I constantly joke about only watching movies where there are explosions and high tech gadgets. Well this is a book full of them, plus lots of gore and action. I like one like this every so often and plan to read the others in this series. ( )

Perhaps better than the first one. Solid page-turning adventure. ( )

I hate to say it, but this story was not as good as the first in the series. Of course, this doesn't mean it wasn't a good book, just that it wasn't as good as book one (which was fantastic so I'm not surprised Gunn couldn't match it...)

This one isn't as shockingly violent (well, it is violent, but you see the violence coming so it's not shocking) and there are some scenes in it that seem out of place, or maybe I just missed the point of it. Like, after one of Sven's team is "kidnapped" and he goes to retrieve that troop, they end up spending a week in some town while he lives a dream-world or something. I don't know why the author stopped the action to go here. I suppose there was a point behind it, but... I didn't get it. Even with saying that, though, the pacing is very nice, the plot is interesting and there were even a handful of times when I chuckled out loud.

I don't think you need to read the first in the series to follow this one - the story is independent and Gunn recaps the important bits quite nicely so even if you've read book one, you won't be annoyed at the recapping. I am still going to read anything of Gunn's (including book three of this series which is sitting on the table now). ( )

Death’s Head Series
David Gunn

1. Death’s Head (4 ½ stars out of 5)
2. Death’s Head: Maximum Offense (4 stars out of 5)
3. Death’s Head: Day of the Damned (4 stars out of 5)

When it’s time to put down those dusty classics, the recommended high-brow literature and your lengthy summer reading list I suggest you pick up any one of David Gunn’s Death’s Head books. They are the Science Fiction equivalent of the action adventure blockbuster movies you’ve come to know and love. The stories move faster than the speed of light and are quite literally jammed with swearing, shooting and screwing (not necessarily in that order.) Between the three S’s however, you’ll find great storytelling, sharp dialogue and quite a few unique literary inventions. Wait! That just doesn’t give justice to Gunn’s work. There is backstabbing, compassion, evisceration and even a bit of technological tom-foolery. Yes, I said it – tom-foolery. How else do you explain the computer chip resurrection some characters achieve? But take my word for it this is not a cheap sub-plot to play god. There is logic and purpose behind the concept. You’ll feel it before you truly understand it.

The Death’s Head books are military Science Fiction the way it was intended to be written and the way it must be read. The characters are the meanest, nastiest, toughest survival-types you’ll ever meet and they find themselves in impossible situations under unbelievable odds. Yet, they still manage to stay sane and complete the missions (well, most of them anyway.) Two of my favorite creations are the talking gun (and a smart-ass to boot) and a cognizant, sentient planet. You really have to read them to understand the complexities involved. But believe me when I tell you that it’s absolutely worth it. I’ve been reading the series since the publication of the very first book and I wait impatiently for each next installment to hit the bookstores. (I haven’t done that since Harry Potter!) This is great solid, throw-back military Science Fiction and I assure you that you won’t be wasting your money if you purchase every book in the series.

The Alternative
Southeast, Wisconsin ( )

Not as good as Death's Head. The plot line wasn't as good—it seemed less focused and, even after finishing, a bit of it simply didn't make sense. Sven is still enjoyable, though perhaps seeming a bit more like a stereotype than he did in the first volume. ( )