Fool's Gold

Wandering Engineer #2

by Chris Hechtl

Fresh from his adventures with the crew of the Io11, Fleet Admiral Irons, aka the Wandering Engineer has a new challenge ahead of him. The Pyrax system is ripe for change. But first he has to get Anvil sorted out before he can really roll up his sleeves and get started. One thing after another happens though, Pirates, politics, ego driven scientists, and change. Lots of change, mostly for the better. He'll find out if Pyrax is his golden opportunity to restart civilization or is it...
Fool's Gold

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Military Fiction, Military Science Fiction, Space

Nook

First published July 27, 2011

Reviews

[COLM P · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in a sweeping series - it’s self-published, and there is the occasional proof-reading glitch, but the series, in toto, is an amazing collection. After this book was published there were three prequels, which are also worth reading. But overall this is a very fine series of, ultimately over 30 books (I lost count), that would benefit from a reading order list. Hechtl has imagined an impressively detailed fictional universe, complex economically, sociologically and politically, and free from the right wing or left wing tropes one finds in other series.

It’s a really good series and I wish a mainstream publisher would pick it up. This book, like a few, would benefit from a re-edit and re-proof-read, reflecting Hechtl’s maturing as an author. But I heartily recommend all the books in this story arc.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Suck ending

So another good book in the wandering engineer series. This is a re read again I enjoyed the series originally a long time ago.The books like this 1 are long and fairly detailed. Mainly about the slow rebuilding and rebirth of a federation. Fleet admiral irons always seems to land where he is needed. Which is pretty much everywhere considering many of the world's are back to horse and buggy.

[billy cardon · Rating 5 out of 5]

fools gold the wandering Engineer

One of the best series I have ever read it fun and keeps you interested. Read the first one before this on

[Gallandro_83 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series has spent a lot of time setting a stage that never seems to truly do more than limp along. In this second book we once again get quite a bit of information about a system and people with quite a bit of time spent creating and recreating the idea of what are becoming routine actions between people. Especially given how little action has occurred it makes the book at certain points feel very very slow. I also am getting a little frustrated that we seem to get so much information about what I would call minutia yet we still haven't been given much information about a lot of things. One of the biggest is we really don't know much about the Xenos. I had assumed they were human until the book talked a little about them. We still don't know how large their territory. We have been told that the Federation was so large and yet all their main planets form the hundreds of species were destroyed supposedly. Did that mean the Xeno's had as large of a population? It just feels as if so much information is not really given to us but just taken as a given.

I also can't get over how much of the book is spent on boot-strap efforts and that it is so similar to what happened in book 1, I would think some of it could be skipped over and just given to us readers as a fait accompli. I also am surprised that after 700 years no geniuses had helped certain small systems to get back to at least a 20th century level of technology.

I will pick up the next book but I think the author could be helped if he tried to pick up the pace and glossed over some of the classes and certain scenes we already are aware the common citizen is ignorant and want to learn for the most part.

gallandro

[Tweedledee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lackluster

Most of the book is snippets and allegorical stories about naval life or short explanations on some of the science involved. VERY LITTLE action or fighting. MC is also a rather week character. The choice he makes at the end would have far more consequences than he gives it credit for. Only gave it 2 stars because the technology is fun to read about.

[Nathanael Keeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cracker of a read

I liked the first book in the series but this one was much better. The first book was quite choppy with little scenes in an overall story. This book was more fluid and felt much more connected. I look forward to more in this series.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author draws a lot of stuff out and repeats techno stuff constantly

[Mrducking · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waaayyy better than the first book.
I'm really happy I kept reading the series.