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Knox's Irregulars
“These fanatics aren’t fighting for our land, but for our destruction. They think in slogans and talk in bullets. Such men can’t be reasoned with, only fought . . ."
Randal Knox never wanted to be a leader. But as the firstborn son of the Prime Minister, he seemed fated to a life in politics. Fleeing his family's plans, Randal enlists with the armored infantry, thinking he'll be safe on the snowy border with neighboring Abkhenazia.
When followers of the Prophet take control of Abkhenazia, his haven turns to hell. A vast army of zealots invades New Geneva, routing its tiny defense force and sending the remnants fleeing for their lives. Randal is forced to take charge of a small band of survivors, sheltering them in the mountain city of Providence.
With Providence under the iron rule of Colonel Gregor Tsepashin, Randal faces a choice. Will he hide safely in catacombs beneath the city, or embrace his calling? The militia cells are scattered. His only allies are a turncoat Abkhenazi, a mad Belorussian immigrant, a beautiful but green medic, and a handful of armored infantry.
It will take everything he has to lead his people to freedom.
"J. Wesley Bush has accomplished the he has blended high tech savvy, geopolitics, philosophical and theological details, humor, gritty war action and romance all in a thrilling and mind-expanding read." - Shawn Doud
"Best of all is the quality of the it's smooth, polished, and consistently good throughout. The dialogue is realistic, the pacing is smart, and the sprinkling of wry humor is funny without ever jeopardizing the overall seriousness of the story." - Corey P.
Randal Knox never wanted to be a leader. But as the firstborn son of the Prime Minister, he seemed fated to a life in politics. Fleeing his family's plans, Randal enlists with the armored infantry, thinking he'll be safe on the snowy border with neighboring Abkhenazia.
When followers of the Prophet take control of Abkhenazia, his haven turns to hell. A vast army of zealots invades New Geneva, routing its tiny defense force and sending the remnants fleeing for their lives. Randal is forced to take charge of a small band of survivors, sheltering them in the mountain city of Providence.
With Providence under the iron rule of Colonel Gregor Tsepashin, Randal faces a choice. Will he hide safely in catacombs beneath the city, or embrace his calling? The militia cells are scattered. His only allies are a turncoat Abkhenazi, a mad Belorussian immigrant, a beautiful but green medic, and a handful of armored infantry.
It will take everything he has to lead his people to freedom.
"J. Wesley Bush has accomplished the he has blended high tech savvy, geopolitics, philosophical and theological details, humor, gritty war action and romance all in a thrilling and mind-expanding read." - Shawn Doud
"Best of all is the quality of the it's smooth, polished, and consistently good throughout. The dialogue is realistic, the pacing is smart, and the sprinkling of wry humor is funny without ever jeopardizing the overall seriousness of the story." - Corey P.
273 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2011
17 people are currently reading
186 people want to read
About the author
J. Wesley Bush
3 books45 followersJ. Wesley is a lifelong geek with an abiding love of fantasy and sci-fi for the way they transport us to other worlds and give unique perspectives on our own.
Life has taken him in some weird and wonderful directions, and these experiences shape his fiction: he has previously served as a U.S. Foreign Service diplomat, airborne infantryman, military cryptolinguist, NGO worker, history adjunct, and tow-truck driver in the desert.
J. Wesley speaks Russian and Swahili, and is currently learning Albanian in preparation for a move to Kosovo. He currently lives in Washington, DC and has previously worked in Kenya, Ukraine, and The Bahamas.
His graduate work is in American History with a focus on transnational migration.
He has an amazing wife, five sons, and (finally!) a daughter.
Life has taken him in some weird and wonderful directions, and these experiences shape his fiction: he has previously served as a U.S. Foreign Service diplomat, airborne infantryman, military cryptolinguist, NGO worker, history adjunct, and tow-truck driver in the desert.
J. Wesley speaks Russian and Swahili, and is currently learning Albanian in preparation for a move to Kosovo. He currently lives in Washington, DC and has previously worked in Kenya, Ukraine, and The Bahamas.
His graduate work is in American History with a focus on transnational migration.
