Customer Reviews

Death's Head Maximum Offense

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

David Gunn's 2nd outing in this intriguing new series is another rompin' and stompin' space opera, but like the 1st book, the first half is not as strong as the last half.

Therein lies the rub.

Starting strong is great. A must, really. But ending it with a bang is just as important. The middle of the book really bogs down with meandering prose, and with a lack of detail and focus, the reader starts to skim read. Something a writer should not want.

Although we like Gunn's overall Riddick-like bad boy character, Sven, as well as a motley crew that can be quite interesting, David Gunn tends to sometimes go off on a tangent that is hard to follow.

Sven and his strange group go on a mission to a strange spoke wheel-type world, filled with savage and harsh terrain, and even stranger and more savage beings. Like we said before, the set-up here is the strong point of the book, and even when the group gets to their destination the action starts right off, pulling the reader by the throat into a dark territory op.

Now, for us, it takes a little while to get used to David Gunn's 1st person prose. But once you get into his style, it can be fun and funny. But unfortunately, one can tell when David has a good day of writing and when he doesn't. But when he's on, he's on!

Action sequences are not the best, nor are they the worst we've ever read. There are certainly better writers that could write hardcore mercenary sci-fi action much better than this. But Gunn is adequate. We are hoping he gets better with time.

But we have to say that David Gunn has a unique voice, and is worth checking out if you like hardboiled, gritty sci-fi action/adventure.

Book Two of the Death's Head series starts out with a bang - well, rather more like a nuclear blast.

Gunn's books to date have not been subtle and that is part of the reason I am enjoying them so much. In-your-face bravado, gore, and action, with a little non-stop killing thrown in.

As our hero we have Sven Tveskoeg - reluctant leader/drinker to excess/Paperf****r/fighter before you can take a second breath and if you are the enemy, that breath won't be coming/hair stylist as long as you have braids/Silver Fistf****r/depending on his mood-protector of women/collector of soldiers in training/planet whisperer.

We have valor and we have valiant but in this book we have catheterized almost-barbecued Vals 5 and 7 with memory implants. We have a son with a huge price on his head. Sex, sex, and kinky sex. Kidnapped Aux. Manmade planet. A persistently sulking gun. Traitorous comrades-in-arms. Great air ship battles/explosions with selflessness to go along.

The conversation with Hekati was moving. And the conversation with General Jaxx at the end of the book was diabolically clever.

I am definitely looking forward to more adventures with Sven and the Aux.

If you enjoyed the first Death's Head then definitely read this one as well. Sven and the Aux are back and deep in it again... Or is that still? This one had me as riveted as the first story did and couldn't put it down. 24 hours later I found myself wanting more after reaching the end, it was like visiting old friends.

I loved it! Enjoyed the second book as much or more then the first. Highly entertaining and enjoyable read.

This is a great series and I'm hoping for more. The second book was not quite as strong as the first, but still quite excellent. I recommend it to anyone who likes military and/or mercenary Science Fiction.

I enjoyed the first novel "Death's Head". While this novel, definitely fits perfectly with the world of the previous novel; I found that the flow was lacking comparing the first. The action was a tad meandering around the middle and I thought that the death of Franc (twice) showed a lack of consistency. If a character is going to die, then so be it but don't resurrect it and claim the U/Free did it with their technology. It seems like he could make up his mind on this character. Also, in "Death's Head" even the peripheral characters were developed and were three diminesional. In "Maximum Offensive", we really didn't get much of a sense as to who Pavel and the other characters were and they seemed one dimensional. It seems to do the impossible...a story of troopers in the desert where you get to know only little about anybody.

I guess if I wanted to sum this up, I'd say that as a novel on its own its good but not great book. It's kind of like the "Empire Strikes Back" of this series and I hope that the next novel will be better or even that there will be another novel.

In the far distant future, humanity has spread across space as over time earth has become part of mankind's original being mythos. Three rival human groups compete for superiority at a time when Emperor Octo V claims to rule the ten thousand systems yet seeks expansion. His Octavians and the Enlightened users of the Uplift Virus are at war with one another. The third group United Free pretends to seek universal peace while manipulating their two competitors so they run the universe their way.

The United Free assigns Lieutenant Sven Tveskoeg and his squad the Aux to find a missing U/F observer sent to planet Hekati, but before landing an explosion on board cripples the vessel; he rescues his squad. However, they soon realize this is not Hekati as the U/F leadership sent them on a beta test before sending them to the right planet where society's sociopaths and government exiles reside. Danger prevails as Sven courageously leads his unit, but soon he and his team learn the real mission.

DEATH'S HEAD starts off as a dark humorous grim outer space tale, but once on Hekati turns even darker and grimmer without the humor as David Gunn argues that war is not a precision dance to the stars but chaotic hell. Sven is terrific as he is tough and loyal, but also caring as he prefers to avoid unnecessary collateral damage; others couldn't care less if planets are destroyed to achieve the mission. Readers will appreciate this bleak look at mankind in outer space still fighting one another.

Harriet Klausner

This is a HARDCORE,gritty real look at sci-fi.The ultimate anti-hero smashing a bloody path across space.

Again, David Gunn comes through with an exciting adventure. Sven is off with the Aux to a secret mission that is so secret even he doesn't know what it is. Gunn's style is quite engaging and fun to read. There were some areas where things lost some clarity, but maybe it was because I skimmed a little bit in certain sections. Not as strong as the first, but I am absolutely looking forward to reading the third book.

Good, fast moving story. You really need to read the first installment in the series in order to appreciate this second book. Sven and his crew kick ass once again and his talking, wise cracking, all knowing SIG gun keep your interest throughout. Good, rough edged, sexy sci-fi. Recommended.