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Drop Trooper: Birthright #2
Birthright
He’s the mistake the bad guys are going to regret making.
Caleb Mitchell is a human weapon, engineered into a biologically enhanced killing machine in the war with the alien Tahni.
The war is long over and now he just wants to live a normal life as a constable on his homeworld of Canaan...but his life is torn apart when a Corporate Council mineral scout comes to him with a tale of discovering incredibly advanced alien technology from the fabled race known only as the Predecessors.
Someone in the monolithic, power-hungry Corporate Council doesn't want that story to get out...and they'll kill anyone to stop it, including Caleb and his family.
Caleb Mitchell is a human weapon, engineered into a biologically enhanced killing machine in the war with the alien Tahni.
The war is long over and now he just wants to live a normal life as a constable on his homeworld of Canaan...but his life is torn apart when a Corporate Council mineral scout comes to him with a tale of discovering incredibly advanced alien technology from the fabled race known only as the Predecessors.
Someone in the monolithic, power-hungry Corporate Council doesn't want that story to get out...and they'll kill anyone to stop it, including Caleb and his family.
383 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 23, 2022
207 people are currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Rick Partlow
207 books372 followersRick Partlow is that rarest of species, a native Floridian. Born in Tampa, he attended Florida Southern College and graduated with a degree in History and a commission in the US Army as an Infantry officer.
His lifelong love of science fiction began with Have Space Suit---Will Travel and the other Heinlein juveniles and traveled through Clifford Simak, Asimov, Clarke and on to William Gibson, Walter Jon Williams and Peter F Hamilton. And somewhere, submerged in the worlds of others, Rick began to create his own worlds.
He has written over 70 books in over a dozen different series, and his short stories have been included in many different anthologies.
He currently lives in norther Wyoming with his wife and their dog. Besides writing and reading science fiction and fantasy, he enjoys outdoor photography, hiking and camping.
His lifelong love of science fiction began with Have Space Suit---Will Travel and the other Heinlein juveniles and traveled through Clifford Simak, Asimov, Clarke and on to William Gibson, Walter Jon Williams and Peter F Hamilton. And somewhere, submerged in the worlds of others, Rick began to create his own worlds.
He has written over 70 books in over a dozen different series, and his short stories have been included in many different anthologies.
He currently lives in norther Wyoming with his wife and their dog. Besides writing and reading science fiction and fantasy, he enjoys outdoor photography, hiking and camping.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
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March 28, 2023DNF at 69%. And that right there is the straw that broke the camel's back.
November 20, 2022
Non-stop action
I purchased this book as part of a book bundle where it is shown as the first book in the Birthright Trilogy.
It is a typically inventive story by Rick Partlow that follows the four books in the Holy War Series (Earth versus the Tahni race). Problem is that while this is the first of the Birthright Trilogy, there is also a “prequel” novel called Glory Boy that was written after the original trilogy, so the Birthright series is actually four books starting with Glory Boy.
Meanwhile, there are ten books (and an 11th due out in 2023) in another Partlow series – Drop Trooper – which is also concurrent with the Tahni war(s), and has a different main character
A lot of bloody violence; usually presented in graphic detail. Combatants have a wide range of physical augmentation and armor. A variety of devastating weapons with amazing range and power, though most are used in “hand-to-hand / close combat” fighting. Main character – Cal Mitchell – leaps blindly into dangerous situations, driven by rage and a desire for vengeance instead of rational thought and planning.
In spite of my attempts to dismiss the Partlow books I enjoy them for the characters and worldbuilding he employs. Obviously there are a lot of readers who have a similar perception of Rick Partlow’s writing. And also many readers who disparage what he writes. For me, I will assign four stars for books where I want to read more by the author – and I will spend my money in confidence that I will get what I paid for, or more.
For those of you who shudder when an author who is more than competent in laying out a compelling story also displays some blind spots in the proof reading area, you will find that there are around 20 instances where the pronouns “I”, and “me”, are incorrectly used, and “myself” instead of “my”… A couple of homonym glitches. Some would make that grounds for dismissing a book in spite of the storytelling. I cringe and keep on reading, though wishing Partlow would eventually realize that he has a few grammatical shortcomings that his proof readers also share.
I have purchased the other books in this series, as well as several of the other “boxed sets” that are available and priced where I can afford them.
I have purchased the other books in this series, as well as several of the other “boxed sets” that are available and priced where I can afford them.
I purchased this book as part of a book bundle where it is shown as the first book in the Birthright Trilogy.
It is a typically inventive story by Rick Partlow that follows the four books in the Holy War Series (Earth versus the Tahni race). Problem is that while this is the first of the Birthright Trilogy, there is also a “prequel” novel called Glory Boy that was written after the original trilogy, so the Birthright series is actually four books starting with Glory Boy.
Meanwhile, there are ten books (and an 11th due out in 2023) in another Partlow series – Drop Trooper – which is also concurrent with the Tahni war(s), and has a different main character
A lot of bloody violence; usually presented in graphic detail. Combatants have a wide range of physical augmentation and armor. A variety of devastating weapons with amazing range and power, though most are used in “hand-to-hand / close combat” fighting. Main character – Cal Mitchell – leaps blindly into dangerous situations, driven by rage and a desire for vengeance instead of rational thought and planning.
In spite of my attempts to dismiss the Partlow books I enjoy them for the characters and worldbuilding he employs. Obviously there are a lot of readers who have a similar perception of Rick Partlow’s writing. And also many readers who disparage what he writes. For me, I will assign four stars for books where I want to read more by the author – and I will spend my money in confidence that I will get what I paid for, or more.
For those of you who shudder when an author who is more than competent in laying out a compelling story also displays some blind spots in the proof reading area, you will find that there are around 20 instances where the pronouns “I”, and “me”, are incorrectly used, and “myself” instead of “my”… A couple of homonym glitches. Some would make that grounds for dismissing a book in spite of the storytelling. I cringe and keep on reading, though wishing Partlow would eventually realize that he has a few grammatical shortcomings that his proof readers also share.
I have purchased the other books in this series, as well as several of the other “boxed sets” that are available and priced where I can afford them.
I have purchased the other books in this series, as well as several of the other “boxed sets” that are available and priced where I can afford them.
January 19, 2024
My reviews are generally notes for myself, but even so, I rarely include spoilers. This time I need to in order to make accurate notes on this book.
I was irritated from the very beginning because the author fast forwarded a number of years and then dropped Cal right in the shit. I would have liked a chapter or two covering Cal and Rachel in those years as a respite between wars. It also would have explained how Corporate took control of Canaan, which I found implausible.
When the shit did hit the fan, I did not find it believable that Cal left Rachel in the midst of what was going on. Later, when he believed Rachel was dead, he wasted no time succumbing to what's-her-name's seduction. Really???
When he was finally reunited with Rachel, he leaves her again. What happened to his drive to protect his loved ones?
Last, his agreement with Murdock is just an obvious set-up for subsequent books and doesn't really reflect Cal's inner motivations.
I will probably go on in the series, if only in hopes that the author returns to the promise of the first book.
I was irritated from the very beginning because the author fast forwarded a number of years and then dropped Cal right in the shit. I would have liked a chapter or two covering Cal and Rachel in those years as a respite between wars. It also would have explained how Corporate took control of Canaan, which I found implausible.
When the shit did hit the fan, I did not find it believable that Cal left Rachel in the midst of what was going on. Later, when he believed Rachel was dead, he wasted no time succumbing to what's-her-name's seduction. Really???
When he was finally reunited with Rachel, he leaves her again. What happened to his drive to protect his loved ones?
Last, his agreement with Murdock is just an obvious set-up for subsequent books and doesn't really reflect Cal's inner motivations.
I will probably go on in the series, if only in hopes that the author returns to the promise of the first book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2022
A good soldier adventure read.
This isn't intellectual or philosophical but a straight forward story of a soldier fighting for his family and his world. A good read for those who like a military backdrop to a straight adventure story. There's enough action and also little twists in the tale to raise this above average for this style of reading. I have already bought the next in the series so this gets my recommendation for an enjoyable read.
This isn't intellectual or philosophical but a straight forward story of a soldier fighting for his family and his world. A good read for those who like a military backdrop to a straight adventure story. There's enough action and also little twists in the tale to raise this above average for this style of reading. I have already bought the next in the series so this gets my recommendation for an enjoyable read.
February 19, 2023
Oke, liked the book. Liked the plots, characters and such, but gonna give it three stars mainly because a large part of the book is constant repetition of the previous book. In fact, an entire chapter is just an exact copy. If you read the first book it is jus annoying. Now in book 3, same case. If you start reading book 2 or 3 first and you dont get it; read book 1, don’t copy entire chapters from the previous book(s)
November 18, 2022
Caleb goes to war
Caleb only wants to be a husband to Rachel and live his life on his own terms but forces he wasn’t even aware of stupidly decided to intervene. Even though the war against the Tahni is over he proves that it is not a good idea to mess with a Glory Boy, and that it will have a negative impact on the life expectancy of those who foolishly do so!
Caleb only wants to be a husband to Rachel and live his life on his own terms but forces he wasn’t even aware of stupidly decided to intervene. Even though the war against the Tahni is over he proves that it is not a good idea to mess with a Glory Boy, and that it will have a negative impact on the life expectancy of those who foolishly do so!
March 5, 2023
Caleb releases the Machine. It’s virtually non-stop action, good story line, plenty going on to keep you entertained, and at the end of the day, that’s why we read this type of stuff, tech babble is believable. Good set of characters, developed enough to invest some empathy with them. Yes, indeed not a bad sci-fi book, worth the time and effort, well in my opinion anyway.
October 7, 2022
Holy shit!
I’ll be reading more by this guy!
Lots of action with good, understandable ( but not stupid) plot lines.
Great characters, fight descriptions, and a pace that keeps you reading even when you should be doing something more responsible, like working.
I’ll be reading more by this guy!
Lots of action with good, understandable ( but not stupid) plot lines.
Great characters, fight descriptions, and a pace that keeps you reading even when you should be doing something more responsible, like working.
August 20, 2024
Outstanding
Rick Partlow's talents in literature, his imagination, and his storytelling abilities are very apparent in "Birthright"as in his other books. He makes it difficult to put the book down. I highly recommend this book.
Rick Partlow's talents in literature, his imagination, and his storytelling abilities are very apparent in "Birthright"as in his other books. He makes it difficult to put the book down. I highly recommend this book.
September 2, 2024
Better and Better
For those of you who have read Mr. Partlow's Drop Trooper series, this is an adventure in the same universe with the characters you knew and new heroes you didn't.
You won't want to miss this!
For those of you who have read Mr. Partlow's Drop Trooper series, this is an adventure in the same universe with the characters you knew and new heroes you didn't.
You won't want to miss this!
September 15, 2022
Good
A good entry into the book series, I am looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book released.
A good entry into the book series, I am looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book released.
September 17, 2022
Don't mess with family.
Big bad corporation. Politics. Subterfuge of all types. Revenge.
Old enemy no more. Trader in the midst taking a fall.
Big bad corporation. Politics. Subterfuge of all types. Revenge.
Old enemy no more. Trader in the midst taking a fall.
December 18, 2022
Good sifi
This is book 2 of a good series about enhanced humans in combat in the stars, but with a decidedly human side to them.
This is book 2 of a good series about enhanced humans in combat in the stars, but with a decidedly human side to them.
August 15, 2023
Slightly better
While I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, I found the second one to be much better and more enjoyable than the first
While I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, I found the second one to be much better and more enjoyable than the first
August 12, 2025
Page turning writing
I've read a LOT of Partlow's books each more spellbinding than the last. He gets better with each story. Looking forward to the next adventure.
I've read a LOT of Partlow's books each more spellbinding than the last. He gets better with each story. Looking forward to the next adventure.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews