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Planetside #2
Spaceside
A military legend is caught in the web between alien intrigue and human subterfuge…
Following his mission on Cappa, Colonel Carl Butler returns to a mixed reception. To some he is a do-or-die war hero. To the other half of the galaxy he’s a pariah. Forced into retirement, he has resettled on Talca Four where he’s now Deputy VP of Corporate Security, protecting a high-tech military company on the corporate battlefield—at least, that’s what the job description says. Really, he’s just there to impress clients and investors. It’s all relatively low risk—until he’s entrusted with new orders. A breach of a competitor’s computer network has Butler’s superiors feeling every bit as vulnerable. They need Butler to find who did it, how, and why no one’s taken credit for the ingenious attack.
As accustomed as Butler is to the reality of wargames—virtual and otherwise—this one screams something louder than a simple hack. Because no sooner does he start digging when his first contact is murdered, the death somehow kept secret from the media. As a prime suspect, he can’t shake the sensation he’s being watched…or finally succumbing to the stress of his past. Paranoid delusion or dangerous reality, Butler might be onto something much deeper than anyone imagined. But that’s where Butler thrives.
If he hasn’t signed his own death warrant.
Following his mission on Cappa, Colonel Carl Butler returns to a mixed reception. To some he is a do-or-die war hero. To the other half of the galaxy he’s a pariah. Forced into retirement, he has resettled on Talca Four where he’s now Deputy VP of Corporate Security, protecting a high-tech military company on the corporate battlefield—at least, that’s what the job description says. Really, he’s just there to impress clients and investors. It’s all relatively low risk—until he’s entrusted with new orders. A breach of a competitor’s computer network has Butler’s superiors feeling every bit as vulnerable. They need Butler to find who did it, how, and why no one’s taken credit for the ingenious attack.
As accustomed as Butler is to the reality of wargames—virtual and otherwise—this one screams something louder than a simple hack. Because no sooner does he start digging when his first contact is murdered, the death somehow kept secret from the media. As a prime suspect, he can’t shake the sensation he’s being watched…or finally succumbing to the stress of his past. Paranoid delusion or dangerous reality, Butler might be onto something much deeper than anyone imagined. But that’s where Butler thrives.
If he hasn’t signed his own death warrant.
Kindle Edition
First published August 27, 2019
About the author
Michael Mammay
9 books357 followersMichael Mammay is a retired army officer and a graduate of the United States Military Academy. He has a masters degree in military history, and he is a veteran of Desert Storm, Somalia, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. His first novel, PLANETSIDE, was a Library Journal 'Best books of 2018' pick and the sequel, SPACESIDE, received a starred review. He lives with his family in Georgia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews
July 26, 2019
ARC provided by the publisher—Harper Voyager—in exchange for an honest review.
I can’t emphasize this highly enough: if you enjoyed reading Planetside, you will most likely enjoy Spaceside too.
Spaceside is the second book in Michael Mammay’s Planetside series. Although the first book worked totally well as a standalone, I’m glad there’s a continuation because I was left wanting more after the ending of the first book. More than a year has passed, Colonel Butler is trying his best to live with the burden of the life-changing action he did at the end of Planetside. Even though Butler has been forced into retirement because of it, this doesn’t mean that he can take a break. In this installment, Butler’s task to investigate a hacking ended up escalating much bigger than he expected.
I can safely say that pretty much everything that was great about the first book remained intact here; intriguing mystery written with a thrilling feels that won’t allow me to catch a break persisted throughout the entirety of the plot. Same as its Planetside, Spaceside can be described as a mystery thriller in a military sci-fi setting. The one thing that’s clearly upgraded from the previous book was the more in-depth characterizations of the main character. Spaceside, understandably, felt more intimate. The author efficiently displayed Butler’s internal conflicts; seeing a man of action like him coping with the consequences of his actions and facing paranoia from his past gave a personal tone to the narration that made the characters more fleshed out.
Reading Mammay’s prose was damn addictive. I recently binged read War for the Rose Throne by Peter McLean and I do believe that the reading experience offered within Mammay’s storytelling style is similar to that series; except that this in a sci-fi setting instead of fantasy. Don’t get me wrong here, the story, setting, and writing itself were vastly different from each other. However, the prose, pacing, and the main character of these two series combined to give a fast-paced narrative that doesn’t neglect characterizations.
The minor issue I had with the book was that at times I did feel like the story structure in Spaceside progressed a bit too similar to its predecessor. This, of course, is just a minor issue and overall doesn’t change the fact that I was still super engrossed by it.
Spaceside is a worthy sequel to Planetside and Mammay once again successfully delivered another highly entertaining page-turner. The cleverly mixed mystery and military sci-fi element made this relatively small book packed with a strong impact, and I highly recommend it to readers who are looking for a fast-paced mystery/sci-fi read.
Official release date: August 27th, 2019
You can pre-order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository (Free shipping)
The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
I can’t emphasize this highly enough: if you enjoyed reading Planetside, you will most likely enjoy Spaceside too.
Spaceside is the second book in Michael Mammay’s Planetside series. Although the first book worked totally well as a standalone, I’m glad there’s a continuation because I was left wanting more after the ending of the first book. More than a year has passed, Colonel Butler is trying his best to live with the burden of the life-changing action he did at the end of Planetside. Even though Butler has been forced into retirement because of it, this doesn’t mean that he can take a break. In this installment, Butler’s task to investigate a hacking ended up escalating much bigger than he expected.
“A wise man once told me that hope is not a great planning tool.”
I can safely say that pretty much everything that was great about the first book remained intact here; intriguing mystery written with a thrilling feels that won’t allow me to catch a break persisted throughout the entirety of the plot. Same as its Planetside, Spaceside can be described as a mystery thriller in a military sci-fi setting. The one thing that’s clearly upgraded from the previous book was the more in-depth characterizations of the main character. Spaceside, understandably, felt more intimate. The author efficiently displayed Butler’s internal conflicts; seeing a man of action like him coping with the consequences of his actions and facing paranoia from his past gave a personal tone to the narration that made the characters more fleshed out.
“Taking charge and moving forward always beat sitting still and waiting for others to act.”
Reading Mammay’s prose was damn addictive. I recently binged read War for the Rose Throne by Peter McLean and I do believe that the reading experience offered within Mammay’s storytelling style is similar to that series; except that this in a sci-fi setting instead of fantasy. Don’t get me wrong here, the story, setting, and writing itself were vastly different from each other. However, the prose, pacing, and the main character of these two series combined to give a fast-paced narrative that doesn’t neglect characterizations.
“Your whole life you do big, important things. You speak and people listen. Then suddenly that’s over, and you’re wasting your life doing some bullshit job that doesn’t matter, where nobody cares what you do as long as you show up for the company functions.”
The minor issue I had with the book was that at times I did feel like the story structure in Spaceside progressed a bit too similar to its predecessor. This, of course, is just a minor issue and overall doesn’t change the fact that I was still super engrossed by it.
“People always wanted to believe in heroes, though the truth of the stories rarely lived up to the myth.”
Spaceside is a worthy sequel to Planetside and Mammay once again successfully delivered another highly entertaining page-turner. The cleverly mixed mystery and military sci-fi element made this relatively small book packed with a strong impact, and I highly recommend it to readers who are looking for a fast-paced mystery/sci-fi read.
Official release date: August 27th, 2019
You can pre-order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository (Free shipping)
The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
September 27, 2019
[4.5/5 stars] I love love love this series. I love the character. I love the story. I love how tight the writing is. I love the dry humor. I love that the mystery had me thinking about the book every time I set it down. It has been a hot minute since a series has drawn me back to it so strongly. It continues to provide all the story components I’m craving these days, and for me at least, it’s the perfect read.
The brilliance of this story is the superb main character, Colonel Carl Butler. I freaking love him. He’s straightforward, clever, and he really doesn’t give a shit what anyone else thinks... but at the same time he has this cool moral compass that makes him want to do right by people, even if he can't always support it through action. The ever-present underlying sardonic nature of Carl’s thoughts delights me to no end. He’s written so well it feels like reading about an actual person, which is the highest compliment I can give to a character. He’s the main reason I’m loving this series so much and feel so connected to it.
Mammay’s writing is a breath of fresh air. I love the tone of his storytelling, the witty dialogue, and overall presentation… it’s so smart. The main character is excellent at reading people, and profile demands a lot of complex rationalizing and assessment that must have taken a lot of extra effort to infuse so seamlessly into the story. It’s absolutely fascinating! Mammay is also good at starting at a slow burn and building interest and momentum as the story goes. Good momentum in stories has often made the difference between a decent book and an amazing 5-star can’t-put-it-down read for me, and it’s always a factor I take into consideration when reviewing. This is the second time I felt catapulted to the end, and I freaking love that.
With not only one, but two awesome books under his belt so far, I can say with confidence that Michael Mammay is now one of my favorite authors. I can’t wait to see what he comes out with next!
Recommendations: it’s no secret that I’m an uber fan of Planetside (book #1) because I’ve been talking about it constantly. Spaceside was just as good! It’s a highly engaging military sci-fi that’s super easy to recommend because of its concise writing, dry humor, and exciting action. It hooked me right from the start. Give this series a try!! It might not delight you to the same extent it did me, but I can stand behind it as a great read you won’t regret picking up!
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
The brilliance of this story is the superb main character, Colonel Carl Butler. I freaking love him. He’s straightforward, clever, and he really doesn’t give a shit what anyone else thinks... but at the same time he has this cool moral compass that makes him want to do right by people, even if he can't always support it through action. The ever-present underlying sardonic nature of Carl’s thoughts delights me to no end. He’s written so well it feels like reading about an actual person, which is the highest compliment I can give to a character. He’s the main reason I’m loving this series so much and feel so connected to it.
Mammay’s writing is a breath of fresh air. I love the tone of his storytelling, the witty dialogue, and overall presentation… it’s so smart. The main character is excellent at reading people, and profile demands a lot of complex rationalizing and assessment that must have taken a lot of extra effort to infuse so seamlessly into the story. It’s absolutely fascinating! Mammay is also good at starting at a slow burn and building interest and momentum as the story goes. Good momentum in stories has often made the difference between a decent book and an amazing 5-star can’t-put-it-down read for me, and it’s always a factor I take into consideration when reviewing. This is the second time I felt catapulted to the end, and I freaking love that.
With not only one, but two awesome books under his belt so far, I can say with confidence that Michael Mammay is now one of my favorite authors. I can’t wait to see what he comes out with next!
Recommendations: it’s no secret that I’m an uber fan of Planetside (book #1) because I’ve been talking about it constantly. Spaceside was just as good! It’s a highly engaging military sci-fi that’s super easy to recommend because of its concise writing, dry humor, and exciting action. It hooked me right from the start. Give this series a try!! It might not delight you to the same extent it did me, but I can stand behind it as a great read you won’t regret picking up!
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
January 31, 2020
3.5 stars. A worthy a sequel to Planetside, Michael Mammay's excellent military sci-fi / detective debut novel.
The story follows Colonel Carl Butler in the next chapter of his life, now retired from the military and working security for a mega corporation. It ties back directly to the previous book and is deeply rooted in the events that unfolded there. Like that book, much of the story is procedural heavy and it's not until later when Butler gets pushed into another battle with grim prospects that the adrenaline really kicks in.
It develops fairly predictably, yet I still found it enjoyable. The world building and sci-fi elements are not particularly well developed or inventive, yet the detective/procedural aspects are well written and engaging, as is the grizzled, hard boiled protagonist.
The story follows Colonel Carl Butler in the next chapter of his life, now retired from the military and working security for a mega corporation. It ties back directly to the previous book and is deeply rooted in the events that unfolded there. Like that book, much of the story is procedural heavy and it's not until later when Butler gets pushed into another battle with grim prospects that the adrenaline really kicks in.
It develops fairly predictably, yet I still found it enjoyable. The world building and sci-fi elements are not particularly well developed or inventive, yet the detective/procedural aspects are well written and engaging, as is the grizzled, hard boiled protagonist.
July 15, 2019
Spaceside, book two of Mike Mammay’s Planetside series, sees the evolution of a tremendous character in Col. Carl Butler as he deals with the aftermath of the events in book one and runs headlong into an unfamiliar setting with unpredictable events. Using his lifetime of military training and whatever quick wits he can muster that aren’t dulled by the whiskey, Butler is forced to deal with events that become more and more treacherous the deeper he gets.
Spaceside was a blast to read! I can’t recommend it enough. It’s fast-paced, has great dialogue, multi-dimensional characters, and the storyline is deftly plotted from beginning to end. More importantly, it made me long to read the next book in the series to see where Col. Butler goes from here. Can’t wait to read book three!
Spaceside was a blast to read! I can’t recommend it enough. It’s fast-paced, has great dialogue, multi-dimensional characters, and the storyline is deftly plotted from beginning to end. More importantly, it made me long to read the next book in the series to see where Col. Butler goes from here. Can’t wait to read book three!
August 20, 2019
I received an advanced proof of Spaceside from the publisher, to review.
Last year, Michael Mammay debuted an absolutely incredible book, Planetside, the outstanding science fiction thriller that absolutely blew me (and the planet of Cappa) away with its inventiveness, addictive story and explosive conclusion. Now Mammay attempts to follow up this amazing first novel with a second book in his Planetside series, Spaceside.
Spaceside begins about two years after the events of Planetside, and reveals that Butler is now the most infamous man in the galaxy. While many view him as a hero, others consider him a genocidal monster. Forced out of the army, Butler now has an easy job as Deputy VP of Corporate Security for Varitech Production Company, a high-tech military company on the planet of Talca Four. In theory he helps protect the company against corporate threats, but in reality his job is to impress clients and utilise his substantial military connections for his bosses’ benefits.
As a result, he is surprised one day when he is called into the CEO’s office and given an actual security assignment. A rival tech company, Omicron Technology, has had a breach in their supposedly unhackable computer systems, and Varitech wants to know how it happened and whether their own systems are vulnerable. With no obvious leads and no-one claiming credit for the hack, Butler reaches out to one of his contacts working at the impacted company. However, shortly after their meeting, Butler’s contact is found dead and Butler is now the police’s prime suspect.
Determined once again to find out the truth no matter what, Butler starts to dig around at Omicron and discovers that they were working on a secret project with links to his time on Cappa. When information arrives from the most unlikely of places, Butler is once again drawn into a massive conspiracy that he is not meant to survive. Can he find a way out of this, or will he be forced to redo his greatest mistake?
Wow, just wow. This was another exceptional book from Mammay, who has once again produced a fantastic science fiction thriller hybrid with some amazing moments in it. I absolutely loved this follow-up to Planetside, which not only contains another addictive story with an amazing protagonist but also serves as an excellent sequel to the first book. I powered through Spaceside extremely quickly and loved every minute I spent glued to my screen. This gets another five out of five stars from me, and I reckon that I will once again be placing Mammay’s latest book on my top reads of the year list.
View the full review at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2019/08/20/...
For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
Last year, Michael Mammay debuted an absolutely incredible book, Planetside, the outstanding science fiction thriller that absolutely blew me (and the planet of Cappa) away with its inventiveness, addictive story and explosive conclusion. Now Mammay attempts to follow up this amazing first novel with a second book in his Planetside series, Spaceside.
Spaceside begins about two years after the events of Planetside, and reveals that Butler is now the most infamous man in the galaxy. While many view him as a hero, others consider him a genocidal monster. Forced out of the army, Butler now has an easy job as Deputy VP of Corporate Security for Varitech Production Company, a high-tech military company on the planet of Talca Four. In theory he helps protect the company against corporate threats, but in reality his job is to impress clients and utilise his substantial military connections for his bosses’ benefits.
As a result, he is surprised one day when he is called into the CEO’s office and given an actual security assignment. A rival tech company, Omicron Technology, has had a breach in their supposedly unhackable computer systems, and Varitech wants to know how it happened and whether their own systems are vulnerable. With no obvious leads and no-one claiming credit for the hack, Butler reaches out to one of his contacts working at the impacted company. However, shortly after their meeting, Butler’s contact is found dead and Butler is now the police’s prime suspect.
Determined once again to find out the truth no matter what, Butler starts to dig around at Omicron and discovers that they were working on a secret project with links to his time on Cappa. When information arrives from the most unlikely of places, Butler is once again drawn into a massive conspiracy that he is not meant to survive. Can he find a way out of this, or will he be forced to redo his greatest mistake?
Wow, just wow. This was another exceptional book from Mammay, who has once again produced a fantastic science fiction thriller hybrid with some amazing moments in it. I absolutely loved this follow-up to Planetside, which not only contains another addictive story with an amazing protagonist but also serves as an excellent sequel to the first book. I powered through Spaceside extremely quickly and loved every minute I spent glued to my screen. This gets another five out of five stars from me, and I reckon that I will once again be placing Mammay’s latest book on my top reads of the year list.
View the full review at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2019/08/20/...
For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
November 17, 2022
This was a good sequel to Planetside. The end of this book has me wanting to pick the next one up right away!
August 30, 2019
Originally published at Reading Reality
Old soldiers never die, they just fade away. Unless they’ve become well-known but officially exonerated mass murderers. Then they become pointed-at pariahs.
Spaceside is set two years after the events in the totally awesome Planetside. Events that left Colonel Carl Butler forcibly retired, reluctantly divorced, and completely alone on Talca 4, with a cushy job at a mega-corporation that conducts corporate bonding retreats using one of their marquee products, Battlesim!
Also utterly bored, majorly depressed, and drinking way, way too much. He searching for oblivion, but after everything he’s done, it’s not merely elusive, it’s downright non-existent.
Then his boss gives him a mission. He’s supposed to investigate a security breach. Someone hacked their biggest rival, and stole data about a project so secret that no one is willing to admit the hack even happened, let alone what got hacked.
Butler’s no computer whiz, but one of his former soldiers certainly is. And she’s working in the bowels of the same place that he is. Calling in some favors from a former subordinate is easy. Finding a friend of a friend working at that rival company isn’t even that difficult.
Until his source ends up dead. The cops want to pin it on Butler, not because he did it, but because they know he’s hiding something – and they want to know what that something is.
Butler’s hiding a lot, including the fact that he’s started seeing ghosts of the people he killed on Cappa following him around Talca. Where there aren’t supposed to be any Cappans. There aren’t supposed to be any Cappans anywhere off Cappa. After all, his mission in Planetside ended with him bombing Cappa back to the stone age – or so he thought. The events that resulted in his current status as retired, mass-murdering pariah.
It turns out that nothing is as he thought. Not that the old soldier expected anything different. Or better.
After all, he’s gone into every mission he’s ever done knowing that it might be his last. And more than a few where he thought he might get stabbed in the back.
He just never figured on a shot at redemption before the end. Maybe even his end.
Escape Rating A-: The dry, wry, universe-weary voice of Carl Butler carries this story from its mundane beginning to its mic drop end. Told from Butler’s first-person perspective, we are inside his head every step of the way. His internal dialog around and about just how he ended up in this mess, his doubts and fears, makes the reader feel for him as well as with him.
Which makes it easy to get wrapped up in his stubborn refusal to drop an investigation that takes him into dark and deep places – and circles back around to everything that went wrong on Cappa. His ghosts come back to life, but this time they want his help rather than his death. At least some of them do.
It’s his corporate bosses who are in up to their greedy necks in shenanigans that they are willing to kill to keep from seeing the light of day. And they have no problems setting Butler up for the fall – after all, he’s done it before.
It’s Butler’s dogged perseverance that keeps the investigation – and the story – rattling along. Saber-rattling, that is, both figurative and literal.
What makes Butler such a marvelous protagonist is that the old soldier has no intention of being a hero – because he knows that’s mostly bunk even though it’s what people want to believe. What he’s doing is what he did on Cappa, trying to make the best of a terrible job and limit the collateral damage. If he can. Whether he becomes part of it or not.
Spaceside is a book that I’ve been looking forward to for a year. I was over the moon for Planetside last year. It was the right book at the right time and resonated with one of my all-time favorites, Old Man’s War. I’d still like to be a fly on the wall if Carl Butler and John Perry ever get together for drinks.
I enjoyed Spaceside a lot, but it took a bit longer to get into gear, or perhaps into the proper military cadence, than Planetside. We don’t get into the thick of things nearly as fast, but once we do, the race is certainly on.
This could be the end of Carl Butler’s story. Or it might not be. Even if I don’t get to take another trip into Butler’s head, I hope to see much more from the mind of his author.
Old soldiers never die, they just fade away. Unless they’ve become well-known but officially exonerated mass murderers. Then they become pointed-at pariahs.
Spaceside is set two years after the events in the totally awesome Planetside. Events that left Colonel Carl Butler forcibly retired, reluctantly divorced, and completely alone on Talca 4, with a cushy job at a mega-corporation that conducts corporate bonding retreats using one of their marquee products, Battlesim!
Also utterly bored, majorly depressed, and drinking way, way too much. He searching for oblivion, but after everything he’s done, it’s not merely elusive, it’s downright non-existent.
Then his boss gives him a mission. He’s supposed to investigate a security breach. Someone hacked their biggest rival, and stole data about a project so secret that no one is willing to admit the hack even happened, let alone what got hacked.
Butler’s no computer whiz, but one of his former soldiers certainly is. And she’s working in the bowels of the same place that he is. Calling in some favors from a former subordinate is easy. Finding a friend of a friend working at that rival company isn’t even that difficult.
Until his source ends up dead. The cops want to pin it on Butler, not because he did it, but because they know he’s hiding something – and they want to know what that something is.
Butler’s hiding a lot, including the fact that he’s started seeing ghosts of the people he killed on Cappa following him around Talca. Where there aren’t supposed to be any Cappans. There aren’t supposed to be any Cappans anywhere off Cappa. After all, his mission in Planetside ended with him bombing Cappa back to the stone age – or so he thought. The events that resulted in his current status as retired, mass-murdering pariah.
It turns out that nothing is as he thought. Not that the old soldier expected anything different. Or better.
After all, he’s gone into every mission he’s ever done knowing that it might be his last. And more than a few where he thought he might get stabbed in the back.
He just never figured on a shot at redemption before the end. Maybe even his end.
Escape Rating A-: The dry, wry, universe-weary voice of Carl Butler carries this story from its mundane beginning to its mic drop end. Told from Butler’s first-person perspective, we are inside his head every step of the way. His internal dialog around and about just how he ended up in this mess, his doubts and fears, makes the reader feel for him as well as with him.
Which makes it easy to get wrapped up in his stubborn refusal to drop an investigation that takes him into dark and deep places – and circles back around to everything that went wrong on Cappa. His ghosts come back to life, but this time they want his help rather than his death. At least some of them do.
It’s his corporate bosses who are in up to their greedy necks in shenanigans that they are willing to kill to keep from seeing the light of day. And they have no problems setting Butler up for the fall – after all, he’s done it before.
It’s Butler’s dogged perseverance that keeps the investigation – and the story – rattling along. Saber-rattling, that is, both figurative and literal.
What makes Butler such a marvelous protagonist is that the old soldier has no intention of being a hero – because he knows that’s mostly bunk even though it’s what people want to believe. What he’s doing is what he did on Cappa, trying to make the best of a terrible job and limit the collateral damage. If he can. Whether he becomes part of it or not.
Spaceside is a book that I’ve been looking forward to for a year. I was over the moon for Planetside last year. It was the right book at the right time and resonated with one of my all-time favorites, Old Man’s War. I’d still like to be a fly on the wall if Carl Butler and John Perry ever get together for drinks.
I enjoyed Spaceside a lot, but it took a bit longer to get into gear, or perhaps into the proper military cadence, than Planetside. We don’t get into the thick of things nearly as fast, but once we do, the race is certainly on.
This could be the end of Carl Butler’s story. Or it might not be. Even if I don’t get to take another trip into Butler’s head, I hope to see much more from the mind of his author.
January 2, 2023
It's a pretty good continuation of the first book, but definitely suffers from middle book syndrome. Must be read in order, of course. I enjoyed it, but it didn't wow me. On to the third & final book of the trilogy.
September 12, 2019
I received an advanced proof of Spaceside from the publisher, to review.
Last year, Michael Mammay debuted an absolutely incredible book, Planetside, the outstanding science fiction thriller that absolutely blew me (and the planet of Cappa) away with its inventiveness, addictive story and explosive conclusion. Now Mammay attempts to follow up this amazing first novel with a second book in his Planetside series, Spaceside.
Spaceside begins about two years after the events of Planetside, and reveals that Butler is now the most infamous man in the galaxy. While many view him as a hero, others consider him a genocidal monster. Forced out of the army, Butler now has an easy job as Deputy VP of Corporate Security for Varitech Production Company, a high-tech military company on the planet of Talca Four. In theory he helps protect the company against corporate threats, but in reality his job is to impress clients and utilise his substantial military connections for his bosses’ benefits.
As a result, he is surprised one day when he is called into the CEO’s office and given an actual security assignment. A rival tech company, Omicron Technology, has had a breach in their supposedly unhackable computer systems, and Varitech wants to know how it happened and whether their own systems are vulnerable. With no obvious leads and no-one claiming credit for the hack, Butler reaches out to one of his contacts working at the impacted company. However, shortly after their meeting, Butler’s contact is found dead and Butler is now the police’s prime suspect.
Determined once again to find out the truth no matter what, Butler starts to dig around at Omicron and discovers that they were working on a secret project with links to his time on Cappa. When information arrives from the most unlikely of places, Butler is once again drawn into a massive conspiracy that he is not meant to survive. Can he find a way out of this, or will he be forced to redo his greatest mistake?
Wow, just wow. This was another exceptional book from Mammay, who has once again produced a fantastic science fiction thriller hybrid with some amazing moments in it. I absolutely loved this follow-up to Planetside, which not only contains another addictive story with an amazing protagonist but also serves as an excellent sequel to the first book. I powered through Spaceside extremely quickly and loved every minute I spent glued to my screen. This gets another five out of five stars from me, and I reckon that I will once again be placing Mammay’s latest book on my top reads of the year list.
View the full review at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2019/08/20/...
An abridged version of this review ran in the Canberra Weekly on 12 September 2019:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2019/09/12/...
For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
Last year, Michael Mammay debuted an absolutely incredible book, Planetside, the outstanding science fiction thriller that absolutely blew me (and the planet of Cappa) away with its inventiveness, addictive story and explosive conclusion. Now Mammay attempts to follow up this amazing first novel with a second book in his Planetside series, Spaceside.
Spaceside begins about two years after the events of Planetside, and reveals that Butler is now the most infamous man in the galaxy. While many view him as a hero, others consider him a genocidal monster. Forced out of the army, Butler now has an easy job as Deputy VP of Corporate Security for Varitech Production Company, a high-tech military company on the planet of Talca Four. In theory he helps protect the company against corporate threats, but in reality his job is to impress clients and utilise his substantial military connections for his bosses’ benefits.
As a result, he is surprised one day when he is called into the CEO’s office and given an actual security assignment. A rival tech company, Omicron Technology, has had a breach in their supposedly unhackable computer systems, and Varitech wants to know how it happened and whether their own systems are vulnerable. With no obvious leads and no-one claiming credit for the hack, Butler reaches out to one of his contacts working at the impacted company. However, shortly after their meeting, Butler’s contact is found dead and Butler is now the police’s prime suspect.
Determined once again to find out the truth no matter what, Butler starts to dig around at Omicron and discovers that they were working on a secret project with links to his time on Cappa. When information arrives from the most unlikely of places, Butler is once again drawn into a massive conspiracy that he is not meant to survive. Can he find a way out of this, or will he be forced to redo his greatest mistake?
Wow, just wow. This was another exceptional book from Mammay, who has once again produced a fantastic science fiction thriller hybrid with some amazing moments in it. I absolutely loved this follow-up to Planetside, which not only contains another addictive story with an amazing protagonist but also serves as an excellent sequel to the first book. I powered through Spaceside extremely quickly and loved every minute I spent glued to my screen. This gets another five out of five stars from me, and I reckon that I will once again be placing Mammay’s latest book on my top reads of the year list.
View the full review at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2019/08/20/...
An abridged version of this review ran in the Canberra Weekly on 12 September 2019:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2019/09/12/...
For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
September 8, 2019
Michael Mammay has delivered yet another fantastic sci fi adventure with SPACESIDE.
Carl Butler is back from Cappa, and his life has changed significantly since the fateful decision for which he was set up to take the fall. Now retired, Carl is divorced, drinking heavily, and running as a security advisor in a corporate rat race. An encounter on the mass transit has Butler wondering if his PTSD symptoms are getting worse, or if he really is seeing human-Cappan hybrids on the bus, when his boss calls him in for a top secret assignment to find out how a competitor was hacked. Butler is following a trail when his only lead ends up dead, and the police seem certain the Scourge of Cappa had something to do with it. Butler's life only gets more screwed up from there as the ghosts of what he did on Cappa come back for a reckoning, and he is forced to make one more trip planetside that will probably end with Butler being flushed out an airlock.
Holy moly, was this good. Carl Butler is a defeated guy who really just wants to be ignored and collect his paycheck so he can buy more whiskey, but this mystery piques his curiosity and leads him back to the soldier still lurking inside. The story unfolds at a great pace, and like the last act of Planetside, hits fast and hard in the last third of the book with a climax that leaves you a little stunned.
Really looking forward to the third book! These have been one hell of a lot of fun to read.
Carl Butler is back from Cappa, and his life has changed significantly since the fateful decision for which he was set up to take the fall. Now retired, Carl is divorced, drinking heavily, and running as a security advisor in a corporate rat race. An encounter on the mass transit has Butler wondering if his PTSD symptoms are getting worse, or if he really is seeing human-Cappan hybrids on the bus, when his boss calls him in for a top secret assignment to find out how a competitor was hacked. Butler is following a trail when his only lead ends up dead, and the police seem certain the Scourge of Cappa had something to do with it. Butler's life only gets more screwed up from there as the ghosts of what he did on Cappa come back for a reckoning, and he is forced to make one more trip planetside that will probably end with Butler being flushed out an airlock.
Holy moly, was this good. Carl Butler is a defeated guy who really just wants to be ignored and collect his paycheck so he can buy more whiskey, but this mystery piques his curiosity and leads him back to the soldier still lurking inside. The story unfolds at a great pace, and like the last act of Planetside, hits fast and hard in the last third of the book with a climax that leaves you a little stunned.
Really looking forward to the third book! These have been one hell of a lot of fun to read.
August 31, 2019
Everything you loved about Planetside (if you haven't read it, STOP, BUY, READ- SPOILERS AWAIT) returns. Butler's voice, weary and worn from life, returns, and the weight of his decisions carries through every chapter.
Don't go looking for war heroes here, reveling in their glory. The men and women Butler revisits have found ways to survive, but more than anything, it's a picture of how to go on with life after making terrible decisions.
And Butler ain't doing it so well.
He's managed to transition to civilian life, more as a glorified laser-tag team captain than anything related to his skills, but look at Butler's resume, and you'll note there aren't many openings labeled as: "The ideal candidate will have two to five years experience slaughtering the entire population of a world. Experience with orbital bombardment preferred."
He's alone, hated by some, feared by others, admired by few, and that's when Butler gets the opportunity to investigate something that uses Butler's knowledge of armies, and their close cousins, corporations. What happened on Capa lies in the past but weaves through Butler's present until he can no longer be certain if he's seeing things because they're there, or because he imagines them to be.
And that is where the story *starts*. Expect Butler's trademark dry observations, enemies you'll see coming, allies you might not expect, and the eternal truth that no plan survives contact with the enemy.
The ending is fitting for a man like Butler and will leave you wondering if at last this tired old soldier find rest. Peace may be too much to ask.
Don't go looking for war heroes here, reveling in their glory. The men and women Butler revisits have found ways to survive, but more than anything, it's a picture of how to go on with life after making terrible decisions.
And Butler ain't doing it so well.
He's managed to transition to civilian life, more as a glorified laser-tag team captain than anything related to his skills, but look at Butler's resume, and you'll note there aren't many openings labeled as: "The ideal candidate will have two to five years experience slaughtering the entire population of a world. Experience with orbital bombardment preferred."
He's alone, hated by some, feared by others, admired by few, and that's when Butler gets the opportunity to investigate something that uses Butler's knowledge of armies, and their close cousins, corporations. What happened on Capa lies in the past but weaves through Butler's present until he can no longer be certain if he's seeing things because they're there, or because he imagines them to be.
And that is where the story *starts*. Expect Butler's trademark dry observations, enemies you'll see coming, allies you might not expect, and the eternal truth that no plan survives contact with the enemy.
The ending is fitting for a man like Butler and will leave you wondering if at last this tired old soldier find rest. Peace may be too much to ask.
August 15, 2019
Rating: ★★★★☆
Synopsis
A military legend is caught in the web between alien intrigue and human subterfuge…
Following his mission on Cappa, Colonel Carl Butler returns to a mixed reception. To some he is a do-or-die war hero. To the other half of the galaxy he’s a pariah. Forced into retirement, he has resettled on Talca Four where he’s now Deputy VP of Corporate Security, protecting a high-tech military company on the corporate battlefield—at least, that’s what the job description says. Really, he’s just there to impress clients and investors. It’s all relatively low risk—until he’s entrusted with new orders. A breach of a competitor’s computer network has Butler’s superiors feeling every bit as vulnerable. They need Butler to find who did it, how, and why no one’s taken credit for the ingenious attack.
As accustomed as Butler is to the reality of wargames—virtual and otherwise—this one screams something louder than a simple hack. Because no sooner does he start digging when his first contact is murdered, the death somehow kept secret from the media. As a prime suspect, he can’t shake the sensation he’s being watched…or finally succumbing to the stress of his past. Paranoid delusion or dangerous reality, Butler might be onto something much deeper than anyone imagined. But that’s where Butler thrives.
If he hasn’t signed his own death warrant.
Review
Thanks to the publisher and author for an advance reading copy of Spaceside (Planetside #2) in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this ARC did not influence my thoughts or opinions on the novel.
So, after sleeping on Planetside (Planetside #1) for a year, I binge-read it in a day and kicked myself for shelving it for so long. Knowing I had a copy of Spaceside waiting in the wings, I shuffled around my TBR to allow Colonel Carl Butler back into my life the following day and binged it as well.
Spaceside (Planetside #2) is a thrilling follow-up to what would have been one of my top debuts of 2018, had I read Planetside in a timely manner. Mammay has grounded himself has a mainstay and a must-read for anyone who enjoys the military sci-fi genre. Fan of John Scalzi, Joe Halderman, Myke Cole, and Nicholas Sansbury Smith, to name a few, will find tons to love here.
While we have already been introduced to our gruff Colonel in Book 1, Mammay gives us a more in-depth look into Butler’s mental state after his final actions in Planetside and during his new investigation in Book 2. Spaceside, though its title may sound more extraterrestrial, takes place on Talca Four for the majority of the novel while Butler takes on his new “mission” to figure out who is behind this major breach. This is a different path than was taken in Book 1, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and actually gives us a little bit of the world-building we may have missed last time around.
One thing I did notice was how the book was plotted. It has similar vibes to Planetside in that the story ramps up around the same time and ends quite dramatically, leaving you as the reader ready for the next installment. Nothing at all wrong with that as the story is almost night and day different from its predecessor.
All in all, Mammay has delivered another pulse-pounding installment to the Planetside series. Those that enjoy mysteries mixed with some big explosions, futuristic weaponry, witty banter, and premium whiskey, look no further. I have a feeling Book 3 is going to take us in a blindsiding direction and I cannot wait!
Synopsis
A military legend is caught in the web between alien intrigue and human subterfuge…
Following his mission on Cappa, Colonel Carl Butler returns to a mixed reception. To some he is a do-or-die war hero. To the other half of the galaxy he’s a pariah. Forced into retirement, he has resettled on Talca Four where he’s now Deputy VP of Corporate Security, protecting a high-tech military company on the corporate battlefield—at least, that’s what the job description says. Really, he’s just there to impress clients and investors. It’s all relatively low risk—until he’s entrusted with new orders. A breach of a competitor’s computer network has Butler’s superiors feeling every bit as vulnerable. They need Butler to find who did it, how, and why no one’s taken credit for the ingenious attack.
As accustomed as Butler is to the reality of wargames—virtual and otherwise—this one screams something louder than a simple hack. Because no sooner does he start digging when his first contact is murdered, the death somehow kept secret from the media. As a prime suspect, he can’t shake the sensation he’s being watched…or finally succumbing to the stress of his past. Paranoid delusion or dangerous reality, Butler might be onto something much deeper than anyone imagined. But that’s where Butler thrives.
If he hasn’t signed his own death warrant.
Review
Thanks to the publisher and author for an advance reading copy of Spaceside (Planetside #2) in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this ARC did not influence my thoughts or opinions on the novel.
So, after sleeping on Planetside (Planetside #1) for a year, I binge-read it in a day and kicked myself for shelving it for so long. Knowing I had a copy of Spaceside waiting in the wings, I shuffled around my TBR to allow Colonel Carl Butler back into my life the following day and binged it as well.
Spaceside (Planetside #2) is a thrilling follow-up to what would have been one of my top debuts of 2018, had I read Planetside in a timely manner. Mammay has grounded himself has a mainstay and a must-read for anyone who enjoys the military sci-fi genre. Fan of John Scalzi, Joe Halderman, Myke Cole, and Nicholas Sansbury Smith, to name a few, will find tons to love here.
While we have already been introduced to our gruff Colonel in Book 1, Mammay gives us a more in-depth look into Butler’s mental state after his final actions in Planetside and during his new investigation in Book 2. Spaceside, though its title may sound more extraterrestrial, takes place on Talca Four for the majority of the novel while Butler takes on his new “mission” to figure out who is behind this major breach. This is a different path than was taken in Book 1, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and actually gives us a little bit of the world-building we may have missed last time around.
One thing I did notice was how the book was plotted. It has similar vibes to Planetside in that the story ramps up around the same time and ends quite dramatically, leaving you as the reader ready for the next installment. Nothing at all wrong with that as the story is almost night and day different from its predecessor.
All in all, Mammay has delivered another pulse-pounding installment to the Planetside series. Those that enjoy mysteries mixed with some big explosions, futuristic weaponry, witty banter, and premium whiskey, look no further. I have a feeling Book 3 is going to take us in a blindsiding direction and I cannot wait!
October 23, 2019
4.33/5 stars
April 2, 2022
Very much a middle book, and not in a good way. Col. Butler returns to a Cappa colony world, under duress, after getting involved in corporate politics on Talca. Read the publisher's summary first for a preview. It's not a bad book, and it's short. But just not very good. A distinct step down from the first book. 2.5 stars, courtesy round-up. And I'm leaning towards rounding down....
I may take a look at the wind-up book, if the library gets a copy. Or not, since a glance at those reviews hints at More of the Same for #3.
I may take a look at the wind-up book, if the library gets a copy. Or not, since a glance at those reviews hints at More of the Same for #3.
January 20, 2021
Loved getting to spend time with the grumpy but likable Colonel Butler! Loved getting to know more about the Cappans in this book and seeing what happened to them after Planetside's explosive ending.
February 23, 2020
Przestrzeń to udana kontynuacja bardzo ciepło przyjętej przeze mnie Planety. Wszystkie elementy, za które polubiłem debiutancką powieść Michaela Mammay’a, dostałem w jej kolejnym tomie. Autor postawił zdecydowany nacisk na kryminalną stronę powieści. Nie chcąc wchodzić w spojlery, mogę jedynie napisać, że przez wzgląd na wydarzenia z Planety, mniej tu militarnych akcentów. Jeżeli nie jesteście fanami prowadzenia śledztw wśród wojskowych to Przestrzeń spodoba Wam się tym bardziej.
Carl Butler znów zostaje postawiony przed sprawą rozwikłania pewnego tajemniczego wydarzenia. I robi to w swoim stylu. Bardzo polubiłem tę postać w Planecie. Jego cięty humor. Umiejętność czytania ludzkich zachowań. Inteligencję oraz zaradność. Nie jest przy tym postacią idealną. Musi zmagać się z konsekwencjami podjętych przez siebie decyzji pod koniec I tomu. Ten wątek uważam za bardzo dobrze rozwinięty. Pogłębia on postać Butlera i nadaje mu nowy wymiar.
Wydarzenia w Przestrzeni są pewną wynikową historii opisanej w Planecie. Dlatego nie zalecam czytania tej części, bez znajomości I tomu. Zwyczajnie nie będziecie w stanie w pełni wgryźć się się w tę historię. Ciężko napisać tu coś więcej bez zdradzania elementów fabuły, więc na tym poprzestanę.
Powieść podobnie jak Planeta, prowadzona jest w narracji pierwszoosobowej. Jak wspomniałem wyżej, przepadam za postacią pułkownika Butlera. Dzięki temu przez książkę się niemal płynie. Jest bardzo dobrze napisana. W duchu najlepszych powieści kryminalno-sensacyjnych. Jeżeli nie będziecie uważać to wciągnie Was mocno i nie wypuści do ostatniej strony. Napięcie narasta z każdym rozdziałem. A kulminacja to już prawdziwa uczta. W samym finale autor ponownie zaskakuje i wyznacza zaskakujący kurs historii. Tym samym konieczność czekania na kolejny tom staje się prawdziwą katorgą. Jestem naprawdę bardzo ciekaw dalszych losów niepokornego pułkownika.
W tym roku mam problem ze znalezieniem naprawdę dobrego kryminału. Przestrzeń to dopiero druga książka z tego gatunku (wzbogacona tłem science fiction), która sprawiła mi czystą przyjemność z lektury. Przestrzeń nie jest przepakowana treścią. Oszczędna jak na współczesne standardy objętość, sprawia że dostajemy naprawdę esencję dobrej historii. Dzięki temu czyta się ją szybko i ze stale towarzyszącą ciekawością. Według mnie bardzo dobra pozycja w swoim gatunku.
Jeżeli spodobała się Wam debiutancka powieść autora to po Przestrzeń sięgnijcie bez obaw. Mocna kontynuacja i kusząca obietnica dalszego rozwoju historii pułkownika Carla Butlera.
Carl Butler znów zostaje postawiony przed sprawą rozwikłania pewnego tajemniczego wydarzenia. I robi to w swoim stylu. Bardzo polubiłem tę postać w Planecie. Jego cięty humor. Umiejętność czytania ludzkich zachowań. Inteligencję oraz zaradność. Nie jest przy tym postacią idealną. Musi zmagać się z konsekwencjami podjętych przez siebie decyzji pod koniec I tomu. Ten wątek uważam za bardzo dobrze rozwinięty. Pogłębia on postać Butlera i nadaje mu nowy wymiar.
Wydarzenia w Przestrzeni są pewną wynikową historii opisanej w Planecie. Dlatego nie zalecam czytania tej części, bez znajomości I tomu. Zwyczajnie nie będziecie w stanie w pełni wgryźć się się w tę historię. Ciężko napisać tu coś więcej bez zdradzania elementów fabuły, więc na tym poprzestanę.
Powieść podobnie jak Planeta, prowadzona jest w narracji pierwszoosobowej. Jak wspomniałem wyżej, przepadam za postacią pułkownika Butlera. Dzięki temu przez książkę się niemal płynie. Jest bardzo dobrze napisana. W duchu najlepszych powieści kryminalno-sensacyjnych. Jeżeli nie będziecie uważać to wciągnie Was mocno i nie wypuści do ostatniej strony. Napięcie narasta z każdym rozdziałem. A kulminacja to już prawdziwa uczta. W samym finale autor ponownie zaskakuje i wyznacza zaskakujący kurs historii. Tym samym konieczność czekania na kolejny tom staje się prawdziwą katorgą. Jestem naprawdę bardzo ciekaw dalszych losów niepokornego pułkownika.
W tym roku mam problem ze znalezieniem naprawdę dobrego kryminału. Przestrzeń to dopiero druga książka z tego gatunku (wzbogacona tłem science fiction), która sprawiła mi czystą przyjemność z lektury. Przestrzeń nie jest przepakowana treścią. Oszczędna jak na współczesne standardy objętość, sprawia że dostajemy naprawdę esencję dobrej historii. Dzięki temu czyta się ją szybko i ze stale towarzyszącą ciekawością. Według mnie bardzo dobra pozycja w swoim gatunku.
Jeżeli spodobała się Wam debiutancka powieść autora to po Przestrzeń sięgnijcie bez obaw. Mocna kontynuacja i kusząca obietnica dalszego rozwoju historii pułkownika Carla Butlera.
September 8, 2019
Carl Butler's back! SPACESIDE picks up after the events of PLANETSIDE. If you haven't read PLANETSIDE yet--why not? Go! Read! SPACESIDE can stand on its own--the story is tight and self-contained--but the emotional resonance will be greater if you're familiar with the earlier work, which I can't discuss in detail lest I spoil the ending and you really don't want me to do that.
So. Let us say that PLANETSIDE ended with Carl Butler making a brutal choice, and SPACESIDE is about what comes after that. The consequences of a hard decision, yes, but more than that: the ever after. Butler has to (re)examine not only his role in society and his relationships within it, but also his conception of himself...while trying to solve a murder and uncover a conspiracy and keep his friends--and himself--alive long enough to solve the problem and--well. Spoilers. Go read the book. There are explosions and tough ethical decisions, introspection and action, all filtered through Butler's dry, unsparing wit. Like its predecessor, SPACESIDE is unromantic military SF with complicated characters in complicated situations. And like its predecessor, SPACESIDE is a smart, fast-moving story whose ethical implications linger well past the last page. Fantastic stuff.
So. Let us say that PLANETSIDE ended with Carl Butler making a brutal choice, and SPACESIDE is about what comes after that. The consequences of a hard decision, yes, but more than that: the ever after. Butler has to (re)examine not only his role in society and his relationships within it, but also his conception of himself...while trying to solve a murder and uncover a conspiracy and keep his friends--and himself--alive long enough to solve the problem and--well. Spoilers. Go read the book. There are explosions and tough ethical decisions, introspection and action, all filtered through Butler's dry, unsparing wit. Like its predecessor, SPACESIDE is unromantic military SF with complicated characters in complicated situations. And like its predecessor, SPACESIDE is a smart, fast-moving story whose ethical implications linger well past the last page. Fantastic stuff.
April 17, 2020
The first of the series, Planetside, was not half bad. The reason I've read this one.
Sure, it's the same author, same main character, same prose style. How bad can it be?
Carl XX (not Urban) is no longer in the military. Wait, what? Wasn't this supposed to be military sci-fi? Now Karl is a corporate wanker, a do nothing all day on a fat paycheck. Not something I can relate with. Not easily, not even if I try. Then... his boss is asking him to investigate a... rumor, to the effect that another company had been subjected to a... cyber attack. Okay, the premise is as lame as it can gets, but surely it gets better?
Not for the first three quarters. Nothing really happens for that long. Some guy (unrelated to anybody in the story) dies. Police ask questions. Karl not Urban calls a reporter from time to time. He drinks a lot to fill the time. I do the same, I can't stay entertained with just reading the book.
And then the action explodes into space (hence the title). Karl no Turban, previously a no nonsense colonel, ready and able to make hard calls, is now consumed by having bombed some sorry ass aliens (something not palatable for this generation of readers) and sets to atone for his sins. Now he means to save the same aliens. And well, guess what, against no expectation, he does.
Sure, it's the same author, same main character, same prose style. How bad can it be?
Carl XX (not Urban) is no longer in the military. Wait, what? Wasn't this supposed to be military sci-fi? Now Karl is a corporate wanker, a do nothing all day on a fat paycheck. Not something I can relate with. Not easily, not even if I try. Then... his boss is asking him to investigate a... rumor, to the effect that another company had been subjected to a... cyber attack. Okay, the premise is as lame as it can gets, but surely it gets better?
Not for the first three quarters. Nothing really happens for that long. Some guy (unrelated to anybody in the story) dies. Police ask questions. Karl not Urban calls a reporter from time to time. He drinks a lot to fill the time. I do the same, I can't stay entertained with just reading the book.
And then the action explodes into space (hence the title). Karl no Turban, previously a no nonsense colonel, ready and able to make hard calls, is now consumed by having bombed some sorry ass aliens (something not palatable for this generation of readers) and sets to atone for his sins. Now he means to save the same aliens. And well, guess what, against no expectation, he does.
September 8, 2019
If you enjoyed Butler at his Butler-est in Planetside, you're going to love Spaceside! Now retired from the army, and trying to come to terms with what he did on Cappa, Butler is thrown into a world of corporate espionage. With some really nice twists and turns, and Butler's fantastic voice, Spaceside is just as exciting as Planetside, with an added chunk of retrospection that makes it a refreshing sequel instead of just another copy/paste adventure. And my favorites, Plazz and Ganos, return for fun and banter, too!
August 3, 2019
This book is so irresistible that I inhaled 77% of it in one sitting. I really appreciated how the dry voice of the main character explored all the emotional fallout of the choice made at the end of Book 1 without ever descending into self pity or explaining it away with easy answers or oversimplifications. Very flawed but sympathetic characters and an engrossing mystery. Already looking forward to the next one by this author!
October 4, 2019
This is the second book in the Planetside series by Michael Mammay. I very rarely give 5 stars but this book deserves it! I loved Planetside and have eagerly awaited the followup. Spaceside did not disappoint! This book is basically Military Science Fiction with some Detective aspects to it also.
Colonel Carl Butler is back from Cappa. He now has to learn to live with his decisions while on that planet. He has been forced to retire from the military and takes a job with a huge corporation where he is basically a showpiece for the company with little actual work besides meet and greets with clients. Unexpectedly he is asked to investigate a data breach at another company. He soon finds that his own company is involved and that the data breach ties in with events that happened on Cappa. When one of his information sources is murdered when coming to a meet with him he is determined to solve this mystery at any cost. All while trying to clear himself with local police who consider him a suspect in the murder. An excellent read and I highly recommend this book as well as the first in this series.
Colonel Carl Butler is back from Cappa. He now has to learn to live with his decisions while on that planet. He has been forced to retire from the military and takes a job with a huge corporation where he is basically a showpiece for the company with little actual work besides meet and greets with clients. Unexpectedly he is asked to investigate a data breach at another company. He soon finds that his own company is involved and that the data breach ties in with events that happened on Cappa. When one of his information sources is murdered when coming to a meet with him he is determined to solve this mystery at any cost. All while trying to clear himself with local police who consider him a suspect in the murder. An excellent read and I highly recommend this book as well as the first in this series.
September 21, 2022
History repeats itself in this novel. Carl Butler represents various things to those around him. Hero? Pariah? Pawn?
The story in this book sees him run the (potato) mine field through the various views. It has faster pacing than the first volume in this series, and takes some really great twists through that mine field. It was a lot of fun to read.
The story in this book sees him run the (potato) mine field through the various views. It has faster pacing than the first volume in this series, and takes some really great twists through that mine field. It was a lot of fun to read.
April 13, 2021
4⭐️
RTC
RTC
June 17, 2021
It's basically the same novel as the previous one. Same plot, same developments. A little disappointed.
October 30, 2021
I liked Spaceside more than Planetside. In Planetside, the planet Cappa is a desirable place for mining but the aliens already on the planet have been fighting the human invasion for twenty years. In the end the hero nukes the planet to prevent the indigenous population from attaining space flight and taking their fight against humans off-world. Spaceside starts with the hero wrenched with guilt over killing so many Cappans. Half of humanity thinks he is a hero for nuking the Cappans, and half accuse him of genocide. So, when human-Cappan hybrids approach him for help, he is happy to help them out. Turns out that Cappans had already established an off-world colony before he nuked their homeworld, and the hero works with them to launch another nuclear attack on the colony—but an attack that he carefully targets to avoid the shelters where the Cappan colonists have taken refuge. Now the humans think the Cappans are dead, and the Cappans are safe to pursue their own dreams free from human slaughter. It is a weird solution but I give the author credit for turning the narrative of noble human settlers against unsophisticated natives upside down. The plot is significantly more complicated than my two sentence summary, but the heart of the novel is the cooperation between hero and aliens.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2021
4.5/5 More Military Science Fiction goodness. Spaceside was an excellent follow up to Planetside and sophomoric effort by Michael Mammay. Once again Mammay really knows how to end a story. He ties up the arc well while still leaves things semi-cliffhangerly (new word)
After the events of Planetside Colonel Butler is now working planetside in the world of corporate security. He's kind of a status symbol due to his celebrity/infamous stature. However he's drawn into another big mystery involving corporate security and espionage.
The first 2/3rds again are essentially a well paced and written mystery novel with the action not really kicking in until the final third.
You don't really know where you're going initially you're still enjoying the ride. When everything starts tying together it get's even better.
Book 3 Colonyside just came out last week and I'm diving into it immediately.
After the events of Planetside Colonel Butler is now working planetside in the world of corporate security. He's kind of a status symbol due to his celebrity/infamous stature. However he's drawn into another big mystery involving corporate security and espionage.
The first 2/3rds again are essentially a well paced and written mystery novel with the action not really kicking in until the final third.
You don't really know where you're going initially you're still enjoying the ride. When everything starts tying together it get's even better.
Book 3 Colonyside just came out last week and I'm diving into it immediately.
September 4, 2019
Candle in the Sun
I wasn’t in love with this book as I was the first. At one point I thought maybe the first wasn’t as good as I thought. So I went back and reread that last 2 chapters of book one. I was blown away, it was even better than I remembered. That’s the problem; no follow up could’ve shined brighter. So taking that as unalienable truth, I re-evaluated this book and pushed it up to 4 stars.
I wasn’t in love with this book as I was the first. At one point I thought maybe the first wasn’t as good as I thought. So I went back and reread that last 2 chapters of book one. I was blown away, it was even better than I remembered. That’s the problem; no follow up could’ve shined brighter. So taking that as unalienable truth, I re-evaluated this book and pushed it up to 4 stars.
January 10, 2021
Part two SPACESIDE is a part military, part mystery novel of corporate homicide and mundicide...in spaaaaace. Not as enjoyable as part one PLANETSIDE. Too little show...too much tell, with copious amounts of inner dialog.
March 1, 2020
Notes:
Overall, a cool story. The ending felt like a fade out vs a solid end but I did enjoy the story and look forward to the last book of the trilogy.
Overall, a cool story. The ending felt like a fade out vs a solid end but I did enjoy the story and look forward to the last book of the trilogy.
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