Michelle Herbert reviews Friendly Fire by Gavin G Smith…
Friendly Fire is the second novel in Gavin G Smith’s The Bastard Legion series, this started with the novel The Bastard Legion or when I reviewed it The Hangman’s Daughter. My review of that book can be found here, spoilers for that book will be mentioned in this review, so if you haven’t read The Bastard Legion, go pick it up.
Friendly Fire follows directly on from the events of The Bastard Legion with Miska being even more reckless than usual, as she starts making decisions that lead not only herself but those whose lives she holds in her hands into more danger. Friendly Fire is a book full of violence and fast-paced action. Following a trip to Maw City to resupply and sell off some assets from the last mission, Miska finds out that she is being hunted not only by the FBI and the gangs whose members she has captive but also by her sister Angela, who seems to be the most determined to bring her in. When Miska is given the next job, to retrieve an alien artefact from the planet Bernard’s Prime, Miska goes in underprepared for a job that seems to be nothing more than suicidal. Although this doesn’t take into account that the main city on Bernard’s Prime, New Verona, is run by the Mafia, whose affiliates make up a proportion of the Hangman’s Daughter.
Miska’s intelligence on what they are looking for is spotty at best and with Miska’s increased impulsiveness, this isn’t the best combination. Not knowing what they will need once they reach the city of New Verona, Miska picks an ambiguous team, including those we met in the previous book: Torricone, Uncle V, Mass and Teramoto and new to this mission: Kaneda, Enchi, Goodluck and Hradiski. Three of the team grew up on this planet and have connections and family there, which could be a blessing or a curse if Miska is able to keep them away from their families. Miska cannot let any of her legion go or there would soon be a mutiny on board with everyone demanding the same. Being part of Miska’s legion is a deadly way to live whether you volunteer for missions or stay in stasis aboard the ship.
As the title suggests this is a book, where anyone can die and a lot of characters do. Miska is constantly reminded that she could be taken out via friendly fire. As for her team, they have volunteered to join her on this mission, but as for how many ulterior motives they could have for being there, no one knows which will directly affect and redirect Miska’s mission. During both novels, we are reminded that the reason Miska has captured the Hangman’s Daughter is to find out who murdered her father and why his murder was covered up. Miska knows that the killer is on the prison ship, but is no closer to working out who his murderer is. Friendly Fire also brings up the theme of family in many different ways. Miska is grieving the only way she knows, even if that also includes forcing everyone that cares about her away. This also focuses on how the families of the convicted deal with what is essentially their loved ones enforced slavery. It is not like the convicted will be released for good behaviour and if they volunteer for Miska’s missions their chances of survival are not much higher than 50%.
Friendly Fire is an intense rush of adrenaline, with a great lead character. Miska manages to make everyone she meets hate her almost instantly. Miska in this book is heartless and feels like she is heading beyond the point of no return, she has no safe harbour or anyone she could actually turn to for help, or even someone she could talk to. This is a raucous energetic book, that is also full of pathos and human misery, I can’t wait to see what Miska and her team of miscreants encounter next and whether they will be able to survive it.
Michelle Herbert
