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Mech Wars #1
Powered
Listening Length: 7 hours and 24 minutes
Humanity’s newest enemy will butcher even a highly trained soldier. But a highly trained soldier piloting a mech? Now we’re getting somewhere...
Stranded in a hostile galaxy. Exiled from humanity.
Of course we had to carve out a foothold on Eresos. We had no idea someone was already living here…
A single Quatro can take down an entire squad. Bigger than a stallion, more muscular than a grizzly, with jaws that splinter bone. And zero fear.
But Darkstream Security only ever hired the most elite troops, and we managed to drive the Quatro into the holes they attacked us from. We were better trained, better equipped, and more intelligent.
At least, we thought we were. After years of peace, the Quatro are back, in numbers we didn’t know they had, with artillery we didn’t think they could use. Suddenly, if we want to win this thing, we’re going to need a brand new weapon.
We’re going to need mechs. Thank God R&D just finished a working prototype.
Mech Wars takes place in the same universe as The Ixan Prophecies Trilogy, and it answers the question: what happened when Darkstream escaped the Milky Way for another galaxy?
Humanity’s newest enemy will butcher even a highly trained soldier. But a highly trained soldier piloting a mech? Now we’re getting somewhere...
Stranded in a hostile galaxy. Exiled from humanity.
Of course we had to carve out a foothold on Eresos. We had no idea someone was already living here…
A single Quatro can take down an entire squad. Bigger than a stallion, more muscular than a grizzly, with jaws that splinter bone. And zero fear.
But Darkstream Security only ever hired the most elite troops, and we managed to drive the Quatro into the holes they attacked us from. We were better trained, better equipped, and more intelligent.
At least, we thought we were. After years of peace, the Quatro are back, in numbers we didn’t know they had, with artillery we didn’t think they could use. Suddenly, if we want to win this thing, we’re going to need a brand new weapon.
We’re going to need mechs. Thank God R&D just finished a working prototype.
Mech Wars takes place in the same universe as The Ixan Prophecies Trilogy, and it answers the question: what happened when Darkstream escaped the Milky Way for another galaxy?
8 pages, Audiobook
First published July 10, 2017
340 people are currently reading
202 people want to read
About the author
Scott Bartlett
115 books308 followersScott Bartlett writes his books from inside a mech, which is inside the hangar bay of a light armored cruiser stationed just past Jupiter.
Certain parts of the last sentence may not be completely true.
Here are some more believable statements:
Scott was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland – the easternmost province of Canada.
During his decade-long journey to become a full-time author, he supported himself by working an assortment of jobs…
...salmon hatchery technician, grocery clerk, youth care worker, ghostwriter, research assistant, pita maker, and freelance editor.
In 2014, he succeeded in becoming a full-time novelist, and he’s been writing science fiction at light speed ever since.
Get 3 FREE military space opera ebooks:
https://www.scottplots.com
Certain parts of the last sentence may not be completely true.
Here are some more believable statements:
Scott was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland – the easternmost province of Canada.
During his decade-long journey to become a full-time author, he supported himself by working an assortment of jobs…
...salmon hatchery technician, grocery clerk, youth care worker, ghostwriter, research assistant, pita maker, and freelance editor.
In 2014, he succeeded in becoming a full-time novelist, and he’s been writing science fiction at light speed ever since.
Get 3 FREE military space opera ebooks:
https://www.scottplots.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
September 7, 2017
Powered: Mech Wars Book 1
Written by: Scott Bartlett
Narrated by: Mark Boyett
This is an audible book I requested and the review is voluntary.
This book had all kinds of good stuff, intrigue, government corruption, revenge on another species, people you want to hate, people you want to cheer for, people you want to slap for being naive, big powerful mech machines, confusion as to which species is really the bad guy, and so much more. An action packed, big guns, high tech, aliens, fun sci-fi with suspense and emotional drama. The only reason I didn't give it a 5 star is that it ended so quickly. I felt is was a cliff hanger. Urg....Other than that I liked this book a lot.
The narration is half the book and it was perfect. He had to do some fancy stuff. Aliens, girls, gruff old men, drunks, and more. All were done great and the narrator kept the pace of the story going perfect. He really added to the story. Wonderful job!
Written by: Scott Bartlett
Narrated by: Mark Boyett
This is an audible book I requested and the review is voluntary.
This book had all kinds of good stuff, intrigue, government corruption, revenge on another species, people you want to hate, people you want to cheer for, people you want to slap for being naive, big powerful mech machines, confusion as to which species is really the bad guy, and so much more. An action packed, big guns, high tech, aliens, fun sci-fi with suspense and emotional drama. The only reason I didn't give it a 5 star is that it ended so quickly. I felt is was a cliff hanger. Urg....Other than that I liked this book a lot.
The narration is half the book and it was perfect. He had to do some fancy stuff. Aliens, girls, gruff old men, drunks, and more. All were done great and the narrator kept the pace of the story going perfect. He really added to the story. Wonderful job!
January 31, 2019
Full of desperation for action and adventure, I went looking for a tale of men & mechs, of close-calls & tactical ingenuity, and of soldiers waging war in towering metal behemoths. And upon completing Powered, I still found myself wanting. But that’s generally how it goes when you’re desperate.
Honestly, I should have just read some Horus Heresy books…
I’m starting to wonder if there’s something seriously wrong with me…or if there’s something seriously wrong with everyone else. There sure are a lot of books I’ve read lately that are getting, on average, four to five stars, while I’m firmly in the three star category. I understand that ratings are heavily subjective, especially with a five star rating system, so I take everyone’s rating with a big grain of salt. To me, four stars is something that stands out and something that I’d definitely read again. Sadly, I cannot say that Powered falls into that category. I’m glad that so many others were highly impressed with the tale, but I cannot join their ranks.
Because despite a premise rife with possibility (new star system, new alien races, alien mech tech, etc), Powered sure doesn’t seem to know quite what to do with all those good ideas. And I’m willing to take part of the blame here; I came looking for stories along the lines of Battletech/Mechwarrior, of towering walking tanks slugging it out on some distant planet. And this isn’t that book. I really should have just read some of those old Battletech books and saved myself the trouble.
As with all my reviews, I will try to keep spoilers to a minimum. If it’s not mentioned in the official book synopsis, I’ll do my level best to avoid mentioning it here.
Powered is a multiple viewpoint/third-person affair, taking place in a distant galaxy where mankind is still attempting to establish a solid foothold. We get several main characters, and they vary in their effectiveness. We have Jake Price, still a teenager, and lured into the service of Darkstream Security (a private military company) by the promise of action and pay. We have Lisa Sato, a relatively new Darkstream employee, who finds her world turned upside down after an uprising in the habitat where she works and lives. And then we have Gabriel Roach, a former military soldier, now a soldier in the employ of Darkstream, who is working frontline security at a new human colony. I have to admit that it’s a strange turn of events, as the one main character who does NOT pilot a mech was the one character that I actually enjoyed. Lisa’s story is arguably the most thought out, and she actually gets some significant character progression. Jake, as a new recruit, also gets a bit, but Gabriel Roach just didn’t work for me. Petulant and so “over the top it’s comical”, he’s more a caricature of a drill sergeant/platoon leader than an actual character. While Jake’s shortcomings can be attributed to youth and relative naivete, Gabriel was just grating and ineffective. I’d talk more about the characters…but I really don’t have much else to say about them.
Their opponents, the Quatro, are an interesting concept, and have the potential of being effective adversaries as the story progresses. There’s a definite divide in their ranks as well, as Lisa comes across Quatro who are wanting peace and looking for help, while Gabe and Jake are in the midst of killing countless rampaging Quatro on a different planet. That rift could prove interesting…if I felt like continuing with the series. But, to be honest, I don’t think I can. The problems of the book far outweighed the plusses for me.
Firstly, none of the ex-military characters behaved like ex-military, except for maybe Tessa, a side character in Lisa’s plotline. Gabe, his superior officers, their superior officers, and other characters with a military background were just petty, argumentative, and spiteful creatures. Does that exist in the military? Sure, and since I work with military folks, I’ve seen it. But it’s such a SMALL number of people who behave that way. Most military, former or current, have an air of dignity and composure that was significantly lacking in Powered. They honestly all acted like a bunch of spoiled little bitches. I just wanted to slap every single man in this book. Thankfully, the female characters come across much better than their whiny male counterparts.
Second, the mechs themselves were just too perfect. I’m all about human ingenuity, and the way they are piloted is new & unique, but when these mechs are unveiled, they are perfect from the get-go. There’s no trial period. There are no bugs to be worked out. They just run flawlessly. And that was just too easy for me. Any brand-new platform has bugs, issues, unforeseen shortcomings…but not these mechs. They are 100% perfect from the instant they are first fired up. Their only shortcomings come from the pilots who operate them. Oh, and do you want to know the coolest thing ever?! They never run out of ammunition! Seriously, there are no supply lines, no restock stations, and not a single weapon on them ever gets reloaded. Autocannon rounds? Sure, they just happen to stock a million of those, along with a heavy machine gun (also with unlimited ammo), rockets (also also with unlimited ammo), grenades (also also also with unlimited ammo), flamethrowers (with unlimited fuel), and blades. And they only use the blades when in close quarters because it’s more convenient, not because they ran out of bullets. So, because the mechs are perfect and have infinite ammo, there’s really very little sense of danger with our mech pilots. It’s like when you watch a sub-par western or action movie, where someone is shooting a revolver that has a maximum of six rounds in the cylinder, but the person using the gun shoots like nine or ten times before having to reload. It’s just lazy storytelling, and it pulled me from the narrative.
Third, the narrative just never really sets high stakes. People get attacked, but we never really get a sense of who they are, so we never really care. In fact, near the end of the book, it even gets pointed out that a lot of the victims were homeless people who didn’t know to get to the shelters. Like, this highly advanced city didn’t have an emergency warning system to notify citizens? Oh, but it’s ok, because they were mostly homeless, so the loss is minimal. I’m sure that’s not how it was meant to come across…but believe me, that’s how it came across.
Fourth, the Mary Sue main character of Gabriel Roach. First to set foot on an alien planet? Check. Instant celebrity status right there (which he hates, naturally!). Banging the hot daughter of the local governor? Check. Able to chew out superior officers and completely brutalize his students (you know, for their own good?) with no repercussions? Check. The one person (despite no real technical background) to solve the alien mech tech which then advances humanity’s own mech tech? Check.
The news that Gabriel Roach had solved the mystery of the alien mech buoyed the remaining recruits.
Because of course he did. In all fairness, there is an attempt to give him a tragic story to help humanize him and make us sympathetic to his plight. But the girl he “loved” who was stolen from him? He barely knew her, and they hardly had any time together. But good lord, you’d think they’d been together for an eternity the way he pines after her continuously. The whole thing was just clumsily shoehorned into the story, and then never given any time to grow. Can't have impact without investment!
And fifth, the mercenaries that our mech pilots come up against in the middle of the book. They just kind of pop up all of a sudden, and lo and behold they’re this credible threat to our fully mech-suited heroes. Keep in mind that these mechs are designed to go toe-to-toe with the Quatro, aliens the size of large horses, with the ferocity and power of bears, and able to wield weapons of their own. And yet, some upstart mercenary company (in no armor, mind you) send our mech pilots scurrying away with their tails between their legs. Not only no…but hell no.
So, yeah. That’s really all I’m gonna say about Powered. I’m glad everyone else seems to be enjoying themselves with this book. I really am. And kudos to Scott Bartlett for the story he’s trying to tell. He’s clearly enjoying himself, and that’s truly a wonderful thing. But I just can’t drink this particular Kool-Aid, and I can’t continue on in the series. So that’s Pilot Wells, turning in his wings and returning to civilian life. Peace out.
Honestly, I should have just read some Horus Heresy books…
I’m starting to wonder if there’s something seriously wrong with me…or if there’s something seriously wrong with everyone else. There sure are a lot of books I’ve read lately that are getting, on average, four to five stars, while I’m firmly in the three star category. I understand that ratings are heavily subjective, especially with a five star rating system, so I take everyone’s rating with a big grain of salt. To me, four stars is something that stands out and something that I’d definitely read again. Sadly, I cannot say that Powered falls into that category. I’m glad that so many others were highly impressed with the tale, but I cannot join their ranks.
Because despite a premise rife with possibility (new star system, new alien races, alien mech tech, etc), Powered sure doesn’t seem to know quite what to do with all those good ideas. And I’m willing to take part of the blame here; I came looking for stories along the lines of Battletech/Mechwarrior, of towering walking tanks slugging it out on some distant planet. And this isn’t that book. I really should have just read some of those old Battletech books and saved myself the trouble.
As with all my reviews, I will try to keep spoilers to a minimum. If it’s not mentioned in the official book synopsis, I’ll do my level best to avoid mentioning it here.
Powered is a multiple viewpoint/third-person affair, taking place in a distant galaxy where mankind is still attempting to establish a solid foothold. We get several main characters, and they vary in their effectiveness. We have Jake Price, still a teenager, and lured into the service of Darkstream Security (a private military company) by the promise of action and pay. We have Lisa Sato, a relatively new Darkstream employee, who finds her world turned upside down after an uprising in the habitat where she works and lives. And then we have Gabriel Roach, a former military soldier, now a soldier in the employ of Darkstream, who is working frontline security at a new human colony. I have to admit that it’s a strange turn of events, as the one main character who does NOT pilot a mech was the one character that I actually enjoyed. Lisa’s story is arguably the most thought out, and she actually gets some significant character progression. Jake, as a new recruit, also gets a bit, but Gabriel Roach just didn’t work for me. Petulant and so “over the top it’s comical”, he’s more a caricature of a drill sergeant/platoon leader than an actual character. While Jake’s shortcomings can be attributed to youth and relative naivete, Gabriel was just grating and ineffective. I’d talk more about the characters…but I really don’t have much else to say about them.
Their opponents, the Quatro, are an interesting concept, and have the potential of being effective adversaries as the story progresses. There’s a definite divide in their ranks as well, as Lisa comes across Quatro who are wanting peace and looking for help, while Gabe and Jake are in the midst of killing countless rampaging Quatro on a different planet. That rift could prove interesting…if I felt like continuing with the series. But, to be honest, I don’t think I can. The problems of the book far outweighed the plusses for me.
Firstly, none of the ex-military characters behaved like ex-military, except for maybe Tessa, a side character in Lisa’s plotline. Gabe, his superior officers, their superior officers, and other characters with a military background were just petty, argumentative, and spiteful creatures. Does that exist in the military? Sure, and since I work with military folks, I’ve seen it. But it’s such a SMALL number of people who behave that way. Most military, former or current, have an air of dignity and composure that was significantly lacking in Powered. They honestly all acted like a bunch of spoiled little bitches. I just wanted to slap every single man in this book. Thankfully, the female characters come across much better than their whiny male counterparts.
Second, the mechs themselves were just too perfect. I’m all about human ingenuity, and the way they are piloted is new & unique, but when these mechs are unveiled, they are perfect from the get-go. There’s no trial period. There are no bugs to be worked out. They just run flawlessly. And that was just too easy for me. Any brand-new platform has bugs, issues, unforeseen shortcomings…but not these mechs. They are 100% perfect from the instant they are first fired up. Their only shortcomings come from the pilots who operate them. Oh, and do you want to know the coolest thing ever?! They never run out of ammunition! Seriously, there are no supply lines, no restock stations, and not a single weapon on them ever gets reloaded. Autocannon rounds? Sure, they just happen to stock a million of those, along with a heavy machine gun (also with unlimited ammo), rockets (also also with unlimited ammo), grenades (also also also with unlimited ammo), flamethrowers (with unlimited fuel), and blades. And they only use the blades when in close quarters because it’s more convenient, not because they ran out of bullets. So, because the mechs are perfect and have infinite ammo, there’s really very little sense of danger with our mech pilots. It’s like when you watch a sub-par western or action movie, where someone is shooting a revolver that has a maximum of six rounds in the cylinder, but the person using the gun shoots like nine or ten times before having to reload. It’s just lazy storytelling, and it pulled me from the narrative.
Third, the narrative just never really sets high stakes. People get attacked, but we never really get a sense of who they are, so we never really care. In fact, near the end of the book, it even gets pointed out that a lot of the victims were homeless people who didn’t know to get to the shelters. Like, this highly advanced city didn’t have an emergency warning system to notify citizens? Oh, but it’s ok, because they were mostly homeless, so the loss is minimal. I’m sure that’s not how it was meant to come across…but believe me, that’s how it came across.
Fourth, the Mary Sue main character of Gabriel Roach. First to set foot on an alien planet? Check. Instant celebrity status right there (which he hates, naturally!). Banging the hot daughter of the local governor? Check. Able to chew out superior officers and completely brutalize his students (you know, for their own good?) with no repercussions? Check. The one person (despite no real technical background) to solve the alien mech tech which then advances humanity’s own mech tech? Check.
The news that Gabriel Roach had solved the mystery of the alien mech buoyed the remaining recruits.
Because of course he did. In all fairness, there is an attempt to give him a tragic story to help humanize him and make us sympathetic to his plight. But the girl he “loved” who was stolen from him? He barely knew her, and they hardly had any time together. But good lord, you’d think they’d been together for an eternity the way he pines after her continuously. The whole thing was just clumsily shoehorned into the story, and then never given any time to grow. Can't have impact without investment!
And fifth, the mercenaries that our mech pilots come up against in the middle of the book. They just kind of pop up all of a sudden, and lo and behold they’re this credible threat to our fully mech-suited heroes. Keep in mind that these mechs are designed to go toe-to-toe with the Quatro, aliens the size of large horses, with the ferocity and power of bears, and able to wield weapons of their own. And yet, some upstart mercenary company (in no armor, mind you) send our mech pilots scurrying away with their tails between their legs. Not only no…but hell no.
So, yeah. That’s really all I’m gonna say about Powered. I’m glad everyone else seems to be enjoying themselves with this book. I really am. And kudos to Scott Bartlett for the story he’s trying to tell. He’s clearly enjoying himself, and that’s truly a wonderful thing. But I just can’t drink this particular Kool-Aid, and I can’t continue on in the series. So that’s Pilot Wells, turning in his wings and returning to civilian life. Peace out.
July 31, 2017
Powered is in the same Universe as The Ixan Prophecies, but is not a direct sequel to it as such. It follows the Darkstream Tech Users who fled the galaxy after being defeated by Captain Keyes, and what happened to them.
They have settled a system that they have named the Steele System with a couple of planets. One of them is almost Earth like, and is very pleasant. The other is not and requires that you are in an environment suit, or that you live in one of the Habitats.
Unfortunately on the nicer planet, there are large creatures called Quatro that appear to be sentient, but are also very aggressive at times, attacking villages and slaughtering everyone.
There are 2 main storylines in this book, one following those on Eresos, the nicer planet, and the other following those on Alex, the one needing life support. On Eresos, the main Characters include Gabe Roach a man with a rather interesting morale background and history, now driven by utter rage and vengeance by a particular event in his life, and Jake Price, a younger guy who has joined the team from an asteroid converting family, when they find an ancient Mech and sell it to try and help his gravely ill sister.
On Alex, the main characters are Lisa, Tessa and Andy. Tessa is an ex-soldier with a past who is now tied to the seedier side of the habitats. Lisa is Security for Darkstream at the Habitat, but is totally idealistic, and Andy is a bit creepy and a bit stupid.
The interesting thing is the Quatro, an alien race that are not what they seem. But then again, most things aren’t in a Scott Bartlett novel, and that is what makes them so good. The Quatro are incredibly powerful, bear like, and the one thing Darkstream needs to control them is a Mech, which they have been working on. However, in a stroke of luck, Jake’s family find one in an asteroid (which is how he gets involved with the team), and this leads to the creation of the Mechs of Eresos.
And this is where things get really interesting. Bartlett has created this fascinating concept of ‘lucid’, in which you can enter a REM state of sleep, and instead of just sleeping, you can actually (with the correct input) plug yourself in and either train, or in the case with the Mech, control them. The entire concept of Lucid is brilliant and really adds an amazing element to this story.
Powered is an intriguing story, looking at not just the two main planets and their characters, but the interplay between the humans and aliens. Powered refers to the power of the Mechs as well as to the Political and Strategic power that is evident in the story.
This is a totally standalone series, and although it is related to the Ixan Prophecies, you do not need to read these to enjoy this series. However, you will get a bit more out of the book if you read them first of course.
As with his other books, Bartlett’s Characters are wonderfully written, with a lot of depth, some great back stories and details. The planets are also beautifully detailed, giving the characters a wonderful background in which to tell their stories. As mentioned, the Quatro are also outstanding creatures, with an incredible design that is both exquisite and terrifying.
This is a fantastic first part to what is going to be a captivating and compelling trilogy. Even though Part 1 does end on a cliff hanger, Part 2, Dynamo, is already available, there is no wait. Bartlett has also written a short story ‘Onslaught’ that is available if you sign up to his newsletter, and this is also well worth the read.
If you liked the Ixan Prophecies, you will love this. And if you haven’t read them (you really should, they are brilliant), but if you have any interest in Sci-Fi with Mech’s, monsters and a great storyline, this is for you!
They have settled a system that they have named the Steele System with a couple of planets. One of them is almost Earth like, and is very pleasant. The other is not and requires that you are in an environment suit, or that you live in one of the Habitats.
Unfortunately on the nicer planet, there are large creatures called Quatro that appear to be sentient, but are also very aggressive at times, attacking villages and slaughtering everyone.
There are 2 main storylines in this book, one following those on Eresos, the nicer planet, and the other following those on Alex, the one needing life support. On Eresos, the main Characters include Gabe Roach a man with a rather interesting morale background and history, now driven by utter rage and vengeance by a particular event in his life, and Jake Price, a younger guy who has joined the team from an asteroid converting family, when they find an ancient Mech and sell it to try and help his gravely ill sister.
On Alex, the main characters are Lisa, Tessa and Andy. Tessa is an ex-soldier with a past who is now tied to the seedier side of the habitats. Lisa is Security for Darkstream at the Habitat, but is totally idealistic, and Andy is a bit creepy and a bit stupid.
The interesting thing is the Quatro, an alien race that are not what they seem. But then again, most things aren’t in a Scott Bartlett novel, and that is what makes them so good. The Quatro are incredibly powerful, bear like, and the one thing Darkstream needs to control them is a Mech, which they have been working on. However, in a stroke of luck, Jake’s family find one in an asteroid (which is how he gets involved with the team), and this leads to the creation of the Mechs of Eresos.
And this is where things get really interesting. Bartlett has created this fascinating concept of ‘lucid’, in which you can enter a REM state of sleep, and instead of just sleeping, you can actually (with the correct input) plug yourself in and either train, or in the case with the Mech, control them. The entire concept of Lucid is brilliant and really adds an amazing element to this story.
Powered is an intriguing story, looking at not just the two main planets and their characters, but the interplay between the humans and aliens. Powered refers to the power of the Mechs as well as to the Political and Strategic power that is evident in the story.
This is a totally standalone series, and although it is related to the Ixan Prophecies, you do not need to read these to enjoy this series. However, you will get a bit more out of the book if you read them first of course.
As with his other books, Bartlett’s Characters are wonderfully written, with a lot of depth, some great back stories and details. The planets are also beautifully detailed, giving the characters a wonderful background in which to tell their stories. As mentioned, the Quatro are also outstanding creatures, with an incredible design that is both exquisite and terrifying.
This is a fantastic first part to what is going to be a captivating and compelling trilogy. Even though Part 1 does end on a cliff hanger, Part 2, Dynamo, is already available, there is no wait. Bartlett has also written a short story ‘Onslaught’ that is available if you sign up to his newsletter, and this is also well worth the read.
If you liked the Ixan Prophecies, you will love this. And if you haven’t read them (you really should, they are brilliant), but if you have any interest in Sci-Fi with Mech’s, monsters and a great storyline, this is for you!
March 14, 2018
As usual I'm loss of words, there are not enough to describe how good of an author he is !
If there are best 10 SiFi authors he is absolutely in that list.
His books are amazing, well written, perfectly performed, they grub you from the first page not letting you go till the ending which you can't wait for but when you do you want more.
Even so that his stories are divided into 3 series's, together they are really one big beautiful space opera.
All I can hope is that he will keep on writing with his great imagination ( i would love to take a vacation in his brain ).
Perfect,
Absolutely recommended !!!
If there are best 10 SiFi authors he is absolutely in that list.
His books are amazing, well written, perfectly performed, they grub you from the first page not letting you go till the ending which you can't wait for but when you do you want more.
Even so that his stories are divided into 3 series's, together they are really one big beautiful space opera.
All I can hope is that he will keep on writing with his great imagination ( i would love to take a vacation in his brain ).
Perfect,
Absolutely recommended !!!
July 30, 2017
Excellent Alien/Human Colonial Military Space Opera
Although it seemed a little short, this novel sped by with constant battle action. I really enjoyed the book, and was disappointed when I reached the end...although the story is clearly meant to continue.
BACKGROUND: Humanity, and it's corporate masters, has left our home galaxy to find greener pastures. In one solar system, they have colonized two planets and created space habitats. The wealthy and corporate aristocracy inhabit the habitats. Employees and former employees form the hard working underclass.
On one planet, the humans have discovered animate machines following a routine of gathering resources and stockpiling them. The corporation has made quite a good income by taking the accumulated raw materials. There is also a semi-sentient native population that sounds like a bear crossed with a large horse. Problems ensue.
This is great military space opera, focused on small group tactics and mechanical armored suits. The action is constant and the decisions make goid sense. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AS AN ALIEN/HUMAN COLONIAL MILITARY SPACE OPERA FOCUSED ON SMALL GRPUP LAND TACTICS!!
Although it seemed a little short, this novel sped by with constant battle action. I really enjoyed the book, and was disappointed when I reached the end...although the story is clearly meant to continue.
BACKGROUND: Humanity, and it's corporate masters, has left our home galaxy to find greener pastures. In one solar system, they have colonized two planets and created space habitats. The wealthy and corporate aristocracy inhabit the habitats. Employees and former employees form the hard working underclass.
On one planet, the humans have discovered animate machines following a routine of gathering resources and stockpiling them. The corporation has made quite a good income by taking the accumulated raw materials. There is also a semi-sentient native population that sounds like a bear crossed with a large horse. Problems ensue.
This is great military space opera, focused on small group tactics and mechanical armored suits. The action is constant and the decisions make goid sense. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AS AN ALIEN/HUMAN COLONIAL MILITARY SPACE OPERA FOCUSED ON SMALL GRPUP LAND TACTICS!!
August 7, 2017
Feels like I came into the story without the first story to understand how humans moved out into the part of the universe? The charators are easy to read about and to grow with. I understand that there is a prequel book.
August 14, 2017
Summary:
First, let me say that none of what I’ll say in this section couldn’t be found on the back copy of the novel. Heck, I cribbed this summary from the back, and then I add my own twist! And not even much of one, since his description was so spot on! Further, I wanted to provide a spoiler free review, so here goes nothing!
The Steel Universe is a dangerous and chaotic place, and after fleeing the Sol System, humanity is tired of losing. Enter the mech. After the mysterious discovery of an alien mech inside a comet, Darkstream Security can finally complete its own design. They assign Chief Gabriel Roach with the task of whittling down hundreds of bright young recruits to form a team of elite mech pilots, which he will command. Their mission is simple, protect human colonies from the large and ferocious Quatro. A single Quatro can take down an entire squad of traditional soldiers. Bigger than a draft horse, more muscular than a grizzly, with jaws that splinter bone. And zero fear. They almost defeated humanity before, and now they’re back – in numbers we didn’t know they had. But Roach is the perfect one for the job. Almost too perfect. The Quatro took from him the only woman he ever loved, and now, he’s determined to make one thing clear: it’s them or him. If you like mechs, explosions and plenty of gritty combat, then you’ve come to the right place! This first novel is a brilliant introduction to the Mech Wars, an epic military science fiction series. To give you an easy comparison, if you enjoyed the Four Horsemen Universe by [Mark Wandrey] and [Chris Kennedy], then you’ll love this novel! There are other mech books out there, but I won’t recommend books I haven’t yet read.
Characters:
In this novel, we get to interact with a large cast of character and to be honest it didn’t feel so large until I sat down to write this section. All of the characters were flushed out, and three-dimensional that I thought were a lot of fun to get to know. They’re all so flushed out at this point, maybe we should advance him to four-dimensional! I felt like I could relate to them as people, and I would love to hang out and drink a beer with them. Here’s a summary of the main characters.
Jake Price: He’s the son of a former Darkstream soldier, who follows his father’s footsteps, despite his father’s reluctance to support the decision. He’s consistently scored at the top of the leader board for the lucid dreaming simulations, which brought him to the attention of the Darkstream Corporation. Once he’s recruited, he’s quickly assigned to the mech pilot unit. Now all he needs is for the company to invent a viable mech robot. Further, I really loved Jake’s character development throughout the story. I can’t tell you more about this character without spoilers, so I’ll leave it right here!
Gabe Roach: He’s a grizzled veteran of the UAF and a Chief in the Darkstream military forces. He is the stereotypical military badass, with a duffel bag full of regrets. He’s the kind of guy you’d want on your side in a firefight, though he’s a bit of an ass to his own subordinates. After losing someone very close to him, he takes the risky job of helping his employer start the new mech unit in training the new recruits. You get to see a moderate amount of character growth from him, though given his age and experience, you can imagine that most of his growing happened years ago. He was, however, by no means a static character. Overall, I really liked him.
Lisa Sato: She is a junior enlisted soldier for the Darkstream military, and is a true believer. She’s trained all her life on the lucid dreaming, or just lucid, simulations and has reached the pinnacle of combat training. Unfortunately, she learns the hard way that training on dream simulations does little to prepare her for real life combat. In this novel, Powered, we see her grow as a soldier and as a person. I’d give an example, but I promised a spoiler free review!
Tess Notaras: She is a gray haired, retired Darkstream soldier, who is disillusioned and jaded. She’s got nothing nice to say about the company and thinks they train soft soldiers, unlike her training in the UAF military. She befriends Lisa, and seeks to shepherd her into the promised land of competency, and is flushed out. She doesn’t have any real growth, but it’s the first book in a series, so I’m willing to cut the author some slack here!
Quatro: This is the alien species that inhabit the Steel System, and I envision as a cross between a horse and a bear. Humanity thinks they’re not fully sentient, merely apex predators and that’s all I can say without spoiling bits of the plot. Let’s leave it at saying you’d feed them your Granny to get away from these hulking monstrosities!
Meddlers: This was the alien species that was never present, but lurked in the backdrop. The created the Amblers and the Gathers, robots that seemed to collect resources for some unknown reason. The humans in the system took advantage of this, never wondering about who or what built these machines and whether or not they would come back.
Overall, I will give these characters 5 out of 5 Grenades and can’t wait to see where the author takes these character throughout this new series!
Plot:
Like most of the military fiction, I love to read, this was an action-packed novel. The story is set in a world where humanity is post-Sol System. The premise for this series has humanity having used worm holes to permanently colonize the Steel System, under pure capitalist society run by the Darkstream Corporation. It was a good set-up and well-executed premise that held my interest from the first minute of audio. There were more characters than I normally like, but it was so seamless that I didn’t even notice until I sat down to write this review. The author balanced the action, with the exposition and world building, so the story never felt flat. Even in the audiobook format, the novel was easy to follow. I really loved the premise of this plot, and more importantly, I enjoyed how he executed it. The pacing was excellent, and there was never a slow moment. I couldn’t ask for anything more; the unique premise, perfect execution, and incredible pacing! I again give Scott 5 out of 5 Grenades!
World Building:
This is the first book in the Mech Wars Series, and I absolutely loved it. Whenever I get some cash, I’ll be buying Scott Bartlett’s entire back catalog! This novel had a very flushed out world that was consistent, made sense and sucked you in. I loved the way he handled inserting new tidbits about the larger universe and history in such a way that you didn’t even notice. He did it so well that I was able to start with this series, even though it’s an offshoot of his earlier Ixan Prophecies Trilogy. You never felt like you were missing anything to understand the world, and made me want to become part of the larger world. I was hooked, and now I want to know it all! Maybe it’s time to start considering Scott Bartlett Worlds Support Groups? Scott described the world with just enough details to let me picture it. However, I struggled to visualize the Quatro aliens. Since they were so vital to the world, Scott created it was a bit irksome, but maybe it was the audio? Since I didn’t read it too, I will give him the benefit of the doubt. Another part of the world that Scott Bartlett built that I really loved was the concept of the lucid dreaming. Basically, this was set up like a dream based virtual reality simulator. I think the idea has a lot of merits, and I don’t think I’ve ever read this idea anywhere. Give the man points for creativity! Further, I found his decision to use naval ranks for the Darkstream military interesting. They were serving a dirt side garrison and policing role, which made that choice stand out, but it didn’t distract from the plot, so I merely note it here for those who care about such things. Overall, the world building was well done, and I was sold on the way it happened. It felt believable, and the characters fit within the universe Scott created. It was a fun ride that made me wanna suit up…which is the goal of action/adventure authors! Like much of the stories I read, this one didn’t take itself too seriously, which allowed you to focus on the fun which is why I read in the first place. I still give the world building 4.75 out of 5 Grenades. If I could’ve pictured the Quatro better, it would’ve been a perfect score for me.
Description:
I have to give it to the author, this novel was chalk full of visualization, and you could definitely imagine yourself in this world. The only scenes that were confusing and difficult to envision were the alien species known as the Quatro. I wouldn’t mind it one bit if the author shared artists rendering of these creatures! Another place where Scott went lite on the details was on how everyone looked. I know this is the current trend, so I reluctantly accept it, but I don’t personally like it. A huge plus for me was Scott’s descriptive use of language, he balanced the explanation of this new world with the need to move a story along. This book didn’t have a single place where I couldn’t picture the scenery and the equipment, which added to the world that felt tangible and I enjoyed it. The author’s description of his universe was so evocative that I began imagining myself in the mech suit fighting with Gabe and Jake. It was a little bit distracting, but it’s a sign of an amazingly built universe. I didn’t find any issues with the descriptions, except for the previously mentioned alien species. Like many authors these days, Scott Bartlett was lite on the details of what the various characters looked like. I don’t really like this trend, but the action was so gripping that I just didn’t care. I wanted the action, the adventure, and the PEW PEW! Scott brought it, this was definitely his A game. I give Scott 5 out of 5 grenades in this category.
Narration Quality:
I’m still relatively new to the whole audiobook revolution, so my experience is limited. I know that I hate accents that seem too cheesy, and despite narrators that sound like robots. With those pesky caveats, I will review the narration quality of this novel. The audiobook was well done, and the accents were consistent. The narrator, Mark Boyett, did a fantastic job narrating this book. I would definitely listen to more books by him, and with Amazon’s recent audiobook price increase, that is saying something. Let’s be honest, the recently increased price of audiobooks has taken them out of the range of impulse buys. Even at the new price, I would listen to more by this narrator! He didn’t bore you, or make you zone out because of his monotone. His performance didn’t feel robotic like a machine was reading the novel to me. You’ll often see that from me because it’ll drag me out of a book so fast I can’t listen to it anymore. With Mark Boyett, it felt like a friend was sitting with me reading an amazing story that he couldn’t put down. Only he made kind of cool voices, with believable accents that didn’t yank you out of the story. Overall, I give him a 5 out of 5 grenades for his performance.
Overall:
I really loved this book, and it made my morning walks extremely enjoyable. This book I “read” entirely via the audio book. I didn’t even buy the eBook, just loaded the audiobook into my Audible and went to town. The production quality of the audio narration was top notch, and the story was compelling. Gave me a case of the feels, as I found myself getting angry at the injustices perpetrated by the Darkstream Company. I mourned the loss of the brave warriors killed in battle, and drank a few shots in their honor! This was my first novel by author Scott Bartlett, and I’m sold on his writing style. What first caught my eye was the fantastic cover, it was amazingly compelling. I like how Scott made this cover fit with those for the other two novels in this series, they really work together. The military culture shown in this book was spot on, though the author did slip once on the rank structure. I’m not sure the average reader would even notice, but it jumped out at me. He also had a moment where he mentioned the character Lisa Sato’s emotional reaction to her first kill when it was actually her second in the book. However, I couldn’t find any other issues to complain about, so I call it a win! Moving right along, the ground combat Scott described was visceral and immersive, just what you want from the military science fiction genre. I’ve never considered mech combat in my worlds, so I’ve not had reason to think about what their tactics might be. It was clear that the author HAD spent the time reasoning this out because the battle scenes were believable. I never felt like the author missed a chance to get creative with the tactics. Such a detailed portrayal of the tactics is rare, especially when coming from a civilian. Seriously, the author weaponized the awesome power of the PEW PEW for this gripping novel, and hooked me from the first page! He wove the action in such a compelling way that you wanted to jump into a mech as well. Basically, Scott had me hooked from the beginning and kept it going throughout the whole novel. This is a book I would happily recommend, and an author I will definitely read again. Buy the novel! But hey, it’s easy to spend someone else’s money! I give this novel a 5 out of 5 grenades!
If this book sounds like it’s right up your alley, check it out, you won’t regret it! Well, unless it inspired you to create your own mech. And on the journey of discovery, you end up accidentally creating a sentient robot. And then that robot starts a computer system and calls it Skynet. Well yeah, I guess this could be bad for you. Or maybe you’ll be okay? You could do better than John Connor, right? On second thought, be warned, fanboy/fangirl syndrome just MIGHT kill you. Be wary, you were warned and if you have to go out like that at least enjoy the view from the end times!
First, let me say that none of what I’ll say in this section couldn’t be found on the back copy of the novel. Heck, I cribbed this summary from the back, and then I add my own twist! And not even much of one, since his description was so spot on! Further, I wanted to provide a spoiler free review, so here goes nothing!
The Steel Universe is a dangerous and chaotic place, and after fleeing the Sol System, humanity is tired of losing. Enter the mech. After the mysterious discovery of an alien mech inside a comet, Darkstream Security can finally complete its own design. They assign Chief Gabriel Roach with the task of whittling down hundreds of bright young recruits to form a team of elite mech pilots, which he will command. Their mission is simple, protect human colonies from the large and ferocious Quatro. A single Quatro can take down an entire squad of traditional soldiers. Bigger than a draft horse, more muscular than a grizzly, with jaws that splinter bone. And zero fear. They almost defeated humanity before, and now they’re back – in numbers we didn’t know they had. But Roach is the perfect one for the job. Almost too perfect. The Quatro took from him the only woman he ever loved, and now, he’s determined to make one thing clear: it’s them or him. If you like mechs, explosions and plenty of gritty combat, then you’ve come to the right place! This first novel is a brilliant introduction to the Mech Wars, an epic military science fiction series. To give you an easy comparison, if you enjoyed the Four Horsemen Universe by [Mark Wandrey] and [Chris Kennedy], then you’ll love this novel! There are other mech books out there, but I won’t recommend books I haven’t yet read.
Characters:
In this novel, we get to interact with a large cast of character and to be honest it didn’t feel so large until I sat down to write this section. All of the characters were flushed out, and three-dimensional that I thought were a lot of fun to get to know. They’re all so flushed out at this point, maybe we should advance him to four-dimensional! I felt like I could relate to them as people, and I would love to hang out and drink a beer with them. Here’s a summary of the main characters.
Jake Price: He’s the son of a former Darkstream soldier, who follows his father’s footsteps, despite his father’s reluctance to support the decision. He’s consistently scored at the top of the leader board for the lucid dreaming simulations, which brought him to the attention of the Darkstream Corporation. Once he’s recruited, he’s quickly assigned to the mech pilot unit. Now all he needs is for the company to invent a viable mech robot. Further, I really loved Jake’s character development throughout the story. I can’t tell you more about this character without spoilers, so I’ll leave it right here!
Gabe Roach: He’s a grizzled veteran of the UAF and a Chief in the Darkstream military forces. He is the stereotypical military badass, with a duffel bag full of regrets. He’s the kind of guy you’d want on your side in a firefight, though he’s a bit of an ass to his own subordinates. After losing someone very close to him, he takes the risky job of helping his employer start the new mech unit in training the new recruits. You get to see a moderate amount of character growth from him, though given his age and experience, you can imagine that most of his growing happened years ago. He was, however, by no means a static character. Overall, I really liked him.
Lisa Sato: She is a junior enlisted soldier for the Darkstream military, and is a true believer. She’s trained all her life on the lucid dreaming, or just lucid, simulations and has reached the pinnacle of combat training. Unfortunately, she learns the hard way that training on dream simulations does little to prepare her for real life combat. In this novel, Powered, we see her grow as a soldier and as a person. I’d give an example, but I promised a spoiler free review!
Tess Notaras: She is a gray haired, retired Darkstream soldier, who is disillusioned and jaded. She’s got nothing nice to say about the company and thinks they train soft soldiers, unlike her training in the UAF military. She befriends Lisa, and seeks to shepherd her into the promised land of competency, and is flushed out. She doesn’t have any real growth, but it’s the first book in a series, so I’m willing to cut the author some slack here!
Quatro: This is the alien species that inhabit the Steel System, and I envision as a cross between a horse and a bear. Humanity thinks they’re not fully sentient, merely apex predators and that’s all I can say without spoiling bits of the plot. Let’s leave it at saying you’d feed them your Granny to get away from these hulking monstrosities!
Meddlers: This was the alien species that was never present, but lurked in the backdrop. The created the Amblers and the Gathers, robots that seemed to collect resources for some unknown reason. The humans in the system took advantage of this, never wondering about who or what built these machines and whether or not they would come back.
Overall, I will give these characters 5 out of 5 Grenades and can’t wait to see where the author takes these character throughout this new series!
Plot:
Like most of the military fiction, I love to read, this was an action-packed novel. The story is set in a world where humanity is post-Sol System. The premise for this series has humanity having used worm holes to permanently colonize the Steel System, under pure capitalist society run by the Darkstream Corporation. It was a good set-up and well-executed premise that held my interest from the first minute of audio. There were more characters than I normally like, but it was so seamless that I didn’t even notice until I sat down to write this review. The author balanced the action, with the exposition and world building, so the story never felt flat. Even in the audiobook format, the novel was easy to follow. I really loved the premise of this plot, and more importantly, I enjoyed how he executed it. The pacing was excellent, and there was never a slow moment. I couldn’t ask for anything more; the unique premise, perfect execution, and incredible pacing! I again give Scott 5 out of 5 Grenades!
World Building:
This is the first book in the Mech Wars Series, and I absolutely loved it. Whenever I get some cash, I’ll be buying Scott Bartlett’s entire back catalog! This novel had a very flushed out world that was consistent, made sense and sucked you in. I loved the way he handled inserting new tidbits about the larger universe and history in such a way that you didn’t even notice. He did it so well that I was able to start with this series, even though it’s an offshoot of his earlier Ixan Prophecies Trilogy. You never felt like you were missing anything to understand the world, and made me want to become part of the larger world. I was hooked, and now I want to know it all! Maybe it’s time to start considering Scott Bartlett Worlds Support Groups? Scott described the world with just enough details to let me picture it. However, I struggled to visualize the Quatro aliens. Since they were so vital to the world, Scott created it was a bit irksome, but maybe it was the audio? Since I didn’t read it too, I will give him the benefit of the doubt. Another part of the world that Scott Bartlett built that I really loved was the concept of the lucid dreaming. Basically, this was set up like a dream based virtual reality simulator. I think the idea has a lot of merits, and I don’t think I’ve ever read this idea anywhere. Give the man points for creativity! Further, I found his decision to use naval ranks for the Darkstream military interesting. They were serving a dirt side garrison and policing role, which made that choice stand out, but it didn’t distract from the plot, so I merely note it here for those who care about such things. Overall, the world building was well done, and I was sold on the way it happened. It felt believable, and the characters fit within the universe Scott created. It was a fun ride that made me wanna suit up…which is the goal of action/adventure authors! Like much of the stories I read, this one didn’t take itself too seriously, which allowed you to focus on the fun which is why I read in the first place. I still give the world building 4.75 out of 5 Grenades. If I could’ve pictured the Quatro better, it would’ve been a perfect score for me.
Description:
I have to give it to the author, this novel was chalk full of visualization, and you could definitely imagine yourself in this world. The only scenes that were confusing and difficult to envision were the alien species known as the Quatro. I wouldn’t mind it one bit if the author shared artists rendering of these creatures! Another place where Scott went lite on the details was on how everyone looked. I know this is the current trend, so I reluctantly accept it, but I don’t personally like it. A huge plus for me was Scott’s descriptive use of language, he balanced the explanation of this new world with the need to move a story along. This book didn’t have a single place where I couldn’t picture the scenery and the equipment, which added to the world that felt tangible and I enjoyed it. The author’s description of his universe was so evocative that I began imagining myself in the mech suit fighting with Gabe and Jake. It was a little bit distracting, but it’s a sign of an amazingly built universe. I didn’t find any issues with the descriptions, except for the previously mentioned alien species. Like many authors these days, Scott Bartlett was lite on the details of what the various characters looked like. I don’t really like this trend, but the action was so gripping that I just didn’t care. I wanted the action, the adventure, and the PEW PEW! Scott brought it, this was definitely his A game. I give Scott 5 out of 5 grenades in this category.
Narration Quality:
I’m still relatively new to the whole audiobook revolution, so my experience is limited. I know that I hate accents that seem too cheesy, and despite narrators that sound like robots. With those pesky caveats, I will review the narration quality of this novel. The audiobook was well done, and the accents were consistent. The narrator, Mark Boyett, did a fantastic job narrating this book. I would definitely listen to more books by him, and with Amazon’s recent audiobook price increase, that is saying something. Let’s be honest, the recently increased price of audiobooks has taken them out of the range of impulse buys. Even at the new price, I would listen to more by this narrator! He didn’t bore you, or make you zone out because of his monotone. His performance didn’t feel robotic like a machine was reading the novel to me. You’ll often see that from me because it’ll drag me out of a book so fast I can’t listen to it anymore. With Mark Boyett, it felt like a friend was sitting with me reading an amazing story that he couldn’t put down. Only he made kind of cool voices, with believable accents that didn’t yank you out of the story. Overall, I give him a 5 out of 5 grenades for his performance.
Overall:
I really loved this book, and it made my morning walks extremely enjoyable. This book I “read” entirely via the audio book. I didn’t even buy the eBook, just loaded the audiobook into my Audible and went to town. The production quality of the audio narration was top notch, and the story was compelling. Gave me a case of the feels, as I found myself getting angry at the injustices perpetrated by the Darkstream Company. I mourned the loss of the brave warriors killed in battle, and drank a few shots in their honor! This was my first novel by author Scott Bartlett, and I’m sold on his writing style. What first caught my eye was the fantastic cover, it was amazingly compelling. I like how Scott made this cover fit with those for the other two novels in this series, they really work together. The military culture shown in this book was spot on, though the author did slip once on the rank structure. I’m not sure the average reader would even notice, but it jumped out at me. He also had a moment where he mentioned the character Lisa Sato’s emotional reaction to her first kill when it was actually her second in the book. However, I couldn’t find any other issues to complain about, so I call it a win! Moving right along, the ground combat Scott described was visceral and immersive, just what you want from the military science fiction genre. I’ve never considered mech combat in my worlds, so I’ve not had reason to think about what their tactics might be. It was clear that the author HAD spent the time reasoning this out because the battle scenes were believable. I never felt like the author missed a chance to get creative with the tactics. Such a detailed portrayal of the tactics is rare, especially when coming from a civilian. Seriously, the author weaponized the awesome power of the PEW PEW for this gripping novel, and hooked me from the first page! He wove the action in such a compelling way that you wanted to jump into a mech as well. Basically, Scott had me hooked from the beginning and kept it going throughout the whole novel. This is a book I would happily recommend, and an author I will definitely read again. Buy the novel! But hey, it’s easy to spend someone else’s money! I give this novel a 5 out of 5 grenades!
If this book sounds like it’s right up your alley, check it out, you won’t regret it! Well, unless it inspired you to create your own mech. And on the journey of discovery, you end up accidentally creating a sentient robot. And then that robot starts a computer system and calls it Skynet. Well yeah, I guess this could be bad for you. Or maybe you’ll be okay? You could do better than John Connor, right? On second thought, be warned, fanboy/fangirl syndrome just MIGHT kill you. Be wary, you were warned and if you have to go out like that at least enjoy the view from the end times!
July 29, 2017
Earth refugees have carved out a life in a distant system with some aliens and high level alien artifacts. With an alien uprising, the humans will be crushed without a newly gathered troop of Mech warriors based on newly discovered alien tech. A good aliens / space combat story with boot camp, virtual training, and fallible characters. (Would have given 3.5 stars if possible.)
July 10, 2017
In Powered Bartlett has spun off an engaging, fast-paced series from his previous trilogy. With this newest entry in his Ixan Prophecies universe, Bartlett demonstrates he is a rising star in the Military SF genre. Powered is the first book in his new series, Mech Wars, and serves as a promising start to this new series.
Readers of the Ixan Prophecies will recall Darkstream fled human space to avoid the Ixan onslaught rather than face the consequences of their leadership’s duplicity. Powered picks up approximately 20 years later. At this point, the Darkstream remnant remains unaware the rest of humanity survived the Ixan war. After seemingly defeating the Quatro, the system inhabitants, the remnant has successfully colonized a new territory, but they remain in hiding from nearby systems until gathering sufficient strength. The series begins as a father and son prospecting team uncover a Mech suit inside a comet, and follows an escalating conflict with the surviving enigmatic Quatro.
This reviewer would be remiss without acknowledging a bias against new series beginning with alternating multiple point-of-views. As the characters are unknown at this point, in this reviewer’s opinion, this makes it more difficult to engender interest in characters. Due to this, it took several chapters before the reviewer felt invested in any character(s). Once the reviewer read enough to overcome this bias, the novel became a fast-paced, OMG cannot put it down read.
How far can Darkstream be trusted? How honest are they? What is the mystery of the enigmatic Quatro? Who left alien technological artifacts behind? Will these aliens return?
Bartlett teases many questions and leaves the reader wanting more . . .
Note: This reviewer received an ARC from the author in exchange for constructive feedback and an honest review.
Readers of the Ixan Prophecies will recall Darkstream fled human space to avoid the Ixan onslaught rather than face the consequences of their leadership’s duplicity. Powered picks up approximately 20 years later. At this point, the Darkstream remnant remains unaware the rest of humanity survived the Ixan war. After seemingly defeating the Quatro, the system inhabitants, the remnant has successfully colonized a new territory, but they remain in hiding from nearby systems until gathering sufficient strength. The series begins as a father and son prospecting team uncover a Mech suit inside a comet, and follows an escalating conflict with the surviving enigmatic Quatro.
This reviewer would be remiss without acknowledging a bias against new series beginning with alternating multiple point-of-views. As the characters are unknown at this point, in this reviewer’s opinion, this makes it more difficult to engender interest in characters. Due to this, it took several chapters before the reviewer felt invested in any character(s). Once the reviewer read enough to overcome this bias, the novel became a fast-paced, OMG cannot put it down read.
How far can Darkstream be trusted? How honest are they? What is the mystery of the enigmatic Quatro? Who left alien technological artifacts behind? Will these aliens return?
Bartlett teases many questions and leaves the reader wanting more . . .
Note: This reviewer received an ARC from the author in exchange for constructive feedback and an honest review.
November 16, 2023
Eresos and Alex. These are two planets under control of the Darkstream.
Now, whoever called a planet Alex, must have been addled somehow. Nevertheless, it is a planet inhabited by humans and aliens called Quatro.
In fact, so is Eresos. As well as some alien ambling metallic monsters that seem interested mostly only in gathering some kind of metal.
Life might be harsh on Eresos but life went on amicable enough most of the time.
Until in the asteroid belt a mech is discovered opening a way for the humans to learn more of the alien technology so involved.
On Alex things turned awry when two drug factions got into war with each other. And suddenly human life generally has become expendable.
On Eresos the Quatro suddenly attacked humans, aiming to wipe them off the planet.
And war came to both Eresos and Alex in a series where a couple of brilliant if still innocent characters stepped up to the plate in protecting the ordinary citizens of these planets. Jake on Eresos. And Lisa on Alex.
And this reader's easy sleep seems to evaporate in the twisting fortunes of these evolving events.
Enjoy.
Now, whoever called a planet Alex, must have been addled somehow. Nevertheless, it is a planet inhabited by humans and aliens called Quatro.
In fact, so is Eresos. As well as some alien ambling metallic monsters that seem interested mostly only in gathering some kind of metal.
Life might be harsh on Eresos but life went on amicable enough most of the time.
Until in the asteroid belt a mech is discovered opening a way for the humans to learn more of the alien technology so involved.
On Alex things turned awry when two drug factions got into war with each other. And suddenly human life generally has become expendable.
On Eresos the Quatro suddenly attacked humans, aiming to wipe them off the planet.
And war came to both Eresos and Alex in a series where a couple of brilliant if still innocent characters stepped up to the plate in protecting the ordinary citizens of these planets. Jake on Eresos. And Lisa on Alex.
And this reader's easy sleep seems to evaporate in the twisting fortunes of these evolving events.
Enjoy.
November 22, 2019
This review is for the Audible version.
Powered is one of the best sci-fi novels I ever listened to. Scott knocks it out of the park with this one.
The story itself jumps around between a father and son team of comet excavators, a habitable community on an uninhabitable world, and a shady mega corporation that operates as a paramilitary group many light years from earth.
The story really takes off with the discovery of a mech. The technology Scott comes up with is amazing. Lucid (a dream program for combat training), implants that allow for closed channel comms and digital reading and research capabilities.
The world building is also amazing. It’s like Scott stepped food on the blue dusty world of Alex.
Powered is one of the best sci-fi novels I ever listened to. Scott knocks it out of the park with this one.
The story itself jumps around between a father and son team of comet excavators, a habitable community on an uninhabitable world, and a shady mega corporation that operates as a paramilitary group many light years from earth.
The story really takes off with the discovery of a mech. The technology Scott comes up with is amazing. Lucid (a dream program for combat training), implants that allow for closed channel comms and digital reading and research capabilities.
The world building is also amazing. It’s like Scott stepped food on the blue dusty world of Alex.
January 30, 2024
The first installment of a quadrilogy, this was okay. Some of the descriptions were a bit difficult to understand because the concepts were not fully explored. For example, an alien species without opposable thumbs can fire a rifle or weapon designed for human hands. Even the characters internally were puzzled by this but no explanation was ever given. Perhaps it will be forthcoming.
In my opinion, there also wasn't much description given to the tech. Not to the mechs, the ships or anything else that was mentioned. There was very little description of the characters as well. I guess this is what is meant by a plot-driven story. Overall, the story was good and the dialogue kept the story moving along.
In my opinion, there also wasn't much description given to the tech. Not to the mechs, the ships or anything else that was mentioned. There was very little description of the characters as well. I guess this is what is meant by a plot-driven story. Overall, the story was good and the dialogue kept the story moving along.
October 28, 2019
This book series takes place in the same literary universe as a previous series, The Ixan Prophecies. I am not familiar with that series, so I may be at a disadvantage in understanding some of the foundations that the story is built upon. That said, I found Powered to be an interesting and entertaining read. The book brings a lot to the table: political intrigue, corporate/government corruption, alien warfare, and of course mech battles. I will continue with the series, and will likely pick up the other series as well.
Disclaimer: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Disclaimer: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
August 8, 2017
POWERED, by Scott Bartlett, is the 1st in a trilogy of the MECH WARS BOOKS. It starts off with the find of a mysterious alien mech, and then the story takes off from there! Bartlett gives you characters you get to know and believe in their cause. However, another group of characters you get to know and like are at the opposite end of the war. Bartlett writes at warp speed carrying you in to a world where it's hard to tell what's right and what's wrong. Non-stop action keeps you hooked. Now if MECH WARS BOOK 2 is anything like POWERED, count me in!
August 7, 2017
Powered is the first book in a new series by Scot Bartlett and it doesn't disappoint. If you are a fan of hard sci fi then this is the book for you. If you are not then still give it a go you will find a book with a strong storyline and characters that are well drawn.
I read this in one sitting and look forward to reading the rest of the series.
I read this in one sitting and look forward to reading the rest of the series.
September 1, 2017
( Format : audiobook )
"Shut up and shoot."
The audio version of Powered is performed by Mark Boyett, whose pleasant voice is well suited to the subject matter and whose narration is both nicely timed ànd modulated.
In the far distant Steele System, two mining prospectors discover a mech unit buried in the ice of a comet. Reverse technology by Dark Stream Security builds more and a small, elite mech troop is formed and trained. They will be invaluable as protection should aliens become dangerous to the earth-like home world.
On an inhospitable planet in the same system, two rival gangs fight to claim supremacy in the only real city. Three young people shut outside, desperate try to stay alive.
Two main stories alternately zip together throughout the book without any apparent touching point. One is mostly mainstream action, with heavy duty battles, the other more thoughtful and unusual in approach although this, too, has it's fair share of fighting.
At first, this changing location and influx of new characters was slightly confusing but soon resolved into two intriguing storylines. Presumably, these will come together at some future date as the ending certainly leaves open the possibility of much more to come.
Interesting ideas and enjoyable action..
"Shut up and shoot."
The audio version of Powered is performed by Mark Boyett, whose pleasant voice is well suited to the subject matter and whose narration is both nicely timed ànd modulated.
In the far distant Steele System, two mining prospectors discover a mech unit buried in the ice of a comet. Reverse technology by Dark Stream Security builds more and a small, elite mech troop is formed and trained. They will be invaluable as protection should aliens become dangerous to the earth-like home world.
On an inhospitable planet in the same system, two rival gangs fight to claim supremacy in the only real city. Three young people shut outside, desperate try to stay alive.
Two main stories alternately zip together throughout the book without any apparent touching point. One is mostly mainstream action, with heavy duty battles, the other more thoughtful and unusual in approach although this, too, has it's fair share of fighting.
At first, this changing location and influx of new characters was slightly confusing but soon resolved into two intriguing storylines. Presumably, these will come together at some future date as the ending certainly leaves open the possibility of much more to come.
Interesting ideas and enjoyable action..
November 21, 2017
Sloppy
Although the story is fairly standard, the author made the mistake of trying to start too many different storylines in an introductory novel.
It had the effects of not being able to get attached to any character while not getting enough information to properly follow the overall arc.
Although the story is fairly standard, the author made the mistake of trying to start too many different storylines in an introductory novel.
It had the effects of not being able to get attached to any character while not getting enough information to properly follow the overall arc.
May 18, 2019
Could have been awesome. But was so-so.
I would have liked to "experience" Jake's first The experience would have taken this book to the next level for me.
I would have liked to "experience" Jake's first The experience would have taken this book to the next level for me.
July 29, 2022
Interesting Story about what happened to Darkstream and what they found in the new galaxy.
However my sympathies are with the alien species the Quatro as they are attacked without reason
Plenty of action and some intriguing questions about where the Quatro come from and who built the Gatherers and Amblers.
However my sympathies are with the alien species the Quatro as they are attacked without reason
Plenty of action and some intriguing questions about where the Quatro come from and who built the Gatherers and Amblers.
January 28, 2026
4 Stars
Powered is the first book in the Mech Wars series by Scott Bartlett - which is a high-octane blend of military sci-fi action, tactical intrigue, and dramatic storytelling that thrusts us into high-stakes battles and plenty more page-turning developments.
A must-read for fans of space battles, mech wars, and intriguing sci-fi.
Happy Reading…
Powered is the first book in the Mech Wars series by Scott Bartlett - which is a high-octane blend of military sci-fi action, tactical intrigue, and dramatic storytelling that thrusts us into high-stakes battles and plenty more page-turning developments.
A must-read for fans of space battles, mech wars, and intriguing sci-fi.
Happy Reading…
December 2, 2017
Lots of Action!
This concept for Mech control is certainly a little different than I expected. The action kept my attention but I rated the writing at 4 stars because the character development and interaction was a little weak. I will read the second installment.
This concept for Mech control is certainly a little different than I expected. The action kept my attention but I rated the writing at 4 stars because the character development and interaction was a little weak. I will read the second installment.
December 10, 2017
A bit bloody!
I really enjoy science fiction, but this seems to be a bit too in your face gory for me.
Inhuman hairy quadrupeds are stretching my imagination too much.
I will persevere with the next book.
I really enjoy science fiction, but this seems to be a bit too in your face gory for me.
Inhuman hairy quadrupeds are stretching my imagination too much.
I will persevere with the next book.
January 20, 2018
A great read
Wish I could read faster as I could not put it down and wanted to finish before I went to bed but had to get some sleep to enjoy the book and give it some proper respect for a good read that it was.
Wish I could read faster as I could not put it down and wanted to finish before I went to bed but had to get some sleep to enjoy the book and give it some proper respect for a good read that it was.
October 23, 2025
Nope. Didn't like the characters, didn't like the plot. I gave up about 50% in. It's a quick read, but it's such a departure from the rest of the universe that I wanted to skip ahead to the Ixan Legacy series. Mark Boyett was fantastic as usual, but even he couldn't save this for me.
July 24, 2017
Good read
This book definitely keep me glued to it . The book was well written and it was full of action.
This book definitely keep me glued to it . The book was well written and it was full of action.
August 20, 2017
Can't wait for more
Took a little getting use to the bouncing between the stories but I finally got a hand on it. Downloaded the free books and waiting for more!!
Took a little getting use to the bouncing between the stories but I finally got a hand on it. Downloaded the free books and waiting for more!!
August 27, 2017
Good, not great. Felt like I was missing something, I guess because while not directly a sequel, it's set in a world he created in another series. No real development but good for what it was.
May 17, 2018
I enjoyed this book, good characters, good aliens, great action, original Mechs. I'm looking forward to "Dynamo".
February 20, 2020
A good maybe book.
The book was alright but it seamed slow at times but again it went well , it started off good but I thought it needed something.
The book was alright but it seamed slow at times but again it went well , it started off good but I thought it needed something.
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