Master Sergeant Michael Venn is a Skyrine. He doesn’t fight on Earth, but on Mars or the “Red”, as they call it.
Master Sergeant Michael Venn is a Skyrine. He doesn’t fight on Earth, but on Mars or the “Red”, as they call it. This is the first book of the series and gives us the foundation of what is to come. A brief update how Earth got into the mess and who started it. Of course it was the aliens. An advanced race called Gurus, who have been hiding in the desert, show up and offered Earth samples of advanced technology. They promised more and they are soon “running” the Earth and making the rules. But, of course, nothing is free. In return for the tech. advances they need an army to fight the antaginists who are after them. Guess who gets the honor of fighting on Mars? Yep, our military. Venny relates his experiences as they happen. He explains what the war is really like and how bad things can go in just minutes. As a six year veteran he can tell when a simple assingment has turned into a big SNAFU. But it turns out this is bigger than any before it. If not for the camaraderie between the men in his unit, many would die. He gives us clues and details of what he thinks might be going on. He experiences some strange dreams and thoughts that he doesn’t understand. By the time Vinny and the other survivors of his unit return to Earth they have been changed. There is more to Mars than first thought. A very old alien presence has made itself known. It has altered certain members of his unit. They are now in danger from their own military. Stay tuned for further developments. I don’t really like first person books. This one, after listening for a while, caught on. I started to really understand what was going on and to see the situation as it was described. There was lots of real tension in the telling of how the survival suits had to be checked for leaks and what about the dust that clogged the filters. Could any of the Martian settlers be trusted? Could his own military be trusted? I am definately watching for the next installment. Narrated by Jay Snyder and he did a really gook job of it. When it called for different voices he nailed em. No wimpy voices here, just hard ass soldiers. His diction was very clear and easy to understand, even the odd dialect of the settlers was understood. Very good job Mr. Snyder. Production was faultless and smooth. No jumps, empty spaces, or static. Audiobook provided for review by the publisher.