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Backyard Starship #1
Backyard Starship
When Van Tudor returns to his childhood home, he inherits more than the family farm.
His grandfather used to tell him fantastic stories of spacemen and monsters, princesses and galactic knights. Little did Van realize, the old man's tales were more than fiction. They were real.
Hidden beneath the old barn, Van’s legacy is waiting: a starship, not of this world.
With his combat AI, an android bird named Perry, Van takes his first steps into the wider galaxy. He soon finds that space is far busier and more dangerous than he could have ever conceived.
Destiny is calling. His grandfather's legacy awaits.
His grandfather used to tell him fantastic stories of spacemen and monsters, princesses and galactic knights. Little did Van realize, the old man's tales were more than fiction. They were real.
Hidden beneath the old barn, Van’s legacy is waiting: a starship, not of this world.
With his combat AI, an android bird named Perry, Van takes his first steps into the wider galaxy. He soon finds that space is far busier and more dangerous than he could have ever conceived.
Destiny is calling. His grandfather's legacy awaits.
510 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 15, 2021
5288 people are currently reading
11208 people want to read
About the author
J.N. Chaney
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 643 reviews
December 8, 2024
I got to chapter four and my overwhelming thought was I just wish the author would ‘shut up’ and get on with the story. I don’t need to know the characters every single thought and have everything described in excruciating detail.
The problem was that once the ‘Peacemaker’ bit gets going it doesn’t get a lot better, as there is now the addition of ridiculous discussions to add to the mix.
Eventually I had to admit defeat and admit this just wasn’t for me, the ‘galaxy’ created by the author wasn’t convincing, the way the ‘Peacemakers’ operated was even less credible and unfortunately I found the main characters irritating as well as unconvincing.
The problem was that once the ‘Peacemaker’ bit gets going it doesn’t get a lot better, as there is now the addition of ridiculous discussions to add to the mix.
Eventually I had to admit defeat and admit this just wasn’t for me, the ‘galaxy’ created by the author wasn’t convincing, the way the ‘Peacemakers’ operated was even less credible and unfortunately I found the main characters irritating as well as unconvincing.
December 27, 2021
Dear lord help me with this one.......
The story would be amazing .......... If it was not for the total stupidity of the main character.
Let me put it this way..I am surprised the MC made it to adulthood without killing himself from his own stupidity. No really.. The MC displays a level of Critical thinking skills one would attribute to a rock or a Democrat.. I almost did not finish this book ....it was that bad.
A note to the author... Spoiler alert..
The story would be amazing .......... If it was not for the total stupidity of the main character.
Let me put it this way..I am surprised the MC made it to adulthood without killing himself from his own stupidity. No really.. The MC displays a level of Critical thinking skills one would attribute to a rock or a Democrat.. I almost did not finish this book ....it was that bad.
A note to the author... Spoiler alert..
December 27, 2021
Ever played an RPG video game?
The typical one goes something like...
Hero starts with nothing.
loop forever {
Does quests.
Acquires contacts.
Gets paid.
Buys stuff.
Upgrades stuff.
}
That's about the extent of Backyard Spaceship. It's a novel in straight up RPG videogame format set in a galaxy where humans are just a bit player. The writing quality is above average in places relative to its peers in the "easy reading zero-content science fiction" sub-genre -- which is an admittedly very low bar -- but that's how it rates an extra star over one.
This is the kind of book that you read when you've run out of better material, have time on your hands and no way to do something more productive.
Pluses:
It's easy reading: limited vocabulary, simple plot.
No political statements or commentary on current society: nothing to think about.
There's some decent descriptive narrative in the beginning but that peters out as the authors get bored. It can be mildly witty from time to time.
Minuses:
There's not a single original thought anywhere.
The hero character is cardboard. The rest of the characters are thin paper in comparison. They are clearly NPCs to our hero. It's as if the authors actively avoided any kind of character development in favour of throwing in another banal witticism or oddball alien.
If you want to read quality science fiction set in a galaxy where humans are the bit players, this is not your novel. Read Becky Chambers. She does it so much better and with more style.
The typical one goes something like...
Hero starts with nothing.
loop forever {
Does quests.
Acquires contacts.
Gets paid.
Buys stuff.
Upgrades stuff.
}
That's about the extent of Backyard Spaceship. It's a novel in straight up RPG videogame format set in a galaxy where humans are just a bit player. The writing quality is above average in places relative to its peers in the "easy reading zero-content science fiction" sub-genre -- which is an admittedly very low bar -- but that's how it rates an extra star over one.
This is the kind of book that you read when you've run out of better material, have time on your hands and no way to do something more productive.
Pluses:
It's easy reading: limited vocabulary, simple plot.
No political statements or commentary on current society: nothing to think about.
There's some decent descriptive narrative in the beginning but that peters out as the authors get bored. It can be mildly witty from time to time.
Minuses:
There's not a single original thought anywhere.
The hero character is cardboard. The rest of the characters are thin paper in comparison. They are clearly NPCs to our hero. It's as if the authors actively avoided any kind of character development in favour of throwing in another banal witticism or oddball alien.
If you want to read quality science fiction set in a galaxy where humans are the bit players, this is not your novel. Read Becky Chambers. She does it so much better and with more style.
August 20, 2024
Backyard Starship
By J.N. Chaney and Terry Maggert
This was a book I have been wanting to read but kept putting it off. When I saw Jeffrey Kefer was the narrator, I bought the audio. Kefer can make a book take life!
This is full of action, space adventures, humor, and aliens. It was sheer joy!
It's a long book, but it felt like it flew by. Great imagination throughout! I can't wait to be able to buy the next book.
By J.N. Chaney and Terry Maggert
This was a book I have been wanting to read but kept putting it off. When I saw Jeffrey Kefer was the narrator, I bought the audio. Kefer can make a book take life!
This is full of action, space adventures, humor, and aliens. It was sheer joy!
It's a long book, but it felt like it flew by. Great imagination throughout! I can't wait to be able to buy the next book.
September 30, 2021
Book one
Mistakes: I found two and listed them on Goodreads.
Plot: Guy finds out his grandfather has a spaceship in his barn and heads off to be a galactic cop. He jumps from case to case not really solving anything.
Characters: The male MC wouldn't have been able to pull off anything that he did without the aid of the lead female character. He isn't a very good cop.
3/10
Mistakes: I found two and listed them on Goodreads.
Plot: Guy finds out his grandfather has a spaceship in his barn and heads off to be a galactic cop. He jumps from case to case not really solving anything.
Characters: The male MC wouldn't have been able to pull off anything that he did without the aid of the lead female character. He isn't a very good cop.
3/10
October 12, 2021
Loved it
I really love a good sci to book. This book from JN Chaney & Terry Maggert has it all.
A discovery that will change a persons life, good family and good new friends, space battles with bad guys and of course corruption of the supposed good guys.
I looking forward to the next release in November2021, its marked on my calender.
I really love a good sci to book. This book from JN Chaney & Terry Maggert has it all.
A discovery that will change a persons life, good family and good new friends, space battles with bad guys and of course corruption of the supposed good guys.
I looking forward to the next release in November2021, its marked on my calender.
September 19, 2023
I am not quite sure what to think of this book. The idea intrigued me that is why I bought the book. The book was interesting. As it was the first book, the characters were in development. I will read a few more episodes before I decide if the series is worth the time
I read this as an audiobook downloaded form Audible. The book is twelve hours and fifty-eight minutes. One of my favorite narrators, Jeffrey Kafer, is the narrator and he is doing a great job.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded form Audible. The book is twelve hours and fifty-eight minutes. One of my favorite narrators, Jeffrey Kafer, is the narrator and he is doing a great job.
September 29, 2021
Not my jam
The good: The storyline is fine. The writing style is good. Plot development is fine.
The bad: flat characters, juvenile plot, NO action development, boring tech, overall feels like a young adult novel. Will not read the next book on the series.
The good: The storyline is fine. The writing style is good. Plot development is fine.
The bad: flat characters, juvenile plot, NO action development, boring tech, overall feels like a young adult novel. Will not read the next book on the series.
June 18, 2022
Just couldn't finish the book, couldn't get into the story
March 26, 2022
“Space is both friendly and cruel. A mixed message, if you will.”
-OMGOODNESS! I had so much fun reading this instalment, book-1 of Backyard Starship series, I couldn’t get enough of it! I stayed up burning the midnight oil as I kept turning the pages.
The story starts with an unusual predicament that brings up an emotional crisis to the main character, which in itself reveals astonishing surprises, too hard to believe, occurrences that only happen in films and books. The reader immediately develops an attachment with the protagonist. From then on, the story launches into a spiral, rollercoaster ride, dizzy with unbelievable events.
The vividness in descriptions takes our minds to travel within the settings of beautiful images, plunging the reader in the mindscapes of the characters, be them good or villains.
The characters complement each other so well, they were destined to be together. Lovable and dotted with a charming personality, they are unique and adorable, even if they are not living beings. The main character is human, but the way the plot is written, Perry and Netty share the spotlight, because without them this story wouldn’t be half as entertaining and immersive as it is.There are hardcore events that left me flabbergasted, horrified, thought provoking moments in life, an existential question. But, Maggert and Chaney know how to compensate the plot and balance the storyline with a lot of dashes of humour, a witty dialogue that had me laughing constantly.
Backyard Starship #1 is filled with unusual twists and plot points are designed to keep the reader on edge, moving from one gripping page to the next. A page turner well worth 5 Stars!
-OMGOODNESS! I had so much fun reading this instalment, book-1 of Backyard Starship series, I couldn’t get enough of it! I stayed up burning the midnight oil as I kept turning the pages.
The story starts with an unusual predicament that brings up an emotional crisis to the main character, which in itself reveals astonishing surprises, too hard to believe, occurrences that only happen in films and books. The reader immediately develops an attachment with the protagonist. From then on, the story launches into a spiral, rollercoaster ride, dizzy with unbelievable events.
The vividness in descriptions takes our minds to travel within the settings of beautiful images, plunging the reader in the mindscapes of the characters, be them good or villains.
The characters complement each other so well, they were destined to be together. Lovable and dotted with a charming personality, they are unique and adorable, even if they are not living beings. The main character is human, but the way the plot is written, Perry and Netty share the spotlight, because without them this story wouldn’t be half as entertaining and immersive as it is.There are hardcore events that left me flabbergasted, horrified, thought provoking moments in life, an existential question. But, Maggert and Chaney know how to compensate the plot and balance the storyline with a lot of dashes of humour, a witty dialogue that had me laughing constantly.
Backyard Starship #1 is filled with unusual twists and plot points are designed to keep the reader on edge, moving from one gripping page to the next. A page turner well worth 5 Stars!
May 17, 2022
BACKYARD STARSHIP is a fantastic book. It is also better listen to rather than read due to the excellent narrated by Jeffrey Kafer. However, even if you don't buy the audiobook, the book is incredibly entertaining and I very much enjoyed it from beginning to end. It's not a book with just one single coherent narrative but more like a season of a really entertaining television series that builds off of its individual chapters.
The premise is Van Tudor, former Army Intelligence man, inherits a starship from his grandfather. Unbeknownst to Van, his grandfather was a Peacemaker and served in an organization that is a bit like Mass Effect's Specters with a more mercenary bent. Basically, they're space cops but they have to pay for all of their own gas and resources by bringing in high-paying bounties.
The book is fairly episodic with Van discovering his grandfather's starship resting in the barn of the house he'd just inherited. He's introduced into the role of the Peacemakers by an android parrot and slowly eased into the larger issues of the galaxy. It's a work of escapist fantasy so Van takes to the whole thing like a duck to water but never seems like he's overpowered for the setting.
This is a really enjoyable book with lots of fun quirky adventures and a fun supporting cast.
The premise is Van Tudor, former Army Intelligence man, inherits a starship from his grandfather. Unbeknownst to Van, his grandfather was a Peacemaker and served in an organization that is a bit like Mass Effect's Specters with a more mercenary bent. Basically, they're space cops but they have to pay for all of their own gas and resources by bringing in high-paying bounties.
The book is fairly episodic with Van discovering his grandfather's starship resting in the barn of the house he'd just inherited. He's introduced into the role of the Peacemakers by an android parrot and slowly eased into the larger issues of the galaxy. It's a work of escapist fantasy so Van takes to the whole thing like a duck to water but never seems like he's overpowered for the setting.
This is a really enjoyable book with lots of fun quirky adventures and a fun supporting cast.
May 17, 2022
Meh
World building is haphazard. Characters are dull. The pacing of the story is super fast but means there isn't time for details or motives to matter. Main character has a sword that conveniently gets upgraded with a new power that just happens to always be the power needed to solve an issue. Not one of Chaney's better novels. It's not a horrible book it's just soulless.
World building is haphazard. Characters are dull. The pacing of the story is super fast but means there isn't time for details or motives to matter. Main character has a sword that conveniently gets upgraded with a new power that just happens to always be the power needed to solve an issue. Not one of Chaney's better novels. It's not a horrible book it's just soulless.
January 24, 2022
Great pacing, effortless immersion
This book helped me exhale a bit smoother after this crazy year we just passed. The characters are really understandable and the main character felt like a good friend from the very beginning. Since the entire premise is a big twist, discovering the reactions of the characters as they become more educated about each other and the truth lying out there is very entertaining.
This book helped me exhale a bit smoother after this crazy year we just passed. The characters are really understandable and the main character felt like a good friend from the very beginning. Since the entire premise is a big twist, discovering the reactions of the characters as they become more educated about each other and the truth lying out there is very entertaining.
March 3, 2022
So far I have read a few books from J.N. Chaney and have really enjoyed all of them. In fact after reading this I immediately picked up the 4th book in the Orion colony series to finish it. I also bought Red Bounty (the sequel to this book) which I know I will want to read once i finish the Orion colony series. This book did leave you wanting more, but it was not a cliffhanger or just end in the middle of the story like so many books do these days. This could act as a completely stand alone story and when I do read the sequel its not the 2nd half of this book or more often lately the 2nd 1/3 of the book!
August 2, 2022
I picked this up because I heard about it from a podcast or something. I really enjoyed the space cowboy feel of the story.
It is fun. I didn't know it was the first book in a set of books I don't know when I will have a lot of time to get to the other books. Still, it was a lot of fun.
It is fun. I didn't know it was the first book in a set of books I don't know when I will have a lot of time to get to the other books. Still, it was a lot of fun.
January 25, 2023
Strictly space cowboy stuff. I had this on my Kindle Unlimited tbr list but dropped the subscription before I got to it. So when I saw it listed as a Goodreads Giveaway I entered - and won. It was entertaining enough but I won’t be going on with the series.
January 23, 2022
absolutely fantastic
This was the starship adventure I didn’t know I needed. Seriously. Picked it up, idly curious, and couldn’t put it down. Brilliant story!
This was the starship adventure I didn’t know I needed. Seriously. Picked it up, idly curious, and couldn’t put it down. Brilliant story!
Read
February 24, 2022DNF - I think I got a fourth of the way through. Just not my style, so moving on.
January 26, 2023
Kinda dumb and predictable, but fits snugly in my set of cosy competence porn tropes. I’ll keep going sure.
April 23, 2023
"Junk food" is the best description I can give for this series. The series is a series of events that happen abruptly, the author doesn't put much effort into tying things together or moving from event to event sensibly and cleanly. Really it reads like a series of short stories strung together to loosely resemble a larger novel. Think about doing bullet points of story points and then writing exactly those story points without really tying them together. The book would actually function better as a series of short stories.
