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Wholesale Slaughter #1
Wholesale Slaughter
A king can't defeat an army of lawless pirates. But a mercenary can. Logan Conner is the son of a king, the heir to the largest of the five star-dominions, and the best mech pilot in the galaxy. His people are plagued by pirates and raiders, surrounded by enemies, and not even his father can fight them all. Logan gives up his position, his rank, even his name, and becomes Jonathan Slaughter, leader of a rough-and-ready band of mercenary mech-jocks, bent on taking the battle to the enemy on their own terms. They’re Wholesale Slaughter. Kicking ass is what they do. Get book one in this thrilling and unpredictable Military Sci-Fi Adventure Today! It's perfect for fans of JN Chaney, Jay Allan, and Joshua Dalzelle. Also available on Audible, narrated by the award-winning Marc Vietor.
262 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 21, 2019
809 people are currently reading
403 people want to read
About the author
Rick Partlow
210 books373 followersRick Partlow is that rarest of species, a native Floridian. Born in Tampa, he attended Florida Southern College and graduated with a degree in History and a commission in the US Army as an Infantry officer.
His lifelong love of science fiction began with Have Space Suit---Will Travel and the other Heinlein juveniles and traveled through Clifford Simak, Asimov, Clarke and on to William Gibson, Walter Jon Williams and Peter F Hamilton. And somewhere, submerged in the worlds of others, Rick began to create his own worlds.
He has written over 70 books in over a dozen different series, and his short stories have been included in many different anthologies.
He currently lives in norther Wyoming with his wife and their dog. Besides writing and reading science fiction and fantasy, he enjoys outdoor photography, hiking and camping.
His lifelong love of science fiction began with Have Space Suit---Will Travel and the other Heinlein juveniles and traveled through Clifford Simak, Asimov, Clarke and on to William Gibson, Walter Jon Williams and Peter F Hamilton. And somewhere, submerged in the worlds of others, Rick began to create his own worlds.
He has written over 70 books in over a dozen different series, and his short stories have been included in many different anthologies.
He currently lives in norther Wyoming with his wife and their dog. Besides writing and reading science fiction and fantasy, he enjoys outdoor photography, hiking and camping.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
May 27, 2019
Mechs
Love those mechs. I was expecting a typical mechwarrior type story. But I was happily mistaken. A good? Fast paced story which I couldn’t put down until I reached the end. Looking forward to the release of books two and three.
Love those mechs. I was expecting a typical mechwarrior type story. But I was happily mistaken. A good? Fast paced story which I couldn’t put down until I reached the end. Looking forward to the release of books two and three.
May 28, 2019
Really good first book,
I enjoyed the series, I like Mechs, as well as the characters in this book. There’s an interesting dichotomy going on between the major and Jonathan slaughter, can’t wait to see how that develops. The book was fast-paced and a good read. Will read the next one when it’s released soon hopefully.
I enjoyed the series, I like Mechs, as well as the characters in this book. There’s an interesting dichotomy going on between the major and Jonathan slaughter, can’t wait to see how that develops. The book was fast-paced and a good read. Will read the next one when it’s released soon hopefully.
May 28, 2019
Good read
As always a good read, gone in a day more please. Most enjoyable with enough cross story to leave some interest.
As always a good read, gone in a day more please. Most enjoyable with enough cross story to leave some interest.
May 23, 2019
Wholesale Slaughter
Wholesale Slaughter is a great new series, enjoying the setup & the premise . I can see great things going forward, waiting impatiently for the next book!
Wholesale Slaughter is a great new series, enjoying the setup & the premise . I can see great things going forward, waiting impatiently for the next book!
August 25, 2021
OMG, I can’t finish it. I tried. But I can’t. Apparently this was published ... by a publisher. Which means it had at least one editor. But it seems they know as little about the English language (and things like punctuation) as the author does. This book is filled with words the author doesn’t understand and uses badly (or wrongly). There are paragraph breaks between the end of some speaking and
He said.
???
Bad.
A shame because the world building is solid and kept me reading long last the point of annoyance.
He said.
???
Bad.
A shame because the world building is solid and kept me reading long last the point of annoyance.
June 1, 2019
In the category of “more fun than it is good,” this book is really enjoyable. Lots of tactics and explosions, and an interesting world. That said, this book gets relationships and characterizations of women horribly wrong. This book reminds me of an 80’s action movie. Big vacuous fun. Wish I didn’t feel so guilty about enjoying it.
Note: the publisher gave me a free copy of this book.
Note: the publisher gave me a free copy of this book.
May 25, 2019
*Note: I listened to this in audiobook format*
This book begins by sticking you in the middle of some tense, nail biting action. Mechs, covert snipers, Guns galore. It's well written and cleverly so at times. It sets up the world of the series as an expansive empire with conflicts and culture. As the first book in the series I believe it sets this world up well along with the overarching plot-line. The only problem I had with it was that I felt the characters were pushed somewhat to the side for the action and plot development. The main character Logen/Slaughter was kind of one note and a bit dim at times. His brother was annoying. The relationship between Logen and Katie lacked chemistry and seemed forced. I could care less about them calling each other girlfriend/boyfriend etc.. Lita Rendell was the star character for me honestly. I would love to read a story about her past with captain Donner Asiola (sp?) and his crew. I hope as the series goes on we'll find out more about their past and that the characters in general become more fleshed out.
On the Narration . . . Marc Vietor is the perfect voice for this story! He can do a cool captain in the heat of battle, grizzled space veterans and aliens and he can keep the pace of battle going at a blistering clip. It got into my head that he sounds kind of like a younger Robert Stack mixed with william shatner and I couldn't stop thinking that. It was like a swagger and it was perfect.
Anyway, I say if you want some good mech action and battles and don't mind a couple of eye rolling characters this is the series for you.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
This book begins by sticking you in the middle of some tense, nail biting action. Mechs, covert snipers, Guns galore. It's well written and cleverly so at times. It sets up the world of the series as an expansive empire with conflicts and culture. As the first book in the series I believe it sets this world up well along with the overarching plot-line. The only problem I had with it was that I felt the characters were pushed somewhat to the side for the action and plot development. The main character Logen/Slaughter was kind of one note and a bit dim at times. His brother was annoying. The relationship between Logen and Katie lacked chemistry and seemed forced. I could care less about them calling each other girlfriend/boyfriend etc.. Lita Rendell was the star character for me honestly. I would love to read a story about her past with captain Donner Asiola (sp?) and his crew. I hope as the series goes on we'll find out more about their past and that the characters in general become more fleshed out.
On the Narration . . . Marc Vietor is the perfect voice for this story! He can do a cool captain in the heat of battle, grizzled space veterans and aliens and he can keep the pace of battle going at a blistering clip. It got into my head that he sounds kind of like a younger Robert Stack mixed with william shatner and I couldn't stop thinking that. It was like a swagger and it was perfect.
Anyway, I say if you want some good mech action and battles and don't mind a couple of eye rolling characters this is the series for you.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
May 30, 2019
Wholesale Slaughter
Rick Partlow has written almost two dozen military science fiction novels and he’s become a master at it. His latest, Wholesale Slaughter, is one of his best, a far-future epic set in a world where Earth is a distant memory and humans scrabble for power in the remains of a fallen empire. The slightest technological advantage could overturn the status quo, so all of the Dominions are searching for one and the Spartans have a clue where to go, but it’s straight through enemy territory. So they send an undercover mission with the king’s son disguised as a mercenary leading a unit called Wholesale Slaughter. The idea is cool and the execution is flawless. Pulse-pounding book with a lot of really compelling characters. Very highly recommended.
Rick Partlow has written almost two dozen military science fiction novels and he’s become a master at it. His latest, Wholesale Slaughter, is one of his best, a far-future epic set in a world where Earth is a distant memory and humans scrabble for power in the remains of a fallen empire. The slightest technological advantage could overturn the status quo, so all of the Dominions are searching for one and the Spartans have a clue where to go, but it’s straight through enemy territory. So they send an undercover mission with the king’s son disguised as a mercenary leading a unit called Wholesale Slaughter. The idea is cool and the execution is flawless. Pulse-pounding book with a lot of really compelling characters. Very highly recommended.
June 6, 2021
There is an intriguing start to the book and we are introduced to a couple of interesting characters, but it does turn into a bit of a weapons fest with numerous descriptions of their calibre and power that were just a bit too detailed.
In fact I found the author’s style over elaborate at times, actually getting in the way of telling the story.
There is plenty of action, although I’m not sure it always made sense and I was really fed up of Jonathan by the end of the book. If possible I would have given 2.5 stars.
In fact I found the author’s style over elaborate at times, actually getting in the way of telling the story.
There is plenty of action, although I’m not sure it always made sense and I was really fed up of Jonathan by the end of the book. If possible I would have given 2.5 stars.
August 8, 2020
A new series by a writer that’s quickly becoming one of my favorites. This book is part of a three book set, but I’m going to review them separately since there is a lot going on. I’m also heavily into Mr. Partlow’s “Drop Troopers” series so he’s doing some great writing lately.
This book is the start of the series so it has a lot of scene setting. Our main character is Logan Conner, a Mech driver in the in the Spartan Guard. The Spartan Guard served the Guardian of Sparta or Lord Guardian as the man was called. That man also happened to be Logan Conner’s father, Jaimie Brannigan. As Logan was the eldest of two sons, he was apparently next in line to become Lord Guardian, but he hoped that would be a long time from now. Right now, he was more concerned in fighting these ever present pirates that kept attacking helpless colonies or starships trying to do Guardian business. He and Captain Lyta Randall, his immediate boss, were always trying to stop the latest incursion, but the never seemed to stop. Logan was of the opinion that not enough was being done to eradicate these pirates and he was partly right.
All of that was today’s problems until he got a strange call from his brother to come to the observatory. Logan did so and found out that everything he thought he was going to do in the immediate future was going to change. Logan had made every attempt to stay out of the limelight now that he was in the military. He wanted to make his own record and not have to rely on just his name as the son of the Lord Guardian. But, with what his brother, the smart one and a scientist, had found, he had to bring that information to his father immediately. That news was so important, that a special mission was created that night to go and find the source of the radio intercept his brother had stumbled upon; a message that was some four-hundred years old!
Since this mission was of such importance to the entire Spartan Empire, Logan had to be the leader. He was unknown to most people outside the royal palace because of his low profile image, but this discovery had to be done by someone of the royal family. Yet, this mission isn’t going to be like any other he’s been on. For one, they can’t let on as to who they are and secondly, it is going to cross into at least two sworn enemy territories before they reach the Terminus Cut. That place could change the entire balance of power in this galaxy. There were rumors and evidence that a long time ago, an empire existed that was vastly more advanced than anyone today. Terminus Cut was sending out a message that basically said, if you want that advanced technology, this is the place to come.
A very good read and it’s great that I can continue on with this series in the same book. I usually don’t do that, but these stories are so interesting that they are hard to put down. So on to book 2, “Terminus Cut”.
This book is the start of the series so it has a lot of scene setting. Our main character is Logan Conner, a Mech driver in the in the Spartan Guard. The Spartan Guard served the Guardian of Sparta or Lord Guardian as the man was called. That man also happened to be Logan Conner’s father, Jaimie Brannigan. As Logan was the eldest of two sons, he was apparently next in line to become Lord Guardian, but he hoped that would be a long time from now. Right now, he was more concerned in fighting these ever present pirates that kept attacking helpless colonies or starships trying to do Guardian business. He and Captain Lyta Randall, his immediate boss, were always trying to stop the latest incursion, but the never seemed to stop. Logan was of the opinion that not enough was being done to eradicate these pirates and he was partly right.
All of that was today’s problems until he got a strange call from his brother to come to the observatory. Logan did so and found out that everything he thought he was going to do in the immediate future was going to change. Logan had made every attempt to stay out of the limelight now that he was in the military. He wanted to make his own record and not have to rely on just his name as the son of the Lord Guardian. But, with what his brother, the smart one and a scientist, had found, he had to bring that information to his father immediately. That news was so important, that a special mission was created that night to go and find the source of the radio intercept his brother had stumbled upon; a message that was some four-hundred years old!
Since this mission was of such importance to the entire Spartan Empire, Logan had to be the leader. He was unknown to most people outside the royal palace because of his low profile image, but this discovery had to be done by someone of the royal family. Yet, this mission isn’t going to be like any other he’s been on. For one, they can’t let on as to who they are and secondly, it is going to cross into at least two sworn enemy territories before they reach the Terminus Cut. That place could change the entire balance of power in this galaxy. There were rumors and evidence that a long time ago, an empire existed that was vastly more advanced than anyone today. Terminus Cut was sending out a message that basically said, if you want that advanced technology, this is the place to come.
A very good read and it’s great that I can continue on with this series in the same book. I usually don’t do that, but these stories are so interesting that they are hard to put down. So on to book 2, “Terminus Cut”.
July 4, 2019
( Format : Audiobook )
"They're not smart, but they're clever."
A distant future where humanity has spread into space and devolved into waring factions, with five major dominions and numerous small, independent communities, pirates and mercinaries. Over time, the origins have been lost as has much of the technology, what remains being mostly replicated without full understanding of how it works. Then Sparta, one of the more powerful kingdoms, retrieves a corrupted radio transmission which appears to come from the old World preceding the current political situation and with it the promise of forgotten technologies which might give their society an edge in their battling. But to get there means crossing hostile territory and time was in short supply - someone else might find and decipher the message. So a single ship, disguised as a mercenary, is launched into the journey under the command of the Sparta King's son, Logan, given the new identity of Jonathan Slaughter.
This, the first book in the new series by author, Rick Partlow, establishes the mercenary ship's crew and the reason they have all come together, plus the first of their enterprises to establish their mercenary identity. Presumably, there will be more such adventures to come as well as further character development of the main protagonists, although this has already started well. Marc Victor narrates, and does an excellent job not only of increasing tension as he reads the text clearly and with good inflection and pace, but also gives appropriate and separate voice to each of the characters. A good performance which is a pleasure to hear.
This is an enjoyable read, full of daring do, fine (and otherwise) sentiments, romance, battles and even mechs, set in a.future of lost greatness and with a slight impression of ancient quests. All in all, a good read. Not profound but good fun.
.
"They're not smart, but they're clever."
A distant future where humanity has spread into space and devolved into waring factions, with five major dominions and numerous small, independent communities, pirates and mercinaries. Over time, the origins have been lost as has much of the technology, what remains being mostly replicated without full understanding of how it works. Then Sparta, one of the more powerful kingdoms, retrieves a corrupted radio transmission which appears to come from the old World preceding the current political situation and with it the promise of forgotten technologies which might give their society an edge in their battling. But to get there means crossing hostile territory and time was in short supply - someone else might find and decipher the message. So a single ship, disguised as a mercenary, is launched into the journey under the command of the Sparta King's son, Logan, given the new identity of Jonathan Slaughter.
This, the first book in the new series by author, Rick Partlow, establishes the mercenary ship's crew and the reason they have all come together, plus the first of their enterprises to establish their mercenary identity. Presumably, there will be more such adventures to come as well as further character development of the main protagonists, although this has already started well. Marc Victor narrates, and does an excellent job not only of increasing tension as he reads the text clearly and with good inflection and pace, but also gives appropriate and separate voice to each of the characters. A good performance which is a pleasure to hear.
This is an enjoyable read, full of daring do, fine (and otherwise) sentiments, romance, battles and even mechs, set in a.future of lost greatness and with a slight impression of ancient quests. All in all, a good read. Not profound but good fun.
.
June 4, 2019
First, I have to start off by stating that I got this book free of charge in exchange for a review, but as I always state, this does not in any way impact my review. My reviews are always honest and my own.
This book has the proper amount of action, adventure, drama, and romance (yes, I said it) in it. This is going to be a great series because the crew has a long way yet to go and they will be fighting pirates and who knows what else, the whole way.
If you enjoy an interesting military storyline with lots of action and great characters then this is the series for you. The characters and action are believable.
The tech system is easy to follow and despite how it might seem early in the book, no one is overpowered. There are no exp here, just tec points used for leveling.
Overall, this is a fun book in a genre I love. At times it is a slice of life, but never for long. The story arc is one that has great potential for future volumes, and I’m interested to see where he takes it. If the Reality Benders series wasn’t out, this would leap into my number one sci-fi game lit spot.
This book has the proper amount of action, adventure, drama, and romance (yes, I said it) in it. This is going to be a great series because the crew has a long way yet to go and they will be fighting pirates and who knows what else, the whole way.
If you enjoy an interesting military storyline with lots of action and great characters then this is the series for you. The characters and action are believable.
The tech system is easy to follow and despite how it might seem early in the book, no one is overpowered. There are no exp here, just tec points used for leveling.
Overall, this is a fun book in a genre I love. At times it is a slice of life, but never for long. The story arc is one that has great potential for future volumes, and I’m interested to see where he takes it. If the Reality Benders series wasn’t out, this would leap into my number one sci-fi game lit spot.
June 9, 2019
This story takes place in the future where people use advanced technology without really understanding how it works. There were plenty of action scenes between the typical character development storyline to make the book enjoyable to listen to. I thought It has a mass effect feel to but different enough to make the story unique. The author has definitely set up the story to have a lot of potential and I'm looking forward to the second book. The range of narrator amplified my listening experience and I hope he is the narrator for the second book, to be honest Marc Vietor reminded me of Duke Nukem.
DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
July 1, 2021
Series review. TLDR: I walk away content.
July 12, 2019
Very good
Good, believable plot. Very well laid out universe. Nothing over the top, this is hard science fiction with no fantasy elements.
Partlow does excellent military writing. Nobody who isn't an amateur does anything that feels off. His mechs are mechs and his people are people with all The hydraulics and warts that implies. The universe has understandable politics and reasonable motivations.
The Book is obviously a series starter, but it doesn't suffer for it. It has good action, character growth, as much as you can fit in an action novel, and a little romance.
I recommend this highly. Bought the sequel right away myself...
Good, believable plot. Very well laid out universe. Nothing over the top, this is hard science fiction with no fantasy elements.
Partlow does excellent military writing. Nobody who isn't an amateur does anything that feels off. His mechs are mechs and his people are people with all The hydraulics and warts that implies. The universe has understandable politics and reasonable motivations.
The Book is obviously a series starter, but it doesn't suffer for it. It has good action, character growth, as much as you can fit in an action novel, and a little romance.
I recommend this highly. Bought the sequel right away myself...
April 5, 2023
A bit different from his other series
This is a combination of tropes in that the primary protagonist is working with one character who has been his superior, giving us opportunities for them to butt heads along with a recent addition to his life of a significant other who is a highly capable combat pilot. The other difference is the idea that instead of the main characters being current members of the military they are instead creating a semi-real mercenary unit. This of course creates new problems for them.
This is a combination of tropes in that the primary protagonist is working with one character who has been his superior, giving us opportunities for them to butt heads along with a recent addition to his life of a significant other who is a highly capable combat pilot. The other difference is the idea that instead of the main characters being current members of the military they are instead creating a semi-real mercenary unit. This of course creates new problems for them.
September 26, 2019
I was a huge fan of the Battletech novel series and this looked like a rare chance to see some futuristic military sci-fi of the same brand. In regards to the action, the novel definitely meets that high standard. The action is thorough, believable and interesting. The book encounters problems with the rest of the plot however, its much more a cookie-cutter sci fi book about a handsome young star prince and his dastardly pirate enemies. Still, worth a read just for the giant mech bits.
October 24, 2020
Great read
Well written military fiction. Interesting set for a fairly standard plot. Great job on character development, well rounded. First book did a very good job of setting up a series, the main character is interesting, likeable and believable. Supporting characters are also well developed. The plot could be difficult to maintain but very interesting. Looking forward to reading book 2.
Well written military fiction. Interesting set for a fairly standard plot. Great job on character development, well rounded. First book did a very good job of setting up a series, the main character is interesting, likeable and believable. Supporting characters are also well developed. The plot could be difficult to maintain but very interesting. Looking forward to reading book 2.
December 26, 2020
Fast and Furious
For the first book in a new series I was very impressed with this. The set up was smooth and not at all laborious and the military set scenes were fast, furious and well done. OK, the the relationship bits were just a little cheesy but they do build characters that are likeable and reasonably realistic. It's a military sci-fi and it delivers well in that genre. I'm definitely likely to read the next one to see where it goes.
For the first book in a new series I was very impressed with this. The set up was smooth and not at all laborious and the military set scenes were fast, furious and well done. OK, the the relationship bits were just a little cheesy but they do build characters that are likeable and reasonably realistic. It's a military sci-fi and it delivers well in that genre. I'm definitely likely to read the next one to see where it goes.
January 5, 2021
This is a fun book. People who like the technical side of SF will love this one. I really enjoyed the characters and the interactions between them, the interesting premise, the awesome plot, and the way the story moved along, sucking me in and keeping me reading. (Although it did make me stay up late to finish it and I was dragging the next day. Darn it.) Plus, good guys win and bad guys lose - an important point for any book I read.
Read
October 3, 2019Strong concept, good follow-through
This is sort of post-apocalyptic military in a galactic empire level. Strong concept with loads of avenues available for future novels. The current storyline has an excellent character mix to keep the story from getting flat or too slow. I look forward to slaughtering my way through this series!
This is sort of post-apocalyptic military in a galactic empire level. Strong concept with loads of avenues available for future novels. The current storyline has an excellent character mix to keep the story from getting flat or too slow. I look forward to slaughtering my way through this series!
November 15, 2020
Wholesale Slaughter Great Potential
Just finished the first book in this series. It seems to have great potential with an interesting premise. Clearly this story can be drawn out for an extensive period of time without feeling contrived. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Just finished the first book in this series. It seems to have great potential with an interesting premise. Clearly this story can be drawn out for an extensive period of time without feeling contrived. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
June 7, 2021
Honestly, I thought it was a little boring at first. Now I'm glad that I pushed on and finished the set. Great main story line with interesting side plots. With ancillary characters who are involved in detail. Author does a pretty good job of bringing you into many worlds terra-formed by an ancient Earth that is only a distant vague memory. I would definitely recommend to space sci-fi fans.
December 13, 2021
Interesting story about Logan Connor taking off to find weapons from people who lives ages and ages before he did. AND the battles he would fight while he tried to cross the galaxy.
A little romance, without any kind of descriptive sex, and the F-bomb was used 44 times.
As for the narration: Marc Vietor did a great job.
A little romance, without any kind of descriptive sex, and the F-bomb was used 44 times.
As for the narration: Marc Vietor did a great job.
July 24, 2019
Excellent
I enjoyed the story enough to read the book in almost one sitting. I will definitely be buying the second book in the series to see where the adventures leads the Slaughter company next.
I enjoyed the story enough to read the book in almost one sitting. I will definitely be buying the second book in the series to see where the adventures leads the Slaughter company next.
May 5, 2020
Military Sci-Fi as it should be,Brilliant storyline relatable characters and enough action and adventure to keep you turning pages this book has it all, Highly recommended a must read for fans of this genre,Baz
May 10, 2020
Good Read
Bought it on a whim because the author had written other books I'd liked. I was pleasantly surprised to find it a good and fast paced tale with likeable characters and a well thought out plot. On to Terminus Cut, book 2 in the series.
Bought it on a whim because the author had written other books I'd liked. I was pleasantly surprised to find it a good and fast paced tale with likeable characters and a well thought out plot. On to Terminus Cut, book 2 in the series.
May 16, 2020
Rick Partlow gifts us with another smoothly written military sci-fi Adventure. The lead characters are likeable, the dialogue believable, the bad guys despicable. The quality of the writing makes it a pleasure to read. I look forward to the other books in the series.
July 6, 2020
I like the author and his ability to tell action scenes very much. But this story just rubbed me the wrong way for some reason. The main character is an entitled brat living off daddy (who happens to run everything). That just ruined the book for me.
January 5, 2021
Good read
Nice ! Rick has a way of setting up a new series building characters, background,and plot while quickly yet thoroughly pulling in the reader. I love 2here this series is headed
Nice ! Rick has a way of setting up a new series building characters, background,and plot while quickly yet thoroughly pulling in the reader. I love 2here this series is headed
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews