Old Guns by J N Chaney and Nicholas Sansbury Smith:

4 stars

Frank and Martin thought their friendship and their time in the Marines were over. They thought wrong. When an old enemy resurfaces, their expertise as the only survivors of the last atrocity is required. They’re pulled out of retirement, dusted off, and sent to an alien world before they fully realize what’s happening. Unfortunately for them, a few details escaped their orientation.

If you enjoyed the movie RED, and like the idea of swapping retired spies for Marines and the US for alien worlds, Old Guns will be right up your alley.

From the first few pages, I was emotionally invested and hurting. What Frank and Martin go through is rough; their reactions, believable. It isn’t an easy read, but that hardship is the backbone of the story. The arc of their relationship is methodical and intense—forged in a crucible.

Who they are and why they are the way they are is thoroughly developed. Something interesting happens with the secondary characters, however. There are a few standouts, but they mostly congeal into a faceless lump. Early on, it strikes me as fairly realistic. They’re on a mission and tasked with protecting civilian scientists. Their view of these scientists is rather one-dimensional, but Marines need to evaluate people and situations quickly. The diagnosis is a familiar stereotype: brilliant minds with no sense. It lacks nuance, but two of them certainly earn it. Later, we’re introduced to a few military scientists—still brilliant, but less likely to accidentally kill themselves.

We spend a fair bit of time with this second batch, but again, they tend to clump together. Oddly enough, it doesn’t particularly bother me. They are recent acquaintances of Frank and Martin’s—coworkers, more or less, and they serve their purpose well enough. N’Joku does distinguish himself, as does Grommet. One character, who gets very little page time but uses it efficiently, becomes admirably hateable.

The story is interesting, keeping the reader uncertain about what they actually know and what they think they know. The pacing does drag a bit in places, but the action is lively and suspenseful. There are frequent and abrupt shifts in the point of view; it can be a little jarring. The ending does not resolve the conflict—it isn’t a cliffhanger, but it keeps the tension taut.

Old Guns lives up to its title; Martin and Frank are wonderful characters in a story that is anything but cookie-cutter. It has action, it has suspense, and more than a few emotional gut punches—making it a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Thank you, Podium Entertainment, for the opportunity to read Old Guns. I received a complimentary copy through NetGalley, and I am writing this review voluntarily.