This Little Piggy

by J.G. Brin

Mac makes a living where he can, playing fast and loose with the laws of the Porcine Republic. He’s faced every kind of danger possible in both known and unknown quadrants. Luck and skill have served him well enough until he unwittingly unleashes the fury of a beast the likes of which he's never seen.

Cal is a doctor, left alone to safeguard a deserted medical outpost. She bitterly opposes the military expansion of the Republic and regrets the part she has played in aiding the marines. Her world is about to be rocked to its core.

Zok is a marine, living in self-imposed exile on Planet V3. Half-patriot, half-visionary and completely bananas, he is the third and final piece required to defeat the beast that arrives on the planet he now calls home.

Join these three unlikely heroes as they form an alliance on the frontier of space to defeat the most powerful opponent the galaxy has ever known.

230 pages, Paperback

Published June 23, 2025

Reviews

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading This Little Piggy by J.G. Brin was an absolute blast!

I love a creative retelling, and this might be one of the most unusual spins on a familiar idea I have seen in a long time. The story takes the spirit of the classic three little pigs tale and launches it straight into space. The result is a lively science fiction adventure packed with action, humour, and a surprisingly lovable group of heroes.

Mac, a risk-taking smuggler, quickly finds himself in serious trouble after crossing paths with a terrifying alien predator. A rescue by Cal, a doctor stationed at a remote medical outpost, changes everything. Soon they are joined by Zok, a marine living in isolation on a distant planet. Watching these three work together against a powerful enemy makes the story feel exciting from the first chapters.

This book is fast paced, full of incredible descriptions, has lots of comedy, and keeps the stakes high throughout. . The fact that the characters are pigs living in a spacefaring society gives the story a playful personality, and the occasional pig-themed joke made me smile more than once. Even with all the fun, the danger feels real as the trio tries to survive and outsmart the creature hunting them. J.G. Brin delivers a science fiction story that feels fresh, imaginative, and full of energy. If you enjoy adventurous sci-fi with a clever twist and characters worth cheering for, This Little Piggy is a fantastic pick.

One of my new favourite sci-fi books!!

Five out of five stars.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

[Camille]

An original story which brings to mind a lot of old movies like Predator & t.v. series like Star Trek. In a universe inhabited by pigs instead of humans, a smuggler & poacher agrees to take on his friend's debt to save his bacon. He gets stranded on a planet no one knows anything about. Taking rare samples to pay off his debt, he is attacked by a local wolf of this world. Badly injured he takes off to get away & is found floating in space by a triage nurse on a medical station & brought back to full health. That's two piggies. Unbeknownst to them the wolf has managed to follow ithem. It accidentally destroys the medical station which crashes to the planet below. There they find a sole marine. The wolf survives the fall with the pieces of the medical station. That makes one wolf & three piggies. Will they survive the wolf, get off the planet & repay the debt? This is an interesting story with humour injected throughout to lighten it up. Quite often you forget the characters are pigs till they make a pun about it. An enjoyable read that you'll often find oddly familiar or even mentally rolling your eyes at.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.

[Anne Shortlived · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and clever, this novel takes the classic pigs vs. wolves rivalry and rockets it into space with humor and heart. I loved the unique setup of pig heroes facing off with a terrifying beast, and the main character’s struggles kept me invested. Mac is crazy but in a good way but so is the military guy, so it makes Mac seem semi-normal.

The little Mac art icons at the start of each chapter are a charming bonus that not a lot of self-publish books add to make their books stand out.

If you’re a fan of fairy tales crossed with sci-fi action and dark comedy, this is a fresh, entertaining read.

Thanks for the ARC copy from Pen Pinery: https://penpinery.com/jgbrin/this-lit...

[Shelley Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good fun! Great read for a fun sci fi. Doesn't take it self too seriously, entertaining :)

[Daniel Racicot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read, great characters, lots of chuckling as I was reading. looking forward to the sequel.