Spaceside audiobook

ARC provided by the publisher—Harper Voyager—in exchange for an honest review.I can’t emphasize this highly enough: if you enjoyed reading Planetside, you will most likely enjoy Spaceside too.Spaceside is the second book in Michael Mammay’s Planetside series. Although the first book worked totally well as a standalone, I’m glad there’s a continuation because I was left wanting more after the ending of the first book. More than a year has passed, Colonel Butler is trying his best to live with the burden of the life-changing action he did at the end of Planetside. Even though Butler has been forced into retirement because of it, this doesn’t mean that he can take a break. In this installment, Butler’s task to investigate a hacking ended up escalating much bigger than he expected. “A wise man once told me that hope is not a great planning tool.” I can safely say that pretty much everything that was great about the first book remained intact here; intriguing mystery written with a thrilling feels that won’t allow me to catch a break persisted throughout the entirety of the plot. Same as its Planetside, Spaceside can be described as a mystery thriller in a military sci-fi setting. The one thing that’s clearly upgraded from the previous book was the more in-depth characterizations of the main character. Spaceside, understandably, felt more intimate. The author efficiently displayed Butler’s internal conflicts; seeing a man of action like him coping with the consequences of his actions and facing paranoia from his past gave a personal tone to the narration that made the characters more fleshed out. “Taking charge and moving forward always beat sitting still and waiting for others to act.” Reading Mammay’s prose was damn addictive. I recently binged read War for the Rose Throne by Peter McLean and I do believe that the reading experience offered within Mammay’s storytelling style is similar to that series; except that this in a sci-fi setting instead of fantasy. Don’t get me wrong here, the story, setting, and writing itself were vastly different from each other. However, the prose, pacing, and the main character of these two series combined to give a fast-paced narrative that doesn’t neglect characterizations. “Your whole life you do big, important things. You speak and people listen. Then suddenly that’s over, and you’re wasting your life doing some bullshit job that doesn’t matter, where nobody cares what you do as long as you show up for the company functions.” The minor issue I had with the book was that at times I did feel like the story structure in Spaceside progressed a bit too similar to its predecessor. This, of course, is just a minor issue and overall doesn’t change the fact that I was still super engrossed by it. “People always wanted to believe in heroes, though the truth of the stories rarely lived up to the myth.” Spaceside is a worthy sequel to Planetside and Mammay once again successfully delivered another highly entertaining page-turner. The cleverly mixed mystery and military sci-fi element made this relatively small book packed with a strong impact, and I highly recommend it to readers who are looking for a fast-paced mystery/sci-fi read. Official release date: August 27th, 2019You can pre-order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository (Free shipping)The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions

[4.5/5 stars] I love love love this series. I love the character. I love the story. I love how tight the writing is. I love the dry humor. I love that the mystery had me thinking about the book every time I set it down. It has been a hot minute since a series has drawn me back to it so strongly. It continues to provide all the story components I’m craving these days, and for me at least, it’s the perfect read.The brilliance of this story is the superb main character, Colonel Carl Butler. I freaking love him. He’s straightforward, clever, and he really doesn’t give a shit what anyone else thinks... but at the same time he has this cool moral compass that makes him want to do right by people, even if he can't always support it through action. The ever-present underlying sardonic nature of Carl’s thoughts delights me to no end. He’s written so well it feels like reading about an actual person, which is the highest compliment I can give to a character. He’s the main reason I’m loving this series so much and feel so connected to it.Mammay’s writing is a breath of fresh air. I love the tone of his storytelling, the witty dialogue, and overall presentation… it’s so smart. The main character is excellent at reading people, and profile demands a lot of complex rationalizing and assessment that must have taken a lot of extra effort to infuse so seamlessly into the story. It’s absolutely fascinating! Mammay is also good at starting at a slow burn and building interest and momentum as the story goes. Good momentum in stories has often made the difference between a decent book and an amazing 5-star can’t-put-it-down read for me, and it’s always a factor I take into consideration when reviewing. This is the second time I felt catapulted to the end, and I freaking love that.With not only one, but two awesome books under his belt so far, I can say with confidence that Michael Mammay is now one of my favorite authors. I can’t wait to see what he comes out with next!Recommendations: it’s no secret that I’m an uber fan of Planetside (book #1) because I’ve been talking about it constantly. Spaceside was just as good! It’s a highly engaging military sci-fi that’s super easy to recommend because of its concise writing, dry humor, and exciting action. It hooked me right from the start. Give this series a try!! It might not delight you to the same extent it did me, but I can stand behind it as a great read you won’t regret picking up!Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com Other books you might like:

Spaceside, book two of Mike Mammay’s Planetside series, sees the evolution of a tremendous character in Col. Carl Butler as he deals with the aftermath of the events in book one and runs headlong into an unfamiliar setting with unpredictable events. Using his lifetime of military training and whatever quick wits he can muster that aren’t dulled by the whiskey, Butler is forced to deal with events that become more and more treacherous the deeper he gets. Spaceside was a blast to read! I can’t recommend it enough. It’s fast-paced, has great dialogue, multi-dimensional characters, and the storyline is deftly plotted from beginning to end. More importantly, it made me long to read the next book in the series to see where Col. Butler goes from here. Can’t wait to read book three!

I received an advanced proof of Spaceside from the publisher, to review.Last year, Michael Mammay debuted an absolutely incredible book, Planetside, the outstanding science fiction thriller that absolutely blew me (and the planet of Cappa) away with its inventiveness, addictive story and explosive conclusion. Now Mammay attempts to follow up this amazing first novel with a second book in his Planetside series, Spaceside.Spaceside begins about two years after the events of Planetside, and reveals that Butler is now the most infamous man in the galaxy. While many view him as a hero, others consider him a genocidal monster. Forced out of the army, Butler now has an easy job as Deputy VP of Corporate Security for Varitech Production Company, a high-tech military company on the planet of Talca Four. In theory he helps protect the company against corporate threats, but in reality his job is to impress clients and utilise his substantial military connections for his bosses’ benefits.As a result, he is surprised one day when he is called into the CEO’s office and given an actual security assignment. A rival tech company, Omicron Technology, has had a breach in their supposedly unhackable computer systems, and Varitech wants to know how it happened and whether their own systems are vulnerable. With no obvious leads and no-one claiming credit for the hack, Butler reaches out to one of his contacts working at the impacted company. However, shortly after their meeting, Butler’s contact is found dead and Butler is now the police’s prime suspect.Determined once again to find out the truth no matter what, Butler starts to dig around at Omicron and discovers that they were working on a secret project with links to his time on Cappa. When information arrives from the most unlikely of places, Butler is once again drawn into a massive conspiracy that he is not meant to survive. Can he find a way out of this, or will he be forced to redo his greatest mistake?Wow, just wow. This was another exceptional book from Mammay, who has once again produced a fantastic science fiction thriller hybrid with some amazing moments in it. I absolutely loved this follow-up to Planetside, which not only contains another addictive story with an amazing protagonist but also serves as an excellent sequel to the first book. I powered through Spaceside extremely quickly and loved every minute I spent glued to my screen. This gets another five out of five stars from me, and I reckon that I will once again be placing Mammay’s latest book on my top reads of the year list.View the full review at:https://unseenlibrary.com/2019/08/20/...For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:https://unseenlibrary.com/

I received an advanced proof of Spaceside from the publisher, to review.Last year, Michael Mammay debuted an absolutely incredible book, Planetside, the outstanding science fiction thriller that absolutely blew me (and the planet of Cappa) away with its inventiveness, addictive story and explosive conclusion. Now Mammay attempts to follow up this amazing first novel with a second book in his Planetside series, Spaceside.Spaceside begins about two years after the events of Planetside, and reveals that Butler is now the most infamous man in the galaxy. While many view him as a hero, others consider him a genocidal monster. Forced out of the army, Butler now has an easy job as Deputy VP of Corporate Security for Varitech Production Company, a high-tech military company on the planet of Talca Four. In theory he helps protect the company against corporate threats, but in reality his job is to impress clients and utilise his substantial military connections for his bosses’ benefits.As a result, he is surprised one day when he is called into the CEO’s office and given an actual security assignment. A rival tech company, Omicron Technology, has had a breach in their supposedly unhackable computer systems, and Varitech wants to know how it happened and whether their own systems are vulnerable. With no obvious leads and no-one claiming credit for the hack, Butler reaches out to one of his contacts working at the impacted company. However, shortly after their meeting, Butler’s contact is found dead and Butler is now the police’s prime suspect.Determined once again to find out the truth no matter what, Butler starts to dig around at Omicron and discovers that they were working on a secret project with links to his time on Cappa. When information arrives from the most unlikely of places, Butler is once again drawn into a massive conspiracy that he is not meant to survive. Can he find a way out of this, or will he be forced to redo his greatest mistake?Wow, just wow. This was another exceptional book from Mammay, who has once again produced a fantastic science fiction thriller hybrid with some amazing moments in it. I absolutely loved this follow-up to Planetside, which not only contains another addictive story with an amazing protagonist but also serves as an excellent sequel to the first book. I powered through Spaceside extremely quickly and loved every minute I spent glued to my screen. This gets another five out of five stars from me, and I reckon that I will once again be placing Mammay’s latest book on my top reads of the year list.View the full review at:https://unseenlibrary.com/2019/08/20/...An abridged version of this review ran in the Canberra Weekly on 12 September 2019:https://unseenlibrary.com/2019/09/12/...For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:https://unseenlibrary.com/

