The Bookwyrm's Review of Territory Wars: Scourge by Devon C. Ford

 

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Rating: 9/10 Stars

Synopsis

What could test a marine more than all-out war? The Scourge.

A simple distress beacon…

A mining colony in the outer reaches…

Supposedly another routine deployment for Mike Barton of the Combined States Marine Corps, but what they find on the surface is unlike anything anyone had ever encountered.

Horribly wounded in a battle with an unknown enemy, Barton only survives through a chance encounter with two special operators. As if the skirmish wasn’t enough, what comes next will be beyond his imagination.

Thrown into a joint task force with troops from the New Russian Confederacy, Barton must return to the colony, face what had befallen him there, and investigate what killed everyone.

But the investigation will have to wait because the Scourge won’t. The fight for his life rages on, and his chances are slim.

Don’t miss the start of a Military Sci-Fi thrill ride from bestselling author Devon C. Ford. It’s perfect for fans of Rick Partlow, JN Chaney, Nick Webb, and Gears of War.

Review

I've had a lot of luck lately finding good sci-fi reads, and Scourge is no exception. It is without a doubt one of the most action packed military sci-fi reads in this current renaissance of that sub genre. It takes some tropes from the genre and expands them to good effect, all while creating an expansive universe that still ties back to the conflicts in the the current geopolitical space, with some surprising twists.

The basic world building is solid. There are two competing main players, politically speaking, trying to expand their territories. These blocks are the Combined States of North American made up of the US and Canada and their rivals, the New Russian Confederacy and their allies, the New British Empire. The Combined States can also at times count on help from the Japanese and Africans if the situation suits their needs, while the Chinese and Indians stay neutral for the most part. Both main blocks have a cold war going, with covert action and the occasion diplomatic incident occurring, but no outright hostilities. That changes when a discovery is made on a remote mining planet that turns that cold war to hot in a blaze of missiles and bullets. 

The character's really shine in this book, especially the main character, Mike Barton. He starts as your average enlisted Marine, sarcastic and a bit jaded about the leaders over him, but dedicated to doing his job. It turns out that being the lone survivor from his unit after the discoveries on Planet Zero and barely surviving horrible injuries flips his switch, because it really showcases his determination. He focuses on the chance to get payback for what happened to him and his platoon, and his mental fortitude is definitely shown throughout. 

The secondary characters are mostly excellent. They revolve around a Special operations team, known as Odin teams, who are the best operators the Combined States has to offer. They are true warriors, and each distinct in their own way. Mark is the tough team leader, intelligent and deadly, who has to balance mission and team, planning missions no one else can accomplish. Mac and Anders are the glue of the team, brothers in arms who are willing to do the dirty work that's always required. Edwards is the Teams pilot, an Air Force pilot attached to their team. Coates is the one team member that plays on a trope that's gotten a little old, the Velasquez trope. She's tough as nails with an over sized chip on her shoulder who obnoxiously busts Barton's chops constantly, and I thought she was kind of a generic trope. She isn't a deal breaker, but I find her to be the weakest character just as a type.

The antagonists are well matched to the story. They are a Spetnatz team of .operators for the Russian Confederacy, the dark mirror versions of the Odin teams, Where the Odin Teams are scarily effective commandos, the Russians are just plain scary, the kind of operators that put fear into strong men's hearts. Led by a ruthless giant of a man, they are willing to do whatever they need to for the glory of their motherland. They are very much a throwback to old school Russian spec ops, the kind of ruthless soldiers in which limits didn't exist. These uber-serious elite soldiers and Barton the smart ass are like oil and water. It truly creates some great scenes and leads directly to the climactic clash as the end, as well as leading into the next book in the series.

The narration is performed by one of my favorite narrators, James Patrick Cronin. I am a huge fan of his work on John Conroe's Demon Accords series, as well as on Rick Partlow's Drop Troopers books. He does a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life, making you feel as though you are in the scene with the characters.He does such a good job creating a myriad of voices for the various characters, and you are never in doubt which characters are speaking. His accents are realistic, and his narrative pacing is some of the best in the business. It never lags or devolves into a monotone. I highly recommend this format.

This is one of those books that is a great starting point to a series. It tells a great story, but leaves the door open for so much more, setting a high bar for any sequels. If you enjoy space opera or military sci-fi, this is definitely a book you should check out. It's few cons are far outweighed by it's many pros. I'd highly recommend checking out the audio version as well.