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birdloveranne's review
5.0
What a fantastic story! At first I didn't think I'd like it, but it grew on me and was really good.
mypatronusisajedi's review
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Cursing, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and War
thinde's review
4.0
A believable exploration of the militarisation of drone weapons.
Conroe is on my must-read list, based on his Demon Accords urban fantasy series. With Zone War he delves into the realistic and he does it very well.
Ajaya is a sympathetic protagonist with an interesting cultural background of which I'd like to hear more. As with his prior series, the beginning of a stellar ensemble cast is presented to the reader. Each is distinct and I could imagine many of them birthing stand-alone novels.
But it's the technology that really makes this story stand out. Conroe seems to be arguing that any release of autonomous, AI-driven drones would eventually lead to a threat to humanity itself. If the objective is to kill and AI's are designed to learn and improve - then eventually they will surpass even the best of us. It's a scary premise brought home effectively in this creation.
Conroe is on my must-read list, based on his Demon Accords urban fantasy series. With Zone War he delves into the realistic and he does it very well.
Ajaya is a sympathetic protagonist with an interesting cultural background of which I'd like to hear more. As with his prior series, the beginning of a stellar ensemble cast is presented to the reader. Each is distinct and I could imagine many of them birthing stand-alone novels.
But it's the technology that really makes this story stand out. Conroe seems to be arguing that any release of autonomous, AI-driven drones would eventually lead to a threat to humanity itself. If the objective is to kill and AI's are designed to learn and improve - then eventually they will surpass even the best of us. It's a scary premise brought home effectively in this creation.
emergency_poncho's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
baldgrant's review
5.0
A great read as always
John is the kind of author that writes books you can’t put down. I can always count on him for a great read. This book is the beginning of another great series and I can’t wait to read the next.
John is the kind of author that writes books you can’t put down. I can always count on him for a great read. This book is the beginning of another great series and I can’t wait to read the next.
aaron_inklings's review
5.0
I stumbled across this book and am so glad I did. It is truly right up my alley. A techno-thriller with plenty of action and some humor sprinkled in here and there. A nice palette cleanser as well. Highly recommend.
adrianwelsh's review
4.0
I wouldn’t have heard of this if it wasn’t for Audible promoting it so hard! It was a fun and fast read. I am ready for the next one.
It’s not a fair or even comparison but this book/author makes me think of [a:R.R. Haywood|6447537|R.R. Haywood|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1374232710p2/6447537.jpg] and his books. I know Haywood has this long running Undead/Zombie series but then he made these other books that got me interested in him. The same goes for Conroe. He has this long running Demon series, but I got interested in him through these Zone books (now I’m interested in his Demon series…). Ok, that was a completely useless tidbit of information but who cares, these reviews are mainly for me!
I thought this book was going to be somewhat similar to [b:Vigilance|41940477|Vigilance|Robert Jackson Bennett|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1538914900l/41940477._SY75_.jpg|65425056] since there is a “tv show” involved. But it is not at all alike.
Audiobook narrator [a:James Patrick Cronin|7122829|James Patrick Cronin|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1453374748p2/7122829.jpg] rating: 4.8 stars
This is the first book I have listened to from this narrator. He was fantastic!
It’s not a fair or even comparison but this book/author makes me think of [a:R.R. Haywood|6447537|R.R. Haywood|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1374232710p2/6447537.jpg] and his books. I know Haywood has this long running Undead/Zombie series but then he made these other books that got me interested in him. The same goes for Conroe. He has this long running Demon series, but I got interested in him through these Zone books (now I’m interested in his Demon series…). Ok, that was a completely useless tidbit of information but who cares, these reviews are mainly for me!
I thought this book was going to be somewhat similar to [b:Vigilance|41940477|Vigilance|Robert Jackson Bennett|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1538914900l/41940477._SY75_.jpg|65425056] since there is a “tv show” involved. But it is not at all alike.
Audiobook narrator [a:James Patrick Cronin|7122829|James Patrick Cronin|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1453374748p2/7122829.jpg] rating: 4.8 stars
This is the first book I have listened to from this narrator. He was fantastic!
suzjustsuz's review
4.0
3.5 stars
Conroe does characterization really well and Zone War is no exception to that rule. He also makes Gary Stu characters that are just fun to read, and that's true here as well.
If the book has a failing its that its got a LOT of weapons porn in it. The need for that is built into the story, though, so in that much it's consistent. Frankly, I think this book reads like what it really wants to be is a tv action series. It should be, it's perfect for it.
I'll read the next when it becomes available in audio. John Conroe and James Patrick Cronin (the narrator of this and also Conroe's Demon Accords audiobooks) make a very good team.
Conroe does characterization really well and Zone War is no exception to that rule. He also makes Gary Stu characters that are just fun to read, and that's true here as well.
If the book has a failing its that its got a LOT of weapons porn in it. The need for that is built into the story, though, so in that much it's consistent. Frankly, I think this book reads like what it really wants to be is a tv action series. It should be, it's perfect for it.
I'll read the next when it becomes available in audio. John Conroe and James Patrick Cronin (the narrator of this and also Conroe's Demon Accords audiobooks) make a very good team.
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