DrewNote: Taking a break from his bestselling DUNGEON CRAWLER CARL series, Dinniman takes us to New Sonora, a barely-settled colony world that has just assembled a portal gate back to Earth–which may be the worst thing that ever happened to them.
Oliver Lewis is a farmer and a (rather poor) drummer for a makeshift band called Rhythm Mafia. He’s just broken up with his longtime girlfriend Rosita, his sister Lulu is making a name (and fortune) by livestreaming softcore porn, and his over-programmed mechanical buddy Roger insists on treating him like a delinquent teenager, even though Oliver is 25.
Life is hard on New Sonora. Settled for only a few decades, Oliver is part of the second generation born on the planet. Tragically, most of the first generation died of the Sickness, a genetic malady that some believe was inflicted on them by Earth. Now that contact with Earth has been reestablished, thanks to the gate in orbit over the planet, conspiracy theories are coming to life… even as something terrible is about to happen.
Oliver and Roger are out to collect a broken “honeybee” (a drone adapted for farm work) when they encounter a two-legged mech. The belligerent machine, remote-piloted by a foul-mouthed teenager, is the first in a coming invasion. Soon, mechs are landing all over Oliver’s home territory as part of a “game” to eradicate the colonists. Players can buy in and pilot mechs as part of Operation Bounce House (as it’s called), landing on New Sonora and killing those who they’ve been told are “subhumans” and “terrorists.”
Naturally, the peaceful, hardworking folk of New Sonora have no idea what this is about–they’ve never terrorized anyone–but that doesn’t prevent a mass slaughter from commencing. Operation Bounce House is slated to last five days, so Oliver, his family and friends determine that they have to hold out until the “game” is over.
Luckily, Roger is prepared for this contingency. He’s one of the last truly advanced AIs, and left Earth before a devastating war erased his kind. Now, fully unleashed, he directs Oliver and his band of unready freedom fighters, along with a fleet of drones, to get ready for the attackers. But even Roger is caught off-guard when they start getting help from unexpected sources…
Can Oliver and his survivors last five days against escalating attacks? And what kind of insanely dangerous strategies will they have to adopt to have even a tiny chance?
In his bestselling series, DUNGEON CRAWLER CARL, Dinniman gives us an Earth where aliens destroy the world and push the survivors into a deathmatch/dungeon crawl. There are some strong echoes of DCC here in OPERATION BOUNCE HOUSE, with the bonds of family beating impossible odds, but the context here is quite different. The threat is entirely human and the agenda, as often happens, is not exactly what it seems.
Oliver is a natural leader (much like Carl) who’s out of his depth but rises to the occasion. Though he makes mistakes, he learns from them and adapts very quickly, doing his best to protect family and neighbors from annihilation. (He doesn’t always succeed.) We get some time to become familiar with New Sonora, which gives added weight to each death, each loss, each setback as it happens.
And there are a lot of them, provoking Oliver to epic wrath indeed. With Roger’s help, he starts to fight back, using psychological warfare to keep these enemies off-balance and at odds with each other. He realizes that these gamers are egotistical and undisciplined, giving him ways to use their weaknesses against them, and New Sonora’s odds only look better.
Until their success attracts too much attention, and the weight of all the players is coming to bear on their tiny fortified farm. Outgunned, outmatched, and out of time, what will the Rhythm Mafia do?
Dinniman crafts a terrific “heroic underdogs” story in this one-and-done novel. Oliver is the kind of hero we love: brave, clever, capable, but humble and prone to social misfires that make him a lovable lunk. His friends–Rosita, Sam, Axel, Tito (mute since a tragic accident), and Ariceli–and sister Lulu are vividly drawn, with loads of supporting characters including a truculent farmer raising chickens and a pig for a sideshow that will never happen and neighbors whose kindness and baking skills make them deeply beloved. Dinniman has a rare knack for showing community coming together to face adversity, even obliteration, with love, humor, and courage.
By the way, the hardest part of being a colonist is when the old world isn’t done with you.
If you want to read a great story about a heroic band of survivors facing impossible odds, well, you’re in luck.
We’re giving this book nine and a half honeybees out of ten.
On Sale February 10, 2026 from Ace
