Sticks, Stones, and Deaths Bones.
Chapter three of the upcoming Heaven’s Devils has been out for a few days now, and it’s time to take a look at it. This third excerpt from William C. Dietz’s novel doesn’t feature any action like the first chapter, nor will it tug at your emotional heartstrings like the second, but there is a great sense of badassery that is emitted from the chapter’s main character Tychus Findlay.
Basically all that goes down in chapter three is a deal between Tychus and Gunnery Sergeant Sims. What makes this chapter so enjoyable to read is the way Tychus carries himself. He’s a tough guy, and he knows it and uses that fact to his advantage. At one point, Tychus passes by a young guard who’s considerably smaller than him in both height and width, and the guard puffs up his chest to look at least a little bigger. It’s a bit comical to say the least, and it shows just how intimidating Tychus must really be.
When the deal goes down between Tychus and Sims, the two men smoke a cigar together and discuss numbers, transportation, and personnel. It’s a real deal between two seemingly tough men, and as mentioned before, the badassery is very evident. There will be no spoilers here, but suffice it to say that Tychus’s tough guy attitude remains throughout the chapter, and he does a good job at getting what he wants while remaining slightly comical until the end.
It’s a bit of a shame that Jim Raynor doesn’t make an appearance in this chapter, but it makes sense given the content. This chapter really has nothing to do with him (yet, I’m assuming), so his absence isn’t a letdown. It’s just strange not reading about him given the circumstances in the last chapter.
The third chapter of Heaven’s Devils continues to provide strong, interesting, and engaging storytelling by Dietz, and the author is proving to be able to work exceedingly well with the StarCraft license. It will definitely be interesting to see the story unfold further.
