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Forsaken Mercenary #1
Dropship
His past is about to catch up to him... in the worst kind of way. Now, he must
Remain hidden or embrace what he was created to be. Earth is all but a wasteland. Humanity has colonized the Moon and Mars but as they look beyond, something is looking back. Because shadow corporations and a corrupt government are vying for what's left of Earth's resources - at any cost. Soon, Daniel will have to choose to use the very thing that sets him apart from humanity to save them or let them perish in the black. How can he bring justice when he's only been programmed for vengeance?
Remain hidden or embrace what he was created to be. Earth is all but a wasteland. Humanity has colonized the Moon and Mars but as they look beyond, something is looking back. Because shadow corporations and a corrupt government are vying for what's left of Earth's resources - at any cost. Soon, Daniel will have to choose to use the very thing that sets him apart from humanity to save them or let them perish in the black. How can he bring justice when he's only been programmed for vengeance?
328 pages, Paperback
First published April 18, 2019
1172 people are currently reading
808 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Yanez
205 books510 followersInternational bestselling author, check.
USA Today bestselling author, check.
Writing wild tales since 2012, check, check.
I'm Jonathan, a husband, father, and writer. I write because that's what I was born to do and I love doing it. Because of the support from awesome people like you, I get to do it full-time.
Connecting with fellow lovers of the written word is important to me so please join the Pack via my website at www.jonathan-yanez.com where you can grab an exclusive story or hang out with us at www.facebook.com/groups/jonathansread...
Hope you decide to stay in touch,
Jonathan
USA Today bestselling author, check.
Writing wild tales since 2012, check, check.
I'm Jonathan, a husband, father, and writer. I write because that's what I was born to do and I love doing it. Because of the support from awesome people like you, I get to do it full-time.
Connecting with fellow lovers of the written word is important to me so please join the Pack via my website at www.jonathan-yanez.com where you can grab an exclusive story or hang out with us at www.facebook.com/groups/jonathansread...
Hope you decide to stay in touch,
Jonathan
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
September 30, 2020
Dropship: A Near Future Thriller is the first book in the series "Forsaken Mercenary" which is an action packed series of books with a mix of sci-fi elements, a lot of mystery and action.
This first book story is told through the eyes of Daniel, a bouncer at a dive bar on the Moon. He is the most interesting character in the whole story. Daniel is living a good enough life on Moon working in a hi-end club with a job that's similar to that of a bouncer. But he lost his memory and he doesn't remember anything beyond five years in his past. Daniel woke 5 years ago in an alley with no memory, he know nothing as to who or what he is, he woke up just with a piece of paper in his pocket with his name and number one written on it. As we learn more and more about his past, we get to see more of who and what he was, and who and what he wants to be now.
There are so many other characters in the story. One of the best character in the book is an A.I. that Daniel gets called X1097854107890, and tries to find out what the A.I. is, and her name. Eventually, the A.I. gets called ‘X’ and then she becomes an integral part of the story.
Later, Daniel is found by Wesley Cage, his handler for Immortal Corp, the organization that created him. They offer Daniel a mission and that is to return to Earth, and check out a group on Earth, gather intel on them, and then return with this intel. It is an offer too good to miss, really. And this is exactly where all the fun and action started.
The protagonist is well-developed with an intriguing and unique backstory and the world the author has created feels realistic.The action scenes are just magnificent in this book and I felt like I was watching a action adventure movie and I enjoyed it till the end.
This first book story is told through the eyes of Daniel, a bouncer at a dive bar on the Moon. He is the most interesting character in the whole story. Daniel is living a good enough life on Moon working in a hi-end club with a job that's similar to that of a bouncer. But he lost his memory and he doesn't remember anything beyond five years in his past. Daniel woke 5 years ago in an alley with no memory, he know nothing as to who or what he is, he woke up just with a piece of paper in his pocket with his name and number one written on it. As we learn more and more about his past, we get to see more of who and what he was, and who and what he wants to be now.
There are so many other characters in the story. One of the best character in the book is an A.I. that Daniel gets called X1097854107890, and tries to find out what the A.I. is, and her name. Eventually, the A.I. gets called ‘X’ and then she becomes an integral part of the story.
Later, Daniel is found by Wesley Cage, his handler for Immortal Corp, the organization that created him. They offer Daniel a mission and that is to return to Earth, and check out a group on Earth, gather intel on them, and then return with this intel. It is an offer too good to miss, really. And this is exactly where all the fun and action started.
The protagonist is well-developed with an intriguing and unique backstory and the world the author has created feels realistic.The action scenes are just magnificent in this book and I felt like I was watching a action adventure movie and I enjoyed it till the end.
April 30, 2019
I've read a few books by this author, and Dropship might be my favorite one to date. The protagonist is well-developed with an intriguing backstory and good depth of character, and the universe the author has created feels detailed and realistic. There were a handful of elements that felt pretty directly ripped off from other media (e.g., the Reapers and the wasteland of Earth felt a little too reminiscent of MAD MAX: FURY ROAD), but it was an otherwise compelling narrative and a story universe that I'm definitely interested in revisiting with future installments.
May 20, 2022
I am a fan of these light military science fiction novels. They make for easy reading and fast paced action. You follow a super soldier who has lost his memory. He is living on the moon when he is approached by someone asking if he would like to know about his past. He is then thrust into an adventure to figure out his past.
In the book it is a dystopia where we populated the moon and Mars. The earth is left in an almost Mad Max state. There's alot of action and it's fun following the MC along his journey.
Nothing groundbreaking here in the Scifi genre but that's okay. I had a blast with this one. Down the line in the series I'd like to see the character grow more internally. I've already started the second one and this seems to be happening slowly.
Overall 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
In the book it is a dystopia where we populated the moon and Mars. The earth is left in an almost Mad Max state. There's alot of action and it's fun following the MC along his journey.
Nothing groundbreaking here in the Scifi genre but that's okay. I had a blast with this one. Down the line in the series I'd like to see the character grow more internally. I've already started the second one and this seems to be happening slowly.
Overall 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 23, 2019
“Spiritus non possunt occidere nostri. Can’t kill our spirit.”
The writing is expertly done and really paints a fantastic image of how a world so alive with hope and life at one point has turned into nothing more than a staging ground for piles of rubble. A devasted Earth by human hands, a reminiscence of Mad Max. Yanez keeps the tension alive from the first page, physically and mentally, following the trail of a terrifying and unsolved past, unraveling bit by bit Daniel’s lost memories. The revelation of Immortal Corporation’s true motives and hidden secrets opens up a whole new dimension to the story and its consequences determine which course to take, a new hope for the people of Earth and humanity itself. Excellent character descriptions and plot development. Emotional, fast paced and edge of the seat scenes, it kept me totally glued to the story! On the lookout for Absolution, book #2 of the series!
The writing is expertly done and really paints a fantastic image of how a world so alive with hope and life at one point has turned into nothing more than a staging ground for piles of rubble. A devasted Earth by human hands, a reminiscence of Mad Max. Yanez keeps the tension alive from the first page, physically and mentally, following the trail of a terrifying and unsolved past, unraveling bit by bit Daniel’s lost memories. The revelation of Immortal Corporation’s true motives and hidden secrets opens up a whole new dimension to the story and its consequences determine which course to take, a new hope for the people of Earth and humanity itself. Excellent character descriptions and plot development. Emotional, fast paced and edge of the seat scenes, it kept me totally glued to the story! On the lookout for Absolution, book #2 of the series!
May 13, 2019
This is a good science fiction tale; imaginative, exciting, and fast moving. The major flaw, however, is the author uses "every cliche in the book." (He even has me doing this now.) He's a better writer than that but seems to use "the first thing that comes to mind." He needs to "throw it out the window." Instead he should be using his creativity to put a new and even futuristic twist on cliches. I'd read another book by him but if I can across the cliche laziness, I'd never finish it.
December 8, 2019
The story is told through the eyes of Daniel Hunt, a ‘Centurion’ at a dive bar on the Moon, Centurion being a fancy name for bouncer. Humanity has had to abandon Earth as we have killed it, there is nothing living on the surface anymore, and so we now live on the Moon and Mars. Daniel woke 5yrs ago in an alley with no memory, no clue as to who or what he is, just a piece of paper in his pocket with his name and number one written on it. I say what, because he can be cut to the bone, and 5 minutes later, he is healed up like pretty much nothing happened, not even a scar.
Having the story told for Daniels point of view is brilliant, we get to learn things as the story progresses, so we learn as he does, keeping us just as much in the dark as he is.
However, the story doesn’t hold back, there is a myriad of characters, starting with Wesley Cage, Daniels old handler who informs him that seven where created like him in a team, and he was lost on a mission (good old Jason Bourne style), 5yrs ago.
And speaking of Bourne, if you thought those movies were fast, they have nothing on Forsaken Mercenary. Daniel seems to be a magnet for combat, and in the first half of the book has fought more battles than Arnie, Stallone, Bourne, and the Avengers combined, and taken more damage than all of them and is happily standing there with gun in hand grinning saying ‘Who’s Next?’, as what is left of whatever army was dumb enough to come at him crawls away on bloody stumps.
The action scenes are just magnificent in this book, Yanez has taken a masterclass in how to write combat scenes, like you are sitting inside Daniels head watching as the combat unfolds around him, each shot, each blow, and in some cases, each impact to him as well.
What is really fantastic is that the Character writing has not suffered as so many stories of this nature do (Da gun go boom, I have to kill bad guy… Rarrgghhh – and that is the main characters contribution to intelligent conversation), but in this story, Daniel actually has a brain. He has been trained in Strategy and Tactics, to think for himself, not just as a mindless killer, and this makes for a very interesting Character arc. As we learn more and more about his past, we get to see more of who and what he was, and who and what he wants to be now, there is a very strong connection between this story and that of the Bourne series in that aspect, the two characters having lost their memories and being at odds with everything they are being told, and not knowing who to trust.
One of the best characters in the book is an A.I. that Daniel gets called X1097854107890, and the sequence there when he is trying to reason out what the A.I. is, and her name (the string of letters and numbers), is just hilarious. Eventually, the A.I. gets called ‘X’ and she becomes an integral part of the story.
There is a lot of brilliant humour in this book, Daniel’s character seems to thrive on a sense of sarcasm, and the addition of X inside his head, only adds to this. It makes for some outstanding scenes.
In the first part of this book, without giving too much away, Daniel is found by Wesley Cage, his handler for Immortal Corp, the organization that created him. They want to bring him back into the fold, which of course, Daniel is reluctant to do. They offer Daniel a mission for both sides to check things out, and that is to return to Earth, and check out a group on Earth, gather intel on them, and then return with this intel.
Obviously, Daniel takes the mission, gets on board a ‘Dropship’, (Dropships are the only means of transport between the Moon, Mars and Earth, don’t think of something like the Dropship from Halo or Aliens, this is more of a Dropship that is probably twice that size, with Engines capable of Hyperdrive (explained in the book), and ships that are larger than you think, again, all explained in the book. They are awesome!
I should mention the Tech aspect of this book is just exceptional, so much fun, and the Author has really thought of the reader when putting it all together.
Overall, this is just a brilliant book, well worth the read for anyone who wants something FUN, or Mil Sci-Fi, Action Adventure, or just a really good read. If you loved Bourne, you will go nuts over this. Get into this series, its awesome.
Having the story told for Daniels point of view is brilliant, we get to learn things as the story progresses, so we learn as he does, keeping us just as much in the dark as he is.
However, the story doesn’t hold back, there is a myriad of characters, starting with Wesley Cage, Daniels old handler who informs him that seven where created like him in a team, and he was lost on a mission (good old Jason Bourne style), 5yrs ago.
And speaking of Bourne, if you thought those movies were fast, they have nothing on Forsaken Mercenary. Daniel seems to be a magnet for combat, and in the first half of the book has fought more battles than Arnie, Stallone, Bourne, and the Avengers combined, and taken more damage than all of them and is happily standing there with gun in hand grinning saying ‘Who’s Next?’, as what is left of whatever army was dumb enough to come at him crawls away on bloody stumps.
The action scenes are just magnificent in this book, Yanez has taken a masterclass in how to write combat scenes, like you are sitting inside Daniels head watching as the combat unfolds around him, each shot, each blow, and in some cases, each impact to him as well.
What is really fantastic is that the Character writing has not suffered as so many stories of this nature do (Da gun go boom, I have to kill bad guy… Rarrgghhh – and that is the main characters contribution to intelligent conversation), but in this story, Daniel actually has a brain. He has been trained in Strategy and Tactics, to think for himself, not just as a mindless killer, and this makes for a very interesting Character arc. As we learn more and more about his past, we get to see more of who and what he was, and who and what he wants to be now, there is a very strong connection between this story and that of the Bourne series in that aspect, the two characters having lost their memories and being at odds with everything they are being told, and not knowing who to trust.
One of the best characters in the book is an A.I. that Daniel gets called X1097854107890, and the sequence there when he is trying to reason out what the A.I. is, and her name (the string of letters and numbers), is just hilarious. Eventually, the A.I. gets called ‘X’ and she becomes an integral part of the story.
There is a lot of brilliant humour in this book, Daniel’s character seems to thrive on a sense of sarcasm, and the addition of X inside his head, only adds to this. It makes for some outstanding scenes.
In the first part of this book, without giving too much away, Daniel is found by Wesley Cage, his handler for Immortal Corp, the organization that created him. They want to bring him back into the fold, which of course, Daniel is reluctant to do. They offer Daniel a mission for both sides to check things out, and that is to return to Earth, and check out a group on Earth, gather intel on them, and then return with this intel.
Obviously, Daniel takes the mission, gets on board a ‘Dropship’, (Dropships are the only means of transport between the Moon, Mars and Earth, don’t think of something like the Dropship from Halo or Aliens, this is more of a Dropship that is probably twice that size, with Engines capable of Hyperdrive (explained in the book), and ships that are larger than you think, again, all explained in the book. They are awesome!
I should mention the Tech aspect of this book is just exceptional, so much fun, and the Author has really thought of the reader when putting it all together.
Overall, this is just a brilliant book, well worth the read for anyone who wants something FUN, or Mil Sci-Fi, Action Adventure, or just a really good read. If you loved Bourne, you will go nuts over this. Get into this series, its awesome.
February 20, 2023
Exactly the sort of thing I'm in the mood for when I don't want to have to do too much thinking while reading. Fastpaced military sci-fi that is pretty much nonstop action, with just enough breaks to get a bit of a feel for the characters. An entertaining read that came with a couple of interesting plot twists - I'm intrigued to see what's next for Daniel Hunt.
May 10, 2019
Dropship - a review by Rosemary Kenny
Daniel Hunt is an amnesiac assassin, who reminds me of the Arnold Schwarzenegger main character in the sci-fi film Total Recall, as his mind has been wiped and takes place in an off-world location. Another such flawed hero is Matt Damon's Jason Bourne character, who seeks to learn the truth about his past and is apparently a skilled assassin in his 'other self'. In Dropship: A Near Future Thriller, Book 1 in the Forsaken Mercenary series, we learn that Hunt also has Wolverine-like ability to self-heal from injuries and a Superman-type alter ego who has an ordinary persona who carries out an ordinary day job as a bouncer in the Half Moon Club in the lunar city of Dome.
In similar manner, he encounters his former 'handler', (who combines the names of two well-known action heroes) Wesley Cage. Cage asserts he knows how Hunt was 'created' as the first of seven 'super-assassins' and that Hunt's 'blank-spots' have only occurred in the last 5 years. In a show of faith, Cage then
protects Hunt when he's suddenly attacked at the club they're in...but will that convince our hero?
Jonathan Yanez introduces a fast-paced new series with the Forsaken Mercenary books and Dropship is sure to be a best-seller.
It's a must for your sci-fi/Space Opera bookshelves - don't miss it!
Daniel Hunt is an amnesiac assassin, who reminds me of the Arnold Schwarzenegger main character in the sci-fi film Total Recall, as his mind has been wiped and takes place in an off-world location. Another such flawed hero is Matt Damon's Jason Bourne character, who seeks to learn the truth about his past and is apparently a skilled assassin in his 'other self'. In Dropship: A Near Future Thriller, Book 1 in the Forsaken Mercenary series, we learn that Hunt also has Wolverine-like ability to self-heal from injuries and a Superman-type alter ego who has an ordinary persona who carries out an ordinary day job as a bouncer in the Half Moon Club in the lunar city of Dome.
In similar manner, he encounters his former 'handler', (who combines the names of two well-known action heroes) Wesley Cage. Cage asserts he knows how Hunt was 'created' as the first of seven 'super-assassins' and that Hunt's 'blank-spots' have only occurred in the last 5 years. In a show of faith, Cage then
protects Hunt when he's suddenly attacked at the club they're in...but will that convince our hero?
Jonathan Yanez introduces a fast-paced new series with the Forsaken Mercenary books and Dropship is sure to be a best-seller.
It's a must for your sci-fi/Space Opera bookshelves - don't miss it!
May 2, 2019
Daniel Hunt could well be one of my favourite characters at the moment, he has so much untapped potential and there is very much an air of mystery about him. He fights to find out the truth of who - or what - he is or indeed what he was. Although he works as a glorified bouncer, I doubt very much if anybody returns for a second chance at fisticuffs.
Given a special mission, which means that he has to go to the (Man-destroyed) wasteland that is Earth, he acquired a little information on his past. This is enough to play havoc with his head. X is able to help. She comes across at the start as being 'just' an AI, but at the end X almost feels quite emotive, as if she actually cares about helping Daniel. I think this character, and Daniel, have a long way to go together, and I'm looking forward to the journey.
Action-packed, great characterisations - particularly Daniel, X, and the Reapers - and so much pleasure for the reader. I thoroughly enjoyed this.
