Alpha Centauri: The Return

T-Space: Alpha Centauri #3

by Alastair Mayer

Rescue postponed.

Commodore Franklin Drake needs to take a refueling module back to Alpha Centauri to recover the crew of the USS Poul Anderson, the ship he had to leave behind. Of course, it’s never that simple.

Drake faces a court-martial. The Chinese, now with their own warp drive, refuse to supply the fusion reactor any rescue ship needs, while they head off to a completely different star, Epsilon Eridani, and their own unhappy surprise.

However, the biological samples Drake and the rest of the USS Heinlein crew brought back are the real surprise. A biopharmaceutical company has violated quarantine to examine them, and what they find may be the lever Drake needs help him rescue the team he left at Alpha Centauri. If they’re still alive . . . .

The third and final book of the Alpha Centauri trilogy, The Return follows after the events of First Landing in parallel with Book 2, Sawyer's World, and concludes the latter. The trilogy is a prequel to the rest of Alastair Mayer's ever-expanding T-Space series.

241 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 27, 2017

Reviews

[Leanna M Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Series Gets Better and Better

Steve Cole using wife Leanna's account.

Excellent story, science and engineering get stronger every book. Cannot wait for book four.

Very good writing shows this is not the starship Enterprise with huge power reserves and the ability to swoop up to a planet and instantly park in a stable orbit right over the key spot. Speed, energy, angles, and orbits all take time to plan and sometimes days to maneuver.

Interesting political and monetary back story on how the ships got built.

[James Brunton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised to find that books two and three were every bit as entertaining as book number one. So many series books start out well and by book three are written like they were "just phoned in" Not the Alpha Centauri series. An interesting and well thought out series with good characters and character development. Enough detail to be interesting but not so deep that you get lost - easy to keep track of all the players involved. I've got a vacation coming up next month and am saving the next set of Mayer's books to make some 14 hour flights an enjoyable experience.

[Becky Rosas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great finish for the trilogy. It parallels what happened during the four years of the settlers on Sawyer world. It also alludes to a potential discovery that has benefit for mankind. There are still many questions about how these planets came to be terra formed. Characters are well developed and the science is interesting. This ends a good trilogy that has bases for a number of spinoffs.

[Kevin Stafford · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rare series about space exploration.

While I enjoy books about starship battles and space marines, I miss the tales of space exploration I read when I was younger. This series has more than fulfilled that longing. An excellent story with well defined characters, new worlds, and lots of exploring.

[David B. Gibbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairly good

I say "fairly" because of excess discussion of evolution. Not everyone believes in that religion and to push it so hard is a little much. Everyone should know by now that the preponderance of real scientific evidence points to a young creation. See www.icr.org .

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice read

Well thought out and written. Not over the top, but not simple minded either. This would be good for a teen who's just getting interested in Science Fiction. I've read the first two books also, and I enjoyed them. Looking forward to the next one.

[Rick Riccobono · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alpha Centauri the series

What a wonderful series of books. From the First Landing to the Return was great reading. The crew that first arrived, the tribulations of surviving an alien planet and after four years being saved, kept me reading the whole series.
Great work Mr. Mayer

[Pierrette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very satisfying conclusion!

Enjoyed the fast paced conclusion to the story. The characters are interesting and relatable. Will explore more of Mr. Mayer's books.

[Harley Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read.

Fantastic story. I am so glad to hear that more regarding this story line, are already out there. This kept you interest ed. I did not want to put the book down.

[Gary Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

He got back to writing with all the science that I enjoy reading. The story is exciting and realistic and I've already purchased the next book.

[Mike Haxton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alphacent

All we need to do is develop warp. The terraforming species are worth their own series. I stayed up late reading the series.

[MomandDad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice closure to the story. Reading the first 2 encouraged me to finish the 3 story arc.

[Barry E Menefee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Series

I found this story to be refreshing and intriguing. Not your typical space opera, thank you. Looking forward to following the story further.