The idea behind this dystopian novel is very good, and to a certain extent the development is also very good. In a future of constant wars and guerrilla warfare, and after artificial intelligence weapons have gone berserk, humankind has found another tool to continue its favourite hobby of killing and oppression: engineered animals. Dogs, bears, dolphins, mythological and chimerical animals (not cats, because even engineered up to their ears, cats do what they like), partially sentient and enslaved through a hierarchical system. Partially sentient? That remains to be seen, and indeed the rebellion of the group led by Rex, an enormous fighting dog, shows that something is wrong. But is it really Rex, with its canine conditioning, that leads the group?
As I said, to a certain point the book lives up to expectations, then, when literary common sense would have advised to write the word end, it goes on inserting utopian elements in the dystopia (a mortal sin!) and getting lost in anecdotes. A real shame.

Rex is a bio-engineered ‘Dog of War’ with ‘upgrades’ including enhanced strength and size, human DNA , advanced cybernetic weapons and cybernetic implants which allow him to communicate with his team and receive positive feedback when he has been a ‘Good Boy’.
Rex is leader of a team of (unusually) diverse bioforms. He lives to serve his Master loyally and earn the affirmation that he is a Good Boy.
In addition to Rex the narrative switches between several POVs to gain a clearer understanding of events that is less limited by Rex’s canine sensibilities. In this way we understand that Rex’s loyalty may have been used and abused in the commission of war crimes.
As Rex because detached from his Master and more aware of the conflicts and moral implications of his actions he is no longer sure where his duty lies and is forced to make decisions that test the limits of his understanding. He must reconsider his loyalties and responsibilities and whether being a ‘Good Boy’ is always the right thing to do.

This is a compelling read that left me desperate for Rex to survive with his evolving conscience intact.

I have really enjoyed reading this book. The writing was fabulous and easy to read. The characters were well defined and the story made sense from start to finish. Gripping. I liked the use of multiple POV's to tell the story and of different parts, it was really clever. I would definitely read him again!

Hace unos días os comentaba mis sensaciones tras leer Ironclads, de Adrian Tchaikovsky. Una novela que, en resumen, me había resultado bastante floja. Tchaikovsky publicó esa novela junto a esta otra, Dogs of War en un periodo muy corto de tiempo. Ambas son novelas cortas, ambas son de ciencia ficción bélica y ambas tratan temáticas de lo más interesantes. Pero Dogs of War, resumiendo y spoileando el resto de la reseña, me ha parecido una obra mucho más redonda que a la anterior. Con esta reseñaespero corroborar mi afirmación cuando digo que Tchaikovsky es un tipo con una cantidad de ideas apabullante y que, además, no tiene nada que envidiar al ritmo de escritura de Brandon Sanderson.

Este libro explora unas cuantas ideas de lo más molonas, como el rol que puede llegar a tener una IA en la sociedad, los derechos que debería tener o qué nos hace humanos. Algo que a priori es bastante común. Pero y si lo hace a través de una serie de personajes muy pintorescos como bioformas animales que se usan para la guerra. Rex es una bioforma, es decir, un animal vivo artificial. La novela se cuenta desde la perspectiva de esta bioforma por lo que el estilo narrativo se vuelve interesantísimo (instintos + forma de pensar de lo más curiosa). Rex, además, es 100% leal a su amo y un arma letal contra los enemigos. Su unidad está formada por otras bioformas y conforman un grupo variopinto de lo más curioso y entretenido. Tenemos la mentalidad canina de Rex, la mente colmena de un enjambre de abejas o los instintos asesinos de un lagarto gigante. Los puntos de vista de estas formas de vida cibernéticas aportan reflexioniones de forma sutil que el autor se abstiene de explicar como narrador, ya que las pone en boca de los personajes.

Es muy interesante observar los conflictos a los que se ve sometido Rex, pues ni aunque quisiera, no puede negarse a cualquier orden de su maestro, lo que le obliga a cometer actos moralmente negativos. El ritmo del libro es muy ágil y está salpicado de escenas de acción muy interesantes e impactantes. Los que hayáis leído obras de Tchaikovsky sabréis lo bien que se le da describir situaciones de conflicto, combates y demás. En conclusión, es un libro de ciencia ficción bélica que presenta un drama muy humano a través de una bioforma canina. La historia de esta inteligencia artificial es conmovedora y aporta reflexiones morales y éticas de lo más interesantes. Además de ser una excelente novela de personajes, es una obra de lo más disfrutable y entretenida. Muy recomendable, en este caso sí, para comenzar a leer al autor con un texto breve pero intensísimo.

This was an interesting book, definitely very different, it just did not capture my attention enough with the main military setting

Dogs of War was not the book I was expecting to read - in a good way. I've long been a fan of Adrian Tchaikovsky, his Shadows of the Apt epic fantasy series is great and I really enjoyed his fantasy/adventure novel Spiderlight. In Dogs of War, Tchaikovsky turns his talents towards sci-fi with genetically engineered bioforms - animals enhanced by weaponised technology and given the smarts to communicate with humans on near like-for-like levels.

The protagonist is Rex, a genetically enhanced dog who carries out deadly missions as instructed by his master. Along with his team of bioforms which includes bees, a bear, and a reptile named Dragon, Rex is subjected to brutal combat on near-suicide missions, fighting in a war he knows nothing about. Intelligent is his own right, it takes Honey, the enhanced bear, to release Rex and co from the confines of their masters' pull strings for him to see a world beyond violence, a world where bioforms can be more than weapons.

I loved the way these characters evolved from combat team to individuals with their own goals, each with a unique voice to go along with their unique physical attributes and all with a surprising amount of character depth.

Dogs of War isn't all about combat; it's a novel which takes war and broadens the concept to include peacetime ramifications of this new frontier technology through sociopolitical commentary which in turn gives the characters and theme a 360 feel delivered through a multi POV narrative.

My rating: 5/5 stars.In short, this book is great, read it.

Fresh from Ironclads, Adrian Tchaikovsky gives us yet another fresh take on a classic. Dogs of War (review copy from Head of Zeus) is a glorious updating of H G Wells classic The Island of Dr Moreau. Told entirely from the viewpoint of bioengineered animal soldiers, this is a story of choices, ethics and overcoming our collecive limitations.

Rex is a dog soldier, and the leader of an experimental squad of similar bioengineered beings. His squad-mates are Bees, an artificial intelligence distributed across a swarm of insects, Honey, a bear who is a heavy weapons specialist, and Dragon, a sniper lizard with chameleon-like powers to blend into the background. The squad are under the direct control of their creator, Murray, with the control mechanisms plaing on Rex's canine instincts to serve his human master, reinforced with a feedback chip that rewards and punishes.

Rex's squad are being trialled in a guerilla conflict in South America. The use of bioengineered soldiers opens up new combat options, and the distance between commanding officer and battlefield changes judgements about risk and tactics. It quickly becomes apparent that Murray has become involved in war crimes, including the illegal use of chemical weapons. Rex's squad are being used to cover up the evidence. The issue is finally exposed when Rex's unit become cut off from Murray's command, and come to the aid of a village Murray is targeting to cover up a previous chemical attack. Rex's actions open up the question of Bioform autonomy, leading to a change in their legal status.

Dogs of War is a story of growth, change and evolution, as Rex and the other Bioforms transcend their limited beginnings. Tchaikovsky's strength as a writer shines through in the way he brings forward so much depth in a story told for the most part by a first person narrator with a very limited perspective. Rex grows and changes over the novel, in large part as a result of his friendship with Honey, who forces him to stretch his thinking and understanding, first through making his own choices about right and wrong, and then as a leader of his Bioform people.

For the most part this is an optimistic story about growth, change and the evolution of sentient beings. But it is tempered with caution about the impact technological change canhave if not subject to proper regulation and control. There is an element of body horror to Dogs of War, as Tchaikovsky shows us the potential of mis-using this technology in the novel's climactic finale.

Most of all, it's impossible not to warm to Rex and his squad-mates. Good dog, Rex.

Goodreads rating: 5*

Rex is a Good Dog. He follows his master's commands, and is like any canine, desperate to please. Unfortunately, he's also a bio-engineered weapon, striking fear in the hearts of all humans.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

This was not what I was expecting.
I thought it would be more of an action adventure, where these mutated weapons fight; first for their masters, and then to be free.
And although this story does teeter on a full-blown Planet of the Apes, humans against intelligent beasts; it takes a very different route.

There are battles, and military skirmishes, in the futuristic unchecked regions of South America. But this is... all about transhuman rights. This is courtrooms, lawyers, dodgy commanders getting off the hook, protestors, human emotions, press control...

No, that doesn't sound exciting. Yes, I still enjoyed reading it.
Tchaikovsky has created a very interesting character in Rex. Rex is very clearly a dog, his level of intelligence, and limited emotions, place him firmly as a dog.
Despite the fact he is bristling with guns, has claws and muscles that can tear anything apart, he's an absolute Labrador. Rex is very sweet, only seeking approval, easily put into doubt or worry. And an absolute softie for getting his ears rubbed.

This story follows Rex and his team-mates as they complete mission after bloody mission for their master, before someone hijacks their programming and sets them "free". They are suddenly introduced to the notion of having choices. They can choose who their enemy is, choose who their friends are; all the while, contemplating how this new knowledge affects what they thought they knew about the world.
For the first time, they have moral dilemmas, trying to work out what is good, without the regulated missions they are used to.

The book then switches away from the battlefield, and becomes a legal drama, as war crimes are brought into light and people demand justice. And the public have to face a major question - what rights to these bio-engineered animals have? They may look like monsters, but they have emotions and a level of understanding that can't be refused.
The story continues, showing how the community of bioforms are established, and how they start to make new lives for themselves.

If I had known it would be such a deep insight into the morals we take for granted, and the questions that arise over something so new and potentially dangerous; I might have been put off reading it.
I'm glad I did. It is a heavy and thought-provoking story, but it's really quite endearing, told mostly through Rex's perspective.

Once again Adrian Tchaikovsky does his best to trick people into thinking about heavy stuff. Come for the entertaining story, stay for the ruminations on the nature of humanity and self.

The first part of this book, I can't fault. It follows a war-criminal's drunken IT guy, a mysterious woman come to check in on behalf of the shareholders Rex, a bio-engeneered man/dog supersoldier, who's just trying his best to be a good dog. The way the reader's understanding of what's going on unfurls slowly was perfect, as was the contrast between Rex's eager to please POV and the reality of what he's actually doing.

Unfortunately this section of the book is all too short. It could have been a novel in its own right, and a fantastic one at that. Instead the whole sections is rushed through and the book opens up onto an international stage and the author starts deploying time skips to cover even more ground. In a longer book, this might have worked. If there was a core cast of characters for the readers to follow, instead of just Rex and a constantly changing rotation of others, it might have worked.

But neither of things happened and so, for me, it didn't work. Everything felt way too rushed. Everything had to be spelled out to the reader because there wasn't room to show things. Moments that should have been emotionally fraught just made me shrug because the investment wasn't there on my part. I liked Rex and I really enjoyed seeing him grow and change, but at the same time I would have liked to actually, you know, see it. It seemed most of the growth happened in the time skips, we never got to see it.

But look, even my least favourite Tchaikovsy book is still a really good book. And the first section alone, though upsettingly short, is worth the price of admission. I do think that readers who are less reliant on characters will enjoy this book more, and it certainly posed some interesting questions. So while I personally just like it ok, I would still recommend people check it out.

https://lynns-books.com/2017/11/20/dogs-of-war-by-adrian-tchaikovsky/
http://www.speculativeherald.com/2017/11/15/dogs-of-war-by-adrian-tchaikovsky/
Dogs of War is one of those books that turned into a very happy surprise for me. I requested a copy of this because I’ve read this author before and liked his style of writing and so whilst the theme worried me a little, because I imagined it was going to maybe be a bit more military style than I would normally attempt, I had faith that Tchaikovsky would win me over. I wasn’t wrong. Dogs of War is so much more than a military style story, in fact after the first few chapters of action and warfare it turns into a different style of drama completely. This is a thought provoking story that really packs a punch.

Rex is a bioform. I’m not going to try and describe all the mechanics of this but basically he’s a genetically modified dog, part human and with heavy duty warfare installed for good measure. He’s the controlling unit for a Multi-form Assault Pack, an incredible fighting team that includes the characters Dragon, Honey and Bees. Each of these have their own unique abilities that I won’t dwell on here but take it from me, this is a deadly team of bioforms that you don’t want to tangle with. Now, Rex controls the unit and Rex’s master controls him. Rex wants to be a good dog. He’s programmed to obey not to think and if he’s told to kill he fulfils his orders with ruthless efficiency. Unfortunately, whilst his actions and motivations are easy to discern those of his master have gone a little awry and Rex and his unit eventually go rogue.

The story then changes tack completely, it moves through a courtroom style drama and then goes on almost into a conspiracy theory style story but at it’s heart and soul is a discussion about rights. Do Rex and his team have any rights basically, a similar theme to those explored recently in stories concerning AI. If you create something, a weapon, a machine – does it have ‘rights. Should Rex and his team, and in fact the hundreds of other bioforms created be allowed to live if they’re deemed dangerous. Of course Rex is dangerous, everything about him is threatening, his size, his speed, his voice – don’t even get started on the weapons. No doubt you’ll have heard the phrase ‘there’s no such thing as a bad dog – just bad owners’ – is there any such thing as a bad weapon and isn’t Rex so much more than just a weapon? Clearly in this instance he and his team are intended as the scapegoats.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s incredibly compelling, it does jump around in a most surprising fashion and it’s told from a number of POVs but it’s crazily addictive to read and I could barely put it down. If I was to pin down what really made this book so good for me I’d have to say the characters and the way in which it really makes you think. I felt near to tears on a couple of occasions – which is not something I ever expected when picking up a book about warfare and bioforms involving 7 or 8 foot tall dogs, and I kept thinking about it for days after completion. That to me spells out a winning book.

