STEEL WORLD: Undying Mercenaries, Book 1 by B.V. Larson

Narrated by Mark Boyett

Valor in the Face of Permanent Death

Anyone can risk their life if they know they will be brought back to life. But what if that assurance was lost? This is a straight telling of a coming of age story in a military setting with a nice inclusion of galactic civilization thrown in to spice things up. The human race is here relegated to vassal status, fighting to prove themselves useful in a universe full of ancient races. We humans are on the bottom rung of the galactic ladder in this story with nothing to trade but our lives. And, of course, there is ample opportunity to display the spunk that we all intuitively recognize as our badge of superiority. Low self esteem has never been the problem for mankind. We may be behind in technology but our eventual rise to the top is inevitable. This type of fiction is always a lot of fun.

Larson makes this an interesting tale by putting the protagonist in dire settings, always on the brink of insubordination yet just so damn useful that his talents must be called upon time and again. As the title indicates the technology of rebirth is instrumental to the plot. A dead soldier can be brought back to life, but only if the galactic machines are in range, and if the bio-techs aren’t trying to do you in permanently.

Mark Boyett delivers a stellar performance; the various character personalities instantly recognizable by his fine accents. His voicing made this a better listening experience than I would have had just reading it on my own.