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Star Scrapper #1

Star Scrapper

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The war against the AI was won but a new threat is rising.

Hank Spears is content with his life as a scrapper until he unearths an artificial intelligence who warns him of a grave threat to all life in the universe. Since AI has long been outlawed and anyone caught harboring one is imprisoned or executed, the two must go on the run, fleeing into the far reaches of space.

They must avoid capture, all for the sake of those who would imprison them.

Looking for help from old friends to fight new enemies, Hank must find a way to save himself so that he can save the universe.

Can this simple scrapper become the hero the universe needs before it’s too late?

Find out in Star Scrapper, the thrilling new science fiction series from USA Today Bestselling Author J.N. Chaney and Matthew A. Goodwin.

428 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 18, 2024

1349 people are currently reading
358 people want to read

About the author

J.N. Chaney

462 books9,610 followers
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5 stars
893 (56%)
4 stars
514 (32%)
3 stars
134 (8%)
2 stars
34 (2%)
1 star
14 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
Profile Image for Fred Barnes.
316 reviews41 followers
April 8, 2024
AMAZING START TO WHAT IS HOPEFULLY ANOTHER GREAT SERIES TO COME!

Star Scrapper (book 1) by J.N. Chaney and Matthew A. Goodwin is a very enjoyable new book in the new series that is a intriguing story of a Scapper named Hank Spears that while collecting scrap from a two hundred year wrecked starship finds a AI that was powered down after a battle with a cult set on forcing their desire to become better in every way possible by integrating machines and organics and taking control of the known galaxy by forcing the incorporation of machines and known species.

As the case with all the books from J.N. Chaney and his team of writers, this book is well written, full of action, the characters are well defined, and you'll find yourself hooked from the first page. This is the first book that I have read written by Matthew A. Goodwin and J.N. Chaney, but it most definitely will not be the last. This team of writers tell their story with a voice in their writing that will make you feel that you are right there in the thick of the action.

With the characters ranging from a scapper named Hank, AI named Ned, Lara the a bounty hunter, crime lords, a government run by ruthless killers, who will be routing for the good guys to save the galaxy if they can only survive from one conflict to the next. I have really enjoyed this first book and have already started the second. To say the least, I am already hooked into this great new series and hope you will find yourself a fan also.
98 reviews1 follower
May 22, 2024
Well, sometimes I wonder if Chaney reads the books he puts his name on. This first installment was very amateurish and not worthy of a Chaney series. The writing was almost childish in some sections. I gave it two stars simply because I finished the book.
12 reviews
February 22, 2024
Good Start

Good start on a new space opera. I'm waiting on the second book to come out in March. hope it is good..
Profile Image for Chanel Chapters.
2,249 reviews252 followers
October 27, 2024
2.5

A dumber, unfunny Peter Quill-like space scrapper finds an illegal AI & gets blackmailed into following the AIs directive. They end up on the run followed by multiple factions and team up with his long lost childhood friend who is now a bounty hunter.

Did not like the very colloquial sounding AI & didn’t like any of the characters.
The writing was really basic and the story just didn’t make me feel anything.
40 reviews
March 28, 2024
Awesome storyline.

Easy to read and follow through. This author is great. Can't wait to read the next installment. Mike in California
149 reviews
March 17, 2024
Great new series!

Hank spears! What a start to his journey of saving the universe. He’s a good guy who had a rough life and has to make impossible decisions constantly. I enjoyed his rapport with Ned, it’s like they were both missing each other in their lives. Can’t wait to see what’s next!
20 reviews
March 16, 2024
It's different

The story of Hank, Ned, and Lara is unusual and enjoyable. The story seems to be taking a different turn and I can't wait to continue reading about their journey!
Profile Image for David Doenges.
34 reviews
February 26, 2024
So darn good!

How many great character's and adventures can Chaney and company come up with? Obviously at least one more! Interesting, exciting and continuous fun in every page! Do yourself a favor and read this great start to a new series.
Profile Image for Julie Sherman.
1,465 reviews23 followers
March 6, 2024
New

This is a new book series by J N Chaney. I like this one very much. Its going to be a bumpy ride and I'm ready to hold on tight.
Profile Image for Michael LaVoice.
Author 11 books5 followers
April 10, 2024
Great scrappy underdog action!

