We've been here before...

There's always too much of a good thing, and Undying Mercenaries as a series name seems more apropos that BV Larson probably ever intended. The first book was novel, life was cheap, and bullets were expensive in the universe of a legionnaire, a technological einherjar where soldiers are forever young via valkyries of science. Or at least that seemed to be the promise of series in the first book or two. Here we are on book 10, and everything and nothing has changed. Sure there's been a larger story unfolding at a glacial speed of a galactic empire in turmoil, but little else changes. How many times can legion Veras be deployed to a hard-scrap mission, defy the odds and still be considered beneath the others? How many times can James McGill defy his superiors, often with little forethought? How many times can he reference his large stature and shrug away from his intellect? How often can those around him even begin to trust him? How many times can James McGill be illicitly grown? How many times McGill kill Claver, or others for that matter? How many women will fall his dopey, "Now C'mon girl, now wait for a second" spell or metaphors about folksy metaphors about rural Georgia life? How many times will McGill oggle any woman he lays eyes on. How many times... There's only so many series tropes that it's not worth listing. Even Larson seems bored with some of the details of the series, not even bothering to describe for the hundredth time the gross-gorey mess of being birthed by the bio-machines. Other side characters like Carlos and Kivi are sidelined to near nonexistence. Even the insultingly stupid harem fantasy of intelligent, fiercely strong, independent women who all end up in McGill's bedroom seems to be background noise this go-around. Larson almost entirely forgets McGill's daughter despite being the launching point for this book's plot. If he doesn't care, why should we? Sure, we have an ever-expanding cast of aliens like the new found allies in "squids", Blood worlders but they're mostly window dressing. All alien species are ridiculously simplified at least for the last two books, although there haven't been any off-world alien woman for McGill to seduce for two books. That sadly passes for a compliment. Also, At Turov and McGill's hedonistic self-serving relationship seems to be appropriate albeit also reduced now to the same hot-cold cycle. I gave this series 10 books and I'm pretty sure I'm out. It started out fun, if not a little silly but little has changed after the 3rd book. I'd of given up if Mark Boyett hadn't narrated these, he's fantastic, bringing life to an otherwise sterile book series. I'd of argued in the first two or three books that they smartly stupid. I'm pretty sure now I can remove the adjective from the last sentence.