Rebel Seoul (Rebel Seoul, #1)

by Axie Oh

EAST ASIA, 2199. After a great war, the East Pacific is in ruins. In brutal Neo Seoul, where status comes from success in combat, ex-gang member Lee Jaewon is a talented pilot rising in the academy's ranks. Abandoned as a child in the slums of Old Seoul by his rebel father, Jaewon desires only to escape his past.

When Jaewon is recruited into the most lucrative weapons development division in Neo Seoul, he is eager to claim his best shot at military glory. But the mission becomes more complicated when he meets Tera, a test subject in the government's supersoldier project. Tera was trained for one purpose: to pilot one of the lethal God Machines, massive robots for a never-ending war.

With secret orders to report on Tera, Jaewon becomes Tera's partner, earning her reluctant respect. But as respect turns to love, Jaewon begins to question his loyalty to an oppressive regime that creates weapons out of humans. As the project prepares to go public amidst rumors of a rebellion, Jaewon must decide where he stands--as a soldier of the Republic, or a rebel of the people.

Pacific Rim meets Korean action dramas in this mind-blowing, New Visions Award-winning science fiction debut.

• ISBN13: 9781620142998
• Publish Date: 14 September 2017
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Tu Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

[paperbackjedi]

Rebel Seoul is equal parts kdrama and scifi thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire way through. It has a healthy mix of angst and heart mixed in with adrenaline to fuel a story that's centered around politics, science, and battlegrounds and where you make your stand.

Lee Jaewon is the type of character you want on your squad when the chips are down. He's the number one military tactician at his school full of potential operatives. He's selected for a top secret, dangerous mission involving Tera, a human test subject funded by the government to pilot giant robots in a never ending war against a rebellion that seems to be rising more and more every day. Jaewon has to decide soon which side of history he wants to stand on and what he's willing to lose in that choice.

This is very much my jam being a fan of both kdrama and Pacific Rim. Overall the story is fast-paced and fun and the characters are likable, though not as fleshed out as I would have wanted them to be. I think this is definitely more of a plot book than a character book. The plot makes for good entertainment and quick reading with healthy doses of intrigue and scandal. You end up disgusted, raging, and hurt on behalf of many of the characters, waiting to see where the chips fall next and what they'll eventually sacrifice in the name of their humanity to get where they need to go and do what they need to do. I had a great time reading this book and I'm looking forward to the sequel.