Official Review: The Promise by Maxx Powr

[joshfee77]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Promise" by Maxx Powr.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The Promise is a sci-fi thriller by Maxx Powr, Book 1 of a series called The Piecer Chronicles. The year is 2173. Scientists have created Piecers - humans made from genetically superior DNA - to fight the alien armies of the Klix. The 523s (from Batch 19523) are extraordinary Piecers with greater size and extra abilities. Gage 523 heals quickly. Hector 523 smells as well as a dog. Tripp 523 has extraordinary vision, day and night. And Chase 523, their leader, is an all-rounder, boasting these abilities plus incredible running speed. The war with the Klix has been over for some time, a truce negotiated. Then, while the Piecers are at their graduation ceremony on Earth, the Klix attack again...

The Promise is an easy-to-read, action-packed adventure. There is plenty to keep up the reader's interest in the abilities of the 523s and the actions of the ruthless Klix. Each Piecer soldier has their own distinct personality which helps keep them separate for the reader. The characters are flawed and likeable, such as the chauvinistic Tripp, who misbehaves around women but is ultimately soft-hearted. The soldiers' dialogue seems authentic, with plenty of swearing during tense situations.

The Earth-bound parts of the story, set in future America, feature places such as New Vegas and New Palm Springs, giving readers a decent frame of reference. The book also includes bawdy humour from the Piecer soldiers and some hilarious moments from Sheen, an android created as a sex robot but freed from this slavery by Chase. Her regular tactless comments about the state of arousal of her human friends - or whether a woman has "serviced" a man - cause her crewmates much embarrassment. She also learns some new human phrases throughout the story and uses them in an amusing robotic way.

The Promise features a romantic subplot between two characters which appropriately remains secondary to the action. Overall, I found it very entertaining, with an ending which left me wanting to read the next book in the series. However, there are minor typographical errors throughout the book, mainly missing punctuation such as an apostrophe, comma or quotation mark. I found ten such errors by 20% of the way through the book.

I rate The Promise by Maxx Powr 3 out of 4 stars. If not for the minor errors in the text, it would be a 4-star book, action-packed and entertaining with a great sense of humour. It feels similar in tone to the movie Starship Troopers. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fun, action-packed sci-fi, as long as you aren't discouraged by swearing and sexual humour.

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The Promise
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[Magnify3]

Thanks for your review. I don't read sci-fi but I do watch it. I think it could make a great movie based on your review

[kandscreeley]

I saw this recently as book of the day, and it sounded intriguing to me then. It still does. Someone suggested that it was kind of Ender's Game meets Star Trek. Definitely interesting to me, as I enjoyed both of those! Thanks for the review on this one.

[kdstrack]

This one does sound like fun! The author was quite creative with the Piercers. This is a good mix - science fiction with humor. I like it. Thanks for the recommendation.

[Chris Mangahas]

I haven't read any books under this genre, though with your review it seems like this is an easy read and enjoyable. Also, the title doesn't appear like it is a Sci-fi novel. I got somehow curious why.

[ReneeBrown]

Very compelling review! I have been getting more and more into sci-fi so this seems right up my alley. Already downloaded the book. Thanks!

[Wambui-nj]

I don't read Sci-fi but this one sounds thrilling and interesting. Might check it out. Thanks for the wonderful review.

[Monet_va]

Great Review! Definitely eager to give this one a read and adding it to my TBR pile

[Gabriel Merêncio]

I usually prefer "meatier" science fiction stories that explore interesting themes or feature an ambitious plot, but there's nothing wrong with an action-packed sci-fi romp from time to time. This novel in particular seems geared towards teenage boys with its humor and sex jokes, so it doesn't appeal to me all that much, but it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. Thanks for the review!

[Erin Painter Baker]

This sounds like a fun science fiction adventure, though the bawdiness that you describe makes it feel like it may be aimed more at a male reader than a female one. Still, it is something I will keep in mind next time I am looking for a book that is a fun distraction.