Customer Reviews

Chronos - Military Science Fiction

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is a great read if you like military science fiction. It contains a lot of technical detail about weaponry. Although if you're expecting to read about "ray guns", you'll be disappointed. Based on the premise that modern weapons would be difficult to maintain so far from a supply source, the characters actually use old-fashioned weapons in their fights with robots.
It's a quick read with a good plot. Left me wanting a sequel.

I have been reading sci-fi for 45 years. This is a good series and I can hardly wait for the next book. Keep up the good work Mr. Ciolli!

Reviewed by wornpagesDOTcom

Let me start off by saying, in a non-sexist way; this book is not for girls. There is not an ounce of romantic fluffiness here. Each page is filled with combat mechanoids, armoured gun platforms and enough ordnance going off to make Afghanistan look like a school yard squabble. The story takes place in the year 2132 when the Earth Alliance is being challenged for mineral resources on outlying planets by the Mining Syndicate, a ruthless conglomerate who like nothing better than to enslave entire populations for free labour and then mine everything they could dig up. To help keep the Mining Syndicate in their place, Earth Alliance employs a band of mercenaries known as The Defence Corps to assist in the most dangerous assignments. So the background to the ongoing conflict is set and we get our first glimpse of the main character; Zach Murphy. He is a member of a task force called the Wolverines ( I cannot help thinking of Marvel Comics' superheroes whenever that name is mentioned ) and we meet him in the process of doing what he does best. Character introductions complete, the story changes gear and we travel with Newberry, Anders, Harley and the rest of the Wolverines to a mineral rich planet called Chronos, that has been invaded by the Mining Syndicate. After a little sneaking around, otherwise known as reconnaissance, the butt kicking starts. And this is major league full auto butt kicking.
A few years ago, well quite a good few years ago now, I discovered MechWarrior on the Super Nintendo console...then the MechWarrior Mercenary games for PC. I just loved the huge stomping robots armed to the teeth with every weapon conceivable declaring war on anything that came near. There is something deeply satisfying about a chain gun reducing buildings to a smoking pile of rubble, or a stream of short range missiles engulfing a battle tank in annihilation. On more than one occasion I went to bed as the sun was getting up. I can imagine those same robots stomping around New Athens and slugging it out with the Wolverine's heavy weapons. One thing we can say with absolute certainly is than the author knows his 5.56mm from his 7.62mm, and by the end of the story so do we. The descriptions enhance the action sequences and give them a more real-life feel, although there is a slight detachment to the obvious consequences of using such weapons. The action sequences brought back memories of the start of Robert Heinlein's 1959 Hugo Award winning Starship Troopers (the book, definitely NOT the movie), wherein he describes the devastation wrought by the his troopers. Heinlein demonstrated how well the contrast between the act of mass destruction and the consequences of that destruction can be employed to paint a deep three dimensional image in the reader's imagination. A brief bitter moment can make the sweeter moments even more memorable. Chronos is well paced and written in an easy upbeat style; just the ideal companion on a long journey or lazy day.
The odds are definitely stacked against Zach and his band of Wolverines, locked in combat with the Mining Syndicate's array of heavy armoured Walkers, but they are not the only ones with an interest in the future of Chronos. The enigmatic native Amalthea have an agenda of their own, but to find out more you will have to read Chronos for yourself.

I agree with the previous review by Gerard Dowling. This is full of guns and mechanoids, and pretty much non-stop action. Great military sci fi!

I thought that I must have, somehow, gotten ahold of the authors first draft. The story line, future mercenaries fighting with a mix of 21st century and futuristic weapons, had possibilities. Unfortunately, the author didn't see fit to flesh out the story line, the indivdual battles, the characters or anything else in the book. Compound the weak, incoherent story with really atrocious sentence structure and grammar and you end up with a lousy book.

This book was a very quick read for me. The writing is crisp, the characters are believable and you get transported into the reference frame quite smoothly. There is also a feeling of familiarity that is woven into the story that kept my interest all the way to the end. I can't wait for the sequel.

Chronos is an awesome book! Tom takes an interesting twist on space warfare logistics where the combatants end up with a wide range of technology due to the amount of time it takes to travel between stars. The book reminds of books written by the Chris Bunch and Allen Cole. It's well worth the read!

I really liked this book.
It was easy to read.
The visualization made me feel like I was part of the story.
The plot and characters were very believable.

I was left wanting more.

As the sights of man's universe expands, so do its battles for freedom. "Chronos" tells the story of Zach Murphy and the Wolverines as Earth's commandos are tasked with a mission to free the people, both human and alien, of Chronos from the iron grasp of an organization oppressing them. The task is never easy, and "Chronos" proves to be a fun and exciting adventure in science fiction.

Sadly this book did not live up to the expectations I had after reading à couple of reviews. The plot is not imaginative and towards the end it just sort of whithers away. Having read a couple of the longer reviews posted here you essentially know everything there is to know. Bottom line, not worth the money.