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Hollow Space: Venture
Forced to hyperjump during a brutal ambush, Sara Lorelle, navigator of the Venture, the last colony ship, discovers a terrible they’ve jumped to somewhere that shouldn’t exist.
Trapped inside a pocket universe known only as Hollow Space, where technology inexplicably fails, Sara and her crew have to face the lethal politics of their only destination. Haven—a decrepit station, home to deadly aliens and rival factions that soon sees the Venture crew up to their necks in danger.
With their only hope placed in Tairon Cauder, a reckless scoundrel, they will battle impossible species, confront their fears, and uncover ancient and terrible secrets. In a place where those who shoot first live the longest, the Venture crew will have to push their limits if they are to save themselves and the human race from extinction.
Hollow Venture, a Xantoverse novel, will delight those who relish high adventure, high stakes, and low morals. For fans of Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, and Deep Space Nine.
Trapped inside a pocket universe known only as Hollow Space, where technology inexplicably fails, Sara and her crew have to face the lethal politics of their only destination. Haven—a decrepit station, home to deadly aliens and rival factions that soon sees the Venture crew up to their necks in danger.
With their only hope placed in Tairon Cauder, a reckless scoundrel, they will battle impossible species, confront their fears, and uncover ancient and terrible secrets. In a place where those who shoot first live the longest, the Venture crew will have to push their limits if they are to save themselves and the human race from extinction.
Hollow Venture, a Xantoverse novel, will delight those who relish high adventure, high stakes, and low morals. For fans of Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, and Deep Space Nine.
486 pages, Paperback
First published July 28, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
December 15, 2014
As a fan of sci-fi from the days of Battle Star Galactica, the original not the remake, to some of the later versions if Star Trek and of course Star wars again the old ones, I knew I would love this book. I am a long time fan of Colin F Barnes and now his co-author T.F. Grant. From past experiences reading Colin F Barnes I usually know what to expect, but this new world of Xantoverse is far more fantastic than I imagined.
This new world has many races including human, all with a great well developed history and culture. I would say for those who are watching the current show Defiance this will give you a very good idea of the array of races and cultures. There are a multitude of characters with rich back stories and history's that are artfully weaved into the story.
This is the first book in an epic space series Hollow Space: Venture. The story grabs you right away with fast paced scenes of the crew of the Venture. Their ship the Venture is the last colony ship of the Human race and they are in a battle and on the run from a ruthless enemy. Just as things look like the may turn out they find out space has a way of pulling the rug from under them. The crew of the Venture ends up in an uncharted part of space known as Hollow Space, a part of space that shouldn't exist. They make their new home on the space station Haven, this a fantastic beginning to a multi-part space adventure.
I found the main characters Sara, Kina, Ti and Dylan fascinating in their development and personal journeys. The story grabs you and doesn't let go, the action and tension are gripping. The action and life on Haven is complex with the many races living and existing together. The rules are fast and loose and the people they can trust are hard to find. The descriptions and use of technology are excellent. Interactions between the races are constantly shifting and intriguing. In summary this is another fantastic world created by Colin F Barnes and T.F. Grant. I can't wait to continue the adventure in the next book. The ending has a great cliff hanger and leaves you waiting more.
This new world has many races including human, all with a great well developed history and culture. I would say for those who are watching the current show Defiance this will give you a very good idea of the array of races and cultures. There are a multitude of characters with rich back stories and history's that are artfully weaved into the story.
This is the first book in an epic space series Hollow Space: Venture. The story grabs you right away with fast paced scenes of the crew of the Venture. Their ship the Venture is the last colony ship of the Human race and they are in a battle and on the run from a ruthless enemy. Just as things look like the may turn out they find out space has a way of pulling the rug from under them. The crew of the Venture ends up in an uncharted part of space known as Hollow Space, a part of space that shouldn't exist. They make their new home on the space station Haven, this a fantastic beginning to a multi-part space adventure.
I found the main characters Sara, Kina, Ti and Dylan fascinating in their development and personal journeys. The story grabs you and doesn't let go, the action and tension are gripping. The action and life on Haven is complex with the many races living and existing together. The rules are fast and loose and the people they can trust are hard to find. The descriptions and use of technology are excellent. Interactions between the races are constantly shifting and intriguing. In summary this is another fantastic world created by Colin F Barnes and T.F. Grant. I can't wait to continue the adventure in the next book. The ending has a great cliff hanger and leaves you waiting more.
February 17, 2017
This was a wild ride from beginning to end. Start to finish there was always something new happening and the action maintains a steady pace. However as much as I had fun with this book I must warn that it requires a very big suspension of disbelief in some parts. So if that's something you have trouble with then you may find this a bit of a difficult book to read. Others may be able to roll with it just fine.
The variety of intelligent aliens included and scattered throughout the book are all different and unique. All of them felt like they had been carefully thought out not just from appearance but down to their attitudes and culture as well. I never felt like things were done halfway.
The actual idea and presentation of Hollow Space and what it is was very fascinating and makes for a great center around which the rest of the plot revolves. Although the explanation for it at the end of the book made me frown a bit it's still an idea that I haven't seen done before. I'm eager to learn more about Hollow Space and what if anything can be done about it.
Haven, the primary space station in Hollow Space, was a place that was set up, described and presented well. From tensions between rival groups to methods of trade. It made sense to me that a dangerous system of trading and scavenging would make up the primary economy of a place that depends on incoming ships and dead hulks for new materials. It can certainly be a confusing system of trades and the constantly looming threat of debt but I felt like it fit in excellently with the world setting.
The one thing that felt a little lack luster to me was the characters personalities. For the most part they all just came off as a bit flat and dull. They never really deviated from what I expected of them. They were all pegged very nicely, fit into their spots and overall there were never really any surprises or twists and turns there for me. Although Bookworm and Sarah's guilt over something that happens are my exceptions to this.
The only romance in the book did come off as a bit cheesy at times like when two characters in a TV show keep smiling and making eyes at each other from across the room for a bunch of episodes but aside from one eye rolling kiss it was more tasteful then what I was expecting honestly. It also didn't detract or pull too much attention away from the main focus of the book. Although I can't help but feel that events/an event in the later book was used as an easy way of getting them together.
There are also at least two occasions where I felt like two characters conveniently had abnormal abilities that were never fully expounded on. While this may be explained later on in the series for this book the lack of a satisfying explanation left me rather frustrated.
This book was a lot of fun and has high ambitions that it mostly manages to accomplish. Both authors did a great job and I do recommend it for fans of science fiction and fantasy novels. I look forward to reading the next one.
The variety of intelligent aliens included and scattered throughout the book are all different and unique. All of them felt like they had been carefully thought out not just from appearance but down to their attitudes and culture as well. I never felt like things were done halfway.
The actual idea and presentation of Hollow Space and what it is was very fascinating and makes for a great center around which the rest of the plot revolves. Although the explanation for it at the end of the book made me frown a bit it's still an idea that I haven't seen done before. I'm eager to learn more about Hollow Space and what if anything can be done about it.
Haven, the primary space station in Hollow Space, was a place that was set up, described and presented well. From tensions between rival groups to methods of trade. It made sense to me that a dangerous system of trading and scavenging would make up the primary economy of a place that depends on incoming ships and dead hulks for new materials. It can certainly be a confusing system of trades and the constantly looming threat of debt but I felt like it fit in excellently with the world setting.
The one thing that felt a little lack luster to me was the characters personalities. For the most part they all just came off as a bit flat and dull. They never really deviated from what I expected of them. They were all pegged very nicely, fit into their spots and overall there were never really any surprises or twists and turns there for me. Although Bookworm and Sarah's guilt over something that happens are my exceptions to this.
The only romance in the book did come off as a bit cheesy at times like when two characters in a TV show keep smiling and making eyes at each other from across the room for a bunch of episodes but aside from one eye rolling kiss it was more tasteful then what I was expecting honestly. It also didn't detract or pull too much attention away from the main focus of the book. Although I can't help but feel that events/an event in the later book was used as an easy way of getting them together.
There are also at least two occasions where I felt like two characters conveniently had abnormal abilities that were never fully expounded on. While this may be explained later on in the series for this book the lack of a satisfying explanation left me rather frustrated.
This book was a lot of fun and has high ambitions that it mostly manages to accomplish. Both authors did a great job and I do recommend it for fans of science fiction and fantasy novels. I look forward to reading the next one.
September 18, 2014
So not saying I didn't like the book or it's characters. Just needed to be more developed before publishing. I almost reads as a pilot for a tv series. A bunch of characters and plot are thrown at you and hoping to get feedback later to which characters people like and develop later. Particularly the beginning could have been more developed and fleshed out more. There is really no explanation of the why the characters feel the way they do and the flow just seems slightly off. As the book progresses, the readers know more and sort of flows a little better.
I like the alien characters introduced in the book. I think it is your typical throw a bunch of different alien species into a hostile environment where they have to fight to survive story. I think the positive of the book is making the aliens really "alien" to each other. Different psychologies, anatomies, and societies backgrounds makes for an interesting read.
I think they need to pare down the character list or increase the novel length to make the books work though.
I like the alien characters introduced in the book. I think it is your typical throw a bunch of different alien species into a hostile environment where they have to fight to survive story. I think the positive of the book is making the aliens really "alien" to each other. Different psychologies, anatomies, and societies backgrounds makes for an interesting read.
I think they need to pare down the character list or increase the novel length to make the books work though.
September 18, 2015
I have conflicting opinions on this science fiction adventure novel. I thought that the story and world were well fleshed out and intriguing. The characters were fun, varied, and interesting. However, the constant peril and futility wore on me and I had a hard time sticking with it. There was also a torture scene that I had to skip through, and which nearly made me give up entirely.
February 7, 2017
I'm reading the 4 books box set of this series. Everything seems so chaotic and unpredictable. It's a page turner. Exciting and funny at the same time.
January 8, 2018
This was one of my favourite space operas to date. The characters were interesting and the aliens were exceptionally alien, demonstrating a level of creativity to the writing I don't often see. While I felt Tai's character was a little overly reckless just for the sake of being reckless, he developed well and made for a valuable addition to the story. Action scenes were well paced and easy to follow and the overall story kept me coming back for more. There were a few imperfections from a 'quality writing' point of view, but this is a casual space opera and it's important to manage expectations. With that done correctly, this is a fantastic book deserving of five stars. C.F. Barnes and T.F. Grant make a fantastic writing team and Grant's death and the subsequent demise of any future Hollow Space titles is truly a tragedy.
March 17, 2022
What is a universe when it encompasses a single solar system? And why do so many spaceships end up marooned there? One spaceship, The Venture, while trying to flee from an enemy jumps into hyperspace but ends up in this pocket universe, and from there the story unfolds.
That is the premise of this book, which at first I found hard to get into, particularly when there were a few obvious editing issues. However, as the story developed, both the writing and the plot gradually improved. The best thing about the story is the constant suspense - it's literally a thrill a minute. I gave the story four stars.
That is the premise of this book, which at first I found hard to get into, particularly when there were a few obvious editing issues. However, as the story developed, both the writing and the plot gradually improved. The best thing about the story is the constant suspense - it's literally a thrill a minute. I gave the story four stars.
October 27, 2020
A very will written Sci-Fi thriller novel with will developed characters. The story line is fast moving as the crew is lost in outer space. I would recommend to any Sci-Fi buff. Enjoy reading 2020 🎉😎✨
March 22, 2017
This was a real chew to get though.
It has a lot of things I really enjoy from a action sci-fi novel, unique species, interesting setting, a bit of mystery. Despite that for me it just didn't click, I think the world felt a bit overblown, and people's motivations felt a bit... I don't know, cartoony?
Anyway, good story, interesting world. For me something was missing though, more realistic motivations perhaps?
It has a lot of things I really enjoy from a action sci-fi novel, unique species, interesting setting, a bit of mystery. Despite that for me it just didn't click, I think the world felt a bit overblown, and people's motivations felt a bit... I don't know, cartoony?
Anyway, good story, interesting world. For me something was missing though, more realistic motivations perhaps?
October 3, 2018
I read this book as part of the "Galactic - Ten Book Space Opera Sci-Fi Boxset"
March 14, 2019
Solid adventure.
Not often a really new story comes along with interesting characters, tech and a fast paced adventure. This fits the bill.
Not often a really new story comes along with interesting characters, tech and a fast paced adventure. This fits the bill.
July 6, 2021
Lots of characters!
Loved the many species and personalities. So open minded in many different ways. Can’t wait to read them all. Not a dull moment in this book
Loved the many species and personalities. So open minded in many different ways. Can’t wait to read them all. Not a dull moment in this book
March 27, 2017
One Helluva Ride!
What a great book! I really couldn't put it down. This is the kind of Space Opera story that has me hooked like crack! Keep them coming Mr. Barnes!
What a great book! I really couldn't put it down. This is the kind of Space Opera story that has me hooked like crack! Keep them coming Mr. Barnes!
March 15, 2017
kindle book app on iPad
sci fi book, pocket universe
sci fi book, pocket universe
July 30, 2017
TF Grant and Colin F Barnes have done everything right in this book. Is it perfect? Not quite. But in every field that matters, the authors nailed it.
The characters are well-rounded, balanced, and mostly escape stereotypes. Their development takes engaging, surprising turns and makes them into real people affected by real events, forever. That, plus a solid grasp on various alien races, really sold me on the characters. None of the new species we encounter are all One Culture Aliens; they have spectra of personalities, stereotypes, and people that break those stereotypes. If anything, the human characters are the least-developed species in Hollow Space, which speaks to the nature of the environment if anything.
Plus, it has action. It has gunfights that mean something to the plot. It has pilots that are just too good at navigating deadly debris fields, with all sorts of creatures you would not expect to see in space. It has all the cool, mysterious background stuff that keeps you reading.
But mostly, it's fun. This is a fun book, and I had tons of fun reading it. I wish more books took a solid concept, grounded characters, and just let fly with the plot. Barnes and Grant make it look easy, and there's a lot to recommend in this novel. Its flaws are forgivable, and really, this book reminded me why I review books at all.
The characters are well-rounded, balanced, and mostly escape stereotypes. Their development takes engaging, surprising turns and makes them into real people affected by real events, forever. That, plus a solid grasp on various alien races, really sold me on the characters. None of the new species we encounter are all One Culture Aliens; they have spectra of personalities, stereotypes, and people that break those stereotypes. If anything, the human characters are the least-developed species in Hollow Space, which speaks to the nature of the environment if anything.
Plus, it has action. It has gunfights that mean something to the plot. It has pilots that are just too good at navigating deadly debris fields, with all sorts of creatures you would not expect to see in space. It has all the cool, mysterious background stuff that keeps you reading.
But mostly, it's fun. This is a fun book, and I had tons of fun reading it. I wish more books took a solid concept, grounded characters, and just let fly with the plot. Barnes and Grant make it look easy, and there's a lot to recommend in this novel. Its flaws are forgivable, and really, this book reminded me why I review books at all.
December 31, 2015
Captured my imagination
This was my first sci-fi read in over 2 decades. I honestly could not stop reading. I began reading with an open mind, as one should when entering the sci-fi realm and was not disappointed.
The novel starts out screaming with action, eliciting various emotions ranging from frenzied apprehension, fear, rage, and shock. Those emotions never go away, but pop-up throughout the book. Yes, there are scenes of graphic violence, that add to the atmosphere of Haven, the space station inhabited by a variety of alien races, all trapped within Hollow Space. It is a place where life and death walk a thin line.
I rather enjoyed how the characters were introduced with little detail, that later each grew through how they reacted to the challenges thrown at them. I, personally, can't stand reading several pages of a character's traits, just so the author can endear them to you from the get-go. Every task the characters had to perform, served to show their individual personality.
This was an exciting ride into the mysterious realm of Hollow Space, where many questions are still unanswered. I cannot wait to continue this voyage, hopefully to the planet and even maybe (crossing fingers) back to the Old Station. That place has the feel reminiscent of Resident Evil.
This was my first sci-fi read in over 2 decades. I honestly could not stop reading. I began reading with an open mind, as one should when entering the sci-fi realm and was not disappointed.
The novel starts out screaming with action, eliciting various emotions ranging from frenzied apprehension, fear, rage, and shock. Those emotions never go away, but pop-up throughout the book. Yes, there are scenes of graphic violence, that add to the atmosphere of Haven, the space station inhabited by a variety of alien races, all trapped within Hollow Space. It is a place where life and death walk a thin line.
I rather enjoyed how the characters were introduced with little detail, that later each grew through how they reacted to the challenges thrown at them. I, personally, can't stand reading several pages of a character's traits, just so the author can endear them to you from the get-go. Every task the characters had to perform, served to show their individual personality.
This was an exciting ride into the mysterious realm of Hollow Space, where many questions are still unanswered. I cannot wait to continue this voyage, hopefully to the planet and even maybe (crossing fingers) back to the Old Station. That place has the feel reminiscent of Resident Evil.
February 5, 2016
Quick and Easy This is the first story in a bundle I got from Kindle, To the Stars and Back. It was good. Enough science to keep you interested and not feel too far fetched. The action was good and the characters, meh I didn't mind them. They were your usual assortment but with enough development to keep you engaged and be able to pick a favorite.
The story starts out with our ship the Venture running from your typical bad guys and the human race trying to survive. It was a quick easy story that plopped you in a new world, hollow space and how everyone from humans to plant types survive. I liked it enough to of course continue the rest of the set and keep an eye out on new stories.
This wasn't a perfect story, the science was lacking and the plot never really explains why our main characters from the Venture ended up on the ship running from whatever alien was attacking, but there was enough that you weren't dragged down.
It was a quick easy story that left you wanting a bit more so you have to go find the rest of the books or at least keep an eye out for more.
The story starts out with our ship the Venture running from your typical bad guys and the human race trying to survive. It was a quick easy story that plopped you in a new world, hollow space and how everyone from humans to plant types survive. I liked it enough to of course continue the rest of the set and keep an eye out on new stories.
This wasn't a perfect story, the science was lacking and the plot never really explains why our main characters from the Venture ended up on the ship running from whatever alien was attacking, but there was enough that you weren't dragged down.
It was a quick easy story that left you wanting a bit more so you have to go find the rest of the books or at least keep an eye out for more.
August 21, 2014
This is the first in a series of books following an unlikely crew of a space ship. They have been thrown together by war, worm holes and honest skulduggery.
I felt that despite the collaborative nature of the book, with C F Barns joining with Grant it still flowed well.
I haven't read sci-fi for a long time but really enjoyed this adventure - imagine Indiana Jones meets Star Wars/Trek and you'll be getting the idea.
There are the usual mix of good guys and gals, bad bad nasty creatures and likable rogues, and that's just the crew!
A bit of romance, explosions and drunken frivolity can all be expected and enjoyed - a worthwhile read, good groundwork for what promises to be a great series
I felt that despite the collaborative nature of the book, with C F Barns joining with Grant it still flowed well.
I haven't read sci-fi for a long time but really enjoyed this adventure - imagine Indiana Jones meets Star Wars/Trek and you'll be getting the idea.
There are the usual mix of good guys and gals, bad bad nasty creatures and likable rogues, and that's just the crew!
A bit of romance, explosions and drunken frivolity can all be expected and enjoyed - a worthwhile read, good groundwork for what promises to be a great series
December 19, 2014
My first experiences with the writing of C.F. Barnes were with the Techxorcist series (since renamed Code Breakers). I thoroughly enjoyed that series and started Hollow Space with high expectations. Although I found this book enjoyable enough, I did not like it as much as the earlier series. I preferred the AI/tech-focused sci-fi of the Techxorcist/Code Breakers series to the more fantasy-laden sci-fi with multiple alien species in an alternate universe of Hollow Space. I'm not criticizing the book, just pointing out it wasn't exactly my cup of tea. If your taste in sci-fi leans towards fantasy more so than technology, you will likely enjoy this book. If not, perhaps you're better off checking out some of this authors other work.
August 24, 2016
Hallow Space: Venture by C. F. Barnes and T. F. Grant is a science fiction novel which grabbed my attention and would not let me put it down. The story was action packed and fast paced, which made for great reading.
The author did a great job of developing a storyline that was interesting and unique making me have to think at times and not just breeze through it. It has just enough twist and turns in the plot to keep the reader guessing as to what will happen next.
I really liked the characters that the authors developed. They made the story seem real and come alive.
I really enjoyed reading Hallow Space: Venture by C. F. Barnes and T. F. Grant and I highly recommend this book to all readers.
(I read this book as part of a 5 book sci-fi boxset: To The Stars and Back)
The author did a great job of developing a storyline that was interesting and unique making me have to think at times and not just breeze through it. It has just enough twist and turns in the plot to keep the reader guessing as to what will happen next.
I really liked the characters that the authors developed. They made the story seem real and come alive.
I really enjoyed reading Hallow Space: Venture by C. F. Barnes and T. F. Grant and I highly recommend this book to all readers.
(I read this book as part of a 5 book sci-fi boxset: To The Stars and Back)
November 15, 2014
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I usually prefer straight science fiction like this as opposed to fantasy. Others have compared it to Firefly and I agree, it definitely had that feel to it. Some of the characters were not too well developed and I think I might enjoy this more as a film than as a book. Sometimes you can get more of feel for a character on a visual level. I would read the second book in the series, if only to see if there is further development of some of the characters. The action sequences in this book are constant. None of the characters is really introspective and even the one nicknamed Book, for his obsession with books, turned into quite the warrior.
July 17, 2016
Ok, I was totally absorbed within the first half a page. Such a great story with some truly strange aliens and some feisty humans.
An excellent space opera, reminiscent of Firefly, with the same sort of devil-may-care characters who are basically nice guys that keep ending up in the soup. And of course there has to be a compliment of bad guys, and this has them in spades, including a psychotic tree.
Fun. Great humour, heaps of action and a fascinating new universe unfolding. What's not to like?
"Is that really a dragon throwing pieces of oversized werewolves at us within a space station lair?" Bookworm's rhetorical question pretty much sums up this book beautifully.
September 26, 2014
Great Si-Fi read. It's kinda long, with lots of characters and alien species to keep track of, but once you get those sorted out it is a really enthralling story. Written in a way that the story could continue forever. ( I hope it does) Loaded with combat action, crazy life forms, and a bit of lesbian lust/love. What's not to like?
October 17, 2015
Excellent
I picked this book up with trepidation but I just wanted to turn one more page to see what would happen to Sara, Dylan and Tai and how they live life in Hollow Space. It had twists and turns and made for an exciting time. I do hope the remaining author writes more books in this universe.
I picked this book up with trepidation but I just wanted to turn one more page to see what would happen to Sara, Dylan and Tai and how they live life in Hollow Space. It had twists and turns and made for an exciting time. I do hope the remaining author writes more books in this universe.
December 30, 2015
Great book, interesting characters!
5 stars because the book was fun, interesting and technically sound given the fascinating universe in which the story takes place. I look forward to more Xantoverse works, and have recommended this book to my friends. My thanks, kind regards and appreciation to the authors.
5 stars because the book was fun, interesting and technically sound given the fascinating universe in which the story takes place. I look forward to more Xantoverse works, and have recommended this book to my friends. My thanks, kind regards and appreciation to the authors.
July 23, 2019
Sākums man likās gaužām neinteresants tikai viena iemesla dēļ - M.A.R.V.E.L - Inhumans vienu sēriju bija toč toč uztaisījuši šajā vidē, bet nu, jo tālāk, jo grāmata palika interesantāka. Nepatika tas, ka nebija tādu foršu beigu - reāli jālasa nākamo grāmatu, bet neesmu redzējis, ka tāda būtu uzrakstīta :D
February 16, 2015
Very interesting new Space Opera
Great new corner, just outside the known Universe. New rules, new species, and new terrain to explore make this a fascinating series to explore. I can't wait for the next volume. Quite a rush! Couldn't put it down.
Great new corner, just outside the known Universe. New rules, new species, and new terrain to explore make this a fascinating series to explore. I can't wait for the next volume. Quite a rush! Couldn't put it down.
June 1, 2015
Love this book. It works, there's a great world, very well built, and the storyline is so adventure filled that it is amazing how good he managed to build on the characters personality, romance and evolution. Very well written light space adventure, just as the author promised.
December 13, 2016
While this book is engaging, I am not really in the mood to read about insurmountable struggles of people with no power to influence their circumstances, and who have to deal with leaders who are taking them down the path to ruin. Back on the bookshelf for a while.
September 2, 2014
An interesting story with some interesting characters and world building. I enjoyed the mesh of characters and how they came together. I look forward to reading further books in this series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews