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Argosy Trilogy #1
Deep Space Rodeo
The dark forces of Deep Space threaten a tenuous human Alliance weary of war and unwilling to fight a growing menace and a treacherous rebellion. Enter Gus Harcum, lone wolf, ex-military, Black Ops contractor with a ship, a ragtag crew, and more guts than sense--caught in the middle of an alien power grab as humanity stands once again on the brink of war. Come aboard, strap in, and hang on--it's a wild ride.
298 pages, Paperback
Published March 7, 2022
2 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 27, 2022
Five stars just aren’t enough!
With its personable characters, compelling plot, and writing that put me right in the jump seat, Deep Space Rodeo is one of my favorite books this year. As the author introduces the characters, the story takes a sudden left turn that had me hooked, and that feeling continued until the final page, at which point I was thinking, “It’s only going to be a TRILOGY?!” I felt utterly connected to this crew.
Manno has created a world where peace has been the norm for most of a generation. However, an alien foe is showing signs of recommencing their incursion into this peaceful space, and this time they’ve got help. Virgil “Gus” Harcum, the captain of the Argosy, and his contemporaries fought the Q’Fir as younger men and won out, but the current generation doesn’t remember that war. Alliance leadership isn’t listening. The enemy has recruited a race of savage aliens from this side of Dark Space to spearhead their invasion, and this time, that may be all they need to prevail.I loved the crew of the Argosy. Gus is an experienced spacer, former military, and now civilian contractor to the Alliance or whoever is paying. He’s a decent man doing the right thing. He’s innovative and has a cache of wisdom that his fun personality may tend to make his enemies underestimate him. The AI, Chloe, is a super second, and I liked the mental link she and the captain had that allowed them to converse without uttering a sound. The young Carter and Quinn are earnest, capable, and a fun, youthful addition to the crew. Jax, Gus’s old friend, contemporary, and at times, a competitor for lucrative contracts, is another genuine space cowboy like his pal. The crew has a complement of bots, and even those have definite and delightful personalities. The crew may be a mishmash, haphazardly collected, but they are not of the misfit variety; they are a team. Manno’s aliens are exotic and mysterious, and Grunge, the KaZaK, made Jabba you-know-who seem like a viable prom date. Then, there is Laika, the stray dog Gus rescued from the rubble of an attack on a small Fringe planet bar. With her warm brown eyes and calm demeanor, she’s got secrets yet to be revealed. (Come on, Book Two!)
Dialogue is crisp, witty, and smart. If you enjoy jargon, you’re in for a treat. It is non-stop when the Argosy is underway. It’s brisk and understandable (for the most part), and I loved it. Chapters are frequently introduced with intriguing quotes that sent me down rabbit hole after interesting rabbit hole.DEEP SPACE RODEO is an entertaining and captivating story with realistic personalities and a solid space opera plot to save the known universe and humanity. I recommend this book to those who enjoy reading exciting, character-driven SciFi.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy.
July 16, 2022
Deep Space Rodeo is a fun and exciting ride into the distant future! It features some pretty out-of-this-world technology, yet includes enough standard military “snarkism” to show that the human attitude hasn’t changed all that much in all those years.
The story follows the plight of Gus Harcum, an ex-military pilot who now operates a civilian black ops spaceship. In my mind, Gus is kind of like a mercenary of the future, but in a good way. He has been contracted by the military to help fend off a war looming over the Alliance (including Terra - earth).
The status of the Alliance is actually quite similar to the U.S. right now: there is a deep political divide, and the leaders of the rebels are in cahoots with a known enemy - a reptilian species known as the KaZaKs - to try and topple the righteous government.
Although the storyline may not be the most original, when we add in all the other story elements, it becomes something quite original and quite fun to read! It should be noted that this is the first book of a trilogy, and the ending of this first book is not the end of the story. However, I do feel that the author ended it in such a way that the reader (nor any character) is not left hanging on a cliff.
It soon becomes obvious that the author is a former fighter pilot, as well as a retired airline captain. The story is rich in military and airship jargon. Without having that experience, I couldn’t really tell how much was real and how much was fabricated. However, there were a few times where I looked up a jargon-type word, and it actually existed. Nonetheless, it is usually pretty easy to identify what the jargon means by the context.
Clearly, one of the things I enjoyed most in this story was the attitude of the cyborgs. The primary cyborg, Chloe - an AI (artificial intelligence) cyborg aboard Gus’s starship, acts like a faux-wife to Gus, sometimes speaking to Gus from inside his head and other times anticipating his next move. Her attitude is often on display, with eye rolls and laugh-out-loud sarcasm. And she is smart! This is how she explained a particular progression to Gus: “The gravity load increases in a linear progression with the compactness and mass deformation multiplied by a gravimetric shift in the Hawking Field going forward.”
Perhaps the single thing I love most about this story is the coffee! Now, that may sound a bit odd, but all you coffee lovers consider this: in Gus’s search for a decent cup of coffee aboard an Alliance warship, he comes across a group of enlisted military who developed a process for making the perfect cup of coffee! I won’t give away all of their secrets, but I will say that it involves one of the ship’s nuclear reactors and a thousand P.S.I.! I could almost smell the perfection in a cup!
There is no love/romance subplot in this first book. I don’t mean that in a good or bad way, I’m just putting it out there. However, the relationships among the cast (including cyborgs) are handled very well. In addition to the interaction between Gus and Chloe, Gus also interacts with a fellow black ops starship captain, a seasoned, hard-corps commodore, as well as some junior officers who play critical roles.
The pacing in this story is exemplary! One might think that with so much travel at light speed the pace would be unduly fast, but that is not the case. The author takes his time to fully immerse the reader in the story.
There is humor, and sometimes it’s priceless! Even some of the names are hilarious, such as, “The Big Kahuna” and Tootsie. One of my favorite lines from Chloe: “Corporeal existence is overrated.”
Overall, I consider this a very fun, interesting and exciting read, and I think it will be a perfect segue to the second book in the trilogy. If you take up the challenge of reading this story, I hope to see you in deep space!
The story follows the plight of Gus Harcum, an ex-military pilot who now operates a civilian black ops spaceship. In my mind, Gus is kind of like a mercenary of the future, but in a good way. He has been contracted by the military to help fend off a war looming over the Alliance (including Terra - earth).
The status of the Alliance is actually quite similar to the U.S. right now: there is a deep political divide, and the leaders of the rebels are in cahoots with a known enemy - a reptilian species known as the KaZaKs - to try and topple the righteous government.
Although the storyline may not be the most original, when we add in all the other story elements, it becomes something quite original and quite fun to read! It should be noted that this is the first book of a trilogy, and the ending of this first book is not the end of the story. However, I do feel that the author ended it in such a way that the reader (nor any character) is not left hanging on a cliff.
It soon becomes obvious that the author is a former fighter pilot, as well as a retired airline captain. The story is rich in military and airship jargon. Without having that experience, I couldn’t really tell how much was real and how much was fabricated. However, there were a few times where I looked up a jargon-type word, and it actually existed. Nonetheless, it is usually pretty easy to identify what the jargon means by the context.
Clearly, one of the things I enjoyed most in this story was the attitude of the cyborgs. The primary cyborg, Chloe - an AI (artificial intelligence) cyborg aboard Gus’s starship, acts like a faux-wife to Gus, sometimes speaking to Gus from inside his head and other times anticipating his next move. Her attitude is often on display, with eye rolls and laugh-out-loud sarcasm. And she is smart! This is how she explained a particular progression to Gus: “The gravity load increases in a linear progression with the compactness and mass deformation multiplied by a gravimetric shift in the Hawking Field going forward.”
Perhaps the single thing I love most about this story is the coffee! Now, that may sound a bit odd, but all you coffee lovers consider this: in Gus’s search for a decent cup of coffee aboard an Alliance warship, he comes across a group of enlisted military who developed a process for making the perfect cup of coffee! I won’t give away all of their secrets, but I will say that it involves one of the ship’s nuclear reactors and a thousand P.S.I.! I could almost smell the perfection in a cup!
There is no love/romance subplot in this first book. I don’t mean that in a good or bad way, I’m just putting it out there. However, the relationships among the cast (including cyborgs) are handled very well. In addition to the interaction between Gus and Chloe, Gus also interacts with a fellow black ops starship captain, a seasoned, hard-corps commodore, as well as some junior officers who play critical roles.
The pacing in this story is exemplary! One might think that with so much travel at light speed the pace would be unduly fast, but that is not the case. The author takes his time to fully immerse the reader in the story.
There is humor, and sometimes it’s priceless! Even some of the names are hilarious, such as, “The Big Kahuna” and Tootsie. One of my favorite lines from Chloe: “Corporeal existence is overrated.”
Overall, I consider this a very fun, interesting and exciting read, and I think it will be a perfect segue to the second book in the trilogy. If you take up the challenge of reading this story, I hope to see you in deep space!
July 26, 2022
A Deadly Deep Space Game Of Chess!
Gus Harcum is a wild card in a deep space game of chess. The opponents are the Alliance and an outside faction that threatens not only the Alliance, but the human race as a whole! Life is normally full of twists and turns for this former military black ops agent aboard his vessel, the Argosy. However, when Admirals come up missing, those second in command cannot be trusted, and another entity is trying to save everyone from the darkness, whose direction does he choose to follow?
In Deep Space Rodeo, the characters are well thought out, and the action scenes are spectacular! At first, the technical jargon and the details bog down the storyline, and though, as a sci-fi geek I can appreciate some of the detail, there is a bit too much. After the detail fog clears, the rest of the story takes flight, and you won’t want to put it down!
This is the first book in The Argosy Trilogy, and Chris Manno starts it off with a bang. The action never lets up. As he brings in each character, you slowly start to figure out who the real players are, and who are just the pawns in this twisted game. Then, once the real battle begins, you’d better buckle your seatbelt! You’re in for a wild ride!
Manno puts an interesting twist at the end of the book, giving the readers some input in the rest of the trilogy. As for me? I’m curious to see what happens in book 2!
Gus Harcum is a wild card in a deep space game of chess. The opponents are the Alliance and an outside faction that threatens not only the Alliance, but the human race as a whole! Life is normally full of twists and turns for this former military black ops agent aboard his vessel, the Argosy. However, when Admirals come up missing, those second in command cannot be trusted, and another entity is trying to save everyone from the darkness, whose direction does he choose to follow?
In Deep Space Rodeo, the characters are well thought out, and the action scenes are spectacular! At first, the technical jargon and the details bog down the storyline, and though, as a sci-fi geek I can appreciate some of the detail, there is a bit too much. After the detail fog clears, the rest of the story takes flight, and you won’t want to put it down!
This is the first book in The Argosy Trilogy, and Chris Manno starts it off with a bang. The action never lets up. As he brings in each character, you slowly start to figure out who the real players are, and who are just the pawns in this twisted game. Then, once the real battle begins, you’d better buckle your seatbelt! You’re in for a wild ride!
Manno puts an interesting twist at the end of the book, giving the readers some input in the rest of the trilogy. As for me? I’m curious to see what happens in book 2!
July 26, 2022
Deep Space Rodeo by Chris Manno is a fun and original tale. The story has much knowledge behind it with its use of military information. I know nothing of all things military and piloting, so I wouldn’t be able to tell you how spot-on the information is – and this is what I expect most readers’ experiences will be. By reading through the context of the work, it is definitely easy to follow along and not have the verbiage be a hindrance to the reader.
For all my fellow romance readers and for those of you who enjoy a sprinkle of romance in your books (the most common visitors to my blog, Book Fidelity), whereas you won't find a love story in this book, you will find some great friendships and relationships among the crew of characters.
Chris Manno’s writing was smooth and easy to follow. I didn’t feel the story was rushed or dragged out – the perfect pace! There was also a sprinkle of humor in the story, which I always appreciate in the space stories I read. You can blame Firefly for that.
Also, Deep Space Rodeo is the first of a trilogy series, so there is definitely more to look forward to!
For all my fellow romance readers and for those of you who enjoy a sprinkle of romance in your books (the most common visitors to my blog, Book Fidelity), whereas you won't find a love story in this book, you will find some great friendships and relationships among the crew of characters.
Chris Manno’s writing was smooth and easy to follow. I didn’t feel the story was rushed or dragged out – the perfect pace! There was also a sprinkle of humor in the story, which I always appreciate in the space stories I read. You can blame Firefly for that.
Also, Deep Space Rodeo is the first of a trilogy series, so there is definitely more to look forward to!
July 23, 2022
The best parts of the book for me were when the focus was more on the characters and the interaction as opposed to a lot of the ship jargon, details of the mechanics of the ships and other more scientific descriptions. But true fans of sci-fi with lots of technology will lap all that up.
The humorous exchanges between Gus, the main character and ship captain, and Chloe, the AI who ran all the computer stuff, were always fun, and in some ways I think I liked her character the best. Maybe that's because my first introduction to droids and cyborgs was in the first Star wars film with R2D2 and CP30. Those two characters provided a lot of comic relief to the Star wars stories and became as real to me as the human characters. That happened in this book with Chloe as well.
The adventurous aspects of the story were well laid out and kept me interested even though I didn't understand some of the technical things being shared. But I got invested in the quest to stop the faction in the alliance that was threatening the safety of everyone.
While many things were explained in detail like how the ships operated, what happened when they moved in and out of deep space, and how the attack happened at Sally's Alley, there were a couple of things that were not explained that I found a little odd. First of all, it was never clear whether the dog, Laika, was an actual canine like we are accustomed to here on Earth. If she was, there was no mention of how they took care of her elimination needs while she was on the Argosy. Also it would have been nice for us to have a glimpse into how Tootsie was able to prepare food when there was no mention of supplies. Knowing those two things would have been a benefit.
Despite those little glitches, that are probably only glitches to me, this is a good story in the vein of great space operas of the last twenty years or so.
Overall I give this book 3.5 Stars.
The humorous exchanges between Gus, the main character and ship captain, and Chloe, the AI who ran all the computer stuff, were always fun, and in some ways I think I liked her character the best. Maybe that's because my first introduction to droids and cyborgs was in the first Star wars film with R2D2 and CP30. Those two characters provided a lot of comic relief to the Star wars stories and became as real to me as the human characters. That happened in this book with Chloe as well.
The adventurous aspects of the story were well laid out and kept me interested even though I didn't understand some of the technical things being shared. But I got invested in the quest to stop the faction in the alliance that was threatening the safety of everyone.
While many things were explained in detail like how the ships operated, what happened when they moved in and out of deep space, and how the attack happened at Sally's Alley, there were a couple of things that were not explained that I found a little odd. First of all, it was never clear whether the dog, Laika, was an actual canine like we are accustomed to here on Earth. If she was, there was no mention of how they took care of her elimination needs while she was on the Argosy. Also it would have been nice for us to have a glimpse into how Tootsie was able to prepare food when there was no mention of supplies. Knowing those two things would have been a benefit.
Despite those little glitches, that are probably only glitches to me, this is a good story in the vein of great space operas of the last twenty years or so.
Overall I give this book 3.5 Stars.
July 31, 2022
“There was an upside to flying below the radar, not knowing exactly how bad things really were…”
Deep Space Rodeo by Chris Manno is book one in the Sci-Fi Argosy Trilogy, so climb aboard the Argosy, grab a cup of excellent java from the galley, buckle up, and get ready for an intense ride through the labyrinth of deep space.
Gus Harcum is the captain of the Argosy, and this guy is the real deal. Gus is a hard-boiled human who has seen plenty of space action; treats his crew, both humans and bots, with respect; loves dogs (well, a specific dog named Laika); and appreciates an excellent cup of a coffee when he tastes one. Once you get used to the spacecraft/worldbuilding jargon, you are good to go with the characterization and intricate plotline. Speaking of characterization, Chris Manno delivers a terrific troupe in this Sci-Fi novel. Several humans and bots have some pretty rad personalities that keep the reader hanging on to a plot that takes a bit of concentration, especially in the beginning. You can sure tell that Chris Manno has a significant amount of flying experience (based on the author's exciting memoir titled An Airline Pilot's Life - read my review on Goodreads of Chris Manno’s exciting memoir titled An Airline Pilot's Life), with his main character, Gus, expertly flying across the universe, complete with a no-nonsense swagger born from hard-earned experience.
“Silence, invisibility, and lethality: that was the mission, and the magic.”
Gus is a likeable chap, and his AI cyborg, Chloe, who keeps both the Argosy and Gus in line; his newly acquired bot, Tootsie, who is in charge of the galley; and many other cleverly devised characters hold the reader’s attention all the way through. Bring a rescue dog on board, and you have one fabulous story on your hands. Or maybe that should be in your hands. Either way, you will not be disappointed with book one in this exciting Sci-Fi trilogy. Important Note: This story is rife with camaraderie and other solid dynamics between characters, but if you are looking for some outer space romance, look elsewhere, unless you count Laika’s sweet doggy crush on Gus, and vice versa, or the very close working yet platonic relationship between Gus and Chloe.
Despite the heavy haul of spacecraft/outer space vernacular and finely webbed plot, the pacing of Deep Space Rodeo is fairly quick. The main characters drive the story forward, letting the overall storyline build and sink in along the way. In Deep Space Rodeo, the Alliance, a rebellion, space battles, and the fascinating concept of the Three Mojos are all on deck and ready to bring you deep into this dangerous and thrilling world. But Gus and his motley crew will keep you safe, well fed and caffeinated, and definitely beguiled to the end, where you will be demanding book two in this trilogy because this story is far from over.
“AMF.”
Deep Space Rodeo by Chris Manno is book one in the Sci-Fi Argosy Trilogy, so climb aboard the Argosy, grab a cup of excellent java from the galley, buckle up, and get ready for an intense ride through the labyrinth of deep space.
Gus Harcum is the captain of the Argosy, and this guy is the real deal. Gus is a hard-boiled human who has seen plenty of space action; treats his crew, both humans and bots, with respect; loves dogs (well, a specific dog named Laika); and appreciates an excellent cup of a coffee when he tastes one. Once you get used to the spacecraft/worldbuilding jargon, you are good to go with the characterization and intricate plotline. Speaking of characterization, Chris Manno delivers a terrific troupe in this Sci-Fi novel. Several humans and bots have some pretty rad personalities that keep the reader hanging on to a plot that takes a bit of concentration, especially in the beginning. You can sure tell that Chris Manno has a significant amount of flying experience (based on the author's exciting memoir titled An Airline Pilot's Life - read my review on Goodreads of Chris Manno’s exciting memoir titled An Airline Pilot's Life), with his main character, Gus, expertly flying across the universe, complete with a no-nonsense swagger born from hard-earned experience.
“Silence, invisibility, and lethality: that was the mission, and the magic.”
Gus is a likeable chap, and his AI cyborg, Chloe, who keeps both the Argosy and Gus in line; his newly acquired bot, Tootsie, who is in charge of the galley; and many other cleverly devised characters hold the reader’s attention all the way through. Bring a rescue dog on board, and you have one fabulous story on your hands. Or maybe that should be in your hands. Either way, you will not be disappointed with book one in this exciting Sci-Fi trilogy. Important Note: This story is rife with camaraderie and other solid dynamics between characters, but if you are looking for some outer space romance, look elsewhere, unless you count Laika’s sweet doggy crush on Gus, and vice versa, or the very close working yet platonic relationship between Gus and Chloe.
Despite the heavy haul of spacecraft/outer space vernacular and finely webbed plot, the pacing of Deep Space Rodeo is fairly quick. The main characters drive the story forward, letting the overall storyline build and sink in along the way. In Deep Space Rodeo, the Alliance, a rebellion, space battles, and the fascinating concept of the Three Mojos are all on deck and ready to bring you deep into this dangerous and thrilling world. But Gus and his motley crew will keep you safe, well fed and caffeinated, and definitely beguiled to the end, where you will be demanding book two in this trilogy because this story is far from over.
“AMF.”
July 30, 2022
DEEP SPACE RODEO crosses al lot of genres. Like many great sci fi novels, the plot is a navel\western story with space bots and cyborgs. I know. You are thinking how is that even possible? Well, let me break it down for you:
• Western: RODEO is in the name! Our main character’s nickname is Cowboy. The team travel to deep space, which is the equivalent of the unknown frontier. There is even a jail break!
• Navel: Captains, ensigns, commodores, clipper ships, corsairs. So many navel terms. Which, now that I think about it, is not something I’ve noticed in other sci fi novels. But I will certainly be looking for it in the future.
• Space bots, cyborgs, pew-pew space battles, and all the alien species you could want! Including a very mysterious group who could be helping. But maybe isn’t? I quite appreciated all of Mr. Manno’s futuristic world-building.
The crew of the Argosy are a band of misfits that Gus, our captain, has collected at various stages of the story. Gus has a penchant for rescuing all manner of characters, taking them under his wings (pun intended!), and adding them to his crew. In what I found as a welcome change, the bots and cyborgs in DEEP SPACE RODEO are fully developed characters who are important to the plot. From the nail polish on Tootsie, the ship’s kitchen bot, to the ingenuity of Seventy-Seven, the ship’s engineer, I adored the bots!
Manno’s writing is clever and a joy to read. (I think we must have a very similar sense of humor!) The plot is fast paced, with action around every corner. Each character is fully formed with distinct personality traits.
If you are the type of reader who appreciates a title shout out, DEEP SPACE RODEO has a great one. It had me chuckling for more than a few minutes!
For the coffee drinkers in the crowd, turns out that nuclear fission engines make a great cup of coffee. I’m not sure how the engineering would work, but if you have a spare nuclear sub sitting around, it might be worth figuring out!
My only real complaint about DEEP SPACE RODEO is Mr. Manno’s use of (I’m guessing here) Greek symbols to denote space travel\distance. Astrophysics is not my specialty at all. And the symbols became like reading words I didn’t know how to pronounce, so I just glanced right over them. But I felt like I was missing a crucial part of the novel in doing so.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading DEEP SPACE RODEO. With heart-pumping action and appealing characters, this novel is worth the read!
• Western: RODEO is in the name! Our main character’s nickname is Cowboy. The team travel to deep space, which is the equivalent of the unknown frontier. There is even a jail break!
• Navel: Captains, ensigns, commodores, clipper ships, corsairs. So many navel terms. Which, now that I think about it, is not something I’ve noticed in other sci fi novels. But I will certainly be looking for it in the future.
• Space bots, cyborgs, pew-pew space battles, and all the alien species you could want! Including a very mysterious group who could be helping. But maybe isn’t? I quite appreciated all of Mr. Manno’s futuristic world-building.
The crew of the Argosy are a band of misfits that Gus, our captain, has collected at various stages of the story. Gus has a penchant for rescuing all manner of characters, taking them under his wings (pun intended!), and adding them to his crew. In what I found as a welcome change, the bots and cyborgs in DEEP SPACE RODEO are fully developed characters who are important to the plot. From the nail polish on Tootsie, the ship’s kitchen bot, to the ingenuity of Seventy-Seven, the ship’s engineer, I adored the bots!
Manno’s writing is clever and a joy to read. (I think we must have a very similar sense of humor!) The plot is fast paced, with action around every corner. Each character is fully formed with distinct personality traits.
If you are the type of reader who appreciates a title shout out, DEEP SPACE RODEO has a great one. It had me chuckling for more than a few minutes!
For the coffee drinkers in the crowd, turns out that nuclear fission engines make a great cup of coffee. I’m not sure how the engineering would work, but if you have a spare nuclear sub sitting around, it might be worth figuring out!
My only real complaint about DEEP SPACE RODEO is Mr. Manno’s use of (I’m guessing here) Greek symbols to denote space travel\distance. Astrophysics is not my specialty at all. And the symbols became like reading words I didn’t know how to pronounce, so I just glanced right over them. But I felt like I was missing a crucial part of the novel in doing so.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading DEEP SPACE RODEO. With heart-pumping action and appealing characters, this novel is worth the read!
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