Stranded

Starship of the Ancients #1

by A.K. DuBoff

Shipwrecked on a distant planet. Mysterious alien relics. His fresh start just turned into an interstellar conspiracy. After an undercover investigation goes bad, Evan hopes to forge a new life on a remote colony world. But when the transport ship explodes in orbit, his plans for a peaceful early retirement go out the airlock.

He crash-lands with a small group of settlers, away from the target site and with limited resources. Unable to call for help off-world, it's a race for survival in the dangerous wilds—until they realize they aren’t alone on the planet.

Evan’s investigative instincts tell him that nothing about this colony mission going awry is an accident. When evidence points to an ancient alien starship hidden somewhere on the planet, he realizes that solving the mystery will be the biggest case of his life.

Can Evan survive the hostile planet long enough to uncover the truth?

Stranded is the thrilling first installment in the Starship of the Ancients series. If you like action-packed space adventures with dynamic characters, alien worlds, and interstellar intrigue, then you'll love this exciting new space opera by author A.K. DuBoff, creator of the Cadicle Universe.

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Fiction, Conspiracy Theories, Space, Adventure

373 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 7, 2025

About the author

A.K. (Amy) DuBoff has always loved science fiction in all its forms, including books, movies, shows, and games. If it involves outer space, even better!

She is an award-winning and USA Today bestselling indie author specializing in space-based science fiction and fantasy. Dubbed the modern “Queen of Space Opera” by her readers, she is most known for her acclaimed Cadicle Universe. Amy’s short fiction has been published by NewCon Press, Seventh Seal Press, and in numerous indie publications.

When she's not writing, she enjoys travel, wine tasting, binge-watching TV series, and playing epic strategy board games.

Reviews

[Liviu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extraordinary fun - a bit campy and here and there verging on the over the top but this is a novel that is inventive non stop action that one doesn't want to put done and I have greatly enjoyed it - the only disappointing thing is that the next installment is not yet out, though it's advertised for this summer and I definitely plan to read it on release. The blurb is reasonably accurate - a failed colonization mission that hides an interstellar conspiracy, the two main heroes who complement each other, a former soldier and undercover cop who may possess the secret to unlock a universe changing discovery and a xeno biologist who unwittingly knows too much about stuff that powerful people want hidden. Escaping the intended death with some of their shipmates, the two go on a last chance rescue expedition on a dangerous alien planet and find themselves in the middle of the action.

Fast fun and superb, highly recommended

[John Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This space adventure is the first book in the Starship of the Ancients series, a space opera with themes of survival, intersellar intrigue, and mysterious alien technology. The story begins when a group of human explorers, aboard their starship, finds themselves stranded on a long-forgotten world, Aethos. An explosion leaves them no way to communicate with their home base or escape. Two of the survivors, Evan, the assumed leader of the survivors and Anya, an exobiologist, decide to journey to a military escort ship hoping to find a means of communication and rescue. The planet is not just desolate—it holds remnants of an advanced, long-extinct civilization, along with dangerous secrets that are slowly revealed as the explorers navigate the mysterious landscape. Warring parties are aware of this trove of advanced alien technology and are willing to use whatever means necessary to acquire it first.

Besides the protagonists, the most alluring feature of this novel is its worldbuilding. The author created a rich and immersive universe filled with ancient artifacts and planetary landscapes that feel both awe-inspiring and dangerous. The setting is detailed and atmospheric, with enough intrigue to fuel the curiosity of the reader. I plan to continue the series; however, I must wait since the second book won't be released until August 2025.

[Kate Rhoads · Rating 3 out of 5]

It had such potential but…

It had a decent beginning but faltered quickly as though there was a plot but so simple that he had to fill the rest of the book with speculation between two characters. Little action between page after page of more speculation. as though the author was trying to tell us what was going on instead of showing us. Such a waste.

[Peter Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm having a hard time explaining why I give this book three stars. The story is ok, the actual sentence structure feels like it is written for a younger audience. However, if this book is meant for YA then I have no right dinging it for that.

The story feels a bit predictable, like I'm watching a TV show that needs to have a cliffhanger before each commercial break. The story was on rails and the cart was moving a little faster than I would have liked.

The trope of "an independent man and an independent woman are thrown together to save the world" was definitely in force, and I was constantly bracing myself for "ok, this is when the horny male author has them ravish each other" but pleasantly that has not (yet) occurred, and I'm guessing that's because the author is in fact, a woman, and knows that not all space opera need to be smutty space opera.

I don't regret reading it and I'll likely finish the series. I wish I had more, or better actionable feedback for the author but I'm just some dude reading a book, typing words in a textbox on the internet, and I recognize that. It was time well spent.

[Maya Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read!

This book sucked me in and didn’t let me go until the very end. DuBoff shows amazing word-smithing talent as she spins a tale of an incredible world I could clearly see as I was flipping the pages. Looking forward to reading the next book.

[Andrew Baxtrom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very YA

I really wanted to like this book but couldn't get past the plot holes, bad science & Young Adult style of story.

[Bill Pentland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 1 of Starship of the Ancients, Stranded. Not a bad space opera. My first book by Duboff. A colony starship sabotaged, crash lands on a distant planet that seems to have all the essentials for human colonization. Two of the survivors, a mysterious man with survival skills and an attractive female xenobiologist, more or less take charge and try to form up the rest of the survivors. A military ship that was accompanying them was also brought down by an outside force. Our two "leaders" decide to explore their immediate surroundings to find out where they might have landed and if they can reach the main crash site. Of course, they discover much more than they expected - government plots, underworld crime, and an alien hi-tech race. What's not to like?
As I said, not bad, although DuBoff's attempts at character introspection don't really work and the plot is fairly predictable. I'll give book 2 a try and see what happens there.

[Michael Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evan and Anya are stranded on an alien world when their colony ship and escort vessel exploded

Evan awoke in an escape pod on the surface of a strange planer. Once free of the mangled wreckage, he saw another pod and freed the beautiful young woman trapped inside. He and Anya found more pods and freed survivors. Not many. After searching for supplies and establishing a camp, Evan and Anya searched for water and wildlife while the rest of the survivors set up the camp. As they searched Evan and Anya found signs of alien technology which while ancient, responded to something in Evan's body. The tech came alive at his touch!
On a longer search, Evan and Anya were attacked by another group. They weren't alone and the strangers were not friendly! It appears that the others were looking for an alien ship among the abandoned technology. A ship that could create a jump portal by itself, instantly travelling what would have taken months before. Evan and Anya (good guys) must find the ship before the gang (bad guys). Evan and Anya are becoming closer while they search and evade the enemy. They must have this ship!
Great characters and an engrossing storyline made this a great read!

[Amanda Meggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very exciting

Stranded tells the story of Anya and Evan who along with less than 50 others survived their ship being blown up. They land at their intended destination with almost no supplies and find that deadly animals are not the only possible dangers they will encounter.

Evan and Anya leave most of the group in an attempt to reach their military escort which was blown up in orbit and crash landed. They hope to be able to contact home and get help from there.

This world is dangerous but beautiful. As they travel they discover things about each other that have been kept secret and were thought to be irrelevant but are becoming more relevant as they learn more.

[Paul Madsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good start of sci-fi military saga

Two different people are thrown together following a crash of a space ship at a far flung planet where everything is not as they expected. Searching for a ancient alien space ship, they could not believe what they discovered. Throw in several layers of government involvement and other abuse will create a universe of many wonders. I look forward to the next chapter.

[Steve Buck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Where to begin with award-winning and bestselling writer A. K. DuBoff’s debut book in the Starship of the Ancients series entitled “Stranded”?
In the not too distant future, mankind has been gradually colonizing other planets far from Earth. On one such mission to the planet Aethos, disaster strikes the main ship, and the passengers are ordered to evacuate in the escape pods. Two of the would-be colonists, Evan Taylor (a mysterious man who is apparently hiding his past) and Anya Rojas, survive their respective crash landings and team up on the new planet to scout out the vicinity to help the other survivors increase their chances of survival.
Evan and Anya soon find out the cause of their predicament isn’t as benign as they would have preferred. There are numerous forces working against them, ranging from a government conspiracy and a brutal crime syndicate, to life on the planet itself, in the form of seemingly indestructible predatory creatures and deadly plants.
They meet up with others who preceded them on the planet who enlist their aid in finding alien tech and an alien starship whose existence has not been confirmed to their satisfaction. But if it exists, it must be kept out of the hands of the conspirators at all costs, or else the entire power dynamic of that part of the galaxy would be shifted to the criminal element.
Will Evan and Anya find this supposed starship and associated tech and keep it out of the hands of the conspirators, who won’t hesitate to kill anyone who stands in their way, or will they die trying?
I highly recommend Stranded and very much look forward to the next book in the series.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great opening! Not the typical super soldier or heiress running away from responsibilities, but two people making changes to their lives, starting over, and being thrust into an unfortunate situation where adaptation is needed. They learn to trust out of necessity and rely on each others strengths. As they become center of a larger issue than just their survival, they have to decide what's more important....their new lives or helping their people as a whole.

An entertaining read with likeable and believable/fallible characters. A bit along the lines of action/escape movies without the obvious predictability.

[Manie · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is something about this book's cover that speaks to me about the contents of Stranded by author AK DuBoff.
The moon and distant river speaks of natural beauty, asking for closer adventuring and discovery as evident already per the two indistinct human figures featuring on higher foreground.
But then there is the wreck!
Yes, this cover speaks volumes and that comes out bit by bit as the plot of the books develops into a disaster almost from the start when settlers on a new planet crash landed on the planet. Faced with hardship and survival, this Aethos colony has to face death from deadly predators and survive nature in various guises.
Bit by bit, however, it develops that the crash was not really accidental at all and that requires even stricter wariness by the survivors
Even then it just touches on the surprises developing later on in Stranded and this reader is pulled willy nilly into a deeper mystery midst the developing awareness of deadly intrigue enveloping the supposed colonisation of s new world and starting to guide all actions taken on this wild planet.
The plot is sheer genius in the hands of author AK Duboff is well deserving of being developed into film making, whether as a series on the big screen or on TV. It is simply begging for that.
And to vindicate avid SciFi adventurists...like me
Enjoy

[Terina · Rating 3 out of 5]

It feels like the "Starship" story is *finally* getting started at page 319 (of 326): The protagonists have found the ship and launched! But then the book ends? I'm not sure I needed an entire book dedicated to (presumably) setting up a second book. Will the story take off in the 2nd book? I'm not sure I have the perserverance. With this many Goodread stars, I was expecting a story that couldn't be put down.

[Chuck Woodbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it.

For me, there is nothing better than a grand sci fi adventure. This one starts off simple with escape pods from a doomed colony ship crash landing on a lush green planet. A survivors band together, two set off to see if they can find comms or other supplies in the wreckage of their military escort that has also crashed. From there they begin to unravel the mystery as to what actually happened. Can’t wait for book 2!

[Murphies_law · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is unfathomable that this book won awards. A sign of the state of modern literary awards with vastly overrepresented female jurors and DEI requirements over quality..

DNF at 50%

While i liked the plot it showed that the book was written by a woman. Even though both protagonists are likeable their endless banter and juvenile flirting is aggravating. Their trips seemed sheer endless.

For me, it seemed as if the author tried to empower Anya way too hard - it felt forced and a bit ridiculous. Anya's scientific reasonings are very wild guesses. Her character is a paradox. Her thoughts are often irrational while she acts more rational than the soldier. The fact that a researcher is supposed to be more fit and determined than a special soldier seemed hilarious to me.

The structure of the book seemed arbitrary to me. At first the main secret is partly spoiled, than parts of the attack as well, thus minimizing the mystery for the reader.
Both characters reasonings are that overly emotional and mostly irrational that it hurt.

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Readable but Disappointing

Story line is dragged out to far covering the main characters interactions and personal details and slowing down the flow of the tale being told.

The actionable body of the story is only intermittently thrown in to move the reader along the physical track of the story to take us from the initial crash landing, through to the final goal of book 1 in this series.

The other very weak point of the story is the weak character of this books main protagonist, the number of times he survives what should have been ‘end game’ scenarios that would have removed him from story are numerous enough to be an annoying distraction for the reader, while the physical prowess of the main character who supposedly has a long active paramilitary which includes well honed self defence training displays some pretty inept self defence capabilities that leave him looking pretty weak in every confrontational situation he lands in.

Overall….readable BUT disappointing!

Gary C

[Jeannie Flynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

great story, but a little pedantic

Despite low-key enjoyment reading this, it reads as a straightforward Young Adult novel about making first contact after having been in Space for centuries spanning countless planets. Same power hungry Caste Leaders, Selfish, venal Politicians along with usual illegal but powerful Mob/Gang set up, and uncounted “millions” who are only considered as “sub-par” and servant class. We follow our hero pair through discovery after discovery, only to end when the sought after “Alien ship” takes them to its “home star system” (incidentally leaving behind an ineffectual Mob member holding a similarly powerful relict) setting up for volume 2 I assume.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good start I guess

I understand that for a multi-book series, there has to be some world building but for a book that takes place on an unexplored planet, there wasn’t much detail about the world. Everything is vague and the characters could be anywhere. Also the sudden introduction of new characters halfway through the book was a little jarring. The concept is good but it just wasn’t interesting enough to make me want to read book 2.

[Galatea Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

My father reads books on my kindle account. He wants to share his opinions without have the pesky task of actually typing this himself. So I present his review:

Me : What did you think of the book?
Dad: You know , sometimes you just need a space sci-fi book to make you happy. It was mostly good but it didn't stick the landing.
Me: Oh, that is frustrating about the ending.
Dad: I will still read the next one though. It won't stop me. Space operas have a special place in my heart.

[Jim Arrowood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from Kindle Unlimited and am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book was brought to my attention on a social media post that appeared on my feed. The first thing that grabbed my attention was the cover image. Then, the blurb cemented the idea of my needing to read this one. This is the first book I've read by A.K. Duboff, but it will not be the last.

Stranded seemed to me as two stories in one. There is the first part involving plain and simple survival in an unfriendly environment, but later, it morphs into a story of survival against a massive conspiratorial power-grab by a ruthless organization with no concern for human life.

There are two principal characters who are developed over time through the book. Most of the story is told through their points of view. As the tale unfolds, there are other character points of view introduced, so the reader can expect to get inside the character's heads and learn about them from the inside out. This is a brilliant way to learn about the people in a story.

The tale is packed to nearly overflowing with action right from the opening paragraph and doesn't let up to the end where there is an enticement to continue reading in the forthcoming second installment of the Starship of the Ancients series. One thing that helps move the story along at a rollercoaster pace is the world building. The descriptions of the vistas characters are set in is vast, varied, and colorful. The setting almost becomes another character in itself, providing the story with unexpected twists and turns, providing the players with terrifying challenges. But there is also beauty to be found in the backdrop providing moments of peace.

Stranded is a book that should appeal to a wide audience and shows excellence in all aspects of great Sci-Fi.

Undercover cop, Evan Taylor, just wants to get away from it all, but he finds himself, along with other survivors of a spaceship disaster, crash landed on a planet he knows very little about. Evan befriends Anya Rojas, a scientist, and together they work to figure out how to survive on a beautiful, but at times, hostile planet. There are few supplies and most of their technology has been destroyed. When the pair discover a crashed escort ship, they head out on an adventure with numerous dangers along the way. But that's not all they discover. They also find they and survivors aren't as alone as they thought. Evan and Anya find themselves unwittingly in the middle of a power-grab conspiracy even more threatening than the native hazards on the planet. Evan and Anya become the focus to find alien technology that could mean either survival or disaster.

Stranded centers on two principal characters. One is adept with survivor skills while the other is a scientist with knowledge of the biology of the planet they call Aethos. Together they become a team, but their alliance is not without challenges.

Evan is a former military man turned undercover cop with a past. He sees an opportunity to make a new life on Aethos and harbors a plethora of secrets about his life he would rather not share with anyone.

Anya, a xenobiologist, sees Evan as someone who has skills she lacks. However, she also sees Evan as a suspicious character and she is put off by someone who isn't willing to share their background, even though she also has secrets she would rather not share.

When Evan and Anya are forced together to trek to the crash site of a downed spacecraft where they may find supplies and tech to help them, they embark on a trek leading to discoveries about the planet, each other, and themselves. What they actually find is a scenario far beyond their expectations.

There is no shortage of character development in this story, and the reader cannot help but cheer Evan and Anya on, hoping for success for them. Their adventures get more and more complex as they move through the narrative, and so, the reader becomes more and more invested in them.

My favorite plot point in Stranded is the shifting point of view device. We get perspective from various characters. This not only allows the reader to see what is happening inside the heads of characters but adds a lot to their development. The author displays her storytelling skills by shifting the voice as well, individualizing each character. One can clearly "hear" which player is being focused on.

My takeaway from this story is summed up in a line by Evan in chapter 20:

"And if I'm learning anything from the experience on Aethos, it's that we need to keep a level head and not jump to conclusions."

Often, when there is a shortage of knowledge about a situation, one might resort to using belief and hearsay to explain a situation. This can lead to fatal mistakes. There is no substitute for seeking out the facts to make informed decisions.

For me, Stranded is an excellent, highly entertaining, fun to read story anyone might enjoy. Even non-sci-fi fans will find it engaging with some great world-building, superior characters, and a fast-paced story loaded with surprises and plot twists. It is a fast read even though it is over 400 pages, and once a reader sets it aside, they will want to grab it again at the next opportunity.

[Tim Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of Stranded by A.K. DuBoff (and the Audible Edition performed by Greg Tremblay)

There’s something deeply satisfying about a slow burn done right, and A.K. DuBoff’s Stranded is a masterclass in building intrigue without ever losing narrative momentum. I’d set out in search of the perfect “oh no, that’s an alien spaceship” novel—after three close calls, Stranded didn’t just check the box, it shattered my expectations.

Characters With Depth—And Relatability

DuBoff employs what I’d call an unorthodox blend of internal dialogue and narrative that keeps the point of view laser-focused on the protagonist in each scene. It’s not a standard first-person or third-person omniscient—think more of a steady, character-driven lens that draws you in. As a veteran with a dab of criminal law training, I found myself especially resonating with Evan, the male lead. The secondary cast, too, is intriguing enough that by the end I was eager to see more of their stories.

Pacing: A Slow Burn That Never Stalls

Stranded opens with a bang: Evan’s harrowing escape from a doomed colony ship. From there, DuBoff skillfully weaves together conspiracy, survival, and a genuinely compelling man-vs.-himself subplot as the protagonists slowly learn to trust one another. Conflicts—both internal and external—are handled with a deft hand, and never once did I feel the pacing falter.

World-Building That’s Both Clever and Accessible

Aethos, the world DuBoff creates, is revealed piece by piece, and nearly every detail pays off by the end—especially where the alien technology is concerned. Even the “background weirdness” serves to ratchet up the tension without requiring a glossary. There’s even a scene I call the “Call a Deer a Deer” moment, where the protagonists’ practical naming conventions help make the unfamiliar feel relatable. If you’re a sci-fi novice, fear not: this book never drowns you in jargon, but genre veterans will appreciate the subtler world-building notes.

Themes, Tone, and Comparisons

The core themes revolve around stumbling into a galaxy-wide conspiracy, survival under pressure (with some especially clever scenes—don’t miss the “poison plan”), and the slow building of hard-won trust. The tone is an optimistic one, even as suspense mounts regarding who can be trusted.

For my fellow “slow burn” devotees, the measured pacing and layered storytelling reminded me of Sagan’s Contact—always compelling, never plodding. Fans of Michael Crichton will recognize that speculative-fiction vibe with a sci-fi accent, rather than impenetrable “hard science.”

For Whom Is Stranded?

I’d peg this as a PG-13 read—great for teens and up, though probably best appreciated by readers over twelve. It’s also an excellent choice for those who don’t typically gravitate toward science fiction: DuBoff’s accessible prose and sensible characters avoid the genre’s usual pitfalls of convoluted tech and forced drama.

Audiobook: Greg Tremblay’s Performance

Greg Tremblay’s narration is simply superb. His ability to differentiate characters—sometimes subtly, sometimes with gusto—makes for a seamless listen, even at my preferred 1.7x speed. His control of rhythm and emotion fits each scene perfectly, often making the story easier to follow than many audiobooks I’ve tackled.

Podium Audio’s production values are, as ever, top-notch. No background hiss, no awkward edits—just immersive storytelling. The combination of Tremblay’s narration and DuBoff’s prose makes this an audiobook I’d recommend as strongly as the print edition.

For those like me—wrestling with the combined effects of ADHD and lingering COVID brain fog—the ability to read and listen together (I used both formats) is a godsend. I heartily recommend both, and would love to see the series added to Amazon’s Whispersync lineup.

Final Verdict:

Whether you’re a sci-fi veteran, a newcomer in search of that perfect first contact fix, or just someone who appreciates characters who make smart choices and plots that reward patience, Stranded is a home run. And with Greg Tremblay at the mic, the Audible version is every bit as engaging.

Buy it. Listen to it. Just be prepared to want more.

Tags: slow burn, world-building, character-driven, found family, optimistic sci-fi, Podium Audio, Greg Tremblay, Michael Crichton vibe, accessible sci-fi, conspiracy, survival story, suspenseful, alien technology

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

What to say about this definitely well constructed book. I liked it a lot, that is for sure.

It starts as a science fiction colonizing adventure which goes wrong when the ship reaches their destination.

The main focus is on two stranded people from the ship and how they survive.

Evan and Anya are both practical and determined to outlive their current situation.

They go on a hunt for provisions and intend to find some answers to some weird findings.

From there on the story changes from a survivaltrip through the landscape into a conspiracy and a treasure hunt.

While Evan and Anya get to know each other and share some secrets which complicates the plot some more, other characters are added to the mix.

The changes are believable and the worldbuilding is great. You feel the tension rising and at the end all the pieces are in place for a second book to continue this story.

I thought it a bit rushed at the end, a lot happens in a fast pace. Some storylines are not yet well developed but the promise is there. This leaves you guessing about what will happen next.

What I liked most was the banter between Evan and Anya and the changing perspectives so you get to know both of them.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

[Ralph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first novel I have read by A.K. Duboff, but it won't be the last This first book of the "Starship of the Ancients" trilogy is a great start to what may be a great series. The protagonists, a rugged and able former military, former undercover operative, and a xenobiologist who is smart, pretty, and tough, make a good team when they are stranded on a colony world after the destruction of their ship. Their battle for survival on the beautiful but dangerous world is full of action and adventure. While they are learning to survive on this new world, they discover that the destruction of their colony ship was probably not an accident, and there is a lot more going on than they ever imagined.

The story is exciting and it held my interest throughout the book. The adventure is scary, engaging. exhilarating and engrossing. The characters are more than just a tough clever guy and a smart, pretty gal. They have been created with care, to be human and interesting, likable, and just a bit mysterious as well. DuBoff does a great job of creating a world that is beautiful and familiar yet alien, for Evan and Anya to begin thier adventure.

This is obviously the begining of a series and while Evan and Anya have accomplished some of their goals, there is much more to discover and many more hurdles to overcome. So, on to book #2, "Lost Planet".

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed around the first half of the book, but then scratched my head as to why the story went from a group of people to essentially just two of the survivors.
Earth is reaching out to populate other worlds. Groups are sent to habitable worlds with basic support, plus some timed support such as defence, and scientists. As the latest group arrived in orbit around Aethos the military escort was fired upon causing it to crash. The ship full of settlers and scientists suffers an explosion forcing them to their one person escape pods which have uncontrolled descent to the surface.
When the survivors emerge from their escape pods they set about planning how to survive with native wild animals to contend with. Two survivors turned into the explorers team set off to the crashed military ship. This is where the book takes the strange tin of ignoring the story of the main group to focus on the exploration of Evan and Anya. Many chapters later the main group of survivors are mentioned. By the end of book one it feels like more of the main survivors might be brought into the story in future books, but maybe not.
Other humans are already on the planet, but the story seems stretched.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up. I had high expectations of Stranded from the many positive reviews, and with the current continued success of the follow-on novel, Lost Planet. However, for about the first third of the story I found the page-filling dialogue between Evan and Anya to be more about personal chatter than substance – substance being survival. At times it seemed as though they were on a wilderness hike than trying to survive on a hostile, alien planet with few supplies and many unknown threats.

At about the half-way point the story abruptly changes: New characters emerge, some secrets are revealed, and the plot takes a new direction. With these changes Evan and Anya become pawns in a grander scheme to obtain the much-coveted alien technology. Although the story improved, the “personal chatter dialogue” could have been dialed back a bit to strengthen the plot. A few other reviewers indicated that Stranded had a YA feel to it – I would agree.

[MissMeliss89 · Rating 2 out of 5]

not my style

Didn’t find any of the characters or the “resolution” of the story (a “cliffhanger” ending) compelling enough for me to want to read the next installment. In the end, I felt it was a waste of my time. The writing is decent, the logic sometimes shaky. Lots of world-building, but cardboard cutout leads, in my opinion. It was refreshing to see the two main characters agree much of the time, (I’m sick of all the “I hate you, then realize you’re awesome” stuff in the world of entertainment), but other than that, I have no reason to recommend this book, not to mention whatever follow-ups continue what I found to be a boring start with a dissatisfying “finish”, if you can even call it that. Like I said, I read enough of this story to know that I don’t care what happens next. That is a very bad sign.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

With space travel and active colonization of other worlds taking place, it is not surprising that the quest for ultimate power and control persists. I really enjoyed this sci fi/suspense plot with so many detailed and realistic details integrated. Evan and Anya were very likable main characters that felt so real and relatable in their thinking and their often lighthearted banter. With several very interesting characters, personal/political agendas are highlighted while focusing on the importance of control of alien tech. It was hard to put this book down once key revelations and pieces of the puzzle are shared. Ending in a cliffhanger, I can’t wait to see how the next novel addresses so many unresolved details.

[Franklyn H Miller Jr · Rating 5 out of 5]

sci-fi at its best

This book was a good one to read a few chapters at a time so you could see how the characters coped with a crash landing on a new planet. What was a real cool thing was how there was some built in intrigue between two factions looking for an alien ship and artifacts. The main characters are a former cop and a scientist who go searching for a crashed ship and find a new colony nobody knew about. Then an another group of bad guys was introduced to further the plat. There are new alien creatures, a space ship and a trip to an alien planet in store for the reader and it’s quite a trip. The book is easy to read and is really enjoyable. It’s made me ready to get book number 2.

[Julie Kuhn · Rating 5 out of 5]

really good

Had no idea what to expect when I began other than I was looking for something ai little different. I knew AK DuBoff would deliver. This one’s checked all the boxes and the some more. It was exceptionally well written. I love the friendship that’s started between Anya & he. Their playfulness yet get down to business attitude is appreciated. Im hoping the new Homeworld will be everything they’re hoping for & be able to bring back help to fight those on Aethos. The one person I’m truly concerned about is the older sister, killer obviously.. sounds like she was heading yo the home world but surely she can’t get there in near the amount of time given how. Fast the alien ship is. Btw… how did the alien computer miss the following drone??