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Empty Jesters: Mission 5
Stealing from victimless crime, or moral imperative?
Captain Jessie Ramsey has a problem. Her giant ship, the newly renamed Arete, needs more crew to keep up and running than she can currently muster. Also, she can barely feed the ones she's got, since hunting pirates hasn't turned out to be the bonanza of repatriated stolen goods she'd imagined.
Fine. That's two problems.
But she also takes prisoners when pirates surrender, and the destination she negotiated isn't the direction that'll get them resupplied. Oh, and several of her crew are disgruntled, overworked, and burnt out. Plus, there's the matter of the kidnapping victim they rescued one of those pirate raids who is getting suspiciously friendly with the ship's wizard.
Jessie wanted to be captain, and to succeed, she's going to need to learn what it takes to delegate authority, trust in her people, and most importantly... start hiring.
A little smuggling freighter might be able to operate with a small, ragtag crew, but this alien monstrosity Jessie's commanding is going to need a huge ragtag crew.
Empty Jesters is the fifth mission of Black Passage of Time, a science fantasy series set in the late 26th century. What if Futurama jumped 5 years ahead instead of 1000? What if Doc and Marty lost the car keys? What if Bonnie and Clyde were siblings instead of lovers? Passage of Time jolts the Black Ocean universe forward into new adventures and new perils with a new cast of zany misfits trying to outsmart the galaxy just to get by.
Strap in and hold on tight. Passage of Time is the latest series in the Black Ocean universe, and it’s going to be an action-packed, mystery-filled, madcap ride across the galaxy!
Captain Jessie Ramsey has a problem. Her giant ship, the newly renamed Arete, needs more crew to keep up and running than she can currently muster. Also, she can barely feed the ones she's got, since hunting pirates hasn't turned out to be the bonanza of repatriated stolen goods she'd imagined.
Fine. That's two problems.
But she also takes prisoners when pirates surrender, and the destination she negotiated isn't the direction that'll get them resupplied. Oh, and several of her crew are disgruntled, overworked, and burnt out. Plus, there's the matter of the kidnapping victim they rescued one of those pirate raids who is getting suspiciously friendly with the ship's wizard.
Jessie wanted to be captain, and to succeed, she's going to need to learn what it takes to delegate authority, trust in her people, and most importantly... start hiring.
A little smuggling freighter might be able to operate with a small, ragtag crew, but this alien monstrosity Jessie's commanding is going to need a huge ragtag crew.
Empty Jesters is the fifth mission of Black Passage of Time, a science fantasy series set in the late 26th century. What if Futurama jumped 5 years ahead instead of 1000? What if Doc and Marty lost the car keys? What if Bonnie and Clyde were siblings instead of lovers? Passage of Time jolts the Black Ocean universe forward into new adventures and new perils with a new cast of zany misfits trying to outsmart the galaxy just to get by.
Strap in and hold on tight. Passage of Time is the latest series in the Black Ocean universe, and it’s going to be an action-packed, mystery-filled, madcap ride across the galaxy!
167 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 16, 2024
4 people are currently reading
1 person want to read
About the author
J.S. Morin
192 books611 followersI am a creator of worlds and a destroyer of words. As a fantasy writer, my works range from traditional epics to futuristic fantasy with starships. I have worked as an unpaid Little League pitcher, a cashier, a student library aide, a factory grunt, a cubicle drone, and an engineer--there is some overlap in the last two.
Through it all, though, I was always a storyteller. Eventually I started writing books based on the stray stories in my head, and people kept telling me to write more of them. Now, that's all I do for a living.
I enjoy strategy, worldbuilding, and the fantasy author's privilege to make up words. I am a gamer, a joker, and a thinker of sideways thoughts. But I don't dance, can't sing, and my best artistic efforts fall short of your average notebook doodle. When you read my books, you are seeing me at my best.
My ultimate goal is to be both clever and right at the same time. I have it on good authority that I have yet to achieve it.
Through it all, though, I was always a storyteller. Eventually I started writing books based on the stray stories in my head, and people kept telling me to write more of them. Now, that's all I do for a living.
I enjoy strategy, worldbuilding, and the fantasy author's privilege to make up words. I am a gamer, a joker, and a thinker of sideways thoughts. But I don't dance, can't sing, and my best artistic efforts fall short of your average notebook doodle. When you read my books, you are seeing me at my best.
My ultimate goal is to be both clever and right at the same time. I have it on good authority that I have yet to achieve it.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 20, 2024
Jessie, Eric and their motley crew have been busy. In addition to getting their new ship up to speed, they have also been using it to stand up to the pirates in the unaffiliated areas of space. If they can take out some pirates, and also get some supplies, all the better. Of course as usual problems arise. Their crew is just too small for their ship, so they need to recruit. Also, one of their pirate rescues is an old "friend" of Eric's from wizarding school.
This installment of the series is mostly just setting the scene for the next chapter of the adventure. That being said there is some great world building here, as well as some fantastic character development and interaction. The crew is truly starting to feel like more than just a group of background characters.
The upcoming installments will be eagerly awaited.
This installment of the series is mostly just setting the scene for the next chapter of the adventure. That being said there is some great world building here, as well as some fantastic character development and interaction. The crew is truly starting to feel like more than just a group of background characters.
The upcoming installments will be eagerly awaited.
July 17, 2024
3.5 stars.
Jessie's trying to get a crew together to help run her new ship, thanks to Eric's suggestion. But who can she count on?
Great to see some of the side characters POV, and learn how pretty much everyone is a misfit, which helps them begin to blend into their own kind of family.
Eric's belief in the inherent goodness of others combined with his incredible power (and his nonchalance in using it for whatever he wants) makes for a dangerous person, and Jessie is finally starting to see this.
Jessie's trying to get a crew together to help run her new ship, thanks to Eric's suggestion. But who can she count on?
Great to see some of the side characters POV, and learn how pretty much everyone is a misfit, which helps them begin to blend into their own kind of family.
Eric's belief in the inherent goodness of others combined with his incredible power (and his nonchalance in using it for whatever he wants) makes for a dangerous person, and Jessie is finally starting to see this.
July 17, 2024
A promising start to the next batch of Black Ocean books! It's very short and reads more like a first chapter than a full story, and it felt like there were more things that needed to be set up than there was time for, but there are a lot of potential storylines that I'm looking forward to. If you're a fan of ensemble casts and interesting world building, give it a go!.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews