I’m not a fan of heavy science fiction in literature. Nor am I a big fan of reading about sports. So if you had ever asked me to read a science fiction book based on a football team in the future, I would have gagged involuntarily and choked on my own vomit. But after reading Scott Sigler’s InfectedInfected reviews (our review) I have been following his work. Any author who can write scenes as exquisitely cringe-worthy as the ones contained in that book has gotten my interest. So when The RookieThe Rookie reviews was finally released I was hesitant to purchase a novel about sports. I’ve only read one book from him – that’s far from a commitment, ya’ know? But then I read the synopsis: “Set in a lethal pro football league 700 years in the future, The Rookie is a story that combines the intense gridiron action of “Any Given SundayAny Given Sunday reviews” with the space opera style of “Star WarsStar wars reviews” and the criminal underworld of “The GodfatherThe Godfather reviews.”  AliensAliens reviews and humans alike play positions based on physiology, creating receivers that jump 25 feet into the air, linemen that bench-press 1,200 pounds, and linebackers that literally want to eat you. Organized crime runs every franchise, games are fixed and rival players are assassinated. Follow the story of Quentin Barnes, a 19-year-old quarterback prodigy that has been raised all his life to hate, and kill, those aliens. Quentin must deal with his racism and learn to lead, or he’ll wind up just another stat in the column marked “killed on the field.” My God, it’s Blood Bowl. I then promptly ordered my signed copy. 

By the way, this is not a review, but rather me spewing my love for a book and why. So if you do not feel like reading a bunch of praise towards a book, then for you let me state that I gave The Rookie 4.5 stars out of 5. It is just good, fun reading if you are a fan of football or not. So if the above synopsis sounded good to you, just go buy or listen to the damn thing as you will not be disappointed. Now, on to slathering on the praise.

Starting with the limited edition book itself. As you can see from the picture, the cover is well designed and very eye-catching – the blood stained, orange jersey of the Krakens, the team you will be following. Included inside is a 15-page color insert with graphical descriptions of the various races you will meet, the team rosters, the GFL schedule as well as a list of the all the Tier Two football teams. This list includes the each team’s logo, colors, home planet, star player and owner. If that wasn’t enough, the book also contains an extremely detailed,  20-page timeline from 1967 to 2682! Top that off with a glossary of terms used in the book and their definitions. In other words, it’s beyond kickass and the amount of time and detail Sigler has put into The Rookie is apparent just flipping through the pages.

The overall story is a familiar one seen in almost all forms of media. The underdog surpassing insurmountable odds in order to achieve a seemingly impossible goal. The outcast becoming accepted. A group of misfits individually flawed, banding together and becoming something extra-ordinary. A tried-but-true formula that is at the heart of The Rookie. It’s every good sports film you have ever watched in the fleshed out universe of Star Wars with all the deep inter-species relations of Star TrekStar Trek reviews.

The story works on a lot of different levels starting with the main character Quentin Barnes. He’s not a very likable guy. He is an arrogant, ignorant, racist. Sure he was a great quarterback – astounding even. But his personality makes you want to punch him in the face almost every chapter. While that may seem like a negative thing, it is not. Sigler has created a very flawed young man who you sympathize with even if some of his actions towards others piss you off.  But starting off with a personality like this provides a very enjoyable character arc as you not only cheer out loud for each team win, but you also get to enjoy watching a character as he (sometimes) learn that nothing is black-and-white, and that everything he has been taught has been lies. Sure there were moments when I wanted to crawl into the book and smack some sense into Quentin’s thick skull, but it was only because Sigler created a character I wished the best for, despite his flaws. Well that and I wanted the Krakens to friggin’ win!  And make no mistake, if Quentin does not gain acceptance from his multi-species peers they will not respect him which means he will not effectively lead them to victory. This brings in the criminal element of The Rookie because no victory for the Krakens has consequences more dire than any of the players fully realize.

But the portions of The Rookie I enjoyed the most, were the games themselves. The Kraken games where described in such detail that you felt you were right there on the field. Sigler writes these battles with such fervor and detail, you feel like you are one of the players on the front line staring into the eyes of a Ki or a Quyth Warrior. You hear the deafening roar of the crowd, cringe at the cracks of bones being broke as players slam into each other like two trains colliding head-on, and smell the sweat and blood pouring out of the players like open spigots. The plays described in a nail-biting fashion with each game different depending on who the Krakens are playing, but the electricity and excitement are the same with each of them.

When I read any form of science fiction, admittedly I prefer the horror variety. If I can’t have that, just give me some action in the form of aliens, space ships, lasers, robots and explosions. Luckily, Sigler provided all of those but then tricked me in the process. See, before I knew it I was learning about alien races and their cultures, down to their individual planet structures and the different types of grass on the field. I was reading about future tech from things as simple as sewing, showers and football gear, to heavy-hitters like space travel, alien relationships, weaponry, and medical procedures. I was reading about all the stuff that would normally have my eyes rolling in the back of my head, and loving every single word of it. I only want to point that out for people like me who do not prefer science fiction as well as people who do. You are gonna dig this no matter what camp you reside in.

So look, if you are a fan of sports or science fiction, or both, just do yourself a favor and snag you a copy of The Rookie. Or if you don’t have the dough to spend on the limited edition, simply stop by Sigler’s website and listen to it for free. You can thank me later.

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