The First Peacemaker

First Peacemaker #1

by J.N. Chaney, Terry Maggert, Aaron Bunce

Deep inside Antarctica lies a mystery. The forgotten pathway to the stars.

Rejected scientist Alexander Hawke is down to his last chance. Brilliant but sheltered, every banker in New York has refused to finance his ideas.

Enter the Russian—charming, dangerous, and offering an Antarctic expedition that promises answers to all of his questions.

Now, Alexander stands at the edge of a bottomless chasm. With a helpful shove from his foreign benefactor, he plunges into adventure.

Landing in darkness, Alexander finds a portal to destiny—weirder than New York, colder than Russia, and filled with the ruins of an empire that once spanned the galaxy.

Armed with his wits, he’ll set forth on the journey of a lifetime, recruited by aliens for a civil war in which the good side is bad, the bad side is good, and somehow, Alexander ends up square in the middle.

And his only way home is to save the world.

Grab your copy now and join Alexander as he crosses the stars, makes a few friends, and learns that sometimes, the fall is just the beginning.

The First Peacemaker is the first entry in a brand new series inside the Backyard Starship Universe.

Genres: Science Fiction

546 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 6, 2025

About the author

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Reviews

[Charles Lampert · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an avid fan of the BYSS universe, "The First Peacemaker" was difficult to review. I found the beginning of the book to be disorganized and hard to follow as if the three authors were still figuring out whom their characters really were. Had the rest of the book been the same, I would have given it only 2 stars and probably wouldn't have finished it. Fortunately for me, I persevered and finished the book as the plot became clearer, and the characters became more "real."

I gave it 3 stars: two for the disorganized and hard-to-follow beginning, and a strong 4 stars for the potential of this new series. I am about to read Afterfall, the 2nd book of the series, and have no doubt that the magic of Chaney and Maggert will reassert itself. I haven't read anything by Aaron Bunce but if he's good enough for them, he must be a damn good writer.

For those planning to read The First Peacemaker, stick with it. By the end of the book, you'll be wanting more.

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, the story begins....

Excellent! Exciting! An excellent exciting adventure bringing four distinct entities together on an epic quest to bring justice and peace to an unsuspecting universe. Can one human's vision ignite a united force for good into a powerhouse army fighting corruption, greed, evil and badassery? The Peacekeepers arise to do just that. From a small start we will watch....

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this book was definitely written in parts by J. N. Chaney & Terry Maggert. They’ve got the seemingly never ending “Backyard Starship” series out to twenty-six books now, but I believe it’s about to come to an end. So, in steps this new series, but we’re going back to the very beginning with some very new characters. I’m not so sure I like these new guys and gals. I’m also thinking that I’m about worn out reading about Peacemakers and that whole story-line. Still, this book was interesting and somewhat exciting, but I’m just not sure it’s for me.

Alexander Hawkes is a young man more of a nerd than anything else. He’s graduated from college with a graduate degree in geological engineering. Now he and his absent partner, Jacob Finely, are trying to create a startup company interested in exploring a very interesting gravimetric anomaly in the Antarctica. Well, actually Alexander is the only one trying to promote his new company, “Graviton”, but he’s not having much luck. He’s in New York to start with by himself with little to no support from his partner back in Colorado. In fact, he can’t even reach his partner right now. Jacob’s phone just seems to ring and ring without anyone answering it. That kind of confirms Alexander’s suspicions that his partner might not be as invested in this new company as he should.

Well, the truth is, nobody seems interested in what Alexander is trying to pitch. Most don’t understand all the scientific background required to know what he’s trying to tell them and they are all looking for a fast payback from any investment they might make. Alexander can’t guarantee must of a return on any money invested, because, well he doesn’t know what they will find. So, after getting rejected by his latest financial source, he was pretty dejected and ready to go home.

Then he meets Petyr Groshenko, a Russian and whose name I’ve heard many, many times before. Petyr has been watching Alexander going through his presentation in the diner’s booth and finally comes and sits in front of Alexander uninvited. He asks if Alexander is looking to monetize gravity! Of course Alexander doesn’t know who this gentlemen is, what he wants, or why he’s interested in what Alexander is trying to do. But after some discussions, Groshenko tells Alexander that he has a ship and is ready to take Alexander to the Antarctica! Alexander can’t believe his ears, but tells Groshenko that he has to go back to Colorado and gather his equipment plus notify his partner that they have someone willing to get them to the Antarctica. Groshenko tells Alexander (Alexander doesn’t like shortened names) that’s all not necessary since his ship has all the necessary equipment he might need including appropriate cold weather clothing. He tells Alexander to meet him at a pier 82 tomorrow. He also tells Alexander that money is not a question, Groshenko is really to fully fund the trip without further explanations!

Alexander can’t believe if this Groshenko is a nut-job or what. After Groshenko leaves, Alexander trying to once again contact his partner, Jacob, only to hear that the phone number he had being using is now a non-working number! Apparently, his partner is now no longer interested in this adventure and probably never really was. Alexander still isn’t sure he wants to go through with this, but he does show up early the next morning attempting to find pier 82. Yet, he easily finds pier 81 and pier 83, but doesn’t have a clue where pier 82 is until Petyr Groshenko seeming appears out of the mist. He then asked Alexander to board a small boat that will take them to his ship. And sure enough, once in the water and going through the heavy fog, pier 82 suddenly appears. The ship isn’t all that special, but Groshenko says it will get them where they want to go and back, if necessary!

He also tells Alexander not to go wandering around the ship and especially stay out of the bridge. Of course, Alexander doesn’t follow these instructions so his world is about to be turn upside down! He’s going to find himself taken much further than the Antarctica with a very strange companion. He’s going to find that the galaxy is not devoid of life as we on Earth assumed it was, but the Galaxy has its problems just like Earth. Whether Alexander can help solve some of those problems is going to be the crux of this entire series. The first problem Alexander must solve is how to get back home. That one might be the last of his problems because he’s going to experience a whole lot more. We’ll meet a lot of people (or aliens) that we’re quite familiar with if you’ve read any of the “Backyard Starship” series. Just remember, this is just the start of what Van Tudor got himself involved in a few years, centuries, millennium later.

Again, I’m not so sure I will continue with this series. Alexander isn’t the kind of character I really can associate with, certainly not a Van Tudor. Still, it’s well written and I can read a lot of Chaney and Maggert in the story. The next book, if you’re interested, is “Afterfall”, and it’s available on Amazon right now.

==[Note: As of 12/03/2023, this will not be published on Amazon since I have been banned from posting reviews for some unknown reason. Once the ban is lifted, assuming it does get lifted, I’ll go back and post this to Amazon.]==

[David Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can one man change the world?

The book starts in 1982 on Earth as Alexander tries to find funding for a gravity on project. He bumps into Piotr and events end up with him being back in time and across space by a Fold relic and AI he nicknames Four. He ends up on a planet called Twilight that does not rotate so one side remains in darkness, one in light and another section in between, with each 'side' colonized by a different people. The Eternum are losing their grip on the planet and things start to unravel as time passes...
Alexander is thrust into a world of espionage, romance, double crosses, Aliens -many of which are familiar from the Backyard Starship series - warfare, technological advances and much more as he strives to return home with Four and hand maiden Dilliseth...

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been just slogging through this. I like the characters but I'm having trouble keeping up with them. It may be the stop and start listening I'm having to do, but I don't think it can be all that. What's the plot? Is Alexander just trying to get home? Four is the most interesting one of the bunch.

With any new series, there's world building to be done. I will probably come back to this because I really like the universe. But for now, after trying to get through this for the past week and a half, I'm done. I usually get through a book in a couple of days.

And a postscript - Jeffrey Kafer, I love your narration of these books. But for goodness sake, go see my friend Jill Massie for some dialect coaching. Your British accent is just pitiful.

[Candie Kirby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t expect to enjoy this one as much as I did, but wow it really pulled me in.

The First Peacemaker was fast-paced, full of action, and surprisingly easy to follow even with all the sci-fi elements. The world-building is solid without being overwhelming, and the story just flows.

The main character is rough, a little jaded, but super compelling. I liked seeing his layers peel back as the story went on. It had just the right mix of tech, character development, and tension to keep me flipping pages way past when I should’ve gone to sleep.

If you like sci-fi with a bit of grit and heart, this one’s worth picking up.

[Gurunam Kaur Khalsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic journey through time and space.

A young geophysics fails in his attempts to get financial backing to study a gravitational anomaly at Antarctica. He is planning to return home in defeat when he encounters a Russian man who says he can take him to the anomaly. When the ship gets to Antarctica and they travel to the anomaly, the Russian throws him into a crevice where he struggles against the elements until he finds a pod containing an AI who was sent to Earth to collect specimens to be studied and disected by the AI's creator. The creator cannot be reached so the man and the AI find themselves 300 years in the past and many light years frm home.

[Beach Bum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Long winded

It's the story of the Peacemaker guild. No surprise given the books title
Whereas the previous Peacemaker books were fast paced and focused, this one was a lot slower and at times felt directionless.
Granted the purpose of the book is to provide a foundation not only to this series, but all the subsequent Peacemaker series that already exist and as such has a lot of information to get in front of the reader and ensure no errors occur in the story that affects the already written books(I didn't notice any)
It's an ok attempt, not on a par with the others, but hopefully things will pick up in the next book

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

More origin story than B.S. Origins

We meet Alexander Hawkes at a very low point in his life. He has an idea for a potentially groundbreaking project to learn more about gravity, if only he could get it funded.

He then runs into Petyr Groshenko before we’ve seen him as a Peacemaker. This leads him into a very strange adventure where he is far from our solar system and dealing with a multiplicity of sentient and other alien beings.

I THINK that this series is more of an origin story than Backyard Spaceship: Origins because the Peacemaker Guild doesn’t seem to have been created yet. I plan to explore this series before I read any further in B.S. Origins in the hopes of reading the various series in the most sensible order…

[Dale Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is very engaging, drawing you in immediately. Alex has his quirks, which bring him to life the more you read.
I do have one issue, and apologies to the author. Chapter One introduces us to Alex in 1982 as he is trying to fund a research expedition. Later in the book, he references living through the fall of the Berlin Wall, which didn’t happen until 1989. This, along with some other, technical anomalies (when referencing Earth’s technology) seem to indicate perhaps a 1992 start date?
(After going back over the exchange, I didn’t see the Berlin Wall reference, so it may have been corrected, or a product of my imagination - with electronic media we can never be sure of which.)

[Sean Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great read

A great start for a great series. This is a great starting point if you're looking to start the byss series. It's like if you read firefly, but peter parker was the eventual captain. Alexander is deeply flawed and even cowardly until he realizes he's the only nerd for the job. Alexander is so relatable and so real, it feels like an every day average Joe has to save the universe, one world at a time. I can't wait for the next book!

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you Goodreads for selecting me as a winner of this book. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into it. I see I am an outlier in my rating, so maybe I’m just not in the right mood for it. i did not find
Alexander likable and the I’m not a fan of reading about coked up characters (my assumption of the banker). They both just turned me off of this book. I could only take a1 few pages. Sorry…

[Valerie Holland · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked that we're getting some backstory on Alexander, the first peacemaker. Sections of of the story were a little tiresome. The royal court stuff, the jester, the "my leige" stuff. it all reminded me of "Captain Proton" in Star Trek Voyager. I realize it was to advance the story as to the inequality and oppression, etc., but it went on a little too long.
I ended up listening to it at fast speed.

[Bill Barnes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not near the standards set in the sequel.

Boring and disjointed plot. The teaser at the beginning with Peyter Groshenko and the mention of Mark don’t jive with Alexander being transported back in time a light years away. I was able to force myself to about page 40 before giving up. For me the “ Furst Peacemaker” will remain a mytery

[William (Mr. Bill) Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

The First Peacemaker - buckle up space cadets.

An excellent fantasy/sci-fi book suitable for most ages. I have read a number of books by Chaney, and Maggert that have always been enjoyable, like 'Backyard Starship'. Now, I'll have to add Aaron Bunce to my list. Since this is a series starter, I look forward to reading the follow-up book, 'Afterfall'. -Mr.Bill

[Daniel Fedko · Rating 5 out of 5]

great story really enjoyed it

I'm amazed that this author can write so many fantastic novels, I hope that he never stops writing. His books are some of the best Entertainment  I have read and worth the time to read them. Thank you for a very fun entertaining read.

[Linda Jauhal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book!

It added more mystery to the beginning of the peace makers and the beginning of all the different species in the know galaxy of the peace makers. Looking forward to the next book.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting trek to understanding

Good book. To me, the Backyard Starship thread is superior, but it’s too soon to offer a conclusive opinion. I’ve got #2 open. I’ll let you know how it goes.

[William N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprising

I was surprised to see ANOTHER series in this universe, same authors, but different time and characters. Made perfect sense how they started the whole thing off. The surprising thing: it was good, just like all the others.

[Gail Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

I enjoyed it, it was definitely different than standard backyard Starship formats and books. And in my opinion a little bit harder to follow. However it was decent, the ending part definitely has me intrigued for the next book.

[Teresa Tidwell]

Great prequel story!

Very enjoyable prequel lead off! I really enjoyed it, and look forward to the future books. Reading about the characters in Backyard Starship and their early adventures was a blast!

[Leonard Loar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story so far

You really need to check your Dictionary and thesaurus Because the word shudder means to shake and shiver whereas the word you were looking for shutter Means to cover a door Or window With a moving screen

[Herbert Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

peacemaker is an audacious start of interesting science fiction

Great start. I wasn’t a fan at the beginning but it grew on me. Interesting cast of characters that should make a great foundation for the follow on books.

[Kimberly Sparks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good start....

I can tell that this is gonna be an interesting read. The very beginning of how the peacemakers got started. This one can't wait to get to the next book to see where this goes from here.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Take your time. Keep reading.

This is a difficult to start book. But once you get past the beginning the pace picks up.

So soldier on.

It gets 3 stars because it has copy editing issues.

Don't let that stop you from enjoying the book.

Enjoy.

[John #Audible · Rating 1 out of 5]

The MC has a personality of a monkey and the intelligence of one. Hence he is constantly being led around by the AI who wants to kill him!! Any sane person would have told the AI to go fuck off, left the AI behind or dumped in a deep lake. Maybe a volcano.

[Douglas Bradshaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was very slow at first and I almost quit reading. It got better the second half. I may or may not read the second book in the series. Didn’t feel it was up to the interest in content of backyard spaceship series.

[Andrew Pattie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book, however I thought that the begining third of the book was slow. It did pick up and I'm hopeful that it will become a long series.

[John Mchale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slow and confusing in places but still an enjoyable read and looks like a great series to come

[Donavan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s okay. Not the best, not the worst