A Dark Culling by Jonathan Staten follows Rick Dawson, a prisoner in the Sentinel program, tasked with a mission to eliminate a woman named Imogen Rivera who has defected from the Sovereign Estate. As Rick hunts her, he learns that the Estate has secretly implanted nanomachines in his body to control him, making his supposed opportunity for freedom a lie. After tracking Imogen, Rick discovers that she is part of a group planning to thwart the Estate's nefarious plans to create a "perfect society" by manipulating people with nanomachines. Rick decides to ally with Imogen and her group, leading them through a host of dangers from gang negotiations to police confrontations. As they prepare for a final confrontation with the Estate, Rick is forced to address his own manipulation, past actions, his survival in a corrupted system, and his choice to fight back.

Jonathan Staten’s A Dark Culling is a fast-paced, thoughtful thriller. Staten flexes his writing bonafides with immersive scenes, the best among them being Rick and his team getting themselves out of the most precarious of situations with precision. These are balanced with some lighter moments, such as the mélange of junker buses and cars they often seem to end up in. Staten’s writing is sharp and uncluttered, with a focus on action that keeps the plot pressing forward. The characters are well-rounded, each one bringing unique perspectives to their mission, creating a perfect mix of different skills and backgrounds. Staten's world-building provides a wonderful platform for a series, and I'd read a prequel on Imogen and even Jagger. Overall, it’s an exhilarating read for fans of action-packed, beautifully rendered science fiction/dystopian suspense. Very highly recommended.

Rick Dawson faced a simple choice. Continue executing near-impossible missions for the Sentinel program that incrementally reduced his sentence, or rot in prison. Neither choice held much appeal, but in doing missions, he at least had a chance to practice what he was good at: kill. According to the Warden, his next mission was simple: wipe out the faction that made their home near a mining facility. No survivors. The transport ship dropped him off at Planet Un, and his weapons pack activated. Blood, gore, and bullets flying, Rick survived. If he lived through his next mission, his sentence would be waived and his record expunged. The catch? He would probably get killed, but if he pulled it off … His target is Imogen Rivera. He wasn’t told why the Sovereign State wanted her dead, and he didn’t care. He never got involved in the why. It started like all other missions, but when Rick met Rivera, his bid for freedom collapsed.

From the first page, readers will not have much time to reflect on A Dark Culling by Jonathan Staten. This is an adrenalin-packed book that starts with shooting and mayhem and doesn’t stop. The author does not spend much time on characterization, letting action carry the story. It works for A Dark Culling, but some readers may find this lack of character connection off-putting. Set against an interesting world scenario, the story has an unusual premise—murder to gain freedom points—and Rick Dawson never loses focus on why he must kill Imogen Rivera…until he meets her, of course. The non-stop action definitely entertains and will appeal to readers of this genre. Not a cerebral novel, A Dark Culling is simply fun to read.