Soldier of Fortune: A Gideon Quinn Adventure

The Fortune Chronicles, Book 1

By: Kathleen McClure

Narrated by: Tim McKiernan

Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

Wrongly convicted of treason, Gideon Quinn has spent six years harvesting crystal under the killing suns of the Morton Barrens, until the day a general of the Colonial Corps arrives with an offer of freedom, and the chance to clear his name.

Gideon doesn't have to think twice, and with his pet draco Elvis on his shoulder, he takes 'ship for the city of Nike in search of revenge - and justice. But mostly, revenge.

What he finds is a dodger named Mia, a city steeped in corruption, and a menace at the heart of the Corps which could bring Fortune's new and fragile peace to an explosive end.

And that's just his first night in town.

©2015 Kathleen McClure (P)2017 Kathleen McClure

Make your fortune better, get this book

I hate to make a comparison, but I was looking for something to quell my Harry Dresden fix. Butcher had been taking so long to get a new book out that I had to start looking for things similar in nature, and that is how I found Soldier of Fortune. Quinn seemed to fith the profile. The setting is part fantasy, part sci-fi, part steampunk, and part urban warrior. I can honestly say that I had never seen a book like this before.

It has an amazing cast of characters, and as I said the setting is really special and unique. The main character, Gideon, really fills the bill of the hero we deserve and need, and the story is so pitch perfect one note of it could shatter glass; like, it could shatter bullet proof glass. I hope this becomes a long running series, as it will become a classic, I am sure of that.

Can I talk about Tim McKiernan? This dude rocks the narration like he had a Stratocaster in his hands. He really embodies each character, and he plays Gideon to sweet perfection. This guy is good. I'm going to have to keep an eye out for him in the future. For that matter, I'll be doing the same for McCLure.

Get it, read it, love it.

NOW!!

A new hero in town!

Water Break Editor Error
I cannot believe this! In chapter 7 at approximately 10:01 minutes, the narrator actually stops to drink water!

This is basically a Vin Diesel or Dwayne Johnson type of story. The character is loyal, serviced his country, respected by his peers and has been framed.
Gideon Quinn is the protagonist. He is the wronged good guy who now must perform illegal things to find his justice. He was a captain in the service of his country. He has high morals and the respect of his troops. He was framed and took the blame of the crime to save others. Add a flying reptile, a pet draco named Elvis, a cute kid, Mia and the honest police officer, DS Hamm, those are the main characters.

Quinn gets out of jail and looks to extract revenge for the lives of his men that were killed. Quinn is a good guy and has the heart to save those in distress. He is paroled and everyone from his past and new enemies are after him.

I enjoyed the characters in this story and Quinn. Mia, Tiago and DS Hamm and would enjoy reading about their next adventures. Enjoyable execution of a predictable story.
I will not read the next in the series. It will not feature Quinn, Mia, et al, but other character introduced in the story.

Zero sex or swearing

i really liked this one

totally liked this book, stumbled into it, glad i did
character were very likable, i am totally hooked
hope there will be more

An epic read!

This book! This book! All I can say is, wow! wow! and some more wow! This is testament to how amazing and epic this read was!

Such a great book and listen! Fast-paced with plenty of action and snark!

Well done to the narrator for doing an amazing job voicing the characters!


I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Epic Caper Story...

I've got to say, I really enjoyed this book!  Gideon (our protagonist), is quite affable, and I liked him from the very first page!  Playing poker for toilet paper has Got to be right up there for one of the greatest opening scenes in a story! How can you not love a man who has gained the loyalty of a small Draco called Elvis....
Gideon has some old grudges that require resolution, and with some unlikely alliances, he plans to get that resolution!
  Earth is a distant memory... Technology is reserved for the rich... You could be shot with a plasma bolt, but more than likely, your demise will be by a sword point, or thrown dagger...
If you enjoy truly epic caper stories, this ones for you... I believe that fans of The Emperor's Edge series by Lindsay Buroker will love this story too...
  I found Tim McKiernan voice acting to be pretty good, but I felt that his delivery was a bit stiff/choppy... Still and all, I think you'll enjoy this story!

A Soldier and a Gentleman - bring on more!

Great story by Kathleen McClure full of intriguing characters brought to life by Tim McKiernan. Gideon has spent years in prison for a crime he did not commit. He is a good man and took the blame for an incident. Now he is out and looking to absolve himself and get revenge on those who have wronged him. Kind of a standard story when you whittle it down so, but the story itself and the characters just live in your mind as you listen.

I did do a double take because at one point, the narrator actually stopped to take a drink of water! The editor missed that!

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Okay Read

Soldier of Fortune, book #1 in the Fortune Chronicles, is a standard redemption/revenge SCIFI storyline, with a steampunk feel. Gideon Quinn, an ex-military Colonel, is suddenly released from prison into a town with his enemies after 6 years of being falsely being imprisoned, accused of a crime he didn't commit. Through a series of flashbacks, Gideon’s history is revealed. Factions that had him falsely imprisoned are seeking to get him out of the way more in a more permanent manner, and through his adventures, the author provides the worldbuilding.

I picked this up as an audible daily deal. Not a bad book but not great. Gideon is a likable guy and your typical invincible badass. Gideon has a pet Draco (bat-like tridactyl alien creature) and he runs into a precocious 13-year-old thief, and some halfwit criminals, along with an irascible but honest Detective.

Overall, the writing was okay but the story could have benefited from some more detailed world-building and character development. There are other books in the series and if I see them on sale or at the library, I might pick them up, but I am definitely not paying full price to continue the story. The narration by Tim McKiernan was solid. This book is probably a 2.75-star read.

Good Story

This was a good listen. The story was interesting and the pace was steady with a few action scenes. The narration was a bit choppy at first but got better as the book progressed. There were several recording mistakes but I was informed by the author that these should be corrected in the near future.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

awesome

this is freaking awesome. one of the best books I've read in a long time.

Great World and Story

The story and the performance are great. Unfortunately, there are some editing 'artifacts' where problems were not edited out. These editing problems have a minor effect on the immersion in the story. The performance is great and otherwise worth 5 stars.

The world-building is awesome in this series. The timeline of this story intertwines with the second book in the series enriching both stories and really fleshing out the world building. The flashbacks are handled well and are done in such a way that the mystery is preserved for as long as possible. Each character is distinct and unique (even the minor ones) with a backstory that is evocative and again enriches the world-building.

The combination of mystery, adventure, world-building and character building make a very enjoyable story.

I highly recommend this anyone interested in far future, other world, alternative history, and steampunk.

I am looking forward to continuation of this series.