Rating:

5 Small Stars
Momentary Stasis

This is a new author to me. I think he’s got something good going here although he makes the story overly complicated by adding a young wife to the main character’s problems. This story is about Jack Rimes, Sergeant Jack Rimes to be specific. At first, I didn’t see this as a science fiction book because it sounded like any other military special operations war book. It does take place some where around 150 years from now. Earth seems to have been through a very rough time. Most everything has been destroyed, but their is a class elite that seems to have gotten through the troubles without much damage. These are the upper management of the existing mega-corporations who now seem to control everything. They even appear to control the government although the government does fight back when necessary to reign in mega-corporate activities. Working for the government isn’t where you make a lot of money, especially if you’re working for the military and the Army specifically as is Jack Rimes.

Sergeant Rimes is a member of a special ops team sent in to find out what one of the mega-corporations were doing in an illegal chemical plant where four LoDu agents were said to be operating. What was going on in the plant was unknown, but if they could capture the LoDu agents, they could find out. The only problem was the agents were “genies” or manufactured people something similar to biomechanical androids that could pass as people. Only these things were stronger, faster, and usually without a conscience. They knew where these four “genies” were, but not exactly what they were doing. The mission was a go and the team went in.

This is just the start of a long investigation with Jack Rimes involved the entire way. While he’s just a Sergeant, he has operated for the UN Special Security Council on various missions and they regard him highly. After the above mission, Jack is contacted by a friend who was going to be a Commando like him only they messed up a knee in training and had to drop out. Now they were working for the IB or Intelligence Bureau, a very different organization than the Army, but it still did very similar things that Jack does and had done in the past. His friend wants him to join the IB, but Jack doesn’t think that’s a good idea right now. He’s applied for Officer Candidate School and has a very good chance of getting in. Still, his friend arranges for Jack to be temporarily assigned to the IB so he can help them further track down stuff related to his recent mission.

Here’s where it takes off and gets interesting. There’s a lot of interpersonal actions going on that you’ll find out. A lot of it is unnecessary and probably wouldn’t happen, yet there is always that problem with the young spouse staying behind that doesn’t quite understand what her husband is doing. In Jack’s case, it’s especially difficult because he can’t talk about what he does nor can anyone else. Sometimes he can’t even tell his young wife where he’s going or how long he’ll be gone. That is the basis for a lot of young couples divorcing early in a marriage. Jack’s situation is no different. He’s trying to keep his marriage going, yet he’s also an idiot man who should know better not to let temptation mess him up. You’ll find out what I’m talking about.

I like the writers easy way of telling the story. We go all over the world and see different places, but they are all described as pretty depressing slums no matter where you go. Oh, there are nice accommodations for those with lots of money, but for the most part, Earth is a slum planet with most people living in orbital cities or off colonizing other planets. Jack is neither rich nor does he want to leave Earth. He’s also dedicated to the Army which I can understand up to a point. You’ll be surprised who the actual villians are in this story.

Oh, I need to mention that the title of the book doesn’t make much sense to me. I don’t know what “Momentary Stastis” is supposed to mean because it doesn’t seem to have any thing to do with the book. I wonder where the author came up with the name. The second book is already out and I’ve bought it. it’s titled, “Transition of Order”, whatever that means?

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