Given a special mission, which means that he has to go to the (Man-destroyed) wasteland that is Earth, he acquired a little information on his past. This is enough to play havoc with his head. X is able to help. She comes across at the start as being 'just' an AI, but at the end X almost feels quite emotive, as if she actually cares about helping Daniel. I think this character, and Daniel, have a long way to go together, and I'm looking forward to the journey.
Action-packed, great characterisations - particularly Daniel, X, and the Reapers - and so much pleasure for the reader. I thoroughly enjoyed this.
July 9, 2020
Gave up early on this after hearing one too many tropes read by an overly dramatic narrator. Poorly written and just plain silly.
September 5, 2020
A short SCI-FI story built around a future Post-apocalyptic Jason Borne like mercenary, complete with loss of memory, and the hero's ability to heal from most wounds. The story's lead character returns to desolate earth with a task and a promise to restore his memory. I listened to the audible version. While I really liked Jay Snyder’s narration in Hyperion, his narration combined the poorly written dialog in this book with comes off pretentious and annoying. While this is an action-packed fast-moving short adventure, I did not enjoy the writing or story. I realize that the lack of world-building and background can be somewhat explained by the loss of the main character's memory, I found too many of the hero’s superhuman abilities and the tech explanations to be poorly rationalized and inadequately explained. While I pushed through to the finish of this short book, it was a struggle. I will not read more books in this series.
August 19, 2020
Not super compelling, but not terrible. The character development is not good, but I've seen worse. The story is pretty bland. The ideas are not new, but not yet overused tropes. I probably won't pick up the rest of the series. Not because its bad, but there's a lot of other series I could start or finish that are better than this one.
The narrator of the audiobook was far better than the book itself. I believe he was the scary military guy from Hyperion.
The narrator of the audiobook was far better than the book itself. I believe he was the scary military guy from Hyperion.
May 12, 2019
Juvenile
A little juvenile. Not enough depth. To easy to tell what is going to happen next. Almost magical Marines and a little brother.
A little juvenile. Not enough depth. To easy to tell what is going to happen next. Almost magical Marines and a little brother.
July 25, 2020
Predictable, stereotypical, meh. Not totally terrible, but not worth my time to read (though I did complete it as it was short).
May 22, 2019
A surprisingly very good book! Not that Mr. Yanez can’t write, because I’ve read some other books that he’s worked on usually with another author. But this time, it’s only his name on the cover and I think he’ll be happy with the resulting reviews.
Daniel Hunt is a bouncer in a bar on the moon. Well, he’s the “head” bouncer since the bar employs several. This job is one that Daniel is happy to have seeing as how five years ago, he woke up in a very dirty back alley in the city of Doom on the moon. He recalled his name immediately, but that was it. He had no idea who he was or why he was in this situation. He found he had some skills that managed to get him an odd job here and there so he put them to good use. In his current job, he was excelling at keep the place nice and peaceful except when the guys hired by another establishment called “Reds” wanted to cause trouble. Fighting was something he was very good at. He didn’t know how he had come by his skills, but they were very, very good and he always came out on top. And, he didn’t seem to ever get injured. Oh, he’d been stabbed a few times, but by the time a medic was on scene, he had surprisingly already healed to the point you couldn’t tell he’d been wounded.
Now that right there would be strange enough. Then he was visited by a strange man who had easily broken into his apartment and was waiting for him after he got off work. The man offered him a job with the “Immortal Corp.” with the incentive that successful completion of the mission would result in Daniel getting a complete file on who he was or had been. While the mission seemed easy enough, it required him to go to Earth and find information about a terrorist group call “The Phoenix”. Now Earth wasn’t the Earth we know of today. No, this Earth had been destroyed by man. Over population, overheating and just about every other disaster had befallen the planet and now it was a desolate waste land. The only thing that existed on the planet were gangs and more gangs of disparate people who didn’t have the means to escape Earth when everybody else did.
So, this mission isn’t going to all that hard if Daniel can stay away from the gangs and just get some information on the Phoenix and get back out. Shouldn’t be a problem, except his first run-in with a gang member happened to be the worst gang leader of them all. And, it turns out that Daniel was involved in making sure this gangister didn’t get away from the authorities. He made a real bad enemy right off the bat, even before getting to Earth. Here’s hoping the rest of the Reaper’s don’t find out what he did to their leader. Oh, yeah, they do!
Great first book in a new series. I hope Mr. Yanez keeps up with it. I like the character and there is a lot of action. It’s not a true military science fiction book, but it’s still a very good one.
Daniel Hunt is a bouncer in a bar on the moon. Well, he’s the “head” bouncer since the bar employs several. This job is one that Daniel is happy to have seeing as how five years ago, he woke up in a very dirty back alley in the city of Doom on the moon. He recalled his name immediately, but that was it. He had no idea who he was or why he was in this situation. He found he had some skills that managed to get him an odd job here and there so he put them to good use. In his current job, he was excelling at keep the place nice and peaceful except when the guys hired by another establishment called “Reds” wanted to cause trouble. Fighting was something he was very good at. He didn’t know how he had come by his skills, but they were very, very good and he always came out on top. And, he didn’t seem to ever get injured. Oh, he’d been stabbed a few times, but by the time a medic was on scene, he had surprisingly already healed to the point you couldn’t tell he’d been wounded.
Now that right there would be strange enough. Then he was visited by a strange man who had easily broken into his apartment and was waiting for him after he got off work. The man offered him a job with the “Immortal Corp.” with the incentive that successful completion of the mission would result in Daniel getting a complete file on who he was or had been. While the mission seemed easy enough, it required him to go to Earth and find information about a terrorist group call “The Phoenix”. Now Earth wasn’t the Earth we know of today. No, this Earth had been destroyed by man. Over population, overheating and just about every other disaster had befallen the planet and now it was a desolate waste land. The only thing that existed on the planet were gangs and more gangs of disparate people who didn’t have the means to escape Earth when everybody else did.
