Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Themes
Synopsis
Owen Mercer thought thirty years of fixing broken machinery was the only war he’d ever face. He was wrong. When his son is declared Missing in Action, the fifty-three-year-old mechanic trades his wrench for a rifle. But on the brutal colony world of Hawthorn, Owen discovers his son was part of Project LANTERN—a conspiracy so dangerous that both the military and the enemy will kill to keep it buried. Surrounded by lethal secrets and a system that wants him to stay silent, Owen must navigate a web of corruption to find the truth. The military wants him to wait for answers that will never come. Owen is done waiting. The war took his son. Now, he’s coming to take him back.
Tags
Ordinary Man's War: content & age rating
Intended for adult readers (18+).
Contains strong battlefield violence on a colony world, military conspiracy themes, and likely strong language. A grief-driven father confronts military corruption and combat situations.
What to know going in
This book has strong violence, no sexual content, and strong language. Content notes include death, grief, and war (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Adult readers will appreciate a determined older protagonist who refuses to accept bureaucratic answers about his missing son.