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The Spiral Wars #10
Precursor
The UFS Phoenix returns to Homeworld, after more than three years of searching the galaxy for a way to save humanity from the looming AI threat. Some of Fleet's captains are unhappy with their own command, following the massive casualties of Nia's first strike, and are looking to Captain Erik Debogande as the war leader they truly need, as the threat of civil war looms. But on Homeworld lurks an old threat, a secret kept by Fleet Command since Homeworld's first conquest by humans. A secret that could tear Fleet, and Erik's powerful family, apart.
508 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 22, 2025
119 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
About the author
Joel Shepherd
27 books775 followersJoel Shepherd is an Australian science fiction author. He moved to Perth, Western Australia with his family when he was seven, where he later studied film and television arts at Curtin University. He now lives in Adelaide.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
September 22, 2025
3.5 stars - better than Homecoming but still disapointing.
Finally the story is going somewhere, unfortunately instead of wrapping up the main storyline, Shepherd introduces new storylines allowing the series to drag on for yet another couple of books.
As i'm not really that interested in the new direction the series takes i will probably stop here.
Finally the story is going somewhere, unfortunately instead of wrapping up the main storyline, Shepherd introduces new storylines allowing the series to drag on for yet another couple of books.
As i'm not really that interested in the new direction the series takes i will probably stop here.
July 27, 2025
Too Ponderous and Repetitive
“Precursor: (The Spiral Wars Book 10),” has grown way too ponderous and repetitive. An interesting and entertaining read concerning a far future humanity escaping targeted extinction by resetting further into the galaxy and facing further existential threats: millennia-old aliens, AI, and its own centuries-old totalitarian regime, has become bloated, and ever-expanding. The author, Joel Shepard, asserts at Book 10, that his series will end at a Book 14. Maybe.
Read fully via Kindle Unlimited.
“Precursor: (The Spiral Wars Book 10),” has grown way too ponderous and repetitive. An interesting and entertaining read concerning a far future humanity escaping targeted extinction by resetting further into the galaxy and facing further existential threats: millennia-old aliens, AI, and its own centuries-old totalitarian regime, has become bloated, and ever-expanding. The author, Joel Shepard, asserts at Book 10, that his series will end at a Book 14. Maybe.
Read fully via Kindle Unlimited.
September 6, 2025
I always start to check in the summer of each year to know if the next book in the Spiral War series is out. This time I was only a couple days behind, but waited until the paperback version was ready (I like paper). I moved book 10 to the top of my book queue & then spent late nights immersed in the fast moving world of UFS Pheonix.
Book 10 is mainly on Homeworld with little for starship combat. Instead, there is a lot of ground action with Pheonix Marines doing the punching. Oh, some of that is glorious to follow.
We get a family reunion with Katerina, Cora, Deirdre, and Erik together. Yes, Deirdre shows up with Steigo, who is a bit full of himself after the events on Heuron. I found it funny him trying to intimidate Major Thakur, talking down to her both physically & figuratively. Oh, it doesn’t end well for him.
I adore Cora, trying to get out of the shadow of being the “artsy girl.” Katerina & Deirdre do not think highly of her. But Cora steps up and then some, which was really neat. The other two sisters are stuck in their narrow world view and can't adapt. Nia is out there, but they along with a lot of Fleet have their heads in the sand.
I am more and more taken in by the tavali. Their sense of humor, at least as written for humans to understand, is a hoot. I can’t wait to for the Phoenix crew to interact more, as this is a mostly ground side book.
We get to learn about a Precursor AI society that combined machine & organic into one civilization. Yet like all good things, they were eventually wiped out.
Shali is the center of all the Phoenix groups down on Homeworld. She is everywhere & I picked up early that the Phoenix keeps saying, "What does Shali think of [X]." A lot. She helps in numerous ways. The spectre of Styx is always in the background. I kept hoping Styx would wake up and smash things. I'll just say the last portion of the book a lot of things get smashed.
I thought the 10th book was much better than the 9th. For the 9th, even the author admitted it was a bit rough. The 10th returns to the smooth and dynamic storytelling of previous books. The author does state in the beginning that he thinks he can wrapped up The Spiral Wars in four more books. 14 in all! My problem is I binge read the most recent book then fidget while waiting for the next installment. Now that Phoenix is back to plying space instead of being in orbit, I suspect the story will have more starship combat & ancient ruin discovery.
=========
Memorable quotes
Shali: ...If Styx were here, we'd have a much clearer picture.
Erik: You're beginning to sound like you miss her.
Shali: I miss the sense of murderous invulnerability she creates when she's only going after enemies. In every other respect, certainly not.
