Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “Ship's Boy (The David Birkenhead Series, #1)” as Want to Read:
Ship's Boy
(The David Birkenhead Series #1)
by
Once upon a time there was a boy named David, who slew a terrible foe…
David Birkenhead might have been only twelve years old, but his entire life was already laid out for him. First his father was supposed to teach him how to run a starship's engine room. Then, when the time came, he'd take over the job himself. This was the way of things for slavebunnies like ...more
David Birkenhead might have been only twelve years old, but his entire life was already laid out for him. First his father was supposed to teach him how to run a starship's engine room. Then, when the time came, he'd take over the job himself. This was the way of things for slavebunnies like ...more
Get A Copy
Kindle Edition, 80 pages
Published
June 4th 2012
by Legion Printing and Publishing, Inc
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
Ship's Boy,
please sign up.
Be the first to ask a question about Ship's Boy
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Start your review of Ship's Boy (The David Birkenhead Series, #1)
This is the first of 7 books in the series. David is a gene engineered RABBIT, who turns the galaxy upside down as he works his way from Ship's Boy to Admiral. I loved it
I walk on a treadmill and read from my Kindle to take my mind off it. I occasionally get so absorbed in what I am reading that I will walk for an extra 10-15 minutes before I realize it. That happened several times during this series.
Perhaps, the fact that it was grammatically correct and without spelling errors, hel ...more
I walk on a treadmill and read from my Kindle to take my mind off it. I occasionally get so absorbed in what I am reading that I will walk for an extra 10-15 minutes before I realize it. That happened several times during this series.
Perhaps, the fact that it was grammatically correct and without spelling errors, hel ...more
Fabulous character, fun story, abrupt ending.
This entire series is some of the best young-adult fiction I've read in decades. The stories and characters are on-par with Mr. Hornblower, Mr. Aubrey and Dr. Maturin.
This entire series is some of the best young-adult fiction I've read in decades. The stories and characters are on-par with Mr. Hornblower, Mr. Aubrey and Dr. Maturin.
A very interesting read. I am not sure I can cover it without reading more of the books. There are huge ethical and moral situations that scream to be addressed. That may be the whole point though. The story itself is interesting enough so far.
Great read, very gd military theme, entertaining and sad too. love all 7 volume. thanks
BRILLIANT!
Hornblower/Watership Down/Military Sci-Fi!
Just amazing to read and touching to watch young David's story unfold.
I'm already onto the 3rd today!
Hornblower/Watership Down/Military Sci-Fi!
Just amazing to read and touching to watch young David's story unfold.
I'm already onto the 3rd today!
The action scenes in this space opera novella are well-written, and I liked the world building in terms of the warring factions. But I might have cared more about the hero if he hadn’t been a rabbit. I found it hard to accept an intelligent species of animals as characters in this type of story. The author even referred to a guard as a dog. I’m thinking he meant this literally. I understand the metaphor here, but discrimination could easily have been shown with a lower caste of humans, a humanoi
...more
I'll stand by the 3 stars that I gave this immediately after finishing it up on the kindle, and I even went and grabbed the next book before going to sleep. But, after sleeping on it I decided I just can't continue with this series. They writing is good, the plot is good - for me, it's the damn rabbits. I just can't handle that concept, or the people being mean to them. So, I won't be continuing the series.
I do have quite some difficulty rating this book. For starters it's really short. At only 80 pages I almost hesitate calling it a book. Also it's quite weird. Not the story itself . It's a good story, although clearly intended for the younger audiences, but what makes it so weird is that the main character is a genetically altered rabbit! That's really a weird choice and one that doesn't really sit too well with me. Some alien or even a genetically modified monkey would have been fine but a rabb
...more
Arrr....
Suspend my disbelief...
Right, there will be space travel one day. We have it now of course, but travel between the stars will happen, even if it is only generational ships.
But very large, Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter size bunnies, cognizant and able to act as a ship's Engineer?
No...
This is not a great tale. First because of the bunnie issue, which is a euphemism for race relations around the era of WWII in the US Navy. Blacks could only ...more
Suspend my disbelief...
Right, there will be space travel one day. We have it now of course, but travel between the stars will happen, even if it is only generational ships.
But very large, Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter size bunnies, cognizant and able to act as a ship's Engineer?
No...
This is not a great tale. First because of the bunnie issue, which is a euphemism for race relations around the era of WWII in the US Navy. Blacks could only ...more
A good solid bit of space-opera, well worth reading. I have two quibbles. First, the book could have used a bit of editorial polish; there are some grammatical and punctuation errors, and a homophone or two (hanger/hangar, for instance).
Second, our narrator is an anthropomorphic creature, a human/rabbit hybrid, and I feel this fact isn't used to its fullest potential. The primary reason for this created being to exist is as part of a race of genetically-created slaves; at this point ...more
Second, our narrator is an anthropomorphic creature, a human/rabbit hybrid, and I feel this fact isn't used to its fullest potential. The primary reason for this created being to exist is as part of a race of genetically-created slaves; at this point ...more
I have to say, this first book is not the best written of the series, but it caught hold of me hard enough to make me purchase the next book in the series. The story reminds me in many ways of a combination of Nathan Lowell's Age of the Golden Clipper stories and David Weber's Honor Harrington books, somehow.
David Birkenhead is a plucky sort of hero, young and still learning, and I found myself quickly rooting for him despite the almost impossible odds he faces.
I had several issues with the bo ...more
David Birkenhead is a plucky sort of hero, young and still learning, and I found myself quickly rooting for him despite the almost impossible odds he faces.
I had several issues with the bo ...more
First book in an excellent science fiction series. I haven't finished the series yet, but I'm on #3 and enjoying it very much. The books appear to be written as juveniles although with #3 there's one part at least that should be YA. They are shorter than most adult novels, but the first ebook is free and the second is only 99 cents.
Main character starts out in the first book as about 12 yo and a slave "bunny". That is, he is one of a gene-engineered race of some kind of hybrid betwee ...more
Main character starts out in the first book as about 12 yo and a slave "bunny". That is, he is one of a gene-engineered race of some kind of hybrid betwee ...more
Book 1 of the David Birkenhead series, The Ship's Boy, was free on Amazon. Without that offer I would not have found this gem of a book and series. I have gone on to buy the balance of the series and am losing my sleep this week reading through them.
Okay, I admit initially the fact the main character was a bunny put me off. Don't let it!! If you like good solid worldbuilding, where the consequences of slavery and living in a slave society have true-to-life impact, then this books is ...more
Okay, I admit initially the fact the main character was a bunny put me off. Don't let it!! If you like good solid worldbuilding, where the consequences of slavery and living in a slave society have true-to-life impact, then this books is ...more
Just finished this series. Could not put it down. Is one of the best i have read in a long time. I honestly have looked at this series for more then a couple years and decided not to read it due to one reason or the other.
The other day though i decided to give it a shot, BOY OH BOY am i glad i did. While there are a few things that i could nit pick about (like how this series of books could all be lumped into 3 maybe 4, or how the author gloss's over large portions of the main characters life a ...more
The other day though i decided to give it a shot, BOY OH BOY am i glad i did. While there are a few things that i could nit pick about (like how this series of books could all be lumped into 3 maybe 4, or how the author gloss's over large portions of the main characters life a ...more
This was an odd little space opera about an anthropomorphized rabbit named David Birkenhead. That's right, he's a rabbit walking around in clothes an interacting with humans. (If any of you remember the comic strip Hepcats from the 80's, it's a bit like that.) Now, it's not as odd as that makes it sound. He's a member of a genetically engineered slave race, designed to be dumb, compliant labor for the ruling humans.
And he gets dragged onto a nobleman's starship as it is fleeing an invasion, and ...more
And he gets dragged onto a nobleman's starship as it is fleeing an invasion, and ...more
I could only repeat the other reviews. Amazing book, best one I read in a while, seven strong books which actually present a complete work, not another attempt to milk a character for what it's worth.
This book is not much in terms of sci-fi, or even military fiction, as it's largely focused on the characters and their relationship and not on the technical details of wars in space or planetary combat.
The story is very interesting and fresh, the dialogs are much better than average and ...more
This book is not much in terms of sci-fi, or even military fiction, as it's largely focused on the characters and their relationship and not on the technical details of wars in space or planetary combat.
The story is very interesting and fresh, the dialogs are much better than average and ...more
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13230918
I've always loved Phil Geusz. I was lucky enough to be on the same mailing list for writers as the Rabbit for over a decade.
This is the introduction to the Birkenhead Universe and David's just 12 in this, so I'll skip the usual plea for me sex. Geusz is a very clean writer and I will corrupt him one day. His stumbles are rare. I cannot wait to tour the rest of the universe/se ...more
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13230918
I've always loved Phil Geusz. I was lucky enough to be on the same mailing list for writers as the Rabbit for over a decade.
This is the introduction to the Birkenhead Universe and David's just 12 in this, so I'll skip the usual plea for me sex. Geusz is a very clean writer and I will corrupt him one day. His stumbles are rare. I cannot wait to tour the rest of the universe/se ...more
I picked this book up as a free Kindle book that Amazon recommended to me. Turns out that it was a pretty good read! It tells the tale of a slave-bunny who joins his father, the engineer, on an emergency trip aboard a spaceship and all the things which occur during the trip. Apparently there are 7(?) books in the series, so since I did enjoy David's journey, i have plenty more ahead of me to read! I was a little uncomfortable with the idea of the slave-bunnies and how they were being treated - i
...more
This one was really enjoyable. A review I read said that David is a genetically altered bunny, but I must have skipped over the genetically altered part some how. I did know he was a bunny/rabbit. The reason for have altered bunnies as slaves isn't explained in this book, but hopefully it will be. I would describe this as a cross between Watership Down and an epic space opera book. I will be buying the next book in this series.
Not a bad opening, but I felt the book itself was rather short. I would've liked to see a lot more about the young Rabbit, David. I really liked the concept of humanoid rabbits, and the set-up for what would hopefully turn out to be an interesting story following this freed slave-bunny as he makes his way through life.
A fun start to an interesting series. DC comics has introduced a character to their new space opera series Threshold and this character reminds me of that. Rabbits in space why not. Fun series for YA readers.
Pretty good book, I was a bit put off that the main character was a rabbit, but the author fits that in with the whole universe he builds quite well. I am currently reading the next book in the series, and will probably read all of them.
I should have looked closer. I thought this was standard space opera, and was slightly boggled to discover the main character was a 'slave-bunny'. Not a porn-type slave-bunny, though, which was a relief.
This was a very strange, very short sci-fi tale. It's the first of 7 books in a series.
The main character is some sort of slave bunny caught in the middle of an intergalactic civil war, as far as I can tell. It was interesting enough for me to dive into the next story, though.
The main character is some sort of slave bunny caught in the middle of an intergalactic civil war, as far as I can tell. It was interesting enough for me to dive into the next story, though.
It is a light read, about an anthropomorphic bunny in a space ship, with a tendency to nag me in the way the main character relates and sees his "milord".
The book is quite short, and while the small arc ends, I didn't find it meaty enough.
The book is quite short, and while the small arc ends, I didn't find it meaty enough.
Completely unexpected plot, utterly delightful!
This is one of those books that a) keeps me up late, just wanting to read a little more, because it is so good and b) makes me really glad it is a series, so there is more to enjoy!
I really loved this story. It was very well laid out... The story was riveting. invoking an emotional buy-in with the main character.
Kindle freebie, 11/07/12
This was surprisingly good for a short novella by an apparent no-name author. I was very pleased. I'm also annoyed it was so short.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Readers also enjoyed
Other books in the series
The David Birkenhead Series
(7 books)
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
