Book review: "SEAL Team 666" by Weston Ochse

SEAL Team 666 review
Author: Weston Ochse
4 out of 5 stars

Book Info: Genre: Military Urban Fantasy
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Fans of military fiction, science-fiction and urban fantasy with male character and points of view.
Book Available: Book available in hardcover and e-book editions November 27, 2012.

Disclosure: I received an ARC paperback copy of this book from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: Weston Ochse's SEAL Team 666 follows Cadet Jack Walker. Halfway through SEAL training, he's still green but showing incredible promise when he's whisked away to join four SEALs—and their dog—for a special ops mission. Walker soon finds himself in a whirlwind of otherworldly creatures and events as he finds out the true nature of this “special ops” team: SEAL Team 666. Battling demons, possessed humans, mass-murdering cults, and evil in its most dark and primeval form, SEAL Team 666 has their work cut out for them. And it’s not long before they realize that the threat isn’t just directed against the U.S.—an ancient and deadly cult has bigger plans, and Walker is at the center of a supernatural conflict with the entire world at stake.

My Thoughts: When I heard about this book, I just could not resist – combining two of my favorite genres of military science-fiction and urban fantasy? Irresistible!

The only real problem I had with the story was the head-hopping. It was supposed to be from Walker’s point of view but occasionally it would jump into someone else’s head. This was an ARC, which are usually uncorrected proofs, so I will assume things like Jen’s changing eye color and Hoover’s hopping gender will be fixed in the final copy.

But overall, it was a fun and fast-paced story for those who enjoy things like military science-fiction and urban fantasy with male characters and point of view. Those looking for a softer, gentler story – hey, this is about SEALs, don’t expect a lot of sharing and caring. What it is includes a lot of blowing stuff to kingdom come, so if that doesn’t interest you, best to look for something else to read. But if you like a lot of explosions and fighting, you’ll probably enjoy this story quite a lot. Check it out.

Book Review: "The Heart of the Matter" Odyssey One book 2 by Evan C. Currie

The Heart of the Matter: Odyssey One review
Author: Evan Currie
5 out of 5 stars

Book Info: Genre: Space Opera (per publisher); Military Science Fiction (per me) Reading Level: Adult Book Available: Book will be released in paperback and ebook format on September 25, 2012.

Disclosure: I received a free paperback ARC (uncorrected proof) from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: After an epic maiden voyage that introduced Earth to a larger universe—and a cosmos full of terrifying new enemies—Captain Eric Weston and the crew of the NAC spacecraft Odyssey have spent months cooling their heels under their admiral’s watchful eye. But when Earth’s newest ally, the Priminae, strike a defense deal with the North American Confederacy, the Odyssey finally receives her orders: return to Ranquil, the Priminae’s war-ravaged homeworld, and lend badly needed support against the invading Drasin.

Weston and his crew are hungry for action, yet once back on Ranquil, they realize not all is as it seems. Yes, the Drasin are a formidable foe, but Weston suspects a powerful unseen force is waging the war that could alter forever the face of the universe. Determined to unmask the mysterious puppet masters, Weston and his motley crew defy NAC protocol and venture into deep space…where they will discover an enemy unlike any they have ever faced. The long-awaited follow-up to the spectacular Into the Black: Odyssey One combines old-school space opera with modern storytelling to create an exhilarating new sci-fi adventure.

My Thoughts: This is the second book in the Odyssey One series of space operas. I reviewed the first book in the series, Into the Black in May of this year; you can see that review by clicking on the link here (the link on the book name goes to the Amazon page to buy it).

As I theorized in my review of the first book in the series, we do indeed learn a bit more about the Drasin in this book – just enough for me, personally, to find the idea of them absolutely terrifying. We also learn more about Central, the Priminae information archive, which is in itself also rather of concern. I’m fascinated by what Currie is building here in this series. This book is again over 600 pages, but it moves fast, with lots of action and events.

Again, while the publisher is calling this space opera, I would classify it more as military science fiction, mostly based upon the amount of combat we see in this book. I can’t really comment on the hard science aspects of the book, as that’s really not my field, but it feels right and is certainly interally consistent.

This is an uncorrected proof, advanced reader’s copy, so I wouldn’t have been surprised to find some editing errors, but it appears that not even a basic spelling check was run on this thing. There is also a long section where the gender of a character changes every couple of sentences. I hope that these things will be fixed in the final copy when it is released.

This is a series I will continue to monitor. At this time I cannot find any information as to when the next book in the series is scheduled. However, if you like Currie’s style, he has a number of other books out there, including another military sci-fi series called the Hayden War cycle, so don’t despair! I am finding his style very engaging and fun, so I’ll definitely be not only watching for additional entries in the Odyssey One series, but looking at his additional books as well. I recommend that, if you also enjoy military science fiction, you take the time to check out Evan C. Currie.

Book Review: "Cobra Gamble": Cobra War Book 3 by Timothy Zahn

Cobra Gamble: Book 3 of the Cobra War trilogy review
Author: Timothy Zahn
5 out of 5 stars

Book Info: Genre: Military Science Fiction Reading Level: Adult
Book Available: Audible Edition available now. Mass Market Paperback to be released Dec. 25, 2012. Hardcover edition is now out of print, but copies are still available through Amazon Marketplace.

Disclosure: I received a free paperback galley edition of this book from the Amazon.com Vine program in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Cobras warriors, technologically enhanced and implanted with an arsenal of covert weaponry, are the most dangerous guerrilla fighters humanity has ever produced. For Jin Moreau Broom, the war is the culmination of a lifetime of Cobra service. But it is also the height of danger for herself and her family as they struggle to survive a war that none of them ever expected to see. 

The Troft invasions of Qasama and the Cobra Worlds has had at least one result: it has turned long-time antagonists into uneasy and unwilling allies. As the aliens battle to consolidate their conquered territories, a small group of Cobras and Qasaman Djinn work together to create a victory that will rock the invaders to the core, a victory designed to bring other Troft demesnes into the conflict on the humans' side. Now one young Cobra must forge a new political order as a devastating alien enemy strikes — an enemy more deadly than any humanity has ever faced

My Thoughts: This is the third book in the Cobra War series. This book is listed as being the third book in a trilogy, but based upon the ending of the book, I have a feeling this series is going to continue. While the overall plot of the book wraps up, there are plenty of threads left dangling, leaving the story wide-open for continuation.

We finally see in this book some more of the humor that made many of Zahn’s Star Wars books so incredibly popular; not a lot, of course – this is military science fiction, after all – but there were definitely a few moments that reminded me that Zahn can be incredibly funny.

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the Cobra books over this past week, and I definitely recommend them to anyone who enjoys military science fiction and/or Timothy Zahn’s writing. I will also be keeping a watchful eye for the expected continuation of this story. Be sure to check these books out.

Elizabeth Lang Presents: The Empire Novels

I read Elizabeth Lang's Empire in April (review here) and really enjoyed it. She has now released the second book in the series, The Rebels, and has them both available on both Amazon and Kobo.
 Links: Empire on Amazon and Kobo
          The Rebels on Amazon and Kobo

The third book in the series, The Andromedans, is scheduled for release sometime this winter. Ms. Lang has just approached me to review the 2nd book, which I'll be getting to later this summer or in the early fall, and sent me a copy of this nifty poster, which I'm sharing with permission. Anyway, this is a fun military sci-fi/space opera series, so be sure to check it out! you can get to her page to learn more by clicking on the poster, so I've made things super easy for you, so go!