I think it really speaks of the author’s writing chops that he can make me love a team of fighting bioforms. Honey is amazing, Dragon, maybe more briefly sketched and yet still easy to picture and Bees – I won’t go there because I don’t even know where to start. I cared about them all but I absolutely loved Rex and I was consumed with an equal desire to shout at him for being idiotic and scratch behind his ears (which, apart from the fact I couldn’t reach could be a dangerous thing to do).

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this. If, like me, you find yourself maybe not drawn to a military style story then be assured that isn’t really the main focus – of course, there’s some warfare involved and to say it’s a dirty war would be an understatement but this book has much more to offer than that. It makes you think and it definitely provokes strong emotions.

I’m going to leave it there. I don’t want to give too much away about the nature of the surprises in store, this is a great novel because of the surprising way it adapts, much like the bioforms and other creations within the story.

I would have no hesitation in recommending this. I received a copy courtesy of the publisher, through Netgalley, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

If you are attracted to the eye-catching cover and blurb that appears to be offering lots of cool military sci fi action, you won’t be disappointed. There are some thrilling set battles, all written with verve and skill – I was there and I cared. However, this book is not only offering foot-to-the-floor action and excitement, Dogs of War is also raising some tricky ethical questions.

Without giving away too much of the storyline, Rex – like so many soldiers before him – has found himself having to confront and account for some of his actions while operating in Campeche under the control of Master. At what stage is Rex given any rights? If he shows himself capable of breaking his conditioning, should he be allowed any form of agency? And what exactly do you do with an animal with such a dangerous potential, even if you decide that he is not ultimately responsible for those terrible atrocities? Can he possibly be allowed to go free, given that he is designed to engender fear by his appearance and body language? Along with a whole bunch of other equally pertinent and troubling questions, these are some of the issues that are raised in this clever and enjoyable book.

Tchaikovsky is fond of presenting his readers with unintended consequences. Rex is a war dog, specifically bred for strength, absolute obedience to his Master’s voice and a set of formidable teeth and claws capable of inflicting terrible damage on the human body. But as the leader of the cadre of genetically tweaked animals, he is also capable of reasoning and reacting to fast-changing battle conditions. His tactical support, a huge bear called Honey, is able to perform even more extraordinary feats. In short, both animals are able to communicate meaningfully and show an increasing awareness about the morality of what they are doing.

Rex is a war dog, trained and conditioned to kill in battle, so it is a big ask to convince the reader that he is capable and able to reconsider his purpose. I thought the writing of Rex’s character was a triumph, as was the development of all the tweaked battle-animals. It all seemed horrifyingly believable and the full ramifications of such a development were thoroughly explored within the story. I loved this one – along with all the violence and mayhem, there is a strong story about some unusual characters that had me completely engrossed. This book will stay with me for a long time to come.

While I obtained the arc of Dogs of War from the publisher via NetGalley, this has in no way influenced my unbiased review.
10/10

Rex is the leader of a unit of bioform soldiers. Part augmented dog, part machine, he is a tougher, faster and altogether superior soldier compared to his human masters but also entirely expendable. Rex and his bioform comrades are used to fighting the human’s dirty wars, controlled by an inbuilt command hierarchy.
When during a routine operation things go bad, Rex and his pack are set free, free from their master’s orders, free to make their own decisions.

The story is told from different points of view, most memorably from Rex’ doggy perspective. These chapters are the true heart of the book, changing from his simple black and white worldview to the wistful and weary outlook of a hardened soldier.

The first part of the novel is a tightly plotted war story, the second part is a bit more fractured, raising plenty of issues but always with a lightness of touch. It’s funny, heart-breaking and thought-provoking. Different from Tchaikovsky’s other books but definitely worth a read.

Rex is a Good Dog. He loves humans. He hates enemies. He’s utterly obedient to Master.

He’s also seven foot tall at the shoulder, bulletproof, bristling with heavy calibre weaponry and his voice resonates with subsonics especially designed to instil fear. With Dragon, Honey and Bees, he’s part of a Multi-form Assault Pack operating in the lawless anarchy of Campeche, Southeastern Mexico.

Rex is a genetically engineered bioform, a deadly weapon in a dirty war. He has the intelligence to carry out his orders and feedback implants to reward him when he does. All he wants to be is a Good Dog. And to do that he must do exactly what Master says and Master says he’s got to kill a lot of enemies. But who, exactly, are the enemies? What happens when Master is tried as a war criminal? What rights does the Geneva Convention grant weapons? Do Rex and his fellow bioforms even have a right to exist? And what happens when Rex slips his leash?

2017 seems to have been quite the year when it comes to animal protagonists in genre fiction. Dogs of War is the third book in the last two months I’ve read that features a dog as a main character*. Not that I’m complaining mind you, Adrian Tchaikovsky’s latest is a cracking read with some genuinely memorable characters. Future war, contemplative non-human combatants and a conspiracy to boot. Works for me, I’m in.

Rex is the very definition of the word loyal. He is designed to be that way. When his Master commands, Rex will act. Rex isn’t just a dog, he is a weapon. He has been bred for battle and, along with the rest of his squad, is used to quell insurrection wherever it occurs. I think the thing I liked most about Rex is his innocence. He knows little of the outside world and he views every situation in the simplest of terms. The Pavlovian responses in his character are because he just doesn’t know any better. His Master points him in a certain direction and expects Rex to comply. For poor old Rex, ignorance is indeed bliss. As he learns more about his place in the world, he realises that most things aren’t as black and white as he had previously assumed. He must start thinking for himself and make decisions rather than just blindly following orders. Character wise it was easy to view Rex as almost a blank canvas. It is fascinating to watch him evolve in the most fundamental respects as the narrative unfolds. He views himself as a leader, but it is not until his story is nearly over that he truly understands what true leadership entails.

Our hero is not alone, however. The rest of the assault team are also great characters. If Rex is the heart of the group, then Honey is the brains. Far wiser than she appears, she acts as Rex’s de-facto guide. Rex lives in the moment, acting and reacting to extra-stimuli, not really planning too far ahead. Honey is the opposite, she’s a thinker. I got the distinct impression all of Honey’s actions were precisely considered to the smallest detail. She sees the bigger picture and acts upon it. Dragon is the most primal member of the group. Much like Rex, he is only concerned with following orders. If he is not directly required to act, he won’t. The most enigmatic member of the Multi-form Assault Pack is Bees. I’ll be honest, I’m not even going to attempt to explain this character. Bees is Bees, that’s the best I can do. You’re just going to have to trust me that Bees is important. Read the book, you’ll soon understand.

Adrian Tchaikovsky explores some interesting territory with Dogs of War. Technology continues to develop at an exponential rate. When will we finally ask the question should we be doing something just because we can? In the novel, humanity has difficulty understanding what they have created with the bio-forms. Are Rex and the others just weapons, are they monsters, entities in their own right or something else altogether? Once these questions start to get raised, the plot moves away from the battlefield towards the courtroom. Those for and against the bio-tech appreciate that there are bigger questions that need to be answered. What are the moral implications over engineering thinking weapons that feel and have the capacity learn to beyond their limits?

Where the novel really succeeds is highlighting the juxtaposition between soldiers at war, and soldiers in peacetime. The fact that the soldiers are non-human only adds extra depth to the narrative by raising a whole host of additional questions. When it comes to science fiction, my primitive brain always craves action and pretty explosions. My higher self is looking for a plot that forces me to engage my brain and think. With Dogs of War, Adrian Tchaikovsky has managed the near impossible and delivered both masterfully.

Music recommendation time! Whilst devouring Dogs of War I listened the soundtrack for Watch_Dogs by Brian Retizell. The music has a modern electronica feel that I felt captures the tone of the book. Near future science fiction requires and near future soundtrack. The fact the album has the word Dogs in the title is just an added bonus.

Dogs of War is published by Head of Zeus and is available from 2nd November. Highly recommended.

*A question for all the publishers out there, when will cats be given the same recognition? Much as I like dogs, I’m really a cat person**

**To clarify, I’m not a person who is part cat. I mean I prefer cats. You probably don’t care. Nevermind, ignore me, I’m rambling.

This is a pretty stellar work of speculative fiction: heartbreaking, thought provoking and very unusual in the way that it’s written and executed. As a piece of sci fi, it’s great. As a book that delves into everything from company- and human- exploitation to ethics and morality, as well as what it means to be human.
The story is about Rex (a Good Dog): a genetically engineered Bioform who has been created specifically for the purpose of fighting and killing others. Together with his squad Honey, Dragon and Bees, he does the bidding of his ‘master’ and operates across southeastern Mexico, covering up his company’s misdemeanours, killing locals, and not asking questions. He’s intelligent enough to carry out orders and engineered enough to follow them without complaint. But what happens when the lines aren’t as clear cut as they first appear? Who are the real enemies, and what happens when other people find out what’s been going on?
Though this does appear like a straightforward sci-fi novel, it quickly evolves into a discussion on what it means to be human, whether genetically engineered creatures- or living weapons, even- have rights, and what happens when those creatures slip the leash and start to think for themselves. Tchaikovsky tells his story from a multitude of points of view, both human and Bioform, changing narrator, setting and tense with such rapidity that it can get a little confusing, but it does give a variety of perspectives to work with and a better platform to talk about the weighty topics that he’s discussing here- and bring all the plot threads together.
I was also impressed by the effort that he put into humanizing Rex and the Bioforms he worked with: not only was the concept really original, but he managed to make genetically engineered weapons sympathetic people, with their own character arcs and stories to tell. Rex in particular was interesting: though his vocabulary was limited to begin with, it developed as he gained intelligence and autonomy and by the end you weren’t in any doubt that he was the hero of his own story: that of course makes the subsequent court case all the more interesting.
Tchaikovsky reveals his plot strands gradually, drawing them together of the course of the novel to create a narrative that spans several different viewpoints, and lets him delve deep into the really thorny questions, as well as his characters. He goes to great lengths to stress that there are never any easy answers, no matter whether you’re human, Bioform or whatever Bees is (which, by the way, I did think was extremely cool).
Overall, this is a bold, interesting look at the future, and at the capability humans have for creation, destruction and cruelty. As a thinking man’s sci fi, it’s amazing, despite the slightly overdrawn ending: read it. I promise you’ll never see dogs in the same way again.

Tchaikovsky really excels at finding interesting ways to comment on society through the use of animals in science fiction and fantasy settings. In his Echoes of the Fall series, each group is a different animal and exhibits particular social traits based on those they display in the animal kingdom. In Children of Time, we are drawn along by a spider-kind civil rights movement, where the male of the species attempts to gain equal footing with the women. In his most recent novel, Dogs of War, again readers are provided with a unique view on our social structures through the lens of the animal kingdom.
There are so many inventive ideas on display in this novel that in the hands of a lesser author it would have been far too much. Instead, Tchaikovsky keeps the central focus on a primary technological idea – the bioform dogs – with all other ideas milling about on the periphery. They are given enough ‘screen time’ to elaborate the basic functions, but he never loses sight of the main premise and plot.
Good dog
Dogs of War coverFor the most part, the novel follows the story of Rex. Rex is a bioform – a humanoid creature built from dog DNA. Why a dog? They’re loyal, they follow orders, they’re strong, and have great senses (smell, hearing, etc). Rex is the perfect soldier… until his hierarchical programme is removed and he is set free.
What does a hybrid creature do once its sole purpose is stripped and he may think for himself? What does it mean to be a good dog when you no longer have a master?
Philosophical quandaries
What I have always loved about science fiction is its ability to dig into social constructs, ethical questions, and generally present philosophical arguments without preaching or being too reductive. That is exactly what Dogs of War does. Some of the philosophical questions that are asked are relatively familiar in the world of SF, for example, what rights does a man-made creature have even if it does have a mind of its own (Melinda Snodgrass’ Star Trek: The Next Generation episode ‘The Measure of a Man’, anyone?). It makes readers ponder the ethical questions surrounding technological implants and the advancement of our species, and more.
I have always found that people respond to philosophical ponderings better when they are presented in new and different ways. As such, I think Dogs of War works very well. Much of the novel is written from Rex’s perspective. But Rex is, essentially, a dog. He has a very limited idea of right and wrong, and when it comes to determining what morality means to him, Tchaikovsky is able to explore a lot of ethical ideas we tend to take for granted.
Style and voice
Adrian TchaikovskyWhile Rex’s perspective makes for an interesting dissection of social norms, it may potentially put some people off. He is a very simple dog and the language used in his p.o.v. passages (which make up the bulk of the novel) is similarly simple. At first, I worried that this would become irritating but I came to truly love Rex and his language was pitched perfectly for his character.
There are several p.o.v. characters in the book. And while this generally works, the end of the book is filled with a few ‘history textbook’ chapters which I felt detracted from the focus on Rex’s personal experience as well as interrupting the pace. These chapters are also more focused on the bigger question around the future of all bioforms and augmented humans. While these questions are certainly a central aspect of Rex’s story, when it detours too far from the micro experience of the characters we have become close to, it lost me.

Verdict: Dogs of War is a lot of fun. It occasionally drags but rarely gets too caught up in the large-scale ethical problems it poses at the expense of plot or characterization.

Rex, Honey, Dragon and Bees are weaponised, genetically modified animals controlled by their Master. They are working together in Campeche, south-eastern Mexico as an experimental unit.
But one day they find their communications cut and unable to get instructions. They are off the leash. Now they must make the decisions as to who is friendly and who are the enemies.
So often science fiction stories revolve around aliens who are humanoid. When writers do attempt to use other species, they can be less than credible in terms of the reader being able to relate to these strange protagonists.
Adrian Tchaikovsky really knows how to get under the skin of another species and run with it. Children of Time brilliantly took the development of Portia spiders and created something which allowed a reader to relate to their mindset and society. In Dogs of War he considers what would happen if you modify different animals and weaponise them.
Rex is effectively a dog, with dog-like traits of wanting a master to obey. Honey, the bear, has a sense of independence. Dragon, an oversized, adapted lizard, just wants to eat and lounge around all day. Bees is a collective of bee-like creatures who work together.
All these different qualities create different ways in which the animals develop when their master no longer controls them and they have to make their own tactical decisions. This brings up some very interesting situations when they are confronted with humans, and the team must make the decision as to whether they are to be treated as enemies or people they must form a relationship with. This raises a whole raft of moral issues. It asks to what degree can these animals be considered tools to be exploited, or responsible for their actions.
The story doesn’t just stop in the battle field, but progresses to when the animals are removed from it, adding a new layer to the narrative.
Given that dolphins have been trained by military units, Tchaikovsky’s concept is probably not so far from what might eventually be achievable.
Under the science fiction invention is the age-old discussion of accountability in war and what do you do with the soldiers, accustomed to little else, when they return to normal society.

I finished this late last night (has been a while since I stayed up so late to finish a book) but had to seriously ponder how to write this review.

Only recently I read Adrian Tchaikovsky's "Children of Time" and it is clear from these two books that the author has a wonderful sense of bringing the thoughts and feelings of animals (sorry, bioforms) to life. It is also clear that the author doesn't consider animals to be "just animals" but sees them on the same level as humans if not even one above. A notion with which I completely agree.

This book, then, is about Rex, a dog-like bioform engineered for war. He combines canine senses with sentience, human DNA and then also got cybernetically integrated weapons systems. He is the leader of one of the first few multi-form squads, meaning teams that consist of more than one kind of animal/bioform. It is also about what the engineers designed him to be and be capable of and what he actually is and is capable of. The same goes for the rest of his team.

The book uses multiple POVs from doctors to lawyers to all kinds of bioforms in order to explore topics such as the role of artificial intelligence in society (there is a history of robotics too), responsibility and guilt, what exactly we humans define as humanity, the ethics of conflict resolution and the manufacturing of sentient biological life. The different angles allow the author to give the reader many different perspectives with which to identify or not and allow for an objective as well as emotional exploration.
And he shows that there are never easy answers, easy solutions, and we often revert back to the old ways just because their familiarity offer comfort while new ways are often scary.

"making choices is the price of being free"

Nevertheless, at some point I was wondering where the author will take this because I had thought we had reached the end of the narrative. However, the author had a lot of threads that he weaved into a complex web of a lot of other important questions. Thanks to the fact that the entire book was interspersed with all kinds of wars and conflicts, it never got boring or too preachy / theoretical.

What I loved about this book was in what detail the author described each individual bioform and therefore gave them actual life and personality. We have the typical mammals but also marine bioforms, reptiles and even hive-minds (a very intriguing concept).
Rex has a lot of canine traits, while Dragon is a typical reptile, Bees' consciousness is literally buzzing all over the place, and the felines are ... well, cats (there was an enormously funny moment in the book when a character actually said
"Even chipped to the eyeballs you can't get cats to do what you want them to do."
and it definitely nails their best-known character trait).
However, this realistic portrayal of the bioforms' characters was also what was very difficult to read and especially after / because of their development I cried more than once.

Last but not least, I like how thorough the author is with his exploration of a topic. It would have been easy to end this book after the events in Campeche / Retorna but we went much further because the topic is and would be complex and winning one battle does in no way mean you'll win the war.
Moreover, as far as I can tell from conversations with veterans, he's really done a great job in realistically portraying what it means to be part of something bigger, wanting to protect and having a purpose - and being stripped of it later. He teaches the reader about integrity and sacrifice.

A true gem in this book was his criticism of current social and political problems in the world:

"Perhaps the idealism of the Anarchistas had decayed into the sort of backbiting rabies that such popular movements so often devolved into, not fighting for, just fighting against."

"flavour-of-the-month outrage"

"Technology is not Good Tech or Bad Tech. It is the Master who is guilty for what it does."

Sounds like comments to very current topics to me.

