Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsThe start of a great series
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 6, 2022
I love the military science fiction genre and in the last few years there have been some great entries and series that have launched. One author I have been watching for a while is Rick Partlow who has a few proverbial irons in the fire. So I finally carved out some time to read Contact Front, the first book in his Drop Trooper series.
And now I’m hooked.
Partlow writes this book first person from the character of Cam Alvarez. Characters are everything and they have to have a good arc to hold my attention. He is a street thug for the most part who is arrested and was given the chance to flip state’s evidence or join the Marines. He’s not a warm and cuddly character – like all good ones, he has flaws. Partlow expertly develops this kid into something fairly interesting and by the end of the book you are rooting for him. That’s the mark of a great author.
I like the universe he has crafted. When universe building it is tempting to get into every nut and bolt detail. Partlow avoids that. We don’t have to know how weapons work, they simply do. I like the beer and pretzel science approach in a series. While I want those details, I don’t need them to get into the action at this point. Hopefully in other books he will give me a little more meat for those bones.
This isn’t a Mecha book, it is, however, all about power armor. I love good power armor stories and this one delivers. Ultimately this isn’t about the tech or the firepower, it is about the character of Cam Alvarez.
I won’t ruin this review by revealing the plot, but suffice it to say, there are internal struggles within the Marines as well as a ruthless alien enemy. The book seems to give a lot of good solid background around the universe that Partlow has crafted and I found myself wanting more.
If you haven’t checked out the Drop Trooper series, I highly recommend you do.
