Pros
- Banter amongst the crew members is fun for the most part
- Story is engaging and interesting
- Return of a crew member to operations is fun
- Conclusion of the story is very exciting
Cons
- While the crew interactions are fun, this particular story doesn’t quite carry the same amount of magic in the interactions for the crew
- Overall mystery leading to the conclusion is fairly bland
Rebellion, Book 11 of Omega Force, continues with the fun action and adventure that the series promises. But whereas previous books included a lot of action, adventure, and a strong sense of community for the mercenary group, Rebellion falls a little short of delivering the same sense of camaraderie found in the previous books, but the excitement of the conclusion of the story sort of makes up for any criticisms.
Plot
Omega Force must learn what the Machine is up to and how they can stop the Machine from completely controlling the ConFed and the rest of the galaxy.
Characters
Jason and his Omega Force return in an adventure to stop the Machine, a super intelligent alien AI, from completely controlling the ConFed and the rest of the known galaxy.
Setting
Omega Force travels to various worlds in order to uncover the motivations of the Machine.
Rebellion Review
I’m a fan of the Omega Force series. I enjoyed Rebellion, but this book didn’t quite live up to the same expectations for me as previous books in the series.
Some of the tropes in the series can be a little overused, like having the adventure begin with an abduction gone wrong. But such decisions can easily be overlooked when the characters and dialogue are strong. Additionally, the adventures that Omega Force undertake are engaging and usually filled with action and suspense.
That said, there was something missing for me in Rebellion. I think one of the biggest issues is that readers don’t quite get the same character interactions between the crew members in this book that previous books had. For instance, we don’t see much of the doctor, Twingo, or Cage. They’re just present in the story.
However, the good news is that readers get to see the new Lucky. I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed the character. The new and improved suite of tools and weapons was fun to read about as well. This should add some additional fun elements in upcoming books.
The actual story seemed a little bland. The method that Jason uses to track down his target isn’t really creative, and it seems obvious despite comments to the contrary from other characters. Even today, we have that expression, “Follow the money,” and logistics can make or break an army, as history has shown.
There are interesting aspects of the Rebellion. One I hope to read more about is the AI within Jason and the origins of the Machine. What I found particularly mysterious is the history of the Machine: how did it come about? What happened to its creators? A little bit is revealed in the story, but not enough to really satisfy curiosity. Perhaps a visit to the planet where the Machine originated would be in order. Or maybe a short story.
I enjoyed reading the story and more about the Omega Force’s escapades in Rebellion by Joshua Dalzelle. But the friendly banter seemed to be more diminished and instead replaced with more bullying. In fact, Jason seemed a bit more of a bully than usual—there is one particular interaction with Crusher that was a bit messed up.
Still, the mystery and struggle surrounding the Machine was engaging and propelled my interest throughout the book, and the conclusion had enough excitement that the story finished on a high note.
Read other books by Joshua Dalzelle:
