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66th out of 204 books
—
801 voters
A Galaxy Unknown (A Galaxy Unknown #1)
It's 2267! Interstellar space is infested with pirates, slavers, and scum of every ilk! Everyone knows that crime can never be completely eradicated, but the effort must be made. In a seemingly futile endeavor to curtail lawlessness and provide safety for the greatest number of galactic citizens, Space Command has devoted its full resources to the task, but the inadequate...more
Kindle Edition, 426 pages
Published
June 4th 2010
(first published July 17th 2008)
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3 of 5 [return][return]This is a good quick and simple read that plays off many established scifi themes, but DePrima lacks the skill to make something truly extraordinary.[return][return]After reading the book I realized how simple and extraordinary the Force is for a space opera because it gives a reason why a single person could be at the right place at the right time and always seem to do just the right thing. While each event that happens to the main character is not out of the bounds of fi...more
I enjoyed this book, mainly because it wasn't a hard read. The premise of the story is good, and I enjoyed the universe that was created within the book.
For me there were two main criticisms. Firstly, Jenetta Carver, the main character had way too many good outcomes. You can believe one or two, or even three or four, but after a while I realised that she was always going to succeed, no matter what happened. Secondly, the rather strange foray into the edges of BDSM. While I understand that this...more
For me there were two main criticisms. Firstly, Jenetta Carver, the main character had way too many good outcomes. You can believe one or two, or even three or four, but after a while I realised that she was always going to succeed, no matter what happened. Secondly, the rather strange foray into the edges of BDSM. While I understand that this...more
This is the first of a series of eight (yes, EIGHT!) books. So far. And it is the first in my shameful secret reading of the last month. It is one of my husband's cheap, sci-fi kindle books, and I read it when I was struggling to get into some other, more serious literature.
The stories are generally predictable, but there are enough ideas here that it held me through each of the eight books. The writing is generally very easy to read, with the exception of the occasional time the author tries t...more
The stories are generally predictable, but there are enough ideas here that it held me through each of the eight books. The writing is generally very easy to read, with the exception of the occasional time the author tries t...more
Interesting storyline hobbled by lackluster writing.
To the people who gave this book five stars: Five stars? Seriously? You are saying this book ranks right up there with Robert A. Heinlein's "Stranger in a Strange Land", Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game", or Neal Stephenson's "Snow Crash"? I would encourage each of you to read those novels or any sci-fi novels you typically find in the top 100 science fiction lists and re-evaluate your rating of this book.
To the people who gave it 1 star: Writ...more
To the people who gave this book five stars: Five stars? Seriously? You are saying this book ranks right up there with Robert A. Heinlein's "Stranger in a Strange Land", Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game", or Neal Stephenson's "Snow Crash"? I would encourage each of you to read those novels or any sci-fi novels you typically find in the top 100 science fiction lists and re-evaluate your rating of this book.
To the people who gave it 1 star: Writ...more
i've just finished reading the 7th book of this series (Against All Odds) and just wanted to give my perspective of this series. like some of the reviewers said, it's true, deprima's choice of sentences and the way he execute this first book is somewhat terrible. poor choice of words to describe anything that could be done in less words and simpler ways was written in some degree of annoyance, at least to my liking.
the overall plot and background is also very typical star trek-meets-battle star...more
the overall plot and background is also very typical star trek-meets-battle star...more
The premise of the book was interesting, but the writer's execution is terrible. This review will delve into plot elements, but trust me, nothing I can write here could ruin this book for you as much as the author's own mistakes will.
Reagrding style, there's a grotesque amount of exposition on unnecessary background elements. The writing is clumsy: full of adjectives and occasionally pretentious. The dialogue is clumsy: none of the characters speaks in a way that sounds natural (cadence and voca...more
Reagrding style, there's a grotesque amount of exposition on unnecessary background elements. The writing is clumsy: full of adjectives and occasionally pretentious. The dialogue is clumsy: none of the characters speaks in a way that sounds natural (cadence and voca...more
I enjoyed this book. A lot. That's so you understand that my criticisms do not detract from a good, solid, if predictable, story.
