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Pound of Flesh: A War's Edge Standalone Novel (Berserkers)
Pound of Flesh has everything you could ask for in a great military scifi well-developed heroes, a terrific villian, pulse pounding action, exciting space battles, and a layer of emotional depth. An unforgettable novel in which its hardware, as awesome as it is, never outshines its characters. A must-read for anyone who loves military science fiction. -Nate Timberlake, Captain USAF
The mission is escort Dr. Nadir and her team of aid workers through insurgent-held territory to a remote village on Idun-3. Veteran Lieutenant Ralph Hague and his platoon have completed far more dangerous assignments fulfilling the Berserker’s contract with Biodyne Industries.
When an army of radical cultists, The Immortals, arrive in search of Biodyne’s research on a life-extending drug, Hague and his troops are redirected into the heart of a war-torn planet to rescue Biodyne personnel and their data from a secret research facility called Outpost 16. There he witnesses horrors that shock him to his very core. Surrounded by hostile forces, he must choose between his duty and his conscience. Barely escaping the outpost, Hague’s platoon and the civilians in his charge trek through the deadly jungle, pursued by fanatical Immortal troops and local insurgents hell bent on killing them.
Outgunned and outmanned, Hague must outwit his enemies to escape. Even his superior training and extensive experience might not save him. The Immortal leader won’t leave without his Holy Writ—and he will annihilate every Berserker on Idun-3 to get it.
The mission has changed.
Hague’s only objective is survival.
Pound of Flesh is a thrilling stand-alone novel set in the gritty War's Edge universe.
This book contains graphic violence, profanity, and sexual content. It is intended for a mature audience. Reader discretion is advised.
The mission is escort Dr. Nadir and her team of aid workers through insurgent-held territory to a remote village on Idun-3. Veteran Lieutenant Ralph Hague and his platoon have completed far more dangerous assignments fulfilling the Berserker’s contract with Biodyne Industries.
When an army of radical cultists, The Immortals, arrive in search of Biodyne’s research on a life-extending drug, Hague and his troops are redirected into the heart of a war-torn planet to rescue Biodyne personnel and their data from a secret research facility called Outpost 16. There he witnesses horrors that shock him to his very core. Surrounded by hostile forces, he must choose between his duty and his conscience. Barely escaping the outpost, Hague’s platoon and the civilians in his charge trek through the deadly jungle, pursued by fanatical Immortal troops and local insurgents hell bent on killing them.
Outgunned and outmanned, Hague must outwit his enemies to escape. Even his superior training and extensive experience might not save him. The Immortal leader won’t leave without his Holy Writ—and he will annihilate every Berserker on Idun-3 to get it.
The mission has changed.
Hague’s only objective is survival.
Pound of Flesh is a thrilling stand-alone novel set in the gritty War's Edge universe.
This book contains graphic violence, profanity, and sexual content. It is intended for a mature audience. Reader discretion is advised.
325 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 17, 2022
About the author
Ryan W. Aslesen
32 books78 followersRyan Aslesen is a bestselling author based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a former Marine officer, veteran of the War on Terror, and a graduate of Presentation College and American Military University. His military and work experience have made him one of the premier writers of military science fiction and fantasy. His bestselling Crucible and War's Edge series are highly regarded for their authenticity, explosive action, and military realism. When not writing or out protecting the world, you will find him spending quality time with his family.
Get a free ebook and sign up to receive exclusive content and updates at: www.ryanaslesen.com
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 20, 2023
"Pound of Flesh" is a 2022 release penned by Ryan Aslesen, Marine vet and writer extraordinaire. The latest in the War's Edge Berserkers series, "Pound of Flesh" is a standalone tale. If you haven't experienced War's Edge, the Berserkers series is a great place to start; the books can be read in any order.
"Pound of Flesh" ("PoF") is a cornucopia of violent, virile ravishment (totally didn't use a thesaurus for that sentence). The novel combines mercenaries, religious zealots, tanks, spaceships, and all manner of sundry awesomeness into a tale that could only be forged by one man: Ryan Aslsesen. "PoF" primarily follows lieutenant (totally didn't have to look up the spelling of that word) Ralph Hague on his frantic journey of survival with a ragtag team of Berserkers, scientists, research victims, and more. In places, the plot reminded me of Rambo IV.
If you've read the other books in the Berserkers series, "PoF" will feel pretty familiar, and this is a good thing. You'll get all the requisite battle scenes that consist of everything from hand-to-hand combat to large space conflicts. The dichotomy of these disparate mediums of warfare really galvanize what might otherwise get tedious. Among Aslesen's numerous strengths as a writer is his gift for describing combat. The smoke, grit, and horror of war are finely articulated by someone who has obviously been there himself. Not heroic in any sense, war in "PoF" is rendered as something manic and crazed, something to just survive. You, the reader, will find yourself wondering if you have what it takes to make it through such insanity yourself. Aptly timed humor is sprinkled throughout the story to keep the tone from becoming too maudlin. I also enjoy the various personalities of the robot characters, something that has become a hallmark of War's Edge.
Along with the exquisitely detailed combat are the exquisitely rendered characters. At the end of the day, you have to have compelling characters or nothing else matters, and Aslesen delivers in spades. As with the combat, the people who populate the pages of "PoF" feel real. Whether based on real people, completely dreamed up, or somewhere in between, the characters are finely crafted one and all. It's this quality that helps elevate the book to the level of art; and it is most certainly art.
As someone who much enjoyed Aslesen's early work, I felt Outpost 16 was a callback to the horror tales on which the author cut his teeth. I enjoyed that part of book, but felt a little cheated that the prospect of some good old-fashioned creepy crawly horror didn't quite make the cut. I may just be a tool who writes bad book reviews on the internet (without the aid of a thesaurus), but I would LOVE to see some legit horror stories in the War's Edge universe. Whether a Berserker tale, or another standalone idea, there is absolutely room in War's Edge for the scary stuff that Ryan does so well.
Wake up - you're at the end of the review! I know it was long journey, but if you heard nothing else, hear this: "Pound of Flesh" is a monumental work of pure awesomeness that you need to read right now! And while you may ask yourself if you're deserving to read such a fine tome, I'm here to let you know that yes, you're deserving. Congratulations on finding the cutting edge of military sci-fi. Welcome to the Edge...War's Edge.
"Pound of Flesh" ("PoF") is a cornucopia of violent, virile ravishment (totally didn't use a thesaurus for that sentence). The novel combines mercenaries, religious zealots, tanks, spaceships, and all manner of sundry awesomeness into a tale that could only be forged by one man: Ryan Aslsesen. "PoF" primarily follows lieutenant (totally didn't have to look up the spelling of that word) Ralph Hague on his frantic journey of survival with a ragtag team of Berserkers, scientists, research victims, and more. In places, the plot reminded me of Rambo IV.
If you've read the other books in the Berserkers series, "PoF" will feel pretty familiar, and this is a good thing. You'll get all the requisite battle scenes that consist of everything from hand-to-hand combat to large space conflicts. The dichotomy of these disparate mediums of warfare really galvanize what might otherwise get tedious. Among Aslesen's numerous strengths as a writer is his gift for describing combat. The smoke, grit, and horror of war are finely articulated by someone who has obviously been there himself. Not heroic in any sense, war in "PoF" is rendered as something manic and crazed, something to just survive. You, the reader, will find yourself wondering if you have what it takes to make it through such insanity yourself. Aptly timed humor is sprinkled throughout the story to keep the tone from becoming too maudlin. I also enjoy the various personalities of the robot characters, something that has become a hallmark of War's Edge.
Along with the exquisitely detailed combat are the exquisitely rendered characters. At the end of the day, you have to have compelling characters or nothing else matters, and Aslesen delivers in spades. As with the combat, the people who populate the pages of "PoF" feel real. Whether based on real people, completely dreamed up, or somewhere in between, the characters are finely crafted one and all. It's this quality that helps elevate the book to the level of art; and it is most certainly art.
As someone who much enjoyed Aslesen's early work, I felt Outpost 16 was a callback to the horror tales on which the author cut his teeth. I enjoyed that part of book, but felt a little cheated that the prospect of some good old-fashioned creepy crawly horror didn't quite make the cut. I may just be a tool who writes bad book reviews on the internet (without the aid of a thesaurus), but I would LOVE to see some legit horror stories in the War's Edge universe. Whether a Berserker tale, or another standalone idea, there is absolutely room in War's Edge for the scary stuff that Ryan does so well.
