Review: Cold Blooded by Rohan O'Duill

Cold Blooded is a military science fiction novella written by Rohan O’Duill. It follows Mint, a marine mech pilot as she is pulled away from her role as an instructor and back into battle. Set far into the future in a world where corporations have all but taken over the solar system and profit rules. 

Cold Blooded has a lot of imagination, with plenty of cool ideas floating around its pages. Like a lot of military sci-fi, it is packed with military bravado and tough language that evoke images of Aliens or Predator. Even if the language can feel a little over the top at times and the dialogue needs a little tightening up, it still nevertheless manages to convey the toughness of the universe in which it exists. 

Where the novella starts to fall away is in its execution. Cold Blooded could have benefited from being a little longer so that it could spend more time developing the characters. While Mint, Bjorn and Frida do get some characterisation and development, the minor characters are left in the cold. Cartag, one of the main antagonists, is thrown into the mix with very little introduction and as such his presence is hardly felt beyond being a minor thorn in Mint's side. 

Combine that with the tendency for obstacles to be nothing but minor inconveniences that are easily solved within a couple chapters, and we have a novella that feels rushed and undercooked. I wish I could give this one a better score, but it just doesn't quite hit the mark.

Rating:

Book Details

Author: Rohan O'DuillLength: 192 pagesSeries: Cold RushGenre: Military Science Fiction

Available January 6th 2025