First impressions were actually not good at all. "Why does the man have to use so many exclamation marks?" I thought as I read Chapter One. "And why is he detailing all this stuff that I would prefer to pick up as I go along". Stuff like detailing the command structure and history of Space Command, how a cargo ship is constructed and how personal data rings work.
The st...more
First impressions were actually not good at all. "Why does the man have to use so many exclamation marks?" I thought as I read Chapter One. "And why is he detailing all this stuff that I would prefer to pick up as I go along". Stuff like detailing the command structure and history of Space Command, how a cargo ship is constructed and how personal data rings work.
The st...more
Loved this book, it reminds me of David Weber's Honor Harrington, Anne McCaffrey's Planet Pirates or Elizabeth Moon's Serrano series.
There is a slightly larger than life character who is thrown into all sorts of suspenseful situations. DePrima's universe is totally believable and fascinating.
It's Military Sci-fi; here's my review from the Amazon page:
I was thrilled to stumble across this gem of an ebook. The action is incredibly fast-paced & suspenseful. The main character is intrepid &...more
There is a slightly larger than life character who is thrown into all sorts of suspenseful situations. DePrima's universe is totally believable and fascinating.
It's Military Sci-fi; here's my review from the Amazon page:
I was thrilled to stumble across this gem of an ebook. The action is incredibly fast-paced & suspenseful. The main character is intrepid &...more
I almost quit reading after the first paragraph.
Frankly, it was awful, an almost comical compilation of how NOT to write well. The author's over-use of adjectives and adverbs and his love affair with the thesaurus were at times difficult to read. The first third of the book was filled with pages of boring exposition and back-story that added little if anything to the narrative.
But...
I read a number of reviews here that said it got better and...it did. Yes, Jen is too perfect and somehow always g...more
Frankly, it was awful, an almost comical compilation of how NOT to write well. The author's over-use of adjectives and adverbs and his love affair with the thesaurus were at times difficult to read. The first third of the book was filled with pages of boring exposition and back-story that added little if anything to the narrative.
But...
I read a number of reviews here that said it got better and...it did. Yes, Jen is too perfect and somehow always g...more
To me, this book is a more palatable version of the Honor Harrington novels by David Weber. It is very derivative lacking much originality, but it is derivative of many things that I enjoy, while at the same time repeating some of my least favorite tropes.
The writer is talented, but needs a hand at some of the plotting of the book, as well as some editting of the final product. There are several needlessly clunky assumptions made. I'll give you an example: There is an assumption made, and state...more
The writer is talented, but needs a hand at some of the plotting of the book, as well as some editting of the final product. There are several needlessly clunky assumptions made. I'll give you an example: There is an assumption made, and state...more
This book kept popping up on a recommended-for-me book list. I gave it a whirl, but this book is a mess. I stopped somewhere halfway through. Thankfully, this was a kindle lend, and I didn't waste any money on it.
I also didn't realize that this was self-published. That in and of itself is not a bad thing, but it leads me to my first and biggest criticism. This book needs an editor desperately. I think you would chop this book in half easily if you got rid of all the exposition. I don't know how...more
I also didn't realize that this was self-published. That in and of itself is not a bad thing, but it leads me to my first and biggest criticism. This book needs an editor desperately. I think you would chop this book in half easily if you got rid of all the exposition. I don't know how...more
For a book full of action, this one reads ridiculously slow. It routinely bogs down with excessive descriptions and poor dialogue. As soon as tension starts to build, it's quickly diffused and we're back to routine narration.
It feels like a new authors first book - although I have no idea if it actually is. I considered buying the next in the series, to see if the writer's skill improved (because it is a fun plot), but it's not worth $5.99. If the book was available in the Kindle Lending Librar...more
It feels like a new authors first book - although I have no idea if it actually is. I considered buying the next in the series, to see if the writer's skill improved (because it is a fun plot), but it's not worth $5.99. If the book was available in the Kindle Lending Librar...more
A Galaxy Unknown by Thomas DePrima is pure space cowboy stuff. It is all plot, lots of action. And most of the twists and turns are predictable. The characters are truly two-dimentional.
