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Reborn as a Space Mercenary: I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship! Light Novel #12
Reborn as a Space Mercenary: I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship! (Light Novel) Vol. 12
A SAMURAI TANUKI?!When swordswoman Konoha joins Serena's edge-world investigation, Hiro's gobsmacked by her combat chops. Supposedly, Konoha's here to investigate a metal spider with psionic abilities--and check up on Kugi!
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 10, 2024
30 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 5, 2025
Hiro and the gang set out to help Serena with her investigation into the alien spider-like critters and do some pirate hunting on the side as well. What follows is a fairly straightforward slice-of-life adventure, nothing big happens, and I feel that this is more of setup for what is coming next. It is an entertaining popcorn read with funny characters and a simple SF world and no real threat to deal with which this far in the series should not come as a surprise.
November 10, 2025
"Master Hiro is improper!"
Yes. Very much so. But not without good conscience, not without a fair temper, and not without exerting due patience. Captain Hiro is definitely improper, but he's also so much more. Right?
REBORN AS A SPACE MERC v12 pulls the crew of the Black Lotus toward the farthest reaches of the empire's authority, on official orders. Hiro would rather not be forced to duck and weave through asteroids while getting harangued by Colonel Serena Holz (again), but a job is a job. And this job, it turns out, has multiple layers: investigate the Grakkan Empire's outer reaches (the Kensan System, the Riche System), eliminate all pirate activity in those areas, and locate and subjugate the origin of those spider-like sphere things of incredible destructive power.
Readers don't have much to fear, on Hiro's behalf, at this point in the novel series. The guy has a chunky mothership, an unbeatable smaller-class starship, a half-dozen women on his hip, and every intergalactic fighting accolade to his name. The author may need to be especially creative moving forward.
In the current volume, exploring the outer reaches proves somewhat fruitful. Hiro returns to the cockpit to thrash some pirates, like in the old days, while Elma finally takes her new ship for a spin. Elma's Antlion sees action for the first time, and she reacquaints herself, Hiro, and readers with her original skills as a top-class bounty hunter from the novel series' earliest chapters. Elma's role has vacillated a bit, but one enjoys seeing the strongest personality of the secondary cast returning to the front of the story, if briefly.
But destroying pirates is one thing, what about those plasma-resistant, metal spider creatures? REBORN AS A SPACE MERC v12 sends the crew to the Riche System, beyond the boondocks, and locates a planet thought to be the home (ruins) of these wild things. Narratively, the trip is loaded with tension, but the payoff is crude and anticlimactic. Readers interested in another power-armor adventure in rough terrain against unpredictable foes will be sorely disappointed.
The book is more entertaining on the front of character development. The return of Dr. Shouko is a gift. The genetics researcher affiliated with Inagawa Technologies (Arein System) was last encountered in the novel series' earliest volumes. The busty "older woman" is surprisingly mellow despite being an absolute disaster when it comes to anything but her scientific research. Shouko hints at some serious debt that needs to be cleared, and Hiro seems up to helping her clean out her ledger. Amusingly, the guy only realizes a little too late that his appeals to help are no different than any generic appeal to wooing her onto his ship.
Elsewise, Kugi, the fox-girl, is officially a part of the Black Lotus, while Konoha Hagakure, a temple guard officer with the Holy Verthalz Empire, joins temporarily as a military escort. The two characters blend into the crew reasonably well, and the inevitable romantic presumptions between Hiro and Kugi make for some indubitably awkward encounters thereafter (i.e., apparently, intimacy between a pair of psionics produce a bevy of unexpected side effects, for others).
REBORN AS A SPACE MERC v12 does more for the relationships between its characters than it does for the broader story. Hiro's awareness of, and familiarity with, his psionic abilities grows, and the whole crew builds its experience as a small fleet, rather than one big ship with a single capable pilot. It's a fun installment, but without a decent antagonist and absent a purposeful Third Act, readers will be left wanting more.
Yes. Very much so. But not without good conscience, not without a fair temper, and not without exerting due patience. Captain Hiro is definitely improper, but he's also so much more. Right?
REBORN AS A SPACE MERC v12 pulls the crew of the Black Lotus toward the farthest reaches of the empire's authority, on official orders. Hiro would rather not be forced to duck and weave through asteroids while getting harangued by Colonel Serena Holz (again), but a job is a job. And this job, it turns out, has multiple layers: investigate the Grakkan Empire's outer reaches (the Kensan System, the Riche System), eliminate all pirate activity in those areas, and locate and subjugate the origin of those spider-like sphere things of incredible destructive power.
Readers don't have much to fear, on Hiro's behalf, at this point in the novel series. The guy has a chunky mothership, an unbeatable smaller-class starship, a half-dozen women on his hip, and every intergalactic fighting accolade to his name. The author may need to be especially creative moving forward.
In the current volume, exploring the outer reaches proves somewhat fruitful. Hiro returns to the cockpit to thrash some pirates, like in the old days, while Elma finally takes her new ship for a spin. Elma's Antlion sees action for the first time, and she reacquaints herself, Hiro, and readers with her original skills as a top-class bounty hunter from the novel series' earliest chapters. Elma's role has vacillated a bit, but one enjoys seeing the strongest personality of the secondary cast returning to the front of the story, if briefly.
But destroying pirates is one thing, what about those plasma-resistant, metal spider creatures? REBORN AS A SPACE MERC v12 sends the crew to the Riche System, beyond the boondocks, and locates a planet thought to be the home (ruins) of these wild things. Narratively, the trip is loaded with tension, but the payoff is crude and anticlimactic. Readers interested in another power-armor adventure in rough terrain against unpredictable foes will be sorely disappointed.
The book is more entertaining on the front of character development. The return of Dr. Shouko is a gift. The genetics researcher affiliated with Inagawa Technologies (Arein System) was last encountered in the novel series' earliest volumes. The busty "older woman" is surprisingly mellow despite being an absolute disaster when it comes to anything but her scientific research. Shouko hints at some serious debt that needs to be cleared, and Hiro seems up to helping her clean out her ledger. Amusingly, the guy only realizes a little too late that his appeals to help are no different than any generic appeal to wooing her onto his ship.
Elsewise, Kugi, the fox-girl, is officially a part of the Black Lotus, while Konoha Hagakure, a temple guard officer with the Holy Verthalz Empire, joins temporarily as a military escort. The two characters blend into the crew reasonably well, and the inevitable romantic presumptions between Hiro and Kugi make for some indubitably awkward encounters thereafter (i.e., apparently, intimacy between a pair of psionics produce a bevy of unexpected side effects, for others).
REBORN AS A SPACE MERC v12 does more for the relationships between its characters than it does for the broader story. Hiro's awareness of, and familiarity with, his psionic abilities grows, and the whole crew builds its experience as a small fleet, rather than one big ship with a single capable pilot. It's a fun installment, but without a decent antagonist and absent a purposeful Third Act, readers will be left wanting more.
May 2, 2025
I love this series so much
This is now my top 3 of all time. If I was reincarnated or isekai'd I wasn't sure if I'd want this series or by the grace of the gods, or S rank healer. That's why there's 3 in the top now. Anyways really good book author, please make several dozen more and never stop writing this!
This is now my top 3 of all time. If I was reincarnated or isekai'd I wasn't sure if I'd want this series or by the grace of the gods, or S rank healer. That's why there's 3 in the top now. Anyways really good book author, please make several dozen more and never stop writing this!
May 18, 2025
Fun!
Another fun and comical read. I'm excited for the next installment of this series! I hope to see where this goes. See you next time space adventures!
Another fun and comical read. I'm excited for the next installment of this series! I hope to see where this goes. See you next time space adventures!
July 10, 2025
This series is always entertaining. Hiro’s ship is getting pretty full of ladies. I wasn’t really sure if this volume’s story was done or to be continued.
August 10, 2025
Continuing fun
I enjoy the character interaction. Also the almost fatalistic assurance of his continuing bad luck. Also the flirty nature of his crew.👍
I enjoy the character interaction. Also the almost fatalistic assurance of his continuing bad luck. Also the flirty nature of his crew.👍
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews