A rather fun read with interesting characters and action. And, my initial thought…. was justified. Thankfully. Let me explain.
Even though Argo Herrero and his fellow SLAV friends are educated doctors, they are tired of being under the thumb of the Megachine, and enlist in the rebellion. We are talking drones, air superiority, Orwellian type scenery. So, one could ‘naturally’ gravitate toward envisioning a Skynet -esq vibe.
Not this loser.
I went, for some reason, the Starship Troopers dynamic in my noggin’ – yeah, that is bugs and junk. And sure as shit – boom. Vindication, baby. This gives nothing away, really – but there are bugs AND drones, eventually, in play.
I wouldn’t really call this a coming-of-age, reluctant hero bit.
Yes, Argo does start off lacking confidence. Yes, he does rise to the occasion. But, not, umm, naturally?
In this kick-off installment, you are introduced to Argo, Carmen – his love interest, and others. They head out to train to kill. They meet some interesting characters; salty veterans, scientists, and fellow soldiers (some enhanced). This illustrates the pecking order easily enough.
Action unfolds – some firefights, some quality deaths, etc. The set-up is a Two-Minutes-to-Midnight act for survival. And that is where all the action plays out.I’ll stop to avoid giving away too much.
The read is entertaining. It is a little slow, but once things get going….they get going quick. I look forward to seeing what unfolds in subsequent books. 4.3 of 5 Stars. ARC provided by author
From the Publisher:
My name is Argo Herrero. I'm ready to enlist, sign the contract to serve for ten years under the ally ranks. Enlisting is the only way to free myself from the hands of the totalitarians, to fight for freedom itself. The allies assure me citizenship and a decent salary after ten years of service. The Megachine are strong. Undefeated. Unrivaled. They have wiped out the ally drone force and are moving in for the final blow. First they took Europe, then Asia. With the help of the Chavistas, they conquered Latin America. The world is about to fall. I need to serve to fight for whatever freedom is left!