Poor Man’s Fight: Poor Man’s Fight Book 1 by Elliott Kay
Rich Man’s War: Poor Man’s Fight Book 2 by Elliott Kay
Dead Man’s Debt : Poor Man’s Fight Book 3 by Elliott Kay
SERIES REVIEW
Wide-spread school debt permeates this science-fiction world, as it does, sadly, our own.
I love the basic conceit of school debt, since I personally own about a car payment a month myself for the next ten years (on top of a car payment, rent, and oh stuff like food). This is one of the what-if scenarios I’ve bounced around in my head, but Elliott Kay has taken it to the end, completely playing out the intellectual exercise. Thank you for that – I got the picture – making people pay for childhood bad.
In the modern world, we are asking our problem-solving & most creative children to mortgage their future with school debt. Should we have the weight of the debt drag down their hopes and dreams? Does it drive them to higher creativity (and our economy to greater growth) or leaves them locked in their parents homes, in dead-end jobs?
All the people in this imaginary world who do not come from money face either military (killing many of the most driven (the entrepreneurs)), crippling debt of additional schooling locking people into limited job choices (the intellectuals), or working with their parents (the loyal and constant). These choices limit growth of a nation or world, and cause a slow slide back because no one can get ahead. This universe has locked everything into status quo for 200 years because the corporations have rigged the game.
Someone is about to lift the shrouds of sails and show the rigging.
I wonder when that will happen in our world and what the solution here will be. In the meantime, watching this intellectual exercise masquerading as an AMAZING MILITARY SPACE OPERA, can provide possible clue of America’s immediate future.
So cool when something is thought-provoking and pleasure reading at the same time.
Side Note: The author has other works in different genres. Be careful you get the path you want. Kind of like Piers Anthony – people who are expecting Mr. Anthony style to be the same for fantasy and sci-fi are in for a rude awakening. Mr. Kay’s “Good Intentions” erotica-level fantasy is not like his military sci-fi.
Poor Man’s Fight: Poor Man’s Fight Book 1 by Elliott Kay
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Quick-witted Tanner Malone has bombed the Test, an all-important exam that establishes how much he owes for his corporate-funded education. With his future plans crushed under a mountain of debt, Tanner enlists in the navy of his home star system of Archangel. But he hasn’t factored in the bullying shipmates, the civil war brewing on the border, or the space pirates.
As Tanner begins basic training, the government ramps up its forces to confront the vicious raiders wreaking havoc throughout human space. Led by the complex and charismatic Captain Casey, the outlaws never let their egalitarian and democratic ideals get in the way of a little murder or mayhem.
Assigned to the front lines, Tanner learns there’s only one way to deal with his ruthless foes, cruel comrades, and the unforgiving void of space. He’ll have to get up close and personal.
MY REVIEW
Military Sci-Fi at its best – taken from the grunts standpoint. You know the person that makes all the officers look good on a military ship. Sure the lone-man save-things at the end kills the non-officer vibe, but by that time you are so rocking the space opera you don’t care.
(See additional comments about the political commentary above under the Series Review.)
Very nice military story and can’t wait to see more. If you like solid space opera, you got it here.
Rich Man’s War: Poor Man’s Fight Book 2 by Elliott Kay
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No one walks away from business with the three biggest corporations in the Union of Humanity. Cutthroat trade deals and bloody covert operations make that clear as the star system of Archangel tries to break free. Yet despite all their power, the Big Three are more vulnerable than anyone knows—leaving them desperate to make an example of Archangel.
Tanner Malone would gladly avoid such struggles. He’d rather run out the clock on his enlistment in the Archangel Navy. Instead, he’s been ordered back into the front lines of a cold war that quickly grows hot. He doesn’t know about his government’s shady deals, or about the old enemies lurking in the shadows. All he knows is that the sky is falling—and he’ll have to fight harder than ever if he doesn’t want to be crushed beneath it.
MY REVIEW
SHORT VERSION – Space Opera, escalating battles, prerequisite training sessions (which is also standard for real-world navy), mild love interests, likable & identifiable main character, and final HUGE big battle with multiple ships taking up at least a quarter of the book, making the book impossible to put down. A wide ride.
LONG VERSION
Second in the Poor Man’s Fight series and still pretty awesome. A lot more profanity on this one and some editing issues which hopefully will get ironed out as a publisher has picked up his series and is now republishing them. Even the profanity may get adjusted as it is being published under a New Adult imprint. Look to reviews after mid-2016 for more up-to-date details on if the editing is improved; I read this Sept 2015.
Again a rocking space opera, and Tanner Malone still is a grunt – a well-known person for the antics in the last book, but a naval grunt (I know, every military reader just winced – sorry, but I don’t know the term for the lowest-level, should-just-follow-orders guy of the naval variety). And he now needs to learn how to operate with a team behind him. Every now and again he flashes back to being all alone and the only one able to do anything to save a boatload of people. And his trainers and supervisors go “and you were thinking….”, at which point he blinks and realizes he actually has people beside him who expect him to follow a chain of command and he relaxes. Boy has some Post-Traumatic issues but thanks to modern pysch is functioning fairly well.
I really, really like the fact in this book everyone in the military – marine and navy – truly does need everyone else on the team; they are a FORCE, not just “an army of one”.
The layers of the world haven’t gotten more complicated than the last book and that disappoints a little. On the other hand, Tanner Malone’s home system found out about the rigging of the school debt education system, and Archangel is opting out. With the whole system disintegrating, people are freaked not knowing what the new world will look like. Will the debt remain, will the corporations survive, heck … will they live through the war?
The world-building done in the first book makes the fall-outs in the second book lovely from a sociological standpoint. And you are are not as into intellectual exercises about what happens if… as I am, this still is an awesome, kickin’ space opera about 19-20 year old man in the navy.
Dead Man’s Debt : Poor Man’s Fight Book 3 by Elliott Kay
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“WE REQUIRE A DIFFERENT BATTLEFIELD.”
Nobody expected the war to last three hours, let alone three years. The star system of Archangel holds the line against invading corporate fleets, but a quarter of its territory is already lost. The navy can’t hang on much longer. Faced with this grim truth, Archangel’s leaders shift their strategy to diplomacy and espionage. For both arenas, they call upon a reluctant weapon: a frontline grunt named Tanner Malone.
These days, Tanner doesn’t aspire to win the war. He merely wants to survive it. Now he’ll be thrust into the center of events once again, pulled back and forth from covert missions to the media spotlight. Yet with every battle, he gets closer to the old enemy hidden in the shadows, and the ugly truth about the war that could unravel everything Archangel might hope to win.
MY REVIEW
I’ve not had time to read this book yet, but I didn’t want to hold back from sharing this gem of a series anymore.