Forgive the pun, but it would seem Mr Chaney has found another stellar talent to foster under his wing.
Great action and world building that didn't drag down the story, and a cool take on the rise, fall, and demonizing of AI. Looking forward to book 2!
61 reviews1 follower
February 25, 2024
Very enjoyable!

Read this new book (first of??) From start to finish in one sitting. Good characters, a super villian, a new arena of story. Looking forward to coming books.
Thank you Mr Chaney and Mr. Goodwin
Profile Image for Space Cowgirl.
4,133 reviews144 followers
March 23, 2024
Greasy galactic💫 junkyard dogs🐺🚀 turn into elite Bounty hunters🐺🔪🔫🚀 .
Part of a continuing series Which should be read in order.
I got this e-book from Amazon📚 with Kindle unlimited.
565 reviews1 follower
April 2, 2024
Good with a cliffhanger

I think I enjoyed Ned the most, but all the characters had some depth and personality. Little bit more comedic conversation than I expect to be normal for their chosen careers.
172 reviews1 follower
November 22, 2024
didn’t know what to expect but it’s really good

didn’t know what to expect but it’s really good. Started out at a regular pace but almost immediately became exciting with action and that only continued to up the anty throughout the rest of book. The authors are building great worlds, and the scene is always changing, usually drastically. This story has the basis of a long lost AI that is now illegal contraband; punishable by death. the Consortium government who has done nothing fir its people, who is supposed to protect its citizens but instead, tromp on their rights, allow rampant power mongrels to stay in business furthering the hell of people’s lives, financially maintaining them in poverty with payouts and government taxes, no controls on industries on the planets, literally sucking them dry of all resources, condemning the planet and its environment, further depleting the people in body and soul. Same old story of the rich and powerful make sure they gain more power and more riches while the workers( the people) suffer. But the AI will soon change the lives of those he comes into contact with, which our scrapper is one, the other you’ll have to read and see. It’s so very unexpected and yet begins to set the tone for the group. Read it! It’s great!
Profile Image for Julie Candler.
72 reviews2 followers
December 6, 2024
Good Book

Started out a bit slow and then picked up pace. The world-building is good and the characters are very well thought out. Definitely give it a chance. Now, onto Book 2!
Profile Image for Jim.
1,230 reviews50 followers
March 22, 2024
While this book starts out kind of slow, it has a lot of background to introduce. Some of it is pretty simple. Hank Spears is a Scrapper. This universe we’re in is the aftermath of a terrible war fought almost 200 years ago. It was a galactic war of good against evil, the good being the Consortium and the evil being called simply the Enemy AI. Hank is a junk dealer now called scrappers since he spends his days trekking through space junk over 200 years old looking for something that might be of value after being picked clean by other higher ranking Scrappers.

Yes, he’s part of a Scrappers Guild and he’s just beginning so he’s not getting to scrap some of the more lucrative junk floating in space if there is still any such thing. He barely makes a living at this job but it’s what he knows which was taught to him by his adoption Father, Lutch Spears. Lunch left Hank is starship, the *Buzzard*, which wasn’t much more than junk itself. Hand didn’t have enough money to make any major repairs so he did all the patchwork himself when he had time. He has a repair shop of sorts on his home planet of Bussel. He and all the other Scrappers always dreamed of hitting it big by finding some hidden technology, but that was mostly just a dream and could never be reality.

Hank had just finished his last effort only to be run out of his legally authorized scrapping location by the Vekrass. An alien species also known as the “Junk Rats”. He didn’t want to tangle with them over the few scraps of junk he had already found so the went back to his ship, the *Buzzard* and took off. He was planning to head back to his home on Bussel when someone spoke to him through his ships speakers! That shouldn’t be happening. That speaker identified itself as “Ned”. Hank was soon to find out he had in ship possession an AI, something very, very illegal that could get him executed by just know about it.

Artificial Intelligence had one time played an important role in the lives of most civilizations. They were making things easier on the beings that employed AI and people were pretty well off just enjoying this new technology and the various things it could do. Then someone started trying to integrate AI into the human anatomy and thereby creating a different kind of human. These humans came to feel superior to non-enhanced entities. Soon after that a war was started which was now called the “Old War” and now any knowledge of or interaction with an AI of any kind was an automatic death sentence. So, Hank Spears was in deep, deep trouble and he knew it.

