this book. What happens if there are several versions of you running around at the same time? Who is the real one or the "prime"? What rights do the clones have? How do you decide whose memories and experiences merit a backup and whose don't? Unfortunately, even though we have a character living in two bodies, that particular concern is never explored.

As I had mentioned, by biggest problem was that I couldn't empathize with the protagonist. In many ways, Harris Alexander Pope is a blank slate. I understand that this was done on purpose, since even the character himself doesn't know who he really is or what he wants, but it makes it hard for the reader to form an emotional connection. Since Harris doesn't his own mind or even his motivation in most cases, it's hard to decide if we should root for him or not. What does he want in life apart from meet up with his brother? Unknown. Why is he pursuing the Patriots so relentlessly? Unknown. Why does he always repeat the same speech word for word before he kill them? Un... no, wait, that is known, but that would be a big spoiler.

It doesn't help that the supporting characters are rather unlikeable, apart maybe from Umera. And the bad people are so villainous they come across as caricatures. I mean what's with the supposedly great general and strategist who finishes all his sentences with an exclamation point and loves to drone on and on and on... like he is giving a lecture? I couldn't take him seriously even if I wanted to!

I also wasn't satisfied with the ending. I mean, yes, it's a win for humanity - they get a chance to expand beyond the solar system, but is it a win for Harris? I wouldn't be so sure. He is still stuck in his hunt and destroy loop, and he honestly doesn't have any dreams or desires aside from that. 

PS: I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you liked this review, check out my blog.

[BlurbGoesHere · Rating 5 out of 5]

Redspace Rising

[Blurb goes here]

As soon as the adventure begins, so does the action. A ruthless warrior, Harris Alexander Pope, regains consciousness in an almost destroyed way station on Mars. He's not who he thought he was. He's been living a lie for the past twenty years. Fortunately for him, he is in a unique position to end the war. With his new memories shuffling constantly with the old ones, he carries out his mission and the conflict comes to an end. His brother, a high ranking general, has no excuse for what he's done: leaving him fighting for the enemy for two decades, something that turned Harris into a swift killing machine. It's time to find out why. Suddenly Harris' memories are implanted on a new body, ten years after the war ended. He has no recollection of what happened during those years. It seems his brother still has use for him. With his memories still in disarray, Harris carries out the new mission, only to learn that there's more to do, a lot more. Will he ever get the chance to retire? Does he really want to?

I really enjoyed this book, although, truth be told, it has nothing to do with Old Man's War. It borrows snippets from Altered Carbon, but thats as far as it dares to go in the 'I've seen eerie similar tech before' department. That aside, this is a great book in its own right no need to compare it with other titles. Mind you, it could have been shorter at times, but not by much. The world building is amazing, and the characters often feel alive.

Give it a try.

Those are my two cents.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Sentence Summary: Harris Alexander Pope has been undercover with the Partisans for 20 years, but the Order has reactivated him and now he’s on a mission to hunt down the Partisan leaders while everyone around him plots and plans.

Overall
Redspace Rising is an incredible, fast-paced military science fiction novel with a good dose of humor sprinkled in at some of the most unexpected times. The story boils down to something quite simple, but the plans and manipulations that underlay it all created a number of moving points and felt like it depended on Harris Alexander Pope being who he is: a soldier. There’s a great deal of bloody violence and a great deal of things at stake. Nothing felt easy, and nothing seemed to go quite the way Harris planned. But he was an amazing narrator to follow, and it was great to meet new and old faces through his eyes. Overall, Redspace Rising is just as stunning as the first book, Ten Thousand Thunders, and offers a breathtaking expansion to both the world and the cast of characters.

Extended Thoughts
For the past twenty years, Harris Alexander Pope has been a soldier for the Partisans. Until he’s reactivated by the Order of Stone, who sent him deep undercover in order to take out the Partisans from Mars once and for all. Harris, the consummate soldier who has been upgraded to the gills, completes his mission, taking out the Partisan leadership and saving Mars from their clutches, only to lose the most wanted man in the universe, Gethin Bryce, and his lover, Umerah Javed. Still, Mars is free and back under the command of the more peaceful Order of Stone, until disturbing news reaches the Order and Harris must be re-deployed to hunt down leaders who have come back in new bodies, uncovering more than one disturbing secret that has been kept from him for too long.

Redspace Rising is, in a way, a sequel to Ten Thousand Thunders, which followed Gethin Bryce and Celeste Segarra, but, considering it’s been a couple of years since I read it, I feel safe saying this could be read as a standalone. While Gethin and Celeste play important roles in Redspace Rising, this is told by soldier Harris Alexander Pope, lending the story a uniquely humorous voice that paired well with all the military action. This is an incredible, compelling science fiction novel where the science was never above my head and the military action just never seems to cease. There’s a lot packed into this story, and sometimes it felt like it was just growing more and more horrifying, but also showed the lengths to which people will go to hold power, even if it means reshaping people’s lives and the fabric of their souls.

First, the groundwork for this novel must be laid. Redspace Rising is set a number of years into the future; so far, in fact, that a new calendar has been used for a few hundred years. Humans have spread throughout the galaxy, but are banned from colonizing beyond Neptune. The IPC controls the galaxy, except for Mars, which has successfully seceded from it, much to their consternation. For all the good the IPC does in supporting all the colonies across planets and moons, they have their own secret plans. Back on Mars, the Partisans and the Order of Stone have stemmed from the same goal: a free Mars, which is now threatened by a new vote about to take place of whether it will return to the IPC, which will have some effect on whether the IPC votes to overturn the ban preventing humans from colonizing beyond Neptune. The Partisans are in power, using things like force and torture to keep control. The more peaceful Order of Stone will do anything to destroy them. Literally anything.

In comes Harris Alexander Pope and his brother David. Harris willingly agrees to go deep undercover with the Partisans for the sole purpose of destroying their leadership when reactivated by the Order. For 20 years, he’s the consummate soldier, advancing and receiving specialized training as well as upgrades to his body to make him more than human. And no need to worry about death, because a new body can just be printed and his entire being downloaded into it, as long as his consciousness has been Saved, of course. As a result, Harris is deadly and hell bent on completing his missions. At the same time, he has a particularly funny brand of humor, which is lightly peppered throughout the story, offering brief moments of levity that this novel needed. But Harris also loves his younger brother David, especially since their parents were killed by the Partisans. Since Redspace Rising is told by Harris, we only get Harris’s perspective of how he sees his brother. It was a little difficult to get to know David, but he’s clearly successful and will do anything to protect the goal of a free Mars. He’s as single-minded about it as Harris is about completing his mission, whatever it is. And yet there’s something odd about their relationship, which my mind kept picking at even if Harris didn’t quite see how odd it was.

Redspace Rising is an incredible military science fiction novel that I didn’t want to put down. Usually, I find science fiction only partly understandable and military fiction too horrific for me, but, since this is told by a soldier with a very amusing voice, it all made a lot more sense to become something enjoyable. There’s more of an emphasis on the doing than the science behind everything. At the same time, this is much more violent than I’m used to. There seems to be a major battle every few chapters, and Harris never seems to be able to catch a break. Yet, because of the way being re-downloaded into a new body works, he technically does. But Harris’s story just never stops. It barrels forward no matter what, no matter who gets in the way, and no matter what Harris feels about any of it. But, for as violent it is and as much as it’s constantly marching forward, there’s a delightful humor woven through. It’s here and there, and pops up both when expected and when not expected. I found myself utterly charmed and delighted by it, especially since it lent Harris a distinctive, compelling voice. Because he’s a soldier, he’s very matter-of-fact about what he does and about attacking and killing his foes, but then there’s a drip of humor here and there. I found it kept me hooked, kept me looking for those little nuggets that just absolutely delighted me and made a part of my brain light up.

The storytelling is incredible. The story is constantly moving, even when Harris isn’t. Military science fiction is not my thing, but I absolutely loved this book. It’s intense and fast and something is always happening, and Harris always has to be the one to do it. I loved that nothing was easy for him. He’s clearly an incredibly competent man, but there’s also a softness in his heart, one that made my heart hurt for him and just long for one thing to go his way. There are so many plots and plans, both by the Partisans and the Order and even the IPC, that it felt like it was never going to stop, but it all really boiled down to one thing: a free Mars. I loved the utter simplicity of it, and yet nothing about it was actually simple. There are a lot of moving pieces and a lot of manipulation. I hated that it made Harris seem like little more than a lackey, doing as his superiors wish all because of what he believes to be right and wrong, but he also had a good deal of agency. There were points where he was given choices, given opportunities, but he was always true to himself, and I think I loved that best about him.

Where Ten Thousand Thunders was more about Earth and laying a good groundwork for this and, hopefully, future novels, Redspace Rising was all about Mars. Much of it is set on Mars, and I loved getting to know the history of its colonization as well as what it looked like. I felt it made good use of the Martian geography, describing where and how people lived and worked. I especially loved that it worked in the difference in gravity compared to Earth, impacting what the characters were capable of doing. But I really loved the detail that went into how Mars was made habitable. I don’t understand all the science that went into how it all worked, but I felt that was okay considering the narrator is a soldier less inclined to going into how this piece and that piece worked. The storytelling was very much focused on the action and the plotting.

One of my favorite parts of this was getting to see Gethin and Celeste again. I hated having to end their story when I finished Ten Thousand Thunders, so I was thrilled to see them again. They’re not the main characters, but they do play major roles, and it was great to see how they did and didn’t change between the two novels. Despite all the danger and dangerous situations all of them were placed in, a part of me always felt Gethin and Celeste would be okay, that their story could not be finished. Redspace Rising definitely didn’t spare them, making my breath catch several times, especially as the story wound to it’s conclusion, which was incredible and breathtaking, and the very end completely delighted me, injecting a final piece of humor that just defined so much of this book.

Redspace Rising is an intense, compelling military science fiction novel where the action never stops, the plots and manipulations are always a constant undertone, and the meeting of old and new faces both offers continuity and an expansion of the story. This was just as stunning as the first book, though I found the science much more accessible and the action a lot more fun. My heart twisted and turned for Harris, so despite all the terrible deeds he had to do, I found him to be sympathetic and I only wanted the best ending for him. I loved how Redspace Rising offers more to the story, expending the world and cast of characters, and I hope there will be more in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Jadewik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Redspace Rising is book two in the series-- but it can be read alone as there's enough backstory in the novel to enjoy it as a single story. That was nice, since it'd been a while since I read Ten Thousand Thunders.

Harris Alexander Pope is wrapped in a sea of politics and subterfuge as he ends the Partisan War on Mars only to find he has merely grappled with a twisted end on a more intricately woven plot of power and intrigue.

This book was better than Ten Thousand Thunders, which I also immensely enjoyed reading. It's sophisticated science-fiction that can be savored like a connoisseur of the genre, or enjoyed by a reader with passing interest. The world-builder and author extraordinaire once again takes the reader on a journey of a futuristic universe riddled with war and politics. Not only is the plot full of action, it's full of twists and turns that keep the reader guessing right up to the reveal of necessary information. It's a wild, but controlled ride! As a bonus, the writing is full of little Easter-eggs, the references which you may or may not catch the first go-'round, for readers of all types to enjoy.

This book unwraps like a decadent chocolate with each page turn. It's delicious. You can binge it or read it slowly, savoring every bite.

The epilogue and last-second teaser for a potential third novel were also enticing. I really enjoyed the tie-back to Ten Thousand Thunders with Aries. The themes from the first novel also running through this book tying the two together in ways that have yet to be fully revealed. This leaves me wanting the next book straight-away!

Some of my favourite delights from the novel:
The Janus simile early on (page 13 in the hardcover)-- which I enjoyed because I used "Janus Pharmaceuticals" as the name for name badges for my mad-science themed Halloween (my husband was Edward Hyde and I was Mary R. Jekyll). It's a two-faced reference, which was interlaced in the prose of Trent's writing.

The Doc Savage (comic book character) reference (page 17).

The Dylan Thomas references and Henry David Thoreau "On Walden Pond" references, which played into some deep themes on human nature for survival and how humans interact with nature, respectively.

References to common wartime prelude— reporting your neighbors, tip line, infiltrating schools. A lot of the writing herein reflects actual wartime societal tendencies. The parallels between Earth's history and Trent's dystopian future are vivid, giving nod to the realities of human nature, which Trent has brought to life so well in this series.

The science incorporated in the book is phenomenal. Terms I didn't even learn in E&M physics were used to describe certain weapons-- devices that could exist in the capacity of the terms. The engineer in me was ecstatic to learn new "sciencey-bits". The way real science is integrated in Trent's fictional world was better than Jules Verne by a landslide. Truly a pleasure to read-- I don't know where he finds all this information!!!

So, mad props to the author who has, once again, written a stunning novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. I look forward to the next one!

Update: “So he wove a subtle web in a little corner sly”— 8 hours later, and I am still mulling this one over. The subtext is very evocative. Rare to stumble across a modern novel of such caliber. The themes and subtext were there the whole time. The story is great, but the
subtext is mind-blowing. Everything from the character perspective to the carefully chosen references plays a role in the author’s greater master plan. You could read it a million times and miss it if you weren’t looking or just wanted an amazing sci-fi read. Brilliant!

[David Marvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harris Alexander Pope died, then everything started changing. Pope was a Partisan, a member of the army for the government of Mars, an elite and modified soldier who was skilled in infiltration and assassination. Up to the moment he was killed, he was one of the most effective killing machines of the Partisan government.


In a way, that is why he was killed. For 20 years he had been dealing death to the rebels and most of them were eager to see him dead. Not all of them, though. His brother was a leader in the rebellion and wanted to get his brother back. Not just for a warm and fuzzy family reunion, but Harris Pope had been sent to the Partisans as an undercover agent, his mind rewired so he could pass any interrogation or mind probe with complete honesty. His memories of his family, his political sympathies, his mission, all were erased and stored until they could be reloaded into him and he could act on his mission: to completely destroy the Partisan government.


Death was no longer necessarily the end of life. Consciousness could be saved and uploaded into replacement bodies. Usually people had these bodies designed according to specifications and stored until needed. They might just be younger, healthier versions of their “birth bodies.” They did not have to be. Your consciousness could be uploaded into a teenager. Someone of a different gender than your birth gender. A different race. Different proportions. Various augments. Medicine had also progressed to the point where someone could shoot Harris through the heart, upload his previously deleted memories, and then heal and resurrect him.


With his memories restored, Harris refocuses on his mission. But how do you end immortal consciousnesses? If a simple soldier can be saved and restored, anyone can. And although Harris can change the course of the war, his enemies are playing a long game that started long before and can play out long after their existing bodies have died.


John Scalzi’s “Old Man’s War” series has some of these same themes, as does “Altered Carbon.” Redspace Rising stands strong in that company. Brian Trent has a plot with multiple twists. Promises are made to readers early on that are fulfilled much later in the narrative, deposits paid with interest. This is a “hard” science fiction story that reminds me of some of the classics in the genre, albeit without the racism and sexism that informed far too many of those “Golden Age” works. 


If you could reprogram someone, should you? If you could extend your life indefinitely, hopping from body to body, would you? If a genetic copy of someone, say a movie star, could be created without them knowing about it, what are the implications?


Trent deals with these and many other dilemmas with thoughtfulness and decency. His characters are trying to live ethical lives in their own light, with their own challenges and opportunities, and facing intractable enemies that have sometimes had centuries to perfect their plans. As always, the question worth asking is, “Just because you can do something, should you do it?”

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Flame Tree Press for an advance copy of this science fiction novel set in the far future on Mars.

Our own sense of who we are is something that technology has not stolen from us yet. Sure we have no privacy, the way the government identifies us can be bought in bulk on the dark web, but waking up in the morning, barring drinking, drugging or mental illness, we can at least be 99% sure of who we are, at least until the day we day. After that well we might be different. In Redspace Rising, a science fiction novel by Brian Trent, everything a person knows about themself is tossed out the window in a world where the dead can be brought back, enemies can be friends, and humans have developed even more elaborate ways of hurting each other.

Harris Alexander Pope was a loyal soldier, until he was shot in the chest in an ambush and died. Returned to life by the people who killed him, Pope is informed that everything he knew for the last twenty years was a lie. Instead of being a feared soldier, he was a deep cover agent for the other side and his mission is to end the war, quickly and savagely. Pope does so, but with horrible consequences. Years later he learns that some enemies might still be alive, also reborn and hiding among the population on Mars. Pope decides to find these people and end them for good, but the truth about the world might not be as clear as he thinks.

This book begins with a boom and goes right to the end with the pedal down. The story is told as the character learns it, or shares history, very show not tell, and it takes a bit to get a sense of the science and the world, but the story moves so quickly with action and plot this takes not time at all. Pope is an interesting character and decisions made early in the book make sense near the end, as the plotting of the story is very well done. The action is super kinetic, some of the best that I have read in quite awhile, and the technology makes sense, and is explained well. There is a little borrowing especially from the works of Philip K. Dick, but the story is really well done, and has enough of its own twists, that it really doesn't matter.
A good mix of military science fiction with some really big ideas. The story is big, but doesn't seem long, pages flip quickly as the story really sweeps you in. There is again a little nod to Total Recall, and some other Philip K. Dick stories about identity, but this is a really enjoyable story, with a lot going on. This is my first time reading anything by Brian Trent, but I will have to look for more. A very sure writer, with a good sense of how to keep a story going, and how to introduce a world without making it seem like a lecture. A very enjoyable read.

[Henry Lazarus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brian Trent takes a dim view of humanity, believing our passion for destruction will never been sated. His Ten Thousand Thunders (hard) takes place a thousand years after humanity practically destroyed the Earth and then grew civilization again with the ability to back-up brains and regrow bodies. Redspace Rising (hard from Flame Tree Press) starts at the end of a civil war on Mars against an authoritarian government. Harris Alexander Pope is brought back to life. He had been fighting for the Partisans but he was really a mole of the opposition, and his real beliefs have been restored. He destroys the last Partisan hideout on Phobos, only to discover the leaders have fled into other bodies, leading him an a mission of revenge. His quest leads him to Ganymede where the characters from the first tale have a broad plan, and the evil leaders of the Partisans plan to corrupt it. This is very exciting and impossible to put down.

[Galaxy Press · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Redspace Rising" is one intense sci-fi adventure. I read it in preparation for interviewing Brian on the Writers and Illustrators of the Future Podcast. I am so looking forward to speaking with Brian about how he assembled all the pieces of this story. Mind you, I was looking up a lot of technical terms as well as a lot of Earth's history terminology. I can only guess at the amount of research Brian undertook to write this novel.
A factor in writing futuristic science fiction novel in known space is that you need to have the space correct or else the illusion is shattered and their goes my suspension of disbelief.
Some of the future he paints is quite scary, printing (3D printers) multiple incarnations of people. Probably what was the scariest was the politics. Not so much what occurred, but that I could so easily see how it could occur.
I really enjoyed the way it ended...

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected to like Brian Trent’s Redspace Rising more than I did. It put checkmarks in many of my favorite genre boxes, but it never fully engaged my attention—perhaps more my fault than the Trent’s. Several centuries from now, political turmoil has led to a civil war on Mars. Memories are moveable data. Think Altered Carbon, The Old Man’s War, and The Light Brigade. Whether our protagonist is a hero, villain, or victim depends on who you ask and when you put the question. As I said, I don’t know why it did not draw me in as much as the works that may have inspired it.

[Josef Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best science fiction books I've read in a while

For a full review, please go to https://areviewerdarkly.blogspot.com/... and follow me on Twitter @josenher

[Ronronia Adramelek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Podría ser 5⭐, porque pasan muchísimas cosas y hay ideas muy majas, pero la forma en que está escrita me repatea en bastantes ocasiones, y demasiada tortura explícita para mí gusto. A veces 5⭐, a veces 3.

[Al Onia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this as part of Space Is Big SF bundle. It shows a talented writer can still create an SF novel without leaving the solar system. Brian continues to raise the stakes and the drama as the story proceeds. Recommended!

[Charl]

A little bit too grisly and explicit for my taste. Bummer because it was pretty good up until that point.

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some very creative ideas but 2/3 of the way through the book I finally accepted that neither the story nor the characters interested me. Didn’t finish.

[Marie Sinadjan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Military scifi lovers will be in for a treat: this book is fast-paced, action-packed and engaging! We're thrust right into the chaos in the first few chapters, and there's no shortage of twists and turns. I was, in fact, immediately hooked when Harris was introduced as someone who'd been "killed and brought back from deep undercover" because... what was that again? And then he had to continue acting like he was still undercover, only to be reunited with his partner and apparent love interest. Oh boy. I tend to get a little wary when romance is thrown into the mix in these sort of stories, but his interactions with Umerah weren't cheesy, even if they had their own "I love you" "I know" kind of banter.

It's hard to say anything more without giving the plot away, to be honest. But let me just tell you that this is the kind of story that I thoroughly enjoy: one with so many clever surprises it's impossible to guess the ending — or what even happens next — and you're simply compelled to keep reading to the very end. So if you like multilayered plots, interesting and badass characters, war and politics and intrigue, and lots of action, then this new book just might be for you. 😎

PS. You might also want to check out Ten Thousand Thunders. I haven't read it yet, but I plan to; it doesn't only sound fun, it also features some familiar faces!

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