Nothing Personal

A War's Edge: Berserkers Standalone

By: Ryan W. Aslesen

Narrated by: Courtney Patterson

Her next fight will determine more than the battle. It will decide her future.

On the frozen, alien expanse of Sabaku‑3, Gunnery Sergeant Lara Adair is on the brink of retirement as she fights her final contract with the Berserkers. Leading her platoon of towering Mauler mechs in a brutal campaign for control of a remote mining world, she clashes with relentless rebels across unforgiving terrain.

When a familiar voice pierces the chaos—a voice laden with the promises of a civilian life she once thought unattainable—Adair finds herself swept into a conflict far greater than any battlefield. Ethan Kade isn't just a rival mercenary commander; she'd once cared deeply for him. Now, they stand on opposite sides of an unrelenting war.

Battles both external and internal raise doubts about her future and threaten to overshadow her mission. As loyalties fray, the lines between duty and desire blur. Each move comes at a price, and Adair must reckon with the toll of every choice she makes. And if she is to survive this bloody maelstrom, she must choose where her destiny truly lies.

From USA Today bestseller Ryan W. Aslesen comes a hard-hitting military sci‑fi thriller that plunges readers into the chaos and intensity of futuristic warfare, where every decision could mean life or death.

Part of the critically acclaimed Berserkers series, Nothing Personal is a thrilling standalone novella set in the gritty War's Edge universe. If you're a fan of Hammer's Slammers, Old Man's War, or Starship Troopers, this is the book for you.

For mature listeners.

©2025 Ryan W. Aslesen (P)2025 Podium Audio

Had potential. Dropped the ball

I seldom write these and I really do like the War's Edge series. I actually wish he'd write more on the mech side. I couldn't make it through this one. The action scenes were pretty decent. The narrator did well enough. The problem was the repeated "her troops looked up to her and looked to her for leadership" along with the "I might catch the big sad if I have to shoot at this dude I banged on a starship prior to this deployment". Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I prefer reading about fighting scenes and drama within a unit like a bad commander, useless troops, supply difficulties, etc when I'm reading a milscifi book. I don't think a book about military science fiction should devote so much time to "I slept with this dude on deployment, I think I like him, oh no! he's in another unit. might have to shoot him. maybe not. maybe. Will I see him again? oh no I'm sad now. But I can't show my troops I fell for the equivalent of a deployment marriage they respect me too much. And no one will notice how my demeanor has changed when we've fought and bled together for years..."

Romance Novel vs Mil Sci fi

50% romance. Predictable. I’ve listened to all the author’s Military Science Fiction and really enjoy the books, except this thankfully short story. A couple of hours of my life I can’t get back.