He has an amazing wife, five sons, and (finally!) a daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
January 4, 2012
"Knox's Irregulars" is something along the lines of "Starship Troopers" meets "Red Dawn" without the secular/atheist assumptions made by 99% of science fiction. The author's unique achievement here is in writing compelling science fiction within an unapologetically Christian and plausible rubric. I would have liked to have had a little more backstory and discussion of the technology, but that's personal preference. Highly recommended to fans of both military and thoughtful science fiction.
December 7, 2025
“The ashes of the Hall of the Evolved will be the only monument to the weakness and heresy of this age. A new era begins today—an era of strength and purity. The disgraces of the past are cleansed in fire.”
A typical military science fiction tale of a country (on a planet far, far away) overrun by ruthless enemies and the emergence of a behind-the-lines resistance movement centered around the few remaining regular soldiers. The invented history, technology and cultures are plausible. The writing is very good.
“I’ve told you from the beginning, mate, you’re trying to gut through this. God makes a better God than you do.”
Despite mentioning it may be bookstore poison, but this story is decidedly Christian. Many Christian stories are of such poor quality that they give the genre a bad reputation. (You’d think it would be the other way, but it sadly isn’t.) That said the cast is multiracial, multigender, and multicultural, and even includes several CINOs (Christians in name only). Relevant historical quote opens each chapter.
Being Calvinists, no one really believed in luck, but talking about life after the war seemed like a jinx.
This is not a four-star story. But in keeping with my policy of granting an extra star to credible freshman efforts, this story gets raised to four. That said, it’s a really good read. Noteworthy as well is its position among the first titles published by the new Enclave Publishing imprint. Good job.
“After Everything” was the reigning euphemism those days for “If we survive.”
A typical military science fiction tale of a country (on a planet far, far away) overrun by ruthless enemies and the emergence of a behind-the-lines resistance movement centered around the few remaining regular soldiers. The invented history, technology and cultures are plausible. The writing is very good.
“I’ve told you from the beginning, mate, you’re trying to gut through this. God makes a better God than you do.”
Despite mentioning it may be bookstore poison, but this story is decidedly Christian. Many Christian stories are of such poor quality that they give the genre a bad reputation. (You’d think it would be the other way, but it sadly isn’t.) That said the cast is multiracial, multigender, and multicultural, and even includes several CINOs (Christians in name only). Relevant historical quote opens each chapter.
Being Calvinists, no one really believed in luck, but talking about life after the war seemed like a jinx.
This is not a four-star story. But in keeping with my policy of granting an extra star to credible freshman efforts, this story gets raised to four. That said, it’s a really good read. Noteworthy as well is its position among the first titles published by the new Enclave Publishing imprint. Good job.
“After Everything” was the reigning euphemism those days for “If we survive.”
October 29, 2013
With the end coming so quickly, it's hard to write near future Christian fiction. So,a common solution for the books I like is the spec fiction/science fiction approach. This is a very good one. it is definitely character driven, and the characters are believable, likable, and intriguing. It's got a good romance too—actually more than one. The Christians are besieged by the moslems. But it is ramped up a lot without going far beyond reality.
You'll like this book.
You'll like this book.
July 5, 2013
This book was so well written and engaging. I usually lean more towards space opera but this military sci fi was excellent! I could see the whole thing. Loved the world the author created. There were also some really touching moments with the characters. Great message!
May 8, 2012
Well written military SF Novel, but you may not like the Christian focus of it. Randall is a soldier and the son of a famous dignitary on New Geneva, a smaller state on a planet that the majority believes in a religion that combines the worst aspects of atheism and Islam. Eventually they attack, and Randall and his powered armor is trapped deep in now enemy territory. His only hope is to organize the rag-tag guerrilla forces left behind and strike back.
It's well written and with decent technology. The plot is fast paced as well. The problem is it's Christianity, and I speak of this as a more or less orthodox Christian.
The Christianity that runs through the book is Reformed Calvinism, and it shows in an almost Manicheaen view of good and evil. All of the opposing soldiers are faceless goons when they aren't sadists, and the few sympathetic non-christian characters are barely elevated above stereotype. He tries to soften it some, but it's not a kind of Christianity I feel comfortable with. And like its spiritual inspiration Starship Troopers there's a hint of underlying fascism. This is a society which you need to explain why you are single if you reach age 28 and are unmarried, and one where stigma against illegitimate birth is real enough for even an atheist to be at odds with his daughter. Or the main character's friend to call his love interest a trollop and backpedalling mildly without getting punched in the face. These are the good guys.
