REVIEW: Contra Alliance: Shadows of the Past by Tom Kolega (Kindle Edition)

Contra Alliance: Shadows of the Past by Tom Kolega
Publishing information: Kindle
Publisher: State of the Art Entertainment, LLC; 9 October 2010
ISBN 10: 9780615302027
ISBN 13: 978-0615302027
ASIN: 0615302025
Series: The Contra Alliance Trilogy Book One
Copy: Provided by Author
Reviewer: Tyson

Synopsis: "The year is 2035. America's preeminence has withered. Global warming, scarce resources, and conflict have pushed the world to its breaking point. Throughout the increasing turmoil, a rogue group called The Revolution has risen to prominence seeking domination over humanity.

Shadows of the Past explores the adventures of a NATO Counter-Revolutionary (CONTRA) Strike Force as it battles against the mysterious organization. Elite Special Forces operators use advanced military technology to hunt The Revolution, finding its feared wickedness is worse than imagined. When secrets of the enemy's origin threaten accepted reality, dangers intensify.

Disturbing evidence exposed by CONTRA uncovers stunning truths about the galaxies. A covert faction of extraordinary messengers race to save Earth. Legends of the past and visions of the future collide when a long-dormant evil resurfaces to challenge the most powerful space alliance in the universe. The course of human history irrevocably alters, setting the world on an unforeseen path.

When Time Unlocks The Truth to History . . . The Epic Begins."

When I received Contra Alliance I could not help but think about the classic video game. However, after a few chapters in I knew that it was not the case. Contra Alliance deals with a highly secretive branch of operators working for the United Nations and two powerful alien races who are secretly waging a secret war on Earth.

The biggest obstacle is that there is a huge cast of characters, nations, and abilities to juggle. Many of which really don't play a major factor in the story or the characters abilities, at least at this point in the story. But it truly is an international group, and to a degree, interstellar force. While the setting takes place in the near future not much has happened in the way of weapons. Lasers have started to make an appearance on the battlefield, as well as battle suits that augment the person wearing them. We are told that the United States has lost its grip on being the ultimate superpower yet they are still at the forefront of every altercation, still have the best equipment, and continue to play a major role in international affairs which left me a little confused as to how or if they had truly fallen.

Contra Alliance has two plot lines going: the evil plan of the Revolution that plans to use earth for their personal revenge against their ancient enemies and the constant, well-planned and oftentimes violence from radical groups, and the second plot is the newly formed UN's Contra force must assist in bringing order out of chaos. There is a third plot, where earth's alien protectors must keep their involvement and identities secret but it is a minor plot point.

There is a lot of action and the way Kolega weaves them is quite good. They are quick and the results felt well into the final pages of the book. No one is really safe from injury or death except for a few key players that will be obvious from the start. Contra Alliance has the feel of a novelizaton for a comic book and I could see this as a Sci-fi (sorry Syfy) television show similar in the vein of Stargate: SG1 if it ever made it to the small screen. Which I think would bring in a lot of viewers.

At the end of the day, Contra Alliance is a suprising military action story with some great characters and the potential for a great series. I know there is a plans for a prequel and its sequel should be released soon. While not the deepest story you will ever find, it is a lot of fun to read and does a great job of keeping you guessing. Had I not been asked to review the book would have missed out on a great science fiction military adventure. While it does not take place in space, there is some foreshadowing of what is to come and it has me excited to see what happens next. Contra Alliance: Shadows of the Past is the perfect read for anyone looking to escape. I am glad I was introduced to the series and hope that I have a chance to continue the adventures that Kolega started in this book.

Plot  7
Characters 7.5
Style  7

Overall 8.5/10

REVIEW: Corvus by Paul Kearney

Corvus by Paul Kearney
Publishing Information: Paperback; 464 pages
Publisher: Solaris 26 October 2010
ISBN 10: 1906735778
ISBN 13: 978-1906735777
Series- Sequel to The Ten Thousand
Copy: Tyson- Out of Pocket; Yagiz- Sent by the publisher
Reviewers: Yagiz and Tyson

Back of the Book: "It is twenty-three years since a Macht army fought its way home from the heart of the Asurian Empire. The man who came to lead that army, Rictus, is now a hard-bitten mercenary captain, middle-aged and tired. He wants nothing more than to lay down his spear and become the farmer that his father was. But fate has different ideas. A young warleader has risen to challenge the order of things in the very heartlands of the Macht. A soldier of genius, he takes city after city, and reigns over them as king. What is more, he had heard of the legendary leader of the Ten Thousand. His name is Corvus, and the rumours say that he is not even fully human. He means to make himself absolute ruler of all the Macht. And he wants Rictus to help him."

Yagiz

In The Ten Thousand (review here), the first book of the Macht Trilogy, Paul Kearney introduced the world of Kuf, an intriguing world, home to different races. This great first book took us to the heart of The Empire far away from the homeland of the legendary Ten Thousand. In Corvus, the author takes us back to the land of the Macht, the fabled warrior race.

And to the readers delight, he also brings forward a familiar face: It was a great pleasure to meet Rictus again from page one. The book starts with Rictus going back home twenty-three years later after the events of The Ten Thousand.

For Rictus, the Paean was something different. He no longer joined in the singing, and had not since returning from the Empire all those years before. He had never forgotten the second day of Kunaksa, when the Ten Thousand had sung that song, believing they were marching to their doom but advancing anyway, to make themselves worthy of memory. It had kept them going that day, had reminded them of who they were.

Machts are a warrior race and they excel in this art. And not surprisingly, there are constant quarrels between cities. However, twenty three years later, Rictus is not the same man. He is torn between war and family. As he struggles to decide between two, life makes a choice for him. Sometimes it's easier that way, when the choices are made on one's behalf.

Kearney is amazingly talented in creating very realistic military scenes. The picture of the terrible face of war that he paints tugs at the heart of the reader. War is a terrible thing but it is in us, in our genes. You kill or you are killed. But everyone is somebody's son, brother or father and every single one of them has their own story that one ends in a blink of an eye.

[Fornyx] nudged a corpse with his foot. It was the man Rictus had speared through the neck. He wore a bracelet of dried grass about his wrist, the kind a daughter might plait for her father on a summer afternoon. Rictus looked away from it.

Some parts of the book reminded me of another great book that I read last year: Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings. Especially the Antimone's Gift, the magical black armour of the Cursebearers reminded me of Shards: Their origin is unknown, they are limited in number and offering money for one just doesn't work.

To those of you who wear the scarlet in war for the first time today, do not disgrace it, either in the thick of the fight or afterwards. The colour has been worn by both good men and bad for centuries, but it has never been worn without courage.

Not surprisingly, in Corvus, Kearney maintains his fluid and addictive style. He creates and develops some great characters in a memorable fantasy setting. The author is amazingly talented in mixing military aspects of the fantasy with drama and individuality, which, at times, gives the impression to read a mixtures of Steven Erikson and Guy Gavriel Kay.

Even though I read The Ten Thousand previously, the reader is not required to do so to fully enjoy Corvus. Although I would recommend to read The Ten Thousand before just because it is another excellent book.

Corvus has confirmed that Paul Kearney is an amazing writer. Unfortunately, and very surprisingly, he is also incredibly and criminally underrated. Corvus was one of the best books of 2010 and made the last book of the trilogy, Kings of Morning one of the most anticipated books of 2011. Just pick it up and read it. Resistance is futile.

Memorable Quotes

"A man who has a passion will always find life to his taste. A man who cares for nothing is a man already dead."

"Every legend begins with the ordinary and the everyday, as the acorn begets the oak" - Corvus

"The anvil is on its way. Brother, we are the hammer" - Corvus

"It is a fine line, sometimes, between guest and hostage. The key to it is left unspoken, buried in courtesies. The fist inside the glove" - Rictus

Plot 9/10
Characters 9/10
Style 9/10

Overall 9.5/10

Tyson

After finishing The Ten Thousand and enjoying it I quickly decided to read Kearney's follow up, Corvus. While the novel is a sequel, it was superior in nearly every way imaginable. When I read the first book The Ten Thousand I found myself really enjoying what was a great military novel. In Corvus, Kearney has taken the myth and transported it a few years into the future and tells us the story of a young man setting out to make his mark on the world. A world that at times has given him the short end of the stick. In order for the young man, Corvus, to realize his dream, he gains the support of an old warhorse that was just about to put down his spear and sword for a more peaceful rake and shovel and tend his farm and his family.

Corvus does an excellent job of bridging the gap between his two novels. Rictus the hero from The Ten Thousand returns as a man larger than life and an honorable reputation. Corvus uses this to his advantage with his own troops and his enemies. When Rictus and his famed Macht warriors take to the battlefield the tide of war changes dramatically. The mythos that surrounds his unit is palpable when you read the book.

I do not know why, as I cannot put my finger on it myself, but I found this installment a much better novel than The Ten Thousand. The pacing was top notch, the characters were well-rounded. The action and military concepts seemed plausible and made sense. There was a little bit of politics involved in the book but it took a back seat to the various battles and sieges. The book was just a great story of a winter campaign and the rise of a young, charismatic young man with a dream of uniting his people under one banner.

I believe that with Corvus Kearney is at the top of his game. Corvus is Kearney's opus. I know that the third book in the series, Kings of Morning, is coming soon, but he will have a difficult road ahead of him to write a better book then this one. Regardless, I will be there to read the next book in the series. Highly Recommended.

Plot 9/10
Characters 10/10
Style 10/10

Overall 9.5/10

REVIEW: The Ten Thousand by Paul Kearney

The Ten Thousand by Paul Kearney
Publishing Information: Paperback; 480 pages
Publisher: Solaris; 26 August 2008
ISBN 10: 1844165736
ISBN 13: 978-1844165735

Series: Book 1 of Macht Trilogy
Copy: Out of Pocket (for both reviewers)
Reviewer: Tyson and Yagiz

Back of the Book:  
"On the world of Kuf, the Macht are a mystery, a seldom-seen people of extraordinary ferocity and discipline whose prowess on the battlefield is the stuff of legend. For centuries they have remained within the remote fastnesses of the Harukush Mountains. In the world beyond, the teeming races and peoples of Kuf have been united within the bounds of the Asurian Empire, which rules the known world, and is invincible. The Great King of Asuria can call up whole nations to the battlefield. His word is law.

But now the Great King's brother means to take the throne by force, and in order to do so he has sought out the legend. He hires ten thousand mercenary warriors of the Macht, and leads them into the heart of the Empire."

Tyson

I have several Paul Kearney novels sitting on my shelf and for a long time have planned to get this book read. Finally, I had a chance to do it. The Ten Thousand is a classic military fantasy novel in the vein of Pressfield's The Gates of Fire and the graphic novel 300. A feared and legendary group of mercenaries have been hired to raise the king's brother to power of the greatest empire on the planet.

The Ten Thousand is epic in scale, the army marches at a fairly decent pace and the story unfolds well over a year as they travel a great distance through the empire. The Macht, as the mercenaries are known resemble the Roman legion crossed with the Spartans. There is a hierarchy to the group and one individual is elected to the lead (think head general) which is similar to the original concept of a Roman dictator. The world the Macht come from is mountainous and the lifestyle they are accustom to would be considered spartan. They live in a world were the majority of men are soldiers until they are no longer useful in the phalanx. Once that happens they become farmers and artisans and breed the next generation of warriors. The history of the race is done artfully and you do not have to read massive amounts of text at one sitting. It is woven in as the story unfolds. The empire's history is also woven in this fashion and you come to have a grasp of the universe that Kearney has created. The Ashur Empire is interesting as the Macht are human in appearance and the Ashur Empire is composed of many different races that are thrown into a caste system.

Nearly every character that The Ten Thousand focuses on are interesting and have their own story and background. The only real issue I had was Arkamenes. The Ashur Empire was growing and as far as I could tell in good hands. The king, Ashurnan, loved his brother and treated him as best he could. Why Arkamenes wanted the crown and would do anything to overthrow his brother had me baffled. Their was no motivation beyond wanting what he could not have. Which I guess would be enough but it just seemed oversimplified. In my opinion, there should have been something deeper to his motivation. Kearney does an excellent job of bringing some great characters to life and unfortunately he also does a brutal job of killing them off when you least expect it. It leaves you wondering just who will live until the end of the novel.

Just like the march the Macht undertake through the Ashur Empire, The Ten Thousand moves at a furious pace. It starts out with an aggressive battle and does not let up until the very last page. Kearney manages to tell an great story that focuses on the grittiness of war as well as the requirements to keep the machine moving and conquering. The Ten Thousand does an amazing job of displaying how tides of war can change in the blink of an eye and the emotional impact it has on the troops.

The Ten Thousand is a highly entertaining novel and is a great introduction to the author. Bloody, gritty and fun. There is a fair amount of foul language but nothing you would not expect if you were in the trenches with the troops. As far as I was concerned it was an attempt to add some realism to the mercenaries and how they deal with the rigors of war and the possibilities of imminent death. Highly recommended. The sequel Corvus was released in October and a review will be coming soon.

Plot: 8
Characters: 8
Style: 9

Overall: 8.5/10

Yagiz

Years ago my parents gave me a book thinking, rightly so, that I would like it. It was Michael Curtis Ford's The Ten Thousand. It was an excellent modern-day reinterpretation of Xenophon's The Anabasis. That's why I was intrigued when I heard about Paul Kearney's The Ten Thousand for the first time two years ago. I didn't get to read it until a few weeks ago, partly because of lack of opportunity and partly because I didn't know what the author was capable of.