It's not unreadable, just like junk food is not inedible. You will roll your eyes at some parts, especially if you are savvy to some actual cybersecurity, cyberwarfare or hacking in general. Also, just too many humans in space. I enjoyed some bits and found other bits incredibly frustrating and tough to read.
If you can put up with the following you can enjoy this series as a guilty pleasure.
Dialogue is almost entirely quips between characters. This really pulls the story down, occasionally we get some attempts at serious scenes but they fall flat because the characters quickly transition back into their quip battles. This is true of all characters, no one is serious. It's like the worst of modern cinema or video game writing.
The supporting characters are infinitely more useful than the main character. The main character learns things near instantly using tech or has learned it off page somewhere. He also achieves things he shouldn't be able to achieve faster than anyone else ever could.
Hacking is magic. Hacking can do everything you need. Also if you are a hacker you not only worked for the military but also were contracted by people to take down oligarchs etc. You went to hacker cons full of beautiful women. Also, hacking has prepared you for all sorts of social interactions despite having never left your apartment in Atlanta, all that lying and subterfuge online made you an expert. Hacking isn't magic, even magic shouldn't be used as such a lazy macguffin constantly solving problems with such little effort in situations that don't pass a sniff test. Really just think if hacking this security thing protecting the important thing is hilariously easy would it be a completely useless thing? if yes then it probably shouldn't exist. Just do some research on the subject if you are going to use it as a corner stone of your series "I'll just hack it with my codes" is not generally how you gain access to any computer system. I find it amusing the character mocked the portrayals of hackers in tv and then the author proceeds to do the same or worse.
The author really should have decided what the background of the main character was, is he military cyberwarfare and therefore worked in secret and is more likely to embrace military hierarchies, was he a random black hat anarchist, corporate white hat, or a hired gun grey hat with some authority issues and then stayed consistent with that portrayal. Play on those traits, those will all be very different people, the protagonist seems to be all of the above. The character is often whatever the story needs at the time instead of someone bound by his means, personality, morality, and abilities. One moment he's worried about killing someone for the first time the next he's making a joke as someone is about to die with very little time between the events.
There are many inconsistencies in what the author tells us and the actions taken by people in the books. For example "missiles are expensive and we can't afford them" yet every 2 bit pirate, criminal or random civilian starts encounters by firing off 4 missiles without even a communication message. They can't be that expensive if they are used so freely. At no point do we really get an explanation of monetary values in universe, what would make someone moderately wealthy? The universe lacks consistency.
It's not unreadable, just like junk food is not inedible. You will roll your eyes at some parts, especially if you are savvy to some actual cybersecurity, cyberwarfare or hacking in general. Also, just too many humans in space. I enjoyed some bits and found other bits incredibly frustrating and tough to read.
If you can put up with the following you can enjoy this series as a guilty pleasure.
Dialogue is almost entirely quips between characters. This really pulls the story down, occasionally we get some attempts at serious scenes but they fall flat because the characters quickly transition back into their quip battles. This is true of all characters, no one is serious. It's like the worst of modern cinema or video game writing.
The supporting characters are infinitely more useful than the main character. The main character learns things near instantly using tech or has learned it off page somewhere. He also achieves things he shouldn't be able to achieve faster than anyone else ever could.
Hacking is magic. Hacking can do everything you need. Also if you are a hacker you not only worked for the military but also were contracted by people to take down oligarchs etc. You went to hacker cons full of beautiful women. Also, hacking has prepared you for all sorts of social interactions despite having never left your apartment in Atlanta, all that lying and subterfuge online made you an expert. Hacking isn't magic, even magic shouldn't be used as such a lazy macguffin constantly solving problems with such little effort in situations that don't pass a sniff test. Really just think if hacking this security thing protecting the important thing is hilariously easy would it be a completely useless thing? if yes then it probably shouldn't exist. Just do some research on the subject if you are going to use it as a corner stone of your series "I'll just hack it with my codes" is not generally how you gain access to any computer system. I find it amusing the character mocked the portrayals of hackers in tv and then the author proceeds to do the same or worse.
The author really should have decided what the background of the main character was, is he military cyberwarfare and therefore worked in secret and is more likely to embrace military hierarchies, was he a random black hat anarchist, corporate white hat, or a hired gun grey hat with some authority issues and then stayed consistent with that portrayal. Play on those traits, those will all be very different people, the protagonist seems to be all of the above. The character is often whatever the story needs at the time instead of someone bound by his means, personality, morality, and abilities. One moment he's worried about killing someone for the first time the next he's making a joke as someone is about to die with very little time between the events.
There are many inconsistencies in what the author tells us and the actions taken by people in the books. For example "missiles are expensive and we can't afford them" yet every 2 bit pirate, criminal or random civilian starts encounters by firing off 4 missiles without even a communication message. They can't be that expensive if they are used so freely. At no point do we really get an explanation of monetary values in universe, what would make someone moderately wealthy? The universe lacks consistency.
Read
August 12, 2022I was really excited to get into this story and have to admit that it really grabbed me right from the start. I appreciated the go-with-the-flow attitude of Van and the imaginative worlds, aliens and missions he went on. This being said, it felt like that's all that happened in the book. Granted I only read about half, but that's what I got. While it read easily I found myself putting the story aside too easily. Hopefully I will pick it up again when I'm in the mood for a space adventure but for now it is a did not finish for me.
September 24, 2021
Some good yuk-yuks…
I mistook this for a series of a similar name, it turned out to be a happy mistake. While the theme may not be new this story has some significant props of its own.
There is a lot of humour, much of it dry, all of it written with an excellent turn of phrase. The characters seem to mesh better for all the badinage. Great fun and a decent sized story to get one’s teeth into.
I mistook this for a series of a similar name, it turned out to be a happy mistake. While the theme may not be new this story has some significant props of its own.
There is a lot of humour, much of it dry, all of it written with an excellent turn of phrase. The characters seem to mesh better for all the badinage. Great fun and a decent sized story to get one’s teeth into.
September 27, 2021
Fun Read
Van inherits his grandfather's farm and other assets, which include a spaceship and two AIs. It seems that his grandfather was more than a spec ops soldier. After a period of disbelief, he decides to follow in his grandfather's footsteps and become a Peacemaker (a type of interstellar cop). I like the action, humor, and relationship building. Van is a competent character as are his AIs and deputy. I look forward to the next book.
Van inherits his grandfather's farm and other assets, which include a spaceship and two AIs. It seems that his grandfather was more than a spec ops soldier. After a period of disbelief, he decides to follow in his grandfather's footsteps and become a Peacemaker (a type of interstellar cop). I like the action, humor, and relationship building. Van is a competent character as are his AIs and deputy. I look forward to the next book.
November 29, 2022
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
A fairly good book where a guy in his twenties who inherits his grandfather's farm...and his secret spaceship. From there he goes to the stars, meets a beautiful alien,, and all the rest you'd expect from this sort of novel. He's a little more morally flexible than some, but that helps make this one stand out.
A fairly good book where a guy in his twenties who inherits his grandfather's farm...and his secret spaceship. From there he goes to the stars, meets a beautiful alien,, and all the rest you'd expect from this sort of novel. He's a little more morally flexible than some, but that helps make this one stand out.
September 21, 2021
Chaney and Maggert for the win
I love when these two authors get together because it’s always something different. As much as I love renegade star and the messenger series, this is a great injection of new story. Love Perry the AI bird too 😂😂
I love when these two authors get together because it’s always something different. As much as I love renegade star and the messenger series, this is a great injection of new story. Love Perry the AI bird too 😂😂
September 28, 2021
Fantastic Beginning to a Series
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Interesting characters in a weird universe. A cop system which is less Law and Order and more an Old West Sheriff who tags along in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Interesting characters in a weird universe. A cop system which is less Law and Order and more an Old West Sheriff who tags along in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
September 22, 2021
Omg
Omg this book was good.I can't wait to read more from this author.I couldn't put it down. Justice be served.
Omg this book was good.I can't wait to read more from this author.I couldn't put it down. Justice be served.
March 7, 2022
This is the kind of science fiction story I love to read. I have always loved it when some ordinary person stumbles on something that will change their life for ever. They have been going about their normal existence and then something happens that is just unbelievable. That's exactly what happens to Clive VanAble Tudor III. I don't know which of the authors came up with the main characters name, but I wish they had put a little thought in to it because this name is kind of ridiculous (IMHO). It is unique, thought. I just don't care for it.
Thankfully, this guy likes to go by the name Van, which is much better. Van has just lost his Grandfather which is sad considering he also lost his Father not too many years back. His Father was Naval Aviator/Pilot and died doing that job when he crashed on an aircraft carrier. His Mother apparently was long gone so Van's Grandfather practically raised him during the majority of his youth. Van, himself, had attempted to follow in his Father and Grandfather's footsteps by joining the Army and becoming a Ranger or some kind of bad assed operator they both would have been proud of. It didn't happen, bum knee, saw him do his four years and other the door. So, he'd done the college thing and had decided he liked computers and coding and really just hacking the things to see how they worked. He got quite good at this, but it was nothing his Grandfather could relate to so they didn't talk about it much.
Then his Grandfather had a stroke/heart attack and died. Now he's basically alone except for Miryam, the family attorney and his Grandfathers friend. He's at the Iowa farm his Grandfather owned, which is now Van's according to the Last Will and Testament of his Grandfather Mark Tudor. He's lived here before so the place is familiar. It's not a real working farm since he Grandfather was actually doing work for the CIA or some other secret organization. He never told Van what he was doing, but Van always assumed it was important because his Grandfather was gone a good length of time. Van busied himself by tinkering at the old workbench he had set up in the old barn and that's where the learned the loved gadgets and things.
But, now he wasn't so sure about living at the farm any more. His room that he had lived in as a younger boy was still there, just like it had been so with it raining like crazy outside he decided to spend the night. Not too long after drifting off to sleep he hear's a beeping noise that is definitely annoying. He knows this room pretty well and knows there shouldn't be anything in it that beeps. So, he gets up and goes investigating. He finds what appears to be some kind remote in a drawer that it definitely shouldn't have been in. It's got one single button that has a kind of glowing ring around it, just waiting to be pushed. In his semi-wakefulness, Van thinks very little of just pushing the button, just hoping that it stops the beeping! And it does.
So, back to be he goes until he starts hearing a tapping! It's a pretty loud tapping like someone tapping on a window pane. He gets up again and starts searching around going downstairs and into the kitchen. Above the sink is a window and that's the source of the tapping although he can't see outside since it's pitch dark. But, he can feel the window vibrate from the tapping. So he's going to open the window and let whomever's out there what he things of their idiotic middle of the night idiocy. What flies through that window is going to change Van's life forever in a way he could never imagine. It involves starships, criminals, planets, twisted space and a rather large AI named Perry!
I would love to have the adventure that awaits Van Tudor. It's something everyone that probably reads sci-fi would also love to do. Space is vast and a very big mystery to us on planet Earth, but it might not just be all that empty. There may be a whole new galaxy out there we haven't explored yet, but those out there might have explored Earth already. What happens to Van Tudor is really exciting and very pleasant to read. There is some danger in what he does, but it seems like the authors have teamed him up with just the right supporting characters to make this story go on for a long time.
I'm definitely going to read the next book, "Red Bounty". I can't believe this series already has six books published. Where have these books been all this time. I'm definitely going to get the next two right now. Oh, final comment, I wonder why this wasn't titled, "Barnyard Starship"?
Thankfully, this guy likes to go by the name Van, which is much better. Van has just lost his Grandfather which is sad considering he also lost his Father not too many years back. His Father was Naval Aviator/Pilot and died doing that job when he crashed on an aircraft carrier. His Mother apparently was long gone so Van's Grandfather practically raised him during the majority of his youth. Van, himself, had attempted to follow in his Father and Grandfather's footsteps by joining the Army and becoming a Ranger or some kind of bad assed operator they both would have been proud of. It didn't happen, bum knee, saw him do his four years and other the door. So, he'd done the college thing and had decided he liked computers and coding and really just hacking the things to see how they worked. He got quite good at this, but it was nothing his Grandfather could relate to so they didn't talk about it much.
Then his Grandfather had a stroke/heart attack and died. Now he's basically alone except for Miryam, the family attorney and his Grandfathers friend. He's at the Iowa farm his Grandfather owned, which is now Van's according to the Last Will and Testament of his Grandfather Mark Tudor. He's lived here before so the place is familiar. It's not a real working farm since he Grandfather was actually doing work for the CIA or some other secret organization. He never told Van what he was doing, but Van always assumed it was important because his Grandfather was gone a good length of time. Van busied himself by tinkering at the old workbench he had set up in the old barn and that's where the learned the loved gadgets and things.
But, now he wasn't so sure about living at the farm any more. His room that he had lived in as a younger boy was still there, just like it had been so with it raining like crazy outside he decided to spend the night. Not too long after drifting off to sleep he hear's a beeping noise that is definitely annoying. He knows this room pretty well and knows there shouldn't be anything in it that beeps. So, he gets up and goes investigating. He finds what appears to be some kind remote in a drawer that it definitely shouldn't have been in. It's got one single button that has a kind of glowing ring around it, just waiting to be pushed. In his semi-wakefulness, Van thinks very little of just pushing the button, just hoping that it stops the beeping! And it does.
So, back to be he goes until he starts hearing a tapping! It's a pretty loud tapping like someone tapping on a window pane. He gets up again and starts searching around going downstairs and into the kitchen. Above the sink is a window and that's the source of the tapping although he can't see outside since it's pitch dark. But, he can feel the window vibrate from the tapping. So he's going to open the window and let whomever's out there what he things of their idiotic middle of the night idiocy. What flies through that window is going to change Van's life forever in a way he could never imagine. It involves starships, criminals, planets, twisted space and a rather large AI named Perry!
I would love to have the adventure that awaits Van Tudor. It's something everyone that probably reads sci-fi would also love to do. Space is vast and a very big mystery to us on planet Earth, but it might not just be all that empty. There may be a whole new galaxy out there we haven't explored yet, but those out there might have explored Earth already. What happens to Van Tudor is really exciting and very pleasant to read. There is some danger in what he does, but it seems like the authors have teamed him up with just the right supporting characters to make this story go on for a long time.
I'm definitely going to read the next book, "Red Bounty". I can't believe this series already has six books published. Where have these books been all this time. I'm definitely going to get the next two right now. Oh, final comment, I wonder why this wasn't titled, "Barnyard Starship"?
September 24, 2021
An interesting book
A nice start to an intriguing series. This book has great characters and an intriguing storyline. To be a peacemaker do you have to believe everything is either white or black or just varying shades of grey? Follow the adventures of one peacemaker as he deals with the issues all while trying to do his job with his own personal honor.
A nice start to an intriguing series. This book has great characters and an intriguing storyline. To be a peacemaker do you have to believe everything is either white or black or just varying shades of grey? Follow the adventures of one peacemaker as he deals with the issues all while trying to do his job with his own personal honor.
October 28, 2021
Publishing Date:
Genre: SciFi
Rating: 4.0/5
Review: This was a fun read with solid characters and an expansive universe. There is some initial grittiness to the story line that I liked…a lot.
The writing starts to get a little too pat and contrived towards the end. Lets hope this trend does not continue in the sequel.
Genre: SciFi
Rating: 4.0/5
Review: This was a fun read with solid characters and an expansive universe. There is some initial grittiness to the story line that I liked…a lot.
The writing starts to get a little too pat and contrived towards the end. Lets hope this trend does not continue in the sequel.
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