I'm still not comfortable with the enemy portrayals either. Yes, it's Military SF and that tends to be black and white, but the other side is SO evil that it is ludicrous, and begs the question of why the New Genevan people even are on the planet in the first place. There's a bit too much of a whiff of the Elect running through the book, and it soured me a little on it.
Other than that, there really isn't anything to complain about. I'm just not comfortable with the faith in the book. If he had made more of an effort to show that the line between believer and unbeliever is more fluid than you think (and no, the token character does not count considering his fate) and humanized the enemy a bit, it would have been a five star book for me.
It's well written and with decent technology. The plot is fast paced as well. The problem is it's Christianity, and I speak of this as a more or less orthodox Christian.
The Christianity that runs through the book is Reformed Calvinism, and it shows in an almost Manicheaen view of good and evil. All of the opposing soldiers are faceless goons when they aren't sadists, and the few sympathetic non-christian characters are barely elevated above stereotype. He tries to soften it some, but it's not a kind of Christianity I feel comfortable with. And like its spiritual inspiration Starship Troopers there's a hint of underlying fascism. This is a society which you need to explain why you are single if you reach age 28 and are unmarried, and one where stigma against illegitimate birth is real enough for even an atheist to be at odds with his daughter. Or the main character's friend to call his love interest a trollop and backpedalling mildly without getting punched in the face. These are the good guys.
I'm still not comfortable with the enemy portrayals either. Yes, it's Military SF and that tends to be black and white, but the other side is SO evil that it is ludicrous, and begs the question of why the New Genevan people even are on the planet in the first place. There's a bit too much of a whiff of the Elect running through the book, and it soured me a little on it.
Other than that, there really isn't anything to complain about. I'm just not comfortable with the faith in the book. If he had made more of an effort to show that the line between believer and unbeliever is more fluid than you think (and no, the token character does not count considering his fate) and humanized the enemy a bit, it would have been a five star book for me.
June 9, 2013
It was refreshing to read a Sci-fi story with a Christian perspective. I found it easy and compelling to read. It is heavy on battle and technology, which is not usually my thing, but I worked through it and thoroughly enjoyed this book.
October 13, 2025
four stars: very good
Okay, this was by no means a "great book" in terms of writing style, plot, or characters. But it was a "great book" in that I enjoyed it.
The pacing was all wonky and the ending wrapped up super fast---that and the character conflict was also resolved in a blink, which definitely isn't what you want in an action packed book.
BUT, like I said, I was very entertained, especially by all the Anglican and Calvinist references throughout the story. I never thought I'd read about a space planet super soldier in his bunker reading Augustine's Confessions on a mini-pad, but there's a first time for everything. This book had a lot of firsts. So four stars.
Okay, this was by no means a "great book" in terms of writing style, plot, or characters. But it was a "great book" in that I enjoyed it.
The pacing was all wonky and the ending wrapped up super fast---that and the character conflict was also resolved in a blink, which definitely isn't what you want in an action packed book.
BUT, like I said, I was very entertained, especially by all the Anglican and Calvinist references throughout the story. I never thought I'd read about a space planet super soldier in his bunker reading Augustine's Confessions on a mini-pad, but there's a first time for everything. This book had a lot of firsts. So four stars.
June 7, 2019
I couldn't finish it.
It is a shame cause it's pretty obvious the author could write some nice mil scifi if he put the effort.
SPOILER ALERT. Just using one or 2
All i have is con's and that from the first 90 pages or something like that.
1) Too many biblical references. I searched the first few but they just kept coming.
You must have the bible memorized to actually read the book at a reasonable pace.
2) All the female soldiers are "girls". The protagonist and his bros are "men" etc...
Especially the French speaking medic is such a useless wonder of a damsel in distress. Pah
As for the second woman we meet that is under his orders... she questions his ability to issue orders since he is such low rank and this is what happens:
""Further, Lance Corporal, question my orders again and I will send you back to report to the Battalion Commander. What's left of him, anyway." His voice came out low, anger a throaty undertone.
The girl wisely held her tongue."
3) The combat is pretty well depicted... but there are too many things that don't make any sense. I'll give 2 examples.
