Hard Duty: Merkiaari Wars Paperback – August 20, 2012

I am torn with wanting to give Mr. Cooper 4.9 stars because the problems are so minor they could still be easily fixed. Such as the second chapter not having "meanwhile in a different part of..." or something of that nature so that I didn't waste time trying to figure out if the file had been corrupted by another one of his books and I thought I was reading the wrong second chapter.It was just a very jarring dislocation to a different set of characters that were not Navy but Marines on a different planet. But the books series (I have read 1-4 all that are currently out) did make me loose sleep and forget to eat for a day or so. The first book is a free teaser so I do not feel the frustration of paying for a collection of chapters of a much longer novel since all together they make up a continuous flow of a large book broken into approximately 300+ pages a book. You do need to read the books from the beginning so don't skip or you will miss a lot of the magic and he doesn't go back and hold your hand to get you up to speed. The books are almost contiguous in their story line.I enjoyed them and the universe Mr. Cooper has created very much and especially find his Marine and Viper characters believable and sympathetic in their very flawed ways. The Merkiaari are a believable and very scary enemy (something on the order of Daleks in terms of "just kill them before they kill you") bioengineered warrior race subjugating the galaxy. In addition Mr. Cooper's universe has consistent and believable technology and his navy and governments behave in believable ways. He has also come up with a wonderful cat allied race that I just like and look forward to seeing more of. I also want to see his Navy in action some more since he already has a wonderful handle on his Ground Troops and boarding party actions. By the time you have invested time and heart into four books you really do care what happens to the humans, the cats, the future and want to know what happens next. I do wish there was a hard copy option available because I would like to get one and have him sign it so I could put it on my shelf of honor of books that passed the test of becoming part of my inner landscape. Well done Mr. Cooper and Blessings on your next work. Sincerely Michael Lee Burgess

Hard Duty by Mark E. CooperThis is book one of the Merkiaari Wars. A survey ship stumbles across a radio transmission that isn't the Merkiaari. Desperate for allies in their stalmated war with the Merkiaari, they make contact with the Shan. The Shan have had their own experiences with the Merkiaari and are as distrustful as the humans.The survey ship Canada is ill equipped to make first contact with an alien race. They send home for help and get a ship load of academics who quickly discover that reality is different than the classroom.The story within the story deals with the Vipers. Vipers are enhanced humans who were the deciding factor in keeping the Merkiaari from overwhelming mankind. The fighting abilities of the Vipers and the vastly enhanced skill set also keeps them from re-melding with normals. Their commander uses them as troubleshooter to keep order in the human empire.The Shan are an interesting alien race that the author has done a nice job in a contrast and comparison with humans and the ensuing interaction. The book has plenty of action and I hope to read more from Cooper.I recommend it.web site: [...]

I was looking for something new and different when I found Mark E Cooper's "Hard Duty". I sure found it when I first started reading book one in the series. I got so hooked into the story line I switched to audio and started the book over. I really got a much better experience from the audio book. The narrator really gives a great personally to each character in the book. One of the main character's Eric has a inner voice that is his computer sensors. Very nice touch and funny when he is complaining about it.I titled this "boots hit the ground running" because that is how this book starts. Our world has been attacked by our worst fears aliens in a 1st contact. Something we had done had drawn them to us. We really take a beating for it with 16.2 billion losses. How were we to know that the "Meriaari's were blood thirsty killers!" But as always we humans remain. Bruise and battered but we will remain.Now the story moves forward to exploring space. To further our cause and to have a early warning should the Meriaari were to return. We find a second race that we think of a docile cats. So with our inner human kindness we have to make contact to help them if needed. Only to find out they have dealt with the killers themselves. Which make contact with us very nerve racking for them.I love Mark's books I'm a big fan of being taken to another world and trying something new. With this one. I got lost into Eric's head. I felt like.....I'm looking right the wall is falling. Oh God my buddy! A Boom behind me. Now jump! Commander called "Full out loping run kill em' all!"When I finished that first battle I thought I'm so hooked!At the end I silently thanked Mark for being 3 books ahead of me because I knew I wasn't finished visiting his worlds.And Thank you to the narrator for being all the characters with such interesting personalities I couldn't have gotten from reading the book!Would I listen to the series again! YES!