THE SOLDIERS' PERSPECTIVE

Murrell offers an SF novel that confronts the senselessness and brutality of war in a tale of conflict between two alien races.

T’az, a leader in the Outsystem Alliance, which has scarce resources, and Sare, a reservist in the army of the relatively comfortable society of Gemma, could not be more different men, as they represent a clash of social norms and values. Yet it’s through the stories of these two individuals that Murrell unfolds his narrative of the tragedy of combat and highlights the ties that bind all sentient creatures. As T’az and his Shadow Squad lead a raid to steal medical salve from a Gemma facility to save injured Outsystem soldiers, he finds himself a pawn in a political game. And when Ungul Roma, the power-hungry leader of the Outsystem Alliance, sacrifices the lives of scientists in exchange for a military partnership, he fans the flames of nationalism, inciting a war that will engulf multiple planets and cultures. The resulting conflict will cost countless lives, tearing apart families and victimizing refugees. Murrell frames such violence as a trap from which no combatant truly escapes, and he calls into question the morality of any kind of war, characterizing it as a tool of the elite. As the novel closes, both T’az and Sare recognize in each other the valor of the soldier and the futility of the violence that has cost their people so much. Readers seeking an action-packed story will find themselves enthralled by Murrell’s work, which contains numerous combat sequences filled with futuristic technology. That said, the violence in the book can be graphic and may be too intense for some readers. However, there’s much more to Murrell’s work than scenes involving armor and robotics. Although his pages offer readers compelling creatures and cultures, the heart of the story is found in universal values, including love, freedom, and equality. The author also asks readers to examine how biases can make one unable to see other people’s beauty and dignity.

An engaging examination of war that’s both futuristic and timeless.