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Frontlines #2.2
Measures of Absolution
In the aftermath of the Battle of Detroit, Corporal Jackson finds out how the 365th AIB got a mauling in the Public Residence Clusters, and why the Territorial Army may have lost control over a big chunk of Detroit.
A novella in the Terms of Enlistment universe.
A novella in the Terms of Enlistment universe.
63 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 27, 2013
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1311 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
September 27, 2019
This little novella is all about Corporal Jackson and what led her to leave the Army and join the Resistance. It was a decent story but I never really felt a connection to Corporal Jackson so the story didn't really effect me one way or the other. She just wasn't featured enough to really even bridge a connection.
I wish the author would have written a novella about Sergeant Fallon. Now that I would really enjoy reading. I just love her spunk and attitude. She's a character you won't forget!
I wish the author would have written a novella about Sergeant Fallon. Now that I would really enjoy reading. I just love her spunk and attitude. She's a character you won't forget!
April 5, 2014
This short story is a follow up or sequel to the Battle of Detroit in M. Kloos' Terms of Enlistment which I just read. From the point of view of another TA trooper (Corporal Jackson) we get to look at some events that follow the events in the novel, and what they presage.
Having survived the battle where for the first time TA troops were badly bloodied by (apparent) civilian "welfare" rioters (welfare rats) she's the only one of her squad still on her feet. What she hasn't told anyone, including her superiors is that she removed a pair of dog-tags from the neck of one of the rioters who was shooting at her squad members after killing her. This woman had been in the military.
This sends Jackson off on her own investigation and sets up the events in the rest of the story.
I have a feeling that this is going to be a continuing theme in the following novel(novels hopefully). I enjoyed this story (if that's the word for this slightly downer story) and plan to continue following Marko Kloos writing.
I got this on Kindle and recommend it...especially if you liked
.
Having survived the battle where for the first time TA troops were badly bloodied by (apparent) civilian "welfare" rioters (welfare rats) she's the only one of her squad still on her feet. What she hasn't told anyone, including her superiors is that she removed a pair of dog-tags from the neck of one of the rioters who was shooting at her squad members after killing her. This woman had been in the military.
This sends Jackson off on her own investigation and sets up the events in the rest of the story.
I have a feeling that this is going to be a continuing theme in the following novel(novels hopefully). I enjoyed this story (if that's the word for this slightly downer story) and plan to continue following Marko Kloos writing.
I got this on Kindle and recommend it...especially if you liked
. 
January 15, 2016
Eh. This novella was a mess, but if I assume Jackson was suffering from post-Detroit shell-shock, I can accept it. The issue I think I have here is that there are two real story arcs happening in the series overall, the (mostly backstory, except when it's not) human wars/competition for resources on Earth and the fight against the Lankies. The first story line, which is what this novella was about, doesn't catch my attention. The most interesting part was the description of organization that the NAC has put into its government-sponsored poverty. I didn't get adequate answers about the things that are going down in the PRCs. I don't think anyone will miss much in the overall series by skipping this, and I won't stray off the main path of the series again.
October 30, 2018
A game-changing novella in the Frontlines universe. More accurately numbered 1.2, this occurs alongside Grayson's injury as a TA in book 1 but very much before book 2 begins. However, it does serve to make me even MORE eager to get on to book 3 already! Again, Kloos is wonderful at portraying emotion without making things TOO emotional and frilly. Often when I read things I really enjoy, I advocate for them being made into screen media as well just so I have more people to fangirl to. This, though... I just don't think media would be able to scratch the surface. Incredibly deep and heartbreaking and infuriating and, frighteningly, realistic.
July 10, 2019
This is a side trip into the Frontlines series and takes us back to the slums of Detroit. It gives us an idea of what is happening back on earth while Grayson and the NAC fleet are fighting Lankies. I’ll take what I can get and this was a hold-me-over until the next book in the series comes out. An enjoyable read, but I kept wondering what was happening out in space the whole time I was reading.
June 18, 2020
This series is certainly good enough to read every available piece. This piece is quite a different angle which adds a bit more humanity to the action packed core story, very much supplemental.
And I'm holding off as long as I can on reading Points of Impact (Frontlines #6) since after that it'll be a year til the new one.
And I'm holding off as long as I can on reading Points of Impact (Frontlines #6) since after that it'll be a year til the new one.
August 10, 2020
Unlike 2.1, reading this apart from the longer works feels incomplete.
December 19, 2019
Antes de direcionar a série Frontlines para uma história de combate a invasões alienígenas, Kloos focava-se nas tensões internas do seu mundo ficcional. A Terra está em paz, mas a competição militar entre as grandes potências passa-se nos planetas e luas colonizadas. E, em casa, reina a desigualdade. A maioria da população vive em ghettos gigantescos, dependente de sistemas sociais. Locais onde a única saída possível é ir alistar-se nos exércitos, alimentando a máquina militar. Locais onde a tensão é constante, bem como intervenções militares para controle de população. É aqui que mergulhamos nesta história, acompanhando uma líder de pelotão que, ao ser enviada para controlar motins, descobre que está na verdade a combater uma força mais organizada do que lhe foi informado. O cenário elaborado serve essencialmente para o tipo de ficção em que Kloos se especializou, ação militarista futurista.
