“The Unlife roams these halls.”
“Then I will make it so they roam no more.”
There is only one word that comes to mind what I finished this book - metal. In some ways you do not need another reason to read this book, it's freaking metal, but I will try to elaborate further.
Pulp is a unique and tricky style to pull off. What makes it so is the fact that the author only has a few pages to tell a story. A beginning, middle and end, conflict and resolution, characters and descriptions, only in a few pages. Maybe that is why so few authors try to do it. That is my guess as to why it was all but forgotten just a few years ago, thankfully it is making a comeback, and even better - The Black Knight has come up with a pulp Starshatter book.
I am happy to say that the author has done his homework when it comes to pulp fiction. What makes "The Rifle's Song" pulp and not just a bunch of short stories is the fact that there is a certain....intensity to them, suspense, one cannot be sure how the story will end. What I mean is that there is not much time for the author to set things up, so every word counts. The style is concise and yet flows brilliantly, that makes the book a really easy and enjoyable read.
Velin, akin to some of the most famous pulp heroes(Conan, The Shadow, Zorro), is, and there is no better word for it, a badass. But in he is also a Starshatter character, which means that he can shine when he's doing what he does best without coming off as invincible or a know-it-all. He knows himself, knows his limitations so he doesn't try to come off as humble, because that would be a lie. He isn't noble in the strictest sense of the word, yet he is, in his own way, like a true Terran. The adventures he goes on are his, we get to see the universe through his viewpoint, and you will certainly feel that, we are definitely treading new ground, untouched by the protagonists in the main Starshatter series.
"The Rifle's Song" is a truly enjoyable read. Easy to pick up be veterans of the Starshatter universe and newcomers alike. An immensely enjoyable read which you will finish before you have realized you've started it.