What do you think?
Rate this book
Omega Force #1
Omega Rising
Jason Burke was a man hiding from himself in a small cabin high in the American Rocky Mountains when his simple, quiet life was shattered one night by what he first assumed was an aviation mishap. But when he investigates the crash, what he finds will yank him out of his self-imposed exile and thrust him into a world he could have never imagined.
He suddenly finds himself trapped on a damaged alien spacecraft and plunged into a universe of interstellar crime lords and government conspiracies, along the way meeting strange new friends… and enemies. As he struggles to find his way back home he is inexorably drawn deeper into a world where one misstep could mean his death. Or worse. He desperately wants to get back to Earth, but it may be the end for him.
… or is it just the beginning?
He suddenly finds himself trapped on a damaged alien spacecraft and plunged into a universe of interstellar crime lords and government conspiracies, along the way meeting strange new friends… and enemies. As he struggles to find his way back home he is inexorably drawn deeper into a world where one misstep could mean his death. Or worse. He desperately wants to get back to Earth, but it may be the end for him.
… or is it just the beginning?
190 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 27, 2013
1296 people are currently reading
2273 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 322 reviews
January 6, 2014
Yet another over-rated, self-published book.
I am encountering an ever increasing proportion of self-published books, mostly from newbie/unknown authors, which have ridiculously high ratings. "Omega Rising" is the latest. A recent NY Times article titled "The Best Book Reviews Money Can Buy" suggests what the problem might be, but I wish to make no accusations here. I only note that it has become difficult to trust the ratings on self-published books any longer.
"Omega Rising" is rife with grammatical mistakes. The most prevalent is the common error of joining two independent sentences together with a comma and no conjunction. Example (from the book): "He gasped slightly as the icy water hit his skin, this far up in the mountains the well water was still very cold in early May." (A semi-colon should have been used, or better still, it should have just been two separate sentences.) This type of mistake was made on almost every page of the novel, and multiple times on some pages. Other commonly made grammatical errors include "try and" instead of "try to", and confusion between the proper use of "it's" versus "its". The vast number of basic grammatical mistakes makes it painfully obvious that no proofreading or professional editing was done, and made the novel come off as very amateurish.
Now, for the positives: In spite of its grammatical shortcomings, and although it could have benefited from some better character development (it would have been good, for example, to include some interspersed passages that flashed back to Jason Burke's military days and perhaps the relationship with "she" that is briefly alluded to, in order to provide a more detailed backstory), the story pulled me in and held my attention. The action was nicely paced, the situations were believable in a sci-fi context (if not terribly original), and comparisons others have made to Firefly are not inaccurate. The author definitely shows some real promise, and I hope he can work on his grammar chops. I give this novel 2 stars, and would have given it a 3.5 rounded up to 4 if not for the grammatical problems.
I am encountering an ever increasing proportion of self-published books, mostly from newbie/unknown authors, which have ridiculously high ratings. "Omega Rising" is the latest. A recent NY Times article titled "The Best Book Reviews Money Can Buy" suggests what the problem might be, but I wish to make no accusations here. I only note that it has become difficult to trust the ratings on self-published books any longer.
"Omega Rising" is rife with grammatical mistakes. The most prevalent is the common error of joining two independent sentences together with a comma and no conjunction. Example (from the book): "He gasped slightly as the icy water hit his skin, this far up in the mountains the well water was still very cold in early May." (A semi-colon should have been used, or better still, it should have just been two separate sentences.) This type of mistake was made on almost every page of the novel, and multiple times on some pages. Other commonly made grammatical errors include "try and" instead of "try to", and confusion between the proper use of "it's" versus "its". The vast number of basic grammatical mistakes makes it painfully obvious that no proofreading or professional editing was done, and made the novel come off as very amateurish.
Now, for the positives: In spite of its grammatical shortcomings, and although it could have benefited from some better character development (it would have been good, for example, to include some interspersed passages that flashed back to Jason Burke's military days and perhaps the relationship with "she" that is briefly alluded to, in order to provide a more detailed backstory), the story pulled me in and held my attention. The action was nicely paced, the situations were believable in a sci-fi context (if not terribly original), and comparisons others have made to Firefly are not inaccurate. The author definitely shows some real promise, and I hope he can work on his grammar chops. I give this novel 2 stars, and would have given it a 3.5 rounded up to 4 if not for the grammatical problems.
October 6, 2016
Well, I found this one interesting and pretty well plotted. We start out with an Earther (Earth man, Earth person, Terran?) shanghaied (so to speak) and pulled into intergalactic politics, oppression and just plain dangerous unpleasantness.
Over the length of the book we'll suss out traitors, find allies and in general set up a series.
Not a bad read, not a great read...okay I guess. I'll go 3 stars.
Over the length of the book we'll suss out traitors, find allies and in general set up a series.
Not a bad read, not a great read...okay I guess. I'll go 3 stars.
March 23, 2018
3.5 stars for this audiobook, and the audiobook narrator gets 5 stars. This is the first book in a fun and feel-good space opera told in 3rd person. This is not hard science, nor serious warfare, but it's got a solid (enough) plot with plenty of battle action (eventually) and a heartwarming crew. So...it's fairly entertaining.
My main quibble is that Jason, the hero, makes big decisions lightly, without enough information.
Jason Burke is an American, age 26, who recently served in Afghanistan. When a damaged spaceship lands near his lonely cabin in the Rocky Mountains, he offers help. Next thing we know, he's Commander Burke, leading a crew of five benign aliens (including an artificial intelligence /Battle Synthetic) across galaxies on a quest to free slaves and put a stop to illegal genetics manipulation.
Feels like Firefly, but not so sophisticated, and there are no female crew members and so far, no special abilities.
Feels like Guardians of the Galaxy, but there is no cassette recording of best hits.
Main Characters:
Commander Jason Burke.
Blue skinned engineer / mechanic Twingo
Doctor Jorven Ma'Fredich (Doc)
A 4-armed computer hacker, code slicer named Cage
Wolf-man warrior named Crusher
An AI, a fully armed Battle Synthetic warrior dubbed Lucky 7.
A synthetic named Deetz
A slave-trading snake-man mobster named Bondrass.
My main quibble is that Jason, the hero, makes big decisions lightly, without enough information.
Jason Burke is an American, age 26, who recently served in Afghanistan. When a damaged spaceship lands near his lonely cabin in the Rocky Mountains, he offers help. Next thing we know, he's Commander Burke, leading a crew of five benign aliens (including an artificial intelligence /Battle Synthetic) across galaxies on a quest to free slaves and put a stop to illegal genetics manipulation.
Feels like Firefly, but not so sophisticated, and there are no female crew members and so far, no special abilities.
