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Rim War
On the outer rim of the galaxy, in a century old battle, a heinous adversary is carrying out a religious calling to exterminate all other sentient species … At 105 years of age, Millie Helgren knows her days are numbered when she enters a government-operated nursing home. Only instead of withering away from old age, Millie becomes entangled in a conspiracy to covertly supply Earth’s senior citizens to an imperial military in a distant part of the galaxy. At first it’s a mystery why would a group of advanced species be interested in elderly humans with dietary restrictions and physical ailments. But what if they happened to possess the medical tech to give someone like Millie a new lease on life as an imperial soldier? Through intense training Millie discovers a level of strength and tenacity she thought was long lost. Soon she is thrust into a rank and file that she knows nothing about, aboard an imperial warship, reporting to a tough captain who has little respect for humans. To make matters worse, the imperial military is outnumbered, outgunned, and facing certain defeat. As Millie endures the hardships of a grim future, will her training, restored youth, sharp wit, and determination to defend Earth be enough to survive?
- GenresScience Fiction
322 pages, Paperback
Published January 15, 2017
19 people are currently reading
349 people want to read
About the author
Kadin Seton
2 books51 followersSomeone who makes up stuff and puts it on paper. Lover of science fiction and fine wine - especially when consumed together.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 30, 2017
I really enjoyed this story - between a 105 year old woman enlisted for a war, alien cultures, sentient AI's, etc. it definitely passed the pick-up test (oh you know, those times between readings when you look forward to picking the book back up again). Time and again something interesting would happen to keep me wanting to read more — this is really saying something considering I am not at all into war stories.
I only have a few downsides (some of which I will describe below ), but as you can see from my rating it's still a really enjoyable read.
• The element I was missing most in the story is any description of tactile and sensory experiences. While there were some descriptions of food being delicious, for the most part the book is a chronological this happened/that happened without much in the way of describing the environment. I think this would've added another level to the book.
• Although our main character is a 105-year-old woman (made ready for battles obvs) there is very little signof her having been a human who has lived a long life. Of course it did help her have a certain level of wisdom and adaptability, but I just imagine living to be over 100 and put in the situation, and can't escape the fact that I know I would have my mind blown on a daily basis for quite a while. Just knowing I wasn't at risk of throwing my back out all the time or could sleep through the night without paying five times would be a wonder. There must be so many aches and pains someone experiences by that age that to have them alleviated would be a major adjustment.
• There are a few more editing errors than I'd like to have seen, but not too bad really. I'm sharing my notes and highlights later today. Ack, shoot - I have this book as a "doc" rather than a book, so I can't.
4 stars, easy to recommend to others.
I only have a few downsides (some of which I will describe below ), but as you can see from my rating it's still a really enjoyable read.
• The element I was missing most in the story is any description of tactile and sensory experiences. While there were some descriptions of food being delicious, for the most part the book is a chronological this happened/that happened without much in the way of describing the environment. I think this would've added another level to the book.
• Although our main character is a 105-year-old woman (made ready for battles obvs) there is very little signof her having been a human who has lived a long life. Of course it did help her have a certain level of wisdom and adaptability, but I just imagine living to be over 100 and put in the situation, and can't escape the fact that I know I would have my mind blown on a daily basis for quite a while. Just knowing I wasn't at risk of throwing my back out all the time or could sleep through the night without paying five times would be a wonder. There must be so many aches and pains someone experiences by that age that to have them alleviated would be a major adjustment.
• There are a few more editing errors than I'd like to have seen, but not too bad really. I'm sharing my notes and highlights later today. Ack, shoot - I have this book as a "doc" rather than a book, so I can't.
4 stars, easy to recommend to others.
July 11, 2021
Really fun space opera
Kinder gentler version of “old mans war” - well paced, complex balancing interpersonal friendship and love with space battles and espionage - good fun
Kinder gentler version of “old mans war” - well paced, complex balancing interpersonal friendship and love with space battles and espionage - good fun
March 16, 2017
First lines: Growing old was a monstrous force from which there was no recourse, akin to an unjust death sentence with no hope for appeal.
“Get your sweaty hands off me.” I swatted away the meaty fingers grabbing at my elbow.
4 1/2 stars, rounded up.
"Rim War: Subversion" is an epic science fiction tale that pretty much had me hooked from the first couple of pages. I'm a huge fan of science fiction, and I'm also partial to senior citizens (go figure, I live in Florida, aka God's Waiting Room), so I was pretty much stoked to read this book. And, thank you, Ms. Seton, I was not disappointed in either the contents or the delivery of such. What an amazing book this was for me!
Our story begins on Earth, in the year 2099. Our hero is centenarian Mildred Helgren, or Millie as she prefers to be called, who finds herself deposited at the Fed-Home, a government sponsored assisted living facility, on her 105th birthday. There she discovers a conspiracy that trades Earth's senior citizens to an alien race as warriors in a distant galactic battle. Despite her years, Millie remains intellectually sharp as a tack, and her resilient mentality enables her to excel in her strange new world. Added to this is her newly youthful body, courtesy of an alien cellular "reset" process that is painful and deadly. I really enjoyed this first half of the book, which reminded me of the movie "Cocoon", only more deadly and without Steve Gutenburg. Millie and her Earth friends are quickly thrust into the war as the allied forces suffer devastating planetary losses. Assigned to the difficult role of a navigational pilot, Millie's job is to interface with the AI that controls the ship.
The world-building was very detailed and convincing, and the alien races were fleshed out with cultural peculiarities, not just with blue skin or tattooes. Similarly, the science of this future world was detailed and convincing, from the science of space travel by bending space in a process called Distortion Turns, to learning and communicating through chips surgically installed in a person's brain. I enjoyed the characters as well, particularly Millie and her relationship with the AI of the various ships she piloted.
This was an excellent read for me, and highly recommended. Kudos to the author!
“Get your sweaty hands off me.” I swatted away the meaty fingers grabbing at my elbow.
4 1/2 stars, rounded up.
"Rim War: Subversion" is an epic science fiction tale that pretty much had me hooked from the first couple of pages. I'm a huge fan of science fiction, and I'm also partial to senior citizens (go figure, I live in Florida, aka God's Waiting Room), so I was pretty much stoked to read this book. And, thank you, Ms. Seton, I was not disappointed in either the contents or the delivery of such. What an amazing book this was for me!
Our story begins on Earth, in the year 2099. Our hero is centenarian Mildred Helgren, or Millie as she prefers to be called, who finds herself deposited at the Fed-Home, a government sponsored assisted living facility, on her 105th birthday. There she discovers a conspiracy that trades Earth's senior citizens to an alien race as warriors in a distant galactic battle. Despite her years, Millie remains intellectually sharp as a tack, and her resilient mentality enables her to excel in her strange new world. Added to this is her newly youthful body, courtesy of an alien cellular "reset" process that is painful and deadly. I really enjoyed this first half of the book, which reminded me of the movie "Cocoon", only more deadly and without Steve Gutenburg. Millie and her Earth friends are quickly thrust into the war as the allied forces suffer devastating planetary losses. Assigned to the difficult role of a navigational pilot, Millie's job is to interface with the AI that controls the ship.
The world-building was very detailed and convincing, and the alien races were fleshed out with cultural peculiarities, not just with blue skin or tattooes. Similarly, the science of this future world was detailed and convincing, from the science of space travel by bending space in a process called Distortion Turns, to learning and communicating through chips surgically installed in a person's brain. I enjoyed the characters as well, particularly Millie and her relationship with the AI of the various ships she piloted.
This was an excellent read for me, and highly recommended. Kudos to the author!
March 28, 2017
I LOVED this book. I loved the writing, the story, the characters and the settings. This will be one of my top ten all time favorite books! The writing is excellent, its the kind of writing where you are just immediately immersed in the story and it plays in your head like a movie and you don't even feel like you are reading, you just keep flipping pages at high speed. Its the story you stay up too late to finish just one more chapter ... then another ... and another.
I loved the concept of elderly people becoming soldiers - they have such a different world view and a lifetime of wisdom as opposed to young people. I loved the different alien species introduced and how the main character has to get along in this new world, profession and with these alien species. It was awesome to see it through her eyes, the wonder and amazement .... and sometimes fear.
It has quite a fast pace and the plot moved along at a nice pace, while still also developing and introducing new characters as well as scenes, settings and necessary backstory. Description is just enough to paint a picture, but not going overboard with superfluous words.
There was some humor as well between characters that was seamlessly done and really made the read so enjoyable.
All around PHENOMENAL read!!!!
I loved the concept of elderly people becoming soldiers - they have such a different world view and a lifetime of wisdom as opposed to young people. I loved the different alien species introduced and how the main character has to get along in this new world, profession and with these alien species. It was awesome to see it through her eyes, the wonder and amazement .... and sometimes fear.
It has quite a fast pace and the plot moved along at a nice pace, while still also developing and introducing new characters as well as scenes, settings and necessary backstory. Description is just enough to paint a picture, but not going overboard with superfluous words.
There was some humor as well between characters that was seamlessly done and really made the read so enjoyable.
All around PHENOMENAL read!!!!
December 12, 2021
Great way to spend an evening
The 1st book I’ve read by this author and I’m so pleased to add Kadin to my authors to follow.
The 1st book I’ve read by this author and I’m so pleased to add Kadin to my authors to follow.
July 5, 2021
Great read
Wow, this was a fun read. Not in the sense of being funny but it flowed from one turn to the next in such a way you just had to keep reading. The author made all the experiences feel so real. I hope she doesn't leave us hanging.
Wow, this was a fun read. Not in the sense of being funny but it flowed from one turn to the next in such a way you just had to keep reading. The author made all the experiences feel so real. I hope she doesn't leave us hanging.
July 4, 2021
Good sci-fi war read
This book has some great characters is full of action and adventure along with suspense. Great book can't wait to read the next one in the series.
This book has some great characters is full of action and adventure along with suspense. Great book can't wait to read the next one in the series.
March 17, 2017
Great read!
It has characters you can identify with and a well developed story. I didn't want to stop reading. Well worth the read.
It has characters you can identify with and a well developed story. I didn't want to stop reading. Well worth the read.
March 15, 2017
Fast read and enjoyable
Great read. The World building is extremely good. I enjoyed the main character and her rebirth. Looking forward to the next installment.
Great read. The World building is extremely good. I enjoyed the main character and her rebirth. Looking forward to the next installment.
March 11, 2017
Superb read.
Well written. Starts fast, keeps the pace and excitement on full speed. I shall follow this author in the future.
Well written. Starts fast, keeps the pace and excitement on full speed. I shall follow this author in the future.
March 9, 2017
What you didn't wish for can be pandemic
Many times gifts given are of a one use nature. On rare occasions the gift has extenuating functions. If it boosts the survivability of not just the human race
and encompasses all the good guys in your sector of the galaxy, why friggin not? Put the pedal to the metal Ecce. Go for it with your Captain. Why wait?
Many times gifts given are of a one use nature. On rare occasions the gift has extenuating functions. If it boosts the survivability of not just the human race
and encompasses all the good guys in your sector of the galaxy, why friggin not? Put the pedal to the metal Ecce. Go for it with your Captain. Why wait?
February 8, 2017
This story is very engaging. Although I am not a regular reader of Science Fiction, I found this story fun and believable. It is extremely easy to become one with the characters and I like that in a book.I highly recommend this story and I can't wait for the next installment.
June 3, 2021
I was given a free review copy of this book.
Man, I love Kadin's stories. After reading Eye of the Draco: Darkfall a couple of years back, I could not wait to see what she might cook up next, and I was not disappointed! I do have a few gripes, but let's start with the good stuff.
The worldbuilding was excellent. Explanations of medical and technological elements were clean and don't leave you feeling overwhelmed, as is the pit many scifi authors often fall in to. I loved the concept of reverse aging technology, and following these old folks as they transformed into spry younger versions of themselves was certainly a ride (and a cringe-worthy one at that. Let's just say . . . the process is not pretty).
I also fell hard for the cast. All were unique and came from various walks of life (including life of the alien variety). My favorite character, aside from Millie, has got to be Dr. Cennu Andar Uleht—a Valorian doctor aboard the SpaceLion.
You throw an interesting alien into your cast, and you bet your butt I'm gonna be all over them.
Now, on to my gripes.
- Personally, I would've liked a little more description of the various species' physical appearances (for example, facial and body structure. Most were simply described with regard to their hair and skin color). Mind you, I seem to stand out from he crowd that way. Many prefer vague descriptions that allow them to build the character's image themselves.
- Romance felt a smidge out of place, as did cussing. Although the language fit some characters perfectly, it felt forced from others.
- The story felt somewhat disjointed to me. The characters didn't seem to be shooting towards a clear goal, and the book seemed to end before it was ready to.
Gripes aside, I really enjoyed RIM WAR: SUBVERSION, and I will be eagerly awaiting the next installment in this series. I'm excited to see where it goes!
Man, I love Kadin's stories. After reading Eye of the Draco: Darkfall a couple of years back, I could not wait to see what she might cook up next, and I was not disappointed! I do have a few gripes, but let's start with the good stuff.
The worldbuilding was excellent. Explanations of medical and technological elements were clean and don't leave you feeling overwhelmed, as is the pit many scifi authors often fall in to. I loved the concept of reverse aging technology, and following these old folks as they transformed into spry younger versions of themselves was certainly a ride (and a cringe-worthy one at that. Let's just say . . . the process is not pretty).
I also fell hard for the cast. All were unique and came from various walks of life (including life of the alien variety). My favorite character, aside from Millie, has got to be Dr. Cennu Andar Uleht—a Valorian doctor aboard the SpaceLion.
You throw an interesting alien into your cast, and you bet your butt I'm gonna be all over them.
Now, on to my gripes.
- Personally, I would've liked a little more description of the various species' physical appearances (for example, facial and body structure. Most were simply described with regard to their hair and skin color). Mind you, I seem to stand out from he crowd that way. Many prefer vague descriptions that allow them to build the character's image themselves.
- Romance felt a smidge out of place, as did cussing. Although the language fit some characters perfectly, it felt forced from others.
- The story felt somewhat disjointed to me. The characters didn't seem to be shooting towards a clear goal, and the book seemed to end before it was ready to.
Gripes aside, I really enjoyed RIM WAR: SUBVERSION, and I will be eagerly awaiting the next installment in this series. I'm excited to see where it goes!
May 10, 2017
Humanity is part of a space federation that has been at war for a century. Highly intelligent humans are secretly conscripted into the military once they turn 105. Millie Helgren is one of the 30 percent who survive rejuvenation and training. She is soon on the front lines as the navigator of a space ship. This is an interesting start to a new science fiction series that should delight fans of Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke, Bradbury, and Norton. This was a free advance read copy obtained through Goodreads.com.
December 27, 2022
Reminds me of old mans war
If you enjoyed books by John Sacich you'll enjoy this story being a old man myself I would jump at a chance like that I hope the author keeps expanding the story line .
If you enjoyed books by John Sacich you'll enjoy this story being a old man myself I would jump at a chance like that I hope the author keeps expanding the story line .
June 3, 2017
This is the one to get
Pretty cool stuff in this one. I really liked the tech and description, very well done. Excellent story and I can't wait to read part two.
Pretty cool stuff in this one. I really liked the tech and description, very well done. Excellent story and I can't wait to read part two.
January 3, 2019
Major plot points and revelations seem very whimsical. Not sure what the point of harvesting old people was, there is no reference to old person in a young body in the last 3/4ths of the book.
March 12, 2017
Good adventure, poor romance.
This is an utterly captivating story, and worthy of refinement. In the editing department, the most humorous was the series of repeated paragraphs that I first read to be a glitch in an A. I. but was just a publishing error. Far more egregious is the gross misunderstanding of the nature of living a full life, being a widow, and moving into a new phase of life. Perhaps I am more sensitive than many, having been a funeral director for many years, and having had in my youth many friends who were in their eighties and above, and not the least having married a widow myself. New relationships invariably come into conflict with fond memories of the previous life. Further research by the author would serve him well. It does not matter what time period that the story takes place the human nature and drama remain the same. Write what you know or research what you don't yet know.
This is an utterly captivating story, and worthy of refinement. In the editing department, the most humorous was the series of repeated paragraphs that I first read to be a glitch in an A. I. but was just a publishing error. Far more egregious is the gross misunderstanding of the nature of living a full life, being a widow, and moving into a new phase of life. Perhaps I am more sensitive than many, having been a funeral director for many years, and having had in my youth many friends who were in their eighties and above, and not the least having married a widow myself. New relationships invariably come into conflict with fond memories of the previous life. Further research by the author would serve him well. It does not matter what time period that the story takes place the human nature and drama remain the same. Write what you know or research what you don't yet know.
April 10, 2017
Fast!!!!
March 29, 2017
First Impresson: Beautiful cover, sci-fi space saga, yes please!
Characters: Millie is a believable heroine whose end-of-life gets turned upside down. I don't want to give away spoilers, so I'll just say she finds herself starting a new chapter with a crew of well imagined cohorts. Even the villains are intriguing. I would like to know more about the evil alien race terrorizing the galaxy.
World Building: Seton draws you into a futuristic time when Earth has discovered life outside our solar system, and it's every bit as wonderful and terrifying as we'd imagine. This is the hardest part to craft, and I was fully submersed - well done!
Writing Style: Straight-forward story-telling, worthy of anyone's shelves. All reading levels and walks of life will understand and rush through this first installment at light speed...then end up wanting more.
What I Enjoyed: Space tech, alien species, and artificial intelligence. I appreciated the way Seton crafts a believable future that delights the imagination.
Deal Benders: The main thing I didn't care for was the egregious sex scenes. I felt they were a bit too detailed for the average reader who doesn't necessarily like to mix their sci-fi with sensual stories. This is rated R for adults.
Overall Rating: Solid 4 stars for this first book, eagerly awaiting book two in the series!
For Fans Of: Firefly, Ender's Game
Characters: Millie is a believable heroine whose end-of-life gets turned upside down. I don't want to give away spoilers, so I'll just say she finds herself starting a new chapter with a crew of well imagined cohorts. Even the villains are intriguing. I would like to know more about the evil alien race terrorizing the galaxy.
World Building: Seton draws you into a futuristic time when Earth has discovered life outside our solar system, and it's every bit as wonderful and terrifying as we'd imagine. This is the hardest part to craft, and I was fully submersed - well done!
Writing Style: Straight-forward story-telling, worthy of anyone's shelves. All reading levels and walks of life will understand and rush through this first installment at light speed...then end up wanting more.
What I Enjoyed: Space tech, alien species, and artificial intelligence. I appreciated the way Seton crafts a believable future that delights the imagination.
Deal Benders: The main thing I didn't care for was the egregious sex scenes. I felt they were a bit too detailed for the average reader who doesn't necessarily like to mix their sci-fi with sensual stories. This is rated R for adults.
Overall Rating: Solid 4 stars for this first book, eagerly awaiting book two in the series!
For Fans Of: Firefly, Ender's Game
May 1, 2017
I LOVED THIS BOOK and I finished it in just over a day! I had to take a star off for poor editing (several paragraphs copied and pasted on separate pages and words missing). I found this incredibly distracting and it took the magic from the story.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews