Pros
- Action-packed scenes whenever the narrator gets to it
- Some humor in the writing
- Believable military action sequences
- Interesting plot and context about the Monarchs and the new universe Strange Company wakes up in
- Conclusion is interesting and continues the story
Cons
- A bit too much exposition and commentary rather than a reporting of the events
Voodoo Company Review
Voodoo Company by Nick Cole follows the exploits of a mercenary company of soldiers, misfits, criminals, and laboratory rejects as the company takes on dangerous contracts for lucrative pay. This book is a bit unique from other military science fiction books in that the narrator is a historian recording the history of the company.
As a result, there’s a bit of a strange perspective in that the readers are sometimes exposed to the story as a piece of historical text, a journal that was lost long ago and only rediscovered only to be read aloud. The result can be disconcerting as the narrator, Sergeant Orion, switches from a limited first-person perspective to a third-person limited commentary. While the additional exposition can be informative and interesting, these detours can be a bit of a distraction from the more action-packed scenes.
This sequel finds Strange Company waking up after a twenty-five year sleeping journey across the stars and into a system capable of bringing repairs to the Spider, the Strange Company ship.
And in a strange reversal of fortune, Strange Company finds itself fighting for the very enemy that betrayed them in the first book and battle on Crash.
This epic battle is portrayed as the last desperate all-out battle against the last of the Monarch stations, and there’s a surprising revelation about the planet for readers at the end, but more discerning readers may pick up on the clues about the planet.
Like the first book, the fighting scenes are well-narrated and add a sense of momentum and realism to the story that engages readers. Save for the sometimes disrupting commentary, more about Voodoo platoon is revealed. Not only do readers learn more about the backgrounds of certain characters in Voodoo platoon, but they also see these strange powers unleashed on the Ultramarines as Strange fights a desperate battle to keep the Monarchs and the Ultramarines from overtaking the landing zone.
In addition to the context provided about Voodoo, Sergeant Orion, like any good historian, provides more context about the Monarchs, revealing a feudal society set in the far future where the Monarchs rule with complete impunity over their citizens.
The conclusion of the book leaves Strange Company in a bit of a dilemma. Where the company once fought to uphold the Monarch’s rule, it now finds itself in an uncertain galaxy. And the events at the end of the story make the fate of the company even more uncertain.
Voodoo Company by Nick Cole is an action-packed military science fiction story filled with an exciting battle against a ruthless aristocracy intent on preserving its own authority and wealth.
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