Trace: I need you. Stay with me. I'm not gong to lose you here.
Erik: You get me back to my ship. I got people to kill.
Trace. I will. We'll do it together.
Shali: I don't know, Tan. Organics fool themselves about the truth of things all the time. They only learn what they want to believe is true. AI queens like to believe that they'r different, but I'm less impressed with the omnipotence of AI queens than I was.
Sasalaka: Humans can't cook. We'll be fine. (Discussing if the humans will eat the tavali at a university function)
Captain Daylay is wearing a loose green flight suit & bright orange jacket.
Teklaratna: He looks like a hazard light. I think the humans will eat him last.
Tricia: The earliest stars turned simple atoms into complex molecules. Consciousness turns meaninglessness into meaning, in the same way. Consciousness is the engine of transforming the universe, the furnace in which new elements of meaning are forged. Like love. And pain, which then shape universes to come.
Corporal Riggs, UFS Phoenix: You Steigo?
Steigo: That's right.
Riggs: How you like us now, bitch?
Book 10 is mainly on Homeworld with little for starship combat. Instead, there is a lot of ground action with Pheonix Marines doing the punching. Oh, some of that is glorious to follow.
We get a family reunion with Katerina, Cora, Deirdre, and Erik together. Yes, Deirdre shows up with Steigo, who is a bit full of himself after the events on Heuron. I found it funny him trying to intimidate Major Thakur, talking down to her both physically & figuratively. Oh, it doesn’t end well for him.
I adore Cora, trying to get out of the shadow of being the “artsy girl.” Katerina & Deirdre do not think highly of her. But Cora steps up and then some, which was really neat. The other two sisters are stuck in their narrow world view and can't adapt. Nia is out there, but they along with a lot of Fleet have their heads in the sand.
I am more and more taken in by the tavali. Their sense of humor, at least as written for humans to understand, is a hoot. I can’t wait to for the Phoenix crew to interact more, as this is a mostly ground side book.
We get to learn about a Precursor AI society that combined machine & organic into one civilization. Yet like all good things, they were eventually wiped out.
Shali is the center of all the Phoenix groups down on Homeworld. She is everywhere & I picked up early that the Phoenix keeps saying, "What does Shali think of [X]." A lot. She helps in numerous ways. The spectre of Styx is always in the background. I kept hoping Styx would wake up and smash things. I'll just say the last portion of the book a lot of things get smashed.
I thought the 10th book was much better than the 9th. For the 9th, even the author admitted it was a bit rough. The 10th returns to the smooth and dynamic storytelling of previous books. The author does state in the beginning that he thinks he can wrapped up The Spiral Wars in four more books. 14 in all! My problem is I binge read the most recent book then fidget while waiting for the next installment. Now that Phoenix is back to plying space instead of being in orbit, I suspect the story will have more starship combat & ancient ruin discovery.
=========
Memorable quotes
Shali: ...If Styx were here, we'd have a much clearer picture.
Erik: You're beginning to sound like you miss her.
Shali: I miss the sense of murderous invulnerability she creates when she's only going after enemies. In every other respect, certainly not.
Trace: I need you. Stay with me. I'm not gong to lose you here.
Erik: You get me back to my ship. I got people to kill.
Trace. I will. We'll do it together.
Shali: I don't know, Tan. Organics fool themselves about the truth of things all the time. They only learn what they want to believe is true. AI queens like to believe that they'r different, but I'm less impressed with the omnipotence of AI queens than I was.
Sasalaka: Humans can't cook. We'll be fine. (Discussing if the humans will eat the tavali at a university function)
Captain Daylay is wearing a loose green flight suit & bright orange jacket.
Teklaratna: He looks like a hazard light. I think the humans will eat him last.
Tricia: The earliest stars turned simple atoms into complex molecules. Consciousness turns meaninglessness into meaning, in the same way. Consciousness is the engine of transforming the universe, the furnace in which new elements of meaning are forged. Like love. And pain, which then shape universes to come.
Corporal Riggs, UFS Phoenix: You Steigo?
Steigo: That's right.
Riggs: How you like us now, bitch?
August 11, 2025
This was another compelling book in many ways. It is definitely the page-turner story that we are used to from Shepherd. However, it went in a very different direction than we were led to expect from the end of Homecoming.
