A former Reaper investigates the murders of his ex-comrades, uncovering a deadly drug market fueled by alien DNA addiction, while grappling with family loyalty and the aftermath of war. Stormtech-enhanced soldiers navigate a gritty world of addiction, brotherhood, and betrayal in a thrilling blend of cyberpunk and space opera.

Reader Review Summary

Here is a thorough review of the book Stormblood by Jeremy Szal, focusing on the positive aspects:

Stormblood is an exhilarating and emotionally resonant debut from Jeremy Szal that delivers a masterful blend of cyberpunk grit, military science fiction thrills, and profound character exploration. From the opening pages, Szal immerses the reader in a richly textured futuristic world teeming with imaginative technologies and unforgettable characters.

At the heart of the story is Vakov Fukasawa, a former elite supersoldier infused with a powerful alien biotech called stormtech. Szal portrays Vakov's struggle with his stormtech addiction and lingering trauma from past wars with remarkable nuance and empathy. Vakov emerges as an antihero for the ages - tough, cynical, yet eternally driven by loyalty to his comrades and a bruised but unbroken moral compass. His first-person narration crackles with wry humor and visceral descriptions that make every adrenaline-fueled action sequence blaze to life.

But Stormblood is far more than just kinetic thrills. Vakov's relationships, both his fractured bond with his estranged brother Artyom and the found family of his former military unit, form the profound emotional core. Szal's handling of themes like addiction, trauma, and the sacrifices of brotherhood is masterful and gut-wrenching without ever descending into gratuitous misery. The banter and bickering between Vakov and his hacker friend Grim provides welcome laughs amid the high-stakes drama.

The worldbuilding is another towering achievement, introducing a dazzling future where half a billion souls inhabit a massive hollowed-out asteroid station called Compass. Szal conjures unforgettable sci-fi imagery like cities stacked in tiers, inhabited by a mélange of aliens and bioengineered transhuman communities. Every environment from run-down warrens to glittering skyline markets pulsates with atmosphere. Seamless worldbuilding integrations like DNA-configured security systems and nanotech body armor make the universe feel ingeniously conceived yet grounded.

While the central mystery surrounding murdered Reapers like Vakov propels the break-neck plot, Szal avoids cliched noir beats with constantly surprising twists. The jaw-dropping final act revelations recontextualize everything that came before in a gut-punch payoff. Stellar supporting characters like the intimidating Harmony operative Katherine Kowalski and the delightfully gruff alien Marshal Juvens also shine.

From start to finish, Stormblood is a masterclass in how to fuse pulpy fun with a sucker-punch emotional core. Szal's exciting, imaginative, and remarkably heartfelt work instantly establishes him as a major new voice in science fiction. With the tantalizing promise of future Compass-based adventures to follow, speculative fiction fans have an endlessly bingeable new world to get addicted to.