October 6, 2024
I don't know if this added anything. Sure, we got Jackson's perspective on the Detroit mission but... 🤷♀️And the second half with Lazarus...? If he don't make a comeback in the rest of the series this novella is utterly useless (unless I'm forgetting relevant details of books 1 & 2.
January 29, 2024
This is a short story that looks at Corporal Jackson after the TAs shocking defeat in Detroit, and the loss of several of their team. She is not able to deal with the losses, and is suffering from Survivors Guilt as she is the only member of her unit that came away basically untouched, the rest either suffering severe injury or death.
As a result, she starts going stir crazy, and sets off to find those responsible for tearing up her unit.
She ends up side-tracked though, and on another mission, back to that area with another team, and this ends with an interesting mission.
So I read this out of sequence, reading book 3 first, and then discovered this one and read it. Obviously, this story was ok, but didn’t meet some expectations having read book 3. So if you really want to get the most out of this book, Absolution, make sure you read it before reading book 3 (Yeh, I can hear the Duh’s, obviously in the background!), but seriously, you will get a lot more out of the story.
As with his other books, Kloos likes to lead us on action packed stories, with several battles, some introspective characters who are doing some soul searching, but at the end of the day, these are what they are meant to be, good Military Sci-Fi that are fun to read and really enjoyable.
If you are into the series, this is worth the side-track to checkout and learn a bit about Lazarus and Jackson before book 3 (you know, in the right order…sigh…)
As a result, she starts going stir crazy, and sets off to find those responsible for tearing up her unit.
She ends up side-tracked though, and on another mission, back to that area with another team, and this ends with an interesting mission.
So I read this out of sequence, reading book 3 first, and then discovered this one and read it. Obviously, this story was ok, but didn’t meet some expectations having read book 3. So if you really want to get the most out of this book, Absolution, make sure you read it before reading book 3 (Yeh, I can hear the Duh’s, obviously in the background!), but seriously, you will get a lot more out of the story.
As with his other books, Kloos likes to lead us on action packed stories, with several battles, some introspective characters who are doing some soul searching, but at the end of the day, these are what they are meant to be, good Military Sci-Fi that are fun to read and really enjoyable.
If you are into the series, this is worth the side-track to checkout and learn a bit about Lazarus and Jackson before book 3 (you know, in the right order…sigh…)
February 1, 2014
This novella adds some much-needed background to Terms of Enlistment, the first in the series: namely, what was up with the fighting in Detroit? This was what I kept asking myself throughout the first book, so it was nice to get a bit of resolution here.
The story is told from the perspective of Jackson, one of Grayson's fellow soldiers; not that it really matters, as the inside of her head sounds pretty much like the inside of Grayson's head, who in turn sounds pretty much like Halley, who got her shot as POV character in "Lucky Thirteen." So basically what I'm saying is that you should be reading these things for all the fighting, which the author does indeed do very well.
I'm not saying it's not worth the $2, but this book had me eyeing the Kindle Lending and wishing I could have read it for free. Off to read the second actual novel in the series now.
The story is told from the perspective of Jackson, one of Grayson's fellow soldiers; not that it really matters, as the inside of her head sounds pretty much like the inside of Grayson's head, who in turn sounds pretty much like Halley, who got her shot as POV character in "Lucky Thirteen." So basically what I'm saying is that you should be reading these things for all the fighting, which the author does indeed do very well.
I'm not saying it's not worth the $2, but this book had me eyeing the Kindle Lending and wishing I could have read it for free. Off to read the second actual novel in the series now.
July 30, 2017
Not a stand alone story
This novella is a glimpse into a choice made by one of the peripheral characters of the first or second Front Lines book (who is then mentioned again near the end of the series, probably book four). The writing is just as solid and engaging as the primary series. I am rating this review one star less because of its brevity. The short length limits the amount of information presented, which in turn causes a disjointed narrative. There are two completely different plots that, though connected by a single character, do not necessarily have anything to do with one another. The first plot is directly associated with the title, but the second is not tied into the leitmotif of "absolution." In short , if i had not already read the entire series, I do not believe this story would have made any sense to me.
This novella is a glimpse into a choice made by one of the peripheral characters of the first or second Front Lines book (who is then mentioned again near the end of the series, probably book four). The writing is just as solid and engaging as the primary series. I am rating this review one star less because of its brevity. The short length limits the amount of information presented, which in turn causes a disjointed narrative. There are two completely different plots that, though connected by a single character, do not necessarily have anything to do with one another. The first plot is directly associated with the title, but the second is not tied into the leitmotif of "absolution." In short , if i had not already read the entire series, I do not believe this story would have made any sense to me.
