Special Delivery - Book Review
A fun, fast-paced military sci-fi adventure.
Special Delivery by Rex Burke had me at "Starship Troopers meets SAS Rogue Heroes." As a huge fan of both these things, I had to check it out. It didn't disappoint.
A dangerous mission. A second chance.
Actually, scratch that. No chance.
Dix’s career as a trooper in the Federation army is unblemished – until the day he disobeys a direct order and strikes an officer.
Now Dix has a choice. Face a life of hard labour that promises to be brutal and short. Or accept a mysterious invitation to join a black-ops mission in hostile terrain.
The plan sounds simple, if horribly dangerous. Fetch a fearsome weapon from a secret location and deliver it to a distant planet, whose population is under the chilling yoke of the Federation’s rival empire, the Axis. Do it without getting caught, or implicating the Federation, and Dix’s transgressions will be forgiven.
But the weapon turns out to be unlike anything he could have expected, and Dix’s troubles have only just begun.
'SAS Rogue Heroes' x 'Starship Troopers' – Special Delivery introduces a ragtag crew of misfits and malcontents on a space mission with more holes than a blaster-riddled corpse. It’s a fluid, easy-reading, military-action Sci-Fi adventure, perfect for fans of Tanya Huff and John Scalzi.
The story reminded me of The Dirty Dozen: a rag-tag group of military misfits (and one dubious smuggler) are sent on a dangerous “we will disavow all knowledge of you” mission into enemy territory. But the mission isn’t what they expect, with one big twist after another. The crew has to put aside their many differences and learn to work together to even have a chance to survive.
The plot is well-constructed, with tense action offset by a healthy dose of humor and fun pop-culture references. There are a couple spots where it drags a little, but for the most part it breezes by.
The characters are the best part of the story: Dix is the unlikely leader of the group, a grunt from a water world facing hard labor for striking an idiotic superior officer. Drake is the gruff smuggler charged with getting them to their destination, more Scotty than Han Solo. Vaskez, like her namesake from Aliens, is a lethal badass who excels in close combat. And Alard, probably the most complex one of the crew, is a scout with a unique connection to the land.
As the group careens from one crisis to another, there isn't much time to get to know any of them too deeply. Even so, their personalities and quirks shine through. Their banter and bickering felt real, and I enjoyed seeing them gel as a team.
The story stands alone, though there are enough threads to spin a future adventure if Burke were so inclined. I for one would love to see this crew take on another mission.
I received an advanced copy from the author, but liked it so much I pre-ordered a copy of my own.
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