There are books that you finish and you just move onto the next book. Then there are books that you finish, and for days, sometimes even weeks after, your still thinking about the story as it was just so powerful, so moving, the story so gritty, in the intense realism of the characters and the incredible storyline that has played out, right up until the last page.
Edge of Valor is one of those stories, as we follow Jackson Fischer, a Special Agent with the AIS, an investigative branch of the Military, who is sent to find out what happened to a group of Marines and an Ambassador on the planet of Stonemeyer.
The planet is in a rather strategic location, set on the boundary between Alliance and Pegasi space, both factions not actually at war yet, but with many minor skirmishes, they are very close, and Stonemeyer, a planet that sits on the border of space between the two, is the perfect launching platform into either factions space.
The Alliance Ambassador on Stonemeyer has called for an urgent recovery, the Embassy having come under attack by Militia several times over the past couple of days, and he fears he will not make it to the spaceport to his own spacecraft.
An Alliance warship is sent and a unit of specialist Marines is sent to get the Ambassador – what should be a standard mission.
We get to follow what happens through Fischer’s eyes, as he leads the investigation, because at the end of the Mission, no Embassy staff are left alive, and only 3 Marines make it out alive, and they are in a shocking state.
I don’t want to give any spoilers, you will read about the full extent of the battle and all that happens through the eyes of Fischer as he investigates the incident. This is an incredible story, with a brilliant procedural and investigative plot that is full of intrigue, intense realism that leaves you reeling at times from the sheer power of the scene as it unfolds.
Hayes has captured the gritty brutality of urban warfare, and puts you right in the thick of the investigation. You feel like you are inside Fischer’s head for most of the book, not just following the investigation, but getting to understand the weight of it as with each new bit of information, each new action, it either leaves another hole in his soul, or pushes him a little further.
Fischer’s character is outstanding. Having been in the Military himself, he understands the role the team had to play, the pressure they were under, and as he investigates, he finds that the more he uncovers, the worse it gets.
As an ex-cop, I found that the book was intensely realistic, making me cringe at times, this is a book that is hits you hard in some places, and I would definitely give a warning that there is some quite graphic content.
Having said that, Hayes has gone out of his way to handle this content in an incredibly mature way, not glorifying the brutality, not playing it up, and certainly not going over the top with anything. It is required as a part of the story telling, and he has been respectful of it, it is another aspect of the writing that shows just how extraordinary this story is, and just how brilliant the Author is.
Whilst Fischer’s character is a standout as the somewhat jaded Detective with a past, the Marines in this story are the real stand-out characters. I am not going to go into any details about the Marine Characters though as I do not want to give away any spoilers – I just want to say that the Marine Characters in this story are outstanding, the quality of writing, the in-depth nature of their characters, the storyline’s for each character – the character writing was masterful, some of the best in any book I have read this year.
This is easily one of the best books I have read in a long time, not just for being a Mil Sci-Fi Thriller, but for any genre, for the intense gritty realism of the characters and story, and for the incredibly powerful storyline. This isn’t a story for just Sci-Fi fans, this is a story for anybody who likes a good Thriller, Mystery, Sci-Fi, or just an incredibly high-quality story. Hayes is Brilliant.
Edge of Valor
Audible Audiobook
– Unabridged
| Price | New from | Used from |
|
Audible Audiobook, Unabridged
"Please retry" |
$0.00
| Free with your Audible trial | |
|
MP3 CD, Audiobook, MP3 Audio, Unabridged
"Please retry" | $19.48 | $19.06 |
- Read with Kindle Unlimited to also enjoy access to over 3 million more titles
-
Audiobook
$0.00 - 5 New from $18.99
- 5 Used from $12.43 9 New from $12.45
- 1 Used from $19.06 8 New from $19.48
Read & Listen
Switch back and forth between reading the Kindle book and listening to Audible audiobook.Add the audiobook for a reduced price of $1.99 after you get the Kindle book as part of your Kindle Unlimited subscription.
Your audiobook is waiting!
Enjoy a free trial on us
Enjoy a free trial on us
- Click above for unlimited listening to select audiobooks, Audible Originals, and podcasts.
- One credit a month to pick any title from our entire premium selection — yours to keep (you'll use your first credit now).
- You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
- $14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel online anytime.
Sold and delivered by Audible, an Amazon company
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
People who viewed this also viewed
Page 1 of 1Start OverPage 1 of 1
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
People who bought this also bought
Page 1 of 1Start OverPage 1 of 1
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
Related to this topic
Page 1 of 1Start OverPage 1 of 1
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
- Audible Audiobook
A Must Buy for Military Sci-Fi/Crime Thriller Fans!
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2020
I first heard of this book on Facebook Live on Aethon Books, and I was intrigued to get it. Although I was in the middle of reading Battletech/MechWarrior, I ordered it here on Amazon. Paperback edition. Once I finished the novel I was on, I shot over to this book. It took me two weeks to finish (work hours delayed my progress to really read it).I absolutely loved it! It has military sci-fi in it, backed with a crime solving thriller mixed in. The main character is Special Agent Jackson Fischer, and he works for Alliance Intelligence. A “spook”. His determination to get to the bottom of what happened on Stonemeyer and the loss of good Marines was awesome. But it’s not over yet - this is just book one. And I’m deeply excited to finish the series. For me, there was never a dull moment. I was sick and took the day off, which allowed me to finish from page 227 to the end.This is certainly worth it, and I’m glad I discovered this book through Facebook Live group, Aethon Books. Find them on Facebook and add them!
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2020
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
AmazonCustomer
Effortlessly crosses the divide between contemporary military fiction and hard sci-fi
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 13, 2019Ralph Kern
Courage under Fire in space
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 2, 2019Amazon Customer
Disappointing with too many flashbacks
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 6, 2019Beachbum
Not really Sci-Fi, just a detective story
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 18, 2020
