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The Frontiers Saga (Part 1): Discovery #1
Aurora: CV-01
Episode 1.1A world recovering from a devastating plague…A brutal enemy threatening invasion…A young man seeking to escape the shadow of his father…A ship manned by a crew of fresh academy graduates…A top-secret experimental propulsion system…A questionable alliance with a mysterious green-eyed woman…What destiny has in store for the crew of the UES Aurora, is far greater than any of them could ever imagine. And this is only the beginning…
301 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 19, 2011
522 people are currently reading
2963 people want to read
About the author
Ryk Brown
59 books854 followersBorn in 1960 and raised on an overdose of television, NASA, and science fiction, Ryk Brown has worked as a cook, rock guitarist, stage lighting technician, and paramedic. He currently resides in Northern California with his wife, daughter, and cat. By day he fixes computers, and by night he creates stories.
Having spent his entire life "thinking stuff up", the advent of digital publishing has finally given him an excuse to write it all down and share it with others. ("Others" meaning someone other than his poor wife and daughter.)
A long-time fan of all things science and space, his goal is to write and publish an on-going series of sci-fi adventures. To be set in his own version of humanity's future, his characters will explore the vast reaches of the galaxy, and perhaps even the universe. He invites you all to join him on this journey through his vivid imagination.
Having spent his entire life "thinking stuff up", the advent of digital publishing has finally given him an excuse to write it all down and share it with others. ("Others" meaning someone other than his poor wife and daughter.)
A long-time fan of all things science and space, his goal is to write and publish an on-going series of sci-fi adventures. To be set in his own version of humanity's future, his characters will explore the vast reaches of the galaxy, and perhaps even the universe. He invites you all to join him on this journey through his vivid imagination.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 335 reviews
May 24, 2012
This dreck isn't remotely worthy of the stellar (no pun intended) ratings being given it, which I truly believe are from shills and sockpuppets. It's basically bad Star Trek/Stargate fanfiction written by a teenage David Weber wannabe. A missmash of science fiction tropes, zero logic or consistency, cardboard characterization, absurd coincidences, etc. etc. If you are looking to support a self-published author that can actually write, try Hugh Howey's Wool books. Alternatively, for space opera actually well done, Bujold's Vorkosigan series. But not this. Definitely not this.
April 2, 2017
I had to take a break on a really good book, because the “have to have a breakup” issue just pissed me off too much. Having just completed a REALLY good sci-fi trilogy (The Girls from Alcyone), a friend suggested I take a look at Ryk Brown’s “Frontier” series. Holy cow…there’re like 15 or more books!
So, I read (listened to) book 1: “Aurora: CV-01”. First off, I do like sci-fi, but I really prefer stories that feature women….who like women. This book is sci-fi, and there are women, but no, they do not enjoy women.
I’ve got mixed feelings about the book. Sci-fi wise, it’s kind of cool. A new technology can “jump” a spaceship all around the universe in the blink of an eye. The experienced crew are killed when the ship “jumps” into an unexpected space battle during what should have been a routine test, and the young newbies are forced to step up and assume command. Naturally, the guy (Nathan) with the political pedigree and “natural leadership” abilities ends up as captain. It’s nice, though, to see that he’s plagued with self-doubt and insecurities, rather than just assuming command. Most cool, though, is that two of the lead characters are women. Cameron wanted to beat Nathan for the pilot post, but is judged too “cool and calculating” and ends up as the XO reporting to Nathan, and she is constantly frustrated by his seat-of-the-pants “intuitive” leadership. Aaargh….how close to real life is this in the life of a woman?
Cooler than Cameron, though, is Jessica! Wow! Sexual (but hetero, sigh), ambitious and KICK-ASS as a special-ops gal, she rocks as the new head of security!
After a slow start as the book establishes some background for the characters, most of the book is non-stop action of space battles. It honestly doesn't come close to the amazing stories presented in “The Girls of Alcylon”, and I was therefore kind of disappointed. But…it’s really pretty enjoyable.
I’m hovering between 3.4-3.6 for my rating….hmmmm…..round up or round down?...sort of wanting to recommend it because I’m probably going to try listening to book 2….but it’s really weaker than many books I’ve rated 4*. I recognize, though, that part of my considering a weak review is because there’s no romance and it’s not lesfic- and that’s not a problem with the book itself….it isn’t intended for an audience I normally am part of (of which I am normally a part?....grammar sometimes sucks). Oh, hell…I’m flipping a coin…literally!....coin toss says…..4*
So, I read (listened to) book 1: “Aurora: CV-01”. First off, I do like sci-fi, but I really prefer stories that feature women….who like women. This book is sci-fi, and there are women, but no, they do not enjoy women.
I’ve got mixed feelings about the book. Sci-fi wise, it’s kind of cool. A new technology can “jump” a spaceship all around the universe in the blink of an eye. The experienced crew are killed when the ship “jumps” into an unexpected space battle during what should have been a routine test, and the young newbies are forced to step up and assume command. Naturally, the guy (Nathan) with the political pedigree and “natural leadership” abilities ends up as captain. It’s nice, though, to see that he’s plagued with self-doubt and insecurities, rather than just assuming command. Most cool, though, is that two of the lead characters are women. Cameron wanted to beat Nathan for the pilot post, but is judged too “cool and calculating” and ends up as the XO reporting to Nathan, and she is constantly frustrated by his seat-of-the-pants “intuitive” leadership. Aaargh….how close to real life is this in the life of a woman?
Cooler than Cameron, though, is Jessica! Wow! Sexual (but hetero, sigh), ambitious and KICK-ASS as a special-ops gal, she rocks as the new head of security!
After a slow start as the book establishes some background for the characters, most of the book is non-stop action of space battles. It honestly doesn't come close to the amazing stories presented in “The Girls of Alcylon”, and I was therefore kind of disappointed. But…it’s really pretty enjoyable.
I’m hovering between 3.4-3.6 for my rating….hmmmm…..round up or round down?...sort of wanting to recommend it because I’m probably going to try listening to book 2….but it’s really weaker than many books I’ve rated 4*. I recognize, though, that part of my considering a weak review is because there’s no romance and it’s not lesfic- and that’s not a problem with the book itself….it isn’t intended for an audience I normally am part of (of which I am normally a part?....grammar sometimes sucks). Oh, hell…I’m flipping a coin…literally!....coin toss says…..4*
January 14, 2015
I picked this up just after reading Odyssey One. I'm going 4 stars on this novel and I plan to follow the series...but I'd say it's "just across the line" to 4 stars. It's not really as good (in my humble opinion of course) as the other series. I mean it's pretty good and there's plenty of action. There's a story and it's easy to follow. The characters while drawn in...light lines, work. I think if you like space opera you'll enjoy this one. You've heard or seen me me refer to "brain candy", well this is "brain cotton candy".
You've also probably heard or seen me say I hate the word "trope". It just got so over used for a while. That said this book is full of...urk "tropes". We have 2 young people who are "just starting out" on their first star ship in their first confrontation. They are forced by the "wise" and "insightful" captain into a competition that is not for the reason the two protagonists think it is. Then.....well that's a "sort of" spoiler so proceeding is up to you:
So, not a bad read and I'll recommend it. It is light and you've more than likely seen a lot of what you'll find here before. You've probably also seen it done better...but it's not done badly, just sort of borderline.
Enjoy.
You've also probably heard or seen me say I hate the word "trope". It just got so over used for a while. That said this book is full of...urk "tropes". We have 2 young people who are "just starting out" on their first star ship in their first confrontation. They are forced by the "wise" and "insightful" captain into a competition that is not for the reason the two protagonists think it is. Then.....well that's a "sort of" spoiler so proceeding is up to you:
So, not a bad read and I'll recommend it. It is light and you've more than likely seen a lot of what you'll find here before. You've probably also seen it done better...but it's not done badly, just sort of borderline.
Enjoy.
December 22, 2017
‘Aurora: Cv-01’ is derivative crap. Every scene and character has been cloned from the J. J. Abram’s reboot of Star Trek (as well as mixing in plot elements of Star Trek: Voyager and the original 1966 Star Trek). But as usual with a cloned copy of a copy of a copy of a copy, all that is left is a washed-out colorless image on the page.
If you want to see this story with at least some juice still in it, J. J. Abrams versions of Star Trek were only a copy of copy, not a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy. Also, the movie actors could actually convey emotion, unlike any of the one-dimensional stereotypes in ‘Aurora’. ffs! I haven’t read a novel this full of recycled material ever!
I think Abram’s reboots are pretty, anyway, especially Chris Pine...
https://youtu.be/pKFUZ10Wmbw
If you want to see this story with at least some juice still in it, J. J. Abrams versions of Star Trek were only a copy of copy, not a copy of a copy of a copy of a copy. Also, the movie actors could actually convey emotion, unlike any of the one-dimensional stereotypes in ‘Aurora’. ffs! I haven’t read a novel this full of recycled material ever!
I think Abram’s reboots are pretty, anyway, especially Chris Pine...
https://youtu.be/pKFUZ10Wmbw
June 4, 2012
This is a pretty blatant Star Trek ripoff, with multiple series and timelines used as the source material. It's pretty much the exact same way that Captain Kirk went straight from Ensign to Captain in the space of one day as was shown in J.J. Abrams's version. Also, the Aurora gets lost on the other side of the galaxy 1000+ light years away from home and surrounded by enemies and potentially untrustworthy allies. Voyager? Is that you? When did you change your name to Aurora?
The writing is just okay, too. The author switches viewpoints multiple times in each chapter--sometimes from one paragraph to the next. It makes for a somewhat disorienting, but definitely annoying way of reading the story.
This is just the first of several books in this series, but I don't think I am going to bother with any of the rest of them. Perhaps if this was a TV series (which it is clearly trying to be) and was not so derivative of Star Trek, then I might give it more of a chance. As it is, this is a no-go for me.
The writing is just okay, too. The author switches viewpoints multiple times in each chapter--sometimes from one paragraph to the next. It makes for a somewhat disorienting, but definitely annoying way of reading the story.
This is just the first of several books in this series, but I don't think I am going to bother with any of the rest of them. Perhaps if this was a TV series (which it is clearly trying to be) and was not so derivative of Star Trek, then I might give it more of a chance. As it is, this is a no-go for me.
September 28, 2024
Audiobook (7 hours, 15 minutes) narrated by Jeffrey Kafer
The audio and narration are good, without distortion, erroneous noise, or obvious edits.
Aurora: CV-01 has a decent premise. It's an entertaining easy read, with a story line similar to an old school Star Trek episode.
The issue is that the characters are flat. There really isn't anything here beyond a turn off your mind story, which is fine if that is what you are looking for. Sometimes it's a good thing.
The thing is there are over 30 books, including a tie in series. The fall off in the reader ratings on audible is real, from 2,334 ratings on the first book to 224 on the first book of the tie in series. I hadn't noticed this when I picked up this book a few months back. The cover was attractive, the synopsis sounded OK, so I picked it up.
There are so many things on my list that I am unlikely to continue on this journey. If I have a moment of just wanting something simple in between reads, I always have the option of checking out the next book in the series. So, maybe.
The audio and narration are good, without distortion, erroneous noise, or obvious edits.
Aurora: CV-01 has a decent premise. It's an entertaining easy read, with a story line similar to an old school Star Trek episode.
The issue is that the characters are flat. There really isn't anything here beyond a turn off your mind story, which is fine if that is what you are looking for. Sometimes it's a good thing.
The thing is there are over 30 books, including a tie in series. The fall off in the reader ratings on audible is real, from 2,334 ratings on the first book to 224 on the first book of the tie in series. I hadn't noticed this when I picked up this book a few months back. The cover was attractive, the synopsis sounded OK, so I picked it up.
There are so many things on my list that I am unlikely to continue on this journey. If I have a moment of just wanting something simple in between reads, I always have the option of checking out the next book in the series. So, maybe.
February 21, 2016
This is my first book by Ryle Brown; I know nothing about him except he is what is being called an independent author. This is book one of a new series.
The story is set approximately a thousand years in the future. The earth colonized other planets but was then hit by a plague, now a thousand years late the planet is returning to the technological age; they find a Data Ark that leaps them into the space age. They have more technology than they understand. Our protagonist Nathan Scott is a brand new Ensign straight out of the Academy. His maiden voyage is on the UES’s newest ship. This is a common formula for Sci-Fi stories. On Nathan’s personal story, his father, a Senator, is running for President of the North American Alliance. This is book one so we are being introduced to various characters. The Russian engineer looks like he might make an interesting character. There is lots of action and space battles with some humor. The author is not overly descriptive of technology. The book is fairly well written for a new author. The ending is a set up for the next book.
I am familiar with the narrator, Jeffry Kafer, as he narrates the Christopher G. Nuttall books. Needless to say he does a good job narrating the book.
The story is set approximately a thousand years in the future. The earth colonized other planets but was then hit by a plague, now a thousand years late the planet is returning to the technological age; they find a Data Ark that leaps them into the space age. They have more technology than they understand. Our protagonist Nathan Scott is a brand new Ensign straight out of the Academy. His maiden voyage is on the UES’s newest ship. This is a common formula for Sci-Fi stories. On Nathan’s personal story, his father, a Senator, is running for President of the North American Alliance. This is book one so we are being introduced to various characters. The Russian engineer looks like he might make an interesting character. There is lots of action and space battles with some humor. The author is not overly descriptive of technology. The book is fairly well written for a new author. The ending is a set up for the next book.
I am familiar with the narrator, Jeffry Kafer, as he narrates the Christopher G. Nuttall books. Needless to say he does a good job narrating the book.
June 22, 2012
The Frontiers Saga starts off as a fascinating book with a strong opener dealing with United States and then galactic politics. Unfortunately the first chapter is where the good stuff stops.
In Aurora: CV-01, Ryk Brown makes wild attempts to borrow pieces from all the space science fiction out there. Unfortunately the blend of Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars, and countless others fails hard. Paper-thin characters offer nothing for us to feel invested and I couldn't care less if someone's life was on the line. Shallow dialogue and lack of any plot development further derail Aurora. It is only because of the central plot that I kept trudging through this book, but it's at nowhere near a level to entice me to read the rest of this series.
I would have given this book three stars but the nail in the coffin is the lack of editing and gratuitous amount of stylistic errors littering this book. I must ding Aurora: CV-01 a whole star because of this. Sentences repeat themselves as if banging readers on top of the head to get a point across. Ryk Brown also breaks a cardinal rule over and over with multiple point-of-view changes mid-scene. One moment you're in the mind of Captain Nathan, the next it's the thoughts of some random person you don't care about. Whole paragraphs make no sense and others drag on. I was relieved to know at least Ryk Brown ran a spell check on this book before self-publishing it.
Aurora: CV-01 is a textbook example of what is wrong with the self-publishing world today. It is glaringly obvious that Ryk Brown did not have an editor or anyone with writing / critiquing experience edit the book. I would bet good money that he typed 'The End' and then 'Publish' on Amazon five-minutes later. No editor would allow a book with this many stylistic errors be published, even as a self-published title.
Ryk Brown does himself a great disservice by not having this book edited because the main concept was interesting enough to keep me reading. Unfortunately a lack of editing, borrowing too much from Star Trek (I could envision the entire story taking place on the Enterprise), and offering a story with no depth is what ultimately sank this book. While I won't read them, I can only hope these issues were resolved in the other installments of the Frontiers Saga.
In Aurora: CV-01, Ryk Brown makes wild attempts to borrow pieces from all the space science fiction out there. Unfortunately the blend of Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars, and countless others fails hard. Paper-thin characters offer nothing for us to feel invested and I couldn't care less if someone's life was on the line. Shallow dialogue and lack of any plot development further derail Aurora. It is only because of the central plot that I kept trudging through this book, but it's at nowhere near a level to entice me to read the rest of this series.
I would have given this book three stars but the nail in the coffin is the lack of editing and gratuitous amount of stylistic errors littering this book. I must ding Aurora: CV-01 a whole star because of this. Sentences repeat themselves as if banging readers on top of the head to get a point across. Ryk Brown also breaks a cardinal rule over and over with multiple point-of-view changes mid-scene. One moment you're in the mind of Captain Nathan, the next it's the thoughts of some random person you don't care about. Whole paragraphs make no sense and others drag on. I was relieved to know at least Ryk Brown ran a spell check on this book before self-publishing it.
Aurora: CV-01 is a textbook example of what is wrong with the self-publishing world today. It is glaringly obvious that Ryk Brown did not have an editor or anyone with writing / critiquing experience edit the book. I would bet good money that he typed 'The End' and then 'Publish' on Amazon five-minutes later. No editor would allow a book with this many stylistic errors be published, even as a self-published title.
Ryk Brown does himself a great disservice by not having this book edited because the main concept was interesting enough to keep me reading. Unfortunately a lack of editing, borrowing too much from Star Trek (I could envision the entire story taking place on the Enterprise), and offering a story with no depth is what ultimately sank this book. While I won't read them, I can only hope these issues were resolved in the other installments of the Frontiers Saga.
September 1, 2016
75 EPISODES!?
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I was expecting a cheesy little sci-fi adventure that would tie me over until the audiobook release of Dust, but now it looks like I may plow through the rest of this series first.
There wasn't really anything new in this story, just a well written combination of previously thought up sci-fi tropes. But then, everything is a "rip off" of something.
My only complaint, if I have one, is that this short book ends at a pause in the adventure. I would rather have had a longer book that reached a definite end.
I want to say listening to this audiobook was like watching an episode of Star Trek...but that would be a geeky thing to say. So I won't say that.
Update: This series is great. Our heroes do not emerge from every battle unscathed. The author is genuinely growing these characters as the series progresses.
