Review: A Few Good Men

A Few Good Men in my bed.

The other day I announced in a group of friends that I wasn't feeling up to snuff, I was going to catch up on reading, so I was taking A Few Good Men to bed with me. Hilarity ensued. Most of them have read this book, as the group in question is formed of fans of Sarah Hoyt, the author of the aforementioned book. They knew what I was looking forward to, a post-modern exploration of what could become of our world.

If you liked Hunger Games, but wanted more grown-up protagonists and solutions, you should explore the world Sarah has built in her series that began with Darkship Thieves. While the first and second books (Darkship Renegades) are more straighforward space fantasy, the bulk of A Few Good Men takes place on an Earth ravaged by wars, plagues, and genetic engineering of a sinister sort. Lucius, the main character,was only a teen when he was unjustly imprisoned, and he remains emotionally scarred by the experiences that landed him there, and the fifteen years in solitary confinement that followed.

This book may be set in a dystopian world, but it is one where a revolution is ripening, along the lines of the one that set the United States of America into motion more than two centuries ago. Lucius and his right-hand man, Nat, set out at first merely to save their own lives and the lives of family, but it becomes much more than that for them and those around them. Lovers of liberty, equality, and the pursuit of happiness will enjoy the well-plotted and researched depths of this book. It's no surprise to find that Darkship Thieves won the Prometheus Award from the Libertarian Futurist Society, and it would be no surprise to me to see this book receive it in the coming year.

While this is a third book, it could be approached without reading the first two, and it is important to note that there is a third book due out soon, which will expand on the latter half of this book, as the revolution expands in scope to a point where it is not practically viewed from one man's eyes.

Above all, it's a good read, with a compelling plot, characters who will draw you in (including the dog, Goldie), and you will find yourself visualizing the world they inhabit, grittiness and all. You can get it in e-book form here, at Baen Books, in more formats than you can shake a stick at, suitable for any ereader. Check out the Free Library for other titles while you're there, too.