So, this mission isn’t going to all that hard if Daniel can stay away from the gangs and just get some information on the Phoenix and get back out. Shouldn’t be a problem, except his first run-in with a gang member happened to be the worst gang leader of them all. And, it turns out that Daniel was involved in making sure this gangister didn’t get away from the authorities. He made a real bad enemy right off the bat, even before getting to Earth. Here’s hoping the rest of the Reaper’s don’t find out what he did to their leader. Oh, yeah, they do!
Great first book in a new series. I hope Mr. Yanez keeps up with it. I like the character and there is a lot of action. It’s not a true military science fiction book, but it’s still a very good one.
September 4, 2019
Natural life on Earth is dead and humanity has united and settled on the Moon and Mars. This seems fun but can you imagine having to eat food printed from 3D printers from edible plastic and tasteless protein pouches? The Galactic Government has united all the nations but rich corporations with private armies wage wars regularly in this world set about 1000 years in the future.
Daniel Hunt is living a good enough life on Moon working in a hi-end club with a job that's similar to that of a bouncer. But he doesn't remember anything beyond five years in his past. He's exceptionally skilled in combat with tattoos and scars that he doesn't remember. When a job that promises him answers to his past presents itself, he can't refuse.
What seems like a simple intelligence extraction mission leads him to more pain than he can remember leading him to a greater war to bring life back to Earth. A dropship takes him to the lawless Earth where he has to outfight and outwit mercenaries, rebels, and rogue factions, all who would love to put him down for good.
But fortunately, that's impossible. Imagine Wolverine from the Weapon X program mixed with Jason Bourne in a brutal future with a few action sequences similar to Mad Max. Like any good book, things are never what they seem to be and the twists make this series very compelling.
The action is brutal, be it escaping from a convoy of savages, fighting a pack of mutated vultures or the bloody fights Daniel has with one of the antagonists where both of them have some sort of healing factors and enhanced abilities.
Daniel Hunt's quest for answers with his former employer, Immortal Corporation leads to a treacherous journey through the wastelands of Earth where the line between good and bad may not even exist. Despite this morally ambiguous world, Daniel's moral compass is always on point towards redemption from a life he can't remember.
The main object that the corporations fight over through their mercenaries, the settings of what's happened to Earth like the extinction of natural life, are grim and timely topics that are needed in today's world with the political, corporate and social choices we're making.
Daniel Hunt may or may not get the answers he sets out for but he does transform into a greater human with a noble purpose by the end. The series develops his character in a brilliant arc that resonates with all its readers.
Daniel Hunt's MKII blaster, his wolf tattoo that he shares with his author Jonathan Yanez and the motto of the pack protocol - Can't kill our spirit!, all make this series one of the most compelling stories I've read in years. You'll like this series even if you aren't a sci-fi fan.
Daniel Hunt is living a good enough life on Moon working in a hi-end club with a job that's similar to that of a bouncer. But he doesn't remember anything beyond five years in his past. He's exceptionally skilled in combat with tattoos and scars that he doesn't remember. When a job that promises him answers to his past presents itself, he can't refuse.
What seems like a simple intelligence extraction mission leads him to more pain than he can remember leading him to a greater war to bring life back to Earth. A dropship takes him to the lawless Earth where he has to outfight and outwit mercenaries, rebels, and rogue factions, all who would love to put him down for good.
But fortunately, that's impossible. Imagine Wolverine from the Weapon X program mixed with Jason Bourne in a brutal future with a few action sequences similar to Mad Max. Like any good book, things are never what they seem to be and the twists make this series very compelling.
The action is brutal, be it escaping from a convoy of savages, fighting a pack of mutated vultures or the bloody fights Daniel has with one of the antagonists where both of them have some sort of healing factors and enhanced abilities.
Daniel Hunt's quest for answers with his former employer, Immortal Corporation leads to a treacherous journey through the wastelands of Earth where the line between good and bad may not even exist. Despite this morally ambiguous world, Daniel's moral compass is always on point towards redemption from a life he can't remember.
The main object that the corporations fight over through their mercenaries, the settings of what's happened to Earth like the extinction of natural life, are grim and timely topics that are needed in today's world with the political, corporate and social choices we're making.
Daniel Hunt may or may not get the answers he sets out for but he does transform into a greater human with a noble purpose by the end. The series develops his character in a brilliant arc that resonates with all its readers.
Daniel Hunt's MKII blaster, his wolf tattoo that he shares with his author Jonathan Yanez and the motto of the pack protocol - Can't kill our spirit!, all make this series one of the most compelling stories I've read in years. You'll like this series even if you aren't a sci-fi fan.
December 19, 2021
A dopamine milkshake for sci-fi action junkies!
If you like high-tempo shoot-em-up action with space assassins and marauding aliens, this book series is for you! Every chapter is a shot of dopamine and adrenaline, designed to have you scrambling for the next chapter. Jonathan Yanez has an endearing way of taking familiar (and even tired) sci-fi action tropes and turning them into a breathless sequence of crazy plot points. My furious page-turning required me to actually stop every three chapters just to walk away from my kindle and digest all the dopamine injected into my brain. I devoured books 1 to 3 in six days and am starting book 4 tonight.
This Forsaken Mercenary series is 85% plot. Things like characterization and world-building are secondary. The writing is hyper-lean and unencumbered by info dumps or boring visualizations.
Example passage 1 - Yanez introduces a key character in 33 words::
"A woman caught my eye. Not stunning in the classic sense but pretty. She had short, dark hair. A light blue synth suit hugged her body. It was clear she didn't belong there"
Example passage 2: - Yanez describes the protagonist's main weapon in 39 words:
"The MK II was an old-school weapon built for one purpose: to eviscerate whatever I pointed it at. My MKII produced enough stopping power to penetrate any helmet or armor. Tungsten steel bolts acted as ammunition for the weapon."
These moments of characterization and world-building are brief, almost as if they are side notes in the margin of a movie script. I actually see this book series becoming a movie or television series because.
This lean action writing may be unsatisfying to some readers who want a deep connection to the characters. I personally didn't find this tight writing style to detract from the immersiveness of this escapist fun. Because the series is written in first-person POV, and because the protagonist possesses a believable goodness that offsets his bloodlust, I found it easy to care about Daniel Hunt and his mission.
No, this is not a mind-expanding mythology like Hebert's "Dune" or Shepherd's "Spiral Wars". This mythology is about unpretentious popcorn fun and nonstop "space kablooey"
Five popcorn kernels out of five!
If you like high-tempo shoot-em-up action with space assassins and marauding aliens, this book series is for you! Every chapter is a shot of dopamine and adrenaline, designed to have you scrambling for the next chapter. Jonathan Yanez has an endearing way of taking familiar (and even tired) sci-fi action tropes and turning them into a breathless sequence of crazy plot points. My furious page-turning required me to actually stop every three chapters just to walk away from my kindle and digest all the dopamine injected into my brain. I devoured books 1 to 3 in six days and am starting book 4 tonight.
This Forsaken Mercenary series is 85% plot. Things like characterization and world-building are secondary. The writing is hyper-lean and unencumbered by info dumps or boring visualizations.
Example passage 1 - Yanez introduces a key character in 33 words::
"A woman caught my eye. Not stunning in the classic sense but pretty. She had short, dark hair. A light blue synth suit hugged her body. It was clear she didn't belong there"
Example passage 2: - Yanez describes the protagonist's main weapon in 39 words:
"The MK II was an old-school weapon built for one purpose: to eviscerate whatever I pointed it at. My MKII produced enough stopping power to penetrate any helmet or armor. Tungsten steel bolts acted as ammunition for the weapon."
These moments of characterization and world-building are brief, almost as if they are side notes in the margin of a movie script. I actually see this book series becoming a movie or television series because.
This lean action writing may be unsatisfying to some readers who want a deep connection to the characters. I personally didn't find this tight writing style to detract from the immersiveness of this escapist fun. Because the series is written in first-person POV, and because the protagonist possesses a believable goodness that offsets his bloodlust, I found it easy to care about Daniel Hunt and his mission.
No, this is not a mind-expanding mythology like Hebert's "Dune" or Shepherd's "Spiral Wars". This mythology is about unpretentious popcorn fun and nonstop "space kablooey"
Five popcorn kernels out of five!
May 3, 2024
Seguimos los pasos de Daniel, un guardia de discoteca en la Luna que no ha encontrado mejor empleo desde que despertó de un coma, tres años atrás. Desde el principio fue consciente de que era alguien especial, pues recibió instrucción militar y su organismo tiene algún tipo de mejora genética que le permite sanar con mayor rapidez, aunque desconoce todo su potencial. O por qué.
Su monótona pero discreta vida se ve interrumpida cuando alguien de su supuesto pasado contacta con él para ofrecerle un empleo, y respuestas. ¿El trabajo? Viajar a ese estercolero radioactivo que es la Tierra e inmiscuirse en un conflicto menor. O eso parece…
Desde ahí, los enfrentamientos políticos y militares hacen de esta novela un buen comienzo de saga a la que engancharse con facilidad.
https://www.novelasdecienciaficcion.c...
Ya he dicho que esta sería una reseña breve. Dropship, de Jonathan Yanez es una novela corta, de tiros y ciencia ficción militar que va al grano y no se anda con reflexiones filosóficas. No comete ni un solo error en el primer capítulo, lo que motiva a seguir leyendo. La historia es bastante directa, con un único giro argumental, pero bastante sorprendente, la verdad. Agradecí mucho encontrármelo.
Eso sí, está muy bien escrita. No se trata de alta literatura, como es de esperar en las entregas de una saga cuyo autor debe escribir una al trimestre. No obstante, su lenguaje claro y adecuado uso de las descripciones la convierte en una lectura que «no pasas por encima», de modo que si su portada y argumento me hicieron pensar en una «novela tonta», de eso nada. Simplemente no profundiza en temas relevantes, ni tampoco inventa la rueda en la ciencia ficción, pero entretiene, no te hace perder el tiempo, apenas te consume esfuerzo y te ofrece una historia que se lee de un tirón.
Es una historia que no recordarás dentro de unos años, pero que probablemente hará que caigas en sus redes durante varias entregas. Y por eso le concedo esas cuatro estrellas.
Su monótona pero discreta vida se ve interrumpida cuando alguien de su supuesto pasado contacta con él para ofrecerle un empleo, y respuestas. ¿El trabajo? Viajar a ese estercolero radioactivo que es la Tierra e inmiscuirse en un conflicto menor. O eso parece…
Desde ahí, los enfrentamientos políticos y militares hacen de esta novela un buen comienzo de saga a la que engancharse con facilidad.
https://www.novelasdecienciaficcion.c...
Ya he dicho que esta sería una reseña breve. Dropship, de Jonathan Yanez es una novela corta, de tiros y ciencia ficción militar que va al grano y no se anda con reflexiones filosóficas. No comete ni un solo error en el primer capítulo, lo que motiva a seguir leyendo. La historia es bastante directa, con un único giro argumental, pero bastante sorprendente, la verdad. Agradecí mucho encontrármelo.
Eso sí, está muy bien escrita. No se trata de alta literatura, como es de esperar en las entregas de una saga cuyo autor debe escribir una al trimestre. No obstante, su lenguaje claro y adecuado uso de las descripciones la convierte en una lectura que «no pasas por encima», de modo que si su portada y argumento me hicieron pensar en una «novela tonta», de eso nada. Simplemente no profundiza en temas relevantes, ni tampoco inventa la rueda en la ciencia ficción, pero entretiene, no te hace perder el tiempo, apenas te consume esfuerzo y te ofrece una historia que se lee de un tirón.
Es una historia que no recordarás dentro de unos años, pero que probablemente hará que caigas en sus redes durante varias entregas. Y por eso le concedo esas cuatro estrellas.
December 14, 2019
3 1/2 rounded up..
This was a pretty good story, but I don’t think it’s for me. I’ll have to think about it a while. I think I’m just not crazy about the earth going to hell and it’s a waste and barren world now. It’s a little cliffhangy. There are no answers in this book, and I think it’ll be a continuing story all the way through 6 or more books. I like a series, but I like each story to be different, but with the same hero, not the on-going same ol' story.
I did like Daniel, and it was fascinating that he wasn’t really human anymore. And I like Z too. She was a cool AI in his head. Papa and his gang were characters too. There was lots of stuff going on, all over the place, but we only had Daniel to concentrate on, since this was another book written in the first person. It could have had so much more to the story. But…
No sex and no swearing, so that makes it a little drab, too.
As to the narration: The best thing about the book was Jay Snyder. He’s the main reason I bought Dropship. He’s one awesome narrator.
This was a pretty good story, but I don’t think it’s for me. I’ll have to think about it a while. I think I’m just not crazy about the earth going to hell and it’s a waste and barren world now. It’s a little cliffhangy. There are no answers in this book, and I think it’ll be a continuing story all the way through 6 or more books. I like a series, but I like each story to be different, but with the same hero, not the on-going same ol' story.
I did like Daniel, and it was fascinating that he wasn’t really human anymore. And I like Z too. She was a cool AI in his head. Papa and his gang were characters too. There was lots of stuff going on, all over the place, but we only had Daniel to concentrate on, since this was another book written in the first person. It could have had so much more to the story. But…
No sex and no swearing, so that makes it a little drab, too.
As to the narration: The best thing about the book was Jay Snyder. He’s the main reason I bought Dropship. He’s one awesome narrator.
August 21, 2020
This is the kind of book you read when you want a good action filled escapist romp. If you read or watch any amount of military sci-fi, there is much in this book that will feel familiar or remind you of other stories, but it does so in the way a group of friends sitting around the campfire drinking beer in the dark remind each other of good times. It is the familiarity of good times and belly laughs and situations no one can believe you pulled off after the fact.
Yanez is an excellent writer and pulls the familiar elements together into a a new story that draws you in. It is a story and characters that grew on me until I didn't want to leave them in the end. Some predictability, but lots of good twists as the world was revealed and levels of deception became clear. I'm glad this is only the start of many adventures with these characters because I can't wait to see what they get up to next.
Yanez is an excellent writer and pulls the familiar elements together into a a new story that draws you in. It is a story and characters that grew on me until I didn't want to leave them in the end. Some predictability, but lots of good twists as the world was revealed and levels of deception became clear. I'm glad this is only the start of many adventures with these characters because I can't wait to see what they get up to next.
February 24, 2023
I read a lot of enthusiastic reviews of this series, and I had great hopes of finding another great sci fi series I could read my way through, but I couldn't get through this. The story is okay--though the central issue is clearly copied from the Jason Bourne series--but the violence starts right at the beginning and goes right on. Reviews call this "action," but that appears to be code. The real problem is the quality of the writing. It is clear and grammatical, but it is very basic--like something a competent high school student or early college student could turn out, but compared to something like the Old Man's War series from Scalzi, it is really elementary. Just not interesting enough to keep reading. I made it about 75 pages but gave it up. I won't be trying the others. Too bad!
June 20, 2025
Forsaken Mercenary: Dropship by Jonathan Yanez is a high-octane blast of sci-fi action that feels like it was ripped straight from the golden age of 80s genre films. It’s got all the grit, muscle, and explosive firepower you’d expect from a story starring a one-man army in a galaxy gone mad.
Packed with relentless action, larger-than-life characters, and just the right dose of swagger, Dropship never lets up. Yanez delivers a mercenary who could go toe-to-toe with Schwarzenegger or Stallone—a no-nonsense bruiser with a mysterious past and a serious knack for leaving wreckage in his wake.
If you're nostalgic for the days when sci-fi meant big guns, bigger biceps, and adrenaline-pumping showdowns, Forsaken Mercenary: Dropship is the testosterone-fueled space adventure you've been waiting for.
Packed with relentless action, larger-than-life characters, and just the right dose of swagger, Dropship never lets up. Yanez delivers a mercenary who could go toe-to-toe with Schwarzenegger or Stallone—a no-nonsense bruiser with a mysterious past and a serious knack for leaving wreckage in his wake.
If you're nostalgic for the days when sci-fi meant big guns, bigger biceps, and adrenaline-pumping showdowns, Forsaken Mercenary: Dropship is the testosterone-fueled space adventure you've been waiting for.
September 6, 2020
This was a fun book. I enjoyed the world-building (well....I guess, in this case, it's more the really negative perspective on what we'll do to the Earth's ecosystems in the future and the societal consequences of it). Really, though, it's a setting for some pretty intense actions scenes and a pretty hardcore soldier to get his fighting on.
This was the first of a series, so there were many unresolved plot threads. That said, it drew me in and I enjoyed it. There is a neat sense of "Who am I" about the main character, a seemingly supersoldier who suffers from memory loss and is wrestling with who he was and who he wants to be.
Fun read, and i expect to pick up the next in the series sooner than later.
This was the first of a series, so there were many unresolved plot threads. That said, it drew me in and I enjoyed it. There is a neat sense of "Who am I" about the main character, a seemingly supersoldier who suffers from memory loss and is wrestling with who he was and who he wants to be.
Fun read, and i expect to pick up the next in the series sooner than later.
September 27, 2020
Fun, exciting, and thought provoking.
Jonathan Yanez has done something that a book hasn't done for a long time. Kept my focus and kept me up.
I am often reading multiple books at a time. A strange mix of nonfiction and fiction. Generally, because I'm ADHD and I get distracted easily.
But, Dropship got me hooked at the beginning and pulled me along like a kid with a kite. And, did I fly?
Absolutely! Yanez's characters came bounding out of the dark, smack you around a bit, then fade away bloody and loud. The writing throws itself at you, grabs hold, and doesn't let go. I'm looking forward to the next one.
If you like science fiction reminiscent of the Deathstalker series then this one is worth picking up.
Jonathan Yanez has done something that a book hasn't done for a long time. Kept my focus and kept me up.
I am often reading multiple books at a time. A strange mix of nonfiction and fiction. Generally, because I'm ADHD and I get distracted easily.
But, Dropship got me hooked at the beginning and pulled me along like a kid with a kite. And, did I fly?
