David Bruns

Review of Advanced Review Copy eBook

Don Riley, director of the CIA’s Emerging Threats Group, is cautiously optimistic that the war games conducted by the People’s Liberation Army are over and their ships are returning to China. It hadn’t been more than a few days since he’d declared the worldwide attacks on the United States were nothing more than an elaborate ruse by the Chinese government to keep American forces away from the South China Sea so that China could move on its true show more target: Taiwan.

A blitz attack by the PLA is a well-planned attempt by the Chinese leadership to take control of Taiwan. With “Enterprise” and “Idaho” both otherwise engaged with the Russians, the Chinese attempt depends on secrecy and speed to secure the island before the United States forces can interfere with their plans.

But they hadn’t counted on Mike Lester, a retired Marine recon officer, being in Taiwan. Nor did they count on Don Riley having out-of-the-box options that included a privateer operation run by a private military contractor, Sentinel Holdings.

Will the speed with which the PLA put its plan in motion be enough to secure Taiwan for China? Or can the United States find a way to keep the Chinese leadership from repatriating the island and its people?

=========

Continuing essentially from the point where “Command and Control” ended, “Counter Strike” is, like its predecessor, told from several points of view, giving the reader insight into the thinking of the major players in this fast-paced, action-packed military thriller. Although it is the second book in the series, there is sufficient backstory to bring new readers up to speed and for the book to work as a standalone.

Strong, realistic characters, believable situations, and staggering events work together to weave a web of intrigue and suspense that keeps the pages turning. With uneasiness and tension escalating in the background of the narrative, readers will find themselves pulled into the story and ultimately guessing as to how it will play out.

With its strong sense of place, the complex narrative offers readers a realistic look at the world political environment; its story is both compelling and plausible. Unsettling in its possibility, poignant in the heart-wrenching denouement, it’s a story that belongs on every reader’s must-read list.

Highly recommended.

I received a free Advance Review Copy of this book from the authors and Severn River Publishing show less

The author, David Bruns, gave me a copy of this novel in exchange for my review.


There is menace lurking in the constant watchfulness and connectivity of The Community. This complex world is like a clear film layer over our own potential future. Everyone is the same. Everyone is connected to and monitored by The Community. There is no freedom of expression or freedom to marry the person you love. You are attached to your genetic match and if you’re approved to have children they are bred show more in The Hatchery until old enough to go home with their parents. Maribel and her genetic mate, Reese, are approved for children. One of whom is born without the acceptable pale skin, white-blond hair and light eyes and should be slated for “recycling” but he is saved by a doctor who wishes his parents to raise him so that he can be observed and studied. It seems the twins are special in a way suspected by but not shared with their parents.

As happens within the genre, there is a bit of a cautionary edge to the story. The Community is built of government regulations gone out of hand. The Orwellian overtones are clear. Those who feel fear live in fear from the frequently traumatic and deadly induction into the Community.

“Irradiance: The Dream Guild Chronicles – Book One” is a fascinating read, first page to last. show less

The blurb for Valhalla Station calls it, “The Expanse meets The Godfather.” It is like The Expanse in that the action shifts between several locations all around the solar system, and it is like The Godfather in that the baddies who run SynCorp are central-casting gangsters. Sentence by sentence and scene by scene, Valhalla Station tells a gripping story, but the large cast of characters and frequent shifts of scene killed the narrative flow for me. The best character was Stacks Fischer, show more the corporate fixer. I enjoyed his slangy noir voice and was sorry whenever the plot moved away from him. 3.5 stars. show less

ROE is a thrilling ride into what-if scenarios that are playing out in today’s high tech world. A cyberterrorist has been tasked with the job of muddying up the waters, so to speak, in order to encourage the sale of weapons. As scary as the prospect of government-sanctioned agents being able to easily carry out that kind action against the world’s most powerful and technical governments, even scarier is the idea that their go-to guy for that sort of work might go rogue.

When authors show more compare themselves to Tom Clancy, they had better deliver! I think these authors just might have managed that. I picked up a Tom Clancy novel while I was in the hospital. Not my usual genre to read, it was all the gift shop had left. It sucked me right into a decades-long enthusiasm for his work and spycraft in particular.

He was able to create a multitude of relatable characters who engendered emotional investment from the start, for good or evil purpose. He could wrangle multiple storylines that wove an astonishing butterfly effect on the outcome of the story as deftly as a baker braids strands of bread. His technical excellence was enough to both terrify and enthrall John Q. Reader.

Yes, I do believe That Bruns and Olsen have managed to tick all the boxes, and why not, with their background, they are the real-life people that Clancy spent so much effort researching and writing about in his books.

The story itself is a roller coaster ride as it switches back on itself to each of the major players. It offers a glimpse into the world we have created for safety and convenience that can so easily be used against us. The portrayal of naval combat and the BTS look at counter cyberterrorism are riveting. I am certainly looking forward to more stories including Riley and the Midshipmen. Rules of Engagement could be the start of beautiful new enthusiasm.

This book is set for release on June 25

I received a copy of this book for the purposes of an honest review. show less