Perilous Choices

Gate Ghosts #11

by S.H. Jucha

Opportunity is presented to Admiral Cordelia. Imperium’s Presiding Executor Gaketork sends emissaries to establish communications with her, and she responds by installing a comm system aboard the executor’s transport. The Imperium governor, who has become sentient, uses the new comm system to send her critical data.

Cordelia shares the governor’s information with newly assembled Trident squadron commanders. She directs the commanders to scour another executor’s territory and free suborned worlds of mercenary Radags and Krackus overseers.
Imperium executors are incensed at the numerous returns of empty freighters and savaged peacekeepers from their territories. Many suspect a traitor is leaking sensitive information to the conclave, and they hunt for the culprit.

Far away from the empire, Julien supports the uplift of relatively undeveloped races. A Yeret-inhabited world near the Queller anomaly requires additional water, and slinging water ice asteroids at the planet for annuals will suffice.

Supporting other races proves problematic. The Monkfreds, a symbiosis of two telepathic races, struggle to survive. On their home world, hostile predators target the young. The plan to send the matriarchs, their calves, and their riders to other planets is failing.

During rescue of Monkfreds from an inhospitable environment, the conclave finds burning wreckage. The matriarchs used the heat to keep the calves, the riders, and themselves from freezing to death. The wreckage is identified as Utilimat. Now the question Who destroyed the warships meant to protect the Monkfreds?

Genres: Science Fiction, Audiobook

446 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 12, 2023

About the author

From my early years to the present, books have been a refuge. They’ve fueled my imagination. I’ve traveled to faraway places and met aliens with Asimov, Heinlein, Clarke, Herbert, and Le Guin. I’ve explored historical events with Michener and Clavell, and I played spy with Ludlum and Fleming.

There’s no doubt that the early sci-fi masters influenced the writing of my first two series, The Silver Ships and Pyreans. I crafted my stories to give readers intimate views of my characters, who wrestle with the challenges of living in space and inhabiting alien worlds.

Life is rarely easy for these characters, who encounter aliens and calamities, but they persist and flourish. I revel in examining humankind’s will to survive. Not everyone plays fair or exhibits concern for other beings, but that’s another aspect of humans and aliens that I investigate.

My stories offer hope for humans today about what they might accomplish tomorrow far from our home world. Throughout my books, humans exhibit a will to persevere, without detriment to the vast majority of others.

Readers have been generous with their comments, which they’ve left on Amazon and Goodreads for others to review. I truly enjoy what I do, and I’m pleased to read how my stories have positively affected many readers’ lives.

If you’ve read my books, please consider posting a review on Amazon and Goodreads for every book, even a short one. Reviews attract other readers and are a great help to indie authors, such as me.

The Silver Ships novels have reached Amazon’s coveted #1 and #2 Best-Selling Sci-Fi book, multiple times, in the science fiction categories of first contact, space opera, and alien invasion.

Reviews

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Perilous Choices” by S. H. Jucha is a mesmerizing journey from start to finish. This science fiction series masterfully blends intricate storytelling with unforgettable characters. I have to exercise great self-discipline with this series; the temptation to devour every book back-to-back is strong. Instead, I pace myself by reading other authors in between Jucha’s books to avoid running out of these captivating stories too quickly.

One of the novel’s standout qualities is Jucha’s exceptional world-building. The characters are mesmerizingly developed, allowing readers to connect deeply with their struggles and triumphs. Jucha’s engaging and vivid writing style keeps readers on the edge of their seats, with genuinely surprising plot twists that ensure the story remains unpredictable and thrilling throughout.

I experienced this tale as an audiobook from Audible, narrated by Nicole Poole, who did an excellent job bringing the story to life. The book’s runtime is thirteen hours and forty-nine minutes.

[Mike Bur · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of tedious

This book and series doesn't have any serious challenges for the conclave for most of the book. It needs a worthy adversary to make it interesting.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Silver Ships series was a wonderful balm to keep my mind occupied while I was ill. I'm ill again and reading the Gate Ghost series. I don't love it as much as the original series, but it has some great first contact scenarios and interesting species with varied cultures. It's also wonderful to have digital sentients that are long lived enough to appear in both series, as well as meeting the new biologicals that are deemed 'bright lights'. I find these books to be comforting, and the new technology and races get introduced often enough to keep the series from stagnating.

My one gripe is the proofreading seems to have gone down hill - there are multiple times where the wrong race/gender/name is used, or a Utilimat has their 'beak drop'. These are minor quibbles, but when you go through a book a day they add up.

I've enjoyed all the books I've read by S.H.Jucha. I wonder if more ARC readers would help with the final polish to offset the astounding rate at which these novels are published.

[Joe McGowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story Arc evolves

I’ve reread the Silver Ships series several times, the progenitor of Gate Ghosts. SS It is a complex tale, that covers a lifetime. Gate Ghosts moves the non biological characters forward, as they outlive the cast from SS. I was a bit leary at first, missing the original cast of biologicals. Gate Ghosts continues the dream of Alex Racine to create a framework of rescuing the oppressed, to expand horizons and move a collections of alien races to peaceful coexistence. Perilous Choices weaves multiple interconnected story lines together, and was a great tale.

[Anthony Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

another enjoyable book from Scott Jucha!

I have read all of the Silver Ships series twice and enjoyed, every evolving plot and character. Follow on series are usually difficult to write to the same level, but the Gate Ghosts series has the same quality that I have come to expect from Scott! I’m looking forward to continuing to read this series and hopefully many more!

[Christopher Boren · Rating 5 out of 5]

superb again

Once again, an excellent read! This series still amazes me! To reach the end is always a let down because I want more and now have to wait for the next book. I’ve said it before and will again, this is on of the best series I’ve read and I eagerly await the next book.

[Bob Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anxiously await each book

The books in the Gate Ghosts series continue to entertain. When one comes out I can’t put it down until I finish so it never lasts long enough. The characters are rich and it is wonderful to have a character in Julian who has been here from the beginning.

[Peter Jorgensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Good Peace Is Hard To Maintain

I'm excited to see this universe continue to grow! New and exciting characters, races and worlds, more and more complex relationships to maintain, and new mysteries for our favorite SADEs to solve!

[Heather Monger · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much fun!

One of the things that is a bit irritating about these books is how the conclave always seems to make the right decisions or are so altruistic. But for my liberal heart I love it!
I love these books and suggest them to foks all the time.

[Bessda William · Rating 4 out of 5]

first half not up to usual standard. last part much better

first half not up to usual standard. Too much mundane detail. last part much better. Looking forward to next installment.

[Jeff Tix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpected results!

I have followed this series closely. Analyzed it. This book is transitional in that it takes us in some very new directions. The end stunned me. I will be a bit confused until I get the next book..

[Charles Beaty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never Disappoints!

I really enjoyed Book11, and I am sure that anyone who is familiar with the series will also. There is always an excellent glossary in case you forget any character names or relationships. Thanks again for excellent entertainment!

[Roger D. Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

More races are find and helped by the Conclave and SADES.

Multiple challenges occur with each first contact is made. Some want help but others only want to fight. A collective race is the newest threat to peaceful races. More opportunities for our heroes.

[Pablo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending was so captivating. I had to park, and immediately buy the next one and start listening. I'm surprised by what happened to the raiders in this book. I won't say more to avoid spoilers, but it didn't feel right.

[Anthony Carter-Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

great story

As usual the storylines go from one system to another and you can follow each as long as you have read all the previous novels. It is fantastic

[Ernest Dorsett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book

As with all the previous book in this series I enjoyed it from cover to cover.
I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Craig Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

The low effort soap opera continues…