The initial deployment of a force that will surely be butchered without any apparent gain must be the call of a drunk/brain dead general.No matter how many metafores about the bloody 300 Spartans you use.
The absence of portable antiaircraft weaponry or air support makes no sense. Especially since targets can be "locked-on" just using passive sensors.
4) Why do the bad guys have to be islamic communists ?.... This is so messed up. Why not go a bit further?
Make them undead Nazi islamic terrorist communists that like having sex with goats and eat babies for breakfast?
This is so messed up ! Please keep your phobias to yourself mr Bush.
And didn't anyone tell you that the "communist threat" is out of vogue?
It is a shame cause it's pretty obvious the author could write some nice mil scifi if he put the effort.
SPOILER ALERT. Just using one or 2
All i have is con's and that from the first 90 pages or something like that.
1) Too many biblical references. I searched the first few but they just kept coming.
You must have the bible memorized to actually read the book at a reasonable pace.
2) All the female soldiers are "girls". The protagonist and his bros are "men" etc...
Especially the French speaking medic is such a useless wonder of a damsel in distress. Pah
As for the second woman we meet that is under his orders... she questions his ability to issue orders since he is such low rank and this is what happens:
""Further, Lance Corporal, question my orders again and I will send you back to report to the Battalion Commander. What's left of him, anyway." His voice came out low, anger a throaty undertone.
The girl wisely held her tongue."
3) The combat is pretty well depicted... but there are too many things that don't make any sense. I'll give 2 examples.
The initial deployment of a force that will surely be butchered without any apparent gain must be the call of a drunk/brain dead general.No matter how many metafores about the bloody 300 Spartans you use.
The absence of portable antiaircraft weaponry or air support makes no sense. Especially since targets can be "locked-on" just using passive sensors.
4) Why do the bad guys have to be islamic communists ?.... This is so messed up. Why not go a bit further?
Make them undead Nazi islamic terrorist communists that like having sex with goats and eat babies for breakfast?
This is so messed up ! Please keep your phobias to yourself mr Bush.
And didn't anyone tell you that the "communist threat" is out of vogue?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2013
Knox's Irregulars was a surprise. I bought the kindle book for the science fiction story and was thrilled to find that there was also a clear Christian message. As a Christian author myself (Unrelenting Love: A Novel of War, Love and Redemption) I understand the difficulty in writing Christian fiction that is exciting while still declaring the Christian message of God's grace and love.Great characterization with figures that were believable and had depth. Heroes I could identify with unlike too many books today where the protagonist is an anti-hero.
Well done Mr. Bush.
Well done Mr. Bush.
January 20, 2014
I personally really enjoyed this book. It had a very well crafted plot, intense characters, and deep underlying themes. This is a very rare blend to find in modern science fiction it seems the last time someone effectively put these three things together was Robert A. Heinlein in the now sci-fi classic Starship Troopers. This book is a must read for anyone interested in moral issues and people in battle armor blowing bad guys up.
May 15, 2023
Great futuristic war story. I like war stories. While not quite on par with the Lamb Among the Stars series, it was a good read, and I enjoyed the Christian themes throughout. I wasn't completely captured by it as with other books... as in, there were times I felt I could put it down, not to return for a few days. I felt like it could have been longer and more in-depth. Would read it again though.
March 24, 2017
Knox's Irregulars is an outstanding work of military science-fi! The characters are well rounded and the battle scenes are first rate. It is obvious that the author has employed some considerable first-hand military experience in the details here. The pacing is fast and even, and the thematic development is consistent.
The protagonist of the story is Corporal Randall Knox, scion of a politically powerful family, who has entered the military of his nation, New Geneva, in order to escape a destiny in the halls of government. The events of the story, kicked off by the invasion of New Geneva's aggressive northern neighbor, drive the hero into an unsought position of high-pressure leadership as he finds himself establishing a guerrilla operation in the enemy's rear area. In many ways the book reminded me of Hemingway's "For Whom the Bell Tolls" (another fantastic book about partisan guerrillas).
Some reviewers have made note that this is Christian fiction, and I want to address that. The allegory between Wahhabism and western liberalism is apparent, but this book is no way an anti-anything screed. While I do not generally enjoy religiously themed books (I could barely make it through the first of the "Left Behind" series), more secular readers should not be put off as the religious content (what there is of it) enhances the story in terms of motivations and characterization.
