Dirk Grobbelaar's Reviews > Bloodstar

“Corpsman! Corpsman front!”

This could be a novel approach, no pun intended. I can’t recall whether I have read any other Military Science Fiction novels written from the perspective of a Corpsman (or Medic). They are probably out there, should anyone care to enlighten me.

It isn’t uncommon for Science Fiction stories to be heavy on science. There is, after all, a reason for the classification. If you’ve read some of the author’s other books, you’ll know he likes to include lots of technical details about weaponry and armament, as well as the physics of combat in space and in other inhospitable environments. Now add anatomy, physiology and biochemistry to the mix, then you have a good idea of what Bloodstar is about.

After a slow(ish) burning first third, the pace picks up nicely. Even though this is a bit of a departure from the author's other series', it had enough of the same hallmarks for me to enjoy it. Lots of stealth tactics in this one, as well.

His screaming was probably less from actual pain at this point than it was from realization: the sheer, mind-ripping horror of seeing a piece of yourself burned away.

Obviously, loads of action. Douglas writes action really, really well.

The focus here is on infantry based (or ground) combat, and since the novel occasionally deals (in loving detail) with battlefield injuries, there are some scenes that made me squirm more than a little bit. If you’re squeamish just bear that in mind.

Her combat armor would serve as a kind of rough-and-ready body cast, immobilizing her spine while I tried to move her.
Tried to move her. That was the operative phrase.
I was up against a major logistical problem now.

I will say that the author kept me invested in the outcome of each case, and in the plot in general. Often the challenges are as much about the physics and logistics of the specific situation, as the treatment of the wound(s) inflicted.

The issue opened some fascinating aspects of philosophy, not to mention medical ethics. For a start: is there such a thing as a soul?

I found it to be a pretty tense book, that starts revealing some unexpected layers toward the latter chapters. As an added bonus, it ends quite strong, and not in a way I would have expected or predicted.

“Welcome to the Passage of Night!”

In the end the novel surprised me. It has a dash of the old school, and it isn’t just a gore-fest. The technical details can be a bit overwhelming, I suppose, although it didn’t bother me.

The Galaxy was already a dark and scary place; it’s just become a bit darker, a bit scarier, and just a bit lonelier.