Military Sci-Fi Book Review: Archangel: Fallen by Rick Partlow

If you’re a fan of high-stakes, adrenaline-pumping Military Science Fiction, Rick Partlow’s Archangel: Fallen should be on your radar. This is a novel that wastes no time throwing you into a world of tactical shootouts, emotional scars, covert conspiracies, and a main character who could probably kill you with a spoon and quote strategy doctrine while doing it.

The story follows Brent Parthet, a former elite soldier now living in quiet exile on a remote nature preserve with his wife and son. He spends his days researching wildlife and remotely piloting wolves through a neural implant. But beneath the surface, peace is a past filled with blood, betrayal, and bioengineered warfare. That past comes crashing back into his life, and suddenly, Brent is pulled into a deadly conspiracy that makes him question everything he fought for.

Brent is one of the Archangels, a unit of genetically enhanced, cybernetically augmented supersoldiers who served during the brutal Southwind War. Partlow does a great job explaining this tech without drowning the reader in jargon. Through Brent’s perspective, we experience what it means to be a weapon designed by the state - efficient, dangerous, and ultimately disposable.

The novel explores one of science fiction’s most compelling questions: what makes us human? Is it memory, emotion, or choice? And what happens when the very systems meant to protect humanity see you as nothing more than an asset? Brent’s internal conflict is one of the strongest parts of the story, and Partlow uses his neurosynth (a tactical AI embedded in his brain) as a clever narrative tool. The Machine suppresses traumatic memories until Brent is ready to process them, slowly revealing past truths that feel just as dangerous as any battlefield ambush. The action sequences are another highlight.

Whether it’s close-quarters combat, planet-hopping pursuits, or full-blown assaults, the pacing is tight and the stakes feel real. Supporting characters like Raphael, a snarky fellow Archangel, and Yanto, a hardened ex-Marine, help round out the squad without overshadowing Brent’s journey. If there’s any downside, it’s that the exposition can pile up at times, and some of the supporting cast could use a little more depth. But these are small critiques in a book that otherwise fires on all cylinders. If the Dragon Awards still had a Military Sci-Fi category, Archangel: Fallen would be a serious contender.

You can read Archangel: Fallen here.

Watch my full review here: