The Bookwyrm's Review of Fae Wars: Onslaught by J.F. Holmes & Lucas Marcum
What would you do if America and the world were invaded tomorrow by a relentless and brutal enemy? In an alternate 2015, a US Army Special Forces Team, part of the legendary black ops unit "Delta", is in midtown Manhattan to take out a Chinese spy and his handlers, sending a message short of outright conflict. All goes smoothly until they find themselves in a full-blown shooting war through the canyons of the City. Portals from another world have opened in Central Park, making a way for figures out of historical nightmare to invade. The Fae, creatures banished from Earth thousands of years ago and now only part of our legends, have returned with Dragon fire, spell, and sword to conquer and take revenge.
The first volume of the Fae Wars covers Team Three, G squadron, Special Forces Detachment (Delta) as they fight their way off Manhattan and then join the defense of the refugees as the Fae assault the bridges. The fabled 69th Infantry puts up an epic fight against superior weaponry and then the war descends into the asymmetric hell that the Delta Operators know so well. Along the way they find new allies and old powers that come to their aid.
Review
Do you know how some books grab hold of you from the first sentence and just won't let go until you're finished? Well, Fae Wars: Onslaught was just such a book for me. I was already a fan of J.F. Holmes's writing from his Irregular Scout Team One zombie series, and this takes all the good things about that series and amps it up to 11! What was so good about it, you ask? Well, let me tell you.
One of the biggest things that drew me into these stories, especially this one, if the visceral realism of the world. You'd think a book about Fae invading earth out of portals wouldn't feel realistic, but you'd be wrong. His choice of locations, his descriptions, they just give it a completely grounded feeling. It feels natural, something you'd see if you looked out your window, even the more fantastical elements. The author's real military experience comes though as well, making the scenes with the military, which are on display throughout the story, not only comes across as viscerally real, but easily understandable for people who aren't military vets. He never gets lost in the minutia, using some detail without overwhelming the reader with jargon. It's done with a very deft touch.
That leads us to the characters, who are some of my favorite in any genre. Major David Kinkaid, Army Special Forces and a Delta operator, leads his Delta team on high risk covert ops that have huge consequences if they fail. The mission they are on when the Fae invade really illustrates that point. It's this training and his history that set his course as the Fae invade NYC, literally across the street from where the team's latest mission just concluded. The fact that Kinkaid is a New Yorker means the Fae atrocities hit him even harder, and his skill set is uniquely suited for getting payback. His team is the mixed bag of skills and personalities you'd find in a real military unit, and you really get drawn into their interplay as they have to try and escape NY and then start an insurrection against the invaders. It's such an overwhelming mission, and their reaction to it is just so realistic for the kind of soldiers they are, in my experience.
The main antagonist, the Fae commander Lord Thar Tavan, is such an excellent foil for Kinkaid. He is ruthless and powerful, and is old enough to remember the Roman Empire at it's height. This memory of being driven off the planet in exile is a strong motivator to crush humanity, especially since humanity's feared technology isn't turning out to be as effective as they thought it would be against them. There are setbacks, but Lord Tavan is the frightening force that the Fae need to meet their goals.
The narration is performed by the talented Talon Beeson. He does a fantastic job bringing the various characters to life, giving them each their own unique voice and personality. His voicework for Kinkaid and Lord Tavan is especially memorable, highlighting Kinkaid's determination and can do attitude, and Lord Tavon's single minded ruthlessness and menace. His narrative pacing is so good, never lagging or having weird pauses, just keeping the listener hooked into the story.
This story could have gone off the rails with either an overload of military jargon and insider stuff, or steering into the Fae stuff too much and losing that touch of realism. Instead, it seamlessly merges fantasy elements with military realism in such a way that you can really see this happening in your minds eye, and maybe keep an eye out for mysterious portals in the local park. I will happily say this is my favorite read of the year so far, and I am excited to see where they take the series from here. I heartily recommend checking this story out.
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