The Blackcollar is a military science-fiction story set in a universe where the human race was defeated by an alien race. The older, human special forces (the Blackcollars) put together a hail Mary attempt at overthrowing their alien rulers. It's fun and futuristic while still feeling entirely relatable. I liked how original the technology is in this book, but what what I loved the most was that this story has a really clear concept and plenty of intrigue. It really shows how hard it would be to be a resistance under the rule of an advanced society. The levels of double-crossing and spying are pretty wild as are some of the battle scenes. Oh, and the aliens are weird and super tough. What's not to love?
Allen Caine was too young to remember when the Earth had not been a conquered planet, one of many such in the huge and sprawling Rygril empire. But he knew of the legendary black collars, guerrilla warriors trained to the limit of human speed and skill, then turned into nearly superhuman combatants by use of the now-lost backlash drug. Eanh and its former colony worlds had been overwhelmed, but sparks of rebellion still smouldered, and the rebel underground on Eanh had sent Caine on an undercover mission to the former Eanh colony of Plinry, where there was a faint hope…
This book is not terribly old, but it feels old... and it's a western, which has fallen out of style. I do like older books because they tend to be less frantic, and less desperate to meet the modern idea of what keeps readers engaged. The style is just excellent. Last Warriors on the Llano is an easy read. The writing is so direct that I, as a writer, thought to myself, "Graham, you've gotta learn this art!" In the end, the straightforward sincerity of the two main characters is what I loved. Cody Carson is a Texas Ranger, and on a mission to save lives, he meets an unlikely ally.... an Indian named Red Wind. I could feel the honor exuding from these men who became fast friends. I believe this was my first Howard Pelham book, but I plan to read more of his work.
Texas Range Cody Carson's well-earned vacation is sidelined once again when rancher Amos Tate is murdered. He must do more than bring Juan Tofoya to justice; Amos's son and daughter have been kidnapped, and for Cody, it is a race against time to save their lives.
The search takes him to the Llano Estacado - the Staked Plains - a vast expanse of desert where friends may be enemies and enemies friends. When Cody rescues Red Wind, a Comanche Indian, from Tofoya's henchmen, he gains a valuable, if unlikely, ally. Red Wind knows where Mary and Brad are being held,…
This book is absolutely huge. The copy I read was around 960 pages. This was my first Peter F. Hamilton book, and while I loved the story, I struggled with the writing. It is just so verbose. I don't normally have trouble and have read quite a few longer books, but I felt like there was at last 150 pages of descriptive language in there. Yet, in my opinion it would be a mistake if you avoid this book because of my previous statement. The story is so good. I love an epic story and this is truly one of legendary proportions. What's more, there are descriptions of first contacts and the processes involved that I found to be absolutely fun to read.
The human race has expanded to over 600 worlds using wormhole technology. They've had first contacts, they've fought great battles and won, and in a way, they've become somewhat stagnant. Then, a mind-boggling structure is discovered a thousand light-years away. A massive effort is made to determine what exactly is happening... and Pandora's box is opened.
Spoiler: The great alien civilization at the end of the rainbow... that is coming to kill us all. Duh-dun-DUN! This felt truly alien to me and not just a human in blue paint like you might see on TV. The thought processes and rationale of the aliens made total sense and led to the inevitable conflict with an expanding human race. Despite the wordy writing style, the story is so grand that I am going to read the sequels.
In AD 2329, humanity has colonised over four hundred planets, all of them interlinked by wormholes. With Earth at its centre, the Intersolar Commonwealth now occupies a sphere of space approximately four hundred light years across.When an astronomer on the outermost world of Gralmond, observes a star 2000 light years distant - and then a neighbouring one - vanish, it is time for the Commonwealth to discover what happened to them. For what if their disappearance indicates some kind of galactic conflict? Since a conventional wormhole cannot be used to reach these vanished stars, for the first time humans need…
Edin is a young man who yearns to break free of Earth’s overbearing regulations and provide a better life for his family. I
n the year 2110, he struggles to convince his pregnant wife to spend their life savings on tickets to join Earth’s first off-planet colony. After she tells him off, he shoots himself in the foot with his impulsiveness and discovers that injustice runs deeper than he imagined. Following a string of tragic losses, Edin must choose between pursuing freedom or moving back home.
Little does Edin know, plans have been set in motion, and soon, the colony’s launch party is tragically interrupted by a politically motivated assassination. The assassin, who spent much of her young life alone on the streets of Brazil, accepts a contract from an unknown and powerful entity. She fights her conscience while navigating a treacherous path toward the completion of her contract. Her decisions will forever alter the fate of Earth’s first colony and maybe even offer her a path to redemption.