Feels like Guardians of the Galaxy, but there is no cassette recording of best hits.
Main Characters:
Commander Jason Burke.
Blue skinned engineer / mechanic Twingo
Doctor Jorven Ma'Fredich (Doc)
A 4-armed computer hacker, code slicer named Cage
Wolf-man warrior named Crusher
An AI, a fully armed Battle Synthetic warrior dubbed Lucky 7.
A synthetic named Deetz
A slave-trading snake-man mobster named Bondrass.
March 17, 2016
This was fun. It reminded me a lot of Farscape, which was always a cheesy, guilty pleasure of mine. So, I liked the premise and that really was enough for me to enjoy it. And the plot does roll along at a good clip. But the book has some fairly serious drawbacks, in my opinion.
For one, Jason has no real history or depth to his character. Nor does anyone else. Second, the book suffers from allowing its main character too many successes too quickly. For example, Jason finds himself in space, with no knowledge of anything, and within a ridiculously short amount of time he's giving technical advice on how to save the ship to a trained pilot. He easily, one might say accidentally, becomes captain of a ship with an exceedingly skilled and loyal crew. He never stresses or gets flustered, even when faced with the impossible. It's too much. There is literally no challenge that he doesn't overcome almost effortlessly.
Third, the book needs a bit of editing. It's readable, but if you pay attention to that kind of thing, you notice. Lastly, since it's something I've decided to start pointing out when I see it, in an attempt to highlight how disturbingly common it is, even today, there are no female characters. Seriously, none, not even a side character or service provider. None.
So, in the end, as a just-for-the-fun-of-it, not-gonna-delve-too-deeply-into-it kind of read it is fun. Not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but worth reading.
For one, Jason has no real history or depth to his character. Nor does anyone else. Second, the book suffers from allowing its main character too many successes too quickly. For example, Jason finds himself in space, with no knowledge of anything, and within a ridiculously short amount of time he's giving technical advice on how to save the ship to a trained pilot. He easily, one might say accidentally, becomes captain of a ship with an exceedingly skilled and loyal crew. He never stresses or gets flustered, even when faced with the impossible. It's too much. There is literally no challenge that he doesn't overcome almost effortlessly.
Third, the book needs a bit of editing. It's readable, but if you pay attention to that kind of thing, you notice. Lastly, since it's something I've decided to start pointing out when I see it, in an attempt to highlight how disturbingly common it is, even today, there are no female characters. Seriously, none, not even a side character or service provider. None.
So, in the end, as a just-for-the-fun-of-it, not-gonna-delve-too-deeply-into-it kind of read it is fun. Not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but worth reading.
June 1, 2016
This is more fun than I've seen from space opera in a long time. It's right up there with Scott Sigler's "GFL" series. *BUT* this one suffers from amateur writing issues, of the type which won't bother most readers, but will bother anyone who's been writing fiction seriously for more than a few years. The book opens with the main character waking up, pondering his life, and describing himself by looking in the mirror. That's a cliche which every writing workshop warns against. There's some POV shifting from close third to omniscient: We're mostly in Jason's POV, but sometimes the author's voice slips and describes to the reader what Jason doesn't see or know.
That said, this is a story very well told. It moves along at a fast pace, it's fun, and I'm 100% certain this author is a natural-born storyteller. I wasn't blown away by the premise or the world. It's more or less standard heroic fare. But there's a *lot* to be said for good storytelling, solid plotting and pacing, and solidly developed characters. If you liked Hugh Howey's "Molly Fyde" series, or Scott Sigler's "GFL" series, and if you long for more "Star Wars" in fiction, give this a try. Also, the audiobook narrator does a great job.
That said, this is a story very well told. It moves along at a fast pace, it's fun, and I'm 100% certain this author is a natural-born storyteller. I wasn't blown away by the premise or the world. It's more or less standard heroic fare. But there's a *lot* to be said for good storytelling, solid plotting and pacing, and solidly developed characters. If you liked Hugh Howey's "Molly Fyde" series, or Scott Sigler's "GFL" series, and if you long for more "Star Wars" in fiction, give this a try. Also, the audiobook narrator does a great job.
March 23, 2018
Despite the low rating I'm giving this book, it's a fun read. Space-opera, yay!
Some serious drawbacks for me were some glaring mistakes, like the use of lay, laid, etc. A bit of a Gary Stu main character. He's great at everything and everything just comes his way and by the end of the book, he is of course the most superest person ever and almost everyone loves him. Ugh.
Some seriously questionable choices are made for no real reason.
The characters felt flat and one-dimensional. Deets was the most interesting character.
Still, a fun read. I'd recommend it, if you're not looking for anything serious. But if you have a critical mind, I'd steer clear.
Some serious drawbacks for me were some glaring mistakes, like the use of lay, laid, etc. A bit of a Gary Stu main character. He's great at everything and everything just comes his way and by the end of the book, he is of course the most superest person ever and almost everyone loves him. Ugh.
Some seriously questionable choices are made for no real reason.
The characters felt flat and one-dimensional. Deets was the most interesting character.
Still, a fun read. I'd recommend it, if you're not looking for anything serious. But if you have a critical mind, I'd steer clear.
September 3, 2018
I went in knowing that this could be a bit of a light opera and that is what i got. I have been reading a lot of Dalzelle recently and think he is one of the best space battle writers out there. This on the other hand is his pulp fiction work. It is very light, minimal character building, even though there is only one human in the story and utterly predictable.
Does that make it a boring read? No, it is exactly what it is, space opera. A easy scifi read and hopefully laying the foundation for growth in the characters and world building. If you are looking for something that will not tax your brain, is easy to pick up where you left off, simple plots about 'being galactic hereos' and saving the unfortunate, then this is just fine.
I will be carrying on with the series, as a filler when I want something light, like lunch time reading.
Does that make it a boring read? No, it is exactly what it is, space opera. A easy scifi read and hopefully laying the foundation for growth in the characters and world building. If you are looking for something that will not tax your brain, is easy to pick up where you left off, simple plots about 'being galactic hereos' and saving the unfortunate, then this is just fine.
I will be carrying on with the series, as a filler when I want something light, like lunch time reading.
March 2, 2016
Omega Rising by Joshua Dalzelle is a good science fiction adventure which was fun to read. I found the book hard to put down once I started reading.
The author developed a good storyline which was interesting and fast paced. It did lack a lot of depth but this made for an easy read and follow. My big problem with the book was the grammatical errors throughout the book. I found them to be distracting.
I liked the characters created by Joshua Dalzelle. I found them very believable and easy to follow.
I enjoyed Omega Rising and recommend this book to all readers.
The author developed a good storyline which was interesting and fast paced. It did lack a lot of depth but this made for an easy read and follow. My big problem with the book was the grammatical errors throughout the book. I found them to be distracting.
I liked the characters created by Joshua Dalzelle. I found them very believable and easy to follow.
I enjoyed Omega Rising and recommend this book to all readers.
July 25, 2015
Good story but more for teens than adults
This is a simple and fun read. There's nothing new here...typical storyline you'd see in a sci fi series on TV. I wish it were a bit more complex than it is. 3 stars for basic sci fi entertainment.
This is a simple and fun read. There's nothing new here...typical storyline you'd see in a sci fi series on TV. I wish it were a bit more complex than it is. 3 stars for basic sci fi entertainment.
April 27, 2020
Spoilers:
Cliche. Cookie-cut characters with little to no rational motivation for doing most of what they do. And, would it have killed him to put in a single female character? The only reference we get to female characters is this mysterious blond (again, how cliche), an apparent love interest that doesn't even get a name, and some nameless, faceless evil scientist that they are hunting- why you might ask - no reason, just trust that Doc insists it's necessary.
Necessary to attack a populated planet, and kill however many innocent people - like the janitor on the death star; just trying to make a living - in order to kill this evil scientist lady. (At which they seemingly fail). Then return to all their home worlds, including one on which they know they're wanted criminals and a space station on which their greatest enemy has his base of opperations, without fear of retaliation or law enforcement. I mean WHAT THE F***? To quote I can't remember who, the next time you think violence is the only solution imagine a mosquito landing on your testicles.
The book ends like some kind of origins story for the space-based A-Team. With the mystery blond showing up to deliver the only line given to a female character.
I cant say it never made me smile, hence the two stars, but I will not be reading the sequel.
Cliche. Cookie-cut characters with little to no rational motivation for doing most of what they do. And, would it have killed him to put in a single female character? The only reference we get to female characters is this mysterious blond (again, how cliche), an apparent love interest that doesn't even get a name, and some nameless, faceless evil scientist that they are hunting- why you might ask - no reason, just trust that Doc insists it's necessary.
Necessary to attack a populated planet, and kill however many innocent people - like the janitor on the death star; just trying to make a living - in order to kill this evil scientist lady. (At which they seemingly fail). Then return to all their home worlds, including one on which they know they're wanted criminals and a space station on which their greatest enemy has his base of opperations, without fear of retaliation or law enforcement. I mean WHAT THE F***? To quote I can't remember who, the next time you think violence is the only solution imagine a mosquito landing on your testicles.
The book ends like some kind of origins story for the space-based A-Team. With the mystery blond showing up to deliver the only line given to a female character.
I cant say it never made me smile, hence the two stars, but I will not be reading the sequel.
July 9, 2016
I have found a new series that I think is going to be great. It’s great for two things. One, it’s the kind of military science fiction that I would like to have been part of; this story is what most science fiction fans dream of happening. Jason Burke should have been me or I should have been Jason Burke or how ever you want to put it. Two, there are eight, 8 books in the series already written. I’m in reading nirvana. I don’t know if I’ll just read all eight straight through or read something else in between. It’s going to be a challenge deciding what to do.
I’m already into book two, “Soldiers of Fortune” which is just as good as book one, so far. Book one is the beginning of Omega Force. Jason Burke is a former Air Force enlisted guy who has had enough of war and killing. He’s served his country in Iran and Afghanistan as a Pararescue operator or PJ, so he knows his business as far as the military goes. But, he’s had enough for now and is secluded in a mountain cabin that his folks bought for him not long ago. He doesn’t particularly want to hide for the rest of his life, but a period of peace and quiet would be nice. He’s twenty-six years old so he’s got a lot of life ahead of him, but also appears to have just lost the love of his life.
Suddenly, he’s confronted with a loud sound coming from the sky where his mountain is usually very quiet. It sounds like an aircraft and it’s coming in very low and very fast. He manages to wake up and get to his cabin door just as the craft appears to have hit the ground just beyond a ridge line a few clicks from his cabin. He decides he’s got to go investigate and find out if he can rescue any of the crash survivors. So he grabs a small flashlight and his civilian AR-15 and heads out. Not long after, he comes over a rise and sees a craft that has landed on three landing struts similar to other large aircraft he’s seen. But, the aircraft. itself, certainly isn’t any kind that he’s ever seen.
It appears to have not really crashed although it is smoking and seems to have an electrical fire smell to the whole area. Jason slowly climbs down the slope to get a better look and see if any one survived the landing. At first he can’t find any hatches or entrances into the craft. Then, the backend of the craft suddenly drops a ramp and more smoke comes billowing out. Now Jason makes the dumbest mistake of his short life. He enters the craft going through the smoke which is starting to subside. Jason continues on into the craft entering at what appears to be a cargo area. He sees a hatch with a big red button next to it, so he walks up and pushes the button. The hatch come open and he’s looking at a short corridor with another hatch and button at the end. Why he doesn’t stop now is beyond me.
Jason eventually goes through both hatches which he believes might have been airlock doors and then he come to a ladder or stairs going up. He’s thinking that this might lead him to the bridge or control room or whatever they call it on this ship. He’s now pretty much convinced that this ship isn’t of Earth origin. The writing on the door panels he walked threw were like nothing he’s ever seen. Once up on the next deck he walks forward through an open door way into a large control room. He notices someone or something sitting at a console and they notice him at about the same time. Next thing he feels is an electric shock which causes him to fire his AR-15 through on of the front screens and also knocks him off his feet.
From this point on, Jason Burke is in for an adventure of a life time. He has boarded an alien spacecraft that had set down to make emergency repairs and vent all the electrical smoke from the craft. It wasn’t intended to allow anyone to come on-board, especially anyone from this primitive planet. Yet, Jason is on-board and just now coming to in the ship's medical bay. He’s confronted by a being that says he’s a synthetic humanoid called Deetz. Turns out, Deetz is just the first of many strange, but not so strange, beings he will encounter over the next few years.
This series is exactly why I like military science fiction. And the writing by Mr. Dalzelle is superb in that he doesn’t write gory details or blood-lust killing just for the sake of shocking his readers. In fact, his story is pretty mild as far as the fighting goes, but his characters have a purpose and they’re definitely not insane. I think my adventure with the Omega Force is just starting and i’m really excited to be reading it. I just hope each book stays lengthy and don’t become short stories. So far, that’s not the case. This first book provides the background for how the Omega Force came to be and details a lot of information about each member of Omega Force. There are just the right numbers so as to remember each character and their background. I am already into book two and look forward to reading all the rest.
