So, why exactly has a Dark Moon Arisen? Do I look like Mark Wandrey or Chris Kennedy? So why are you asking me? Look, I know this is my blog and I'm theoretically the one in charge here, but it's not my day to know what's going on. That would be on the eleventy-first of Aintgonnahappenuary and today is December twenty-fourth, so it's clearly not my day. See me on my day if you want an explanation of what's going on.
Of course, if you've read the book (and you should) then you know that this is the third book in the Omega War Series and life pretty much sucks for humanity, so that juuuust might have something to do with it. I'm going with possibly on this one. I mean, in the Four Horsemen Universe, which Dark Moon Arisen is part of, and in the Omega War series in general, it's Earth against the galaxy, or at least the Mercenary Guild. There are thirty-seven mercenary races in the Galactic Union. Humans are one and we're at war with the other thirty-six and a few traitors from our own side. Things look bleak.
Of course, being the Omega WAR series, there is a lot of action and this is where Kennedy and Wandrey excel. Things go boom. People end up bleeding. Troops seem to be short of everything but the enemy at times. In short, this is a work of military (and, given the setting, it does feel a little more military that mercenary at this point. It's not so much about the contract at this point. These mercs may be a little more free-wheeling that a typical standing military, but they our focused on the end of the conflict and not just on the current objective and how much it pays this time around.) fiction. If you're looking for some high-class lich-rit-you-er that your college professor would approve of, then you're in the wrong place. This is something you can actually enjoy reading. I mean, I read it and it wasn't even assigned by anybody. I loved it.
Seriously, this is the finest in escapism. I've been there and done that as far as reading “important” stuff and I have to tell you that I'd rather read Kennedy and Wandrey than Bartov and Woods (those are historians if you missed it.) They write scholarly books that are like, peer-reviewed and stuff. Unless you're looking for scholarly cred, you're better off with Stephen Ambrose.) any day. They're like Michael Bay if he knew how to make a good story instead of just a bunch of exciting explosions. Seriously, this is good stuff.
Of course, if you've read anything in the Four Horsemen Universe then you already know that the Horsemen are the four largest human mercenary corporations; Cartwright's Cavaliers, Asbaran Solutions, The Golden Horde and The Winged Hussars. The first four books in the Four Horseman Universe were known as the Revelations Cycle and featured each company. They're pretty awesome too. At any rate, they're running things and the rest of the human mercs that haven't sold out are following their lead.
I like watching the leaders of the various Four Horsemen units working together. When I first started reading the series I was a bit dubious about how well that would work. The different units are all human but they're also kind of rivals, right? Well, maybe not. They've all got different specialties, but they're also working within the same market. I wasn't sure if they'd get along. I can assure you all that the old saw is true here: Nothing unites within like an enemy from without. And if Nigel wants to get a little closer to one of his allies than everyone else, can you blame him? I like bad-ass women too. Seriously. The only reason I haven't married Susan Ivanova is because she doesn't really exist. Nigel has good taste.
What? Oh, you want to know who he's after? I bet you do. If you got the book and read it, I'm willing to bet you could figure it out pretty easily. Don't worry. I'll drop a link at the bottom of the review, because you need to pick this up.
The villains are villainous as well. I like having bad guys that I can hate. General Peepo is well deserving of a MAC round to the head. I'd love to be the one to give it to her. Unfortunately, if she ever does get it, it won't be from me. That's alright though. I'm keeping hope alive. Somebody's gonna get that wench someday, right? RIGHT? Somebody has to. I hope.
It's weird too, because a lot of science fiction has humanity at, if not the top of the entire pyramid, at least at the top of a smaller one. Humanity ran first the Republic and then the Empire in Star Wars. The headquarters of the United Federation of Planets is on Earth. In Battlestar Galactica it's humanity versus the robots that they built. The same holds true in most fantasy. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series features a war primarily between humans, in the form of Rohan and Gondor, and admittedly with some help from dwarves and elves, against orcs and goblins. The largest armies on both sides of the War of the Lance in Weis and Hickman's Dragonlance Chronicles were human, but it's not that way in the 4HU.
No, humanity is comparatively new to the Galactic Union. We're a small, poor, weak race and we're up to our backsides in manure. Things are rough for the little guy out there. This is, in many ways, an asymmetric conflict and humanity is the small combatant. They need friends and they're looking for them. Of course, in any asymmetric conflict, the smaller side must act in a surprising manner. Think Washington crossing the Delaware on Christmas Eve. I'm not going to say what, but there just might be something that happens here that Peepo didn't expect. I'm not saying I found myself chuckling at certain points. I'm just saying that my belly shook like a bowlful of jelly. Or sumfin'.
Anyway, check this thing out. I'd recommend reading the first six books first, but you don't really have to in order to get it.
Bottom Line: 4.5 out of 5 Broken Repair Bots
Dark Moon Arisen
Mark Wandrey and Chris Kennedy
Seventh Seal Press, 2018
Dark Moon Arisen is available at the following link (I get a small percentage at no cost to you if you use the link):
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