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Black Ocean: Mercy for Hire #1-4
Mercy for Hire Mission Pack 1: Missions 1-4
The galaxy’s worst bounty hunter just might be its most relentless hero.
Esper is a vigilante Samaritian with more moral fiber than business sense. Any bounty hunter worth the title knows three rules:
Collect half the money up front.
Never get emotionally attached.
Don’t ask nosy questions.
But with a heart of gold and her companion Kubu by her side, Esper sets out to make the galaxy a better place, preferably making enough money to pay for the fuel to get from one job to the next. But just because she’s not cut out to be ruthless doesn’t mean the galaxy is going to eat her alive.
After all, Esper is also a wizard.
Mission 1: Wayward Saint
A runaway teen needs protection and Esper takes the job. But a simple rescue and recovery turns ugly when Esper finds herself in the middle of a custody battle with a vicious pirate who’s hired a bounty hunter of his own.
Mission 2: Behind Blue Skies
On the run from troubles of her own, Esper tries to lie low on a suspiciously Utopian colony planet. Unable to keep out of other people’s troubles, Esper gets a terrifying look into justice on a world where truth is a matter of who you know.
Mission 3: House of the Orion Sun
Esper’s mission to protect the galaxy’s most vulnerable takes a turn for the seedy when she tracks a trafficking victim. How long can she hold out when her morals are tested at every turn?
Mission 4: Break the Chain
Esper’s own dark past catches up with her when bounty-hunting wizards corner her. Esper has faced down the galaxy’s worst criminals. Now, she’s going to be forced to stand up to one of the galaxy’s most esteemed institutions—Convocation of Arcane Practitioners.
Esper is a vigilante Samaritian with more moral fiber than business sense. Any bounty hunter worth the title knows three rules:
Collect half the money up front.
Never get emotionally attached.
Don’t ask nosy questions.
But with a heart of gold and her companion Kubu by her side, Esper sets out to make the galaxy a better place, preferably making enough money to pay for the fuel to get from one job to the next. But just because she’s not cut out to be ruthless doesn’t mean the galaxy is going to eat her alive.
After all, Esper is also a wizard.
Mission 1: Wayward Saint
A runaway teen needs protection and Esper takes the job. But a simple rescue and recovery turns ugly when Esper finds herself in the middle of a custody battle with a vicious pirate who’s hired a bounty hunter of his own.
Mission 2: Behind Blue Skies
On the run from troubles of her own, Esper tries to lie low on a suspiciously Utopian colony planet. Unable to keep out of other people’s troubles, Esper gets a terrifying look into justice on a world where truth is a matter of who you know.
Mission 3: House of the Orion Sun
Esper’s mission to protect the galaxy’s most vulnerable takes a turn for the seedy when she tracks a trafficking victim. How long can she hold out when her morals are tested at every turn?
Mission 4: Break the Chain
Esper’s own dark past catches up with her when bounty-hunting wizards corner her. Esper has faced down the galaxy’s worst criminals. Now, she’s going to be forced to stand up to one of the galaxy’s most esteemed institutions—Convocation of Arcane Practitioners.
702 pages, ebook
Published December 27, 2018
84 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
About the author
J.S. Morin
192 books611 followersI am a creator of worlds and a destroyer of words. As a fantasy writer, my works range from traditional epics to futuristic fantasy with starships. I have worked as an unpaid Little League pitcher, a cashier, a student library aide, a factory grunt, a cubicle drone, and an engineer--there is some overlap in the last two.
Through it all, though, I was always a storyteller. Eventually I started writing books based on the stray stories in my head, and people kept telling me to write more of them. Now, that's all I do for a living.
I enjoy strategy, worldbuilding, and the fantasy author's privilege to make up words. I am a gamer, a joker, and a thinker of sideways thoughts. But I don't dance, can't sing, and my best artistic efforts fall short of your average notebook doodle. When you read my books, you are seeing me at my best.
My ultimate goal is to be both clever and right at the same time. I have it on good authority that I have yet to achieve it.
Through it all, though, I was always a storyteller. Eventually I started writing books based on the stray stories in my head, and people kept telling me to write more of them. Now, that's all I do for a living.
I enjoy strategy, worldbuilding, and the fantasy author's privilege to make up words. I am a gamer, a joker, and a thinker of sideways thoughts. But I don't dance, can't sing, and my best artistic efforts fall short of your average notebook doodle. When you read my books, you are seeing me at my best.
My ultimate goal is to be both clever and right at the same time. I have it on good authority that I have yet to achieve it.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 6, 2020
I read a lot of hard science, hard science fiction, books with ethical themes, and apocalyptic and dystopian stories so, in order to keep all the doom and gloom in perspective, something lighter is called for now and then. I stumbled upon J.S. Morin’s Mercy For Hire series and decided to give it a try.
According to his website, J.S. Morin “merges elements of classic fantasy with science fiction.” I’m not a fan of fantasy so these books were a stretch for me. However, a hero who travels the universe helping out the poor and downtrodden by administering vigilante justice via rocket travel and magic definitely sounded like a change of pace.
Esper is a hero in the tradition of Columbo, Inspector Clouseau, and Inspector Gadget - somehow always bumbling their way to a successful conclusion. With her faithful sidekick Kubu (seemingly a name play on Cujo), who is a huge extraterrestrial that has been magically downsized but still retains an enormous appetite, Esper sets out to right the wrongs of the universe.
Fortunately Esper is a first class wizard who is willing to break the wizard convention rules if it helps her clients and friends. So, she is constantly on the run from both bad guys and wizard enforcers. Of course none of her clients have enough to actually pay her salary so Esper is also always without funds.
This is my first contact with Morin and I must say that his writing is extremely entertaining. While his heroes and villains seem to have stepped right out of the comics his excellent and imaginative writing grabs you from the first paragraph. His descriptions of people, scenes, and issues immediately make you feel like you have known this universe all of your life.
“Her foot clipped someone’s forehead, eliciting a groan. “Sorry,” she whispered. It was one thing to crack a few heads in the heat of a brawl, but that didn’t mean Esper meant her adversaries any harm.” With three lines in the second paragraph you already know who Esper is and why you are going to enjoy following along on her adventures.
This book contains the first four of the twelve Mercy books. While each can be read separately, Esper’s story emerges as you go along so please read them in order.
Mercy for Hire books are not the best writing I’ve every come upon. Additionally the story lines are unbelievable, there are physics defying spaceships, and magic and wizards that are constantly popping up everywhere. No, these books are not anything deep or complex. They are, however, thoroughly entertaining, fun, and engaging. I’ll definitely be getting the Mission Pack 2.
According to his website, J.S. Morin “merges elements of classic fantasy with science fiction.” I’m not a fan of fantasy so these books were a stretch for me. However, a hero who travels the universe helping out the poor and downtrodden by administering vigilante justice via rocket travel and magic definitely sounded like a change of pace.
Esper is a hero in the tradition of Columbo, Inspector Clouseau, and Inspector Gadget - somehow always bumbling their way to a successful conclusion. With her faithful sidekick Kubu (seemingly a name play on Cujo), who is a huge extraterrestrial that has been magically downsized but still retains an enormous appetite, Esper sets out to right the wrongs of the universe.
Fortunately Esper is a first class wizard who is willing to break the wizard convention rules if it helps her clients and friends. So, she is constantly on the run from both bad guys and wizard enforcers. Of course none of her clients have enough to actually pay her salary so Esper is also always without funds.
This is my first contact with Morin and I must say that his writing is extremely entertaining. While his heroes and villains seem to have stepped right out of the comics his excellent and imaginative writing grabs you from the first paragraph. His descriptions of people, scenes, and issues immediately make you feel like you have known this universe all of your life.
“Her foot clipped someone’s forehead, eliciting a groan. “Sorry,” she whispered. It was one thing to crack a few heads in the heat of a brawl, but that didn’t mean Esper meant her adversaries any harm.” With three lines in the second paragraph you already know who Esper is and why you are going to enjoy following along on her adventures.
This book contains the first four of the twelve Mercy books. While each can be read separately, Esper’s story emerges as you go along so please read them in order.
Mercy for Hire books are not the best writing I’ve every come upon. Additionally the story lines are unbelievable, there are physics defying spaceships, and magic and wizards that are constantly popping up everywhere. No, these books are not anything deep or complex. They are, however, thoroughly entertaining, fun, and engaging. I’ll definitely be getting the Mission Pack 2.
March 25, 2021
Whish I could remember who suggested it. Might have been a FB ad or one of my friends. I am glad someone did. I read dark books. Science, mystery, Magic, western, and I have found another palette cleanser in this one. A fun book that doesn't bore you but has enough light and funny. Love it
July 4, 2019
I'm always surprised at how prolific JS Morin is. While his books are usually not epics, the collected omnibus editions are equivalent to a larger volume. This series, which continues the adventures of Esper and Kubu from the Black Ocean / Mobius adventures, is another satisfying set of stories in the same universe.
The books are entertaining, and see some surprising developments. The last story (a bonus from the previous books 1-4) gives a brief preview of whats to come, and I'm looking forward to the next set of adventures from the (new-ish) crew.
The books are entertaining, and see some surprising developments. The last story (a bonus from the previous books 1-4) gives a brief preview of whats to come, and I'm looking forward to the next set of adventures from the (new-ish) crew.
May 23, 2020
Mercy for hire
Esper is a wizard a Kubu is a sentient canid and they travel together attempting to make the worlds a better place. Enjoyable.
Esper is a wizard a Kubu is a sentient canid and they travel together attempting to make the worlds a better place. Enjoyable.
March 2, 2021
My intro to the Black Ocean Universe and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
March 23, 2021
Another series that seems to have been written for me lol. Love these books
April 8, 2022
I think I'm done with this series. It bothers me. Something about the characters feels forced. I also really really don't like how they treat Kubu. He's an alien and because he looks like a dog they always treat him like a dog when around others. At one point he asks for a disguise so people will treat him with respect and let him do regular human things. The main character thinks about it for about a minute then decides no, because it'd just be easier for her if people thought he was a dog. Wtf. Kubu is like the jarjarbinx of this book. You feel sorry for him and want to help but he's also super annoying. So yeah, I don't think I can handle much more of this. That sucks cause I got the four book combo. Guess that was a waste of money.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews