Gabriel's Redemption

A five star rating, though I would really say 4 1/2 stars - but hear me out. I tend not to enjoy independent fiction, completely for unfair technical reasons. The stories may be fine, but the execution is typically so distractingly poor that I can't bear to make my way through.

Umstead's “Grabriel's Redemption” defies that generalization. Well written and engaging, the story is spartan and fast paced. I only paused once to question some science (this is what the genre brings out in us, and I stand by my assertion that that's not how science works). Otherwise, I read this without pause or inhibition and enjoyed the heck out of it.

Some criticize that the characters aren't well developed enough, but I would argue that they are just as well developed as any Clint Eastwood or Bruce Willis character (hmmm, take that as you will on second thought). No, we don't get a feel for how Gabriel feels about global warming or what his preference is brandies is, but we do know how he will react, and he remains true to that characterization throughout.

This was a quick read, but I don't regret it at all. If you're looking for some non-Earth military action, you could do far worse than to sit with Gabriel and his team.