Liberator is the first book in the series of The Liberators Saga, co-written by Nick Bailey and Darren Bullock. It takes off running from the start, introducing Orlanda Nixon, an heiress to the Nixon Combined Technologies corporation as her and her forces attack another corporation. Instantly, I’m reminded of my book, The Soldier’s Sympathy in the regard that corporations have private armies at their disposal. Further is the fact that they have no compunctions to having allout battles, knowing full well that there will be no intervention from any government or military. Either A) they have the military in their pocket or B) corporations know they could crush any military forces of the day. In both books, it’s likely a combination of the two.

 

Orlanda sports a suit of armor that grants enhancements in battle that allow her to take on full platoons on her own. The twist is that it is a symbiant that makes her more aggressive.  I get the impression that she wasn’t all that nice to begin with, and the suit certainly doesn’t help. Think Venom from the Marvel universe, only less drool and worn by an already powerful executive.

 

Orlanda seems to pretty much hate everybody with the singular exception of Skye, a childhood friend and squad mate in the Liberators.  When Skye is abducted by another corporation, it’s easy to imagine what a powerful, mentally unbalanced mercenary with symbiotic armor would do. She knows she can’t do it alone, however, and contacts her former commander, JJ Tristan. The commander is a bit cliché; old, grizzled, and likely an alcoholic, but a likeable character nonetheless. At Orlanda’s behest, JJ reunites the Liberators to find their missing companion.

 

Liberator was a fun, action packed read in the military sci-fi genre.  I really enjoyed the action, technology imagined, and the elements of cyberpunk woven in. It’s also worth mentioning that although this book was co-written by two authors, the transition between the two was seamless. It’s apparent that they coordinated well and made a great team.  I look forward to the second installment, and would recommend this book for anyone in the mood for this type of book.

?Liberator can be found on Kindle and Paperback format on Amazon.