Seal Team 666: Age of Blood by Weston Ochse, Seal Team 666 #2
When a Senator’s daughter is kidnapped by a mysterious group with ties to the supernatural . . . it’s clearly a job for SEAL TEAM 666. As Triple Six gets involved, they discover links to the Zeta Cartel, a newly discovered temple beneath Mexico City, and a group known as Followers of the Flayed One. International politics, cross-border narco-terrorism, and an insidious force operating inside the team soon threaten to derail the mission. Forced to partner with several militant ex-patriots and a former Zeta hitman-turned-skinwalker, Triple Six is the world's only hope to stop the return of the Age of Blood.
When a Senator’s daughter is kidnapped by a mysterious group with ties to the supernatural . . . it’s clearly a job for SEAL TEAM 666. As Triple Six gets involved, they discover links to the Zeta Cartel, a newly discovered temple beneath Mexico City, and a group known as Followers of the Flayed One. International politics, cross-border narco-terrorism, and an insidious force operating inside the team soon threaten to derail the mission. Forced to partner with several militant ex-patriots and a former Zeta hitman-turned-skinwalker, Triple Six is the world's only hope to stop the return of the Age of Blood.
Earlier this year Titan Books released the first book in
the Seal Team 666 series by Weston Ochse. When I read that book it was just a
non-stop action pack ride till the finish. We all know that the US navy SEAL's
are one of the toughest special forces out there, so that's alone cool to read
about... but.. 666 yes we all know what that means, demons, devils and other
supernatural creatures. This is exactly what you are in for when you read a
Seal Team 666 book. Pure action, pure adrenaline and all good stuff. Just to
add Weston Ochse has won a Bram Stoker award for his first book.
The
first book in the series introduced us to a die-hard SEAL Team that had to
replace one member and the FNG (Fucking New Guy), was recruit Walker, fresh out
of training, well fresher than fresh he was pulled out before completing it.
Walker is the sniper of the team and even though he start into being accepted
in the SEAL's didn't go without a few bumps but it seems that he has been finally
accepted after the events in the first book. He has become a valuable asset to
the team and moreover it seems that he also had found his place in SEAL Team
666. The other members that we were introduced to in the first book included:
Holmes, Laws and Ya-Ya, one other member died in the end who has been replaced
by Yank, who now has to wear the fuchsia colored mask! Now If you look closely
at the story itself, its chockfull of action but what Weston Ochse also shows
in a great manner is the camaraderie that is accompanied in such a team. Each individual
member of SEAL Team 666 has a personality of their own and yes some take more
forefront in the book than others but you can see them having their own
thoughts and some view things quite differently. However, when you look at the overall
picture of the team they are one big family, it’s not that they work
reluctantly with each other but their teamwork is what allows them to achieve
their goals. I really liked this feature, and along these lines when you see
them discussing things or making funny banter you learn more and more about
each character. And in the end there is some nice revelation of how the team
was picked, this gave more insights into the structure of how the members SEAL
Team 666 were chosen.
Where
this book really excels in is all the cool stuff from military tactics to
weapons! Yes Age of Blood is a real
treat in this area. The level of detail that Weston Ochse uses to describe all
these things are top notch, like you are, as a reader get the full low down of
how things work. Take for example the weapons alone, it’s not that bam this is
what we use, but you get the full description of what makes an MP5 and an HK461
different from each other, from ammo to general layout. It was pretty cool to
read these things, another part were the other types of gear used, IR sighting,
nights goggles and a lot of other stuff. Besides the gear of the SEAL’s the
tactics are also “colourfully” when you see the team prepping up for entry,
Weston Ochse manages to capture that perfect moment of silence before the entry
and them BAM it hits you full front, a carefully controlled chaos follow
wherein you see Triple Six make their moves. On top of this all, each member has
a specific task when on a mission and the switching from different characters
and thus positions in the lay out was done in a great manner, like I said,
Walker is the sniper and has a bit of stake out position whereas the other go
in gun ablazing, by switching perspectives you as a reader got the complete low
down of the whole area giving a nice overall strategic view. And it’s not that
one member gets skipped in any way, even walker a mile or so from the real
battle does run in some rough situations but luckily there is also Hoover, the
attack dog of Triple Six with her own fully kitted out combat armor.
The
story itself is one nonstop thrilling ride through the finish, the members of
Triple Six only get to catch their breath once the mission is over. It all
starts with the disappearance of the Senators daughter, with the video feeds of
the disappearance there is only one team that can help her. Triple Six. Those that
battle the supernatural. This single mission alone takes Triple Six across
several countries, and they discover that there is much more behind just the
kidnapping of the Senators daughter. Also there are threats hiding behind each
corner. I liked that Weston Ochse used one of the members of SEAL Team 666 in
contracting a disease and how he was influenced it all, it just comes to show
that our elite soldiers aren’t bulletproof, but that they are as tough as
nails. Also as the story continues they come across an Werewolf hitman, and if
you look to all that we have been introduced so far this added a nice new
dimension besides the usual demons such as the homunculi. And maybe shows that
in the follow up stories we might see more in the lines of the urban fantasy
supernaturals maybe even an vampire gone rampant? I would love to see Weston Ochse
interpretation of a bloodsucker having to be fought by our SEAL’s. The ending
of Age of Blood is an all good end
good kind of ending, however the bit before when the final “battle” is going
down between the supernatural and SEAL Team 666 it just what you wanted to
read, chaos and SEAL’s being cornered and having to rely on their own or by
chance encountering other members, this chaos was captured in a perfect manner
bringing you to the edge of your seat. It is this kind of stuff you want to
read in military science fiction.
Age of Blood is the perfect book for any military sf fanatic, and if you aren’t you will be once you finish it. Weston Ochse know his deal in writing about military gear and tactics and his characters are spot on within the SEAL Team. I don’t know whether Weston Ochse has used any of his own experiences in setting up the relations between the characters but the team feels whole and complete. The idea of a military branch fending off the supernatural (read: playing exorcists) comes to full show in Age of Blood when the stuff gets to weird for the normal military you know who to call, and it’s not the ghostbusters I can tell you that. Its gritty, dark and deliver the perfect punch.