At the end of Homecoming, we were left to expect three different directions of the story of the battle against Nia and the saving of the Spiral. This did not go in any of those directions much. Instead, it brings in a new AI race (far older, reaching more than 30,000 years back), and for a long time I was kind of disappointed with the book, thinking Shepherd was adding unnecessary complication to the overall story. By the end, however, I have kind of changed my mind. It still kind of seems like unnecessary story in some ways, but at the same time, the change in the relationship with Styx and the character development of other characters made me realize it is actually a good direction and lays some groundwork for the future story with Styx and humanity. So I should have trusted Shepherd and not doubted him ten books into the series.
It still has what the previous book had, which was annoying human leaders who seem to abandon all good sense and reason in favor of their power and the power of the Fleet status quo. Yet, they do get what they deserve.
It ends with the three directions from the end of Homecoming still open, but in the final bits of the book, two of them are reopened and one is left up to Fleet to try to solve on its own.
So, overall, I am still satisfied. Yet, even at the end of Homecoming, I was left wondering if Shepherd could really finish this story in twelve books (which was a Tweet estimate of his at one point), and now I am even more unsure if he can do it in twelve. But if he does not, that is all the better, for that means more excellent books, stories, and characters.
At the end of Homecoming, we were left to expect three different directions of the story of the battle against Nia and the saving of the Spiral. This did not go in any of those directions much. Instead, it brings in a new AI race (far older, reaching more than 30,000 years back), and for a long time I was kind of disappointed with the book, thinking Shepherd was adding unnecessary complication to the overall story. By the end, however, I have kind of changed my mind. It still kind of seems like unnecessary story in some ways, but at the same time, the change in the relationship with Styx and the character development of other characters made me realize it is actually a good direction and lays some groundwork for the future story with Styx and humanity. So I should have trusted Shepherd and not doubted him ten books into the series.
It still has what the previous book had, which was annoying human leaders who seem to abandon all good sense and reason in favor of their power and the power of the Fleet status quo. Yet, they do get what they deserve.
It ends with the three directions from the end of Homecoming still open, but in the final bits of the book, two of them are reopened and one is left up to Fleet to try to solve on its own.
So, overall, I am still satisfied. Yet, even at the end of Homecoming, I was left wondering if Shepherd could really finish this story in twelve books (which was a Tweet estimate of his at one point), and now I am even more unsure if he can do it in twelve. But if he does not, that is all the better, for that means more excellent books, stories, and characters.
November 26, 2025
The Spiral Wars is probably one of my favorite sci-fi space opera long series. I would have benefited from re-reading the previous 2 books in the series as I had a slightly difficult time getting re-oriented. Shepherd isn’t afraid to kill off characters, which I appreciate as it makes the stakes feel real to the reader. I know he also was intentional with not having too many perspectives happening at once which was one of the big critiques of Qalea Drop. I think it did serve the story well here. I did really really want to know what was happening with Lisbeth and I hope we get that in the next book.
I missed Styx in this book, which if you read Homecoming you know why she isn’t in this book as much. This was a lot more of an exploration of how deep the corruption in Human Fleet goes. The corruption was hinted at but the layers and layers of secrets are pulled back. There is an exploration of how one makes the hard choices and serving a cause that others may not understand. I also love when Shepherd explores and builds on the greater Spiral History.
I missed Styx in this book, which if you read Homecoming you know why she isn’t in this book as much. This was a lot more of an exploration of how deep the corruption in Human Fleet goes. The corruption was hinted at but the layers and layers of secrets are pulled back. There is an exploration of how one makes the hard choices and serving a cause that others may not understand. I also love when Shepherd explores and builds on the greater Spiral History.
July 24, 2025
Reliable continuation, light on starship action.
The tenth entry in The Spiral Wars continues to deliver solid, above-average military sci-fi. The overarching plot feels more cohesive again, successfully deepening the lore and building anticipation for what comes next. The author does a great job nerfing key characters by taking some of their biggest advantages off the table—without it feeling like a narrative contrivance.
This instalment leans more heavily on ground-based action, rather than the naval combat that has made some previous books so enjoyable. Personally, I missed the "Hornblower in space" elements, and would have preferred more ship-to-ship tactics and strategy. That said, the pacing holds up, and the ground combat doesn’t drag.
Some shifts to tertiary character perspectives added little to the overall story and could have been cut with minimal impact, but this remains good, reliable space opera fodder. I’ll definitely be reading the next one.
The tenth entry in The Spiral Wars continues to deliver solid, above-average military sci-fi. The overarching plot feels more cohesive again, successfully deepening the lore and building anticipation for what comes next. The author does a great job nerfing key characters by taking some of their biggest advantages off the table—without it feeling like a narrative contrivance.
This instalment leans more heavily on ground-based action, rather than the naval combat that has made some previous books so enjoyable. Personally, I missed the "Hornblower in space" elements, and would have preferred more ship-to-ship tactics and strategy. That said, the pacing holds up, and the ground combat doesn’t drag.
Some shifts to tertiary character perspectives added little to the overall story and could have been cut with minimal impact, but this remains good, reliable space opera fodder. I’ll definitely be reading the next one.
September 29, 2025
Joel Shepherd delivers again. Once you're all caught up, things start rolling, and rolling very fast.
I enjoyed that this story flowed over a short period of time (in book), situations escalate at a rate of knots. Lines are blurred between friends and enemies.
Since this is set on Homeworld itself, the story is Parren, Deepynine and Alo free. Sufficient time is spent on the various settings and characters - from the Debogande family and their internal politics, to the cesspool that is Fleet, the newly discovered lore and history that were forgotten. There's plenty of action, tragedy, new bonds being forged, old bonds being destroyed. We get a much deeper look at how the personality of the various AI's differ and ultimately balance each other out.
There's still numerous little strings and paths playing themselves out, however, they do look to be heading towards a collision - whatever that may bring.
I enjoyed that this story flowed over a short period of time (in book), situations escalate at a rate of knots. Lines are blurred between friends and enemies.
Since this is set on Homeworld itself, the story is Parren, Deepynine and Alo free. Sufficient time is spent on the various settings and characters - from the Debogande family and their internal politics, to the cesspool that is Fleet, the newly discovered lore and history that were forgotten. There's plenty of action, tragedy, new bonds being forged, old bonds being destroyed. We get a much deeper look at how the personality of the various AI's differ and ultimately balance each other out.
There's still numerous little strings and paths playing themselves out, however, they do look to be heading towards a collision - whatever that may bring.
September 8, 2025
Good and bad here. On one hand, the plot started moving again (finally) after a book and a half of stasis. On the other hand, much of this book, and the entirety of the previous, just seemed to be a constant re-hash of the "we are right, and everyone hates us" theme that we have already done.
And for every step forward, there were silly sidesteps - a debate about benevolent AI and the pace of change sounds great, but actually, we can read about an AI going full waifu and becoming capable of (VR) sex. A story about an alien AI that has been badly harnessed/re-programmed by humanity turns into "be nice to nerds" storyline.
It's an engaging read, and the overall premise is good. But these last two books have been a real dip in quality.
And for every step forward, there were silly sidesteps - a debate about benevolent AI and the pace of change sounds great, but actually, we can read about an AI going full waifu and becoming capable of (VR) sex. A story about an alien AI that has been badly harnessed/re-programmed by humanity turns into "be nice to nerds" storyline.
It's an engaging read, and the overall premise is good. But these last two books have been a real dip in quality.
July 27, 2025
Great addition to a great series
This is one of my favorite series and the author tied up so many threads and brought a lot of it to a great place with this book. There are clearly more books to go, but it’s in a great place, and was an excellent read.
There were a lot of threads to lock down and the cast of characters is as large as almost any series you could find.
We finally get the story of what happens when the Phoenix gets home.
This is one of my favorite series and the author tied up so many threads and brought a lot of it to a great place with this book. There are clearly more books to go, but it’s in a great place, and was an excellent read.
There were a lot of threads to lock down and the cast of characters is as large as almost any series you could find.
We finally get the story of what happens when the Phoenix gets home.
September 7, 2025
Great change of pace. The ship to ship combat I can take or leave but the overall story of discovering sentient ai races continues and this book does a really good job of furthering that while changing the setting for a beat.
Definitely recommend this and I hope further books similarly keep the quality bar high.
I’m very curious if we’ll see phoenix return to human controlled worlds again later in the series.
Definitely recommend this and I hope further books similarly keep the quality bar high.
I’m very curious if we’ll see phoenix return to human controlled worlds again later in the series.
August 8, 2025
solid story telling
Joel Shepherd is a great story teller, and this is a riveting story. With that said, book 10 is a solid continuation of the story with lots of ups and downs, a few twists and a couple of turns. If you are unfamiliar with this series at book 10, go back and start at the beginning. It is worth it!
Joel Shepherd is a great story teller, and this is a riveting story. With that said, book 10 is a solid continuation of the story with lots of ups and downs, a few twists and a couple of turns. If you are unfamiliar with this series at book 10, go back and start at the beginning. It is worth it!
August 10, 2025
Awesome!
Questions answered and questions raised. Great installment but read the first nine before jumping into this one. Great world building, how do you create a story with 1000’s of years of history. Alien races, alien politics, horrific weapons, and some pretty god like AIs. I think there is a lot of story left.
Questions answered and questions raised. Great installment but read the first nine before jumping into this one. Great world building, how do you create a story with 1000’s of years of history. Alien races, alien politics, horrific weapons, and some pretty god like AIs. I think there is a lot of story left.
August 11, 2025
another great addition to the Spiral Wars
When is book 11 coming out? I don’t want to wait, though a big plus is I will re-read book 10 when it does. I’m loving this story arc, great writing that seems to get better, amazing development of the story, more intrigue and adventure. Love the characters, particularly Trace, but they are all fabulous. Highly recommend this series.
When is book 11 coming out? I don’t want to wait, though a big plus is I will re-read book 10 when it does. I’m loving this story arc, great writing that seems to get better, amazing development of the story, more intrigue and adventure. Love the characters, particularly Trace, but they are all fabulous. Highly recommend this series.
September 6, 2025
Hitting High Notes
Pure dopamine, characters continue to reflect people you want to know, back in human space events complex and reflective of present day human politic and fear. Just the right stuff, tense and consistently choreographed and satisfying ground and space skirmishes. Even quantum conversation about the nature of consciousness. Have some of this!
Pure dopamine, characters continue to reflect people you want to know, back in human space events complex and reflective of present day human politic and fear. Just the right stuff, tense and consistently choreographed and satisfying ground and space skirmishes. Even quantum conversation about the nature of consciousness. Have some of this!
September 8, 2025
This is definitely one of my favourite series and each book, including this one, has not disappointed. The story is quite involved and the list of characters quite long but I love the depth and breadth of it. I particularly enjoy how the Phoenix crew has become like a close knit family, especially with everything that’s going on with Fleet. Great read.
August 25, 2025
Another great installment
This is now my favorite series. Precursor did a good job advancing the narrative and had some excellent action scenes. My only request for Joel would be to get the next installment out sooner.
This is now my favorite series. Precursor did a good job advancing the narrative and had some excellent action scenes. My only request for Joel would be to get the next installment out sooner.
Read
August 27, 2025I listened to the Audible version of this book, and also read a lot of it on the Kindle. What a great story! All the great characters are back, there's a new AI in town, Fleet gets worse and worse, and the world building just keeps growing.
I can't wait for the next one!
I can't wait for the next one!
September 9, 2025
Easily one of the Top 10 Spiral Wars books so far
Seriously though, these books are always good, but this is a strong entry.
Plenty of payoff for long running story lines, realistic behavior of characters on all sides and hard hitting consequences, as always.
Seriously though, these books are always good, but this is a strong entry.
Plenty of payoff for long running story lines, realistic behavior of characters on all sides and hard hitting consequences, as always.
Read
October 2, 2025More twists and turns
Of course, it wasn't the homecoming Phoenix hoped for, but given the usual twists and turns in this series, that's no surprise. The story continues to be exciting and intriguing sci-fi action.
Of course, it wasn't the homecoming Phoenix hoped for, but given the usual twists and turns in this series, that's no surprise. The story continues to be exciting and intriguing sci-fi action.
October 23, 2025
Another fun read
Precursor was really exciting and I didn't even notice I was getting close to the end. Joel manages to keep me enthralled in his novels, and I think he's getting better and better.
Precursor was really exciting and I didn't even notice I was getting close to the end. Joel manages to keep me enthralled in his novels, and I think he's getting better and better.
July 26, 2025
Loved this one
It is another amazing ride with characters both human and AI that I am fully invested in. Great reading and massive action.
It is another amazing ride with characters both human and AI that I am fully invested in. Great reading and massive action.
August 5, 2025
Another fantastic book in the series....everything I'd hoped for.
I can't wait for the next installment.
I can't wait for the next installment.
September 9, 2025
Homeworld homecoming
Intermnal Fleet politics disrupt the homecoming for Phoenix and Erik’s mother getting assassinated disrupts his family’s harmony with his other sisters.
Intermnal Fleet politics disrupt the homecoming for Phoenix and Erik’s mother getting assassinated disrupts his family’s harmony with his other sisters.
Read
October 15, 2025Fantastic as always!
Joel Shepard continues to be one of the best fiction writers today. Every book in this series has been fantastic, and Precursor is no exception!
Joel Shepard continues to be one of the best fiction writers today. Every book in this series has been fantastic, and Precursor is no exception!
November 21, 2025
Ultimate space opera
it’s so disappointing to get to the end of a Joel Shepherd novel. I want it to continue, it is so good.
it’s so disappointing to get to the end of a Joel Shepherd novel. I want it to continue, it is so good.
December 11, 2025
One of the best Sci-Fi novels I have read in ages.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews