Task Force Desperate (American Praetorians, #1) in SSG: Spy/Spec-Ops Group

Jan 26, 2014 Samuel rated it it was amazing

THE GUNS FOR HIRE

"All this religion aside, those people who can't kill
will always be subject to those who can"- Sgt Bradley Colbert, Generation Kill.

In the world of self published books, there are many gems. the Shadow Warriors series by Stephen England and the Black Flagged Series by Steven Konkoly come to mind, proof that you don't need a contract to produce world class spy/military fiction. And now, I can add Peter Nealen to the list. A veteran Force Recon Marine, his military thriller ser THE GUNS FOR HIRE

"All this religion aside, those people who can't kill
will always be subject to those who can"- Sgt Bradley Colbert, Generation Kill.

In the world of self published books, there are many gems. the Shadow Warriors series by Stephen England and the Black Flagged Series by Steven Konkoly come to mind, proof that you don't need a contract to produce world class spy/military fiction. And now, I can add Peter Nealen to the list. A veteran Force Recon Marine, his military thriller series is about a Private Military Corporation and the hell they go through in the jobs they're contracted to complete. What sets his work apart from other contemporary thrillers is the beautifully constructed, contemporary dystopia his books are set in. In this world, the E.U has finally exploded, the Middle East is now 100% in the hands of Islamic Extremists, Mexican Drug Cartels have become warlords and effectively annexed the Southwestern United States and the economic situation around the world is pretty bleak. And that's only the tip of the iceberg. But I digress, let us get to the review. What do you do when the plan doesn't seem to come together no matter how hard you try?

We start the story on a boat and are immediately introduced to the main characters, who have been contracted to act as an anti-piracy force for a container ship doing a run down the Somali coast. They receive a transmission from their superiors saying that the job is concluded due to a new contract coming onto their plate. Elaborating further, the main characters are informed that the main airbase for American drones in Africa has been raided by a mob manipulated by Islamist extremists and 200 hostages have been taken to god knows where. Having being contracted by the CIA to track these hostages down, the protagonists head into Somalia and begin running down leads. But as their investigation progresses and takes them across one of Africa's most wretched failed states, the mission begins to creep into dangerous territory and explosively unravel a long term conspiracy hatched by one of the Islamic word's most dangerous men.

In terms of plot, Task Force Desperate is top notch. The pacing is smooth but tries to be realistic at the same time. It's not all gunfire, bombs and a rag-tag bunch of misfits trying to survive the series of unfortunate events that befall them. Catastrophic problems arise during their mission, and you will be on the edge of your seat wondering how they are going to wrangle their way out of the latest complication. The action and settings also go together nicely. From the chaotic, mob infested streets of Djibouti, to a violent ambush in a terrorist infested town, the author efficiently makes the combat in his book suitably visceral and bringing to life a vivid journey into the dark depths of brutality and despair. The research done in "Task Force Desperate" is a major highlight as well. Mr Nealen portrays the weapons and capabilities of the Private Military Corporation he's created realistically. This isn't the legendary executive outcomes which had HIND helicopter gunships at its disposal. Instead Praetorian Security has a limited number of potent assets which force the main characters to use them strategically. And then there's the stuff on East Africa's Islamic Terrorist groups. Nealen demonstrates that even with the rise of the likes of Boko Haram, organizations such as Al Shabab, which are older and well established, are still a potent force with the power to destabilize the region just as well as the new, Nigerian upstart. All this is combined with a nightmarish speculative/dystopia as mentioned in the introduction. It's the highlight of the novel and distinguishes Task Force Desperate from a crowded genre full of formidable authors. It's a world that's falling apart, with social decay, political corruption, economic issues and those that would normally do battle on our behalf no longer having the resources and capabilities to keep us safe due to gross mismanagement. It's a grim alternate universe where unlike in the A-Team, the plan doesn't quite come together with disastrous results for those who aren't quick on the draw.
Characters? I hate to admit it but with all the brilliant action scenes, research and world building, Task Force Desperate is a bit....lacking in this regard. The story is told from the perspective of Jeff Stone, private military contractor and former USMC sniper. We don't get the back story on him and his comrades in arms. But Nealen did manage to make me care for them due to the predicament they got themselves into. They're competent, deadly but also human, not superhuman. They bleed like the rest of us and during the novel, their efforts to survive and complete and increasingly tenuous contract which begins to fall apart as fast as the hostage takers can butcher their captives, will make you root for them.

So, overall, I wholeheartedly recommend Task Force Desperate. Peter Nealen doesn't go down the "gear head" route like Brad Thor was notorious in doing during his earlier books. Instead, he successfully blends his own experiences in combat, counter-terrorism, private security and a healthy dose of research with the creative addition of "contemporary dystopian fiction" into the setting and a fast paced, clean writing style. The fun has only started for the rag-tag American Praetorians and in the next book which I shall be reviewing, they go to Iraq.....and tangle with the boys at Daesh.

VERY RECOMMENDED. ...more

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Nov 06, 2012 Henry Brown rated it it was amazing

Shelves: paramilitary, dystopian

One unique aspect of this novel is that it's narrated in first-person. Not much military fiction I can think of does that. Well, not any, to tell the truth. And since I've drawn attention to the writing itself already, I'll add that this is a very well-written book--way, way, way above average in this age of self-publishing. Jeff Stone (call sign: "Hillbilly"), the narrator/main character, has a voice well-suited for this sort of tale.

The good guys in this novel are mercs; the bad guys are pirat One unique aspect of this novel is that it's narrated in first-person. Not much military fiction I can think of does that. Well, not any, to tell the truth. And since I've drawn attention to the writing itself already, I'll add that this is a very well-written book--way, way, way above average in this age of self-publishing. Jeff Stone (call sign: "Hillbilly"), the narrator/main character, has a voice well-suited for this sort of tale.

The good guys in this novel are mercs; the bad guys are pirates and terrorists . Jeff is a contractor in a PMC working in the third world's hottest spot, along with some other seasoned professionals. The story takes place in the near future, after the collapse of the US dollar, and the chaos in North Africa and the Middle East is probably no worse than it is back in the US. You get the idea that the Praetorian Security shooters are orphans of a sort; men without a country. They choose to live by the sword because they like the warrior life, but also because there's nothing to go back to...nothing else left for them. It bonds them into a tightly-knit unit...almost a family. That's the impression I got.

You won't be disappointed in the action. There is tension on every page from cover to cover and it only gets higher as the plot drives on. Through no fault of the book, I had to read it piecemeal over a period of weeks, and yet I consider it a fast read. And the details were right.

Looking at the new wave of military fiction, it's got a much better chance with a younger audience than the old classics I enjoyed back in the day.--possibly because so many of the new action/adventure authors are veterans. They want to make a buck just as much as the old cigar-smoking mid-list genre writers banging at their typewriters in a Manhattan efficiency apartment did, but there remains a level of pride in their former profession which compels them to sweat the details.

They want to get it right.

Pete Nealen strikes me as just such an author; and he did get it right. I recommend Task Force Desperate to everyone who likes military fiction.
...more

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