Update 2: I just read this on the Frontiers Saga blog "The Frontiers Saga is a series of Science Fiction novels that covers a century of human adventures in space. Part one is 15 episodes, with each episode being released at regular intervals. All story arcs begun within a part are concluded during that part. There will be 5 parts to the series, with 15 episodes per part, for a total of 75 episodes."
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I was expecting a cheesy little sci-fi adventure that would tie me over until the audiobook release of Dust, but now it looks like I may plow through the rest of this series first.
There wasn't really anything new in this story, just a well written combination of previously thought up sci-fi tropes. But then, everything is a "rip off" of something.
My only complaint, if I have one, is that this short book ends at a pause in the adventure. I would rather have had a longer book that reached a definite end.
I want to say listening to this audiobook was like watching an episode of Star Trek...but that would be a geeky thing to say. So I won't say that.
Update: This series is great. Our heroes do not emerge from every battle unscathed. The author is genuinely growing these characters as the series progresses.
Update 2: I just read this on the Frontiers Saga blog "The Frontiers Saga is a series of Science Fiction novels that covers a century of human adventures in space. Part one is 15 episodes, with each episode being released at regular intervals. All story arcs begun within a part are concluded during that part. There will be 5 parts to the series, with 15 episodes per part, for a total of 75 episodes."
April 18, 2012
I really started to get into this book just last night, and I wasn't able to put it down. I'm a big fan of science fiction movies and TV Shows, so I was flabbergasted when I realized that I haven't read that many sci-fi books. I decided to read this book after seeing it all over the store, and reading some reviews about it. Man, am I glad I did. This is the perfect book all science fiction fans. Whether this is one of your first science fiction books, or it's your 600th, you can't go wrong with this book.
The characters were funny, believable, unique, and they really developed well as the book progresses. There were some parts of the book that I had to re-read, because the scenes were so touching. Like when a certain person dies. Even though you they weren't around very much, you still felt the hurt and pain that Nathan was going through.
The book reminded me a lot of Stargate Universe, but I think that Aurora: CV-01 was much better. I'm definitely going to go purchase the sequel as soon as I finish this review, and devour it as soon as possible!
The characters were funny, believable, unique, and they really developed well as the book progresses. There were some parts of the book that I had to re-read, because the scenes were so touching. Like when a certain person dies. Even though you they weren't around very much, you still felt the hurt and pain that Nathan was going through.
The book reminded me a lot of Stargate Universe, but I think that Aurora: CV-01 was much better. I'm definitely going to go purchase the sequel as soon as I finish this review, and devour it as soon as possible!
March 14, 2017
3.75 stars. Fast-paced and fun space opera told in 3rd person. Nothing profound, but entertaining enough, with some credible relationship development and some vivid battle scenes. But thankfully this is not all nonstop battle scenes. Some star-scape scenic imagery -- not often seen in space opera. I wish that some older folks were included in the protagonists. I like the characters we have, but imo Nathan would be better in helmsman role throughout. He's too much -- all that. Cadet ensign saves the world. Trope. But he's likable.
Good narration. Good combo price for both kindle book and audible download.
I'll go on to book 2.
Good narration. Good combo price for both kindle book and audible download.
I'll go on to book 2.
January 14, 2014
Fairly run of the mill military space drama - Star Trek Voyager clone. Written in an episodic manner which makes for a quick read but has its problems.
Pros
*lots of action
*easy writing style
*pleasant characters
*well meaning
*lots of universe building and detail, like ship specs and insignia etc.
Cons
* The action is so non-stop that plot points get lost on the way and are unresolved, i.e. an issue about quarantine is raised and never pursued. The evil green eyed terrorist does some pretty dreadful stuff that is never uncovered due to a lack of consistency about combat debriefings.- I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop... but no it never did these characters are totally clueless. I found this particularly annoying.
*the ridiculous premise that all the senior command staff would die at the same time and leave everything to a smart arse n'er do well (boy).
* the never-ending short-sighted naivity of the children/ensigns running the show. Really, it was like watching my teenager play at Star Trek with his mates.
* the lack of author's knowledge about etymology and the evolution of language over time. Two cohorts of humans separated by 1,500 years all talk early 21st century Americanised English with all its datable idiosyncrasies, i.e. "swap it out" (why do they say "out"? surely we just swap? or better yet, "exchange"?)We would find it difficult to understand so-called English speakers from 750 years ago, let alone 1,500. Total nonsense.
*poor grammar, uses "which" for humans rather than "whom" - people are not objects, arghh.... so many editorial fixes needed - I could say this is a problem with a self-publish, like this, but more often than not these days editors don't pick up these things any more - or the publishers can't be bothered paying for it.
As the series progresses these problems (particularly the plot drops) only compound and make for a frustrating read. I started thinking this was a 4 star and am now borderline on making it a 2 having read through to "episode" 5.
Pros
*lots of action
*easy writing style
*pleasant characters
*well meaning
*lots of universe building and detail, like ship specs and insignia etc.
Cons
* The action is so non-stop that plot points get lost on the way and are unresolved, i.e. an issue about quarantine is raised and never pursued. The evil green eyed terrorist does some pretty dreadful stuff that is never uncovered due to a lack of consistency about combat debriefings.- I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop... but no it never did these characters are totally clueless. I found this particularly annoying.
*the ridiculous premise that all the senior command staff would die at the same time and leave everything to a smart arse n'er do well (boy).
* the never-ending short-sighted naivity of the children/ensigns running the show. Really, it was like watching my teenager play at Star Trek with his mates.
* the lack of author's knowledge about etymology and the evolution of language over time. Two cohorts of humans separated by 1,500 years all talk early 21st century Americanised English with all its datable idiosyncrasies, i.e. "swap it out" (why do they say "out"? surely we just swap? or better yet, "exchange"?)We would find it difficult to understand so-called English speakers from 750 years ago, let alone 1,500. Total nonsense.
*poor grammar, uses "which" for humans rather than "whom" - people are not objects, arghh.... so many editorial fixes needed - I could say this is a problem with a self-publish, like this, but more often than not these days editors don't pick up these things any more - or the publishers can't be bothered paying for it.
As the series progresses these problems (particularly the plot drops) only compound and make for a frustrating read. I started thinking this was a 4 star and am now borderline on making it a 2 having read through to "episode" 5.
June 17, 2020
This military sci-fi novel started intriguingly with political and familial tension between an anti-space senator father and a space cadet son, but that promising angle was soon ditched for the tired tropes of boy / girl rivalry for a prestigious post overlaid with will they / won’t they tiffs.
The concept of Earth emerging from a second dark ages having previously populated the galaxy was also intriguing as the “aliens” are divergent humans rather than bug eyed monsters. However, the author is unable to make his far future Earth any different from present day America, and high school America at that. All technology conveniently comes from a pre dark ages “Data Arc”, so some of it should have trickled down to everyday existence rather than just being confined to propulsion systems. But no. That would be too hard.
The whole idea of crewing the very latest flagship with bickering cadets for the maiden voyage rather than experienced veterans able to conduct a proper test flight is also old and tired. The notion that the captain of a vessel would be kept in the dark about untested critical systems installed on his ship is beyond laughable. This story has no foundations to build on. The cardboard cutout crew have no depth, character, backstory, other than glib tropes and patronising backchat, so their tribulations generate no interest whatsoever.
Nothing new is brought to the table in this lazy, clumsy rehash of Star Trek reboots and Galaxy Quest spoof. There’s no story here at all. The novel comes to an abrupt end during a pause in the confusion, for no other reason that enough pages have been filled with incoherent and skippable battle scenes that are no more than filler before volume two.
But I won’t proceed to volume two of the inevitable series. This was dire.
The concept of Earth emerging from a second dark ages having previously populated the galaxy was also intriguing as the “aliens” are divergent humans rather than bug eyed monsters. However, the author is unable to make his far future Earth any different from present day America, and high school America at that. All technology conveniently comes from a pre dark ages “Data Arc”, so some of it should have trickled down to everyday existence rather than just being confined to propulsion systems. But no. That would be too hard.
The whole idea of crewing the very latest flagship with bickering cadets for the maiden voyage rather than experienced veterans able to conduct a proper test flight is also old and tired. The notion that the captain of a vessel would be kept in the dark about untested critical systems installed on his ship is beyond laughable. This story has no foundations to build on. The cardboard cutout crew have no depth, character, backstory, other than glib tropes and patronising backchat, so their tribulations generate no interest whatsoever.
Nothing new is brought to the table in this lazy, clumsy rehash of Star Trek reboots and Galaxy Quest spoof. There’s no story here at all. The novel comes to an abrupt end during a pause in the confusion, for no other reason that enough pages have been filled with incoherent and skippable battle scenes that are no more than filler before volume two.
But I won’t proceed to volume two of the inevitable series. This was dire.
October 2, 2017
Fun light read. It’s so cheesy it hurts at times, but knowing that going in didn’t detract from the fast paced action and overall enjoyment. Upbeat sci-fi is always welcome. Refreshing from the dark doom/gloom I tend to see more commonly in this sub genre. The writing is a bit more on the “tell” than the “show”, which kinda hurts some of the dramatic moments.
Oh, and Aft Aft Aft Aft!
Oh, and Aft Aft Aft Aft!
February 7, 2016
Még ismerkedem a sci-fi műfajával, évek óta próbálkozok vele, de talán ez az első olyan könyv, amire azt tudom mondani, hogy imádtam! Legszívesebben mind a 75 részt letolnám egyben és nem rettent el a szám, hogyha az író hozza ezt a szintet továbbra is. Sikerült egy viszonylag kis és zárt térben (űrhajó) olyan feszültséget és sztorit létrehoznia, ami nagyon keveseknek jön össze. A stílus laza volt és nem volt agyonbonyolítva a sci-fi szál sem, bár angolul a szakzsargonnal néha meggyűlt a bajom. A poénok kellően ütöttek és szerintem az író tudatában sem volt annak, hogy mennyire vicces szituációkat alakított ki, pont ezért erőltetett sem volt. Nathan pedig az egyik legérdekesebb karakter, akiről valaha olvastam, végtelenül szimpatikus. Teljesen át tudtam érezni a "bedobtak a mély vízbe, azt se tudom mi a franc van itt, ugye vicceltek velem?" szituációját.
A sztori a 3400-as években játszódik, amikor is az űrutazás már viszonylag hétköznapi, de nem az embereknek. A világűrben a Jung dinasztia uralkodik, rabigába hajtott szinte már minden bolygót, kivéve a Földet, így most az emberek a legrosszabbra számítanak és eléggé hátrányból indulnak. Egy bio-digitális járvány sújtotta a Földet és 1000 év sötétséget hozott rájuk. A Data Arknak köszönhetően, ami megőrizte az emberiség felhalmozott tudását, viszonylag hamar sikerül felzárkózniuk, de még messze nem tökéletesen. Megépítik az első olyan űrhajót, ami a fénysebességnél tízszer gyorsabban tud utazni, az Aurórát, ide kerül a frissdiplomás Nathan Scott, aki a politikus apja elől menekül az űrhajós létbe. A nyugis szolgálat helyett azonban rendesen megszívja.
Az Aurórát annak ellenére, hogy még el sem készült teljesen és az ideális 300 fő helyett csak százan vannak rajta, ráadásul nagyrészt zöldfülűek, tesztútra küldik. Nem messze, csak a Jupiterhez, ahol viszont szembesülnek az igazsággal. Nem magát a hajót tesztelik, hanem azt a szigorúan titkos berendezést, ami lehetővé teszi az űrugrást. Ez a cucc annyira titkos, hogy csak a hajón lévők tudnak róla, a Földön még egy számadat sincs róla, nemhogy tervrajz vagy gondolat és ez az emberiség egyetlen mentsvára. Ha nem működik vagy az Auróra nem jut vissza, akkor kampec van a Földnek. Valami félre is siklik és ahelyett, hogy hazajutnának, ezer fényévnyire kötnek ki valahol, ahonnan az űrugrás nélkül 100 év lenne hazajutni. Már csak 37-en vannak, egy háború közepébe csöppennek, hívatlan látogatókat kapnak a hajóra és az Auróra romokban van. Elég nagy szívás. De hát pont az ilyen szitukat imádja az ember a könyvekben. :) Megvett magának a sorozat.
A sztori a 3400-as években játszódik, amikor is az űrutazás már viszonylag hétköznapi, de nem az embereknek. A világűrben a Jung dinasztia uralkodik, rabigába hajtott szinte már minden bolygót, kivéve a Földet, így most az emberek a legrosszabbra számítanak és eléggé hátrányból indulnak. Egy bio-digitális járvány sújtotta a Földet és 1000 év sötétséget hozott rájuk. A Data Arknak köszönhetően, ami megőrizte az emberiség felhalmozott tudását, viszonylag hamar sikerül felzárkózniuk, de még messze nem tökéletesen. Megépítik az első olyan űrhajót, ami a fénysebességnél tízszer gyorsabban tud utazni, az Aurórát, ide kerül a frissdiplomás Nathan Scott, aki a politikus apja elől menekül az űrhajós létbe. A nyugis szolgálat helyett azonban rendesen megszívja.
Az Aurórát annak ellenére, hogy még el sem készült teljesen és az ideális 300 fő helyett csak százan vannak rajta, ráadásul nagyrészt zöldfülűek, tesztútra küldik. Nem messze, csak a Jupiterhez, ahol viszont szembesülnek az igazsággal. Nem magát a hajót tesztelik, hanem azt a szigorúan titkos berendezést, ami lehetővé teszi az űrugrást. Ez a cucc annyira titkos, hogy csak a hajón lévők tudnak róla, a Földön még egy számadat sincs róla, nemhogy tervrajz vagy gondolat és ez az emberiség egyetlen mentsvára. Ha nem működik vagy az Auróra nem jut vissza, akkor kampec van a Földnek. Valami félre is siklik és ahelyett, hogy hazajutnának, ezer fényévnyire kötnek ki valahol, ahonnan az űrugrás nélkül 100 év lenne hazajutni. Már csak 37-en vannak, egy háború közepébe csöppennek, hívatlan látogatókat kapnak a hajóra és az Auróra romokban van. Elég nagy szívás. De hát pont az ilyen szitukat imádja az ember a könyvekben. :) Megvett magának a sorozat.
May 13, 2015
Nathan Scott zászlós frissen diplomázott a Flottánál mint navigátor és kormányos, legfőbb vágya, hogy nyugis beosztásba kerüljön, jó messzire a családjától és politikus főmufti apjától.
A Föld csak 30 éve van benne a csillagközi utazások bizniszben, igen fiatal a flotta, és csak most készült el annak a hajónak a prototípusa, amelyik fénysebességnél gyorsabb utazásra képes.
Az Aurora 100 fős - többnyire zöldfülű - legénységgel kezdi meg a tesztüzemet és a próbarepülést a normális 300 helyett, amikor is igen nagy kalamajkába keverednek.
A regénysorozatot 75 részre tervezi az író, és azt kell mondanom, hogy az első kötet után egyáltalán nem rettent el ez a magas szám.
Baromira tetszett a könyv. Végig pörgős, izgalmas, egy pillanatra nem hagy unatkozni. A karakterek iszonyú jól kidolgozottak, jól ülnek a poénok, hatásos a dráma, minden alapanyagból a megfelelő mennyiség van kiadagolva.
Az angoljával pár helyen meggyűlt a bajom, mert újdonság volt nekem a manőverezéshez, űrcsatákhoz, rangokhoz kapcsolódó szakzsargon, aminek értelmezésében a szótár vajmi keveset segít. A sorozatot az emberem ajánlotta, azaz inkább gyengéd erőszakkal tukmálta rám, és rettentő szolgálatkészen magyarázott meg nekem mindent amit nem értettem :)
A sorozat weboldalán nagyon jó képes magyarázat van az Aurorához, a linken le lehet csekkolni.
http://www.frontierssaga.com/aurora/
A Föld csak 30 éve van benne a csillagközi utazások bizniszben, igen fiatal a flotta, és csak most készült el annak a hajónak a prototípusa, amelyik fénysebességnél gyorsabb utazásra képes.
Az Aurora 100 fős - többnyire zöldfülű - legénységgel kezdi meg a tesztüzemet és a próbarepülést a normális 300 helyett, amikor is igen nagy kalamajkába keverednek.
A regénysorozatot 75 részre tervezi az író, és azt kell mondanom, hogy az első kötet után egyáltalán nem rettent el ez a magas szám.
Baromira tetszett a könyv. Végig pörgős, izgalmas, egy pillanatra nem hagy unatkozni. A karakterek iszonyú jól kidolgozottak, jól ülnek a poénok, hatásos a dráma, minden alapanyagból a megfelelő mennyiség van kiadagolva.
Az angoljával pár helyen meggyűlt a bajom, mert újdonság volt nekem a manőverezéshez, űrcsatákhoz, rangokhoz kapcsolódó szakzsargon, aminek értelmezésében a szótár vajmi keveset segít. A sorozatot az emberem ajánlotta, azaz inkább gyengéd erőszakkal tukmálta rám, és rettentő szolgálatkészen magyarázott meg nekem mindent amit nem értettem :)
A sorozat weboldalán nagyon jó képes magyarázat van az Aurorához, a linken le lehet csekkolni.
http://www.frontierssaga.com/aurora/
March 6, 2012
Not exactly what I would call heavy SciFi but if you like Star Trek or a better comparison would be Battlestar Galactica then this would be good for you.
I've read a few self published books from Amazon and where, on occasion, the story line is good often the writing style is lacking and in need of editing. This book I found to be well written.
To be honest I was hoping for something that would improve on the disappointment that was Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet series and on the basis of this first book in the series this may be it.
I've read a few self published books from Amazon and where, on occasion, the story line is good often the writing style is lacking and in need of editing. This book I found to be well written.
To be honest I was hoping for something that would improve on the disappointment that was Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet series and on the basis of this first book in the series this may be it.
May 30, 2012
Reading level is high school. Character depth is decent; but barely, and author's style needs refinement. But overall this is a fairly strong debut story. Author has action chapters down pat. Looking forward to reading the rest and to see how the author matures. Story is very reminiscent of Star Trek/BSG/Babylon 5, et al. On one hand, don't expect great complexity; but on the other, you won't be wasting your time. It's a fun story with a lot of potential.
August 9, 2017
Although I am only giving it three stars, I did really enjoy this book, and I plan on continuing with the series. Characters are pretty transparent and predictable, but enough action to make it a fast and interesting read.
May 7, 2012
Great sci-fi book.
August 7, 2012
As mentioned in most reviews here, this can be viewed as a very derivative story. Alternately, it can be considered a rollicking space-opera with a few weak spots that can be ignored.
June 15, 2024
Couldn't get past the first chapter, not going to finish the book!
May 24, 2017
I like a good space opera, but the writing in this book was so poor and the plot holes so massive, I just could not finish it
July 25, 2020
Aurora CV-01 is a Military/Space Opera Science Fiction novel that is a short and simple book and the beginning of a similarly simple series. Set in a universe where the once-interstellar Earth culture were almost wiped out by a plague a millennia ago and who have only recently begun to take their first baby steps back into interstellar space once again. It sounds like an interesting premise but unfortunately fails in execution.
The most enjoyable Science Fiction books I've read have been military oriented. I can never get enough of futuristic battles in imaginative worlds and the authors behind them are both dedicated and brilliant - authors like David Weber (Honorverse), Bujold (Vorkosigan Saga), John Ringo (Troy Rising and Empire of Man) and last but not least John Scalzi (Old Man's War). Most of them has space opera mixed in as well, which I don't mind at all. Ryk Brown has not earned a place among these authors, simply because he does not put in enough effort.
Simple is a good way of describing a book with the necessary ingredients to create an exciting adventure, but that is lacking in effort. Aurora, while containing all that I like in a military Science Fiction novel, quickly loses appeal the further you read. Glaring mistakes in space physics, predictable plot and lack of intelligence and reasoning in battles.
A couple of examples:
- A ships drive section takes damage and it loses VELOCITY. Like a friggin' car.
- While travelling between neighbouring solar systems the crew expresses time and again an irrational fear of colliding with objects in space. While I can allow for the infinitesmal likelihood to be taken into account theoretically once or twice, it bothers me when they bring it up again and again.
- The mechanics and purposes of the different armaments and movements of spaceships in Ryk Browns space battles are poorly explained. The crew frequently behaves like they have NEVER had any training in space academy at all - even allowing for that they are ensigns they are supposed to be among the best of their class. Just push a button and things fire and other stuff go boom is basically what it is.
All these faults become rapidly more obvious further along in the series as Ryk Brown quickly produces book after book with little effort. Because of this I can only recommend this book if you are bored of the lack of Military SciFi books out there.
I give this book three stars because it's the best of the series and does not deserve the two and one stars I have in store for the closest sequels.
The most enjoyable Science Fiction books I've read have been military oriented. I can never get enough of futuristic battles in imaginative worlds and the authors behind them are both dedicated and brilliant - authors like David Weber (Honorverse), Bujold (Vorkosigan Saga), John Ringo (Troy Rising and Empire of Man) and last but not least John Scalzi (Old Man's War). Most of them has space opera mixed in as well, which I don't mind at all. Ryk Brown has not earned a place among these authors, simply because he does not put in enough effort.
Simple is a good way of describing a book with the necessary ingredients to create an exciting adventure, but that is lacking in effort. Aurora, while containing all that I like in a military Science Fiction novel, quickly loses appeal the further you read. Glaring mistakes in space physics, predictable plot and lack of intelligence and reasoning in battles.
A couple of examples:
- A ships drive section takes damage and it loses VELOCITY. Like a friggin' car.
- While travelling between neighbouring solar systems the crew expresses time and again an irrational fear of colliding with objects in space. While I can allow for the infinitesmal likelihood to be taken into account theoretically once or twice, it bothers me when they bring it up again and again.
- The mechanics and purposes of the different armaments and movements of spaceships in Ryk Browns space battles are poorly explained. The crew frequently behaves like they have NEVER had any training in space academy at all - even allowing for that they are ensigns they are supposed to be among the best of their class. Just push a button and things fire and other stuff go boom is basically what it is.
All these faults become rapidly more obvious further along in the series as Ryk Brown quickly produces book after book with little effort. Because of this I can only recommend this book if you are bored of the lack of Military SciFi books out there.
I give this book three stars because it's the best of the series and does not deserve the two and one stars I have in store for the closest sequels.
September 18, 2012
From My Newsletter Number 28:
The second review is on a book from Ryk Brown called Aurora CV-01, The Frontiers Sage Episode 1. This is a new author to me and I am not sure how I came across his name and book, but I really enjoyed the story and the premise that Earth suffered a devastating bio-plague over a thousand years ago and humanity had to rebuild its civilization. Before the plague, Earth had sent ships and colonists far out into space to other planets and these colonies have begun to fight each other. Now Earth is reinventing its long lost space technology using information recovered from the Data Ark to build its space defenses and find all of its lost colonies.
The story starts with a Senator giving a speech about space defense and his young son joining the space fleet. The main characters are not defined as much as they could be in the beginning, the details of the Data Ark are missing and the conflict with the Jung colony is not explained, but the battle scenes and action sequences are really good as the story unfolds and I was pulled into the mayhem that results. The main character, Nathan Scott, is young and his rise to command seems a little implausible. However, the story is interesting, action packed and the characters have much to offer.
I give the book four stars, because I liked the storyline and the great action scenes. I felt the story ended much too quickly and is shorter than normal (216 pages) for an ebook. However, the price is right and I plan to buy the sequels to see what happens.
The second review is on a book from Ryk Brown called Aurora CV-01, The Frontiers Sage Episode 1. This is a new author to me and I am not sure how I came across his name and book, but I really enjoyed the story and the premise that Earth suffered a devastating bio-plague over a thousand years ago and humanity had to rebuild its civilization. Before the plague, Earth had sent ships and colonists far out into space to other planets and these colonies have begun to fight each other. Now Earth is reinventing its long lost space technology using information recovered from the Data Ark to build its space defenses and find all of its lost colonies.
The story starts with a Senator giving a speech about space defense and his young son joining the space fleet. The main characters are not defined as much as they could be in the beginning, the details of the Data Ark are missing and the conflict with the Jung colony is not explained, but the battle scenes and action sequences are really good as the story unfolds and I was pulled into the mayhem that results. The main character, Nathan Scott, is young and his rise to command seems a little implausible. However, the story is interesting, action packed and the characters have much to offer.
I give the book four stars, because I liked the storyline and the great action scenes. I felt the story ended much too quickly and is shorter than normal (216 pages) for an ebook. However, the price is right and I plan to buy the sequels to see what happens.
September 19, 2013
When I started off with this book I knew there were three other books in the series, but after I got to the third book I discovered that there were four more books in the series. And then when I got to book seven I realized from the gist of the story that it would not end with number 7 but there would be a book number 8. Fortunately I was able to get E-book # 8 and read it and then discovered that the story did not end there. There will be at least a book number 9 and maybe a couple more.
This saga reminds me somewhat of a Star Wars or Star Trek movie. It goes on and on. It's a good story and I am enjoying it. But The writer has added a lot of fluff to make the story longer. It gets into detailed descriptions of what is happening in many cases, kinda like a movie script. Consequently what I found myself doing many times was skimming over the fluff to get back to the story.
In book one a space ship takes off from the Earth on a test flight with a skeleton crew and with some parts of the ship being incomplete. Just before the ship leave scientist join the crew with a top secret project to modify the ship. The captain of the ship in in on the change but not the crew. The modification allows the ship to "jump" up to 10K light years at a time, vs using Faster Than Light (FTL) travel. The ship makes the jump but end up in a battle with an enemy, the Jung, ship and an explosion sends the 100K light years away where they end up in a fight with another enemy. They survive the fight but with a badly damaged ship.
This saga reminds me somewhat of a Star Wars or Star Trek movie. It goes on and on. It's a good story and I am enjoying it. But The writer has added a lot of fluff to make the story longer. It gets into detailed descriptions of what is happening in many cases, kinda like a movie script. Consequently what I found myself doing many times was skimming over the fluff to get back to the story.
In book one a space ship takes off from the Earth on a test flight with a skeleton crew and with some parts of the ship being incomplete. Just before the ship leave scientist join the crew with a top secret project to modify the ship. The captain of the ship in in on the change but not the crew. The modification allows the ship to "jump" up to 10K light years at a time, vs using Faster Than Light (FTL) travel. The ship makes the jump but end up in a battle with an enemy, the Jung, ship and an explosion sends the 100K light years away where they end up in a fight with another enemy. They survive the fight but with a badly damaged ship.
December 26, 2014
Take any 30-minute action sequence from a space-based video game, string the ensuing battle scenes together with a plot, create a group of characters with military personalities to act out the sequence, and you have Aurora: CV-01. After the initial introductions, this book slides from one climatic battle scene to the next, to the next, to the next. So if you are into reading about the video games you just finished playing, this book is definitely for you.
And yet? And yet, there was a spark of inquisitive thoughtfulness within those introductory chapters and hints of such thoughtfulness throughout the book. Brown raises the question as to whether or not humanity is capable of using technology that has been developed so fast that it seems like magic. Brown also raises the question as to whether or not war is always a necessity when faced with a seemingly aggressive opponent; and be speculates on the fine line that exists between rebels and terrorists. And throughout the book, people find themselves in positions where their decisions affect the lives of others, and each of these characters carry the burden of their decisions in different and unique ways.
It's these sparks that have me wondering if a twelve-part series of books might just have more to it than the video game action that so saturated this first installment. Cautiously, I plan on seeing if things change in the next book.
And yet? And yet, there was a spark of inquisitive thoughtfulness within those introductory chapters and hints of such thoughtfulness throughout the book. Brown raises the question as to whether or not humanity is capable of using technology that has been developed so fast that it seems like magic. Brown also raises the question as to whether or not war is always a necessity when faced with a seemingly aggressive opponent; and be speculates on the fine line that exists between rebels and terrorists. And throughout the book, people find themselves in positions where their decisions affect the lives of others, and each of these characters carry the burden of their decisions in different and unique ways.
It's these sparks that have me wondering if a twelve-part series of books might just have more to it than the video game action that so saturated this first installment. Cautiously, I plan on seeing if things change in the next book.
April 18, 2014
Ok. I actually read this book a few months ago. It was a daily kindle deal through Amazon and I got books 1-3 in the Frontiers Saga. My first real venture into sic-fi. I got it because it looked like a fun read, the reviews were good and it was a great price. Well, I liked it....alot! Simple GOOD read. Great characters that I became immediately interested in. Good story and....I bought all the rest in the series!! I wasn't going to post this on Goodreads because I felt the series wasn't "literary" enough....but the heck with that! It's a GOOD read! The writing continued to improve as the series went along and I am so glad I gave this series and it's author a chance. I feel that is one of the great benefits of my Kindle. I get the opportunity to try all kinds of genres...good, bad and great! So, I am coming out of hiding! My name is Susan and I read sic-fi!!
April 14, 2012
A very enjoyable science fiction story. Sure that basic concept (ship lost in far away corner of the galaxy) have been done before but it's still done in a way that was reasonable fresh and, most of all, fun to read.
I was a bit concerned by the political nonsense in the beginning but that was quickly done away with. I will most certainly read the next one in the series.
I was a bit concerned by the political nonsense in the beginning but that was quickly done away with. I will most certainly read the next one in the series.
February 25, 2016
This was a quick, easy, enjoyable read for the most part. The way it switched character perspectives within the same paragraph at times was quite jarring but the story was full of suspense. I quite liked not knowing (along with the characters) exactly what was going on at all times, it made things more interesting. I look forward to continuing on with the series.
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