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Nick Morrow is a convict conscript assigned to 47 Echo—a suicide squad. No one cares whether they live or die, as long as they complete their missions. Under the command of a Marine Corps with nothing but contempt for its squadron of felons, they are on a mission to defend what's left of war-ravaged Russia.
A half-Chinese drifter, much isn't expected of Nick. Like the other members of 47 Echo, he's viewed as little more than cannon fodder. However, Nick's sense of honor, analytical mind and skills on the battlefield just might be what the squad needs to survive the meat-grinder that is the front lines of this bloody war. But can Nick himself survive the brutal crimes that haunt his past?
72,800 words
"Uh, twelve."
The old man grabbed the corpse's feet, lifted them up, and checked the stamps on the undersides.
"Whaddya know. Twelves. Well, one twelve, one eleven and a half."
Coughing wet, brown mucus onto the dirt, the old man unzipped the sides of the boots and pulled them off the corpse. He tied the laces together and tossed them in Nick's general direction—Nick managed to catch them before they smacked him in the face. He slung the boots over his shoulder and followed the old man through the field of bodies.
"See that desk down there? That's where you wanna go," the old man said as he pointed.
"What do I do when I get there?" Nick asked.
The old man was already heading back toward the front of the morgue area. If he heard Nick's question, he gave no indication—he was already coughing phlegm on the next poor sucker in line.
A uniformed soldier poked Nick in the side with the barrel of his M4 rifle.
"Move along, shitbird."
Nick nodded and headed in the direction the old man had indicated. He walked through the rows of bodies, trying not to breathe in—some of them had obviously been in the sun for a couple of days. Even breathing through his mouth didn’ t totally kill the stench; the metallic taste of blood was strong on Nick’ s tongue. The closer he got to the desk at the end of the long central row, the more bare the bodies became—first missing boots, then uniforms, then limbs and implants. The ones right next to the desk were barely identifiable as humans anymore.
"ID?" the man behind the desk growled. He was younger than the man who'd thrown the boots at Nick, but not by much. He was also a lot fatter, and the stripes on his shoulder identified him as a Staff Sergeant.
"Um...Nick Morrow."
"No one gives a shit about your name, fuckwad." The fat sergeant sighed, reaching across the desk and grabbing the dog tags hanging from Nick's neck. "Four-seven Echo, 1153," the sergeant read. His fat fingers (of which there were only three on his right hand) tapped the number into his computer. Nick couldn't see the screen, but he knew his file had popped up immediately.
"Here you are. Eleven fifty-three, male, twenty-nine years. Oooh. Multiple Homicide. Aren't we just the little badass?"
Nick said nothing, and the fat sergeant just shrugged. With one of the fingers on his mangled right hand, the sergeant pointed off to the left.
"See those big-ass tents over there? Go to the one labeled Echo. You wait there until someone tells you where to go. You get me?"
"I got you."
"Sergeant. I got you, Sergeant."
"Whatever."
The fat sergeant snapped two of his fingers together, and another uniformed soldier appeared. The soldier slammed the butt of his rifle into Nick's stomach, dropping him to the dirt instantly.
"Little tip, convict. Show the proper fucking respect at all times. Get me?"
"I get you, Sergeant," Nick coughed out.
"Better. Much better. Tent Echo, convict. Move!
stonernc
Posted March 12, 2012
Great story line and great character development....makes me want more!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.ylekiote
Posted October 24, 2011
Quick read that was a little predictable, but well worth the price. I will probably read at least one more by the author.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 17, 2011
this books story takes place on a battlefield in the near future, even though it is futuristic it is also realistic in the forms of tech that is used and this does seem to me to be an actual possible future for use all. the author gets you rooting for the main character the whole time. like i said "i loved it"
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.riverbluff12
Posted September 14, 2011
Good, unrealistic adventure in warfare.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I stumbled across this book when it was mentioned in a book discussion thread. I went to the website to check it out. There was an excerpt available and after the first few paragraphs, I was hooked. 47 Echo is about a near future war against the Chinese and North Koreans that is going so badly that prisoners are being offered the opportunity to fight in exchange for freedom. The worst of the worst, the murderers, are assigned to Echo. Nick Morrow is the latest recruit. Echo gets the assignments so dangerous they are little better than suicide. 47 Echo is his story of perseverance and redemption. This book is first and foremost an escapist military sci-fi thriller. Not a lot of time is spent on the brutal crimes that put these convict-solidiers in the spot they find themselves in. They quickly develop into a group of characters that you love rooting for. 47 Echo reminds me of Starship Troopers or Old Man's War without the aliens. You have a bunch of guys thrown into action who become almost impossibly heroic and improbably good at their jobs. But you don't care because the ride is so much fun. The book is well-written and well-paced. You'll read it in big gulps if not all at once. Highly recommended.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.sci
Posted June 17, 2011
A really good book with a good story line------only one complaint. I think he used the word "smirk" about a thousand times
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This was an excellent novel. I enjoyed it immensely. I picked it up, started reading, and didn't put it down until I was done. Very well told dystopian future military novel. I highly recommend.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.GrecoJava
Posted March 17, 2011
It was a fun read that I couldn't put down.
The premise of convict soldiers was a unique concept that got me to download the book. the well told story kept me interested.
emblebee
Posted March 14, 2011
BEST BOOK EVER!!!! I SUGGEST PEOPLE TI RED IT!!!! though it cusses a lot...
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted March 13, 2011
A pretty good book. an interesting cast of characters and storyline. A good read
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted November 1, 2011
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Posted August 29, 2011
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Posted November 10, 2011
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Overview
Russia, 2019. Combined Chinese and North Korean forces have taken increasing amounts of territory in a war that is devastating the world.
Nick Morrow is a convict conscript assigned to 47 Echo—a suicide squad. No one cares whether they live or die, as long as they complete their missions. Under the command of a Marine Corps with nothing but contempt for its squadron of felons, they are on a mission to defend what's left of war-ravaged Russia.
A half-Chinese drifter, much isn't expected of Nick. Like the other members of 47 Echo, he's viewed as little more than cannon fodder. However, Nick's sense of honor, analytical ...