Booklog 68/2017 - Adrian Tchaikovsky: Ironclads

[jacey]

A military SF novella in which Sgt Ted Regan and a small crew of ne’er do wells are selected to go behind enemy lines when a scion – one of the heavily armoured, nearly invulnerable sons of the elite families – goes missing in the Nordic war. Five complex characters are quickly and effectively drawn. As usual the grunts have minimal equipment and support. Not for them the battle-suits, though they do get a drone tech, Cormoran, who is easily as tough as the boys. As they move behind enemy lines they have two main worries: the enemy and the Finns. This isn’t just shoot-em-up (though there’s a fair bit of that) it’s a commentary on Brexit, global warming and the corporate powers that gain from war. Excellent!