January 20, 2015
Strong Start, Weak Finish
Great concept - another possible perspective of a crucial moment in "Terms of Enlistment", and following another character who was in the clusterf@ck in Detroit. Unfortunately, the rest of the story loses depth and credibility. The good corporal locates the family of a "welfare rat" (civilian) that she killed, discovers that said rat was formerly in the military, and yet makes no effort to determine WHY she went over to the other side - after going to all the trouble to find the dead civilian's family! I guess it just suddenly ceased to be important. That's just the beginning of the slide into loss of the promising reality of the beginning of the work. It feels as if the author got distracted by something more important, or got lazy. Pity.
Great concept - another possible perspective of a crucial moment in "Terms of Enlistment", and following another character who was in the clusterf@ck in Detroit. Unfortunately, the rest of the story loses depth and credibility. The good corporal locates the family of a "welfare rat" (civilian) that she killed, discovers that said rat was formerly in the military, and yet makes no effort to determine WHY she went over to the other side - after going to all the trouble to find the dead civilian's family! I guess it just suddenly ceased to be important. That's just the beginning of the slide into loss of the promising reality of the beginning of the work. It feels as if the author got distracted by something more important, or got lazy. Pity.
September 10, 2014
WAY TOO SHORT FOR THE PRICE
I thought the story line was good but it was incomplete. The ending left too many loose ends: the character development was not satisfying, the situation was unresolved and the military training missed vital elements that did not make sense. If a soldier has command and control information on an opposing force and can get sights on, he or she must take the shot. I'd like my money back.
I thought the story line was good but it was incomplete. The ending left too many loose ends: the character development was not satisfying, the situation was unresolved and the military training missed vital elements that did not make sense. If a soldier has command and control information on an opposing force and can get sights on, he or she must take the shot. I'd like my money back.
April 20, 2017
As a stand-alone work, it's not satisfying. It takes a character from Terms of Enlistment, follows her for a bit while she investigates an event, but doesn't truly resolve anything. If Jackson re-appears in the series in a later installment, this may have minor value. Otherwise, it's just an unresolved vignette.
December 20, 2018
I found this one much more interesting than Lucky 13. The events are set before book 2, but for reasons (), I definitely recommend reading this novella after book 2. The story is interesting, there is a solid dollop of action, and lots of worthwhile introspection.
January 15, 2014
This novella was enjoyable like the author's other books but felt oddly packaged. I can't recall a novella that felt so much like a handful of chapters ripped from another book. The novella has little to do with it's description on Amazon and it's all very puzzling.
I see now that it's self-published and it makes sense.
I see now that it's self-published and it makes sense.
December 7, 2013
Fast and furious mil sci fi action, with enough glimpses of Jackson's character to have a little more depth. Nice little add-on to the "Terms of Enlistment" universe to whet my appetite for the next installment.
November 1, 2014
Another short story but longer than the Lucky 13 one and a better read. I was a little disappointed because it made it seem like it was going to go into the military/government/PRC conspiracy but it just hit the surface. I'm hoping the future books will expand on this.
May 30, 2015
Ok but
If you've read the series there's nothing for you here. Not to say it's not well done, but I just didn't feel like there was enough I didn't already know. So if you haven't read the series then this is a five star short story
If you've read the series there's nothing for you here. Not to say it's not well done, but I just didn't feel like there was enough I didn't already know. So if you haven't read the series then this is a five star short story
January 7, 2017
Good but....
Not as good as the primary series of books. Maybe I just didn't see the Jackson character quite this way, but she was as fleshed out as other characters. I did appreciate the hint of a history behind Jackson.
Not as good as the primary series of books. Maybe I just didn't see the Jackson character quite this way, but she was as fleshed out as other characters. I did appreciate the hint of a history behind Jackson.
November 28, 2017
Good break
This is definitely a good side story. However, I didn't like the end at all. I think the author can do better on that. Also, I am curious whether this side story will go into mini-series...
This is definitely a good side story. However, I didn't like the end at all. I think the author can do better on that. Also, I am curious whether this side story will go into mini-series...
April 3, 2018
Was enjoyable.
I enjoyed learning more about Jackson's character. The book could be a bit hard to follow at times as the author seemed to switch between using the 1st person and 3rd person perspectives without warning.
I enjoyed learning more about Jackson's character. The book could be a bit hard to follow at times as the author seemed to switch between using the 1st person and 3rd person perspectives without warning.
March 21, 2019
A short but excellent story
Gives a good look at those in the PRCs. Always interesting to see 👀 from the other side. I sometimes wonder how writers do this but then again I am so glad they do.
Gives a good look at those in the PRCs. Always interesting to see 👀 from the other side. I sometimes wonder how writers do this but then again I am so glad they do.
November 24, 2013
Good story, not as good as Terms of Enlistment. Desperately in need of an editor.
April 23, 2014
Good, answers some questions from the first book, but this novella left me with more irritating questions, and the ending is just... yeah, it just ends...
March 26, 2016
A short side-romp in the Terms of Enlistment/Frontlines universe exploring the hell-holes that are the welfare centers in the North American Commonwealth
May 9, 2016
A different point of view on the world that's been created
May 21, 2016
Interesting tidbit, but the story lost its own point at the three quarter mark.
February 4, 2017
Another interesting short, but didn't feel like a complete story. Feels like more questions should be answered.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews