The Rush’s Echo

by Ginger Smith

TY, HAL, VIVI, AND BERYL JOIN THE OPPOSITION TO PUSH THE COALITION OUT OF THE EDGE ONCE AND FOR ALL.

In this sequel to The Rush's Edge, Halvor Cullen and the crew of the Loshad return from a lukewarm meeting with the Mudar to an Edge on the verge of war. A vat operative has used every genetically engineered talent and programmed skill she has to infiltrate the heart of the Opposition forces and disrupt their resistance to the Coalition.

In a desperate attempt to stop their enemies, Vivi must confront the specter of her past as the crew petitions the shadowy hacker group Echo to succeed. When the mission goes awry, and they are forced to leave a crewmember behind, the team wonders if their victory against the Coalition will come at all, and if so, at what cost?

474 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 10, 2023

About the author

Ginger Smith has worked as a record store employee, freelance writer, bookstore assistant manager and high school teacher of English. In the past, she has played in many tabletop RPG groups and even run several of her own. She collects vintage toys, sci-fi novels and comic books, as well as mid-century furniture. She currently lives in the southern USA with her husband and two cats, spending her free time writing and watching classic film noir and sci-fi movies.

Reviews

[Athena (OneReadingNurse) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to the author for my advanced digital copy of The Rush’s Echo! The first book in the duology was published over two years ago by Angry Robot and now we have closure. I was a little worried honestly that there would be a lapse in quality since this one is self-published, but I didn’t see that at all. This is a well-presented and edited ending to the story and I’m glad that it’s out in the world.

It’s been 2 years and I didn’t have any trouble getting back into the plot line thankfully. For those that read these back to back, you won’t be bored with recapping either. Smith built on everything in book one and didn’t drop the bar at all on quality!

The characters continued to grow and mature as a team, as a family, and as individuals. As they dealt with old and new trauma there was quite a lot of relationship navigation and continuing themes on what it is to be human and where the VAT soldiers fit in after military service. I think she did a great job tackling PTSD and to a lesser extent addiction and programming.

We also got to see some of the atrocities committed on the soldiers by the Coalition. It gave the characters the highest of stakes and something personal to fight for. The multiple points of view kept the action rolling at all times and there were some pretty exciting scenes. We also got to meet the Mudar race which just added one more layer of depth to the war effort.

Overall I’ve really got nothing bad to say about the conclusion here. I was rooting for the home team characters all the way, even the morally gray ones, and found the last half of the book pretty hard to put down. I think there’s good resolution to all of the major points definitely recommend these books for Space Opera and Military sci-fi fans.

[Mr. P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Call to family newly found.

This second book offers some great insight into how even when you find family a dark traumatic past can cause you to doubt yourself and those you choose to be around.
It also subtly hints at how society treats those that are selected for military service, whilst in and the seeming abandonment when finished. Living lives of desperation and ever present trauma. This part reminds me of another book that has a similar theme, which of course I can't currently recall.
It is also a story tempered with love and empathy not just across opposing sides but even species.
Lots to like in this sequel that whilst full of heart also does not stint on great action set pieces. If you read Edge you'll enjoy this Echo.
If you haven't you should Rush out and buy it now.

[Dr susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic sci fi adventure

The worldbuilding is believable, the "good" characters are fascinating, the "bad" characters are evil, and the story is a thrilling tale of love, sorrow, bravery, and freedom. Several of the new characters are wonderful additions to the original crew. There is a high body count, graphic violence, and torture. But I love Hal and the crew, and their found family shines a hopeful light in the dark. The Mudar are intriguing and well-written. I cried happy tears at the end. I already own and have reread The Rush's Edge, and I will buy The Rush's Echo as soon as I can.

[Halla Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

The crew of the Loshad are back in style. I was dying to read more of Hal and Vivi’s story and I wasn’t disappointed – their relationship develops beautifully alongside our understanding of their challenging pasts. A new complex character was the biggest surprise as I was so drawn into her story so quickly. The supporting cast are a pleasure to be around too. I’ve enjoyed Smith’s short stories in this world too and I’m rooting for more!

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

So... I got my wish! "The Rush's Echo" is the follow-up to "The Rush's Edge" and I thought I couldn't be happier when I heard it was coming...and then I read it! I love this second offering maybe a smidgen more than the first. It has everything "Edge" has (great writing, warmth, fantastic characters, and a great plot, etc. etc.), but I think heading into this story with more investment in the characters gave it that extra spark for me. I would like a lot more books from this author, please!

My thanks to the author. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

[Deborah Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed Ginger Smith’s The Rush’s Edge, a delicious adventure in “romantic military sf.” Although filled with action, futuristic tech, and a sensitive examination of the ethics of human genetic engineering, the novel’s heart was the love story between Hal, a vat-grown soldier suffering from PTSD and programmed addiction to adrenalin, and Vivi, a computer whiz fleeing an abusive relationship. I’m a sucker for stories in which insight, compassion, and tenderness lead to healing, and The Rush’s Edge did not disappoint me. Now the two lovers, plus Captain Ty, Doc Beryl, and Eira, the formerly-enemy Mudar alien, join forces with the Opposition against the brutal imperialist Coalition. The Coalition, by the way, created the vat soldiers, treats them like disposable tools, and now is on the brink of deploying a “kill switch” to slaughter retired vats wholesale. A spymaster has programmed a highly trained woman vat to go behind Opposition lines and assassinate its leaders; will being treated like a person with value allow her to rise above her brainwashing?

This sequel, while strong in many respects, didn’t work as well for me. The Rush’s Edge was complete in itself, with the developing romantic and sexual tensions a perfect balance to the escalating action of the plot line. Now Hal and Vivi are a committed couple, so there’s no longer a will-they/won’t-they question. That leaves the external threat of the Coalition to carry the action. And there is plenty of action, heart, and insight, not to mention fascinating ideas, but they’re buried under way too many inconsequential digressions and repetitive conversations (if a character tells something to five others, every single one of those dialogs does not have to be played out verbatim). The result is a dramatic arc that is strangely flat in places, despite many, widely spaced moments of drama and emotion.

The Rush’s Echo has many strengths, not the least of which is the wonderful family the crew of the Loshad (Ty and Hal’s ship) have forged across backgrounds and even species. Eira and the ship’s computer are no less trusted and loved than the human members. The way the crew took care of Vivi in her grief was beautifully done, neither dismissing her pain nor descending into the maudlin. The villains are truly evil and the dangers all too pressing. Again and again, I was struck by the faith in the ability of characters to transcend and heal their past traumas, portrayed with sensitivity and compassion that is often lacking in action or military sf.

All in all, fans of The Rush’s Edge should savor this chance to spend more time with their favorite crew.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another solid space opera from the author picking up not far from where The Rush’s Edge left off. The Loshad’s crew are searching for a way to save the vat soldiers from their creators who have a way to shut down all the disloyal vats. Interesting themes of free will and trauma. Full review to come via the British Fantasy Society.

If you loved The Rush’s Edge then you’ll enjoy this too.

[Andre Boone · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Rush's Echo is a thrilling sequel full of action, friendship, and suspenseful moments. I really enjoyed it!