Absolutely! Yanez's characters came bounding out of the dark, smack you around a bit, then fade away bloody and loud. The writing throws itself at you, grabs hold, and doesn't let go. I'm looking forward to the next one.
If you like science fiction reminiscent of the Deathstalker series then this one is worth picking up.
June 14, 2021
Intriguing tale of a Mercenary with memory loss of who and what he is\was
Intriguing tale of a Mercenary with memory loss of who and what he is\was
A somewhat familiar stranger offers the knowledge of what happened to a Mercenary with severe memory loss and also to explain who and what he was in the paxt if he completes a mission to kidnap a scientist working on a terrorist super weapon on a devastated planet earth.
Great plot, interesting characters and nice technology, only problem is it is several books long but very compelling so unless you have unlimited spending you may want to have Kindle Unlimited plan. I enjoyed the audible version of the book which was discounted by purchasing at the same time I purchased the kindle book.
Intriguing tale of a Mercenary with memory loss of who and what he is\was
A somewhat familiar stranger offers the knowledge of what happened to a Mercenary with severe memory loss and also to explain who and what he was in the paxt if he completes a mission to kidnap a scientist working on a terrorist super weapon on a devastated planet earth.
Great plot, interesting characters and nice technology, only problem is it is several books long but very compelling so unless you have unlimited spending you may want to have Kindle Unlimited plan. I enjoyed the audible version of the book which was discounted by purchasing at the same time I purchased the kindle book.
July 25, 2020
I listened to the audiobook version of this. It’s not high art or anything, and it uses a bunch of sci fi cliches, but it was pretty fun. Set in a future where the earth is ruined and humanity has fled to the Moon and Mars, the protagonist is an amnesiac bouncer with extreme fighting skills and a remarkable ability to heal from injury who gets wrapped up in adventure where he uncovers the mysteries of his origin. It’s short, face paced, and tells a reasonably decent story that wraps up reasonably and then hits you with a cliffhanger. It is apparently part of a series (of course), and maybe I will check out the next one. Maybe.
August 31, 2020
This is amazing!
A corporation using immortal mercenaries, two who have a conscience, Earth is destroyed, but one mercenary dates to dream, to have hope despite what he has been learning about himself, he must turn on his own for humanities sake. That vision of hope for the future includes a scientist who's fathers been taken, an underground group fighting for Earth and mankind's future and a Lot of pain, from the past, in the present and definitely in the future. It's going to be impossible, I think we are finally going to find out what happens when an unstoppable force hits an immovable object...
A corporation using immortal mercenaries, two who have a conscience, Earth is destroyed, but one mercenary dates to dream, to have hope despite what he has been learning about himself, he must turn on his own for humanities sake. That vision of hope for the future includes a scientist who's fathers been taken, an underground group fighting for Earth and mankind's future and a Lot of pain, from the past, in the present and definitely in the future. It's going to be impossible, I think we are finally going to find out what happens when an unstoppable force hits an immovable object...
December 31, 2021
I liked it just enough to finish it, but not enough to continue the series. It has been about 10 days since I finished the book and I really have to try very hard to remember what the story was even about, or who the main character was and why I should be rooting for him. Not a good sign. There are series that I finished a year ago for which I'm still impatiently awaiting the next sequel. Not with this one though.
I don't even remember enough details to clearly explain why in this review, except that it (apparently) didn't make enough of an impression. This, for me, is usually a sign of not enough character development, and/or too shallow characters, not enough depth to the plot and/or world building, and/or not enough thrill/suspense. Also, probably too many plot holes.
To make things worse, when the macguffin they're all after is revealed, which I won't spoil, it was a terrible anticlimactic and - frankly - too politically correct and 'green agenda' item. So much so that I lost interest in the rest of the series, for it required way too much suspension of disbelief from me to accept it as a 'super dangerous weapon' that everyone and their mother would kill to get in their possession.
This might be a nice teen novel, but since I'm not a teen it's hard for me to correctly assess whether teens would in fact like it. Perhaps all of the five star reviews are written by teens? (and/or family members and close friends?)
Too bad, another wasted Audible credit. Will not continue this series.
I don't even remember enough details to clearly explain why in this review, except that it (apparently) didn't make enough of an impression. This, for me, is usually a sign of not enough character development, and/or too shallow characters, not enough depth to the plot and/or world building, and/or not enough thrill/suspense. Also, probably too many plot holes.
To make things worse, when the macguffin they're all after is revealed, which I won't spoil, it was a terrible anticlimactic and - frankly - too politically correct and 'green agenda' item. So much so that I lost interest in the rest of the series, for it required way too much suspension of disbelief from me to accept it as a 'super dangerous weapon' that everyone and their mother would kill to get in their possession.
This might be a nice teen novel, but since I'm not a teen it's hard for me to correctly assess whether teens would in fact like it. Perhaps all of the five star reviews are written by teens? (and/or family members and close friends?)
Too bad, another wasted Audible credit. Will not continue this series.
November 23, 2024
Daniel Hunt is a mercenary, a super-soldier. Five years ago he woke up with nothing more than his name. Now his present is on a violent collision with his past and the future of the galaxy. As one of the Goodreads reviewers quiped, "it's Jason Bourne ... in Space!".
The author managed to knock out twelve books in this series in 2019 and 2020, along with numerous others in collaboration with several different authors. That gives you some idea what to expect. I don't think I'll be spending any more time with the Forsaken Mercenary.
The author managed to knock out twelve books in this series in 2019 and 2020, along with numerous others in collaboration with several different authors. That gives you some idea what to expect. I don't think I'll be spending any more time with the Forsaken Mercenary.
July 11, 2025
3.5 stars because it took me a while to get into it. But it's usually so with sci-fi or fantasy books, I need to get to know the world better before I can fully engage with what's going on. But I did like the main hero, Daniel Hunt, and Monica was also great, strong and assertive without being bitchy which is a trap many writers fall into. But not Monica. Monica gets stuff done. Just like Daniel. But their strengths are different, they complement each other. And that's awesome. I will definitely continue this series.
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