Starship Alexander

Hive Invasion #1

by Jake Elwood

A washed-up captain. A worn-out ship. A crew of green cadets. And they're Earth's only hope.
The Alexander is the last true warship, a relic from the days of interstellar war. She's destined for the scrapyard, and her captain, Richard Hammett, is about to retire. Their last mission is a training run with a ship full of cadets.

It's supposed to be a routine hop through a wormhole Gate. But Gates have been going offline, one after another, and Hammett knows in his bones it means trouble. The kind of trouble only a real warship can handle.

Defying orders, he takes the Alexander through another Gate, and puts the ship smack dab in the path of an alien invasion. Now a captain at the end of his career will have to take dozens of terrified cadets and forge them into a crew of warriors, because the Alexander is all that stands between the Earth and the swarming ships of the Hive.

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

347 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 10, 2016

About the author

Jake Elwood is a Canadian science fiction author.

Reviews

[M.L. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a fairly basic sci-fi novel that doesn't impress me in its length, originality or plot. The story is mostly straightforward and relies on a couple of stupid plot elements that really doesn't look credible when looked at with more serious eyes.

[David Johnston · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gotta say I'm a bit gobsmacked that someone wrote a milsf book in which a reporter is on board a ship that finds itself suddenly at war and...she's causing no problems at all and is even rather helpful. Never thought I'd see that. Unfortunately that doesn't make up for the big problem with this book, the on board bad guy.

I'm fine with her being a REMF who was just on the ship to serve a token tour in space before going back to the admiralty to continue her upward through the ranks as a glorified clerk who will one day become an admiral, and this meaning she's incompetent and mean. But there's incompetent and then there's _incompetent_.

This is a modern day milsf so it has transhumanist elements. Everyone has a computer implant in their heads. That being the case how is it that staff wonk who has been successful in her career so far doesn't have the floorplan of the ship in her brain computer before she ever steps on board? Or is unable to ask the ships computer for directions when the purpose of the crew implants is to communicate with and control the ship? She is supposedly good enough at office politics to have risen to the rank of commander despite her only other virtue being that she's a workaholic who loves doing "paperwork". I can see that such a person might still have the bad judgement to be an officious bully to subordinates, but being blatantly contemptuous of her commanding officer and his soon to be scrapped command to his face? She doesn't just need a term on board an actual ship for her promotion. She also needs for her evaluation from her commanding officer during her token to suggest that she's a passable officer. Why isn't she even trying to suck up to him?

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

Heroic Space Navy versus Dumb Peaceniks (oh, yes, and some aliens.)

That said, it's at least reasonably well-written. If there was anything at all to the plot other than combat scenes and the "dumb peaceniks are at first ridiculously complacent, then treat a likely total war of annihilation like it's a conflict over a country half around the world going whateverist" storyline, it would be 4 stars.

In fact, there is a hint of something more interesting in the second book, so it's not hopeless.

[Ian · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot was good and the story telling was good.

Ive been reading too many physics based books where war is conducted in 100k+ engagement windows and not 50 meter intervals. If this book was set on a blue navy setting, it would be more realistic.

[Marco Subias · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Military Space Opera

I'm not giving this five stars when compared to all books, but as a military space opera. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more by this author.

[M Hamed · Rating 1 out of 5]

simple ,straight forward

[Billie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was so cheesy and naff.

[JPT · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook
Story: C+, Narration: A-

Not a review, just some thoughts for personal reference. Spoilers.

I'm a bit uncertain about how to rate this book since I found it readable, but it sure had issues with predictability and overused tropes. Tropes are tropes because they've worked in the past, but don't go over the line and flog them to death.

The basis of the book is that humanity has become complacent and has let their military guard down in space. They've gutted their defensive capabilities, so you know this is the precise time an unknown foe will strike. It'll be up to the last remaining warship on her final training run before decommissioning to save humans from annihilation.

The main heroes are the stalwart captain, the brash fighter pilot, the cadet trainees, some musician, and, surprisingly, a news reporter. The last was a bit of a refreshing departure since the role of the reporter is usually to be a thorn in the side of the military, sometimes actively conspiring to thwart them. This reporter was not just sympathetic, but competently helpful.

Speaking of competent, the opposite is true of the first officer, a well-connected, politically ambitious jackass who is only there to tick a box to say she's served aboard ship. She is unbelievably unpleasant, ignorant, and incompetent. When there's a mutiny on board, she jumps right in, convinced she'd be a much better captain. Maneuvering behind the scenes is one thing, but outright mutiny. If she had half a brain, what did she expect the outcome to be even in the best case scenario. Well, she was written so she didn't even have the few functioning brain cells to comprehend that. It was ridiculously OTT, with no subtlety whatsoever.

I was also surprised by the civilian administrators who were saved when their outposts were attacked. They seemed like intelligent, rational, and reasonable guys at the outset, but then turned into malcontents, mutineers, and murderers out of the blue. Their actions really didn't seem to fit how they first came across.

The ending was abrupt and incomplete. I'd have liked more followup on the survivors and the mutineers (dead and alive). The dead first officer was highly connected--were there repercussions? Her relative was a senior officer who gave the captain his next assignment, a do-or-die mission that seems to be intended to have the latter outcome. Significant?

I'm seriously on the fence whether or not to continue with the series in the hope it improves, or just move on. It's only been a few days since I finished it and it's already pretty hazy in my mind (more so than usual) so that's not a good sign.

(BTW, what's with the author's name? Is it a joke? Meant to be funny? A slap at the readers' intelligence or gullibility? It was very distracting.)

[Red Tide · Rating 2 out of 5]

Writer is better than this

The premise that a soon to be retired captain of a soon to be retired warship is humanity's only hope, isn't new. This doesn't have a new twist. The writing is serviceable but not stellar.

The battles and the long way home make not much sense. A lot of the characters are almost interesting but then are not developed.

The book ends with no update on how many or which of the crew survived. The ship suffered a mutiny, involving civilian refugees and there are consequences but are not mentioned. Ship damage and repair are not discussed at the end of the book. These issues alone will shape a lot of the captain's emotions and future war fighting. Instead, these are not discussed, nor is there even a glimpse into our captain's state of mind.

The weak state of Earth defense forces and the captain's failure to bring warning in time, are left in the air. There's no suggestion that stronger and more capable warships are going to be rushed into production. There is no insight into the manner of the alien invasion. It might be a story but I'm not sure it's a novel.

[fred jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read other series by this author so was looking forward to listening to this one and was not disappointed. Although the story is a standard plotline, old ship. Captain out of favour, inexperienced and resentful crew and powerful alien menace, this is very well told. The idea of a star ship left with virtually no electronics or computers made for some interesting and inventive ideas. Really enjoyed the battle sequences that are vivid and involving. Colin Maheu does an excellent job with the narration although his accents slip occasionally. Highly recommended my military space opera and I will definitely be reading more of these books.

[Stefanos Kouzof · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's understandable that when in battle equipment breaks down, but to have ship gunners eyeballing incoming enemy craft WWII-style due to fried electronics, is laughable. And there are lots more plot holes.
Dropped it while starting to read the second book, didn't got any better than the first.
Eg: "The rail guns would be firing empty canisters, too light to cause damage", as if a few grams when flying a few km/sec would be harmless... The writer probably didn't finish highschool.
That's not a mil sci-fi series, it's a plain joke.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The legendary SS Alexander takes a group of cadets on one last training cruise before it goes to the breakers. But things change when an alien invasion is discovered destroying the stargates that make interstellar travel possible. The action follows the fates of five officers and crew as they struggle to keep the old warship battleworthy. The novel reads well if you don’t ask too many questions. I would love to know whether Jake Elwood is the author’s name or if it is a pen name honoring Dan Ackroyd’s Blues Brother.

[Glen Chapman · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are looking for a deep plot intelligent characters and exploration of 21st century themes.......this is not the book for you.

If you love golden age science fiction, with basic plot, action coming out your ears and heroic characters.......strap yourself in and go for a ride. A cranky captain on the verge of retirement. A cranky ship on the verge of being scrapped are all that stands in the way of an alien invasion.

[Wanda Jewell · Rating 5 out of 5]

haven't read any books by this author before. The story sounded like it would be interesting so I got it. The book is easy to read. The story is entertaining. I loved Captain Hammett. His character was believable and dealt to the best of his ability to the situations thrown at him. There was some action and a lot of good characters thrown into the mix. I enjoyed the story and would recommend it.

[Gerard E. Trigo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice quick read, but too many plot holes. Spoiler alert.
Why can't the jump holes be destroyed from either side?
Would an officer of the supposed caliber of the one depicted really participate in a mutiny?
Too many civilians versus military stereotypes.
Wouldn't a competent commander have already planned for the encounters he had before hand? Especially the last one before returning to the home planet?

[Lukas Lovas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable enough read. I thought it was a tiny bit improbable, as I don't believe humans, as a race will ever stop being warlike, afraid and prepared to jump to conclusions with lots of back-up plans (which seems not to be the case here, as humanity was caught off guard and almost helpless...), but other than that - good reading.

[Welsh Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

A popcorn b-movie sci fi flick in book form. Inoffensive but ultimately uninteresting. It doesn't really do anything new or unique with the genre and comes off as a tad generic.

The characters were stock cut outs with little to no arcs or growth, and there were entirely too many POVs.

Turn your brain off and enjoy shit blowing up.

[Propagation Of · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story, but the bad characters spoil it

Great story, but I stopped reading when the author introduced Hornbeck and Velasco. Can’t we have a story without backstabbers and politicians for a change? Is this something they teach at author school, to always have backstabbers in a book? Well, I cannot recommend this book.

[Kevin Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rollicking Action

The primary character, Hammett, reminds of two skippers I served with...men I would’ve followed to the ends of the earth. I haven’t so vivid a story “person” to whom I could relate until now. Honor, courage, and intelligence with heart - awesome!

[Scott Shjefte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent military conflict first contact thriller. The author produced many creative space battles and produced solutions to seemingly impossible technical issues. Free from Amazon August 11, 2022.

[William J Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

very google action and human interaction

I found the human interaction and reaction to the story line very realistic
Captain Hammett was well placed as was master sergeant Crabtree and many other characters.
We'll written and an awsome read

[Tony Hinde · Rating 4 out of 5]

While some of the characters are overly simplistic, the main premise is solid and the situation is exciting. I'll be continuing with this series.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow start, great end

True military space opera, lots of action but not shoot and scoot but thinking out problems and fixing to move on. Good read.

[Monty Bates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great ScFi

This book kept me going until I finished. I think book two will be as good too.
If you like space sci-fi then try this one on for size!

[J.D. Schechter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Add a sixth star

Good, old-fashioned space opera in the classic mode. Also a perfect example of the dangers of separate tracks for line and staff officers

[The Terrible Triplet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Fast paced, full of action, some politicking and some serious start of a great series.

5 Stars, counts the most.

[Bill Rathbone · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story isn’t very original (see Battlestar Galactica) but it’s entertaining and moves quickly.

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good ole space opera!

[Mike Nemeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jake Elwood's "Starship Alexander" has all the trappings of a grand saga. The fact that it's played out in an interstellar arena makes no difference. This could be amongst the purple sage or some historical landmark in ancient China. Elwood creates several powerful characters, but the chief is Capt. Richard Hammett, a relic of a bygone era just like his aging starship. Reminds me a bit of Christopher Nuttall's "The Arc Royal." But the similarities end there. Hammett faces no demons, just the prospect of life after the military of finding purpose outside the sterile passageways of a metal ship surrounded by the lack of light and atmosphere. The novel begins with the Alexander headed out on a shakedown run with nearly all of its crew a bunch of swabs from basic training. The captain also gets a young woman as his commander. She's good at her job. But her job thus far has been pushing paper and learning how to navigate the political realm of the admiralty. She shines at the leveraged influence required of bureaucrats, but she has zero ship-board experience. The three-month expedition is designed to give her some credibility in her climb up the ranks. She immediately uses her power as a senior officer to alienate members of the crew. She doesn't care. She feels she holds the high ground. Her desires justify her means. Future conflict in the novel has been established. Elwood moves the story forward quickly, even if I'm not with this review. Almost immediately problems in human-controlled space pop up. The most distant "gates" used by starships to slip from one universe to the next have inexplicably shut down. Hammett and the Alexander head into the ether to check out the situation. The Alexander runs headlong into an alien force that appears to have humanity not only in its sights but also on its extinction list. There's no communication, just death and destruction. And the aliens have the upper hand. It's a struggle even for the Alexander to operate. The ship escapes its first encounter only to run headlong into more scrapes and challenges. Hammett somehow navigates forward. But the battles are costly and his decisions are questioned in a sequence that is one of the book's highlights. The battle segments are excellent, and Elwood has no trouble sacrificing characters. I fully enjoyed the book and am eagerly awaiting the sequel. In the meantime, I plan to pursue the author's other series, "Star Raider." One more thought: Elwood writes like a pro. He's obviously been at it awhile.

[David P. Duffy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple SciFi Space Saga With Plot Defects That Undercuts Story

"Starship Alexander-Hive Invasion Book 1," is a simple, routine SciFi Space "shoot 'em up" space saga, with plot defects. It's a quick read, decent writing, adequate editing and proofreading. The plot defects do undercut and remove much of the potential reading value.

Basic storyline: veteran, combat tested, and final C.O. of the Earth's last "true" space warship "Alexander," is tasked with a short training voyage, with a skeleton crew and a cadet class, prior to the decommissioning and scrapping of the proud ship. A space navy/military command, that is flag heavy with political careerists as opposed to warriors (sounds familiar), has restructured a once robust military into a bureaucratic revenue cutter style fleet. The existing wormhole gate technology that facilitates FTL travel to Earth's colonies has begun to suffer mysterious shutdowns. The "Alexander" discovers the reason why-an alien race blitzkrieg is moving towards Earth.

The writing skill set is a pleasant surprise after reading so many bad eBooks. It's crisp, literate, and moves quickly. Both the editing and proofreading are adequate, again a pleasurable experience, after being subjected to much eBook drivel.

The plot defects that effected the storyline are multiple. An X.O. , with NO ship experience, a political naval officer is assigned prior to the training voyage. Doesn't pass muster. Further, after about two-thirds of the story, a cabal of rescued civilians, saved by the "Alexander," stage a violent mutiny, and seize control. The mutineers include the X.O. These poorly thought out plot devices derail the story and nearly caused an "abort" to the eBook's reading. Instead, a mediocre rating assigned.

Overall the story, barring the "hiccups," is an enjoyable read for those who just want a simple, unpretentious, quick SciFi read, to cleanse reading palates, overwhelmed by all the garbage masquerading as SciFi.

The eBook was fully read via Kindle Unlimited and is recommended.