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Black Ocean #1
Salvage Trouble
Science to build a starship. Wizardry to take it past light speed. A crew to give it a soul.
In the year 2254 gravity was officially declared to be magic; the scientists gave up trying to figure it out and handed it over to the wizards. Without the inherent respect for the laws of physics, the wizards poked and prodded at gravity, poring over all that science knew about the attraction of one object to the next, and dismissing it as poppycock. They discovered ways around the tired old limits, and gave birth to the first true starships. Some enlightened journalist, covering the maiden voyage of the Impossible, noted that the ship was shaped like a hand giving the middle finger to science.
The dreams of children came alive, and humanity expanded into the cosmos, unlocking the secrets of the galaxy.
Who could have foreseen that three hundred years later, a down-on-his-luck captain would be answering distress calls, hoping to arrive in time to get first pick of the salvage …
Mission 1: Salvage Trouble
A routine salvage job turns into a rescue mission, and a good deed never goes unpunished. With two refugees aboard, Captain Carl Ramsey finds that his ship, the Mobius, has a target painted on its hull. Someone is after the new passengers, and willing to stop at nothing to get them back.
With his ex-wife as pilot, a drunken mechanic, a predatory bodyguard, and an outcast wizard from the Convocation, what’s a captain to do? Just get paid for the job, and try to keep everyone alive. That’s all you can ever ask, really.
In the year 2254 gravity was officially declared to be magic; the scientists gave up trying to figure it out and handed it over to the wizards. Without the inherent respect for the laws of physics, the wizards poked and prodded at gravity, poring over all that science knew about the attraction of one object to the next, and dismissing it as poppycock. They discovered ways around the tired old limits, and gave birth to the first true starships. Some enlightened journalist, covering the maiden voyage of the Impossible, noted that the ship was shaped like a hand giving the middle finger to science.
The dreams of children came alive, and humanity expanded into the cosmos, unlocking the secrets of the galaxy.
Who could have foreseen that three hundred years later, a down-on-his-luck captain would be answering distress calls, hoping to arrive in time to get first pick of the salvage …
Mission 1: Salvage Trouble
A routine salvage job turns into a rescue mission, and a good deed never goes unpunished. With two refugees aboard, Captain Carl Ramsey finds that his ship, the Mobius, has a target painted on its hull. Someone is after the new passengers, and willing to stop at nothing to get them back.
With his ex-wife as pilot, a drunken mechanic, a predatory bodyguard, and an outcast wizard from the Convocation, what’s a captain to do? Just get paid for the job, and try to keep everyone alive. That’s all you can ever ask, really.
112 pages, ebook
First published October 26, 2014
467 people are currently reading
2202 people want to read
About the author
J.S. Morin
192 books611 followersI am a creator of worlds and a destroyer of words. As a fantasy writer, my works range from traditional epics to futuristic fantasy with starships. I have worked as an unpaid Little League pitcher, a cashier, a student library aide, a factory grunt, a cubicle drone, and an engineer--there is some overlap in the last two.
Through it all, though, I was always a storyteller. Eventually I started writing books based on the stray stories in my head, and people kept telling me to write more of them. Now, that's all I do for a living.
I enjoy strategy, worldbuilding, and the fantasy author's privilege to make up words. I am a gamer, a joker, and a thinker of sideways thoughts. But I don't dance, can't sing, and my best artistic efforts fall short of your average notebook doodle. When you read my books, you are seeing me at my best.
My ultimate goal is to be both clever and right at the same time. I have it on good authority that I have yet to achieve it.
Through it all, though, I was always a storyteller. Eventually I started writing books based on the stray stories in my head, and people kept telling me to write more of them. Now, that's all I do for a living.
I enjoy strategy, worldbuilding, and the fantasy author's privilege to make up words. I am a gamer, a joker, and a thinker of sideways thoughts. But I don't dance, can't sing, and my best artistic efforts fall short of your average notebook doodle. When you read my books, you are seeing me at my best.
My ultimate goal is to be both clever and right at the same time. I have it on good authority that I have yet to achieve it.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 194 reviews
April 30, 2017
Reads like a fan fiction homage to Jos Whedon's Firefly. Similar attempt at charm and some original elements, but not different enough to feel other than derivative.
February 14, 2019
I heard about the Black Ocean series on the Shacknews Chatty. Someone mentioned an Audible deal, a package that contained all 16.5 books. That was the first thing that drew me to the series: That there were 16 and a half books. What an odd number, literally and figuratively.
The second attraction was the premise. Black Ocean follows Karl, captain of the Mobius, and his ragtag band. It’s a space opera with light science elements, just enough to lend verisimilitude to situations like surviving on foreign planets.
Think of Black Ocean as a series of space operas about a Han Solo-like rogue and an entire crew of Chewbaccas to get into and out of trouble with him. SALVAGE TROUBLE is the first book, or mission, in the series. It’s an introductory book, but J. S. Morin wastes little time on introductions. Exposition is sparse. You get to know Karl and his band of misfits through scenes that depict action, life aboard the Mobius, or both.
Morin focuses on character development over plot. Karl and his crew go from the frying pan and into the fire and back again several times over the course of a short but sweet first story.
The second attraction was the premise. Black Ocean follows Karl, captain of the Mobius, and his ragtag band. It’s a space opera with light science elements, just enough to lend verisimilitude to situations like surviving on foreign planets.
Think of Black Ocean as a series of space operas about a Han Solo-like rogue and an entire crew of Chewbaccas to get into and out of trouble with him. SALVAGE TROUBLE is the first book, or mission, in the series. It’s an introductory book, but J. S. Morin wastes little time on introductions. Exposition is sparse. You get to know Karl and his band of misfits through scenes that depict action, life aboard the Mobius, or both.
Morin focuses on character development over plot. Karl and his crew go from the frying pan and into the fire and back again several times over the course of a short but sweet first story.
August 29, 2024
A good intro to the series, crew, and type of adventure. Definitely a la Firefly and light fun of a rascally nature.
The first time through I listened to the audio book. This time, taking advantage of a deal, I read it on the Kindle. It holds up either way.
The first time through I listened to the audio book. This time, taking advantage of a deal, I read it on the Kindle. It holds up either way.
June 15, 2019
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. It was a good read with a solid storyline and interesting characters
April 21, 2018
This was a fun book. Carl and his crew are off enough to be interesting, without being full anti-heroes. I'm hoping that future books will get more into the breakdown of science vs magic, but the these are quick fun actioners, so they may not support much on screen world building.
April 14, 2019
A bit underwhelming in terms of story, but makes up in both atmosphere and a fun ensemble of characters.
Somewhat derivative of the Firefly series, it's a light, fun read which provides mindless entertainment.
Somewhat derivative of the Firefly series, it's a light, fun read which provides mindless entertainment.
May 7, 2023
This was a fun lighter book. Crazy crew get into shenanigans. Nothing deep or serious, but I enjoyed the read all the same.
July 24, 2023
Expanse-a-like, Firefly-like, Millennium-Falcon-like book of a colorful crew of misfits on a spaceship. This one has magic. It is very shallow and sometimes unpolished. Then again, the genre is not overly populated with competitors so I think I will read a few more.
November 9, 2021
I have had this book in my to-read pile for a while now, and I’m kicking myself for not picking it up sooner. The reason I didn’t? The series title “Black Ocean”. While skimming through titles on Amazon, I spotted an interesting-looking sci-fi story, but assumed it was something to do with underwater exploration. Turns out I was wrong, and “Black Ocean” is a metaphor for the emptiness of space. Don’t make the same mistake I did!
As for a review, I’ll admit at the start that I loved the TV show Firefly. Why is this important? Because this book has a very similar feel. A genre-bending sci-fi novel about a crew of odd individuals scratching a living in a richly-realised interplanetary setting, and somehow managing to make things work most (well, some) of the time. You can’t escape the sense that the author is a Firefly fan, too, but I also spotted influences from Star Wars, the works of C. J. Cherryh, the old Traveller game, and probably many others. That’s not to say that this is derivative, it just shows that Morin has read (or watched, or played) the classics and knows how to put together an engaging space opera story, and add his own twist.
The twist that makes this book stand out is the clever mix of genres. Where Firefly was space meets western, this is space meets fantasy. Arthur C. Clarke famously stated that “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”. In the universe that these characters inhabit, it seems that any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology. The usual physicist-infuriating tropes of faster-than-light travel, artificial gravity and so on are here explicitly provided by magic. One member of the crew is a grumpy wizard with an aversion to science, and we even get a glimpse of that fantasy game staple, the healer cleric.
All of this combines to make a fun space opera with an interesting twist and plenty of opportunities for future stories. This the first of a series, and naturally enough spends some time introducing the characters, but we get enough plot to see them in action and want to find out more. I look forward to making my way through the rest of the series.
As for a review, I’ll admit at the start that I loved the TV show Firefly. Why is this important? Because this book has a very similar feel. A genre-bending sci-fi novel about a crew of odd individuals scratching a living in a richly-realised interplanetary setting, and somehow managing to make things work most (well, some) of the time. You can’t escape the sense that the author is a Firefly fan, too, but I also spotted influences from Star Wars, the works of C. J. Cherryh, the old Traveller game, and probably many others. That’s not to say that this is derivative, it just shows that Morin has read (or watched, or played) the classics and knows how to put together an engaging space opera story, and add his own twist.
The twist that makes this book stand out is the clever mix of genres. Where Firefly was space meets western, this is space meets fantasy. Arthur C. Clarke famously stated that “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”. In the universe that these characters inhabit, it seems that any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology. The usual physicist-infuriating tropes of faster-than-light travel, artificial gravity and so on are here explicitly provided by magic. One member of the crew is a grumpy wizard with an aversion to science, and we even get a glimpse of that fantasy game staple, the healer cleric.
All of this combines to make a fun space opera with an interesting twist and plenty of opportunities for future stories. This the first of a series, and naturally enough spends some time introducing the characters, but we get enough plot to see them in action and want to find out more. I look forward to making my way through the rest of the series.
December 5, 2019
While Captain Carl Ramsey and his crew are working on salvaging a damaged ship, they discover two refugees that need rescuing, which comes at a cost. Sister Theresa Richelieu, of the One Church and Adam, the little boy she’s trying to help, are the refugees. The priestess isn’t really a priestess any more, so she goes by Esper thereafter, and the little boy isn’t exactly what he appears. There’s a mystery to be solved as trouble keeps popping up, and the wizard does what he does to get them out of trouble, which is pretty badass. I love how technology and space mixes it up with wizardry, with wizardry always coming out the winner, except when it messes up the technology they need to survive in space, which leads to lots of interesting dilemmas on a spaceship. I’m looking forward to reading the next book, A Smuggler’s Conscience, to get more of Captain Ramsey and his oddball crew.
April 11, 2016
I wanted to like this book because the blurb read like a Firefly-style adventure.
I was very disappointed.
It is ultra-light, not tightly written, with predictable, mundane dialogue throughout. It takes a while to get to the point of the story, then (80% through the book) it does get to an attention-worthy bit of business. Can't say I'm a fan of having magic in a hard SF universe just to have it used as an ass-saving device. World building is poor. There were many places where it would have been great to have an explanation/discussion of what/why re the 'verse they were in; there were many, many places where too much time was spent explaining unnecessary decor details.
With a good editor, this could make a passable novella, or TV script.
I was very disappointed.
It is ultra-light, not tightly written, with predictable, mundane dialogue throughout. It takes a while to get to the point of the story, then (80% through the book) it does get to an attention-worthy bit of business. Can't say I'm a fan of having magic in a hard SF universe just to have it used as an ass-saving device. World building is poor. There were many places where it would have been great to have an explanation/discussion of what/why re the 'verse they were in; there were many, many places where too much time was spent explaining unnecessary decor details.
With a good editor, this could make a passable novella, or TV script.
August 24, 2017
There are two major impressions I have if this book: one, the writer is a big fan of Firefly. That's not necessarily a bad thing, so am I, but it never really seemed like enough of its own thing. Two, it was really short. Jarringly short. "What, that's it?" short. I'm okay with short books but this one felt like it didn't even really get going before it was over. It teased at world building and characters but never really developed them. It needed subplot! Even the overall conflict seemed flimsy and underdeveloped. It wasn't all bad though. I like the writing style, and the small glimpses of character and world building were interesting. Might be worth picking up the next book in the series, even.
October 19, 2016
A likable rogue and motley crew, just trying to make a living and fly under the radar in a galaxy where the mega-corps hold all the big cards. Fun characters, sharp dialogue, cool twists, and situations that turn from comedic to deadly (and back) faster than a Typhoon fighter with the AI pilot-assists turned off.
First title of a long series. It's short, more like a TV episode than a movie, but the price reflects that, at only a few bucks. This first installment is available free from the author if you poke around.
"Fans of Firefly will enjoy..."
First title of a long series. It's short, more like a TV episode than a movie, but the price reflects that, at only a few bucks. This first installment is available free from the author if you poke around.
"Fans of Firefly will enjoy..."
October 16, 2020
A friend insisted on these and I got the whole collection for one audible credit so I thought I'd give it a go. It has a bit of a slow start, and the narrator is above average, but there's something here that is definitely fun and actually feels structured like a TV series in novel form, which I like. I hope they delve more into this alternate Earth's history, and there's some annoying stereotypes about gender that bug me, but nothing's perfect and it was entertaining enough to keep going.
Firefly with aliens and magic. I can dig it.
Firefly with aliens and magic. I can dig it.
May 18, 2017
The good:
Love the setting of Science fiction and magic.
The Characters are enjoyable; with vibes of Firefly or a Han Solo adventure.
The bad:
The big reveal at the end was somewhat underwhelming.
Love the setting of Science fiction and magic.
The Characters are enjoyable; with vibes of Firefly or a Han Solo adventure.
The bad:
The big reveal at the end was somewhat underwhelming.
June 3, 2017
Great combination of scifi and magic-fantasy. Han Solo meets Gandalf.
First short-ish book is more or less character introduction, interested in following the crew of Mobius to the next adventures.
First short-ish book is more or less character introduction, interested in following the crew of Mobius to the next adventures.
May 13, 2024
Good start of a series. Will read on.
November 1, 2024
I'm willing to give it a chance, but Firefly is such a high bar
June 24, 2023
Fun and sweet. Just what I needed a palette cleanser. 4.5
March 14, 2019
Carl Ramsey, Captain of the ship Mobius is a man of opportunity. His crew will take any job, anywhere, that will bring them the money they need to survive and keep the ship running in the area of space called The Black Ocean. So, when he witnesses a pirate ship attacking a passenger freighter he jumps at that opportunity. Driving the raiders off, he and his crew board the ruined ship only to find their efforts were late and all the crew apparently dead. Not letting a gift horse escape him, his crew begins stripping and salvaging what they can from the wreck. It's only when they discover a single, unlaunched escape pod, jammed while trying to flee, and holding two survivors that the fate of Carl and the Mobius take an extremely dangerous turn. Soon, they are being pursued by seemingly everyone attempting to take the two away from him. Carl, thinks he knows why, but...things are never what they seem in the Black Ocean.
J.S. Morin launches his new series set in the broad expanses of space with a solid first entry. Morin takes grounded science fiction but then takes a left turn and adds a fun twist as he creates a universe where gravity is considered to be magic and wizards who can seize it and control it are an integral part of the standard ships crew. His characters are solid and well developed while his world building (in this case universe building) is fun and well done.
I have heard some readers compare the story as having the same fun and feel as the late FIREFLY TV series. As for myself, I immediately flashed back to the wonderful SOLAR QUEEN series of novels written by Andre Norton.
I had earlier read Morin's SINS of ANGELS quintology and looking around for more of his stories discovered these and thought I would give it a try. I'm glad I did as it was definitely worth the cost of admittance. If you love old time space opera and simple adventures among the stars, I think you'll enjoy this, the first book in the rather extensive BLACK OCEAN series.
J.S. Morin launches his new series set in the broad expanses of space with a solid first entry. Morin takes grounded science fiction but then takes a left turn and adds a fun twist as he creates a universe where gravity is considered to be magic and wizards who can seize it and control it are an integral part of the standard ships crew. His characters are solid and well developed while his world building (in this case universe building) is fun and well done.
I have heard some readers compare the story as having the same fun and feel as the late FIREFLY TV series. As for myself, I immediately flashed back to the wonderful SOLAR QUEEN series of novels written by Andre Norton.
I had earlier read Morin's SINS of ANGELS quintology and looking around for more of his stories discovered these and thought I would give it a try. I'm glad I did as it was definitely worth the cost of admittance. If you love old time space opera and simple adventures among the stars, I think you'll enjoy this, the first book in the rather extensive BLACK OCEAN series.
May 30, 2017
I have never read anything by J. S. Morin before this one. It started off as a pretty solid science fiction piece, at least until Mort showed up. At the point I realized it was a mixture of science fiction and fantasy, I was hooked. The setting was enjoyable and fun with the bulk of the story with a pulp science fiction and the frequent forays into magic.
One of my favorite parts of the setting is how magic disrupts technology. It is a nice touch that balances the science with the fantasy while allowing neither to completely overwhelm the other.
The other part I thought was well done was how J. S. Morin introduced the world using a relatively naive character (Esper) as a foil for the explanations. There is almost no info-dumping which is pretty impressive for the world-building that went into this story.
There was also a good hint of danger in the story but it was relatively mild. Beyond the early chapters, I felt that the story was more pulp and fun that serious. It is a good, light-hearted romp.
The book was written from multiple point of views. Unfortunately, they switched in mid-paragraphs in some cases and there was a lot of switching during the scene. This made it difficult to really settle into a single character, I'm not fond of head-hopping.
I enjoyed the plot so much that I didn't try to solve it. I still figured out the twist about halfway through the book, but it didn't really matter. It was a fun book, one that I could easily see as a comfort read when you just want to read about a dysfunctional group of thieves running around doing fun things, occasional bouts of ethics, and characters who are all capable in their own right.
One of my favorite parts of the setting is how magic disrupts technology. It is a nice touch that balances the science with the fantasy while allowing neither to completely overwhelm the other.
The other part I thought was well done was how J. S. Morin introduced the world using a relatively naive character (Esper) as a foil for the explanations. There is almost no info-dumping which is pretty impressive for the world-building that went into this story.
There was also a good hint of danger in the story but it was relatively mild. Beyond the early chapters, I felt that the story was more pulp and fun that serious. It is a good, light-hearted romp.
The book was written from multiple point of views. Unfortunately, they switched in mid-paragraphs in some cases and there was a lot of switching during the scene. This made it difficult to really settle into a single character, I'm not fond of head-hopping.
I enjoyed the plot so much that I didn't try to solve it. I still figured out the twist about halfway through the book, but it didn't really matter. It was a fun book, one that I could easily see as a comfort read when you just want to read about a dysfunctional group of thieves running around doing fun things, occasional bouts of ethics, and characters who are all capable in their own right.
July 9, 2020
07/09/2020 Mini-Review
Black Ocean Audiobook Bundle (Whole Series):
I bought the Black Ocean series bundle from Audible for one credit. The whole thing is 85 hours for about $10 if you are an Audible Member. I loved Firefly. It was one of the best, quirky SF shows of that time. Black Ocean is not Firefly. It is an oddball space pirate story with a handful of "special" characters. There's a mix of action, a little humor and a thin plot with a handful of cool details.
Mikael Naramore did a fantastic job narrating the series. He was great and definitely made the story come to life. If you're interested in the series, I highly recommend getting the audiobook bundle. You also get the short stories. Not all of those are available to read on Kindle Unlimited.
As a whole, Black Ocean is a 3 Star read for me. While I like the concepts for the characters & world, I wasn't a fan of the overall story progress because I felt like it failed to meet the potential for character development, general hijinks, and details & shenanigans with magic. The series opens well and the last short story was a nice finale.
I'm glad that I had spent some time with the Black Ocean crew and happy to have finished the series on a good note.
09/30/2018 Notes:
Story drops you straight into the action. Nice intro into the series. It looks like the stories will be character driven and have a fair share of action. Space Misfits would be an accurate description for this crew. =)
Black Ocean Audiobook Bundle (Whole Series):
I bought the Black Ocean series bundle from Audible for one credit. The whole thing is 85 hours for about $10 if you are an Audible Member. I loved Firefly. It was one of the best, quirky SF shows of that time. Black Ocean is not Firefly. It is an oddball space pirate story with a handful of "special" characters. There's a mix of action, a little humor and a thin plot with a handful of cool details.
Mikael Naramore did a fantastic job narrating the series. He was great and definitely made the story come to life. If you're interested in the series, I highly recommend getting the audiobook bundle. You also get the short stories. Not all of those are available to read on Kindle Unlimited.
As a whole, Black Ocean is a 3 Star read for me. While I like the concepts for the characters & world, I wasn't a fan of the overall story progress because I felt like it failed to meet the potential for character development, general hijinks, and details & shenanigans with magic. The series opens well and the last short story was a nice finale.
I'm glad that I had spent some time with the Black Ocean crew and happy to have finished the series on a good note.
09/30/2018 Notes:
Story drops you straight into the action. Nice intro into the series. It looks like the stories will be character driven and have a fair share of action. Space Misfits would be an accurate description for this crew. =)
May 16, 2016
Salvage Trouble is an enjoyable first foray for the crew of the Mobius. Comparisons to television's Firefly are unavoidable but positive, as this series promises to have much of the imagination and heart of its spiritual predecessor. The captain has much in common with Mal Reynolds (as well as Han Solo, if he's more familiar) -- in both disposition and heart. This is not simply flying in Serenity's wake, however. The crew are a curious mix, with distinct backgrounds and personalities, with hints of more development and depth to come in later 'episodes'. The universe feels expansive and has a lot of potential, while the interaction of technology and magic reminds me of the video game Arcanum -- a comparison very much meant as a compliment. I'm looking forward to reading more adventures of the Mobius crew.
February 20, 2021
Meet Carl Ramsey, Captain of the Mobius and his crew of misfits. Tanny his pilot and thrice ex-wife, Mort the ship's magician and one powerful fella, Mriy an alien you really don't want to mess with and Roddy the mechanic.
They inhabit a world powered by Science and Magic and spend their time drinking, playing games and trying to earn money. On one such salvage job they end up meeting Sister Theresa (Esper) and Adam and their lives get very interesting very quickly!
This is a fun and action packed introduction to the world and the characters, who I think are going to be a great bunch to journey through the Black Ocean with. It has been compared to Firefly, which is a huge accolade and it is a very good start for Carl and his crew.
They inhabit a world powered by Science and Magic and spend their time drinking, playing games and trying to earn money. On one such salvage job they end up meeting Sister Theresa (Esper) and Adam and their lives get very interesting very quickly!
This is a fun and action packed introduction to the world and the characters, who I think are going to be a great bunch to journey through the Black Ocean with. It has been compared to Firefly, which is a huge accolade and it is a very good start for Carl and his crew.
July 27, 2017
For a short sci fi novel, it was packed with space travel, futuristic settings and some surprises! I actually enjoyed this novel, or novella more like considering it's just short of 200 pages!
Each of the characters have different personalities, from the Captain, Carl and his ex wife and co-pilot Tanny, to the old wizard Mort.
There's alien crew members too which just made it feel completely futuristic and helped me to get fully immersed into the world.
As an opener to the series it was also just enough to get to know the characters well enough if I choose to continue on with the series.
:)
Each of the characters have different personalities, from the Captain, Carl and his ex wife and co-pilot Tanny, to the old wizard Mort.
There's alien crew members too which just made it feel completely futuristic and helped me to get fully immersed into the world.
As an opener to the series it was also just enough to get to know the characters well enough if I choose to continue on with the series.
:)
November 7, 2019
In some ways, the story and characters remind me of “Firefly” (or the movie “Serenity”. Throw in some extra-terrestrial species, a wizard and you’ve got an interesting mix. FTL is accomplished partly by wizardry. (Again, reminiscent of Cordwainer Smith’s scanners or game-of-cat-and-dragon.)
This a novella, rather than a full length novel. The author told the story, and finished it without a shaggy-dog or cliff-hanger ending. You know there are other stories to come. I didn’t feel cheated or duped because I was left twisting in the astral winds.
Good story. I would read another in this series!
This a novella, rather than a full length novel. The author told the story, and finished it without a shaggy-dog or cliff-hanger ending. You know there are other stories to come. I didn’t feel cheated or duped because I was left twisting in the astral winds.
Good story. I would read another in this series!
September 3, 2017
Caught me.
This book was part of a collection of books seeking to expose me to authors I may not have read yet.
J. S. Morin is just such an author. A fine storyteller and an excellent scene and world builder as well. He carefully crafts the relationships of the crew and the use of their unique talents to survive on the edge of legal enterprises.
Now, having experienced J. S. Morin's ability to snare me, more of this author's magic will make its way to my Kindle.
A very good read and highly recommended.
This book was part of a collection of books seeking to expose me to authors I may not have read yet.
J. S. Morin is just such an author. A fine storyteller and an excellent scene and world builder as well. He carefully crafts the relationships of the crew and the use of their unique talents to survive on the edge of legal enterprises.
Now, having experienced J. S. Morin's ability to snare me, more of this author's magic will make its way to my Kindle.
A very good read and highly recommended.
August 22, 2019
Love how the author develops the characters, and how by the end of Black Ocean #1 you're hooked in to each of them so much that you just can't wait to get to the next set to see what happens next! Grabbing #2 tonight! I can easily see why the author brings us individual books in the set and series, and I'm enjoying identifying with some characters reactions and personalities as similar to my own at times - meaning this makes it easy to delve deeper into the books. By the end of this one, I couldn't put it down!
February 19, 2020
This is a novelette which makes its scope very different to the space opera series I have been reading lately. With that in mind it was a fast moving adventure with just a glimpse of characters and world that were intriguing. I liked the combination/conflict between science and magic, it isn't something that features in this setting very often but it worked here. I bought this as a audible bundle with all 16.5 books for one credit so it was awesome value as well for 85 hours of listening pleasure.
September 17, 2017
Pretty good read, interesting characters and a decent story line. Because it is the first of a series the author did a pretty good job with the world building. It felt comfortable enough to put yourself in and they developed the characters well enough to make you curious about them and intrigued to read more about them. Started reading this one during Hurricane Irma and with power issues and clean-ups it took me a week to read it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 194 reviews