Veteran
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Product Description
Review
"If you've ever read any Richard Morgan you will be in familiar territory, only this feels darker, grittier, louder and more grounded than Morgan's work . . . I have no hesitation in recommending "Veteran"." --"SF Book Reviews"
Book Description
A powerhouse SF debut - a jawdroppingly vivid hell-on-earth future, a brutal war against unknowable aliens and Jake - a harder than all the rest anti-hero its impossible not to love.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I am relatively new to the Sci-Fi genre but this book had me thouroughly immersed in the setting. The book gets you right into the action from the word go and keeps going at pace right until the finalie.
It incorporates enough of the Sci-fi gadgets and futuristic technology that makes the genre what is, while not being burdened with them; The story is still about the characters and the situation they find themselves in rather than a mass of technical gibberish. The story itself has a great deal to offer, not simply in the grandeur of its scope and the impact it has on the characters, but also in the subtle details that leave the reader wondering about things alluded to but not fully explored in this book. Aside from the many carefully detailed references to mythology and hints to the reader about the nature of this literary world that the author has created, there are also so many passages in the book that I can only describe as epic. Starships, motorcycles, guns and warfare used to their full awesome potential resulting in action sequences akin to what we would expect from a hollywood blockbuster.
The main character, an ex-soldier in a futuristic war, is gritty and dark, but with enough personality to have you rooting for him throughout. The rest of the characters are refreshingly original and create an interesting group meaning there's something for everyone.
Finally the plot. Wether a fan of Sci-fi or not the plot raises enough questions and ideas that are relevant to real life that you can't help but feel that there is enough underlying meaning here to keep you and fellow readers discussing the rammifications of the characters choices long after the book is done.
I read this book on the recommendation of a friend and I have to say it's a fairly stunning debut. I certainly can't wait to read more of his work.
It incorporates enough of the Sci-fi gadgets and futuristic technology that makes the genre what is, while not being burdened with them; The story is still about the characters and the situation they find themselves in rather than a mass of technical gibberish. The story itself has a great deal to offer, not simply in the grandeur of its scope and the impact it has on the characters, but also in the subtle details that leave the reader wondering about things alluded to but not fully explored in this book. Aside from the many carefully detailed references to mythology and hints to the reader about the nature of this literary world that the author has created, there are also so many passages in the book that I can only describe as epic. Starships, motorcycles, guns and warfare used to their full awesome potential resulting in action sequences akin to what we would expect from a hollywood blockbuster.
The main character, an ex-soldier in a futuristic war, is gritty and dark, but with enough personality to have you rooting for him throughout. The rest of the characters are refreshingly original and create an interesting group meaning there's something for everyone.
Finally the plot. Wether a fan of Sci-fi or not the plot raises enough questions and ideas that are relevant to real life that you can't help but feel that there is enough underlying meaning here to keep you and fellow readers discussing the rammifications of the characters choices long after the book is done.
I read this book on the recommendation of a friend and I have to say it's a fairly stunning debut. I certainly can't wait to read more of his work.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Thought this was an enjoyable romp, I read through it in a few days which is always a good sign. It has a touch of the cyberpunk genre which I'm not usually too keen on but this kept my interest throughout. I like my Sci-Fi with a fair bit of violence so the military focus of the book was my sort of thing. I laughed out loud at a couple of points at intentionally funny parts of the dialogue and felt the peppering of humour in the novel was well used.
If you want high cerebral Sci-Fi then this may not be your cup of tea but if you like your Sci-Fi action packed with lot's of dangerous, exotic, characters and guns then this is probably your cup of tea.
My favourite Sci-Fi authors are Neal Asher & Ian Banks, this novel is not like any of theirs but if you like them then like me you should enjoy this.
If you want high cerebral Sci-Fi then this may not be your cup of tea but if you like your Sci-Fi action packed with lot's of dangerous, exotic, characters and guns then this is probably your cup of tea.
My favourite Sci-Fi authors are Neal Asher & Ian Banks, this novel is not like any of theirs but if you like them then like me you should enjoy this.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Veteran is a brilliant debut. The point of view character can be related to easily, but is also, at times, exasperatingly easy to hate. He's a man with flaws, who makes mistakes, and somehow manages to come through the hell that Smith throws at him.
Aside from the lead character the book is brimming with people that you want to know more about. It's a shame, in some respects, that the book is written in the first person at times because I often found myself really wanting to see what was going on with the antagonists, why they were doing what they were doing, and who they really were.
Is the book Military Sci-Fi? I suppose it is, but it borrows a lot more from the Cyberpunk Genre, reworked for a modern audience. Like all great Cyberpunk books I wanted to see the technology working and Smith did a very good job of painting the picture with words. The guns, the mechs, the explosions and space. I was taken there, and I want to go back!
Aside from the lead character the book is brimming with people that you want to know more about. It's a shame, in some respects, that the book is written in the first person at times because I often found myself really wanting to see what was going on with the antagonists, why they were doing what they were doing, and who they really were.
Is the book Military Sci-Fi? I suppose it is, but it borrows a lot more from the Cyberpunk Genre, reworked for a modern audience. Like all great Cyberpunk books I wanted to see the technology working and Smith did a very good job of painting the picture with words. The guns, the mechs, the explosions and space. I was taken there, and I want to go back!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great debut - good book
Lets get the bad stuff out of the way first. This is a good book not a great one. The cliffhanger ending is a killer, the fictional universe it's set in needs more polish and the... Read more
Published 1 month ago by G. Coale
Excellent debut novel
Knowing nothing about this author I decided to buy this, partly because I was told the author is from Dundee and I was in Dundee at the time. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Mr BD
Sorry I bought this but Top Marks Amazon for refund
I read through the first couple of chapters before deleting this from my Kindle. I am really sorry I did not try the free first chapter. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Robert
A strong, action-packed debut
Three centuries from now, the human race has survived a nuclear war and expanded into space, colonising several nearby star systems. Read more
Published 6 months ago by A. Whitehead
Reading this feels like playing Doom.
..or watching Predator I enjoyed reading this but I wish I'd seen my dentist beforehand to protect my teeth against being gritted for so long. Read more
Published 7 months ago by BigAl
Does exactly what it says on the tin, I suppose
There will be some who'll love this book and some who hate it. There is a very direct subgenre specialism for this type of book - the bare bones of it are quite formulaic in most... Read more
Published 12 months ago by nvh65
Definitely has potential
Gritty and brutal sci-fi starring a grizzled, tough as nails ex army type.... sound familiar? Well luckily not as much as you think. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Halfy
Look forward to reading more by this author
Gavin Smith's debut novel Veteran is a take on near-future military science fiction, where the world has been at war with Them for decades. Read more
Published 16 months ago by A. L. Rutter
A good debut
Other reviews summarise the plot of Veteran well, so I will summarise and say that this is a good debut reminiscent of Neal Asher and Richard Morgan. Read more
Published 17 months ago by R. M. Lindley
Great for fans of Richard Morgan but may be too similar
The blurb says "best debut since Altered Carbon" I think "Best Richard Morgan book since he stopped writing sci-fi" would be more apt. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Neil J. Pearson
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