Scott Gamboe, The Killing Frost

The Killing Frost

Scott Gamboe

Medallion, September 2006, $6.99

ISBN: 1932815988

In 2212, the cold war hostilities between the United Systems Coalition and the Bromidian Empire seem one incident away from a major confrontation. One particular nasty insurgent group, the Rising Sun, constantly brings the war to the USC, though the Bromidians deny any connection to these guerrillas. To counter the Rising Sun, the USC formed military units, Avengers. One such unit Avenger Team 5 is headed by Padian Captain Arano Lakeland, who seeks the annihilation of these killers, as they violently massacred his family years ago.

Arano and his crew are unraveling a plot engineered by a traitor high up in the USC leadership. He takes actions that many people will applaud, while others feel his actions cross the line of humanity. Especially critical of Arano is powerful Grand High Councilor Balor Tient, who swears that the captain is no better than the enemy with his disregard for protocol. Balor has his right hand man Cono Vishturn accompany Arano, allegedly to study his tactics. What makes his work even more difficult for Arano is the fact he is falling in love with his human Squad B Captain Alyna Marquat, but the mission comes first, as failure means a galaxy at war, with his side losing their superiority due to sedition.

Though the good guys and bad guys are obvious from the start, THE KILLING FROST is an entertaining space opera. Arano makes the tale as a warrior whose credo is carved in the blood of his family that no enemy is left behind alive so that they can try to kill you again. The storyline is action packed, as war means death; something Arano understands when he kills the adversaries from long distance. Though a conspiracy simplifies the internal USC conflict, fans of military science fiction will appreciate the exploits of this no-nonsense hero and his loyal troops, and hope this book is the first in a series because it is totally enthralling.