Okay here’s a round up of what people have been saying about Veteran so far. Most of it’s been pretty positive, and some of it has raised some interesting points:
This from Writer in a Wheelchair: “…laughs, intriguing ideas and action right up to the very last page and you have a very good read.”
http://writerinawheelchair.blogspot.com/2010/04/veteran-gavin-smith.html
Boom! Bang! Rata-tat-tat! Oh well at least Pornokitsch liked it (There’s arguably a few spoilers in this review):
http://www.pornokitsch.com/2010/05/new-releases-veteran-by-gavin-smith.html
Jonathan Dean over at Infinitas Bookshop: “The author has managed to create an incredible world, where tech & software have made it possible to do almost anything, but the civilisation seems more & more decayed.”
http://www.infinitas.com.au/Product.php?bar=9780575094116
The incomparable Werthead: “That said, whilst the overall picture of the worldbuilding is confusing, the individual elements such as the Rigs (a city built out of abandoned oil rigs), Crawling Town (a mobile city of motorhomes, caravans and trucks) and the flooded, abandoned New York City are all vividly described, and there’s a constant stream of exciting, well-choreographed battles (in the air, on the ground, inside space elevators, underwater, on the surface of asteroids and more) as well as effective reflections on human nature, the military complex and other issues.”
http://thewertzone.blogspot.com/search?q=Veteran
Marcus Gipps had this to say: “What the author is, however, is a man who knows how to put together a picaresque SF plot and deliver it, with some brilliant set pieces and some fantastic ideas.”
http://marcusgipps.livejournal.com/69920.html?view=29984#t29984
Marcus also flags up an issue about the female characters in the book that I think is both interesting and important. I have posted a comment and I would be very interested to hear other people’s opinions on the matter.
Saxon Bullock has also reviewed Veteran in this month’s SFX: “There’s no shortage of brutality in this cyberpunk-influenced future and Smith throws in some mind-expanding concepts, imaginative aliens and provocative themes.” He says some other stuff too but you’ll have to buy it to read the review.
Veteran is out on the 17th of June.