There were Inquisitors whose sole job was to hunt down AIs or anyone having anything to do with an AI. Hank has seen them do their job, one in particular, when he was much younger. This Inquisitor had dragged a very distraught merchant from his place of business, burned down the business and shot the hapless individual dead in the street because he had in his possession an AI. So, Hank was very afraid of what might happen to him now.

Yet, Ned wasn’t what Hank expected. Ned had interfaced himself within Hanks starship and they began conversing about a number of things. Hank didn’t see anything evil about Ned and Ned did explain that there was an Enemy AI out there somewhere by the name of “Extinction”. Ned and his human partner had been in pursuit of this Enemy AI when his partner was killed. Ned still believed the Enemy AI was still out there and a definite threat to current civilization. He wanted Hank to help him with his quest.

This is how the story goes. Hank does find a find of sorts to help him in this adventure. While he had been an orphan for the better part of his childhood, he had a best friend at the orphanage with whom he got into all sort of trouble. He found out later that his childhood friend was now a Bounty Hunter and she was out to collect on a Bounty that the Consortium had set on Hank. Kilara Vex was good at what she did. She finally did catchup to Hank, but stop just sort of killing him when she realized who he actually was. Lara Shen, a.k.a. Kilara Vex couldn’t take Hank in. No she had to help him out and she turns out to be the biggest help he could ever have.

So, now we have to intrepid adventurers trying to stay above the law while still making enough money to hunt for the Enemy AI as Ned insist. Lara eventually convinces Hank to give up his scrapping job and try to become a Bounty Hunter like her. That way they can have jobs that actually bring in money. This new partnership has revived when they were children and now it’s going after the Enemy AI as long as the Consortium doesn’t get in the way.

A very interesting story once you get past all the background stuff. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series, “Hunter’s Rise” available on Amazon right now.
Profile Image for Kevin Crow.
44 reviews3 followers
January 7, 2025
If you read my review of “A long way to a small angry planet” by Becky Chambers then you know I was expecting a space treasure hunt adventure book and got…well…something else. Not that it was bad, but just not as advertised. This however, is exactly as what I thought it would be. Think, Guardians of the Galaxy or Titan A.E. The world is surprisingly flushed out while not being overly complex. One thing I thought was unique is you have individual characters which are morally good, and then every faction or agency is essentially presented as the bad guys or obstacles. Bounty hunting faction, government, torture squad, scrapping mob boss? Why not just send everyone after our character all at once. Yet, it never felt like our character was just getting beat up from every angle for no reason. It all made sense. Will definitely be reading the next one in the series and absolutely loved the way this one ended showing us what’s coming and making us want more.
Profile Image for Thomas.
2,693 reviews
September 25, 2024
J. N. Chaney is a journeyman author of independently published science fiction. In Star Scrapper, he teams up with Matt Goodwin, a freelancer who writes nonfiction on several subjects. Star Scrapper suggests that they play well together. Protagonist Hank Spears is a Scrapper, a salvage collector specializing in abandoned hardware from the last war in which a conservative human interstellar empire defeated a force of cyborgs and AIs. When Hank picks up a small cube containing an AI called Ned, he can’t bear to turn it over to the Inquisition. And the chase is on.
The novel’s strongest feature is Ned’s snark-laden conversations with Ned and the other characters who show up. It is an old-school, unpretentious space opera and an entertaining read. 3.5.
Profile Image for Tony Hisgett.
3,001 reviews36 followers
March 1, 2024
A space scavenger finds an AI, not a novel idea, but the first couple of dozen chapters weren’t bad. However there were times when I couldn’t help thinking that the authors really want to be Hollywood script writers, where any kind of logic just goes out the window when they hit a problem in the plot and resort to unbelievable/stupid events to get out of trouble. I also found the author’s ’Universe’ wasn't very convincing and that included the FTL system.

I suppose it wasn’t too bad a book, but it was too Comicbook/movie script for me.
If possible I would have given 1.5 stars
Profile Image for Jen.
2,174 reviews154 followers
March 6, 2024
This story of a guy caught with an extremely illegal thing was pretty interesting. The government is after him, a mob boss is after him, an old childhood friend who's now a bounty hunter tries to grab him - the poor guy can't catch a break. But things turn in his favor eventually. It's great to see him become. more than he thought he could.

The narration by Neill Thorne could have been better, but it still was above average. I'll be continuing with the series - I usually like what Chaney writes and I'm always up for a new series.
944 reviews10 followers
October 8, 2025
Another New Universe to Explore

Hank is a twenty a something near-do-well. He starts off as a scrap dealer before meeting up with the two protagonists who will share hi adventures. Kolara Vex is a high-level bounty hunter who Hank knew as a child. Along with them is a banned AI named Ned. Ned had survived the destruction of all AIs after the war that wiped them all out.

Needing money Hank convinces Lara to take him on as an assistant. With the help of Ned they make two major capture after which Hank is accepted as a Bounty-Hunter.
Profile Image for Micah Jones.
113 reviews9 followers
October 17, 2025
About what I expect from a Chaney book: fun, mostly light adventure, nothing crazy, but nothing particularly sophisticated either. This one explores the sci-fi trope of a space opera setting in which AI has been outlawed, where anyone accused of harboring an AI (the main character in this case, who does so more or less by accident) is hunted by a cruel inquisition.

Very action heavy, but with just enough character work to be a pleasant read (or listen in this case, since I went through the audiobook). There's enough there that I'll probably look at the sequel eventually.
138 reviews4 followers
Read
March 4, 2024
Interesting, predictable, sometimes boring but with some exciting action.

Confusing in that the Authors give the reader a protagonist that isn't very sharp and spends a lot of time second guessing his decisions or complaining about this that the other. The Authors partially recover by having their hero Hank sort of man's up to save the day and salvage the book; at least for me. I recommend the book for patient readers. Overall the book is interesting!
Profile Image for Keith.
2,144 reviews6 followers
March 20, 2024
Gritty Universe

First book in a new series and out of the gate it’s a mixed bag. The story is rough in tone and character, and equally so in construction. There are more mistakes in grammar and vocabulary than would be expected. Storyline development is OK, with a dark theme laced with some hopeful threads, and lots of violent conflicts. There is a definite plot arc which leaves no doubt that there is more to come. Book one ends with anticipation for the next installment.
582 reviews3 followers
May 11, 2024
A great book to read and enjoy .

You are on a journey where you are on a planet into the future and Earth is not like today , the time shows different kinds of people. Some people work as salvage type of work or go find criminals , this person does salvage for companies. But he runs into a problem finds a small AI unit and figures out he is in trouble with the law , this is where everything goes wrong for him. The author did a great job with the book , you not stop reading .
Profile Image for Dan Stefanovich.
158 reviews
May 9, 2025
Though its pacing can be jarring, J.N. Chaney’s "Star Scrapper" is an irresistibly charming, character-driven sci-fi romp that balances the grizzled humanity of Hank Spears and his AI companion with clever worldbuilding that knows exactly when to embrace classic genre tropes and when to subvert them - resulting in a fun, self-contained adventure that has enough intrigue and dangling threads to make diving into the next installment feel not just tempting, but necessary.
Profile Image for Mike O'Donnell.
11 reviews
September 8, 2025
Not a bad book, not quite a full 4 stars, but even less so a 3 Star. The initial hook was quite contrived, but was willing to overlook it for the world and story being built. Felt like there were some plot holes here and there, but it’s a lighter sci fi read with interesting world building.

Overall I enjoyed the atmosphere and direction of the book and definitely want to keep reading on. The book doesn’t take itself too seriously and it should be read as such.
57 reviews1 follower
May 9, 2024
good for kindle unlimited

I am running out of things to read on Kindle Unlimited so I chose this one from the recommendations for me.

It is not bad and I plan to read the next book in the series.

My primary issue is that the authors lack a firm understanding of certain scientific principles (like gravity). So when I run into these issues, I find them hard to ignore.
829 reviews6 followers
August 18, 2024
This is a great 1st story in the series and kept me listening even when I needed to get things done. I like the way the author developed the various characters in this Story. I enjoyed this so much already purchased the next book in the series. Narrator does a Great job with the various characters and the entire storyline.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews

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