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Backyard Starship #16

Heavy is the Crown

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Awash with loss and surrounded by enemies, Van and his crew are faced with the same challenge Mark Tudor dealt with decades earlier.

Does Van accept the crown, and become a Master?

The Guild is in shambles. The 32 might be a myth. And an entire race has chosen Van Tudor as their enemy—and they’ll stop at nothing to end his life in the name of power and money.

But the threat isn’t just among the stars. For the first time in his career, Van must protect his home planet from people who look at humans as a resource—and Peacemakers as the key to untold wealth. With Van’s decision comes long term effects, and an Earth that is no longer alone in the universe, but connected to the stars...

And at risk from every danger in known space.

The decision is now. The battle is now. And the crown is heavier than one Peacemaker might be able to carry--unless he has a little help from his friends.

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Published July 9, 2024

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J.N. Chaney

471 books9,630 followers
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5 stars
2,006 (70%)
4 stars
681 (23%)
3 stars
144 (5%)
2 stars
14 (<1%)
1 star
7 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
Profile Image for Per Gunnar.
1,328 reviews76 followers
September 24, 2023
The continuation of the adventures of Van and his friends. It is a good book. Almost everyone is back except Netty who’s involuntary imprisonment the author seems to want to drag out forever and Gerhardt who was a casualty in the previous book.

This book continues with the usual bantering between Van and his friends, investigations and outbursts of action. Overall it is a quite enjoyable read.

However, where most of the previous books have received a four star rating from me I do feel like I have to take off half a star on this one and drop it to a three and half star one.

The reason for this is that, personally, the conspiracies, machination and the ever growing tangled web of political bullshit and is starting to take too much space.

First of all, I am tired of the author keeping Netty out of the picture for book after book. Time to resolve that twists which I really did not like from the start.

Trying to make Van a master is also just a bloody unnecessary wrong turn. He worked much better as a justiciar and if he just had to go down that path then do not drag it out with this I don’t want it rubbish.

The guild is lazy and corrupt, GKU seems to be mostly fanatics and equally corrupt and the 32? Well, they seems to be a nothing burger. Seriously? What the f…?

The twist at the end with the dumbass Earth colonel and his even dumber side-kick was not only unrealistic (okay with turnip brains like Senile Joe and Woke China Milley allegedly running things today maybe it was not that unrealistic) but it bodes ill for the next book or books.

Please, please do not go down the road of ruining the books with dumbas Earth politicians and bureaucrats unless you intend to resolve that situation very, very quickly in the book and soundly kick the asses of said asshats.

Still, despite all that whining I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
834 reviews4 followers
February 26, 2025
pretty good

A tad draggy in parts. Took longer to read. The ending made up for the draggy parts. Hope it walks on liked it strolled in. Here’s to beuracracy.
Profile Image for Fred Barnes.
316 reviews43 followers
October 15, 2023
ONE OF THE BEST SCI-FI BOOKS AND SERIES OUT THERE

"Heavy is the Crown" BACKYARD STARSHIP book 16 has to be one of the best science fiction books and series out this year. With this being the 16th book in this series, it just keeps getting better with each additional book. The ride isn't over yet, and Van and the crew continue to battle against the evil in the galaxy. I really enjoyed the previous 15 books as well as this latest book in this series and hope you do too. J.N. Chaney and Twrry Maggert has written a series that will definitely become a sci-fi classic. It's a great series to read for all ages.
Profile Image for Keith Sellers.
48 reviews
November 17, 2025
Wow, van and his crew were from one end of the universe to the other battle after battle. Lots happening in this book can’t wait for the next one.🤓
41 reviews1 follower
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September 18, 2023
I love syfy these are great

Van is a great character surrounded by a great crew with so many interesting people, I really wish for these books to go on for many years👍
Profile Image for Old Time Tales.
321 reviews7 followers
October 7, 2023
Pick up the Crown, Van.

When I was a kid I read tons of books. I loved to read series of books. Tarzan, Gor, Pellucidar, Quartermain. Xanth. A long list of others.

The problem was that after the first dozen or so they became repetitive. Especially Gor. Ugh. They got old. Boring.

Anyway, I just finished book 16 of "Backyard Starship" and it is still interesting, with new, fresh ideas and is still fun to read. I look forward to #17.

Yeah, there are parts that are frustrating. I am tired of the mystery of Mark's past. Van needs to get over himself and be a Master. Yeah, that will change the series' dynamic but I think that it is strong enough to survive the change.

And the BS on Earth needs to be resolved. Van needs to bring in professionals to help Earth ease into the galaxy. And he needs to be a Master to do it right.

Read every day, read for fun!
Profile Image for Jim.
1,240 reviews51 followers
March 7, 2024
After arresting his mother, Peacemaker Van Tudor and his crew of the *Fafnir* had taken some time off. They had also just finished with killing Dohlennz and were hoping that their problems with bad guys would ease up. And the were going through a period of mourning for their lost comrades, primarily Cantullin, the Conoku Captain of the *Iowa* and Master Gerhardt. Van Tudor has no idea as to how the Guild was to proceed with the loss of such a distinguished Master as Gerhardt. He had some rough times with the Master in the beginning, but both had learned to resolve their differences. Master Gerhardt has been a strict by-the-book taskmaster in the beginning which didn’t follow with Peacemaker Van Tudors style of getting the bad guys no matter what as long as he stayed within the law. Gerhardt had mellowed considerably later and Van had come to see some reasons for Gerhardt’s attention to regulations so much so they by the end, they were operating as part of a very good team.

But not he’s going and more bad guys are definitely showing up. They initially have a lead on one of Dohlennz’s deputies and are going after this guy. He’s stolen a derelict satellite for some unknown reason and is dragging it to somewhere for some nefarious purposes. But, Van Tudor plans to stop that action and arrest this guy or kill him if necessary. Due to the nature of the crimes Klezmir has committed, the second option would be very acceptable. Only the job had already been done for them. They found Klezmir’s ship dead in space still drifting with the derelict satellite towing behind it. Once forcing their way into the ship, Van and his small away team found a startling discovery. Klezmer and his crew had be welded to the bulkhead! That had to be a very painful way to die.

Perry, the AI bird, also noted there was a message scrawled on another bulkhead that basically told Van to release his mother from her prison on worse things were going to happen. This obviously was a message left by his mother’s gang known as the Ferals. There Ferals were supposedly Peacemakers of old that didn’t like the orderly and lawful ways that the Peacemaker Guild was following these days. They had been kind of tolerated in the past to do things that were not strictly by the book when it came to arresting or stopping criminals. If someone made themselves bad enough, the Peacemaker Guild would quietly turn over their case to a member of the Ferals and that criminal would cease to exist; no trial, no arrest, and no paperwork.

But that’s not the way the Guild needed to work now. With the Ferals doing that kind of law enforcement, they became almost as bad as the people they were after. While Van Tudor’s mother had been with the Ferals, she wasn’t one of the most extreme, although she had done her share of questionable deeds and that’s what put her in prison this time. But, of course there were other things going on. In particular, there seems to be a resurgence of the Sorcerers. They now seemed to be more intelligent than before, actually planning somethings out which were again causing the Peacemaker Guild problems. These disgusting bad guys were still involved with kidnapping entities and the transferring their consciousness into computer chips basically turning these once thriving intelligences into slaves. That was going to have to stop and Van Tudor was going to make that happen.

Still, Van had been requested to attend an important meeting back at Anvil Dark, HQ for the Peacemaker Guild. There he was asked quite directly if he would assume the position of Master in place of the deceased Master Gerhardt. Van knew there were many other senior Peacemakers to him, but the consensus was he was the best one to fill this job now. Yet Van Tudor said, “Maybe, but not now.” He wanted to think about it. His crew had their own opinions which he listened to, but so far he’s not made a decision. I wonder what will make him take up that position. It’s not happened in this book.

Another thing Tudor has been doing is taking care of Earth. He has slowly started introducing Earth to the fact that there are aliens out in space and they are coming to Earth. Yet, most humans, even when standing in front of an alien like Icky don’t even believe their eyes. Yet, the government may finally be getting involved and in the most stupid of ways possible. Read more in book 17, “Ghost in the Deep” available on Amazon now.
302 reviews1 follower
October 24, 2023
What a cliffhanger

There is so much to write about in this book. I just can't see how this series is ever going to end - not that I want it to - with so much going on.

I was worried in my last review that quoting snippets from the book, which are not spoilers, might get me a black mark. That didn't happen, so following other readers' advice, I've gone overboard this time and brought in a few that resonated with me.

Some great cultural references:
"Funboy, though, simply offered a shrug. “In the words of the great philosopher Freddy Mercury, they do make the world go around.”

The humour in almost every situation:
“Van, what is it? A flash of insight?” Torina asked. “Yeah, it is,” I said, turning to Perry. “The frog’s singing couldn’t have all been in the guy’s head. Remember that the cop heard it while the guy and the frog were in that park.” Torina stared, then sighed. “I could have married anyone in known space. Anyone.”

However, I would say just be careful whose sensibilities you touch upon: “Um, excuse me, Liverpool has hooligans. We Manchester United adherents are enthusiastic fans,” Essie replied with some dignity."
Just saying......

But the humour returns and runs strong throughout:
"I imagine my targets to be people who do not get a clean plate with each trip at an all- you- can- eat buffet. Of all your world's crimes, that offends me most.” Perry cocked his head. “Don’t let him see someone double- dip anything in the ranch dressing fountain. He might behead them on sight.”

Now I face another wait for the next instalment. Great work again, Messrs Chaney and Maggert.
178 reviews1 follower
October 6, 2023
wonderful, as always!

Love these characters! The storyline has been eventful, ever changing, intriguing and dramatic. That can be hard to pull offf time after time, yet Mr Chaney does it well. This one was slightly less exciting, less dramatic, etc It even had some questionable actions, or lack there-of that just did not ring true or would normally not happen within the teams usual thoroughness, but they helped to play into the sequence of events to occur. (I kind of hate those sequences because they ring loudly as planted details thy are faulty just to make the story work and makes me feel like the author does not consider his readers to be smart enough to arch these discrepancies, fir Damone (& without giving away too much), one of the first things in a takeover is to incapacitate the enemy ship’s drive so they can’t escape. That’s all I’ll say and the author shoul be able to understand why I’m referring to. It also kind of ended on a flat note compared to others in the series. I think this book was more dedicated to laying down key points and structure for what’s coming. I guess we’ll see.
I like this series so much that I keep Ryk of release dates so I am read it asap. I enjoy all of his series. The lows how to tell stories in a way that places you there among the chaos, bringing the characters to life within the scenes. If you haven’t tried his series and you like space, aliens, action ad lots of humor then this is a good series to begin. No yes, start at the beginning. ITT worth it.
356 reviews4 followers
September 22, 2023
A returning enemy....with a twist?

Van is offered the position of Master in the Guild, but feels he has more pressing things to do. The scourge of ID chips again rears its head as a new version of the Sorcerers appears. In addition, things are changing on Earth as the bit players there try to gain an advantage. At first, the Ferals appear to be up to no good his mother released from jail. New evidence suggests things may not be so clear cut against his mother and the new Sorcerers appear to be kidnapping people....
This book includes a lot of soul searching as Van has to make a number of decisions that could have far reaching consequences. Again there is much action, intrigue, suspense, as well as an alien advertisement for cheese, an overzealous military man, and corrupt politicians making a play. A highly entertaining read and looking forward to seeing where the next book takes us....
748 reviews2 followers
September 25, 2023
The momentum continues to roll

It's never ending, one issue resolved, 2 new ones to investigate.
It's not all violence and battles, there's a lot of thought, investigation and brain storming thrown in and it's better for it
I recently panned another book for too much non-action content and yet this most probably has more, yet benefits from it. It's done well
The characters are all getting more interesting by the book and the interaction and humour are worth reading the story
Wish the books came along quicker 😁
Profile Image for Steve.
222 reviews
September 23, 2023
What can i say, it's time to bring law and order home!

This was another fantastic storyline. From the opening paragraph to the final lines, the story followed the beliefs of Van Tutor. A potential Master or the worst enemy of those who " think" they have the upper hand. How sadly, they are most often mistaken. I will be joining the line of my fellow fans awaiting your next installment!
Profile Image for Philip Roessels.
53 reviews1 follower
September 28, 2023
Fantastic, as usual

Another fantastic installment in the Backyard Starship universe. What sets it apart from other series which I read, is the character development. I feel a real connection with them, they matter. The comedic aspect is also what brings me back and again. As I said, I read other series, all of us do. And there are a couple which I dearly wish to get back to. Unless Book 17 is already out. In that case, they’ll have to wait.
Profile Image for Mick Bird.
831 reviews12 followers
October 9, 2023
Van once again is in the thick of it

Once again we find Van in the thick of things, but this time it has a personal level. His mother and a friend is kidnapped. Never a good idea when they think that they have the upper hand. But there is also trouble brewing on earth, when the idiots in the US also seem to think they have the winning hand. Looking forward to seeing how Van brings down the hammer on the heads of both sets of idiots.
Profile Image for John F. Wells Jr..
191 reviews1 follower
January 7, 2024
Oh just give me a hammer!!!

Okay I'm just here to inform everyone that if anything ever happens to a certain character who's name might rhyme with sticky, I swear I will build my own hammer and raise as much trouble as I can!! This is such a great series, my wife looks at me like I've lost my mind when I break out laughing! You want to laugh and yell? Read this series, but start with the prequels first.
22 reviews
April 28, 2025
Not as good

There were a couple of things about the plot, but just didn’t hold up in my mind. I like to see things in a plot that I could view as plausible, and there was two things that I felt were not very plausible. One was the GKU being hired by the seven stars league. The second was the first contact being in someplace like Frankenmuth or someplace in Iowa that didn’t seem even remotely possible. Still like the book though, it was fun to read.
93 reviews1 follower
July 8, 2025
The Crown is Heavy Due to all the Power it Represents

Tudor's team has been attacking the evil plots to conquer the universe while trying to protect the good and necessary objectives of the basically good forces and people who are trying to survive. But as one group is forced under control, new attempts to take over the leadership and new tech by enforcing laws that may not apply, only distract from the real mission.
250 reviews2 followers
September 26, 2023
Absolutely spectacular

What an incredible book! I have been eagerly waiting for book 16 and it did not disappoint! I'm loving the character development and I can't wait to see what happens next. I'm just incredibly sad I have to wait till December now to read it. This is one of the best if not the best series I have ever read.
68 reviews
September 26, 2023
Oh shit!

This book ended way too soon. I believe this series could continue for a lot longer than just one more book. This series is better than anything I have seen on TV! The characters and their evolution is fantastic! I can't wait to read what happens next. It would seem that Van now has to become a master to handle what he and his friends are now facing.
58 reviews1 follower
September 29, 2023
Steady and Composed

I would have to say, that those who choose to read this story would start at the beginning. Everyone dreams of such an opportunity. Of course most of us don't have family whose life has been In space. Most, not all always looks to our heavens. Because all those blinking lights are a story or a mystery.
Profile Image for Jim.
766 reviews
October 30, 2023
Book 16 in the series

Van, Torina, and the rest of the crew are making friends and fighting bad guys. They get intelligence information from some of the usual sources and learn that the Sorcerers are back and worse than they were before so they need to be stopped. Not so easy to do. A great story.
94 reviews1 follower
November 21, 2023
Hooked

I could not put this book down, I loved it. the characters are all so fun and it's great seeing them interact. I do think Van is a bit of an idiot sometimes, and his decision regarding the Masters will turn around eventually (iykyk), but he's great. I'm intrigued to see how things will play out with Earth!
187 reviews
August 22, 2025
Each book gets even better

Once again, this series really explores the character and challenge of life. The storyline keeps it moving at a fast pace, but at what is normal for an evolution of life. And the twist and turns seem logically plausible. The comic wording is the cream on top! Please keep it up 👍
Profile Image for Dr susan.
3,097 reviews52 followers
September 21, 2023
Great sci fi adventure series

Bad stuff happens; it always does. The bad is offset by Funboy and Icky and Frankenmuth; ok, the whole crew is awesome. The redemption is well-written and believable, as is Van's reaction. I'm looking forward to the next book.
Profile Image for Mark Zodda.
801 reviews1 follower
September 22, 2023
I'm not sure exactly why, but I'm vaguely dissatisfied with this one. Nothing in particular, but in general it almost feels like they're mailing it in. Will read the next one, but wondering if this should be the end of the line for the series for me.
553 reviews2 followers
October 1, 2023
Another great book in a great series

I'm amazed that this author can write so many fantastic novels, I hope that he never stops writing. His books are some of the best Entertainment  I have read and worth the time to read them. Thank you for a very fun entertaining read.
Profile Image for Richard.
195 reviews
October 2, 2023
Best Ride so far

This one was the best ride so far. Our heros have a big decision. Van must decide if he will give up his life to save others. New bad guys surface, or should I say resurface. And as usual, the crap hits the fan. Also, a promotion? A must read.
15 reviews
October 3, 2023
book 16

I found this book to be very entertaining as are all of Mr.Chaney’s books. I have read all most all of his books and I recommend them highly. I can’t wait for the next one in this series
1,040 reviews4 followers
October 6, 2023
Great read...

I love all the main characters in these books. Icky as one of my favorite. I like the character interaction. And the story moves along so fast. I feel like I know all of these characters.
Profile Image for Warren W..
Author 5 books1 follower
October 6, 2023
Great story. Always fascinating!

Wonderful characters, spellbinding story, and addicting series! Good sci-fi that keeps things interesting with just the right amount of real science.
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