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War for Empire #1
War for Empire: Legacy:
Power, politics, and intergalactic war... Admiral Stone just wanted to retire.
Xenophobia and itchy trigger fingers nearly ended the Sol Alliance. War—avoidable yet inevitable—ensued with the Arcoenum, an exotic alien species with overwhelming mental abilities. The Alliance survived thanks to the quick thinking of a brash, young starship officer, Nick Stone.
A half-century of peace followed, and Stone spends the rest of his life reluctantly accepting the endless accolades of a grateful humanity. Now, at 75, he’s not only ready to retire—he’s desperate to.
“S-O-S. All ships and stations. My name is Alice Keller...”
When a distress call goes out from Drake’s World, newly elected Alliance President Piers Bragg pressures Stone into one final rescue the young girl marooned on the planet, then sail triumphantly into retirement.
But when Alice demonstrates amazing psychokinetic abilities, everything changes. And Bragg will stop at nothing to exploit her abilities as he prepares for a war of revenge against what's left of the Arcoenum.
The Expanse meets Star Trek in this military science fiction epic from award-winning author Chris Pourteau. How many times can we forget the lessons of history… before history decides to forget us?
Xenophobia and itchy trigger fingers nearly ended the Sol Alliance. War—avoidable yet inevitable—ensued with the Arcoenum, an exotic alien species with overwhelming mental abilities. The Alliance survived thanks to the quick thinking of a brash, young starship officer, Nick Stone.
A half-century of peace followed, and Stone spends the rest of his life reluctantly accepting the endless accolades of a grateful humanity. Now, at 75, he’s not only ready to retire—he’s desperate to.
“S-O-S. All ships and stations. My name is Alice Keller...”
When a distress call goes out from Drake’s World, newly elected Alliance President Piers Bragg pressures Stone into one final rescue the young girl marooned on the planet, then sail triumphantly into retirement.
But when Alice demonstrates amazing psychokinetic abilities, everything changes. And Bragg will stop at nothing to exploit her abilities as he prepares for a war of revenge against what's left of the Arcoenum.
The Expanse meets Star Trek in this military science fiction epic from award-winning author Chris Pourteau. How many times can we forget the lessons of history… before history decides to forget us?
- GenresScience Fiction
386 pages, Paperback
Published April 11, 2023
About the author
Chris Pourteau
49 books65 followersChris Pourteau is the bestselling author of the sci-fi thriller novels of the SynCorp Saga (co-authored with David Bruns), the post-apocalyptic Serenity Strain novels, and the military sci-fi collection Tales of B-Company. His first novel, Shadows Burned In, earned the 2015 eLit Book Awards Gold Medal for Literary Fiction. The Lazarus Protocol, the first novel in the SynCorp Saga, placed in the Top Ten in Read Freely's 2018 50 Best Indie Book of the Year contest; it was the highest-rated Sci-Fi novel in the contest.
He’s also edited and curated bestselling short story collections including the two animal-centric collections Tails of the Apocalypse and Tails of Dystopia (with Samuel Peralta), as well as Bridge Across the Stars, a collection of Sci-Fi stories from indie and traditionally published authors published by Sci-Fi Bridge, which Chris co-founded.
His dayjob is editor-in-chief for the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, which researches cutting-edge technologies across the transportation spectrum. Chris Pourteau is the bestselling author of the sci-fi thriller novels of the SynCorp Saga (co-authored with David Bruns), the post-apocalyptic Serenity Strain novels, and the military sci-fi collection Tales of B-Company. His first novel, Shadows Burned In, earned the 2015 eLit Book Awards Gold Medal for Literary Fiction. The Lazarus Protocol, the first novel in the SynCorp Saga, placed in the Top Ten in Read Freely's 2018 50 Best Indie Book of the Year contest; it was the highest-rated Sci-Fi novel in the contest.
He’s also edited and curated bestselling short story collections including the two animal-centric collections Tails of the Apocalypse and Tails of Dystopia (with Samuel Peralta), as well as Bridge Across the Stars, a collection of Sci-Fi stories from indie and traditionally published authors published by Sci-Fi Bridge, which Chris co-founded. His dayjob is editor-in-chief for the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, which researches cutting-edge technologies across the transportation spectrum.
When he’s not writing, editing, or working the dayjob, Chris loves exercising regularly, watching shows like Star Trek and Stranger Things, and reading his favorite authors. Those include Bernard Cornwell, Stephen King, George R.R. Martin, Edgar Allan Poe, and Max Collins. He lives in Texas with his wife, son, and two dogs. (He’s a HUGE dog person, by the way.)
Find out more about Chris and his writing through his newsletter. Sign up and get free stuff at https://chrispourteau.com/newsletter.
He’s also edited and curated bestselling short story collections including the two animal-centric collections Tails of the Apocalypse and Tails of Dystopia (with Samuel Peralta), as well as Bridge Across the Stars, a collection of Sci-Fi stories from indie and traditionally published authors published by Sci-Fi Bridge, which Chris co-founded.
His dayjob is editor-in-chief for the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, which researches cutting-edge technologies across the transportation spectrum. Chris Pourteau is the bestselling author of the sci-fi thriller novels of the SynCorp Saga (co-authored with David Bruns), the post-apocalyptic Serenity Strain novels, and the military sci-fi collection Tales of B-Company. His first novel, Shadows Burned In, earned the 2015 eLit Book Awards Gold Medal for Literary Fiction. The Lazarus Protocol, the first novel in the SynCorp Saga, placed in the Top Ten in Read Freely's 2018 50 Best Indie Book of the Year contest; it was the highest-rated Sci-Fi novel in the contest.
He’s also edited and curated bestselling short story collections including the two animal-centric collections Tails of the Apocalypse and Tails of Dystopia (with Samuel Peralta), as well as Bridge Across the Stars, a collection of Sci-Fi stories from indie and traditionally published authors published by Sci-Fi Bridge, which Chris co-founded. His dayjob is editor-in-chief for the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, which researches cutting-edge technologies across the transportation spectrum.
When he’s not writing, editing, or working the dayjob, Chris loves exercising regularly, watching shows like Star Trek and Stranger Things, and reading his favorite authors. Those include Bernard Cornwell, Stephen King, George R.R. Martin, Edgar Allan Poe, and Max Collins. He lives in Texas with his wife, son, and two dogs. (He’s a HUGE dog person, by the way.)
Find out more about Chris and his writing through his newsletter. Sign up and get free stuff at https://chrispourteau.com/newsletter.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 17, 2023
Good start to a new series by Pourteau. An intergalactic war is over, but the new president of the planetary federation has a hawkish agenda and seizes an opportunity to advance his "human first" platform. The grandson of a great general of the first war and the rescued teenager (with strange kinetic abilities) are but pawns in the escalating conflict that seems inevitably to lead to a War for Empire. Language warning. 4.5 stars and recommended to fans of space opera, mil sf, and readers of first contact / space colony novels.
June 2, 2023
This is a new author that I will be reading again. A new series that sounds like it's going to be very interesting. I have no idea where it's going to go or what will happen next. I'll fill you in a little on what happened in this book. Our main character is either Grand Admiral Nicholas Stone, or it might be his grandson, Lieutenant Benjamin (Ben) Stone. Both are in the military, the Admiral obviously part of the space Navy while his grandson chose to go with the Alliance Ground Forces (AGF) as a Marine. Admiral Stone is about to retire. He's way past his prime or so he thinks and has let himself go physically so much so that he probably shouldn't still be on active duty. Yet, he's a hero of the Solar Alliance.
Way back when Commander Stone was serving aboard the Rubicon, the ship was one of the remaining few that were defending the Sol Alliance against the Arcanus Collective. The aliens were also known as the Arcoenum or "Archies". They had weapons some what less capable than the Alliance as were their starships. Yet, they also had a far more dangerous weapon in that they were capable of infiltrating the minds of the humans and cause the to do their bidding. Early during the war, this had caused great losses for the Alliance not knowing why their own ships and crews suddenly turned traitors and started firing on supposedly friendly ships. The Alliance had adapted countermeasures to prevent these mind incursions, but sometimes they didn't always work especially if a ship had received damage. The Archies, on the other hand, started sending small remote controlled "clampers" that attached to a ship and drilled through it's protective layers providing a pathway for the Archies to then attack the crews minds.
The Rubicon was headed towards Gibraltar Station and with it a major battle between these two enemies. A defeat here by either force would spell disaster for the losing side. At first, the humans seemed to gain the upper hand, but as the pounding on Alliance ships continued the Archie "clampers" began digging their way into various ships. Soon, one of the most advanced human starship broke ranks and headed to seemingly joint the ranks of the Archies. Other ships also began breaking formation and going over to the Archies side. Even on Commander Stone's ship, the Rubicon, the attacks were relentless. Then Captain Richard Merrick began giving orders not like those he would normally. As a final precaution against a ship's crew, including the captain, being compromised by the Archies, each crewmember was armed. Unfortunately for Captain Merrick he lost control of the Rubicon and only through the direct intervention did Commander Stone regain command of the Rubicon. Since the Rubicon was the command ship of the fleet, Stone now found himself as the Fleet Commander and he had to do something or the fleet would no longer exist. Well, he did, and now, many years later, he's known as the Hero of Gibraltar Station.
Time passes and in this case, fifty years have gone by with peace between the Archies and the Sol Alliance. During that time, political leaders also change. The new President of the Sol Alliance was about to be sworn in, but he and the out-going President thought it would be a fine idea to promote Admiral Nicholas Stone to Grand Admiral, a rank not normally given to anyone in the fleet. Stone didn't want the rank because he thought it pretentious and silly. Yet, he only had six days to go before retirement and he would be done with all this stuff. But the new, incoming President-elect had another agenda. The Alliance had recived a distant distress call from a young girl somewhere out on the Frontier.
This distress call had been going through space for at least three years and the President-elect wanted to make a big public relations splash by rescuing the girl, but he also wanted proof that the Archies were responsible for causing the crash of the scientific spaceship, the SS Seeker, on the planet Drake's World. He had no proof whatsoever that the Archies were involved, but he was a war hawk, always assuming that the Archies were preparing for their next attack. He was not familiar with war as was Grand Admiral Stone and didn't know better than to avoid it at all cost.
In Grand Admiral Stone's mind, the President-elect was a danger to the peace between the two civilizations, but if the President-elect wanted him to go on this rescue mission, he would follow orders and go. HIs grandson, Ben would also go with the potential to make another hero out of a Stone. And to make matters worse, there were officers, senior officers aboard the now restored Rubicon and her escort, the Eliminator, that were very loyal to the new President. They were there to ensure the President's orders were carried out, including finding proof that the Archies were involved, even if they weren't!
This is a different kind of book. One that shows how military and political minds can become so out of wack with each other that the military-mind can only fall back to his duty. His duty is to protect the citizens of his civilization, all the citizens or even one citizen. The military mind does not want war no matter how badly the politicians want to start one. So, Grand Admiral Stone has to make some monumental decisions that might well get his retirement thrown right out the window.
The next book should be very interesting. There are several undercurrents yet to be explored in this story. I don't even know if Grand Admiral Stone will continue to be part of the story. I guess in Book 2, "Warpath", we'll find out.
Way back when Commander Stone was serving aboard the Rubicon, the ship was one of the remaining few that were defending the Sol Alliance against the Arcanus Collective. The aliens were also known as the Arcoenum or "Archies". They had weapons some what less capable than the Alliance as were their starships. Yet, they also had a far more dangerous weapon in that they were capable of infiltrating the minds of the humans and cause the to do their bidding. Early during the war, this had caused great losses for the Alliance not knowing why their own ships and crews suddenly turned traitors and started firing on supposedly friendly ships. The Alliance had adapted countermeasures to prevent these mind incursions, but sometimes they didn't always work especially if a ship had received damage. The Archies, on the other hand, started sending small remote controlled "clampers" that attached to a ship and drilled through it's protective layers providing a pathway for the Archies to then attack the crews minds.
The Rubicon was headed towards Gibraltar Station and with it a major battle between these two enemies. A defeat here by either force would spell disaster for the losing side. At first, the humans seemed to gain the upper hand, but as the pounding on Alliance ships continued the Archie "clampers" began digging their way into various ships. Soon, one of the most advanced human starship broke ranks and headed to seemingly joint the ranks of the Archies. Other ships also began breaking formation and going over to the Archies side. Even on Commander Stone's ship, the Rubicon, the attacks were relentless. Then Captain Richard Merrick began giving orders not like those he would normally. As a final precaution against a ship's crew, including the captain, being compromised by the Archies, each crewmember was armed. Unfortunately for Captain Merrick he lost control of the Rubicon and only through the direct intervention did Commander Stone regain command of the Rubicon. Since the Rubicon was the command ship of the fleet, Stone now found himself as the Fleet Commander and he had to do something or the fleet would no longer exist. Well, he did, and now, many years later, he's known as the Hero of Gibraltar Station.
Time passes and in this case, fifty years have gone by with peace between the Archies and the Sol Alliance. During that time, political leaders also change. The new President of the Sol Alliance was about to be sworn in, but he and the out-going President thought it would be a fine idea to promote Admiral Nicholas Stone to Grand Admiral, a rank not normally given to anyone in the fleet. Stone didn't want the rank because he thought it pretentious and silly. Yet, he only had six days to go before retirement and he would be done with all this stuff. But the new, incoming President-elect had another agenda. The Alliance had recived a distant distress call from a young girl somewhere out on the Frontier.
This distress call had been going through space for at least three years and the President-elect wanted to make a big public relations splash by rescuing the girl, but he also wanted proof that the Archies were responsible for causing the crash of the scientific spaceship, the SS Seeker, on the planet Drake's World. He had no proof whatsoever that the Archies were involved, but he was a war hawk, always assuming that the Archies were preparing for their next attack. He was not familiar with war as was Grand Admiral Stone and didn't know better than to avoid it at all cost.
In Grand Admiral Stone's mind, the President-elect was a danger to the peace between the two civilizations, but if the President-elect wanted him to go on this rescue mission, he would follow orders and go. HIs grandson, Ben would also go with the potential to make another hero out of a Stone. And to make matters worse, there were officers, senior officers aboard the now restored Rubicon and her escort, the Eliminator, that were very loyal to the new President. They were there to ensure the President's orders were carried out, including finding proof that the Archies were involved, even if they weren't!
This is a different kind of book. One that shows how military and political minds can become so out of wack with each other that the military-mind can only fall back to his duty. His duty is to protect the citizens of his civilization, all the citizens or even one citizen. The military mind does not want war no matter how badly the politicians want to start one. So, Grand Admiral Stone has to make some monumental decisions that might well get his retirement thrown right out the window.
The next book should be very interesting. There are several undercurrents yet to be explored in this story. I don't even know if Grand Admiral Stone will continue to be part of the story. I guess in Book 2, "Warpath", we'll find out.
April 30, 2023
Legacy takes a pretty standard story line (the young officer who is thrust into a position to save the day), and changes it a little bit, as he takes us past all the events that actually happened to the young officer, and we see the same officer 50+yrs on, as an Admiral in his mid-70’s and attending his retirement dinner with both the current President, and the new President elect for the Alliance (a collection of colonised worlds). Admiral Nicholas Stone was the hero of the Specter War against the Arcenum, alien creatures that whilst not as powerful in a military sense as humanity, they have the ability to use mind-control to take over a person (or many hundreds of people), potentially an entire ship and create chaos.
At the start of this book, we get to see glimpses of the past, seeing into Admiral Stone’s past, whilst seeing his somewhat disgruntled, overweight, current self, a bit disillusioned with the government, and how life has turned out, after the death of his wife, only child (her husband0, leaving his Grandson to him. Benjamin Stone joined the Alliance Fleet, but is not the model officer, using Admiral Stone’s history as cover to get out of trouble on multiple occasions.
It is at a ceremony to present the Admiral with some awards for his service, that he learns that there is an ulterior motive for the ceremony. They wish him to perform a final mission, a rescue mission, to find a lost teenage girl, found on a planet in the zone that has been deemed neutral in the peace treaty between the Arcenum and the Alliance for nearly 50yrs. Fourteen Year old Alice Keller is alone, the sole survivor of a marooned ship with a desperate distress signal. The President Elect, Bragg, puts a lot of pressure on the old hero, Stone, to go and rescue this girl, a final mission to go off into retirement in, and make Bragg’s new Government look good. Stone is strong-armed into performing the mission, and he takes his grandson along with him, as well as multiple other specialists, including his good friend Morgan Henry, a doctor to look after the girl, and Admiral Hallett, who is acting as his XO on this mission.
The mission evolves into something of a political mess, with Bragg sending several other ships with Captains and Marines that are under his control. The search however, becomes so much more complicated when teams locate Alice, only to have her exhibit psychokinetic abilities, something no human has ever shown before.
The Arcenum have incredible mental abilities, and the thought of having a human able to have similar abilities to combat the Arcenum has the military and the President Elect going crazy, willing to do anything to get her.
However, Stone, and Henry, have other ideas.
This is a story that is a Mil Sci-Fi, wrapped in an intriguing Political Thriller. There is an interesting contrast in characters, Grand Admiral Nick Stone is a really great character as the grizzled old commander, having reached the end of a career in which he made some difficult choices early on that saved humanity, and has based a career and life on this. However, he is weary and tired of it. His Grandson is a privileged, spoiled, narcissistic officer who has no concern for anyone other than himself, he is a pretty standard character. Morgan Henry is pretty typecast for that grumpy old Doctor (McCoy comes to mind), although his character does improve towards the end of the book.
One of the best characters is young Alice, whose exploits as she battles on the planet to survive whilst waiting for her rescuers is fascinating. Watching the young teenager struggle against the elements and other difficult things on the planet is easily the best part of this story.
There are some really great aspects to the world-building, some parts which become a lot more obvious further into the book. Whilst some of the characters are a little stereotypical, it is worth overlooking this for the stronger characters, especially Alice, and the compelling world building.
This is the first book that is building towards a really captivating and enthralling series, can’t wait for book 2.
At the start of this book, we get to see glimpses of the past, seeing into Admiral Stone’s past, whilst seeing his somewhat disgruntled, overweight, current self, a bit disillusioned with the government, and how life has turned out, after the death of his wife, only child (her husband0, leaving his Grandson to him. Benjamin Stone joined the Alliance Fleet, but is not the model officer, using Admiral Stone’s history as cover to get out of trouble on multiple occasions.
It is at a ceremony to present the Admiral with some awards for his service, that he learns that there is an ulterior motive for the ceremony. They wish him to perform a final mission, a rescue mission, to find a lost teenage girl, found on a planet in the zone that has been deemed neutral in the peace treaty between the Arcenum and the Alliance for nearly 50yrs. Fourteen Year old Alice Keller is alone, the sole survivor of a marooned ship with a desperate distress signal. The President Elect, Bragg, puts a lot of pressure on the old hero, Stone, to go and rescue this girl, a final mission to go off into retirement in, and make Bragg’s new Government look good. Stone is strong-armed into performing the mission, and he takes his grandson along with him, as well as multiple other specialists, including his good friend Morgan Henry, a doctor to look after the girl, and Admiral Hallett, who is acting as his XO on this mission.
The mission evolves into something of a political mess, with Bragg sending several other ships with Captains and Marines that are under his control. The search however, becomes so much more complicated when teams locate Alice, only to have her exhibit psychokinetic abilities, something no human has ever shown before.
The Arcenum have incredible mental abilities, and the thought of having a human able to have similar abilities to combat the Arcenum has the military and the President Elect going crazy, willing to do anything to get her.
However, Stone, and Henry, have other ideas.
This is a story that is a Mil Sci-Fi, wrapped in an intriguing Political Thriller. There is an interesting contrast in characters, Grand Admiral Nick Stone is a really great character as the grizzled old commander, having reached the end of a career in which he made some difficult choices early on that saved humanity, and has based a career and life on this. However, he is weary and tired of it. His Grandson is a privileged, spoiled, narcissistic officer who has no concern for anyone other than himself, he is a pretty standard character. Morgan Henry is pretty typecast for that grumpy old Doctor (McCoy comes to mind), although his character does improve towards the end of the book.
One of the best characters is young Alice, whose exploits as she battles on the planet to survive whilst waiting for her rescuers is fascinating. Watching the young teenager struggle against the elements and other difficult things on the planet is easily the best part of this story.
There are some really great aspects to the world-building, some parts which become a lot more obvious further into the book. Whilst some of the characters are a little stereotypical, it is worth overlooking this for the stronger characters, especially Alice, and the compelling world building.
This is the first book that is building towards a really captivating and enthralling series, can’t wait for book 2.
April 19, 2023
Chris Porteau had me at his first story featuring Stacks Fisher, a dark character who was a combination of Corporate hit-man and detective - with a conscious. Porteau and David Bruns's award-winning SynCorp Saga books, starting with the Lazarus Protocol, were and are very highly rated, and rightly so.
Why should you read this book? Because it is extremely well written, highly entertaining, has characters that leap off the pages and come to life and has non-stop action that leaves you breathless and wanting more. Do you want more? Okay, how about plots and subplots that continually challenge you and mysteries to solve? Legacy is one heck of an opening salvo to the War for Empire series. Of course, like me, once you've read this book, you're hooked. You're along for the ride. Fortunately, the next book is not a long way off.
Acclaimed science fiction author Ray Jay Perrault says: "A good SciFi Author shows you an alien world; a great one takes you there." Chris Porteau can certainly be classified as great in Legacy because he deeply takes us there. What is the measure of a man? What makes us who we are? Our past, our experiences, our traumas, we survive.
The main character, Nick Stone, stuck on a very high pedestal as a war hero for defeating the Archies in his warship Rubicon 50 years ago, can't get over his guilt. All he wants to do at 75 is to retire. But that is not in the cards, as he gets caught against his will, six days from retirement, in a mission he cannot refuse.
Fortunately, his buddy, retired Admiral Morgan Henry, is along for the ride, and the doctor wants nothing more than to see Stone retire too. But newly elected president Piers Bragg is a political player with ulterior motives of the highest order. Grand Admiral Stone is caught in a political quagmire that he has nothing but disdain for.
When a signal is received sent by a young teen named Alice Keller, stuck on Drake's World, which used to be a launching planet for the Arcoenum during the war, the plot thickens, and the pace picks up when we discover just how unusual Alice is. And just how NOT simple this rescue mission has become.
And then there's Ben. The stuck-up jerk of a self-centered idiot grandson who only wants things handed to him, riding on the coattails of his incredibly famous grandfather Nick. But when Bragg chooses him to lead Dog Company in rescuing Alice, he's in for some fast growing-up and life lessons. Can he grow up a little in between aping for the ever-present cameras? Is that even possible for him?
One of the things that I like the most about this particular book is that Porteau keeps going back in time to when the war was happening, and the terrible, gut-wrenching Hobbs choices that then lieutenant Nick Stone had to make to save Gibraltar station and turn the tide of war with the Archies. But was it worth it for the terrible price exacted?
This is science fiction at its finest. This is an absolute page-turner of a book, and I am delighted to say it caused me to lose much sleep. Isn't sleep deprivation wonderful? (Just one more chapter, it's so late already).
This one's a no-brainer. Get it.
Why should you read this book? Because it is extremely well written, highly entertaining, has characters that leap off the pages and come to life and has non-stop action that leaves you breathless and wanting more. Do you want more? Okay, how about plots and subplots that continually challenge you and mysteries to solve? Legacy is one heck of an opening salvo to the War for Empire series. Of course, like me, once you've read this book, you're hooked. You're along for the ride. Fortunately, the next book is not a long way off.
Acclaimed science fiction author Ray Jay Perrault says: "A good SciFi Author shows you an alien world; a great one takes you there." Chris Porteau can certainly be classified as great in Legacy because he deeply takes us there. What is the measure of a man? What makes us who we are? Our past, our experiences, our traumas, we survive.
The main character, Nick Stone, stuck on a very high pedestal as a war hero for defeating the Archies in his warship Rubicon 50 years ago, can't get over his guilt. All he wants to do at 75 is to retire. But that is not in the cards, as he gets caught against his will, six days from retirement, in a mission he cannot refuse.
Fortunately, his buddy, retired Admiral Morgan Henry, is along for the ride, and the doctor wants nothing more than to see Stone retire too. But newly elected president Piers Bragg is a political player with ulterior motives of the highest order. Grand Admiral Stone is caught in a political quagmire that he has nothing but disdain for.
When a signal is received sent by a young teen named Alice Keller, stuck on Drake's World, which used to be a launching planet for the Arcoenum during the war, the plot thickens, and the pace picks up when we discover just how unusual Alice is. And just how NOT simple this rescue mission has become.
And then there's Ben. The stuck-up jerk of a self-centered idiot grandson who only wants things handed to him, riding on the coattails of his incredibly famous grandfather Nick. But when Bragg chooses him to lead Dog Company in rescuing Alice, he's in for some fast growing-up and life lessons. Can he grow up a little in between aping for the ever-present cameras? Is that even possible for him?
One of the things that I like the most about this particular book is that Porteau keeps going back in time to when the war was happening, and the terrible, gut-wrenching Hobbs choices that then lieutenant Nick Stone had to make to save Gibraltar station and turn the tide of war with the Archies. But was it worth it for the terrible price exacted?
This is science fiction at its finest. This is an absolute page-turner of a book, and I am delighted to say it caused me to lose much sleep. Isn't sleep deprivation wonderful? (Just one more chapter, it's so late already).
This one's a no-brainer. Get it.
April 22, 2023
I have to say up front that military science fiction is not my favorite, and I may not be the best person to judge such books because of that. But I read this one because I have enjoyed all of Chris Pourteau’s other books. He always tells a good story, and that’s the important part, after all.
Military trappings aside, I found the story intriguing. The main characters, Nick and Ben, are family, one just finishing a long military career, the other beginning one with anger and carelessness. Both are sent on a mission by a slimy politician with a small mind and a large ego. Their search and rescue mission is designed to feed the large ego and perhaps find a reason for war, because that’s what slimy politicians do, especially if they smell potential profit.
The military folks just want to rescue a stranded girl. Well, most of them. I found all the featured characters to be interesting and well-developed. There really weren’t any that I would call bit players. They do their jobs well, trying to ignore that they are part of a large publicity stunt, and they do find the girl, but not without cost.
There are unexpected events with unusual outcomes, to say the least. The story becomes a mystery in more ways than one, leaving plenty of unanswered questions for the next book. This book didn’t end with a cliffhanger; the ending is a pause in the action, like taking a break before the next act. I certainly didn’t expect the twists and turns the story took. It was fun to read and I’m looking forward to the next installment.
Military trappings aside, I found the story intriguing. The main characters, Nick and Ben, are family, one just finishing a long military career, the other beginning one with anger and carelessness. Both are sent on a mission by a slimy politician with a small mind and a large ego. Their search and rescue mission is designed to feed the large ego and perhaps find a reason for war, because that’s what slimy politicians do, especially if they smell potential profit.
The military folks just want to rescue a stranded girl. Well, most of them. I found all the featured characters to be interesting and well-developed. There really weren’t any that I would call bit players. They do their jobs well, trying to ignore that they are part of a large publicity stunt, and they do find the girl, but not without cost.
There are unexpected events with unusual outcomes, to say the least. The story becomes a mystery in more ways than one, leaving plenty of unanswered questions for the next book. This book didn’t end with a cliffhanger; the ending is a pause in the action, like taking a break before the next act. I certainly didn’t expect the twists and turns the story took. It was fun to read and I’m looking forward to the next installment.
May 10, 2023
What a surprise!
I was ready to hate this book. I thought I recognized the author's name, and seemed to recall not enjoying what I read because of several issues such as poor writing or editing or poorly drawn characters. Was I ever wrong. Two chapters in and the writing style and characters had me hooked. I cared what happened to the characters, and I wanted to know what happened next. The plot developed in a natural way. My favorite thing about this book is how the characters speak normally/naturally to one another. They behave normally and treat each other in believable ways. If you like this genre and are thinking of reading this book, do it! P.S. I still have no idea what author I was thinking of or what book it was that was so awful.
I was ready to hate this book. I thought I recognized the author's name, and seemed to recall not enjoying what I read because of several issues such as poor writing or editing or poorly drawn characters. Was I ever wrong. Two chapters in and the writing style and characters had me hooked. I cared what happened to the characters, and I wanted to know what happened next. The plot developed in a natural way. My favorite thing about this book is how the characters speak normally/naturally to one another. They behave normally and treat each other in believable ways. If you like this genre and are thinking of reading this book, do it! P.S. I still have no idea what author I was thinking of or what book it was that was so awful.
January 4, 2024
An interesting story with many unanswered questions that compels the reader to carry on to the next. The characters were realistically human with some heroic tendencies but annoying faults which made them interesting but unlike able at times. The one thing I disliked was losing Alice’s viewpoint throughout the time on the ship. She seems almost like an entirely different character, having gone from a smart, survivor to a weak and whimpering child.
November 9, 2024
There were moments of brilliance here, but they were few and far between. The narrative was engaging at times but often lost focus. Some chapters were a joy to read, while others felt like a chore. It’s not a bad read, but it’s not something I’d revisit. Worth a try, but temper your expectations.
May 28, 2023
Classic sifi.
Starting book 2. Very good so far. Don't stay up late reading. If you are not careful you will stay up all night.
Starting book 2. Very good so far. Don't stay up late reading. If you are not careful you will stay up all night.
July 8, 2023
Ordinary and unoriginal.
August 20, 2023
lots of possibilities
Well written prose with an interesting and entertaining story. Left me wanting to know more, so of course I must buy the next book in the series.
Well written prose with an interesting and entertaining story. Left me wanting to know more, so of course I must buy the next book in the series.
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