The Outback Stars

The Outback Stars #1

by Sandra McDonald

Lieutenant Jodenny Scott is a hero. She has the medals and the scars to prove it. She's cooling her heels on Kookaburra, recovering from injuries sustained during the fiery loss of her last ship, the Yangtze, and she's bored -- so bored, in fact, that she takes a berth on the next ship out. That's a mistake. ...

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

416 pages, Hardcover

First published April 17, 2007

About the author

Sandra McDonald spent 8 years as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy, battling frostbite, boonie pigs, and the perils of midrats. Later, as a Hollywood assistant, she inhabited a lovely cubicle at CBS Television City and skipped through the halls at Disney Studios in Burbank. She currently lives in Florida, writing award-winning science fiction and adventure stories for adults and kids. She holds a Masters Degree in Creative Writing from the University of Southern Maine.

Reviews

[Hallie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was close to being a real winner, as I very much enjoyed the more-merchant-marine-than-military space adventure, mixed as it was with a mystery. Three things got in the way of my liking though.

1) The use of Aboriginal belief was quite unsettling - it was treated respectfully (in that the massive injustices done to native peoples weren't overlooked), but I'm just not sure it should have been there at all.

2) More in my mind as actually wrong, was the line, repeated several times, about how a woman could just claim rape and she'd be believed. (In this case, of course, the character accused of rape is definitely not guilty of it, but the scenario shouldn't have been written that way.) No mention of how a man could equally just claim she was asking for it, etc., etc.

3) In my mind as just not working at all was the romance. Jodenny Scott is a Lieutenant, Myell a sergeant, and both know that there is NOT to be any kind of relationship other than professional between them. And yet Myell claims to have fallen in love with Jodenny when he first met her, and she told him to clean his boots. If that's all it takes him to fall in love in the military.... She holds out much longer before falling in love (and got the chance thanks to a remarkable coincidence), but is still found wishing that he could hold her in his comforting arms in very short time. Uh, what now? She got past believing the rape claim quite quickly, and was going to give him as much of a chance as anyone else in her messed-up department got, but where that idea came from left me baffled. And disbelieving.

Pity, as there was a lot of good stuff there, and it's always sad bouncing off a book friends have liked.

[Liz Barr · Rating 2 out of 5]

Indigenous Australian issues are pretty fraught, and difficult for white Australians to portray accurately and sensitively, let alone Americans. McDonald doesn't even come close, and some of her misses are downright offensive.

Setting aside the extent to which this book is basically Outback Steakhouse in space, a lot of the plot -- the parts that deal with bureaucracy and the day to day management of a stores department on a starship -- is good, interesting lower decks stuff, but marred by a subplot that involves a dodgy depiction of false rape allegations, plus a perfunctory romance between an interesting, layered female character and a male lead who is so spineless he might as well be an invertebrate.

[Terence · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actual rating: 1.75 - didn't "hate it" but it's not really "OK"

Yawn...just, yawn.

There's nothing terribly "wrong" about this book but there's nothing awfully "right" about it either. The story takes place in an indeterminate future where the Earth has suffered a largely unexplained ecological catastrophe (the Debasement). Humans have discovered what appears to be an alien transportation system (the Alcheringa) that connects seven inhabitable worlds. Team Space, a quasi-military organization, monopolizes the Alcheringa, and our heroes (Jodenny Scott and Terry Myell) are crew aboard the Aral Sea, a stereotypically "troubled" ship.

The unexplained destruction of Scott's former ship has left her traumatized. Myell's problem is that he's crossed paths with Chief Chiba, the leader of a smugglers' ring aboard ship, and was framed for a rape he didn't commit (and which never really happened). Oh, yeah, and (surprise, surprise) Scott and Myell fall in love but the service's rather strict nonfraternization policies threaten to get in the way (she's an officer, he's just a sergeant).

McDonald is former Navy so I guess the day-to-day routines of the ship have a certain verisimilitude (assuming that any future human space fleets will be nothing more than the U.S. Navy in EVA suits) but do we really need to have page after page of bureaucratic in-fighting?

There's an attempt to blend in Aboriginal notions of the Dreamtime and how that relates to the alien technology that allows humans to travel from star to star.

There's some passing reference to the injustices suffered by the non-Western cultures stuck back on Earth because they couldn't afford to establish colonies off planet.

There are hackneyed plots concerning the smugglers, Scott's and Myell's relationship, restoring Scott's division's morale (she's in charge of internal supplies - laundry, uniforms, etc.). None of which are terribly interesting or rise to any level of suspense.

The writing is so banal and clunky and uninteresting, I wonder that I finished the book but it was just good enough that I kept plowing ahead, hoping that something interesting would happen.

To no avail.

As I note in the recommendation field, unless you're a drug-addled koala bear or wallaby, I can think of half a dozen better ways to waste your time on a Saturday afternoon.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Outback Stars is military scifi meets space opera meets Australian mythology. If you are a fan of Elizabeth Moon, Linnea Sinclair, or Ann Aguirre, there's a good chance you'll enjoy this one. Specifically, it reminded me in many ways of the wonderful Games of Command. So if you're a fan of that book like I am, this one might be for you.

Lieutenant Jodenny Scott is in a bad way. One of the sole survivors of the destruction of the Yangtze, she's spent months in forced recuperation and can take it no longer. She makes the decision to cash in a favor and finagles her way into a new job on the Aral Sea in lieu of curling up and dying of guilt and grief. Even before she sets foot on board, Jodenny is warned that the Aral Sea is an unhappy ship. She soon finds this to be true as she is put in charge of a completely derelict division, complete with pregnant ensigns, uncouth civilians, possible Japanese mafia members, and one accused rapist. All of whom need her. And Jodenny starts to flourish once more as she is back in her element organizing her division and prodding her people toward excellence. But the borders between officer and enlisted, history and mythology, reality and memory begin to blur, Jodenny finds it difficult to know which course to chart.

I thoroughly enjoyed this reading experience. I enjoyed the politics, the familiar military lingo, the slow, careful character development. In fact, oddly enough, I would say nostalgia was the primary emotion I experienced while reading The Outback Stars. I grew up a military brat and reading this made me feel like I'd been transported back in time a decade or so when my days were filled with new bases, adjusting to new environments, and a good night was nestling in and watching Star Trek with my dad. At the same time, the inclusion of the unfamiliar and intriguing Australian mythological elements kept me fascinated and really enriched the story. I felt satisfied with the ending, but kind of tickled to find out there is a sequel and a third one in the works, due out July 21st.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very clearly written by someone who has been in the military. The detailed day-to-day life of a career officer is, well, detailed. There are a lot of minor character names, acronyms and titles thrown around, making it occasionally hard to follow. I could have done without about 1/2 of the first 1/2 of the book. But it certainly shows how important support services are to the military; many if not most jobs aren't glamorous, but they are necessary. I'm not sure why Jodenny was so eager to get away from her paperwork pushing job on the planet to get back to a bureaucratic job on the ship. But it was interesting to see how the military culture and lifestyle played out. It just took too long to weave in elements of the larger story. Or at least to see what those elements were.

As for the heart of the story, both Jodenny and Terry are quite likable. She may be a bit too good at her job, but not in an annoying way. My heart went out to Myell, the victim of some serious bullying. It took an awfully long time to indicate what the big mystery was and to build any momentum behind it. I'd have liked more focus on that and the Aboriginal mythology, the history of the mysterious transportation system they are using, and the new mystery that Jodenny and co. stumble upon. But the series is clearly leading up to dealing more with all three.

I'd also have liked to see more build up of the love story. It always bugs me when people suddenly declare that they're in love when they've barely had a conversation. To me that's a crush, or lust, or even recognition of a deeper connection, but love takes time and experience to build. But the connection did feel believable and it was fine.

Overall I'd say it was a pretty interesting piece of military sci-fi (minus the battles, yay!) with some good characters in an interesting if still mostly unexplored universe.

[Jai · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think if you are a fan of Elizabeth Moon you will like Sandra McDonald's books, particularly because of the military aspects. If you like Linnea Sinclair and Ann Aguirre you may like this as well. The author was an officer in the U.S. Navy and her knowledge of the day to day workings of he military seems to really show in this novel. In The Outback Stars Jodenny has to deal with a mix of personalities both below and above her in the chain of command. Not everyone is a hard worker and trying to get the bad seeds working in harmony with everyone else is a challenge. However, it was refreshing to see Jodenny tackle the challenge with creativity and toughness, which didn't always help her make friends, but did make me respect her. She's a very competent character who knows her job and is good at it. I also liked seeing how she reserved judgement on people until she saw things for herself - particularly with Terry, an accused rapist. It was also interesting to read a book where the main culture was Australian, not American (even though the writer is American!), but there was a also a big mix of races and religions and ethnicities on the ship too. The romance itself was satisfying to read - it wasn't the main focus, and is slow-building. The tension comes from the fact that Jodenny is interested in a subordinate, which is a no-no within the milirary, so she spends most of the book supressing her feelings. I sighed a happy sigh at the end of this book. Although it seems like it will continue in The Stars Down Under, this book ended in a good place, without cliffhangers. I didn't feel like major strings were left undone, but there is enough undiscovered territory to keep me wanting to read book 2.

More of my review at my book blog - http://janicu.livejournal.com/54093.html

[Sherwood Smith]

This is space action razzle dazzle at its most fun. The book opens with Jodenny Scott in the middle of a terrible star ship disaster. It's not a drill, and not a mock disaster—it's the real thing as she works to save her ship …months later she's mostly rehabilitated and healed, and anxious to get right back into space. She doesn't want to talk about the Yangstze disaster, or the medal she was given—and especially not about the crew friends and loves she lost. She's sent to the Aral Sea which has problems. On top of that there's a General Quarters alarm just after she gets on and she doesn't know where to go, which brings back a flood of bad memories. She steps afoul of many officers and crew mates, including a petty officer named Terry Myell who just doesn't seem to care.

Myell, it turns out, has way too much to care about. He was falsely accused of rape. He has been beaten up by bullies who all outrank him. And he's having visions that connect with his Aborigine family…as the ship takes off into the Asheringa, which is a mysterious alien-built conduit through space, there are troubles aboard, troubles outside, and enticing hints about those mysterious alien artifacts. Jodenny and Terry are drawn together despite stubborn, grit-jawed determination—the one to do her duty, the second to just survive until he can get out of the service altogether. But there are a host of events and people who just won't let them get on with their lives. The story is fast-paced, full of exciting twists and turns. Lovely alien touches, nifty bits of Dreamtime, interesting characters. I think the only problem I had is that the very end seemed to leave out the climax. Maybe it was meant to evoke the very beginning in a kind of frame? I dunno, but the sheer velocity of the story carried me right to the last page.

[Viridian5 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although The Outback Stars didn't bore me, it didn't pull me in either. The romantic subplot also annoyed me, partly because it never felt organic, as if it happened because the plot demanded it happen. (It could also be because I felt that the romantic subplot involving a strong military-trained woman and a man an entire ship used as a scapegoat was so much better and more believable in C.J. Cherryh's Rimrunners than in The Outback Stars.)

Pulling Aborginal beliefs into a science fiction story is uncommon and appreciated. The military as shown here didn't feel military enough to me, perhaps because 98% of the crew isn't following it. Lt. Jodenny Scott has her moments, but she never felt strong enough to me.

I'm not picking up the sequel.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was waiting to read a book where the female protagonist wasn't the commander of her ship, or the captain of her mercenary/private ship, super controlled and super domineering.

This book was a rare and brilliant mix of nuanced characters. Basically Terry, accused of rape and being bullied by staff and Jodenny, a survivor of a terrorist attack with few survivors, bust a smuggling ring that spans the galaxy.

It was interesting because interspersed with technical jargon of military ships and hierarchy, we're Australian folk takes and tradition.

Very good read!!!😄

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could have really used a list of characters and a sketch or diagram of the giant spaceship on which most of the action occurs. A organizational chart for the ship's crew wouldn't have hurt either. It's a good story with several interesting and well-written characters, but there were a lot of times when I wasn't sure who was who, or who they worked for, or where--and all of those things are important in this book.

[erforscherin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is… certainly a unique take on milsf: I can’t remember the last time I saw one focusing solely on the nitty-gritty of shipboard politics/duties/intrigue, rather than pew-pew firepower and aliens. But I’m also not sure whether this really even qualifies as milsf, because while it has some military trappings (a rigid org structure, distinctions between civilians and enlisted, shore leaves, etc.), a lot of other things just don’t fit: everything from the little details (uniform regs allow long hair in space; no mention of weapons training at all) to the much bigger ones (‘selective reporting’ of issues; the whole chain-of-command romance, which… yeah, no).

The Aboriginal-inspired worldbuilding is also strange, because while we see some nods to history and a lot of geographic landmark names adopted for planets/cities, there’s not much depth to it: why use these at all? Any Western civilization discovering a river-like method of fast travel through space would probably just name it something like “the Flow” and leave it at that; there’s no explanation for why Aboriginal terms would be so prevalent to begin with. I hope that there’s more to this that will be covered more in later books, which is the sole reason I’m bumping this to 5/10 stars, but otherwise this is a puzzling start to the series.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in the "Outback Stars" trilogy by Sandra McDonald. This book takes place in a future where Australia has taken the lead in space exploration. I have only came across science fiction like this from one other author, that being A. Bertram Chandler. In this one Lieutenant Jodenny Scott has survived a disaster on her last mission and despite just recovering from injuries both physical and mental she is ready to get back into space. She takes a berth on the Aral Sea, a ship that needs a last minute replacement for one of it's officers. She soon finds that the Aral Sea is not a happy ship and also discovers that something sinister is going on with some of the crew. The most unexpected thing that she discovers, however, is love! This book is a great read in the Space Opera/Military Science Fiction genre. I cannot wait to read the next book in this trilogy.

[Niall519 · Rating 2 out of 5]

*giggle* Barely two-stars, but I just didn't hate it enough for a one- or no-star rating. It's not quite a romance, not quite a crime novel, and not quite military SF. It's probably closer to the latter than anything else, and the author does seem to have caught the day-to-day bureacracy and social issuess of military life that I observed as a civilian contractor reasonably well. I'm not sure that made for riveting reading, but at least Sandra McDonald appeared to be writing what she knows there.

What I can't figure out is how much MacDonald actually knows about Australia, New Zealand, Japan, or anywhere else. I don't think, as an Anglo-Aussie, that I've ever experienced cultural appopriation before. I'm left trying to work out if that's what has happened, and how I should feel about it. I think the moment that I completely lost it was when the author described 90 minutes as a long drive! Note to other aspiring writers wanting to capture some element of 'Australianess' - 90 minutes is just down the road or next door in outback Australia, and not regarded as all that much more in most of the country. I used to drive 5 hours each way to work at one stage.

Given my bemusement, I can't really imagine an Indigenous Australian take on this book. Pretty varied between individuals is a given, but I'm surprised that McDonald hasn't heard the howls of outrage or laughter from someone, somewhere by now. I certainly felt embarrased reading what sounded like mostly Central and Northern Australian Aboriginal culture, as described by Wikipedia, shoe-horned into dreary SF.

The debates about who can, and should, write what are deep and ongoing. I haven't got a firm opinion. I know that this didn't work for me at all though, but I suppose it does have the virtue of some degree of novelty. The (dubious) novelty wasn't enough though, so I won't be in in any rush to read more about the fumbling relationship or excitements of Supply School.

[Jessica Subject · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given all three of the books in this series from one of my friends. She thought I would enjoy the series because of my love for science fiction romance. And she was right. The first book, Outback Stars, is a wonderful story about a lieutenant who is struggling to get over a catastrophe on the last ship she served on that killed almost everyone on board, including her closest friends. Now, she has swindled her way onto the Aral Sea, though many think she is not yet ready to serve. She becomes head of the Stores division, where there are not only discrepancies in the inventory, but also in the people serving under her. While she tries to straighten out the division, she learns the discrepancies are actually caused by a much larger problem that involves the entire ship. And she struggles with who she can trust, including the one man she is falling in love with. With discovery after discovery, Jodenny stumbles upon a conspiracy, not only on the ship, but also as part of the space fleet, one that sends her to not yet explored planets.

This is an excellent military sci-fi romance, with a taste of Australian folklore added to the mix. My only issue with the story is that there were a lot of characters thrown at me at the beginning of the story, and I had a hard time keeping track of them all. Once I got past that, I loved it, and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

[PJ Who Once Was Peejay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually avoided this book for quite some time because I'm just not into military sf. Then someone whose judgment I trust said it was a good read and I checked it out some more. It turns out that it's a mystery story and a fraternization love story, combined with Aboriginal Australian mythology and mysticism, and it just happens to be set in the Australian Navy in space.

Ms. McDonald isn't the most visual writer out there—I still have only the vaguest notion of what her space ship looks like inside or out, or the appearance of certain key mechanical devices, but it didn't matter. The characterizations are strong and fully dimensional, the plot is strong, the structure sound.

Once I started reading, I was hooked. This book had, for me, that certain something that makes reading such a favorite pastime, that I-Can't-Wait-To-Get-Back-To-It feel. When it was over, I didn't want to leave that world behind. I reread parts just so I could hang out with the characters a little longer. I haven't done that for awhile!

Fortunately, the sequel, The Stars Down Under, has just been released so that's my next book in the queue.

[Carolyn F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I hate the cover. But the book was really good. Jodenny Scott survives her previous ship's explosion and after a few months in rehab is assigned to a new ship that's full of belligerent, lazy workers. She tries to bring her section up to snuff. Terry Myell is one of the workers in her section who was falsely accused of rape and is trying to finish his term of service and leave without getting killed. Together they find out there's more than laziness going on. The new worlds are patterned after Australia, as it was an Australian spacewoman who discovered these 7 Sisters, planets all connected. There's also some Aboriginal religion and class distinction thrown in. A very enjoyable book. Sci-fi romance.

[Shara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part military SF, part space opera, and part science fiction romance, it's a very enjoyable read, with a plot that I thought would be simple but became rather complex. Definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series, and lucky for me, I'll get to read it very soon. :)[return][return]For the full review, which does contain spoilers, please click here: http://calico-reaction.livejournal.co...

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book with good characters. Reminds me of Sassinak or Once A Hero. Starts out a little slow, feeling a bit like a reality show - interesting but a little bit dry. It introduces a mystery that is a puzzle which keeps the reader interested. Mid-way it picks up by expanding the mystery and plopping another puzzle on top of it. Decent story, with an nice spin on space-board life. Odd, out-of-place, low-tech things intrude in a very high tech story.

[Laurie Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

My top-rated science fiction romance (SFR) novel. An imaginative future where Australia took the lead in space exploration. This story is filled with great characters, realistic military culture, imaginative technology, an alien mystery, conspiracy, suspense, aboriginal mytthology and a compelling love story. Terry Myell gets my vote as Most Fascinating SFR Hero.

[Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading this book at lunch, and didn't come back to work until I finished the book 4 hours later. Really reminded me of Kristine Smith's "Code of Conduct" - for making something as dull as supplies and documents sound interesting and important (clues to a conspiracy!)Actually, there's quite a bit of similarity between the two books. Very enjoyable scifi.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. Scifi (space navy, the best kind!), mystery, mythology, AND romance. If you like Battlestar Galactica you will probably enjoy this book. I couldn't put it down and I'm crossing my fingers there's a sequel. Compelling characters and a vivid setting, quick moving storyline, and a unique spin on interplanetary travel.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The way Sandra McDonald wove in Aboriginal mythology was fascinating. I hope she writes a sequel to it.

[Kathy Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This space opera mixes colonization of the stars with Australian folklore. Lietenant Jodenny Scott has survived what looks like sabotage from a rebel group and finds herself taking any opportunity to get off planet and away from desk duty. However, she finds herself on a very troubled ship and in charge of a department filled with misfits and incompetents.

Sergeant Terry Myell is one of the people in her department. He was falsely accused of rape and carries that reputation. He is also being bullied by Chief Chiba who is the leader of a gang and one od the ringleaders of most of the trouble-making on the ship.

As Jodenny tries to conquer the fears that are a remainder of the loss of so many of her friends and crewmates, she is also trying to get things back in shape in her department which is the centerpiece of shipboard smuggling. She is also falling in love with Myell who returns her feelings. But falling in love across ranks in their service is very much discouraged.

I enjoyed the worldbuilding in this one once I had read enough to understand what was going on. The story tells about a new way of space travel stumbled onto by an Australian ship on their way to Mars which allows most to escape Earth which has suffered some sort of environmental catastrophe. The mysterious creators of this faster-than-light network also terraformed a number of planets and left various monuments on all of them.

After Jodenny and Myell accidentally discover that the monuments provide another way of interstellar travel - one definitely not designed for humans, they find they have involved themselves in even more mystery and intrigue. Myell's visions of an ancient Aboriginal spirit guide gives him needed information to use this new network and has him doubting his sanity.

The story was very engaging and fast-paced. I liked both Jodenny and Myell and loved their relationship. This is the first book in a trilogy but, thankfully, doesn't have a cliffhanger ending. But there are questions still to be answered.

[Mariachiara · Rating 2 out of 5]

ok. E' la seconda volta che cerco di leggere questo romanzo. La prima volta nel 2014 ho attribuito la mia inabilità a calarmi nella storia al fatto che il mio inglese spesso traballa negli scifi a causa di un gergo molto tecnico al di là delle mie conoscenze. E anche nel 2017 ho dovuto gettare la spugna, ma stavolta almeno ho capito qual è il mio problema. Il libro mi intriga: la trama mi interessa, è scritto bene e non con un linguaggio troppo tecnico, i personaggi, sia lui che lei, sono simpatici, c'è pure amore...il problema non è libro, sono io. E no è un problema di lingua ma di mancanza di conoscenza del conteso. Mi spiego meglio. Uno può anche ordinare un ottimo btranzino al forno e mangiarlo senza problemi, ma senza contorno saprà di poco. Uno può anche leggere un romanzo in Italia che parla di un meridionale che va al nord e scopre un mondo a lui estraneo, ma se chi legge è un americano che non è mai stato in Italia e non sa che genere di pregiudizi o contrasti ci sono tra il nostro nord e il nostro sud, quanto ne capirà veramente? Non sarà in grado di coglierne nessuna sfumatura nessun sottolivello. Ecco io sono in questa situazione con The outback stars, non capisco tutti i suoi riferimenti alla cultura australiana, alla cultura aborigena australiana, alla storia australiana, alla geografia australiana e quindi anche se la trama pricipale la capisco e mi piace, mi perdo tutto il contorno e tutti i sottolivelli insomma metà del libro in termini di bellezza. Peccato.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is probably more of a 2.5 star book but I'm rounding up generously in light of the holidays.

The military portion of the story was interesting and felt very real (no surprise to find the author has military background!) and I think the importance/mundanity of the operations the MC was in charge of made the story feel more believable.

I was surprised the book was published in 2007 because the gender dynamics in the book felt a lot more dated to me. I'm not sure if this is a side effect of the military background, but a lot of those parts didn't work well for me, especially the falsely accused of rape background for the male main character. I just don't think this was necessary or helpful background and there could have been another reason for him being unfairly ostracized.

While I appreciate the inclusion of indigenous mythology, I'm seeing other reviews question the authenticity or thoughtfulness of that inclusion. For me this was the hardest part of the story to connect with because it felt so outside of what the rest of the book was doing.

I would try other books by the author, but probably won't finish this series.

[S.H. Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Outback Stars is a slice-of-life space opera set aboard a military vessel, aiming for the blue-collar grunting realism and psychological depth of a C.J. Cherryh novel but not quite hitting the mark. The novel is a Lower Decks-esque look at the workings of a starship, and you can tell the author has either experience or extensive research into Naval life; the best parts of the book are the glimpses we get into the mundane frustrations and petty jealousies of people trying to work in between the hammering of a numbing bureaucracy.

However, the grand adventure and character work did not work as well for me and I can't quite put my finger on why. I was soured a bit by the false SA storyline but even setting that aside, something didn't click for me in the writing the way a Cherryh novel does.

*Note: I make no comments one way or another about potential cultural appropriation issues with Australian Indigenous beliefs as I have very little knowledge of that particular culture and am not equipped to judge whether they were handled accurately/respectfully.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I accidentally read the 3rd in this series ages ago from the library and really enjoyed it, so I bought the whole series and am reading through it. It's just a lot of fun and quite imaginative! The military stuff reads as really realistic and I really love the insight into the bureaucracy of working in a large organisation like that. I love reading something from an Australian-centred future, and the Aboriginal themes are so cool. I'm not sure this is from an 'own voices' perspective so I'm hesitant to comment on the representation, but as far as I can tell it's pretty genuine and comes from an interesting place of folklore and compassion. Really recommend this series as a page-turning fantastical sci fi!

[Gedvondur · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my estimation, 3 Stars is a *good* book, worth a read.

This is my first read of author Sandra McDonald. The world mixes science fiction with Aborigine mysticism, ancient alien technology, and an Australia/NZ flavor. If you don't like your spiritualism mixed with your sci-fi, then skip this one. If you don't care, this is a fun book. It's got some of that Naval flavor like Nathan Lowell's "Trader's Tales from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper" series.

Now that being said, this book also isn't any kind of mental stretch. It's fun, inventive sci-fi with an Aussie flavor. Overall, I liked this book and I'm going to add the next ones in the series to my to read list.

[Nes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing find

Refreshing new (for me) SCI FI series, set in a future where Australia is a Space exploration tour de force, we meet Jodenny Scott and Terry Myell who meet when both are about to embark on their spaceship, one not sure of his future as an officer the other trying to forget a tragedy, the story leads us through mystery and several side stories that will be part of books 2 and 3, a keeper

[belleanndthebook]

DNFed at 25%. Loved the vibes this book gave and I love the world-building, but I’m finding that all of the action so far has just felt like petty drama. The MCs also seem to be having feelings for each other after almost zero interactions and despite the fact that most of their interactions so far should have come across mutually as professional. Also, while I like Jodenny, I find Myells incredibly bland.