The plot of this is really interesting, however I was unable to finish the audiobook due to the narration. The narrator was very monotone with the exception of ending each sentence with a rise. The voice was clear and easy to understand what was being said; I just wasn’t able to follow the story listening to it. I’m sure it has its place, and it definitely sounded like a military voice, but it wasn’t a fit for the story in my opinion. I look forward to reading it.

Thank you for letting me listen to it, and I hope this helps.

I won’t post this on social media because it’s not a fair review of the book itself, My rating is for the audiobook only, and not the story itself.

Vanguard Strike is a compelling read for fans of hard sci-fi, military fiction, redemption arcs, and morally complex characters. The writing is solid and the premise has a lot of potential.

That said, it just didn’t click with me personally. Sometimes a book can be objectively good but still not the right fit—and this was one of those cases.

I am not sure if it was the audio narration or the plot itself but I simply could not get into this book. It didn't go much of anywhere for the first half and the main character was very one-dimensional. I respect that this is supposed to pave the way for character growth after hardships shut him down; but it still felt like I was reading a testosterone-laden macho novel set in space.

Story: Lax was sold into the army as a young boy and transformed into a super soldier - part of the Vanguard elite known colloquially as 'the puppets' for their single purpose in life. Now older, he finds a chance to retire but ends up framed and in prison. There, slowly shutting down mentally, he is given a lifeline from a former squadmate - a heist. But is it all that it seems?

The narration was frustrating - odd voice inflections and very heavy pauses in the middle of sentences. The main character is given a sort of hick pseudo Texan accent that makes the character sound simple minded. Other characters get cliche New York and other accents that were cringeworthy. That, combined with the plot, felt like I was reading the story of someone with the intelligence (and pathos) of a 10 year old. But with really big muscles, I guess.

The characters felt very cliched - about what I would expect from a pulpy heist novel of the 1970s but with sci fi decorations. There just wasn't a lot of depth or nuance and attempts to make the main character emo were almost laughable.

I got through 3/4 of it but had to give it up when it never got better. Again, it might have been the audio narration that was too problematic for me or simply the story itself and the audio narration combined to make the book feel very weak. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Vanguard Strike was as close to a video game as a book can get. As a gamer, I love when mediums collide, but this was different. This was just a well-told story that made me think of it like a video game.

The game feeling started immediately when the opening battle sequence was underway. There are soldiers battling it out, but there is someone controlling their emotions, pumping them full of drugs every time they feel worried or afraid to make those feelings go away and just be killing machines. This made me think of games like StarCraft or Rise of Nations, where I build up an army and, with one click of my mouse, send them off to battle, no matter how bleak the outcome.

The rest of that story played out like the games Dead Space and Warhammer Space Marine had a sadistic baby, and I’m here for that. Who doesn’t love a gritty, unrealistic main character that they make somehow relatable through good writing?

This was a great start to the series, and I can’t wait for more. It captures so much of what makes stories like this amazing. The battles, the sense of dread, the feeling of being alone, and everything else that comes with space. If any of what I described sounds good to you, check this out.

An epic space opera adventure about a Vanguard (a “boosted” human with extra strength and size) who is stuck in prison on year 8 of his 20-year sentence. He is contacted by a former colleague and offered a way out if he’ll agree to work on an important job. This begins this action-packed military sci-fi caper. There is good world-building and narration. The MC has a complicated backstory that is revealed over the course of the novel. He’s also a stand-up guy, still carrying a torch for his lost love. This is volume one of a new series called Paragon Space. I look forward to listening to the next books.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @BookOutureAudio, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook of #VanguardStrike for review purposes. Publication date: 3 June 2025.

Thank you so much to the publisher for sending me an advance listeners copy! I DEVOURED this book! Think Firefly - space, mercenaries, found family, people thrown together, and so much more.

Between the character development to the universe itself, this story is so well crafted I immediately wanted to read this authors entire bibliography only to find out this is his first novel. What a banger of a first novel. I was engrossed in this story from the start.

I don’t want to say more for fear it’ll spoil something. I will say that at first the narrator’s choice for some character voices felt annoying - a little too high pitched and raspy. However, by halfway through it grew on me. Overall I feel like the audiobook is well done 4/5. Book itself is a 5/5

The story is set in a future which has just come out of a war that our protagonist, Lax, was very instrumental in. A safe future for everyone else though isn’t on the cards for him. Considered one of the military’s best kept secrets, Lax is no ordinary soldier but a Vanguard. A bioengineered super soldier whose creation is as much a secret as the strong dislike people have to his kind. After the war Lax decides to get out of the military, and the public eye, and eventually finds himself on a salvage crew taking on jobs raiding lost and abandoned ships in space. A quiet life on the horizon seemed probable until one bad mission.

Vanguard Strike is one hell of an action-packed book. There were very few slow scenes so this book breezed by fairly quickly. The plot is fairly well written and quite entertaining. The audiobook narrator, Jeff Harding, does a very good job of making Lax seem like a really tough guy, and one not to be messed with. Vanguard Strike felt like what you would get if Jack Reacher was part of the Expanse universe. While there was a little disconnect with regards to the larger political climate in the book (this seemed like something that would be cleared up in the coming books), the characters are interesting in their own way which helps endear them to us, and the larger plot is intriguing enough to have me curious about how these characters go forward.

There are several issues that are tackled and addressed in this book, most notably around trauma and substance abuse. This should be kept in mind in case you are triggered by scenes around that. That being said, this book was quite fun and I’m looking forward to the next book in the Paragon Space series. If you want a super soldier Jack Reacher in a space-opera setting, maybe give this book a go.

I had already been fortunate enough to have read this book and really enjoyed it but who would turn down the opportunity to listen to Jeff Harding narrate ! Superb job

Vanguard Strike by Jerom Strong was such a good read! The plot features a heist—which I freaking love—and it’s sci-fi space opera at its finest. Fast-paced, action-packed, and full of heart, this book had me hooked from page one.

The main character? Absolutely lovable. I adored him! There were both heartwarming moments and nail-biting scenes that kept me turning the pages. The worldbuilding is smooth and easy to grasp, making this a perfect pick for someone new to sci-fi.

A fantastic blend of thrills and feels—I enjoyed this so much. I listened ti the ALC and it was excellent the narration really brought the characters to life!!! Do immersion reading if you can. Huge thanks to Second Sky Books and NetGalley for the ARC and ALC.