Caffeinated Reviewer

Sophia Rose is here with a review of Darkside by Michael Mammay, a standalone story in the Planetside series. Come see why Sophia recommends this for readers of sci-fi mysteries, thrillers, and military space operas.

In this thrilling, action-packed fourth installment in the Planetside series from acclaimed science fiction author Michael Mammay, retired Colonel Carl Butler gears up for another military investigation, full of danger, corporate intrigue, and tech people would kill for—perfect for fans of John Scalzi and Craig Alanson.

Colonel Butler has paid his dues and just wants to enjoy his retirement on a remote planet. But the galaxy has had other plans. He has been roped into searching for a politician’s missing son and an industry magnate’s missing daughter. He has been kidnapped, violated numerous laws, and caused the destruction of colonial facilities. He’s famous—or infamous, depending on who you ask—praised and reviled in equal measure across the galaxy for his exploits.

And he is determined to never let the government drag him into another investigation.

But when a runaway twelve-year-old girl whose father has gone missing asks him for help, well…it’s a lot harder to say no.

The girl’s father, Jorge Ramiro, was supposed to have been on Taug, a moon orbiting the gas giant Ridia 5, working on a dig with a famous archaeologist. But now there’s no sign of him and no record of him being there. Mining operations on the moon are run by two different consortiums, Caliber and Omicron—both of which have tried to kill Butler in the past. Butler doesn’t believe in coincidence.

Landing on Taug with his right-hand man Mac, computer genius Ganos, and an elite security squad, Butler soon finds that they’ve charged back into the crosshairs—because Ramiro is not the only who has disappeared, and the perpetual darkside of this moon is hiding more than the truth about a missing archeologist…

Sophia Rose’s Review

No more military missions. No more battling big corporations who literally got away with murder.  Retired life is good. Then a runaway twelve-year-old girl begs the most infamous people finder in the galaxy to find her missing father. This was my first visit to Michael Mammay’s writing, and I was eager to try a sci-fi thriller with mystery and intrigue.

Darkside is the fourth book in the Planetside series following the exploits of Colonel Carl Butler as he got the job done by coloring outside the lines and hanging tough as the underdog up against the powerful corporations and sometimes his own military. Darkside can be read standalone- which is what I did- with little trouble. For series fans, Darkside comes along after the author took time away to write other stuff, so there is a handy review of Carl Butler’s previous adventures right at the beginning to get old-timers and newcomers up to speed.

I’m not sure what I was expecting when I picked this up other than a mystery around the disappearance of an archeologist on a mining moon and a retired missing person investigator taking the case. This was that, but it was also a big action thriller with good political intrigue.  Colonel Carl Butler is something of an anti-hero. He tends to get the job done and doesn’t sweat it if this means bending or breaking the rules and thumbing his nose at the powers that be. That said, his moral compass points true north and he’s one of the good guys along with his trusty team, particularly Mac, who has been with him a long time.

The writing style took some adjustment. It’s got a passive voice quality to it that mutes rather than sharpens the actions scenes. But, I don’t mean that it is passive voice because there is lots of action and dialogue, even monologue, inside Butler’s fascinating mind. 

Carl Butler is the focus, and he’s larger than life with his experience and his charisma. He plays the soldier to perfection and loves to let his enemies underestimate his ability to play chess several moves out. I loved how Butler and his people go up against two big powerful mining corporations he’s had rough dealings with in the past and he’s even got the local military keyed up about his presence because of his notorious past missions. He’s walking a tightrope the whole time. He finds out quickly this is much bigger and more complicated than locating a missing man. I enjoyed the twisting, exciting trail he had to follow to the truth. There are so many times he seems to be checkmated, but then he pulls a brilliant move and outwits his opponents.

I ended up enjoying this and the surprise twists and action sequences. My only niggle was the abrupt ending. Sure, things are pretty much wrapped up, but it just stops. At least, I have a nice stack of series backlist books to go back and get more of Carl Butler’s thrillers from the beginning. 

As to recommendations, yes, sci-fi mystery fans might be a target, but for sure those who enjoy military space opera, sci-fi thrillers and adventures.

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About Michael Mammay

Michael Mammay is a retired army officer and a graduate of the United States Military Academy. He has a masters degree in military history, and he is a veteran of more wars than he cares to remember. His first novel, PLANETSIDE, was a Library Journal 'Best books of 2018' pick and the sequels, SPACESIDE and COLONYSIDE, received starred reviews. GENERATION SHIP is his first foray out of the military SF sub-genre and comes out in October of 2023. He lives with his family in Georgia.

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About Sophia Rose

Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, and gardening. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.

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About Kimberly

Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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