I’m already into book two, “Soldiers of Fortune” which is just as good as book one, so far. Book one is the beginning of Omega Force. Jason Burke is a former Air Force enlisted guy who has had enough of war and killing. He’s served his country in Iran and Afghanistan as a Pararescue operator or PJ, so he knows his business as far as the military goes. But, he’s had enough for now and is secluded in a mountain cabin that his folks bought for him not long ago. He doesn’t particularly want to hide for the rest of his life, but a period of peace and quiet would be nice. He’s twenty-six years old so he’s got a lot of life ahead of him, but also appears to have just lost the love of his life.
Suddenly, he’s confronted with a loud sound coming from the sky where his mountain is usually very quiet. It sounds like an aircraft and it’s coming in very low and very fast. He manages to wake up and get to his cabin door just as the craft appears to have hit the ground just beyond a ridge line a few clicks from his cabin. He decides he’s got to go investigate and find out if he can rescue any of the crash survivors. So he grabs a small flashlight and his civilian AR-15 and heads out. Not long after, he comes over a rise and sees a craft that has landed on three landing struts similar to other large aircraft he’s seen. But, the aircraft. itself, certainly isn’t any kind that he’s ever seen.
It appears to have not really crashed although it is smoking and seems to have an electrical fire smell to the whole area. Jason slowly climbs down the slope to get a better look and see if any one survived the landing. At first he can’t find any hatches or entrances into the craft. Then, the backend of the craft suddenly drops a ramp and more smoke comes billowing out. Now Jason makes the dumbest mistake of his short life. He enters the craft going through the smoke which is starting to subside. Jason continues on into the craft entering at what appears to be a cargo area. He sees a hatch with a big red button next to it, so he walks up and pushes the button. The hatch come open and he’s looking at a short corridor with another hatch and button at the end. Why he doesn’t stop now is beyond me.
Jason eventually goes through both hatches which he believes might have been airlock doors and then he come to a ladder or stairs going up. He’s thinking that this might lead him to the bridge or control room or whatever they call it on this ship. He’s now pretty much convinced that this ship isn’t of Earth origin. The writing on the door panels he walked threw were like nothing he’s ever seen. Once up on the next deck he walks forward through an open door way into a large control room. He notices someone or something sitting at a console and they notice him at about the same time. Next thing he feels is an electric shock which causes him to fire his AR-15 through on of the front screens and also knocks him off his feet.
From this point on, Jason Burke is in for an adventure of a life time. He has boarded an alien spacecraft that had set down to make emergency repairs and vent all the electrical smoke from the craft. It wasn’t intended to allow anyone to come on-board, especially anyone from this primitive planet. Yet, Jason is on-board and just now coming to in the ship's medical bay. He’s confronted by a being that says he’s a synthetic humanoid called Deetz. Turns out, Deetz is just the first of many strange, but not so strange, beings he will encounter over the next few years.
This series is exactly why I like military science fiction. And the writing by Mr. Dalzelle is superb in that he doesn’t write gory details or blood-lust killing just for the sake of shocking his readers. In fact, his story is pretty mild as far as the fighting goes, but his characters have a purpose and they’re definitely not insane. I think my adventure with the Omega Force is just starting and i’m really excited to be reading it. I just hope each book stays lengthy and don’t become short stories. So far, that’s not the case. This first book provides the background for how the Omega Force came to be and details a lot of information about each member of Omega Force. There are just the right numbers so as to remember each character and their background. I am already into book two and look forward to reading all the rest.
August 4, 2015
This was such an entertaining and witty sci-fi read. Initially I wasn't sure if I'd read it or not because so many times a book like this can bog you down with the sci-finess of it, but not this. It's got just the right amount of sci-fi but with the added bonus of being quite witty and funny! I loved it.
There isn't much else I can add, that isn't in the summary, that won't spoil things so I'll get down to my thoughts.
I didn't know what to think of Jason at the start, because he seemed so sullen, but I grew to really like his character. I loved the enthusiasm and awe he showed with every new discovery and with seeing the planets!! He was like a child and it made it more believable, because I know, I for one, would be in awe of seeing anything in outer space.
I also loved Deets, even though he is kind of one of the bad guys. He was just so literal and weird that it was hard not to like him in some way.
The plot is slow to start because Jason takes time to get to know the ship and Deets, but once it gets going, it really gets going and is pure sci-fi at it's best. The authors description of everything was so vivid that I had no problem picturing the places or aliens.
In all this was a fun and entertaining read. It was a little predictable at times but still highly entertaining. The characters and plot were well written and developed, we have mobster aliens too but the author gave enough levity to the story that it wasn't too heavy, and he has created a universe that I fell in love with, so roll all them into one book and you have a winner, for me anyway!! I can't wait to jump into the next one to see what happens.
Paul Heitsch was absolutely perfect for this story. His range of vocals was impressive and I had no problem distinguishing each character. He had the right tone at the right time as well which made the whole listen so enjoyable.
*I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
There isn't much else I can add, that isn't in the summary, that won't spoil things so I'll get down to my thoughts.
I didn't know what to think of Jason at the start, because he seemed so sullen, but I grew to really like his character. I loved the enthusiasm and awe he showed with every new discovery and with seeing the planets!! He was like a child and it made it more believable, because I know, I for one, would be in awe of seeing anything in outer space.
I also loved Deets, even though he is kind of one of the bad guys. He was just so literal and weird that it was hard not to like him in some way.
The plot is slow to start because Jason takes time to get to know the ship and Deets, but once it gets going, it really gets going and is pure sci-fi at it's best. The authors description of everything was so vivid that I had no problem picturing the places or aliens.
In all this was a fun and entertaining read. It was a little predictable at times but still highly entertaining. The characters and plot were well written and developed, we have mobster aliens too but the author gave enough levity to the story that it wasn't too heavy, and he has created a universe that I fell in love with, so roll all them into one book and you have a winner, for me anyway!! I can't wait to jump into the next one to see what happens.
Paul Heitsch was absolutely perfect for this story. His range of vocals was impressive and I had no problem distinguishing each character. He had the right tone at the right time as well which made the whole listen so enjoyable.
*I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
May 27, 2013
I loved this book. So much so that I finished it in one day! It was a fun space adventure that reminded me of the show Farscape.
August 12, 2018
Perhaps I've watched too many sci fi shows, but this book felt very formulaic with an "I've seen this before" quality to it. I stopped reading after a half of the book.
January 22, 2020
After a rather improbable start this book takes off and doesn't slow down until the end. A fun read with lots of action and a full crew of interesting characters.
June 18, 2025
This is an amazingly fun ride, with everything you want in a good Sci-Fi action story. Josh Dalzelle does not disappoint when he writes, giving fast paced, detailed gritty action packed stories that leave you wanting more.
I was a huge fan of ‘The Black Fleet Trilogy’ and as a result thought I should try Omega Rising, even though it is a different style of Sci-Fi, and I was not disappointed.
The main character, Jason Burke, has a somewhat interesting past, as a soldier that worked for a combat/medic insertion team, working closely with different military units. As a result, he has seen a lot of action, and this has left him with some mental scars. He is up in the mountains, recovering from these, and some other personal issues, at a cabin he was left by his parents, when a strange ship ‘crashes’ nearby. Being the inquisitive type, and someone who is trained to help, he investigates, and thus begins an incredible and amazing adventure.
I don’t want to give too much away, but needless to say, the ship did not crash, and it's not of this Earth, and it leads Jason on one amazing ride.
Dalzelle likes his action, and likes to entertain his readers, and this is what this book is all about, pure entertainment.
There are also some awesome technical designs for ships, weapons, as well as the aliens involved in the story.
Those that have read the ‘Black Fleet’ series know that Dalzelle gives some awesome descriptions of his ships, and puts real effort into the design and creation of those ships beforehand, bringing them to life for the reader. This adds a real depth to the story, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the universe he creates and add an extra layer of enjoyment. For this particular story, that level of detail carries over to his characters as well, all of which are not human. As such, we get to read about a variety of different species, all in nice detail. And it's this detail that makes a difference to the story. There are a lot of other books about that do have a similar theme, but attention to detail, a decent story line, good characters, these are the things that make Dalzelle’s books standout.
As for his characters, there are a variety of characters, each with their own distinct personality that he has taken the time to develop. This creates an amusing amount of dialogue throughout the story.
Overall, there were some parts that I could see what was coming, but I didn’t mind as this was a really enjoyable book, and I know that this is the starter for the rest of the series as well. As such, it is easy to understand why some things happened in a particular way.
I am sure there will be some criticism of a couple of points (why do they all breathe the same air?) but sometimes it's easier to just let these things go. At least Dalzelle actually took the time to address multiple of these issues, with clever answers and plot twists to a variety of these type of questions that are normally left unanswered, or just ignored by most writers, and it was both creative and a surprising change without giving too much away again.
This is a fantastic start to the series and one that I will eagerly be reading the remainder of.
I was a huge fan of ‘The Black Fleet Trilogy’ and as a result thought I should try Omega Rising, even though it is a different style of Sci-Fi, and I was not disappointed.
The main character, Jason Burke, has a somewhat interesting past, as a soldier that worked for a combat/medic insertion team, working closely with different military units. As a result, he has seen a lot of action, and this has left him with some mental scars. He is up in the mountains, recovering from these, and some other personal issues, at a cabin he was left by his parents, when a strange ship ‘crashes’ nearby. Being the inquisitive type, and someone who is trained to help, he investigates, and thus begins an incredible and amazing adventure.
I don’t want to give too much away, but needless to say, the ship did not crash, and it's not of this Earth, and it leads Jason on one amazing ride.
Dalzelle likes his action, and likes to entertain his readers, and this is what this book is all about, pure entertainment.
There are also some awesome technical designs for ships, weapons, as well as the aliens involved in the story.
Those that have read the ‘Black Fleet’ series know that Dalzelle gives some awesome descriptions of his ships, and puts real effort into the design and creation of those ships beforehand, bringing them to life for the reader. This adds a real depth to the story, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the universe he creates and add an extra layer of enjoyment. For this particular story, that level of detail carries over to his characters as well, all of which are not human. As such, we get to read about a variety of different species, all in nice detail. And it's this detail that makes a difference to the story. There are a lot of other books about that do have a similar theme, but attention to detail, a decent story line, good characters, these are the things that make Dalzelle’s books standout.
As for his characters, there are a variety of characters, each with their own distinct personality that he has taken the time to develop. This creates an amusing amount of dialogue throughout the story.
Overall, there were some parts that I could see what was coming, but I didn’t mind as this was a really enjoyable book, and I know that this is the starter for the rest of the series as well. As such, it is easy to understand why some things happened in a particular way.
I am sure there will be some criticism of a couple of points (why do they all breathe the same air?) but sometimes it's easier to just let these things go. At least Dalzelle actually took the time to address multiple of these issues, with clever answers and plot twists to a variety of these type of questions that are normally left unanswered, or just ignored by most writers, and it was both creative and a surprising change without giving too much away again.
This is a fantastic start to the series and one that I will eagerly be reading the remainder of.
April 26, 2014
A good read. It was a simple, unoriginal story but fun to read. It reminded me of Juvenile Fiction (except for the few f-bombs and other curse words) as it was the kind of adventure I would hope to go on if I ever found an alien gunship in my neck of the woods.
I will read the next book in the series but not in a great hurry to do so.
I will read the next book in the series but not in a great hurry to do so.
November 13, 2019
Easy to read fairy tale
Easy to read fairy tale about a universe, where common people are generally good and decent and vilians bad and vile. Everything goes so smooth and easy, no big crisises, no loses. Hm.
Easy to read fairy tale about a universe, where common people are generally good and decent and vilians bad and vile. Everything goes so smooth and easy, no big crisises, no loses. Hm.
May 16, 2015
An interesting sci-fi adventure. If you like the space opera of Star Wars, I'd wager you would enjoy this series.
June 30, 2018
Love this series. The first book isn't great, but very entertaining. The series gets better and better.
December 8, 2021
Overall: 3.7/5
World: 4/5
While the world wasn’t as fully developed as it could have been, i didn’t feel like that detracted from the overall experience. If you’re someone who wants a lot of information about intergalactic politics, economic systems, etc. then you’ll probably find the world building lacking. If you’re someone who really just needs a vague understanding about the environment, you’ll find this sufficient. It gave enough for you to understand the premise, the stakes, and the characters, without bogging down a relatively short novel with lots of details.
Characters: 4.2/5
While I read other reviews that felt the characters were flat or non-interesting, I would disagree. We didn’t get to know all the characters particularly well, (Cage for example), but it seems there is potential for more growth and learning to occur later. I do wish we got more details about “the blonde woman” who doesn’t I don’t recall having a name, and the backstory there. Yes I know he “pushes her away” (I’m not even classifying that as a spoiler because of how vague that is), but I wish there was a little bit more there. Like not only did he push her away, maybe he did something bad, like crashed her car while drunk, or breaking a TV in a fit of rage; something to make him feeling like he should live away from society mildly more justified. Doesn’t even have to be more violent, maybe it’s as simple as he he doesn’t go to her father’s funeral with her because he doesn’t want to be around so many people. Something to indicate that up until this point, he chose himself, and through this book he choses others. Overall though, I enjoyed the characters and would enjoy getting to know them better as the series continues.
Writing Style: 3.6/5
Overall writing style was good. It was a bit cliché at times, which dropped it a few points, and the end felt a little… pointed? Something felt a little off about it. But overall, it was good. Nothing too in your face or annoying.
Plot: 3/5
This is not a book you necessarily read because it’s an amazing humdinger of a plot. It’s got action, good guys, bad guys, etc. It’s a found family, space opera. Is it the best I’ve read? No. Is it the worst? No. I’d probably have given it a 4 if it ended before the “second mission” near the end they go on at Doc’s request, because that felt like it should be a lead up to the next book (which it was), but felt like a second climax, with too much resolution between action sequences.
World: 4/5
While the world wasn’t as fully developed as it could have been, i didn’t feel like that detracted from the overall experience. If you’re someone who wants a lot of information about intergalactic politics, economic systems, etc. then you’ll probably find the world building lacking. If you’re someone who really just needs a vague understanding about the environment, you’ll find this sufficient. It gave enough for you to understand the premise, the stakes, and the characters, without bogging down a relatively short novel with lots of details.
Characters: 4.2/5
While I read other reviews that felt the characters were flat or non-interesting, I would disagree. We didn’t get to know all the characters particularly well, (Cage for example), but it seems there is potential for more growth and learning to occur later. I do wish we got more details about “the blonde woman” who doesn’t I don’t recall having a name, and the backstory there. Yes I know he “pushes her away” (I’m not even classifying that as a spoiler because of how vague that is), but I wish there was a little bit more there. Like not only did he push her away, maybe he did something bad, like crashed her car while drunk, or breaking a TV in a fit of rage; something to make him feeling like he should live away from society mildly more justified. Doesn’t even have to be more violent, maybe it’s as simple as he he doesn’t go to her father’s funeral with her because he doesn’t want to be around so many people. Something to indicate that up until this point, he chose himself, and through this book he choses others. Overall though, I enjoyed the characters and would enjoy getting to know them better as the series continues.
Writing Style: 3.6/5
Overall writing style was good. It was a bit cliché at times, which dropped it a few points, and the end felt a little… pointed? Something felt a little off about it. But overall, it was good. Nothing too in your face or annoying.
Plot: 3/5
This is not a book you necessarily read because it’s an amazing humdinger of a plot. It’s got action, good guys, bad guys, etc. It’s a found family, space opera. Is it the best I’ve read? No. Is it the worst? No. I’d probably have given it a 4 if it ended before the “second mission” near the end they go on at Doc’s request, because that felt like it should be a lead up to the next book (which it was), but felt like a second climax, with too much resolution between action sequences.
April 20, 2021
This review refers to the audiobook version.
I read several reviews prior to writing this one and most of them refer to some problems with grammar and proof-reading. Obviously, that isn't a problem with the audiobook version. The narrator is great.
The plot is fairly formulaic. The main character is a retired military type who often acts without thinking. The author even refers to this at one point. He enters a space ship that had landed near his remote cabin in the woods and the ship then abruptly leaves. The only crew member is a synthetic intelligence (robot) who offers the MC a chance to help him. The robot has to deliver some cargo to some place that doesn't accept his kind and since the crew are "missing" could the MC help in their place? I immediately thought of the 419 scams where they have $1million that needs to be cleared into a bank and could they just use your to facilitate the transaction..... It turns out that my feeling was right. The robot is unreliable (to understate the situation) and things becoming interesting.
The plot is also quite predictable and "convenient" in many places. Besides the obvious 419 scam, the MC is given control of the space craft and he eventually needs it. The cargo includes a war robot and some super army ranger kind of creature, who also come in handy. When the MC needs a pilot it turns out that the nanobots that were injected into him can facilitate accelerated learning of such useful skills. All very convenient.
Despite what it sounds like, I did enjoy the book and would recommend it. It isn't a demanding story line and there is a lot of action. The MC is also quite a wholesome, all-American, apple-pie, hero type with some issues from the military action he saw. Predictable and convenient but enjoyable.
I read several reviews prior to writing this one and most of them refer to some problems with grammar and proof-reading. Obviously, that isn't a problem with the audiobook version. The narrator is great.
The plot is fairly formulaic. The main character is a retired military type who often acts without thinking. The author even refers to this at one point. He enters a space ship that had landed near his remote cabin in the woods and the ship then abruptly leaves. The only crew member is a synthetic intelligence (robot) who offers the MC a chance to help him. The robot has to deliver some cargo to some place that doesn't accept his kind and since the crew are "missing" could the MC help in their place? I immediately thought of the 419 scams where they have $1million that needs to be cleared into a bank and could they just use your to facilitate the transaction..... It turns out that my feeling was right. The robot is unreliable (to understate the situation) and things becoming interesting.
The plot is also quite predictable and "convenient" in many places. Besides the obvious 419 scam, the MC is given control of the space craft and he eventually needs it. The cargo includes a war robot and some super army ranger kind of creature, who also come in handy. When the MC needs a pilot it turns out that the nanobots that were injected into him can facilitate accelerated learning of such useful skills. All very convenient.
Despite what it sounds like, I did enjoy the book and would recommend it. It isn't a demanding story line and there is a lot of action. The MC is also quite a wholesome, all-American, apple-pie, hero type with some issues from the military action he saw. Predictable and convenient but enjoyable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2018
Not a brilliant book, but not terrible either. However, it really would have benefited highly from having been run past a good editor first. Too many errors which kept jumping off the page and pulling me out of enjoying reading it at times, which would have been caught with good proof-read and a good editor prior to publication.
With that said, the story itself was enjoyable and well told. Some interesting characters, which were given enough characterisation so as to make it interesting and so you could get a feel for their personalities. Even a couple of points in the plot which I didn't spot coming, which is a good sign.
I do feel that the protagonists did have it rather too easy, with altogether too much good luck on their sides and a degree of offensive and defensive superiority which was a little unrealistic at times. I'd have liked to see them encounter more problems and derailment of their plans - they never truly seemed to be in any danger at any point, something which could have been changed with a longer story and less relying on good luck etc. However, I'm sure that as Joshua develops his storytelling in the ensuring series (which this sets up nicely, whilst working very well as a standalone novel in its own right) this will improve.
I could see this working well as a SciFi action film, it has that sort of feel to it.
Certainly worth a read, and yes, I will get and read the next book in the Omega series, so that's always a good sign. (Although I do hope he gets himself a good editor!)
With that said, the story itself was enjoyable and well told. Some interesting characters, which were given enough characterisation so as to make it interesting and so you could get a feel for their personalities. Even a couple of points in the plot which I didn't spot coming, which is a good sign.
I do feel that the protagonists did have it rather too easy, with altogether too much good luck on their sides and a degree of offensive and defensive superiority which was a little unrealistic at times. I'd have liked to see them encounter more problems and derailment of their plans - they never truly seemed to be in any danger at any point, something which could have been changed with a longer story and less relying on good luck etc. However, I'm sure that as Joshua develops his storytelling in the ensuring series (which this sets up nicely, whilst working very well as a standalone novel in its own right) this will improve.
I could see this working well as a SciFi action film, it has that sort of feel to it.
Certainly worth a read, and yes, I will get and read the next book in the Omega series, so that's always a good sign. (Although I do hope he gets himself a good editor!)
March 22, 2019
Well Written and Fun
Joshua Dalzelle has penned a book that is a fun and entertaining adventure that is plausible and believable [at least as far as a tale about multiple races of sentient aliens can be ;-) ].
Xx Yyy is a former Air Force Special Forces operator who has been burned out from multiple tours in Iraq and Afganistan. Based on the authors description of (his actions), he made than likely has been suffering from PTSD. He has retreated to a family cabin far from other humans. He reacts to what he thinks is a crash of a large aircraft by searching for the downed aircraft with the intent to render aid.
He is captured, kidnapped and taken out of the Solar system by an Administrative Synth who needs an "organic" to retrieve an illegal cargo that needs to be delivered to an interstellar crime boss.
That's enough spoilers, but since the origin of the Omega Force starts here, you have at least 10 books to forgive me.
The story is logical. The addition of each new member of the crew is done in enough detail to give a plausible backstory to each new "recruit".
No grammar errors, no spelling errors and no syntax errors makes for a happy, fun read. The target audience of teens (I'm assuming here) should enjoy this book very much. There are no sex scenes and no gratuitous violence, but the book would probably be rated at least PG for the violence it does have and the moral decisions that are made.
Joshua Dalzelle has penned a book that is a fun and entertaining adventure that is plausible and believable [at least as far as a tale about multiple races of sentient aliens can be ;-) ].
Xx Yyy is a former Air Force Special Forces operator who has been burned out from multiple tours in Iraq and Afganistan. Based on the authors description of (his actions), he made than likely has been suffering from PTSD. He has retreated to a family cabin far from other humans. He reacts to what he thinks is a crash of a large aircraft by searching for the downed aircraft with the intent to render aid.
He is captured, kidnapped and taken out of the Solar system by an Administrative Synth who needs an "organic" to retrieve an illegal cargo that needs to be delivered to an interstellar crime boss.
That's enough spoilers, but since the origin of the Omega Force starts here, you have at least 10 books to forgive me.
The story is logical. The addition of each new member of the crew is done in enough detail to give a plausible backstory to each new "recruit".
No grammar errors, no spelling errors and no syntax errors makes for a happy, fun read. The target audience of teens (I'm assuming here) should enjoy this book very much. There are no sex scenes and no gratuitous violence, but the book would probably be rated at least PG for the violence it does have and the moral decisions that are made.
December 19, 2024
Despite the 5/5 stars I want to point out that this book series isn't for everyone. Its a military action-comedy space opera, which is fairly niche but something I love.
If you are a fan of Space Opera, especially sillier ones like Expeditionary Force by Craig Alanson, or the Bobiverse by Dennis E. Taylor, you will probably love this series. Don't expect it to blow you away with amazing writing or plot, this series is more like a good Saturday morning cartoon series with an extra heap of violence. Think Halo: Combat Evolved if you had aliens on your team.
The series has got quite a few books (over 20 books including a spin off set in the same universe at the same time, with crossovers between the casts), the characters are both smart and dumb, funny and serious.
The comedy is more low brow than say, Hitchhikers Guide, but still I found myself laughing aloud multiple times through the series; Laugh out loud comedy can be quite hard accomplish in writing.
The characters are surprisingly well written, while I originally thought everyone seemed kind of one dimensional, over the course of the books characters do grow and change in interesting ways. I'm caught up on all 20+ books and can now say that I think the characters in this series are superior to Expeditionary Force (with the sole exception of Skippy The Magnificent), the series I feel this most closely resembles.
If you are a fan of Space Opera, especially sillier ones like Expeditionary Force by Craig Alanson, or the Bobiverse by Dennis E. Taylor, you will probably love this series. Don't expect it to blow you away with amazing writing or plot, this series is more like a good Saturday morning cartoon series with an extra heap of violence. Think Halo: Combat Evolved if you had aliens on your team.
The series has got quite a few books (over 20 books including a spin off set in the same universe at the same time, with crossovers between the casts), the characters are both smart and dumb, funny and serious.
The comedy is more low brow than say, Hitchhikers Guide, but still I found myself laughing aloud multiple times through the series; Laugh out loud comedy can be quite hard accomplish in writing.
The characters are surprisingly well written, while I originally thought everyone seemed kind of one dimensional, over the course of the books characters do grow and change in interesting ways. I'm caught up on all 20+ books and can now say that I think the characters in this series are superior to Expeditionary Force (with the sole exception of Skippy The Magnificent), the series I feel this most closely resembles.
April 22, 2021
_Omega Rising_ by Joshua Dalzelle receives four stars from me. The plot is engaging (while not complicated), and the characters are interesting.
This was an audiobook read by Paul Heitsch, and I'd like to address his reading first. Heitsch did an excellent job at reading this book. He has a few voices that he does that distinguishes the characters from each other well. I liked his voice for Deets (or Deetz) a lot. The voices all were very good, but perhaps it was how he read the dialogue and gave it life that makes them so good. I recommend Heitsch.
Now the book. This is a plot-driven text. I like those. I think they are fun and exciting. This was a good book to listen to for that reason. However, I'd like to see more of the characters with each other, learning about each other, adapting to each other, training, becoming close, etc. This I hope for future novels in this series.
This is one of those space operas where the characters all get toss together by chance and become a crew. Again, this trope is enjoyable, but understand, there isn't anything really new in this book. This book is an adventure, you get to go with them, it's fun and exciting. But there isn't any new technology etc. Slipstream, antigravity, etc. This isn't bad, just be aware if that is something you are looking for.
Recommended: sure.
This was an audiobook read by Paul Heitsch, and I'd like to address his reading first. Heitsch did an excellent job at reading this book. He has a few voices that he does that distinguishes the characters from each other well. I liked his voice for Deets (or Deetz) a lot. The voices all were very good, but perhaps it was how he read the dialogue and gave it life that makes them so good. I recommend Heitsch.
Now the book. This is a plot-driven text. I like those. I think they are fun and exciting. This was a good book to listen to for that reason. However, I'd like to see more of the characters with each other, learning about each other, adapting to each other, training, becoming close, etc. This I hope for future novels in this series.
This is one of those space operas where the characters all get toss together by chance and become a crew. Again, this trope is enjoyable, but understand, there isn't anything really new in this book. This book is an adventure, you get to go with them, it's fun and exciting. But there isn't any new technology etc. Slipstream, antigravity, etc. This isn't bad, just be aware if that is something you are looking for.
Recommended: sure.
December 7, 2017
I would actually give Omega Rising a 3 and 1/2 star rating. Overall I did enjoy the story. I just felt the first third was rather slow, and felt not really formulaic, but not really original and engrossing. Once the action of the story got going, it was much better and I felt drawn into the story.
My only other problem with the story occurred at the end, in the epilogue. The main character was supposed to have sent a letter to a previous acquaintance. No real timeline was specified, but I had the impression the character was only back on earth for that one day. I suppose the message could have been sent as a text or email, but that wasn't specified. How then, was the recipient of the message supposed to both receive it and travel to his mountain hideaway in that short span of time? I guess I also had some problems with it being a secluded mountain cabin, yet it had landlines. I had trouble picturing phone lines through that much wilderness. The cost to not only put those lines in, but to also maintain them whenever they were damaged due to storms would seem to me to be too much to be worth it.
Overall the story was good and I would recommend it to fans of Science Fiction, especially those that deal with space travel. I believe they would enjoy the story.
My only other problem with the story occurred at the end, in the epilogue. The main character was supposed to have sent a letter to a previous acquaintance. No real timeline was specified, but I had the impression the character was only back on earth for that one day. I suppose the message could have been sent as a text or email, but that wasn't specified. How then, was the recipient of the message supposed to both receive it and travel to his mountain hideaway in that short span of time? I guess I also had some problems with it being a secluded mountain cabin, yet it had landlines. I had trouble picturing phone lines through that much wilderness. The cost to not only put those lines in, but to also maintain them whenever they were damaged due to storms would seem to me to be too much to be worth it.
Overall the story was good and I would recommend it to fans of Science Fiction, especially those that deal with space travel. I believe they would enjoy the story.
November 10, 2022
Started listerning to the audiobook (Paul Heitsch) after thoroughly enjoying the Black Fleet universe series.
I didn't enjoy this as much. It is very superficial and the characters, world and story do not feel believable or authentic.
If you are in the mood for some light hearted action transposed on a paper thin cookie cutter sci-fi universe then it can provide some entertainment. It reminds me of farscape or any mainstream sci-fi where despite a vast interstellar community of countless species everything is pretty similar to any American neighbourhood on earth.
Where it really falls down for me though is how poorly things are fleshed out and how unbelievable the choices, actions and reactions of the characters are. I did get some of that in the Black Fleet and Expansion Wars books, but only here and there - apart from the ending of one of the books.
Sadly the excellent and really amazing navy like space warfare that Dalzelle uses to such great effect and kept me completely hooked on the Black Fleet universe is entirely missing here.
I was planning to keep reading as I'm sure it gets better, but now I think this series is not for me and I will instead return to the Unification War trilogy and series of his that I know I like.
I didn't enjoy this as much. It is very superficial and the characters, world and story do not feel believable or authentic.
If you are in the mood for some light hearted action transposed on a paper thin cookie cutter sci-fi universe then it can provide some entertainment. It reminds me of farscape or any mainstream sci-fi where despite a vast interstellar community of countless species everything is pretty similar to any American neighbourhood on earth.
Where it really falls down for me though is how poorly things are fleshed out and how unbelievable the choices, actions and reactions of the characters are. I did get some of that in the Black Fleet and Expansion Wars books, but only here and there - apart from the ending of one of the books.
Sadly the excellent and really amazing navy like space warfare that Dalzelle uses to such great effect and kept me completely hooked on the Black Fleet universe is entirely missing here.
I was planning to keep reading as I'm sure it gets better, but now I think this series is not for me and I will instead return to the Unification War trilogy and series of his that I know I like.
January 22, 2022
This is a 2.5 star book, don’t believe the aggregate. I’ve read two volumes in this series. Do I regret it? No. Will I read more? No. There’s a great, if well trod, concept here about a band of space misfits led by a human piloting a cool spaceship (cough Guardians of The Galaxy cough). Unfortunately the books are undone by poor writing.
The first book is an editors nightmare and sometimes reads like it was translated from another language by someone with a loose grasp of English. The characters should be fun and interesting but instead they’re dull, two dimensional husks that make the Thundercats look deep. Even that main character is incredibly boring. After two books, the only think I can tell you about Jason is his name and he was a soldier. Great character development.
The villain in the first book had a shot at being interesting, but that failed. The plot was predicable and meandering. Look, I could go on but I’ll just say that if you want to relive some Saturday morning cartoons in novel form, this is the mindless fun you’ve been looking for. Don’t expect anything great here and you won’t be disappointed.
The first book is an editors nightmare and sometimes reads like it was translated from another language by someone with a loose grasp of English. The characters should be fun and interesting but instead they’re dull, two dimensional husks that make the Thundercats look deep. Even that main character is incredibly boring. After two books, the only think I can tell you about Jason is his name and he was a soldier. Great character development.
The villain in the first book had a shot at being interesting, but that failed. The plot was predicable and meandering. Look, I could go on but I’ll just say that if you want to relive some Saturday morning cartoons in novel form, this is the mindless fun you’ve been looking for. Don’t expect anything great here and you won’t be disappointed.
October 1, 2022
I enjoyed this book for the most part. Compared to what I usually read this is a fairly simple book about a guy that gets caught up in a tough situation. Jason is a prior service guy who just wanted to keep quiet and live on his own. Mistakenly boarding an alien vessel, he finds himself at odds with its only other passenger, a synthetic being named Deets. While on board, they converse and he's convinced to tag along. Eventually Jason finds himself on a world where he learns about modifications he can do to his body, and more importantly, the true purpose of the voyage. The Nefarious intent discovered, Jason and a new crew find a way to remedy that situation and deal with Deets. After a short time, a new threat emerges and they deal with that facility as well. Read the book to find those details.
As mentioned before the characters are pretty straight forward and the plot is simple but it works well. It's clearly the introduction to a series of books, but I don't feel forced to continue of I really didn't want to. I'm going to at some point, probably just not right now. I find Jason to be a solid, stand up guy who just wants to find his way in the universe.
As mentioned before the characters are pretty straight forward and the plot is simple but it works well. It's clearly the introduction to a series of books, but I don't feel forced to continue of I really didn't want to. I'm going to at some point, probably just not right now. I find Jason to be a solid, stand up guy who just wants to find his way in the universe.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 322 reviews