Wake up - you're at the end of the review! I know it was long journey, but if you heard nothing else, hear this: "Pound of Flesh" is a monumental work of pure awesomeness that you need to read right now! And while you may ask yourself if you're deserving to read such a fine tome, I'm here to let you know that yes, you're deserving. Congratulations on finding the cutting edge of military sci-fi. Welcome to the Edge...War's Edge.
February 27, 2025
This book has a stereotypical structure of "evil corporation is being eviller still", which gets a bit tedious, but the action is varied and well managed. And the climactic action is both engrossing and satisfying.
The protagonist is doesn't have a lot of individuality, being mostly a vehicle for revealing the plot, but there's nothing wrong with that portrayal. The action is typically unflinching (reminiscent of Pournelle's "Falkenberg's Legion" or Drake's "Hammers Slammers), and it feels believable and compelling. There's really not much of a setting (other than bad corporation is bad), but that doesn't harm the story particularly.
That said, there's a comment in the denouement from one of the characters that the Berserkers' legal team hasn't been doing its job very well, which was my thought in this story. It's precisely the job of a corporate contract legal team to make sure that errors like the one that this book relies on for its structure never happen.
This is one of the better War's Edge: Berserkers novels. If you want ugly SF military fiction, this book should satisfy. Recommended.
The protagonist is doesn't have a lot of individuality, being mostly a vehicle for revealing the plot, but there's nothing wrong with that portrayal. The action is typically unflinching (reminiscent of Pournelle's "Falkenberg's Legion" or Drake's "Hammers Slammers), and it feels believable and compelling. There's really not much of a setting (other than bad corporation is bad), but that doesn't harm the story particularly.
That said, there's a comment in the denouement from one of the characters that the Berserkers' legal team hasn't been doing its job very well, which was my thought in this story. It's precisely the job of a corporate contract legal team to make sure that errors like the one that this book relies on for its structure never happen.
This is one of the better War's Edge: Berserkers novels. If you want ugly SF military fiction, this book should satisfy. Recommended.
May 18, 2024
Well done!
This is the best example of incorporating heavy armor into military science fiction since David Drake ended the "Hammer's Slammers" series.
The technical aspects of the writing are such that I am lead to believe that Mr. Aslesen spent part of his military career in Abrams or Bradleys.
A creative writer, he has, in my opinion, yet to "jump the shark." That is no mean feat in a series of any length.
This is the best example of incorporating heavy armor into military science fiction since David Drake ended the "Hammer's Slammers" series.
The technical aspects of the writing are such that I am lead to believe that Mr. Aslesen spent part of his military career in Abrams or Bradleys.
A creative writer, he has, in my opinion, yet to "jump the shark." That is no mean feat in a series of any length.
January 26, 2023
Old 0844 opinion
Impossible odds and plausible deniability makes for a great storyline, his writing kind of reminded me of Drakes' hammers slammers. military science fiction is truthfully a way to track our future. Shit I read in the 80's on deployments is fact now very good read
Impossible odds and plausible deniability makes for a great storyline, his writing kind of reminded me of Drakes' hammers slammers. military science fiction is truthfully a way to track our future. Shit I read in the 80's on deployments is fact now very good read
September 19, 2023
Forces overwhelmed, get reinforcements, fight
Good stories. It’s very intense most of the way and the fighting seems realistic if a little futuristic. I’ve enjoyed it so far! Each book seems to be separate but gives you a greater vision of the beserkers.
Good stories. It’s very intense most of the way and the fighting seems realistic if a little futuristic. I’ve enjoyed it so far! Each book seems to be separate but gives you a greater vision of the beserkers.
January 9, 2023
Complex and crafted
This is a really good series. Typically with complex characters facing difficult conditions. Their wins and losses are there for all to see.
This is a really good series. Typically with complex characters facing difficult conditions. Their wins and losses are there for all to see.
March 22, 2023
fast paced action
This book has continuous fast paced action. From ground based fighting to space battles. With interesting characters it will keep you entertained.
This book has continuous fast paced action. From ground based fighting to space battles. With interesting characters it will keep you entertained.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews