I reviewed <strong>Cry Pilot</strong> on Tuesday and when I finished it I went right on to read <strong>Burn Cycle</strong> which is the second book in the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/263292-cry-pilot" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em><strong>Cry Pilot</strong> </em></a>series.  The story went right on as the military is fighting a new threat. You do want to read the series in order so you understand what is happening. I'm enjoying the tech and the politics and the action of the battles.

In this world, the "corpos" meaning corporate business own and run everything. They direct the military too. Each planet is typically in a specific corpo territory. For this threat, specialized teams from all the groups are training and preparing. The mission is shared by all 5 corpos.

Our team is a motley bunch with some moral ambiguities. The society is in Classes; A, B, C and whatever else. Our "hero" Katyu is part of the whatever else, becoming a criminal to get the chance to join the military. That's a long story and a big part of <strong>Cry Pilot</strong>.

Katyu struggles, his whole life, on choosing sides and what is right?  Does he do the job? Does he try to save the people, especially those on his team he cares about? He has always chosen those he loves, but that is not the job.  The job is to meet his objective even if team members die. I have to say I'm a little bit with him because the corpos decide the job objectives and who says they are always right?  They don't know everything and what if they care more about money than people?

I'm all caught up now and ready for <strong>Kill Orbit</strong> in July.  It sounds like more moral dilemas, and life or death action.

Thanks to Netgalley for a chance to review this title.
This is a very fast paced sci-fi book about a military squad in mech suits. A continuation of the first book in the series, this sequel sees Anvil squad continue the fight against the lampreys. As the story unfolds, we learn more about the lampreys origins and intentions.

This was overall a good book, but several bits proved frustrating. The language takes a while to adjust to and understand. The slang helps the book in terms of world building towards the end, but the lack of explanation at the start can leave the reader confused and lost. It would have been better if the language was better explained or reduced in frequency.

I liked the plot but the character development was really lacking here. Everyone felt one dimensional and the lack of growth was frustrating. The emphasis on drugs and sex was also frustrating.

Overall, this is a fun, fast paced read based around action. Its a fun book, so long as you don't too much thought into it.

Burn Cycle by Joel Dane, an interesting read. Had a very good premise but had a LOT of slang in it that made the general reading of it hard.

I have to say, this book definitely stepped up from the last. The characters finally feel like characters and not shallow stereotypes; I was especially impressed with Ting and M'Bari's character developments, becoming someone who you could actually understand being here. There's still a lot to work on with that side of things, definitely, but they're a heck of a lot more tolerable than they were in Cry Pilot.

The story, for what's it's worth, is making logical progression; small bases, to taking down the home field, to space. It makes sense as a way to up the ante without feeling forced. I'm also a fan of the fact that we know this is a trilogy along that line. It doesn't feel like the author is forced to up the ante again after the next book.

Ending each book with a relief moment also helps the story flow; tension is definitely built with every final line, but prior to that we get to actually wind down, have a moment of what feels like genuine rest before the characters are thrown into another major moment, something that's necessary and lacking in a lot of current longstanding series.

All in all, can't wait for the next one! The author is getting better book by book and I'm excited to continue this series.

Burn Cycle is the second book in the Cry Pilot series, the orange book, which portrays a future earth where global Armageddon has destroyed much of what we know. There are a few corporate enclaves, but most of earth is unrecognizable. Years after Armageddon, terraforming artificial intelligence was set out and buried to slowly but surely restore the earth. But, overcome, it's morphed and now various remorts and terrifying lamphreys which are like giant fifty foot eels are appearing wherever and destroying. There aren't to many weapons left to face such dread foes. The best hope are CAVs, which are pods into which human warriors are fitted with probes fitting into every orifice so that man and machine are paired as one and quicker than thought -practically. But even these are barely enough to withstand the lamprey assault.

The story features a squad of criminals drawn to one last chance to earn their way to freedom and the bulk of the story is about how this squad composed of nobodies but filled with loyalty and bonded like a family are the best hope of mankind. Subplots abound such as the secret of Ting who is half human half computer network. The world building is immense and detailed and believable.

This volume though could have used a synopsis of volume one to remind the reader about what's happened and who all these characters were. There is a bit of a learning curve in that respect.

In any event, once you get deep into the story, you really want to know if there's any chance the good guys will survive and the hatchery where the lampreys come from is Iike nothing you could have imagined.