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Cochrane's Company #2
An Airless Storm
Andrew Cochrane and his mercenaries have warded off a deadly onslaught by asteroid thieves. Now they're riding high, buying more ships and looking for more contracts.
However, the criminal Brotherhood isn't about to accept defeat - not after Cochrane's Company killed their Patriarch. They're out to rebuild, rearm, and get revenge.
What started as a simple patrol job in a deserted binary star system explodes into a multi-planetary arms race, with survival on the line!
However, the criminal Brotherhood isn't about to accept defeat - not after Cochrane's Company killed their Patriarch. They're out to rebuild, rearm, and get revenge.
What started as a simple patrol job in a deserted binary star system explodes into a multi-planetary arms race, with survival on the line!
- GenresScience Fiction
349 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 9, 2018
About the author
Peter Grant
17 books58 followersPeter Grant was born in South Africa in 1958. The state censor board did not allow television until 1973, and his parents didn't get one until 1974. So he grew up with books. Lots of books. He started out after school as a military man, moved into commercial information technology, and assisted with humanitarian work during South Africa's prolonged civil unrest that led to the end of apartheid in 1994.
After having been all over Africa, he emigrated to the USA in 1997, where there were far more English-language books, and more access to the internet. He married a pilot from Alaska and settled in Tennessee.
After having been all over Africa, he emigrated to the USA in 1997, where there were far more English-language books, and more access to the internet. He married a pilot from Alaska and settled in Tennessee.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 18, 2018
Peter Grant has invented a new literary genre; Space Opera Procedural
I obtained this book through the Kindle Unlimited program; I'm one of the subscribers who contributed to the $22.6 million June payout.
The cover artist is Steve Beaulieu, and he has successfully created a distinctive look for this series. That's a nice effect that indy authors don't get automatically, since they aren't working with a traditional publisher. I'm not really qualified to be an art critic, but I DO appreciate a book better if it has a cover consistent with the rest of the series. When the Man-Kzin War series was first published by Baen, you could pick them out from the rest of the titles across the aisle at the bookstore. I have no data that suggest there is an impact on sales, BUT I like it, and I think it's a nice pro touch. Peter Grant has some GREAT covers; maybe not as beautiful as the covers on his wife Dorothy's books, but great, anyway.
At some point in reading this second installment in the Cochrane's Company series, I realized the author had created a new genre: the Space Opera Procedural. You will recognize the reference to police procedurals, which are almost as much about HOW things happen as they are about catching/not catching crooks; I love those things! Well, Grant has moved it from the mean streets of Philadelphia into the galactic arena. Does a HECK of a job at it, too!
Cochrane was cashiered from the ranks and lost his wife due to the machinations of the High and Mighty twerps. He didn't slink off to oblivion; he managed to scrape together ships and personnel and produce a security force. In the first installment, we saw how he used asteroid mining to supplement his income, and played different factions against each other to make their crimes pay for him. In this volume, that same approach intensifies, and the old scores begin to get settled.
"I seek justice, as should we all, but I will settle for revenge." That's THE great line of the movie, spoken to Denzel Washington at the beginning of 'The Magnificent Seven,' and it could also be a theme of this series. There are bad guys, and Bad Guys, and BAD GUYS!!!!! in this story, and the character tension is established by the way that commander Cochrane seeks justice AND revenge, but manages to avoid becoming the ethical equivalent of those who destroy.
One of his enemies is the Brotherhood, a company of pirates, robbers, murderers and thieves, who seek to expand from their criminal roots in Albania of ancestral Earth and develop their own self-sustaining empire, ranked among the top criminal enterprises. They have been under the leadership of a series of charismatic tyrants, and are often individually True Believers. Their tactics have been grim, and part of the plot has to do with making some of those into sympathetic people. It's nicely done, by the way.
Another enemy is the High and Mighty twerps, who have prevented talent from being rewarded by means of manipulation and brute force. Cochrane uses those same methods, and adds more subtle economic strategies into the mix.
A word about those strategies: until recently, I did not know that there was insurance for insurers. That's a real thing; the way it works is that all insurance companies contribute to a common fund, and if the losses for one particular company result in bankruptcy, the clients who purchased policies with that company are covered by the fund (more or less). Earlier this tear, my gift-from-God, happily-ever-after trophy wife Vanessa, the elegant, foxy, praying black grandmother of Woodstock, GA, was hired as a legal parapro by a law firm representing this industry, and that's how I discovered such a thing exists. Therefore, I wish to offer Peter Grant some EXTRA applause, for accurately depicting an obscure liability feature. This adds to the IN SPA-ACE! community: Pigs, Nuns, Lawyers, and now Insurance Agents: well done, sir!
In addition to the fascinating behind-the-scenes revelations of how to set up a successful security company ( IN SPA-ACE!), there are nicely done space battle sequences. You can't have REAL space opera without exploding spaceships, and Grant supplies that in a good mix with the procedurals.
Alas, it is also necessary for people to fall in love; fortunately, Grant treats the idea with respect, and allows us to see adults act with restraint and appreciation for more factors than pheromones. Those acts which DO involve smooching are discreetly handled behind closed doors, and (eventually) with the benefit of clergy. I sincerely appreciate this treatment; not EVERYONE is compelled to act as if the procreative act had no more consequence than a sneeze in real life, and I regard this as another way in which Grant's characters are revealed to be real people.
I obtained this book through the Kindle Unlimited program; I'm one of the subscribers who contributed to the $22.6 million June payout.
The cover artist is Steve Beaulieu, and he has successfully created a distinctive look for this series. That's a nice effect that indy authors don't get automatically, since they aren't working with a traditional publisher. I'm not really qualified to be an art critic, but I DO appreciate a book better if it has a cover consistent with the rest of the series. When the Man-Kzin War series was first published by Baen, you could pick them out from the rest of the titles across the aisle at the bookstore. I have no data that suggest there is an impact on sales, BUT I like it, and I think it's a nice pro touch. Peter Grant has some GREAT covers; maybe not as beautiful as the covers on his wife Dorothy's books, but great, anyway.
At some point in reading this second installment in the Cochrane's Company series, I realized the author had created a new genre: the Space Opera Procedural. You will recognize the reference to police procedurals, which are almost as much about HOW things happen as they are about catching/not catching crooks; I love those things! Well, Grant has moved it from the mean streets of Philadelphia into the galactic arena. Does a HECK of a job at it, too!
Cochrane was cashiered from the ranks and lost his wife due to the machinations of the High and Mighty twerps. He didn't slink off to oblivion; he managed to scrape together ships and personnel and produce a security force. In the first installment, we saw how he used asteroid mining to supplement his income, and played different factions against each other to make their crimes pay for him. In this volume, that same approach intensifies, and the old scores begin to get settled.
"I seek justice, as should we all, but I will settle for revenge." That's THE great line of the movie, spoken to Denzel Washington at the beginning of 'The Magnificent Seven,' and it could also be a theme of this series. There are bad guys, and Bad Guys, and BAD GUYS!!!!! in this story, and the character tension is established by the way that commander Cochrane seeks justice AND revenge, but manages to avoid becoming the ethical equivalent of those who destroy.
One of his enemies is the Brotherhood, a company of pirates, robbers, murderers and thieves, who seek to expand from their criminal roots in Albania of ancestral Earth and develop their own self-sustaining empire, ranked among the top criminal enterprises. They have been under the leadership of a series of charismatic tyrants, and are often individually True Believers. Their tactics have been grim, and part of the plot has to do with making some of those into sympathetic people. It's nicely done, by the way.
Another enemy is the High and Mighty twerps, who have prevented talent from being rewarded by means of manipulation and brute force. Cochrane uses those same methods, and adds more subtle economic strategies into the mix.
A word about those strategies: until recently, I did not know that there was insurance for insurers. That's a real thing; the way it works is that all insurance companies contribute to a common fund, and if the losses for one particular company result in bankruptcy, the clients who purchased policies with that company are covered by the fund (more or less). Earlier this tear, my gift-from-God, happily-ever-after trophy wife Vanessa, the elegant, foxy, praying black grandmother of Woodstock, GA, was hired as a legal parapro by a law firm representing this industry, and that's how I discovered such a thing exists. Therefore, I wish to offer Peter Grant some EXTRA applause, for accurately depicting an obscure liability feature. This adds to the IN SPA-ACE! community: Pigs, Nuns, Lawyers, and now Insurance Agents: well done, sir!
In addition to the fascinating behind-the-scenes revelations of how to set up a successful security company ( IN SPA-ACE!), there are nicely done space battle sequences. You can't have REAL space opera without exploding spaceships, and Grant supplies that in a good mix with the procedurals.
Alas, it is also necessary for people to fall in love; fortunately, Grant treats the idea with respect, and allows us to see adults act with restraint and appreciation for more factors than pheromones. Those acts which DO involve smooching are discreetly handled behind closed doors, and (eventually) with the benefit of clergy. I sincerely appreciate this treatment; not EVERYONE is compelled to act as if the procreative act had no more consequence than a sneeze in real life, and I regard this as another way in which Grant's characters are revealed to be real people.
June 21, 2018
Holds out empty Kindle: Can I have some more, please?
Here we are, at the mid-point of this tale of Cochrane's Company, and their war with the Albanian Brotherhood. And, as in all things, it's a mixed bag: victories and losses, combat, preparation, and intrigue. The scope of the story is growing beyond just that of Hawkwood Corporation. And Grant has mastered the art of the moral cliffhanger: Commodore Cochrane has stared into the Abyss. . .and backed away. In the end, he remains an honorable and moral man, despite his enemies being anything but.
We also see aspects of Grant's greater, for lack of a better term, 'Maxwellverse'. And so, with Volume Three coming soon, I'm awaiting the nearly-inevitable cameo of Commander Steve Maxwell, of the Lancastrian Commonwealth Fleet. . .
Here we are, at the mid-point of this tale of Cochrane's Company, and their war with the Albanian Brotherhood. And, as in all things, it's a mixed bag: victories and losses, combat, preparation, and intrigue. The scope of the story is growing beyond just that of Hawkwood Corporation. And Grant has mastered the art of the moral cliffhanger: Commodore Cochrane has stared into the Abyss. . .and backed away. In the end, he remains an honorable and moral man, despite his enemies being anything but.
We also see aspects of Grant's greater, for lack of a better term, 'Maxwellverse'. And so, with Volume Three coming soon, I'm awaiting the nearly-inevitable cameo of Commander Steve Maxwell, of the Lancastrian Commonwealth Fleet. . .
September 3, 2019
A PG. SYFY. Action Adventure Novel of Deep Space (AAS.) (CCB. - 2)
PG. has penned a SYFY. action adventure novel of Deep space. The second novel in the Cochrane's Company Book number 2. In this novel the actions that took place in book one are reading their ugly heads. They had killed the leader of the smugglers and thieves and now the subordinate are seeking revenge. The Cochrane Company is trying to keep everything under control to avoid an interplanetary war. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
PG. has penned a SYFY. action adventure novel of Deep space. The second novel in the Cochrane's Company Book number 2. In this novel the actions that took place in book one are reading their ugly heads. They had killed the leader of the smugglers and thieves and now the subordinate are seeking revenge. The Cochrane Company is trying to keep everything under control to avoid an interplanetary war. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
June 19, 2018
Excellent Continuation
This was a highly satisfying continuation of the trilogy. More secrets revealed, action, suspense and enough conclusion to whet the appetite for the conclusion of this trilogy. Counting down the days until it's released.
This was a highly satisfying continuation of the trilogy. More secrets revealed, action, suspense and enough conclusion to whet the appetite for the conclusion of this trilogy. Counting down the days until it's released.
June 29, 2018
Consistently Entertaining SF
I like stories about people building something worthwhile against the odds. I love SFnal adventure. Cochrane's Company is the sweet intersection of the two. No question,I'll be getting book 3 as soon as it's out.
I like stories about people building something worthwhile against the odds. I love SFnal adventure. Cochrane's Company is the sweet intersection of the two. No question,I'll be getting book 3 as soon as it's out.
October 25, 2020
Excellent again!
It's a minor complaint, but the author is doing the same thing here that he did in "Brings the Lightning", providing the main character a marvelous source of cash and supplies to help him get along. It works fine, but.....
It's a minor complaint, but the author is doing the same thing here that he did in "Brings the Lightning", providing the main character a marvelous source of cash and supplies to help him get along. It works fine, but.....
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews