The Mission by Bill Talcott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I look at the stars every night and think about home…

The leader of the Undead – a group of mercenaries – agrees to take Darkblood with them, against his better judgement when they are tasked with taking a dying scientist to the planet Valdorion in search of a cure. Once they’ve arrived, Darkblood is given the task of protecting the scientist, which also gives him a small amount of protection. Soon, the mission falls apart, and Darkblood slowly learns what the real mission was – and how he can stop it.

Set in a beautiful world similar to ours, the language making it easy to envision the surroundings and the people. The interactions of the different characters clearly defines each of them – and they are all clearly different. Mostly through dialogue, the characters come to life, encouraging the reader to feel right along with them. The tough decisions made and the depth of emotion shown add to the complexity of Darkblood et al, making them very “real” and relatable.

Undertones of friendship, loyalty, love and loss, as well as conspiracy and treachery, abound as the cast of characters grow before the reader’s eyes. Masterfully interwoven between the characters, The Mission is a quick read with a vivid world that can easily entertain more stories, as well as the reader.

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