Highly recommended.
The protagonist of the story is Corporal Randall Knox, scion of a politically powerful family, who has entered the military of his nation, New Geneva, in order to escape a destiny in the halls of government. The events of the story, kicked off by the invasion of New Geneva's aggressive northern neighbor, drive the hero into an unsought position of high-pressure leadership as he finds himself establishing a guerrilla operation in the enemy's rear area. In many ways the book reminded me of Hemingway's "For Whom the Bell Tolls" (another fantastic book about partisan guerrillas).
Some reviewers have made note that this is Christian fiction, and I want to address that. The allegory between Wahhabism and western liberalism is apparent, but this book is no way an anti-anything screed. While I do not generally enjoy religiously themed books (I could barely make it through the first of the "Left Behind" series), more secular readers should not be put off as the religious content (what there is of it) enhances the story in terms of motivations and characterization.
Highly recommended.
December 21, 2022
Highly competent military scifi. The author knows his military jargon and he's got good worldbuilding from a technical standpoint, but the God-fearing Calvinists versus New Age islamo-communists was a huge turn off for me. I was willing to look past that, but the writing of women in this book is terrible. The women (who are constantly referred to as girls) serve no purpose other than to do womanly things and fill traditionally female plot roles (damsel in distress and love interest).
March 25, 2019
Good read
This was a good book, I liked it a lot. Good writing and a decent plot, and it was just the right length to flesh the story out without being long winded. Recommended to sci-fi fans.
This was a good book, I liked it a lot. Good writing and a decent plot, and it was just the right length to flesh the story out without being long winded. Recommended to sci-fi fans.
February 19, 2025
Good military science-fiction from a gently, but not overwhelmingly, Christian viewpoint. I enjoyed it.
November 16, 2012
This was a well written war story placed in a slightly Science Fiction setting of another planet.However the Theological overtones throughout the book slightly spoiled my enjoyment of this over all fast paced action packed story.
The whole thing was full of wonderful technology and well written guerilla warfare and some really interesting characters. But the enemy of the Christian soldiers (who are the 'Heroes' of the story)are portrayed in a very stereotypical fashion as sadists and fanatics without any redeeming features.
The whole thing was full of wonderful technology and well written guerilla warfare and some really interesting characters. But the enemy of the Christian soldiers (who are the 'Heroes' of the story)are portrayed in a very stereotypical fashion as sadists and fanatics without any redeeming features.
December 22, 2011
It wasn't bad military SF as long as you don't mind the constant Christianity of the characters and the negative comments about Atheism. I read through this so I could give it a full review but it was chore and not a pleasure. The author actually makes the horrible Khilisti religion, with Saints like Stalin and Trotsky, sound better than being an Atheist because at least they have a belief in a Supreme Being. It didn't make one star because the military side of the writing wasn't bad.
May 9, 2012
2.5. There were definite attempts to make the characters multi dimensional, but they were still pretty flat. The religious aspects were also a bit flat (we get it, the Christians need to beat the Muslims), but the military aspects were neat, even if they didn't involve anything too original. Good beach read.
February 12, 2012
A story of faith wrapped around a very loose SciFi military idea. I enjoyed the story and it made an airplane flight bearable. Definitely not the story for you if you are looking for something heavily built around a SciFi idea.
April 8, 2015
This is the first time that I had read anything sci-fi that was also overtly Christian. I think that the author did a good job of showing how Christians are not cookie cutter men and women, blindly following what we are told, but that we each have a separate path to follow and choices to make.
December 27, 2012
An OK read, but nothing special. I am not sure I have a particular criticism, as the book was uniformly at about the OK level. The total package did not enthrall, is all.
October 31, 2014
Fast-paced, compelling sci-fi read. I sometimes had to put the book down, just to calm myself. ;-) Enjoyed the characters, the plot and the action scenes. Look forward to his next book!
December 30, 2014
Decent military sci-fi with a somewhat more credible premise than most: humans fighting each other because of religious differences.
January 13, 2016
This is indeed a good read.
August 18, 2012
Generic sci-fi book where the story is decent and the writing cliché, good enough to finish.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews