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The Salvagers #2
A Bad Deal for the Whole Galaxy
The greatest dangers hide the brightest treasures in this bold, planet-hopping science fiction adventure series.The crew of the legendary Capricious are rich enough to retire in comfort for the rest of their days, but none of it matters if the galaxy is still in danger. Nilah and Boots, the ship's newest crew-members hear the word of a mysterious cult that may have links back to an ancient and all-powerful magic. To find it, hot-headed Nilah will have to go undercover and find the source of their power without revealing her true identity. Meanwhile, Boots is forced to confront the one person she'd hoped never to see her old, turn-coat treasure-hunting partner.
544 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 11, 2018
524 people are currently reading
3091 people want to read
About the author
Alex White
110 books528 followersAlex White was born and raised in the American south. He takes photos, writes music and spends hours on YouTube watching other people blacksmith. He values challenging and subversive writing, but will settle for a good time.
In the shadow of rockets in Huntsville, Alabama, Alex lives and works as an experience designer with his spouse, son, two dogs and a cat named Grim. Favored past times include Legos and racecars. He takes his whiskey neat and his espresso black.
Alex is the author of THE SALVAGERS book series (Orbit, 2018), a magical space opera treasure hunt, ALIEN: THE COLD FORGE (Titan, 2018)(yes, THAT Alien), and EVERY MOUNTAIN MADE LOW (Solaris, 2016), a dystopian Southern American yarn.
In the shadow of rockets in Huntsville, Alabama, Alex lives and works as an experience designer with his spouse, son, two dogs and a cat named Grim. Favored past times include Legos and racecars. He takes his whiskey neat and his espresso black.
Alex is the author of THE SALVAGERS book series (Orbit, 2018), a magical space opera treasure hunt, ALIEN: THE COLD FORGE (Titan, 2018)(yes, THAT Alien), and EVERY MOUNTAIN MADE LOW (Solaris, 2016), a dystopian Southern American yarn.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 336 reviews
April 7, 2020
Excellent! More of what I loved from the first book, and it sounds as though the third will be epic as well.
October 3, 2021
[5/10]
See, it’s probably a bit like driving a race car, from what I’ve heard Miss Brio say.”
“How do you figure?”
“Controlled explosions,” she once called it, like trying to guide a comet. You get to do some steerage, but mostly, you’re along for the ride.
Nylah Brio is arguably the lead character from the first book in the series, a top racing pilot with a shot at the galactic title until she runs afoul of a major conspiracy from a team of self-appointed gods that seek to annihilate most intelligent life in the known space.
I used the term arguably because Nilah, initially a lone wolf and selfish type of character, becomes part of a colourful crew of renegade spacefarers and outcasts that try to prove the underdogs can save the day where governments and powerful armies are mired in corruption and incompetence.
The first episode was mildly entertaining, in a popcorn rollercoaster ride sort of way. The second outing for Miss Brio and her friends aboard The Capricious doesn’t bring anything new to the table, being a rehash of the same plot and of the same character interactions from the first expedition. More conspiracies at the highest level of governments, more evil overlords with evil plans to take over galactic affairs, more sexual politics between crew members that replace the need for character growth, more predictable deaths that take care of the need for emotional intensity.
I was more critical of the series in my own mind from the very first chapter, and I struggled to finish. I picked the book despite misgivings about the quality of the writing, because I wanted something easy and fast-paced to make me forget about being hospitalized for a couple of weeks, but the story had the opposite effect. The action set-pieces, for which I held the highest hopes, failed to redeem the book, as I found the combination of magical powers with military hardware and wholesale slaughter in poor taste and poorly assembled.
This is one of the reasons I can’t be bothered to be more specific about the synopsis or about individual character arcs.
I need somebody to tell me the third book is the last in the series, otherwise I believe I’m ready to give up on the Time Salvagers right about now.
December 2, 2018
Alright 4.5. I almost gave this book a 4* because it suffers from being the 2nd book in a series where the first book is one of my favorite books of the year. The book starts off a bit slow and unfortunately follows the traditional path of explaining the back story as the novel unfolds. This is one of my pet peeves these days and I prefer a quick recap chapter and then being dropped into the story.
Once I got away from that though the book is just so damned entertaining and action packed that I really enjoyed the entire novel. Alex does such a great job of giving us a fun and entertaining story that is once again on the right side of being a “popcorn read”.
Boots and Nilah return as POV’s and they continue to be favorites for me.
Boots gets to confront some demons from her past and Nilah and Orna’s relationship is carried over from book 1. It’s not a fairytale relationship but it wasn’t just a fling from book 1 and in some ways this made the book for me. I had hoped we would still see them together. The crew of the Capricious felt like a collection of real people to me and I am looking forward to the next book in the series!
Once I got away from that though the book is just so damned entertaining and action packed that I really enjoyed the entire novel. Alex does such a great job of giving us a fun and entertaining story that is once again on the right side of being a “popcorn read”.
Boots and Nilah return as POV’s and they continue to be favorites for me.
Boots gets to confront some demons from her past and Nilah and Orna’s relationship is carried over from book 1. It’s not a fairytale relationship but it wasn’t just a fling from book 1 and in some ways this made the book for me. I had hoped we would still see them together. The crew of the Capricious felt like a collection of real people to me and I am looking forward to the next book in the series!
October 20, 2019
I had a vague memory of enjoying the first volume of The Salvagers -- apparently I gave it 4-stars on Goodreads, but didn't leave a detailed review. It was a mixture of Firefly and the Fast & the Furious, set in an improbable world of science fiction where everyone has magical abilities. It was a fast-paced story of outcasts engaging in heists, uncovering conspiracies, and saving the universe.
When I picked up the second book in the series, I immediately felt a bad omen. It took me 30+ pages to barely begin recalling the characters. Boots is rich? How did the happen? Is...Nilah the racer one? Not a good sign that they were so forgettable. Even later in the book they mention people like Didier (who?) and Stetson Giles (apparently the archenemy of Boots?) and the names didn't even ring a bell.
Still, I decided to power through it. That seems like the right phrase because with each page it felt more and more like a chore. I think one of the major problems is that it is just way too long for its own good. Well over 400 pages. Imagine if a Fast & Furious movie lasted 4 hours. It is just heist after heist after heist. Some of which end up having absolutely no bearing to the plot. There's a subplot about making contact with a mole and helping him escape. Which they eventually do but...nothing he tells them is used in the plot.
That kind of bad plotting is the ultimate downfall of the book. There certainly isn't anything you'd call real character development to hang your hat on. There's a trite & forced fight between lovers (which is solved by a 5-minute conversation when they actually get around to talking about it). There's some poorly developed stuff about the twins that just goes nowhere. And...I think that's it in terms of character stuff in the entire 400 page book. Everything else is just plot plot plot.
Which can be fine it is done well. Except it isn't done well, for the most part. It is too busy trying to build spectacle to make things coherent. Even if you swallow major absurdities like a bunch of what are essentially cargo-haulers pulling off a bank robbery of the most heavily guarded bank in the universe...with 24 hours of planning. Or finding that the previous guest in their hotel room left behind an eidolon crystal capable of powering a military battleship's warp drive. (Because of course people forget things like that when packing.....) Or when they are asked for the access code of their hotel room -- which is something they have! -- and instead of just saying it, they murder the half-dozen servants in the room; just to have a meaningless shoot-out. Or when they rob a guy's house, leaving witnesses behind who know where they are headed next, and then are shocked, shocked I tell you! when the guy tracks them shortly afterwards.
Salvagers is unabasedly "cinematic". But where movies know they can only throw two or three set pieces at you, Salvagers isn't satisfied until it has done it dozens of times. It isn't enough that they have to engage in a dozen heists. But also ghosts from the past! get thrown into the mix for both Boots and Orna. Because one wouldn't have been enough.
Reading the last 200 pages or so felt like a chore rather than a joy, so I won't be picking up the final volume in the series.
When I picked up the second book in the series, I immediately felt a bad omen. It took me 30+ pages to barely begin recalling the characters. Boots is rich? How did the happen? Is...Nilah the racer one? Not a good sign that they were so forgettable. Even later in the book they mention people like Didier (who?) and Stetson Giles (apparently the archenemy of Boots?) and the names didn't even ring a bell.
Still, I decided to power through it. That seems like the right phrase because with each page it felt more and more like a chore. I think one of the major problems is that it is just way too long for its own good. Well over 400 pages. Imagine if a Fast & Furious movie lasted 4 hours. It is just heist after heist after heist. Some of which end up having absolutely no bearing to the plot. There's a subplot about making contact with a mole and helping him escape. Which they eventually do but...nothing he tells them is used in the plot.
That kind of bad plotting is the ultimate downfall of the book. There certainly isn't anything you'd call real character development to hang your hat on. There's a trite & forced fight between lovers (which is solved by a 5-minute conversation when they actually get around to talking about it). There's some poorly developed stuff about the twins that just goes nowhere. And...I think that's it in terms of character stuff in the entire 400 page book. Everything else is just plot plot plot.
Which can be fine it is done well. Except it isn't done well, for the most part. It is too busy trying to build spectacle to make things coherent. Even if you swallow major absurdities like a bunch of what are essentially cargo-haulers pulling off a bank robbery of the most heavily guarded bank in the universe...with 24 hours of planning. Or finding that the previous guest in their hotel room left behind an eidolon crystal capable of powering a military battleship's warp drive. (Because of course people forget things like that when packing.....) Or when they are asked for the access code of their hotel room -- which is something they have! -- and instead of just saying it, they murder the half-dozen servants in the room; just to have a meaningless shoot-out. Or when they rob a guy's house, leaving witnesses behind who know where they are headed next, and then are shocked, shocked I tell you! when the guy tracks them shortly afterwards.
Salvagers is unabasedly "cinematic". But where movies know they can only throw two or three set pieces at you, Salvagers isn't satisfied until it has done it dozens of times. It isn't enough that they have to engage in a dozen heists. But also ghosts from the past! get thrown into the mix for both Boots and Orna. Because one wouldn't have been enough.
Reading the last 200 pages or so felt like a chore rather than a joy, so I won't be picking up the final volume in the series.
June 17, 2020
Three and a half stars. Just as fast paced and fun as the first book in the series. A little exhausting at times but really enjoyable.
December 9, 2018
4.5 stars~
"It swung a claw at her, arms extending like a bullwhip crack, and Nilah leapt off one of the shelves to get clear. Her calf muscle seared with pain as knifelike claws grazed her skin, tearing her pant leg. She landed hard, but soundly, and dashed off after Boots and Aisha.
The song positively cooed with bloodlust."
If you read my review for A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe, you'll know that it was one of my favorite reads this year. I mean.. I flailed hard over it. Wicked hard! It's one of those books that I cannot stop recommending to people. I'm all but shoving the book directly into their eye holes. It's just so fucking good!
White throws you into the middle of the action right away! A Bad Deal for the Whole Galaxy continues on a year after the events of A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe. Boots (who I L-O-V-E) has retired, but the gang wants her to join them for One More Job. It's never as easy as it sounds and of course the crew on the Capricious run into many, many obstacles along the way. After all, you can't be big damn heroes without encountering some villains!
This series contains phenomenal action sequences, a brilliant assortment of characters and an immersive backdrop of space-opera but with magic.. SPACE MAGIC! That juxtaposition when done right is fucking glorious!
Like this series.
So bloody fun!
Readers can't help but make the Firefly comparisons with this, because it does have some of those qualities. As a pretty hardcore Browncoat, I've been wanting a Firefly novel forever (Big Damn Hero was finally just released.. excited to get to that in the new year!) Firefly means so damn much to me. Truly. This isn't Firefly.. even with those slight undertones. But it *is* still wholly unique in it's own way. It helps to fill the void that was left.. that ache that hasn't gone away in over 15 years.
I would love if Alex wrote a Firefly novel. CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW EPIC THAT WOULD BE?! Oof. I loved their take on the Alien franchise, another favorite of mine. So I mean.. let's do this! JUST TAKE MY GODDAMN MONEY ALREADY!!
"The crowd writhed and swayed, bodies in motion to a blistering-hot beat. Wisps of arcane fireworks drifted overhead--glimmering wireframe dragons and murmurations of cormorants spraying cool flakes of magic as they passed."
My one issue with A Bad Deal for the Whole Galaxy was that it felt a little *too* chaotic at times. Personally, I love the in-between moments just as much as the raging action. I would have liked a few more quiet instances for the characters to just.. breathe. Otherwise, this was a brilliant sequel!
It's brutal and gut-punchy and funny and atmospheric as fuck! There's just something so genuine about White's writing. One of the most unique voices right now, bringing a necessary freshness to the sci-fi world.
I am incredibly invested in the crew of the Capricious and cannot wait to see where their galaxy-spanning journey takes them next!
(Endless thanks to Orbit Books for sending me a copy!)
"It swung a claw at her, arms extending like a bullwhip crack, and Nilah leapt off one of the shelves to get clear. Her calf muscle seared with pain as knifelike claws grazed her skin, tearing her pant leg. She landed hard, but soundly, and dashed off after Boots and Aisha.
The song positively cooed with bloodlust."
If you read my review for A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe, you'll know that it was one of my favorite reads this year. I mean.. I flailed hard over it. Wicked hard! It's one of those books that I cannot stop recommending to people. I'm all but shoving the book directly into their eye holes. It's just so fucking good!
White throws you into the middle of the action right away! A Bad Deal for the Whole Galaxy continues on a year after the events of A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe. Boots (who I L-O-V-E) has retired, but the gang wants her to join them for One More Job. It's never as easy as it sounds and of course the crew on the Capricious run into many, many obstacles along the way. After all, you can't be big damn heroes without encountering some villains!
This series contains phenomenal action sequences, a brilliant assortment of characters and an immersive backdrop of space-opera but with magic.. SPACE MAGIC! That juxtaposition when done right is fucking glorious!
Like this series.
So bloody fun!
Readers can't help but make the Firefly comparisons with this, because it does have some of those qualities. As a pretty hardcore Browncoat, I've been wanting a Firefly novel forever (Big Damn Hero was finally just released.. excited to get to that in the new year!) Firefly means so damn much to me. Truly. This isn't Firefly.. even with those slight undertones. But it *is* still wholly unique in it's own way. It helps to fill the void that was left.. that ache that hasn't gone away in over 15 years.
I would love if Alex wrote a Firefly novel. CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW EPIC THAT WOULD BE?! Oof. I loved their take on the Alien franchise, another favorite of mine. So I mean.. let's do this! JUST TAKE MY GODDAMN MONEY ALREADY!!
"The crowd writhed and swayed, bodies in motion to a blistering-hot beat. Wisps of arcane fireworks drifted overhead--glimmering wireframe dragons and murmurations of cormorants spraying cool flakes of magic as they passed."
My one issue with A Bad Deal for the Whole Galaxy was that it felt a little *too* chaotic at times. Personally, I love the in-between moments just as much as the raging action. I would have liked a few more quiet instances for the characters to just.. breathe. Otherwise, this was a brilliant sequel!
It's brutal and gut-punchy and funny and atmospheric as fuck! There's just something so genuine about White's writing. One of the most unique voices right now, bringing a necessary freshness to the sci-fi world.
I am incredibly invested in the crew of the Capricious and cannot wait to see where their galaxy-spanning journey takes them next!
(Endless thanks to Orbit Books for sending me a copy!)
October 22, 2019
A Bad Deal for the Whole Galaxy is well paced and action packed, but that's about all it has going for it. My reaction to basically everything that happens was either "Ugh, really!" or "Wait, why?" Everything is driven by highly coincidental timing, and the fight sequences feel incredibly unrealistic. The world often seems to lack logical consistency. The character development felt forced and out of place, and the two narrators seemed to blur their identities. The writing style tended to rub me the wrong way, striking me as stiff and excessively wordy, though I stopped noticing when I got sufficiently engrossed in the story.
January 31, 2020
canon ace/aro character!! canon nonbinary character! canon queer characters! (not sure if bi or lesbian)!! space adventures! but also magic?? epic battles! secret cults! found families! ugh. everything you could ever POSSIBLY WANT. this book/series has it I swear
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July 20, 2021Not much to say besides I am thoroughly enjoying this series! It's a lot of fun, and I can't wait to see how White wraps things up in the third and final book.
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Love queer books, too? Let's be friends! Bookstagram | Booktube | Booktok | Twitter
December 16, 2018
More “Firefly” meets Jack Vance’s “Demon Princes” series, with nonstop action and wow, a LOT of explosions and gruesome injuries. One character says it all: “With all the stupid crap we do, it’s amazing we made it this far.” I do wish that the author would stop killing off cast members...still, I can’t wait for the next episode. Here’s what some other characters say:
“I’m not putting love handles on my killbot.”
All of her plans came to: Step one—the crew arrives; step two—explosions happen; step three … step three goes here.
“Zero hour,” said the captain, clapping Nilah on the shoulder. “If this plan isn’t going to work, now is your last chance to back out.”
April 28, 2019
I know it took me a long time to read this, but don't let that sway you about my review. I loved the first book in this series and the second doesn't suffer from a sophomore slump at all. The slowness with which I consumed this story is entirely about the state of my life while consuming it, the lack of time to sit to read, and the tendency to fall asleep as soon as I lay down and try to read.
I loved the book, though. The characters continue to grow and my investment in them continues to grow with them. The action is "just right" without the need for a lot of gun porn, and what romance that is here is left mostly to the imagination.
I'm looking forward to the next book.
I loved the book, though. The characters continue to grow and my investment in them continues to grow with them. The action is "just right" without the need for a lot of gun porn, and what romance that is here is left mostly to the imagination.
I'm looking forward to the next book.
May 21, 2019
Just feels like a rehash of the first book. These are getting some amazing reviews but something just feels off for me. Not sure if its the magic and scifi link.
February 1, 2019
'I'm not putting love handles on my killbot.'
EXCUSE ME, WHO ALLOWED THIS BOOK TO BE AS FANTASTIC AS IT IS?!
There's basically non-stop action in this, which is almost a given for this series and I just love how deep everything goes and THE STAKES KEEP GETTING HIGH. I especially enjoyed the subplot regarding the cult but also, the Checo (nb character, yesss) thing and the whole Masquerade concept were so great to read about
Also, it's basically impossible to choose who's my fave, Orna or Nilah, like they're both so freaking amazing I just wanna die. CHARGER and his little boy voice fucking slayed me every time. Armin really is the most underrated character but I loved that he turned out to be aro ace all this time. The Jans remain couple goals even if Malik needs to stop taking so many risks but Aisha really shined in this one. The twins are a great addition to the team and I can't wait to read more about their origin story (TRAGEDY SIBLINGS VIBES). Cordell and Boots remain their most charming selves which is as good as can be expected from the, I guess LOL. NEVER CHANGE
I do have a minor complaint, though which is . Apart from that, this series basically rocks and I can't get enough of it
EXCUSE ME, WHO ALLOWED THIS BOOK TO BE AS FANTASTIC AS IT IS?!
There's basically non-stop action in this, which is almost a given for this series and I just love how deep everything goes and THE STAKES KEEP GETTING HIGH. I especially enjoyed the subplot regarding the cult but also, the Checo (nb character, yesss) thing and the whole Masquerade concept were so great to read about
Also, it's basically impossible to choose who's my fave, Orna or Nilah, like they're both so freaking amazing I just wanna die. CHARGER and his little boy voice fucking slayed me every time. Armin really is the most underrated character but I loved that he turned out to be aro ace all this time. The Jans remain couple goals even if Malik needs to stop taking so many risks but Aisha really shined in this one. The twins are a great addition to the team and I can't wait to read more about their origin story (TRAGEDY SIBLINGS VIBES). Cordell and Boots remain their most charming selves which is as good as can be expected from the, I guess LOL. NEVER CHANGE
I do have a minor complaint, though which is . Apart from that, this series basically rocks and I can't get enough of it
December 20, 2018
Excellent follow-up and I can't wait for the next one.
October 8, 2020
A sequel that roars with space-adventure, action, and a ton of fun. I enjoyed it a lot. The plotting is clever, and the pacing is just brilliant that blends moments of quiet and moments exploding with intensity.
The worldbuilding is expanding in White's novel, like the galaxy. There are lost treasures to unveil, fanatic cults to overcome, a bit of runaway espionage, and on the top of that, a mission to save the galaxy from tyrannical pseudo-gods. It makes one hell of an entertaining package. It is the second book, but, it's brimming with action, chaos, and magic, and White delivers a freaking big punch in the narrative.
I love the characters in this trilogy a lot. They're the lifeblood of the novel, and without them, it would just be a mediocre book with fight scenes and adventure. Every character grows on the reader, and I'm perfectly in love with Nilah and Orna. I'll cheer for the duo till the end. Boots joins the crew again after a brief vacation, and it's fun to see her interactions with Cordell, Armin, Aisha, and Malik. The camaraderie between these characters is what lights up the novel, and gives it an interesting touch.
The storyarc of Henrick Witts continues to develop, and here we get to see one of his cronies as the Villain. Also, Boots gets an old score to settle. The action at the Pinnacle of the fanatics, and the Masquerade was top notch. Magical and artillery explosions have become a trademark for the series, and the events in this book ramps it up. It was one big lightshow with a significant body count in the way of destroying a shadow-god.
This was a lot better than the first book, and I like the way the story is going. The crew suffers a terrible loss, but, they cope up with it and do their job towards the end. There are further mysteries of the Origin, the magic, and of Witt's nefarious plans, and it indicates fir some epic confrontation in the third book. And, I can say that's right, bcoz, I've done reading it and had one hell of a blast.
The worldbuilding is expanding in White's novel, like the galaxy. There are lost treasures to unveil, fanatic cults to overcome, a bit of runaway espionage, and on the top of that, a mission to save the galaxy from tyrannical pseudo-gods. It makes one hell of an entertaining package. It is the second book, but, it's brimming with action, chaos, and magic, and White delivers a freaking big punch in the narrative.
I love the characters in this trilogy a lot. They're the lifeblood of the novel, and without them, it would just be a mediocre book with fight scenes and adventure. Every character grows on the reader, and I'm perfectly in love with Nilah and Orna. I'll cheer for the duo till the end. Boots joins the crew again after a brief vacation, and it's fun to see her interactions with Cordell, Armin, Aisha, and Malik. The camaraderie between these characters is what lights up the novel, and gives it an interesting touch.
The storyarc of Henrick Witts continues to develop, and here we get to see one of his cronies as the Villain. Also, Boots gets an old score to settle. The action at the Pinnacle of the fanatics, and the Masquerade was top notch. Magical and artillery explosions have become a trademark for the series, and the events in this book ramps it up. It was one big lightshow with a significant body count in the way of destroying a shadow-god.
This was a lot better than the first book, and I like the way the story is going. The crew suffers a terrible loss, but, they cope up with it and do their job towards the end. There are further mysteries of the Origin, the magic, and of Witt's nefarious plans, and it indicates fir some epic confrontation in the third book. And, I can say that's right, bcoz, I've done reading it and had one hell of a blast.
July 17, 2025
This one felt a little more Star Trek than Star Wars, but I'm not complaining. The ragtag crew of The Capricious is back at it again with more of what made the first book so good. More action, more conspiracy, more searching the galaxy for myths, and more overcoming impossible odds. My only complaint is that the way the romance was handled was annoying and felt out of character for at least one of the two involved, but that's not enough to dock a whole star.
August 31, 2021
3.5 stars
April 24, 2021
This is a very solid space adventure with cool characters, great action writing, world-building and settings. My only hinderance is it had been a while since I read the first book so I forgot who a lot of characters were, but since the POV just bounced back and forth between the two characters I remembered who were also narrators in the first boo, I had a good sense of what was going on. This is the sort of book that definitely feels like it could be a really interesting movie and has that kind of pacing and big action "set pieces" which maybe be why I enjoyed it so much. Great addition to a solid series.
March 16, 2021
4 - 4,5 stars
Oh how had I missed Nilah! The book starts with its classic signature of dumping you in the middle of an action scene which will trigger the next steps for the crew, a thing that I'm okay with.
However, i saw that there were several scenarios or stuff that just didnt' add much importance to the plot so I'm a bit unhappy with that, like
I'm feeling like maybe I wasn't focused enough on the action scenes and some other details? I don't know. In general terms, it has been a book that I have enjoyed thoroughly but at the same time there are some loose ends like
I missed the crew and their dynamics and it was great to see them jump back to action again, but I think I'm going to leave some time to read the third and final book so that the feeling of "miss/found" is bigger.
Oh how had I missed Nilah! The book starts with its classic signature of dumping you in the middle of an action scene which will trigger the next steps for the crew, a thing that I'm okay with.
However, i saw that there were several scenarios or stuff that just didnt' add much importance to the plot so I'm a bit unhappy with that, like
I'm feeling like maybe I wasn't focused enough on the action scenes and some other details? I don't know. In general terms, it has been a book that I have enjoyed thoroughly but at the same time there are some loose ends like
I missed the crew and their dynamics and it was great to see them jump back to action again, but I think I'm going to leave some time to read the third and final book so that the feeling of "miss/found" is bigger.
December 11, 2019
Thrilling! With confident writing, White crafts screen-ready multi-stage action scenes that feel like the best Star Wars film sequences at times. His magic-heavy universe and rag-tag rebel space crew are all set up from the prior book, so everything is ready to launch at the outset. The team continues its quest to locate and take down the god-level-powered figures who destroyed (most of) their homeworld and are planning more of the same for the universe. This adventure incorporates future social media, public opinion, conspiracy theory, piracy, psychic twins and mechanical limbs with hidden rocket launchers into the mix.
The book goes to pains to be gender- and sexuality-inclusive. We already estalished a female-female love affair in the prior book, and it has its ups and downs here, if that is something you care about. One main character is disclosed as asexual. A new side character is asked what pronouns they prefer and it is they/their/them. Of note, this also appears to be the author's preferred pronouns based on their bio blurb. A whole job class of people on a space station go by zie/zir, and with this there is an instance of awkward (to me) language in the vein of "Zie tried to dodge falling debris, but it rained on zir heads" (not an actual quote), which is weird if you are not acccustomed to reading this. It did not seem strange in dialogue, but when the narrator used it, it took me out of the action. It was only for a single paragraph, if it has been more spread out through the book it would not have stood out. These instances are presented very matter-of-factly; the characters establish the pronouns and then go on with their business.
The prime heterosexual coupling, between the ship's pilot/sharpshooter and its doctor, gets no screen time, and little affection or concern is specifically portrayed between them. As for myself, despite enjoying the book, I felt little to no attachment to the characters. I enjoyed the action and took their side, but I would not be affected if any of them were to die. Well, maybe Boots. For me, it's a thrillride and I want to read the conclusion to the trilogy, but it's an emotionally shallow journey.
The book goes to pains to be gender- and sexuality-inclusive. We already estalished a female-female love affair in the prior book, and it has its ups and downs here, if that is something you care about. One main character is disclosed as asexual. A new side character is asked what pronouns they prefer and it is they/their/them. Of note, this also appears to be the author's preferred pronouns based on their bio blurb. A whole job class of people on a space station go by zie/zir, and with this there is an instance of awkward (to me) language in the vein of "Zie tried to dodge falling debris, but it rained on zir heads" (not an actual quote), which is weird if you are not acccustomed to reading this. It did not seem strange in dialogue, but when the narrator used it, it took me out of the action. It was only for a single paragraph, if it has been more spread out through the book it would not have stood out. These instances are presented very matter-of-factly; the characters establish the pronouns and then go on with their business.
The prime heterosexual coupling, between the ship's pilot/sharpshooter and its doctor, gets no screen time, and little affection or concern is specifically portrayed between them. As for myself, despite enjoying the book, I felt little to no attachment to the characters. I enjoyed the action and took their side, but I would not be affected if any of them were to die. Well, maybe Boots. For me, it's a thrillride and I want to read the conclusion to the trilogy, but it's an emotionally shallow journey.
December 27, 2018
The second book in Alex White's The Salvagers series lacks a bit of the, well, magic of the first--we already know the characters and the world, so there's less of a sense of discovery in this one--but makes up for it with a tighter plot with a well-defined antagonist who's less nebulous than the mysterious group the heroes were just coming to learn about in the first novel.
White's writing continues to be confident, his pacing strong, and his characters compelling. As I said in my review of the first book, he's clearly comfortable with this world and its rules. Now that he doesn't have to spend as much time introducing his readers to how things work, he can focus a bit more on the intricacies of the plot, the action, and the character development. This makes for a propulsive story that's easy to read but doesn't feel light or simple.
There are a few nits one could pick. The romance between two characters feels a bit rushed, in terms of how quickly their relationship has proceeded from fling, to something deeper, to something troubled, to a specific resolution. White has a peculiar reliance on the term "bloodred" (all one word, like that) which I found jarring to repeatedly encounter, but every writer, myself included, has those kind of quirks. The allegory with current US politics is sometimes laid on a little thick. Still, overall these are extremely minor issues and not worth knocking a star off, for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and recommend it to anyone looking for a fast, fun adventure. If "it's a space opera, except (almost) everyone in the universe is also a mage" sounds up your alley, this is a series you will absolutely enjoy.
White's writing continues to be confident, his pacing strong, and his characters compelling. As I said in my review of the first book, he's clearly comfortable with this world and its rules. Now that he doesn't have to spend as much time introducing his readers to how things work, he can focus a bit more on the intricacies of the plot, the action, and the character development. This makes for a propulsive story that's easy to read but doesn't feel light or simple.
There are a few nits one could pick. The romance between two characters feels a bit rushed, in terms of how quickly their relationship has proceeded from fling, to something deeper, to something troubled, to a specific resolution. White has a peculiar reliance on the term "bloodred" (all one word, like that) which I found jarring to repeatedly encounter, but every writer, myself included, has those kind of quirks. The allegory with current US politics is sometimes laid on a little thick. Still, overall these are extremely minor issues and not worth knocking a star off, for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and recommend it to anyone looking for a fast, fun adventure. If "it's a space opera, except (almost) everyone in the universe is also a mage" sounds up your alley, this is a series you will absolutely enjoy.
December 27, 2020
I wish I had noticed that I DNF'ed the first book in this series.
This is a comic book in words. It's all action, except for occasional shoehorned-in episodes of interacting personalities so we can see the teambuilding. Quite good personalities, I admit, and a good mixture.
If you require ALL the characters to be heterosexual and use standard pronouns, this book will possibly enrage you. I thought White's approach on this was satisfactory.
We have high-tech AND magic, and despite White's efforts to show how they might intersect, there's just too much narrativium; the author can make ANYthing happen, and that's never good.
As with book 1, we have an implausible collection of implausible characters. Each is world-class, and they Just Happened to get together. Apparently no one else in the galaxy has a Charger sentient power suit (yet no one who sees it seems to think it's anything special.) No one else has a prosthetic arm with a ship-to-ship missile in it.
As with most space opera, there's wholesale slaughter of anyone who gets in their way. At least they didn't, after all that, hesitate to take out the major bad guys.
Magic shadows that can clutch, grab and hit? Hmph. Why not magic rayguns?
They need stuff. They can't go anywhere normal, so .... Space Opera Cliche #1: We'll Go To The Pirate Asteroid! We'll be fine because we're Tougher Than the Rest.
And really, are we still doing the repeated "Black ship, you are not cleared for takeoff" nonsense.
Speaking of which, we went into British pantomime territory with the jump dump. When a character says, "you can't re-use a jump dump," didn't we all shout, "OH YES YOU CAN!" ?
They need power. Let's assume that because they have Bill Scar's masks they were assigned his hotel room. Oh, look, Bill left behind an eidolon crystal that can power a military battleship's warp drive. Isn't THAT handy? I'd love to set Dr. Brian Cox on the physics of a hand-sized crystal that can do that, maybe starting with E=mc squared, and adding some quantum handwaving.
Here's Armin, charging at a heavily-armed dreadnought that presumably also has access to godlike magics. Can they stop him? Course not.
Oh, and did I see the captain chatting away from within the Flow to someone outside it? Heck, most SF authors accept that as a no-no, even with ansibles or a chrono-synclastic infundibulum.
Too much action and excitement, not enough credibility.
But I'll give it this: if you need the SF version of a beach book, this is it.
My standard test: Will I read the next one?
Nope.
This is a comic book in words. It's all action, except for occasional shoehorned-in episodes of interacting personalities so we can see the teambuilding. Quite good personalities, I admit, and a good mixture.
If you require ALL the characters to be heterosexual and use standard pronouns, this book will possibly enrage you. I thought White's approach on this was satisfactory.
We have high-tech AND magic, and despite White's efforts to show how they might intersect, there's just too much narrativium; the author can make ANYthing happen, and that's never good.
As with book 1, we have an implausible collection of implausible characters. Each is world-class, and they Just Happened to get together. Apparently no one else in the galaxy has a Charger sentient power suit (yet no one who sees it seems to think it's anything special.) No one else has a prosthetic arm with a ship-to-ship missile in it.
As with most space opera, there's wholesale slaughter of anyone who gets in their way. At least they didn't, after all that, hesitate to take out the major bad guys.
Magic shadows that can clutch, grab and hit? Hmph. Why not magic rayguns?
They need stuff. They can't go anywhere normal, so .... Space Opera Cliche #1: We'll Go To The Pirate Asteroid! We'll be fine because we're Tougher Than the Rest.
And really, are we still doing the repeated "Black ship, you are not cleared for takeoff" nonsense.
Speaking of which, we went into British pantomime territory with the jump dump. When a character says, "you can't re-use a jump dump," didn't we all shout, "OH YES YOU CAN!" ?
They need power. Let's assume that because they have Bill Scar's masks they were assigned his hotel room. Oh, look, Bill left behind an eidolon crystal that can power a military battleship's warp drive. Isn't THAT handy? I'd love to set Dr. Brian Cox on the physics of a hand-sized crystal that can do that, maybe starting with E=mc squared, and adding some quantum handwaving.
Here's Armin, charging at a heavily-armed dreadnought that presumably also has access to godlike magics. Can they stop him? Course not.
Oh, and did I see the captain chatting away from within the Flow to someone outside it? Heck, most SF authors accept that as a no-no, even with ansibles or a chrono-synclastic infundibulum.
Too much action and excitement, not enough credibility.
But I'll give it this: if you need the SF version of a beach book, this is it.
My standard test: Will I read the next one?
Nope.
October 23, 2019
White, Alex. A Bad Day for the Whole Galaxy. The Salvagers No. 2. Orbit, 2018.
Bad Day is the sequel to Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe. A third volume is due out in 2020. I was intrigued by the crew of misfits in a dangerous interstellar salvaging business in the first volume, and I put up with the quirky, unnecessary substitution of magic for some of the usual space opera technologies in the first volume. In this second volume, we have the same wisecracking crew, this time engaged in a violent revenge/detective caper. Frankly, I liked the salvage idea better, but O.K. But I did not enjoy Bad Day quite as much as Big Ship. This time White wants to be a bit more serious and make the story a bit more character driven. But that is not what White does best. He does better with banter and action.
Bad Day is the sequel to Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe. A third volume is due out in 2020. I was intrigued by the crew of misfits in a dangerous interstellar salvaging business in the first volume, and I put up with the quirky, unnecessary substitution of magic for some of the usual space opera technologies in the first volume. In this second volume, we have the same wisecracking crew, this time engaged in a violent revenge/detective caper. Frankly, I liked the salvage idea better, but O.K. But I did not enjoy Bad Day quite as much as Big Ship. This time White wants to be a bit more serious and make the story a bit more character driven. But that is not what White does best. He does better with banter and action.
January 12, 2022
This was an incredible sequel. Not only did it bring an exciting plot line, it evolved the characters even further, and kept the same fast pace as the first book.
June 17, 2022
This was fun! Loved the plot + characters though sometimes the descriptions felt a bit like a grocery list
January 8, 2025
It took me a bit longer to really get into this one. I didn't like it at first, it got a bit confusing for a while before it really started to gel for me. Hell of a climax, though!
January 24, 2019
Until every one of you is willing to stand up, we haven't gone far enough. So keep on betting your futures on a single, tiny starship crew. Take a load off and leave the rest to us .... Keep your damned medals.
If my praise and adoration for A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe did not sway you to start this series, let me please reiterate.
You need this single, tiny starship crew in your damn life.
This was such a phenomenal follow up to the first book in the series. I'm not going to lie, I was concerned. I have had bad luck with First Book Syndrome. Where you fall head over heels for a book, an author, a cast, a setting, and then you read the next book and you go, "Wait...."
::coughDivergentcough::
In the aftermath of the battle at the end of A Big Ship, our crew has not taken any down time. Well, maybe just my literary soulmate, Boots, who has used her money to buy a huge plot of land and make whiskey for a living. (Seriously. soul. mate.) But as we saw at the end of the first book, just when she thought she was out, they drag her back in.
Their mission is SUPER simple. They just have to take down some gods.
NBD, just another Tuesday.
Except that after word got out what they did, people are singing their praises and raising glasses in their favor. But there's always those people. Those dissenters. Those conspiracy theorists. Those people who see someone doing good, and decide that they are the villains.
You know who these people are. You know their real life counterparts.
The Children of the Singularity don't wear red hats, but believe me, they're there.
And they are everywhere. And they HATE this crew. Because destiny. Insert all of the eye rolls here. You will hate these guys.
What you will hate even more than these guys is our villain. I thought Mother from the first book was bad. But, see, Mother didn't touch on any of my own personal phobias. So, being creeped out by her was just fun. Lord Vraba, though? Lord Vraba needs to stay 85 paces away from me as I crab walk backwards out the damn door.
Props to Alex, btdub, for having Nilah call Lord Vraba out for that hoity toity title in a way JKR never bothered with Voldemort.
There are so many things I want to talk about and I just feel like I would be rambling. This is the problem with books that fill me up like this. It's not that I can't put my feelings into words, it's that I have too many damn words and I want people to actually read this review and decide to read the book for themselves, not roll their eyes at the TL;DR and keep moving.
I mean, WE HAVE CREEPY AMAZING TWINS IN THIS BOOK. When we first met them, I was hoping for Weasley vibes, but what we got was Simon and River Tam, and it was 8,600 times better than I ever could have dreamed. We have Charger, a sorry replacement for my Ranger but a precious baby mountain lion killing machine who is a LITERAL CHILD and 'cries' when Ornah takes his damn legs away.
We have SO MUCH REP. We have gender neutral characters, asexual characters, bisexual characters. And no one bats an eye or thinks it's strange, because THAT IS WHAT SCI FI IS FOR, to show that this abominable world can grow and evolve and it's WONDERFUL.
We have BANK ROBBERY. ESPIONAGE. INFILTRATION OF A MUTHAFUCKIN' MOUNTAIN FORTRESS. A character who is like the Bob Ross of evil. ("We're the Children of the Singularity, not the Children of the Vulgarity.") FISH PEOPLE.
ALSO ORNAH, BUT IT'S FINE, I'LL LET THAT SLIDE.
Seriously, I know we got the back story on Ornah and it's CRAZY SAD and upsetting, but JFC, she is such a fucking brat and I wanted her to get hit with a wrench a couple of times.
Okay, I'm going to stop now.
One last thing. The writing. The writing in these novels is just so damn good. Y'all should know, my relationship with science fiction is SPOTTY, I get lost in the phlebotenum and my eyes glaze over and this is never a genre I reach for. Not only do I plan on re-reading these two books in preparation for the third, but I am anxious to read the rest of Alex's work. If they're anything like these, I am going to love every minute of it.
Let me give you my favorite example. In one scene, the captain, Cordell, is bringing food to Boots, in her quarters. She's just had a rough time of it, so it's a kindness that he's bringing her this meal. And she asks if he brought her a fork, which he has forgotten.
Now, I caught on almost immediately what was going on, but it is never implicitly stated, at all, in the text. Because Cordell is bringing her both food, and bad news. And Cordell knows that when Boots hears said bad news, she might, in fact, stab him with the fork.
That? ^^ Is my kind of writing. These are my kinds of books. Why are all of you still sitting there, go get the books and start reading.
If my praise and adoration for A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe did not sway you to start this series, let me please reiterate.
You need this single, tiny starship crew in your damn life.
This was such a phenomenal follow up to the first book in the series. I'm not going to lie, I was concerned. I have had bad luck with First Book Syndrome. Where you fall head over heels for a book, an author, a cast, a setting, and then you read the next book and you go, "Wait...."
::coughDivergentcough::
In the aftermath of the battle at the end of A Big Ship, our crew has not taken any down time. Well, maybe just my literary soulmate, Boots, who has used her money to buy a huge plot of land and make whiskey for a living. (Seriously. soul. mate.) But as we saw at the end of the first book, just when she thought she was out, they drag her back in.
Their mission is SUPER simple. They just have to take down some gods.
NBD, just another Tuesday.
Except that after word got out what they did, people are singing their praises and raising glasses in their favor. But there's always those people. Those dissenters. Those conspiracy theorists. Those people who see someone doing good, and decide that they are the villains.
You know who these people are. You know their real life counterparts.
The Children of the Singularity don't wear red hats, but believe me, they're there.
And they are everywhere. And they HATE this crew. Because destiny. Insert all of the eye rolls here. You will hate these guys.
What you will hate even more than these guys is our villain. I thought Mother from the first book was bad. But, see, Mother didn't touch on any of my own personal phobias. So, being creeped out by her was just fun. Lord Vraba, though? Lord Vraba needs to stay 85 paces away from me as I crab walk backwards out the damn door.
Props to Alex, btdub, for having Nilah call Lord Vraba out for that hoity toity title in a way JKR never bothered with Voldemort.
There are so many things I want to talk about and I just feel like I would be rambling. This is the problem with books that fill me up like this. It's not that I can't put my feelings into words, it's that I have too many damn words and I want people to actually read this review and decide to read the book for themselves, not roll their eyes at the TL;DR and keep moving.
I mean, WE HAVE CREEPY AMAZING TWINS IN THIS BOOK. When we first met them, I was hoping for Weasley vibes, but what we got was Simon and River Tam, and it was 8,600 times better than I ever could have dreamed. We have Charger, a sorry replacement for my Ranger but a precious baby mountain lion killing machine who is a LITERAL CHILD and 'cries' when Ornah takes his damn legs away.
We have SO MUCH REP. We have gender neutral characters, asexual characters, bisexual characters. And no one bats an eye or thinks it's strange, because THAT IS WHAT SCI FI IS FOR, to show that this abominable world can grow and evolve and it's WONDERFUL.
We have BANK ROBBERY. ESPIONAGE. INFILTRATION OF A MUTHAFUCKIN' MOUNTAIN FORTRESS. A character who is like the Bob Ross of evil. ("We're the Children of the Singularity, not the Children of the Vulgarity.") FISH PEOPLE.
ALSO ORNAH, BUT IT'S FINE, I'LL LET THAT SLIDE.
Seriously, I know we got the back story on Ornah and it's CRAZY SAD and upsetting, but JFC, she is such a fucking brat and I wanted her to get hit with a wrench a couple of times.
Okay, I'm going to stop now.
One last thing. The writing. The writing in these novels is just so damn good. Y'all should know, my relationship with science fiction is SPOTTY, I get lost in the phlebotenum and my eyes glaze over and this is never a genre I reach for. Not only do I plan on re-reading these two books in preparation for the third, but I am anxious to read the rest of Alex's work. If they're anything like these, I am going to love every minute of it.
Let me give you my favorite example. In one scene, the captain, Cordell, is bringing food to Boots, in her quarters. She's just had a rough time of it, so it's a kindness that he's bringing her this meal. And she asks if he brought her a fork, which he has forgotten.
Now, I caught on almost immediately what was going on, but it is never implicitly stated, at all, in the text. Because Cordell is bringing her both food, and bad news. And Cordell knows that when Boots hears said bad news, she might, in fact, stab him with the fork.
That? ^^ Is my kind of writing. These are my kinds of books. Why are all of you still sitting there, go get the books and start reading.
March 15, 2022
Very very very very very very fun space adventure, but a bit cheesy in the dialogue.
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