One Man's War

By: Steven Savile

Narrated by: R.C. Bray

Length: 5 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

There's no good way to prepare yourself to die....

Guerro runs a kill team. They're good. Better than good. Or they were, until they walked into an ambush that wiped his team out and left Guerro for dead.

All the evidence suggests they were betrayed, but by who, and why?

Determined to avenge his team and settle old scores, Guerro embarks upon a one-man war, knowing that whoever put the kill order out on his people is still out there, watching for him to show his face so they can end him.

A hard-biting SF thriller in the vein of Blade Runner, Altered Carbon, and Titanborn.

Narrated by the award-winning R.C. Bray (Galaxy's Edge, The Martian)

©2019 Steven Savile (P)2019 Aethon Audio

Breakneck Tale of a Hitman’s Revenge

Seriously, this book’s pace makes The Fast and The Furious seem like a Ken Burns documentary. Fans of sci-if action, grimdark and vengeance genres will LOVE this thrill ride. It’s chocked full of grit, wit and more attitude than a Jack Nicholson flick. Its lurid, dystopian atmosphere made me think I was reading an alternate script for Blade Runner 2049, but with twice the gore. Mind you, everyone is a murderous bad guy in the book and the horrific ending will tickle fans of Harlan Ellison. Not a story for the squeamish. Hope you Enjoy!

Solid listen

This was a good story for a 5 hour book. There’s no side info, no unnecessary characters or weird subplots you know will be used in the next installment. This is an in your face action packed 5 hour gun fight and revenge plot. Quick short and to the point.
I received this audiobook for free in exchange for an honest review

Unexpectedly Satisfying

I purchased the book on a whim and enjoyed it. A tale of creative revenge, it is a relatively quick listen that has a solid plot, witty dialog and and doesn’t give too much away at once. RC Bray’s snappy narration captures varied cast well.

Revenge with a capital R

a brutal revenge story, all the way through. just wish this was more of a series. would love to hear more in this universe.

it's great

I don't normally listen to heists, bit I mean common, it's read by RC Bray.

R. C. Bray is great! Story, not so much.

Turns out that this is a bloody version of The Sting but not awesomely done. There's a lot of good writing and introspection by the main character but it doesn't really fit his personality. The books not awful, just mediocre. The best thing about it is R. C. Bray's performance, awesome as usual!

A Decidedly Average Thriller

This novel contains strong language and some dialogue.

Written by Steven Saville, One Man’s War is an action-packed thriller that’s heavy on thrills but light on substance. The work follows Guerro, a mercenary who’s willing to take on the most dangerous jobs. When his team is ambushed and he’s nearly killed, he embarks on a journey of revenge. His mission is marred by lackluster dialogue and light character development. The work is passable thanks to the narrative skill of R.C. Bray. Fans of the Saville or Bray will find something to enjoy here, but everyone else should look elsewhere.

The ruthless team of aptly named “bleeders'' are willing to sacrifice themselves for a job. These mercenaries hold a ruthless determination and drive that’s unmatched. Their successes have brought them increasingly daring and dangerous missions. Their leader and the protagonist of this work, Guerro, is a brash, callous, brute with a one track mind. When his team is blindsided and slaughtered by a mysterious aggressor, he can think of nothing beyond avenging the deaths of his closest companions. He sets out to build a new team and craft an intricate plan of revenge. His work culminates in a satisfying and unpredictable conclusion.

Saville lies the groundwork for an engaging premise and intricate plot. He writes thrilling action scenes with high stakes and unrelenting progression. Environments are described in intricate detail and set pieces are engaging. Character development is where the novel severely falters. Despite being the star of the work, Guerro is a flat character with few motivations. His backstory is thin and uninteresting. His rude personality, merciless actions and perverse proclivities all contribute to a character who is wholly unlikable. One positive aspect of Guerro’s character is his ability to elicit a reaction in the reader, even if it is a negative one. The side characters and primary villain, on the other hand, are so dull and without clear motivation that it’s difficult to recall their names. They feel like devices for plot progression as opposed to fully-fledged human personas. The overall pacing is adequate across the five hour and four minute duration, but the simple dialogue is decidedly average.

R.C. Bray elevates this novel to a bearable state. He is a legend in the narrative space, and he delivers some of his best work here. His accents are realistic and fitting for each role. His emotional progression is excellent, as he expertly matches scenes with the appropriate tone and inflection. His contributions cannot fix dull characters, but he still brings excitement and passion to every scene.

One Man’s War has more issues than its intense action backdrops can fix. Guerro is an unpleasant individual that’s nearly impossible to root for. Side characters are boring and lack depth. R.C. elevates the novel with convincing, heartfelt narration. However, there are much better works available that match his skill with equally engaging characters and dialogue. Fans of action novels and thrillers should elsewhere for their next fix.

Fun, fast paced, not too concerned with characters

I received a free review copy of this audio book, at my request, and am voluntarily leaving this unbiased review.

This is a fast paced and straight forward revenge story that is fun and satisfying.

At 5 hours (audiobook), there is little time for world building and character development, as the narrative is completely focused on furthering the plot. The world does get fleshed out, to some degree, but the characters remain flat. They are completely 1 dimensional and we are given little to no insight into their true nature. More time is given to naming the guns involved, then explaining the characters.

In a longer book this could be a major problem, however, this isn't the intention of this story. It is meant to be fast, and constantly on the move, and stopping to figure out character back stories and motivations would just slow it down.

The world is somewhat developed, in passing, describing the current culture and living conditions. Typical dystopian Corporate future, where companies own land and people and outsiders are eating out of the trash. There is some mention of how things became like that, but not much is expanded on. Also, for a planet of 16 billion people, they are not forced into populated areas often.

Apart from the 1 dimensional characters (which I believe was an necessary evil) my main complaint of the book is the false science, like memories and "mussle memory" being the same thing, or USB drives being used 100+ years in the future, etc. This did dome thing to take me out of the story, and I feel the author could use a bit more research to get the tech right.

The voice performance by RC Bray was top notch, as always. He always brings his A game. Passable female characters, different male voices, know who's talking before a "he said or she said". The man is a pro. Although, it was hard, at times, to not hear about Joe and Skippy, as I expect when I hear his voice.

All in all a fun, fast paced, satisfying revenge book. Short and to the point, definitely worth the time. Just don't come in with hopes of a deep story with well developed characters, that isn't this book.

There is bad music at the beginning and the end, just for a few seconds, but don't worry, it isn't present through out the story.

Stunning

This is a short book with a stunning impact. It's set in a dystopian future, told by a killer for hire. Don't miss it. It's like the best of all possible Mission Impossible scripts. If you enjoy an character that is seeking revenge and is doing it masterfully and with wit and smarts...you'll like this. As always, R.C. Bray is the ultimate storyteller, bringing each character in this story to life in your mind.

Quite entertaining

High speed action, took me maybe 20 minutes to get into the book but then I quite enjoyed it. R.C. Bray's narration is very fit for the book's style, although not very varied. All in all, recommendable for some adrenaline-filled hours of entertainment.