Gavin G. SmithCríticas

Well, this knighthood tale took a very unexpected turn. Thornto as the main character along with the Red Earl, Gritcham, Prince Philippe and some other make this ghoulish, and bloody tale very readable. Not your typical knight in shining armor story, but probably more realistic with regard to medieval warfare. I enjoyed the premise and the story development but I am conflicted about whether or not I can like how poor Thornto's ended up. A very novel twist on knighthood. CERTAINLY worth the read. Maybe there is room for some more of his adventures.

A novella set either in a fantasy world or in a post-apocalyptic future (I was unsure which). A knight of the Iron Kingdom discovers the brutal realities of war against the Harlanian Empire. Very grimdark, verging on schlock horror.

Not really to my taste, but others may like it.

I was delighted to receive this ARC from Netgalley. having enjoyed reading 'Veteran' and 'War in Heaven'

'The Bastard Legion / Hangman's Daughter' is an all out violent action science fiction page turner.
I started reading and when I next looked up I was more than half way through the book.
The Hangman's Daughter is a prison ship incarcerating more than six thousand violent criminals. Miska an ex military/ spook hijacks the ship puts explosive collars round the prisoners necks and with an uploaded copy of her murdered father proceeds to train them as mercenaries for hire. If they disobey orders she decapitates them, if they try to kill her the same result.
Hired out to retake a valuable asteroid from the miners who have revolted as a proof of concept things go rapidly wrong when an sentient AI virus is found to be siding with the miners.
After a renegotiation with the corporation hiring Miska they go back for a second attempt.
The action is non stop, the virtual boot camp where the prisoners are trained to be soldiers by the dead copy of her gunnery sergeant father was fun. The prisoners are complex, being at times morally superior, stupid beyond belief or in the case of the mob bosses outsmarting Miska.
The baddest of the bad are barely human.
Miska is not that different from them and in her own words is 'wired wrong'. She has a hidden agenda and shady motivations.
It will be interesting to see who survives the next book.

Thank you Netgalley

Interesting world with an invincible hero who for no apparent reason attracts a following.½

This book didn't end. It just stopped. Very disappointing.

I like Richard Morgan’s novels, and the cover of Gavin G Smith’s debut novel Veteran claims it is a debut on a par with Morgan’s. We all take such marketing with a pinch of salt but, conversely, without such comparisons readers might never find new books they will enjoy. In Smith’s case, the comparison is something of a mixed blessing. Yes, some of those who like Morgan’s novels might well enjoy Veteran; but neither is Smith’s debut all that much like Morgan’s Altered Carbon.

Veteran is near-future military science fiction with a side order of cyberpunk. It is set after a global war, referred to throughout as the Final Human Conflict. Earth is an über-libertarian post-apocalypse wasteland, with areas of high tech. Most people live in squalour, except for the secretive oligarchs who run everything. Human life has very little value, but technology is much more advanced than it is now.

Rest of review here: http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/2010/08/06/veteran-gavin-g-smith/½