Mark S Rounds

Commonality Games is set against an interesting backdrop. It’s a gripping plot to think Aliens have been in control of our planet for almost 200 years and are making strides to either understand the universe or manipulate it.

Population control is in place and a mutated influenza epidemic has killed off some colonists. Aliens now dictate the direction of humanity and if their authority is not followed, you're toast, or at least your brain is, wiped, and replaced with a smile.

In this adrenaline-fueled read, there are some strong and likable characters. My favorites are Taol and Jeffrey. Taol is twenty, a little cocky, and he’s a coordinating authority in building this mercenary company. The other is Sergeant Major Jefferson (Jeffrey). He is a guy with a big grin who's confined to a chair as a result of previous mortar bursts. Thankfully, his chair fits into an armored car.

Now, one might think a grudge match is a unique assignment but we see Taol and Jeffrey collaborate together to combine a unit of noncombatants and technicians that can negotiate this match using a diverse tactical discipline. Shattering my illusions that there was no permanent harm that the games caused was the mention that about one death occurs in every twenty or thirty phantom deaths.

Despite my rather limited knowledge of combat, I knew they would need to prepare, and, what better two to lead, than these two men who have the fire in their bellies?

This story does paint a convincing picture, we know that they use guidance and support to seek out vulnerabilities and discourage the enemy. Amongst the maneuvers, explosions and small arms fire, there are many valuable lessons from which we can learn themes of innocence and experience, comfort and suffering, bravery and fear. I expect the faint echo of Sousa's, 'The Stars and Stripes Forever' rings in their ear even when it's not coming across their radio.

In closing, Commonality Games was an entertaining read. The pace is steady and rhythmic. Much of the power of this novel is in recognizing that these men perform this mission by analyzing, examining and procuring morale. This story cleverly fuses a token expression most of us have heard a time or two, “ A man is made by the company he keeps.”

I received this book through the generosity of the author and he allowed me to bombard him with questions. The interview is on my blog.… (altro)