Ironclads

In the near future, giant corporations run the world. Britain is now part of America, and is at war with the Nords, (basically Scandanavia). The technology of war has advanced, enabling the sons of the rich to be equipped with 'Ironclads'. These are giant Gundam-style battle suits which make the fortunate operators close to invincible. Lucky for the haves but what about the have-nots?

For ordinary soldiers such as Sergeant Ted Regan, there is no such protection. They are the ground troops, the cannon fodder, the expendables. They are the ones who must take the biggest risks. Their chances of coming back in one piece are pretty slim. And if they are expecting thanks for their efforts, then they're in the wrong job.

"These days, men were the cheapest part of any national army, the bit that was most easily replaced, least easily repurposed by the enemy," (Loc 381)

When an Ironclad goes dark near enemy lines, it is up to Sergeant Regan and his team to go find it and bring it back. It might feel like an impossible mission, but it's a mission they can't refuse. Is Regan's motley crew good enough or lucky enough to succeed? And who is the mysterious Viina? She appears to be offering some valuable help but does she really have the team's best interests at heart?

"She looked into our guns without any apparent fear, but I had a sense of a coiled spring in her, as if she could go faster than bullets." (Loc 889)

Adrian Tchaikovsky's novella Ironclads is a very entertaining read. I found it exciting, funny, and intelligent and it left me wanting to read more. The characters are well realized, with Viina particularly standing out - she was fascinating and a great creation by the author. The action scenes are visceral and thrilling; they demand to be read at speed. There's also a welcome streak of world-weary humour running throughout.

Military science fiction is not a genre I would normally read, but this story impressed me. It has made me want to read more of Tchaikovsky's stories and I will eventpick up a copy of Children in Time.