|
In this near-future adventure, we
find The Exceptionals (government sponsored, bio-enhanced bounty hunters)
Lastshot and Skorpion stranded in the hellish nuclear-wasteland which was once
Chechnya--now populated by criminals, monsters, and cannibalistic natives--onboard
their downed shuttlecraft is a group of "innocents," and the prisoner
Rokk, a rogue Exceptional. Now the name of the game is survival.
Having grown up reading the likes
of Mack Bolan, I found the author's descriptions of both his characters and
graphic combat scenes to be compelling and extremely visceral in nature. I
always love such narratives as "…the body hit the floor with a sound like
a wet towel smacking against a countertop." This was in turn mated with
expertly choreographed fight scenes and some of the most accurate weapons play
I've seen in a long time.
The modern and sci-fi tech is
there, but is general used to enhance the moment, rather than just being the
moment. Yes there are some bits that play up the tech, such as someone crushing
an opponent with their exoskeletons; and a character that had lost her limbs
and now has see-through bionics, but in the context of the scenes it works, and
in many ways adds to the fun.
Overall I enjoyed both the story
and the writing style. If you’re a fan of the gritty action-adventure genre,
then this is definitely the one for you. I give it a four out of five.
|