Michael Mammay has delivered yet another fantastic sci fi adventure with SPACESIDE. Carl Butler is back from Cappa, and his life has changed significantly since the fateful decision for which he was set up to take the fall. Now retired, Carl is divorced, drinking heavily, and running as a security advisor in a corporate rat race. An encounter on the mass transit has Butler wondering if his PTSD symptoms are getting worse, or if he really is seeing human-Cappan hybrids on the bus, when his boss calls him in for a top secret assignment to find out how a competitor was hacked. Butler is following a trail when his only lead ends up dead, and the police seem certain the Scourge of Cappa had something to do with it. Butler's life only gets more screwed up from there as the ghosts of what he did on Cappa come back for a reckoning, and he is forced to make one more trip planetside that will probably end with Butler being flushed out an airlock.Holy moly, was this good. Carl Butler is a defeated guy who really just wants to be ignored and collect his paycheck so he can buy more whiskey, but this mystery piques his curiosity and leads him back to the soldier still lurking inside. The story unfolds at a great pace, and like the last act of Planetside, hits fast and hard in the last third of the book with a climax that leaves you a little stunned. Really looking forward to the third book! These have been one hell of a lot of fun to read.

Everything you loved about Planetside (if you haven't read it, STOP, BUY, READ- SPOILERS AWAIT) returns. Butler's voice, weary and worn from life, returns, and the weight of his decisions carries through every chapter.Don't go looking for war heroes here, reveling in their glory. The men and women Butler revisits have found ways to survive, but more than anything, it's a picture of how to go on with life after making terrible decisions.And Butler ain't doing it so well. He's managed to transition to civilian life, more as a glorified laser-tag team captain than anything related to his skills, but look at Butler's resume, and you'll note there aren't many openings labeled as: "The ideal candidate will have two to five years experience slaughtering the entire population of a world. Experience with orbital bombardment preferred."He's alone, hated by some, feared by others, admired by few, and that's when Butler gets the opportunity to investigate something that uses Butler's knowledge of armies, and their close cousins, corporations. What happened on Capa lies in the past but weaves through Butler's present until he can no longer be certain if he's seeing things because they're there, or because he imagines them to be.And that is where the story *starts*. Expect Butler's trademark dry observations, enemies you'll see coming, allies you might not expect, and the eternal truth that no plan survives contact with the enemy.The ending is fitting for a man like Butler and will leave you wondering if at last this tired old soldier find rest. Peace may be too much to ask.

Rating: ★★★★☆SynopsisA military legend is caught in the web between alien intrigue and human subterfuge… Following his mission on Cappa, Colonel Carl Butler returns to a mixed reception. To some he is a do-or-die war hero. To the other half of the galaxy he’s a pariah. Forced into retirement, he has resettled on Talca Four where he’s now Deputy VP of Corporate Security, protecting a high-tech military company on the corporate battlefield—at least, that’s what the job description says. Really, he’s just there to impress clients and investors. It’s all relatively low risk—until he’s entrusted with new orders. A breach of a competitor’s computer network has Butler’s superiors feeling every bit as vulnerable. They need Butler to find who did it, how, and why no one’s taken credit for the ingenious attack.As accustomed as Butler is to the reality of wargames—virtual and otherwise—this one screams something louder than a simple hack. Because no sooner does he start digging when his first contact is murdered, the death somehow kept secret from the media. As a prime suspect, he can’t shake the sensation he’s being watched…or finally succumbing to the stress of his past. Paranoid delusion or dangerous reality, Butler might be onto something much deeper than anyone imagined. But that’s where Butler thrives.If he hasn’t signed his own death warrant.ReviewThanks to the publisher and author for an advance reading copy of Spaceside (Planetside #2) in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this ARC did not influence my thoughts or opinions on the novel.So, after sleeping on Planetside (Planetside #1) for a year, I binge-read it in a day and kicked myself for shelving it for so long. Knowing I had a copy of Spaceside waiting in the wings, I shuffled around my TBR to allow Colonel Carl Butler back into my life the following day and binged it as well.Spaceside (Planetside #2) is a thrilling follow-up to what would have been one of my top debuts of 2018, had I read Planetside in a timely manner. Mammay has grounded himself has a mainstay and a must-read for anyone who enjoys the military sci-fi genre. Fan of John Scalzi, Joe Halderman, Myke Cole, and Nicholas Sansbury Smith, to name a few, will find tons to love here.While we have already been introduced to our gruff Colonel in Book 1, Mammay gives us a more in-depth look into Butler’s mental state after his final actions in Planetside and during his new investigation in Book 2. Spaceside, though its title may sound more extraterrestrial, takes place on Talca Four for the majority of the novel while Butler takes on his new “mission” to figure out who is behind this major breach. This is a different path than was taken in Book 1, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and actually gives us a little bit of the world-building we may have missed last time around.One thing I did notice was how the book was plotted. It has similar vibes to Planetside in that the story ramps up around the same time and ends quite dramatically, leaving you as the reader ready for the next installment. Nothing at all wrong with that as the story is almost night and day different from its predecessor.All in all, Mammay has delivered another pulse-pounding installment to the Planetside series. Those that enjoy mysteries mixed with some big explosions, futuristic weaponry, witty banter, and premium whiskey, look no further. I have a feeling Book 3 is going to take us in a blindsiding direction and I cannot wait!

4.33/5 stars

Loved getting to spend time with the grumpy but likable Colonel Butler! Loved getting to know more about the Cappans in this book and seeing what happened to them after Planetside's explosive ending.

Carl Butler's back! SPACESIDE picks up after the events of PLANETSIDE. If you haven't read PLANETSIDE yet--why not? Go! Read! SPACESIDE can stand on its own--the story is tight and self-contained--but the emotional resonance will be greater if you're familiar with the earlier work, which I can't discuss in detail lest I spoil the ending and you really don't want me to do that. So. Let us say that PLANETSIDE ended with Carl Butler making a brutal choice, and SPACESIDE is about what comes after that. The consequences of a hard decision, yes, but more than that: the ever after. Butler has to (re)examine not only his role in society and his relationships within it, but also his conception of himself...while trying to solve a murder and uncover a conspiracy and keep his friends--and himself--alive long enough to solve the problem and--well. Spoilers. Go read the book. There are explosions and tough ethical decisions, introspection and action, all filtered through Butler's dry, unsparing wit. Like its predecessor, SPACESIDE is unromantic military SF with complicated characters in complicated situations. And like its predecessor, SPACESIDE is a smart, fast-moving story whose ethical implications linger well past the last page. Fantastic stuff.

If you enjoyed Butler at his Butler-est in Planetside, you're going to love Spaceside! Now retired from the army, and trying to come to terms with what he did on Cappa, Butler is thrown into a world of corporate espionage. With some really nice twists and turns, and Butler's fantastic voice, Spaceside is just as exciting as Planetside, with an added chunk of retrospection that makes it a refreshing sequel instead of just another copy/paste adventure. And my favorites, Plazz and Ganos, return for fun and banter, too!

This book is so irresistible that I inhaled 77% of it in one sitting. I really appreciated how the dry voice of the main character explored all the emotional fallout of the choice made at the end of Book 1 without ever descending into self pity or explaining it away with easy answers or oversimplifications. Very flawed but sympathetic characters and an engrossing mystery. Already looking forward to the next one by this author!

This is the second book in the Planetside series by Michael Mammay. I very rarely give 5 stars but this book deserves it! I loved Planetside and have eagerly awaited the followup. Spaceside did not disappoint! This book is basically Military Science Fiction with some Detective aspects to it also.Colonel Carl Butler is back from Cappa. He now has to learn to live with his decisions while on that planet. He has been forced to retire from the military and takes a job with a huge corporation where he is basically a showpiece for the company with little actual work besides meet and greets with clients. Unexpectedly he is asked to investigate a data breach at another company. He soon finds that his own company is involved and that the data breach ties in with events that happened on Cappa. When one of his information sources is murdered when coming to a meet with him he is determined to solve this mystery at any cost. All while trying to clear himself with local police who consider him a suspect in the murder. An excellent read and I highly recommend this book as well as the first in this series.

History repeats itself in this novel. Carl Butler represents various things to those around him. Hero? Pariah? Pawn? The story in this book sees him run the (potato) mine field through the various views. It has faster pacing than the first volume in this series, and takes some really great twists through that mine field. It was a lot of fun to read.

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