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.

I don’t know why a good story can be called a yarn. This one is a decent space opera. I found myself reading it for the second time today and decided to write a review. It’s highly engaging, well written, and I thoroughly enjoyed it

I recommend it. If you’re a military, sci-fi, space nerd, like me, it’s a decent yarn.

I really enjoyed the way Partlow sets the stage, and his execution isn’t half bad either ;). Plotting, Character and Action are all top notch. The hero we get is a criminal who picks military service for selfish reasons. In the smooth way Partlow shows us the challenges ahead, we get a front row seat to the war on Mars. The only preamble is short and along the way it’s still entertaining. I enjoyed the technological elements blending in with detail yet keeping us moving along the tracks.

Always moving. Sometimes growing in character. Building a force to be reckoned with as the war’s horizon reveals greater threats.

I bought the box set before finishing. The audio and narration is superb. I’m jacked up to keep listening.

If you like military science fiction ground combat, you will like this book. Very realistic story telling with great characters.

I was hooked and read it in one sitting. Its a good scifi story that as a veteran, I could relate to well. The science was mostly glossed over, which didn’t bother me with this story. The action and the boredom where both filled with enough realism to be believed. And as with any good military novel, Murphy made his appearances.

This was the first book I've read by Rick Partlow. Proof that self-pubbed books can be great.

The military action and detail is fabulous with great detail and military action description. Partlow's own military service seems obvious when you read.

I enjoyed the character arc for Cam (the hero) most of all. Great character revelations happening inside his head throughout the book.

The writing is equal to or better than most trad-pubbed books I've read in the last 5 years. Reads easy and flows very well.

Loved it. On to Book 2!

A well told tale; crisp dialog, interesting characters, and plenty of action. The gritty realities of war and realistic tech extrapolated from today's capabilities make for good backdrop to a self-realization/coming of age saga - a fine start for what promises to be an enjoyable series.

Cam Alvarez didn't really have a chance in life, but then he's given one, courtesy of a robbery gone wrong on one side of the ledger and joining the Marines on the other. It is not really a choice, and he heads into basic training with a cynical demeanor and an affinity for the combat suits the Drop Troopers use.

Partlow writes these type of somewhat-innocent-finds-his-feet military stories well, with a nice mix of jargon - but not enough to be impenetrable to us civilians - a cast of good, bad, and uglies up and down the hierarchy so there are characters to like and characters to hate, some heavy duty high-tech machinery of death to gush over, and lots of murderous mayhem that allows the protagonist to learn their trade while taking a few serious body blows to remind us he's human.

While the setting is science-fiction, the mechanics of "hurry up and wait" would be familiar to soldiers down the ages, and there was probably a proto-Partlow chiseling similar tales amongst the legions of Rome, the themes are so fundamental.

Which is not to denigrate the author, this novel moves at pace, does not suffer from deus ex machina interventions, is emotionally engaged, and builds genuine narrative tension. Those legionnaires were not fighting incomprehensible aliens, but since the viewpoint is first-person, who the enemy is is less important than how the hero responds to them, and here he responds well.

I'd say that you know you are reading a good book when your pour over it and almost three pages seems like a lot less. But really, the proof in this pudding is that I've already ordered the next one in the sequence and can't wait to start it. Recommended if you like military science fiction that's up close and personal.

I'm going five stars for this one and I'm going to buy the next one too.

Rick is a student of some of the classic Power Armor stories, and his military background helps the realism.

If you enjoyed Heinlein's Starship Trooper novel, you will like this one.

Good story, good characters, enough background to give depth, and lovely combat scenes.

Jolly well done!

“There’ll come a time when you have to move beyond what you were, or what you think you still are, and become a Marine.”

“But you can’t fight the world by yourself. The world is bigger and it will always win.”

Go to war or go to jail. A no-choice decision for a teenager. This premise is an excellent introduction of the protagonist’s life, a brilliant description of his training as a marine. The flashbacks of his tormenting past are revealing and a good point of view to understand the psychological reactions of the protagonist. Terrifying childhood memories, provoking heart wrenching moments with vivid lump in throat scenes. The introspections of the main character are impressive, with a language well engaged to a person his age and denomination, full of laid out expressions and sarcastic overtures. It has a quick yet steady progression so that it feels neither thin nor thick. A superbly crafted, riveting page-turner of a read! Looking forward to reading Kinetic Strike #2!

Certes ce premier volet ne brille pas par son originalité, mais c'est un divertissement de qualité : le personnage principal à de l'épaisseur, l'univers est assez consistant, et ça se lit très facilement.

Certaines ellipses dans le récit sont un peu brutales, les combats sont un peu trop vite expédiés, mais c'est prometteur.

I immediately liked this story as much as I had The Forever War and Starship Trooper when I first read them decades ago. Its no gung ho bull, just good solid characters making the best of things and getting the job done. Easy reading and turning each page keeps you wanting to read more. Certainly has a great start that hopefully continues. I immediately downloaded the next 3 books so I will soon find out

This book was rewarding in a really satisfactory way. I am new to military sci-fi. I’ve read a couple of books in the genre, yes, bit I think this one is the best so far.

Again, not an expert but the author did a good job with characterization, pacing, action and story arc. The hero journey is there, so is the need to become better, to strive for more.

Would read the sequel and recommend the book to reader interested in the genre.