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A review by markyon
Stormblood by Jeremy Szal
4.0
Now, I know that the idea of humans being adapted to a particular purpose is not a new one in SF – I’m thinking Frederik Pohl’s Man Plus, for example – and in terms of combat even Robert Heinlein’s soldiers in Starship Troopers and Joe Haldeman’s soldiers in The Forever War used mechanised suits and took drugs to help them before going into combat. Gordon Dickson's Dorsai were a planet of people who specialised in military skills who then sold their services to anyone who could pay..
Stormblood, a debut novel by Jeremy Szal, gets us to consider the idea that in the future humans would be prepared to be genetically altered to become an improved soldier, and what the impact of such a change would be.
Jeremy’s version takes those ideas and bring them up to contemporary speed. The book is fast paced – and ultraviolent.
The Plot
Vakov Fukasawa is a Reaper – a soldier bio-enhanced by being deliberately injected on enlistment with an alien DNA known as stormblood to help fight for the governing body of Harmony against a cruel and brutal opponent. Even though Vak is no longer part of the military, the Reaper War finished, like many others the changes to his body are permanent. There are painful and lengthy rehabilitation processes that reduce the feeling of need, although the hunger for more adrenaline never goes away. In short, Vak has become a drug-dependent ex-military asset, now a mercenary low life who survives by taking on tough jobs with the help of his cyberhacker friend Grim.
Both Vakov and Grim live on the lower levels of a hollowed out asteroid named Compass. Compass has levels that mimic society – the lowest life is at ‘the bottom’, whilst the hyper-wealthy are at ‘the top’ and Szal does well to describe the differences in lifestyle inbetween as Vak stomps around between them.
The murder of ex-soldiers that Vakov fought with draws him and Grim into trying to discover why. There’s a connection between the deaths and stormblood, which leads the pair to the places run by organised crime groups and ruthless hyper-corporations who have their own interests at heart. Vak finds out that his younger brother, Artyom, is involved. Artyom and Vakov have been separated since his departure to the Reapers, but Vak now discovers that Artyom is working for the House of Suns, one of the Corporations ruling the asteroid. If his brother is to survive, or at least be given a lesser sentence, Vak must work with the Harmony police, who he has little trust for.
Vak and Grim end up working with Harmony. He also develops a relationship with Katherine Kowalski, one of the police he is asked to assist. Together Vak, Grim and Katherine have to find the drug lords determined to spread stormblood throughout Compass and stop its spread. Vak also has to find and help his brother, one of those closely involved with the drug elite, which will involve him making some tough decisions and taking serious chances. At the same time Vak has to deal with his own stormblood, knowing that there is always the chance of a relapse the more he has to deal with it. And then there’s the revelation that an alien race may be about to return – and they’re not friendly.
Thoughts
This is one for those who like their military sf. It is hyperviolent, with the gore spread across many pages. There are lots of body parts and executed bodies everywhere, some lengthy scenes of the carnage caused by battle and some very nasty scenes of torture. They are in context and they are done well, but they’re not for the faint-hearted, and there were times when the visceral scenes seemed a little relentless. But Vakov’s an engaging character, enough to make you feel some sympathy for an ex-killer.
For those who like their future-police-procedurals, this one has gangs, drug-runners offering an illegal drug on the streets for the right price and the police doing a difficult job. In space. In an asteroid.
Its rather like Starship Troopers meets The Incredible Hulk, with a touch of Neal Asher’s work. Admittedly, Vakov has blue stuff travelling through his veins rather than going all-over green, but when he or his comrades-in-arms go on a full-out rage, it is Hulk-style impressive (and messy).
This is all told from the perspective of Vakov, through present time and in flashback. We discover through his memories his abusive childhood and his relationship with his sister and brother Artyom. In order for the story to be told by Vakov, there’s a few convenient plot coincidences and parts that tend to feel like we’ve been here before (What – Vakov beaten up again? And tied up, again?), partly because Vakov has a repeated habit of doing things that he shouldn’t. It can get a little repetitive. I lost count of the number of times Vakov put himself in danger, with everyone else telling him not to do something, to the point where I began to think there was some sort of reverse psychology going on, but I realise that it is in part to let the reader see what’s going on.
On the downside, there’s a couple of Idris Elba “We Are Cancelling the Apocalypse!” type moments, and one plot contrivance that I think the book could have done without at the very end that made me go “Really? REALLY?” But it’s all done with good heart and a determination to tell an exciting and great story, with the ending setting up the inevitable sequel.
Stormblood is a fast-paced, ultraviolent tale of life, love and redemption set on an impressively science-fictional world. The strong characters (in more than one sense of the word!) and super-gadgetry will make an entertaining tale that many readers will appreciate. It’s an impressive debut - I’ll be interested to see how this develops.
Stormblood, a debut novel by Jeremy Szal, gets us to consider the idea that in the future humans would be prepared to be genetically altered to become an improved soldier, and what the impact of such a change would be.
Jeremy’s version takes those ideas and bring them up to contemporary speed. The book is fast paced – and ultraviolent.
The Plot
Vakov Fukasawa is a Reaper – a soldier bio-enhanced by being deliberately injected on enlistment with an alien DNA known as stormblood to help fight for the governing body of Harmony against a cruel and brutal opponent. Even though Vak is no longer part of the military, the Reaper War finished, like many others the changes to his body are permanent. There are painful and lengthy rehabilitation processes that reduce the feeling of need, although the hunger for more adrenaline never goes away. In short, Vak has become a drug-dependent ex-military asset, now a mercenary low life who survives by taking on tough jobs with the help of his cyberhacker friend Grim.
Both Vakov and Grim live on the lower levels of a hollowed out asteroid named Compass. Compass has levels that mimic society – the lowest life is at ‘the bottom’, whilst the hyper-wealthy are at ‘the top’ and Szal does well to describe the differences in lifestyle inbetween as Vak stomps around between them.
The murder of ex-soldiers that Vakov fought with draws him and Grim into trying to discover why. There’s a connection between the deaths and stormblood, which leads the pair to the places run by organised crime groups and ruthless hyper-corporations who have their own interests at heart. Vak finds out that his younger brother, Artyom, is involved. Artyom and Vakov have been separated since his departure to the Reapers, but Vak now discovers that Artyom is working for the House of Suns, one of the Corporations ruling the asteroid. If his brother is to survive, or at least be given a lesser sentence, Vak must work with the Harmony police, who he has little trust for.
Vak and Grim end up working with Harmony. He also develops a relationship with Katherine Kowalski, one of the police he is asked to assist. Together Vak, Grim and Katherine have to find the drug lords determined to spread stormblood throughout Compass and stop its spread. Vak also has to find and help his brother, one of those closely involved with the drug elite, which will involve him making some tough decisions and taking serious chances. At the same time Vak has to deal with his own stormblood, knowing that there is always the chance of a relapse the more he has to deal with it. And then there’s the revelation that an alien race may be about to return – and they’re not friendly.
Thoughts
This is one for those who like their military sf. It is hyperviolent, with the gore spread across many pages. There are lots of body parts and executed bodies everywhere, some lengthy scenes of the carnage caused by battle and some very nasty scenes of torture. They are in context and they are done well, but they’re not for the faint-hearted, and there were times when the visceral scenes seemed a little relentless. But Vakov’s an engaging character, enough to make you feel some sympathy for an ex-killer.
For those who like their future-police-procedurals, this one has gangs, drug-runners offering an illegal drug on the streets for the right price and the police doing a difficult job. In space. In an asteroid.
Its rather like Starship Troopers meets The Incredible Hulk, with a touch of Neal Asher’s work. Admittedly, Vakov has blue stuff travelling through his veins rather than going all-over green, but when he or his comrades-in-arms go on a full-out rage, it is Hulk-style impressive (and messy).
This is all told from the perspective of Vakov, through present time and in flashback. We discover through his memories his abusive childhood and his relationship with his sister and brother Artyom. In order for the story to be told by Vakov, there’s a few convenient plot coincidences and parts that tend to feel like we’ve been here before (What – Vakov beaten up again? And tied up, again?), partly because Vakov has a repeated habit of doing things that he shouldn’t. It can get a little repetitive. I lost count of the number of times Vakov put himself in danger, with everyone else telling him not to do something, to the point where I began to think there was some sort of reverse psychology going on, but I realise that it is in part to let the reader see what’s going on.
On the downside, there’s a couple of Idris Elba “We Are Cancelling the Apocalypse!” type moments, and one plot contrivance that I think the book could have done without at the very end that made me go “Really? REALLY?” But it’s all done with good heart and a determination to tell an exciting and great story, with the ending setting up the inevitable sequel.
Stormblood is a fast-paced, ultraviolent tale of life, love and redemption set on an impressively science-fictional world. The strong characters (in more than one sense of the word!) and super-gadgetry will make an entertaining tale that many readers will appreciate. It’s an impressive debut - I’ll be interested to see how this develops.