To me, this is one of the most important books when it comes to considering the future of bio-tech, human engineering and the ethics that should not be forgotten but go with the territory and the author has quickly become one of my favourites simply for having a fantastic way of making the reader THINK.

He de admitir que devoré Dogs of War en poco tiempo. Es un libro muy rápido y entretenido, quizá por que no entra en profundidad en ninguno de los muchos palos que toca, pero también por que el autor consigue despertar nuestra lado empático haciendo que nos preocupe el devenir de las vidas de los protagonistas. Y esto no es nada fácil si los personajes no son ni siquiera personas, sin entrar en el hecho de que sean humanos.

Tchaikovsky se está especializando en antropomorfizar animales, ya sea de forma física como en Spiderlight o a través de su psique como en Children of Time. Este recurso, que no es nada fácil de usar, le permite crear paralelismos y ahondar en lo que realmente significa ser humano.

Decía antes que el autor toca muchos temas y ese es quizá uno de los problemas de la novela, que va cambiando conforme vas pasando las páginas de una novela de ciencia ficción militar a una discusión sobre el transhumanismo y el futuro de la humanidad pasando por una fase que simula los juicios de Nuremberg (y me dejo cosas en el tintero, pero habrá que dejar espacio a la sorpresa). No es que este vaivén sea para mí un incoveniente de por sí, pero me temo que Adrian no consigue que estos tránsitos sean fluidos, aparecen de forma algo brusca, rompiendo el agradable ritmo que tenía la lectura. Este ritmo se recupera pronto, pero en poco tiempo llega otro cambio que tiene el mismo inconveniente, en una suerte de movimiento pendular que consigue desconcertarte.

Somos testigos de los hechos principalmente a través de los ojos de Rex, una bioform creada para liderar un grupo especializado de especialistas en combate. Vemos cómo Rex va evolucionando en una maduración similar, salvando las distancias, a aquella de la que fuimos testigos en la excepcional Flores para Algernon. Mucho del material genético de Rex es de origen canino, y el autor aprovecha este hecho para ensalzar las cualidades que tradicionalmente se asocian con los perros, como la lealtad (reforzada al más puro estilo Pavloviano), el olfato o el instinto de manada. Este proceso de madurez vertebra el libro, pero para ofrecer otros puntos de vista Tchaikovsky introduce otros elementos, como capítulos prospectivos de gran interés y sembrados de ideas interesantes (supuestamente extraídos del libros The Beast Within). Por desgracia, los otros personajes a los que da voz en ocasiones, como Honey y HumOS me parecen claramente desaprovechados. Ya sé que no se puede tener todo, pero ¿un plantígrado en la universidad? Esto está pidiendo a gritos un spin-off.

Dogs of War también se puede leer como un libro con los primeros pasos hacia el transhumanismo y los problemas que esto pudiera causar. Aunque en general el miedo impregna las relaciones con estos nuevos "seres" y con los que vendrán, se van viendo pequeños avances y cambios en la opinión pública, más dispuesta a acoger las novedades si estas muestran sus debilidades a la vez que sus ventajas inherentes. Dogs of War es realmente optimista en este sentido, quizá demasiado, pero no puedo dejar de recordar otros libros también en esta misma onda, como Nexus de Ramez Naam o algunos relatos de Upgraded.

No sé si el nombre del libro es un homenaje a Frederick Forsyth o un guiño a las novelas militares y no estoy segura de que represente lo que realmente vas a encontrar en este volumen, pero tengo por seguro que si le das una oportunidad te gustará. Cada vez me estoy aficionando a este escritor. Tengo por ahí Ironclads y no creo que tarde mucho en ponerme con él.

This reminds me of one man and his dog by Harlan Ellison a little .

It takes a very obvious view of the way that the military will progress and shows its flaws as well as taking a major ethical stance regarding war and our relationships with animals .

The plot works well the characters of the animals are well defined and feel real and it does make you think which is the reason to read but is still entertaining

I give it a 4.5 outta 5. Great story, great read! An action-packed novel about about animals (bioforms) engineered to enhance their natural abilities and turn them into weapons of destruction. Part of the charm of the story is that it is told through the perspective of the animals who constantly test the limits of their mental and physical prisons when they are sent to slaughter and be slaughtered, and how they must learn for themselves what is right and what is wrong.
The story can also be viewed as war story about a squad who are behind enemy lines without orders or without knowing how to return to base or what the enemy looks like, and how they must learn to survive in an unfamiliar world.
Overall there's not a lot, if anything, I can fault the book on, it is full of creativity and suspense and I would recommend it to anyone interested in sci-fi or war stories.