Earlier this year, Solaris Books republished Paul Kearney's Monarchies of God, a five-book series, in two voluminous omnibuses and for me, they have been one of the highlights of the year so far (My reviews of both books: Hawkwood and the Kings and Century of the Soldier). I was so impressed by the author's work that I immediately ordered my copy of The Ten Thousand. And I am glad that I did because Paul Kearney is rapidly becoming one of my favorite writers (as of this writing, I am halfway through Corvus, the second book of The Macht trilogy. Tyson and I will publish our joint review next week).

Kearney's The Ten Thousand takes place in Kuf, a world that is home to various humanoid races. The reader mostly hears about the human-like Macht, the tall, golden skinned Kefren and the gray skinned Juthan. The Macht are pictured as a mysterious and martial race who are exceptionally disciplined on the battlefield. However they've always remained in their homeland (their mythology/history talks about one exception) close to Harukush Mountains, until Arkamenes, High Prince of the Asurian Empire hires ten thousand Macht mercenaries and in order to dethrone his brother, he leads them into the heart of the empire, to the imperial capital, Ashur.

Ashur had been laid out in a grid, maybe four thousand years before. Vorus had studied on it, and believed the city to be twice as old; but always built on the same pattern. Imperial Ashur. Her walls were a hundred and fifty feet high, and sixty pasangs long. In their shadow lived some two million people. Kefren of all castes, Juthan by the scores of thousands, common Asurians, Arakosans, Yue, Irgun, Kerkai. They were all here.

These ten thousand mercenary warriors, hired by Arkamenes, are the best Macht had produced. Led by their general and centurions, they work as a deadly war machine on the battlefield. They are capable of battling an army many times their size. In his book, Kearney brings the reader to the heart of this army of mercenaries. Behind the blood-stained facade, the reader can witness surprisingly diverse and humane aspects of this great brotherhood. At times, the story is so intense, the reader feels herself sweating in a bronze helmet, holding a spear with calloused hands and charging on a muddy battlefield while singing paean, the Macht battle hymn.

To become a sellspear, a man might forsake his ancestors, his memories, the very place that gave him birth, but in return he was admitted to this brutal brotherhood and given a new thing to fight for. A city in miniature, clad in bronze, and dedicated to the art of warfare.

They were soldiers, creatures of appetite and routine with a core of indefinable restlessness at their heart. They were callous, brutal, sentimental, sardonic. They were selfish and selfless. They would knife a man over a copper obol, and would share with him the last of their water. They would trample a masterpiece of art in the dirt and be brought to tears by a veteran's voice raised in song. They were the dregs of the earth. They were Macht.

Kearney borrows only the main traits of the historical setting in his book. The Persian empire, at the time of Xenophon, stretched from India to Egypt and Greece. The historical Ten Thousand started their journey in Sardes (west of modern Turkey) and they crossed all Anatolia and went into today's Iraq to face the army of Artaxerces II in Cunaxa. In the book, Kuf's map bears some resemblance to Asia Minor's geography. However, the world of Kuf has two moons, Phobos and Haukos, that deeply influenced its peoples' myths. It is also a setting without magic, with the only mystery being the Cursebearers' black armours. But the story is so gripping that the reader never misses stronger fantasy influences.

The Ten Thousand is a very fast paced book. I am certain that the author could have stretched the story for dozens of pages. However, in not doing so, he let the reader experience the story as fast as on the back of a galloping horse. Just shy of 500 pages in paperback format, it is not a long book but Kearney manages to introduce many memorable characters and develop them throughout the book. His characters are believable, a trait that I've found in his other books. The reader won't find pure evil or pure good in this book. However she will meet characters that she will care very much and she will feel strongly about.

Kearney is also very skillful in showing two different sides of a struggle, which probably adds more humanity to his characters. The reader can always ask would she be a better person if the life treated her the same way as it treated the protagonists.

Last but not least, even though it is the first book of a trilogy, The Ten Thousand reads perfectly well as a standalone. Therefore, you can commit to it without committing to the whole trilogy... Although, I'm certain that once you read about the Macht, you will want to go back to Kuf.

I cannot tell you how glad and satisfied I was when I turned the last page of Paul Kearney's The Ten Thousand. Not only because I had read an excellent book and Corvus was the next book on my list. But because Kearney had raised the bar very high with The Monarchies of God, and The Ten Thousand was still great despite my high expectations.

Plot: 8
Characters: 9
Style: 9

Overall: 9/10