So with all of that, it must be pretty bad… But it isn’t! Its lots of fun. The pace is such that it will keep you awake when you should be going to sleep at night. “Just a few more pages…” There is nothing here to make it remarkable. It is just flat-out fun. So pick it up if you like this sort of thing.
So with all of that, it must be pretty bad… But it isn’t! Its lots of fun. The pace is such that it will keep you awake when you should be going to sleep at night. “Just a few more pages…” There is nothing here to make it remarkable. It is just flat-out fun. So pick it up if you like this sort of thing.
This book is friggen amazing!!!!
The Kindle version comes with a foreword from the author that I was actually happy to read. He sets the stage for the book and gives you an idea of what to expect and not expect from his style and idea of what a space opera is (in his opinion).
The flow and pace of the story is great. The author doesn't bog you down with too much description but he doesn't leave you scratching your head going...Huh? by not putting enough description either. He really captures the e...more
The Kindle version comes with a foreword from the author that I was actually happy to read. He sets the stage for the book and gives you an idea of what to expect and not expect from his style and idea of what a space opera is (in his opinion).
The flow and pace of the story is great. The author doesn't bog you down with too much description but he doesn't leave you scratching your head going...Huh? by not putting enough description either. He really captures the e...more
A Galaxy Unknown
I've never read anything from this author before but decided to take a chance on this book and I'm so glad I did. A Galaxy Unknown is a fabulous read and worth every penny! When first starting any book, I sometimes I have a hard time getting into it but I was completely engrossed into this story from the very beginning. The only negative aspect of this book is sometimes the author would drone on just a bit too long on the technical aspect of the story. Other than that, this story...more
I've never read anything from this author before but decided to take a chance on this book and I'm so glad I did. A Galaxy Unknown is a fabulous read and worth every penny! When first starting any book, I sometimes I have a hard time getting into it but I was completely engrossed into this story from the very beginning. The only negative aspect of this book is sometimes the author would drone on just a bit too long on the technical aspect of the story. Other than that, this story...more
This was a particularly annoying book. It had all the hallmarks of something great, but in the end it just didn't live up to it. Some of the ideas present were great, some of the scenes were great, in short there were loads of areas in which this excelled. But there were just as many areas that let the book down so spectacularly. It was entertaining but just had so many faults that this book rests for me somewhere between Two and a half --> Three Stars.
Plot: Two Stars and a Half
The premise w...more
Plot: Two Stars and a Half
The premise w...more
I like the main character. That's crucial. And the aventure was fun. I didn't see all the plot twists coming. But it was filled with overdone adjectives and adverbs (so many reactions happened "suddenly" instantly" etc; all the action was "faster than ever before" or "inhumanly tough" etc) and characters shared their thoughts so plainly it was occasionally unbelievable. But, again, I like Jenetta and I enjoyed seeing her struggles and victories. If you're willing to be forgiving, it can be a fun...more
I debated on the 3/4 star thing a while, but decided to just let him have the extra star for a first time read.
As expected, this is kinda a space cowbow/hornblower book, which targets me right in my vulnerable underbelly. The execution is pretty good, though I found the characters giving expositions to each other on things they should know perfectly well, just so I, the reader, could learn them too.
I'm also a little squinty at the author for the sexy-lead thing, as it's not really necessary to a...more
As expected, this is kinda a space cowbow/hornblower book, which targets me right in my vulnerable underbelly. The execution is pretty good, though I found the characters giving expositions to each other on things they should know perfectly well, just so I, the reader, could learn them too.
I'm also a little squinty at the author for the sexy-lead thing, as it's not really necessary to a...more
Reads like a bad action movie. Enjoyable in it's own way, but I will not buy the rest of the series. The already pretty weak and reused story is further marred by large infodumps – let me tell you about ancient movies in the middle of a desperate situation! The tomboy heroine is the only woman who's in any way capable in a tight situation. Really, the doctor is shown as a level headed professional, but all other women are whimpering, brain washed, and useless.
This is a hard one to writeup.
Starts out great. Jumps back in time well. Grows a bit then just sort of plateaus. The writing is good, straightforward, easy to read. The different adventures should be good, but just seem to fall short somehow. That's where I fail in words to describe. The end is a bit over the top, but not unexpected.
Overall, I'd say it was on the good side and not a waste of time reading.
Starts out great. Jumps back in time well. Grows a bit then just sort of plateaus. The writing is good, straightforward, easy to read. The different adventures should be good, but just seem to fall short somehow. That's where I fail in words to describe. The end is a bit over the top, but not unexpected.
Overall, I'd say it was on the good side and not a waste of time reading.
I needed a book to read on my Kindle and just picked this up at random from the scifi section because it was cheap and had good reviews.
This book is a real page turner, is fast paced and does get you really involved in the action. I normally just read in bed but this one had me reading it at every opportunity. The characters are larger than life, and perhaps a fraction too large, and the author does seem obsessed with peoples height for some reason.
The book reminds me of Battlestar Galactica in...more
This book is a real page turner, is fast paced and does get you really involved in the action. I normally just read in bed but this one had me reading it at every opportunity. The characters are larger than life, and perhaps a fraction too large, and the author does seem obsessed with peoples height for some reason.
The book reminds me of Battlestar Galactica in...more
I greatly enjoy books with a strong female character and Thomas has certainly created such in Jenetta Carver. As one might suspect from the title is is sci-fi, but in the believable category. Jenetta is definitely not a copycat version of David Weber's Honor Harrington although they share some characteristics. I highly recommend the Jenetta series (7 so far) for good entertaining reading.
Quite nice space opera with female main protagonist, somewhat reminding me of "Honor Harrington" series by David Weber and also of "Vatta's War" series by Elizabeth Moon. Though a bit weaker than either of them in my opinion.
Dec 22, 2011
Scott
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
everyone
Recommended to Scott by:
online
This series blew me away. I just finished reading all (current) eight books. It is a fantastic Read! For those who enjoy good Sci-Fi epics you need to read these. This series is very much like The David Weber Honor series crossed with a little Babylon 5, some Star Trek, and the writings of Robert heinlein. If you read anything this year read these.
The first instalment of a great SF series. The heroine is Jenetta Carver who is found adrift in a stasis pod. This is good old fashioned science fiction. Easy to sneer at, but a great guilty secret, and on your Kindle - no one knows. Just say you are reading Plato's Republic. (Yes I know at least one of you who probably is anyway!).
Sep 12, 2011
Dan
marked it as first-chapter-only
This begins with a foreword in which the author explains that yes, he knows this is a total Mary Sue, but lots of people like it anyway, and he hopes you will too.
I -- I mean, that's not necessarily enough to throw the book out. But the text itself reads like he's just bought a thesaurus and is not afraid to use it. Painful.
I -- I mean, that's not necessarily enough to throw the book out. But the text itself reads like he's just bought a thesaurus and is not afraid to use it. Painful.
This serise while very light on plausibility are some of the most fun reading I have had in a long time. The books fly by, you just need to turn disbelieving off. There are numerous cases of 'coincident' that happen and save the day. The timing is just to impossible to believe, but having said that they are still a really fun read.
I read this book because the bad reviews at amazon amused me so much. I agree, it was bad... In a 80s cliche space hero kind of way. And really, a whole chapter on the history of FTL and the military? Ugh. And the first chapter is overly "look at me I know super big words". My sachrymal glands are annoyed with this. Ha.
Good book overall but the female protagonist is a massive mary sue albeit not as annoying as I found Honor Harrington. It's still enough to throw me out of the book every now and then when large parts of a chapter are spent with people discussing how completely amazing the heroine is.
This entire series provides good weekend fun reading that moves pretty quickly and if you are used to space opera at all, you won't have any trouble getting into it. It's not a complicated story and the characters lack real depth, but I wouldn't reject it outright.
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Nov 27, 2012 05:08am