As a long-time lover of science fiction and dystopian tales, I’m always hunting for books that balance firepower with feeling. Jeremy Szal’s Stormblood delivers that exact blend: a space opera that crackles with combat while keeping a fierce hold on the bonds that make people worth fighting for. Published on 04.06.2020, it’s a 2020 release that wears its heart and shrapnel on the same sleeve.
Stormblood by Jeremy Szal: War, Bonds, Alien Threat
Stormblood hurls us into a future where alien incursions have reshaped humanity’s idea of survival, and soldiers carry more than memories in their veins. The novel anchors its spectacle in a personal story: a veteran pulled back into danger, trying to protect those he loves whilst unravelling a conspiracy that refuses to stay buried. It’s war told not just through battles, but through the lingering aftershocks that rattle down the corridors of a person’s life.
What impressed me most was how Szal marries breakneck action with tactile, lived-in worldbuilding. The habitats feel neon-bruised and crowded, the spaceships smell faintly of oil and old promises, and the firefights hit with visceral force. Yet he constantly returns to the quiet beats: the awkward reunions, the gallows humour between comrades, the split-second choices that carve scars deeper than shrapnel ever could.
At its core, Stormblood is exactly what the German capsule puts so neatly: “Kriegerische Konflikte und Freundschaft in einer von Aliens bedrohten Galaxie.” War, yes—but also friendship, loyalty, and the messy threads of brotherhood tested against an alien-besieged backdrop. It’s science fiction that isn’t afraid of its own emotions, and it’s better for it.
Verdict 🍵🍵🍵🍵: brotherhood in an alien‑besieged galaxy
I’m pouring four steaming cups of tea for this one. Stormblood is a bruiser with a beating heart: muscular prose, kinetic set-pieces, and a thoughtful eye for the cost of survival. The alien threat is constant, but Szal wisely keeps the lens close to the human fallout—how soldiers bind themselves together when the universe won’t stop trying to break them apart.
A small caution: the book doesn’t shy away from body horror, addiction, and the grim logistics of war. If that’s in your wheelhouse, you’ll find the emotional pay-off worth the bruises. My favourite sentiment, paraphrased: brotherhood is the only armour that doesn’t rust. That’s the energy the novel carries from first breach to last stand.
If you’re into gritty space opera with cyberpunk textures, found-family grit, and the slow, stubborn light of hope flickering through a storm, this is your next jump. Stormblood balances scale and soul with admirable control, and by the end I was already reaching for more. Four tea cups well earned.
Stormblood by Jeremy Szal is a fierce, full-throated shout about what war takes—and what friendship gives back—set against the cold glare of an alien-haunted galaxy. Released on 04.06.2020, it’s a 2020 standout that blends camaraderie, consequence, and cosmos-spanning stakes. Brew a pot, strap in, and let the storm roll through.