Not to be confused with the KGB, the KBG—the Killer Bee Gang—is a team of ninja vigilantes with extraordinary skill who fight Neo-Nazis and corrupt law enforcement in their chaotic city in M.A.N.’s sci-fi thriller THE STING OF DEATH. The book alternates between the past and present, the KBG’s origin story and their present struggle of fighting the rising enemy gang GCD, the Gang Called Death, led by a man aptly named Villain. In the origin story chapters, Ghost and Crane, the KBG’s founding members, follow up with individuals who took the Killer Bee Challenge of showing off their prowess by taking over various businesses or organizations. As the KBG grows, adding four members with intense and varied skills, their domain becomes broader; they take control of colleges, banks, night clubs, churches, and more. In the alternating present-day chapters, the KBG fights Villain and the GCD’s powerful members who are more monsters than men, testing their abilities and their hold on the city.

Every other chapter takes place in the past, but there is no text labeling them as such and it is therefore difficult to discern which scenes are past and which are present. Both sections, too, are written in the present tense, which confuses the timeline, especially near the end of the book where the past and present are much closer to each other. The pace of the story and the speed of the action keeps the book exciting and the progression of the plot exhilarating as the KBG battles progressively stronger GCD opponents. Occasional slips into the perspective of Villain and the other GCD members, as well as police officers and military operatives, distracts from the focus on Ghost and Crane and takes out the mystery of not knowing the rival gang’s motivations, weaknesses, and new weapons.

Non-stop action, precisely choreographed fight scenes, and witty dialogue give the thriller a comic-book appeal. The complex scenes featuring violent hand-to-hand combat are rendered fun and easy to follow through precise word choice and apt descriptions. The city where the KBG begins is unnamed and its appearance not described. Missing is a visual component; THE STING OF DEATH may have been better suited as a graphic novel. Ghost, Crane, and the rest of the KBG crew are unique individuals with their own set of skills that make them valuable to the team and interesting characters in their own right. The two founders and the group’s only female member, Bloody Mary, have backstories that are briefly explored, but the other gang members’ origin stories are lacking. However, their strong personalities shine through: Thriller reveals a creepy grin as he yearns for his victims and survivors to fear him, and Priest speaks in cryptic Bible verses as he slaughters his opponents. While the KBG has a noble goal of taking out Neo-Nazis and promoting peace in their communities, what they plan to do once they have control is unclear. When a member asks “What’s next?” near the book’s end, no one has an exact answer other than to keep expanding.

Non-stop action, precisely choreographed fight scenes, and witty dialogue give M.A.N.’s pulse-pounding sci-fi thriller THE STING OF DEATH a comic-book appeal, even as setting and the logistics of taking over a city falter.

~Aimee Jodoin for IndieReader