Mercy for Hire Mission Pack 3: Missions 9-12

Black Ocean: Mercy for Hire #9-12

by J.S. Morin

When a hero snaps, the galaxy pays. For years, Esper has been holding in her mind the knowledge of ancient demons. Ever since reading that forbidden tome, a darkness has dwelt, gnawing at the edges of her sanity and wheedling to gain control. When a mission to a blockaded planet goes awry, Esper finally can't hold back the darkness any longer. The darkness within gains an annoying conscience and the body of a powerful wizard. Multiple battles ensue. First, Esper must fight alongside her crew without letting on that she's no longer the Esper they once knew. But also there's an internal struggle going on for control, influence, and the fate of everyone Esper cares about. Who can hold back the darkness when its main enemy takes command of the fight? Mission 9: Ship With No Name
On the planet Meyang, a plague breaks out. Earth Navy enforces a strict blockade. No one in; no one out. But that includes medical personnel. With a humanitarian crisis brewing among the rebels being quarantined, Esper and her crew step in. Launching a daring rescue mission, they break the blockade to save lives. Mission 10: No More Mr. Nice Girl
Esper isn't playing around anymore. When her ship gets hijacked, it's time to see what a wizard can do when she's not worried about doing the right thing. Mission 11: Magic's Little Helper
Tiffany feels like her magical training has fallen off. With Esper preoccupied and the universe no longer listening to her demands, she turns to an illicit, magic-boosting drug for a boost. But the worst time for Esper to discover that her apprentice is blasted on Starlight is when a team of wizard assassins is hot on her trail. Mission 12: Mortanian Rhapsody
Something is horribly wrong with Esper. The dark powers she's tapped into have finally collected their due. Overcome by the darkness inside her, she's no longer the Esper everyone knew. To get her back to herself, Tiffany launches a daring mission to find the one person in the galaxy who might know how to help. Bonus Short Our Little Secret
Left to their own devices, Wesley and Kubu decide to try all the things that Esper would never have let them do if she were around. Black Mercy for Hire follows the exploits of a pair of do-gooder bounty hunters who care more about saving the day than getting a payday. Mercy for Hire builds on the rich Black Ocean universe and introduces a colorful cast for new and returning readers alike. Fans of vigilante justice and heroes who exemplify the word will love this series. Grab your copy and support the cause of justice.

Genres: Audiobook

742 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 19, 2020

About the author

I am a creator of worlds and a destroyer of words. As a fantasy writer, my works range from traditional epics to futuristic fantasy with starships. I have worked as an unpaid Little League pitcher, a cashier, a student library aide, a factory grunt, a cubicle drone, and an engineer--there is some overlap in the last two.

Through it all, though, I was always a storyteller. Eventually I started writing books based on the stray stories in my head, and people kept telling me to write more of them. Now, that's all I do for a living.

I enjoy strategy, worldbuilding, and the fantasy author's privilege to make up words. I am a gamer, a joker, and a thinker of sideways thoughts. But I don't dance, can't sing, and my best artistic efforts fall short of your average notebook doodle. When you read my books, you are seeing me at my best.

My ultimate goal is to be both clever and right at the same time. I have it on good authority that I have yet to achieve it.

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I said in my last review, I’ve gotten addicted to the Mercy for Hire series by J. S. Morin. After reading the first eight books in this series I just had to finish up the last four.

At the risk of repeating myself, I like Hard Science Science fiction and have no taste for Fantasy. And yet, there is just something about Morin’s style that draws you in. The star of the Mercy For Hire series, Esper Theresa Richelieu, AKA Esper, is a character you just get drawn to. She is doing her best to do good in a universe that has so many around her doing wrong. She had her hands full with a cast of characters, each with a handful of flaws, an internal battle with an evil alter ego, and a universe of villains out to end her vigilante ways.

I do cringe whenever a male author decides to write lesbian sex scenes. First, they seem to be a throwback to 50’s pulp sci fi. Second, particularly with this many, they are not necessary to the plot. Third, they are less about lesbian sex and more about men’s fantasies about what lesbian sex must be like. I know that we are not talking award winning prose here but really Morin, you went a too far this time. That said, Esper is just naive enough, worldly enough, conflicted enough, and sincere enough to keep you reading, even when Morin decides to go a little far afield.

To conclude, this “science fiction” series has more magic than science, dubious science when it shows itself, gratuitous sexual scenes, and a lawless vigilantism. And yet I could not put these books down once I picked them up. This last Mission Pack 3 contains four and a half books and I finished them in two days. Morin’s great imagination and engaging characters make these books that addicting.

So, if you are looking for great writing, serious science, or believable story lines give this series a pass. If you are looking for an entertaining and fun series that does not take itself too seriously, this is definitely one to read. Pickup Mission Pack 1 and be prepared to be sucked in to reading all twelve plus books.

[Wesley Von Kres · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was fun up until the Dark Esper stuff. I'm stuck because on the one hand I want to finish on the other hand I have an incredible distaste for mind control and manipulation. It doesn't have cheating, graphic rape or domestic abuse which will have me drop the book and avoid anything else by the author thank goodness.