This first story for SOBs reminds me of the format used in Argentine Deadline, which was the opening novel in the Phoenix Force series. Much of the writing centers on the introduction of the characters, and the recruitment of them from their various locations to join the team called Eagle Squad, or more well to be known as Soldiers Of Barrabas. Once the team is together, a time is spent on training in a remote location, before the actual mission begins.
The cast of characters that make up this squad is interesting, each has their own personality and skill sets. The team works together very well to get the job done. There are good tactics that are used, a lot of tough traveling through hostile environments, and injuries, including a very serious one, afflict the team. Some great scenes take place,some of my favorites involve the character of Al Chen, who might be my favorite of the SOBs thus far.
The mission to rescue a captured African leader to his nation and install him as the leader there is a well told one, with plenty of action later in the book, I enjoyed this adventure and am planning on reading more of these books. There is a number of background information included on Barrabas's military history too that I found interesting, as well as a bit more information about his nemesis who apparently will return in more books by the name of Karl Heiss.
A solid start for the series, as a side note, the main writer of this book, Jack Canon, never wrote any more of them, maybe he was too busy with the Nick Carter Killmaster series. With Alan Philipson joining the SOBs writing team, these books are only going to get better!
I recently discovered a cache of SOBs books owned by my older brother from the 80's in storage. I've recently been on an "All things 80's" kick thanks to the Netflix series "Stranger Things," and since I've been enjoying some comics and TV shows from that era again, I decided to give some literature from that period a shot. The tone of the early and mid 80's is very distinctive; fun and hopeful regardless of how dark the subject matter compared to the cynicism that pervades much of today's creative works.
Simply put, I LOVED the Barrabas Run! The slower pace and the time it takes to get to the action didn't bother me in the least because I didn't approach this book as a stand-alone tale; it's a prologue to a 38 book series. Every house needs a sturdy foundation, and The Barrabas Run is just that. It takes its time to introduce the SOBs and give you a glimpse of them in their civilian lives, and why the mission is so important to them. They don't just do it for adventure and thrills; they're soldiers. Their current whereabouts may change, but they'll always be on the battlefield. I get the feeling this novel was written in part by people with military experience, or by writers who know real life soldiers. While it's still entertaining, there is a sense of realism when it comes to the SOBs that is lacking in other stories about soldiers. They're not just wise-cracking, cigar-chomping, macho badasses like the members of the A-Team. At their core, there's a melancholy about a soldier as shown in movies like Platoon and Rambo and shows like Tour of Duty.
While some won't appreciate the time taken to establish the team in this first novel, I recognized how important the pacing was in order to make the reader care about the characters, as well as make the characters believably care about each other. They aren't just co-workers. By the end of this first mission, they're a family. Brothers (and a sister) in arms. In a book that's supposed to be just another Harlequin men's adventure "trash novel," there's a scene near the end that actually deeply touched me, showing just how much the team cares for each other. These tough SOBs have a soft side, and when they show not just their camaraderie but their love for each other, be warned; your room may suddenly become a bit dusty. Have a kleenex ready.
The planning of the mission is fun to read as well as seeing it put into effect. Everything doesn't always go as planned though, but I enjoyed seeing the team use their wits and ingenuity to adapt to the circumstances with soldier-like resolve and coolness.
And last but certainly not least is the title character, Nile Barrabas. Charismatic, enigmatic, strong, wise and no-nonsense but with a dry sense of humour. He doesn't come off as a manufactured super-soldier. He reminds me of characters like Rambo or Solid Snake; a man who gave everything for his country, more than anyone should ever be expected to, only to learn that what he was fighting for wasn't what he thought. It's been tainted by bureaucracy. He's a passionate man who's become disillusioned and carries that melancholy I mentioned earlier because he's broken-hearted. A love story? In a way, that's exactly what SOBs is: a boy and his country. His true love, the USA, didn't turn out to be what he thought it was when he first fell in love with it. Now he lives day to day, mission to mission, and there's something very compelling about a man who doesn't concern himself with the past or the future. He's a modern-day Spartan searching for a good death and the perfect lead for a series like SOBs. There's no mission he won't turn down because he doesn't fear death. He welcomes it. He comes close in the opening pages of this book in a flashback that leaves him with his trademark white hair, and for the remainder of his life, Barrabas seems to taunt death by saying, "Is that the best you've got?"
If you want to read a mercenary series about mercs who aren't just in it for the money, SOBs is your series. They don't just do it for the money or for thrills; they do it to feel like soldiers again. To feel a purpose. Only their allegiance has changed. They're no longer soldiers of the USA, they now serve a commander who will be as loyal to them as they are to him...they're Soldiers of Barrabas.
If the following entries in this series are as good as this first one, then I too pledge allegiance to Nile Barrabas.
Michael Mercy
www.michaelmercy.com
It's been a while since I read these, but I will try to give them a proper review. The first one didn't knock my socks off, but it was a worthy effort. I thought there were too many SOB's to keep track of. Overall, a nice intro to the mercs.
