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Backyard Starship #23
Killing Stroke: Backyard Starship, Book 23
The stars have come to Iowa, and Earth will never be the same.
With the Nexus up and running, Van and crew become interstellar players in the fight for Earth, but their enemies aren't just from out in the black. Sensing massive profits, the scramble to exploit humanity pits Van against his own people—and Yotov, whose plans have finally come to fruition.
With political warfare, the Equal Grasp seeks to do what missiles cannot—remove Van from the picture. But he's a lot tougher than that. Icky's hammer is swinging freely, and the crew are international stars, portrayed as the heroes of a world that reaches beyond the sky, into deepest space and beyond.
With one last throw of the dice, Yotov will unleash the hidden reserve of power she's been hiding. If it works, Van will be dead. Or worse.
Because Yotov and the Equal Grasp don't just want power; they want control of life itself, and they'll stop at nothing to get it.
With the Nexus up and running, Van and crew become interstellar players in the fight for Earth, but their enemies aren't just from out in the black. Sensing massive profits, the scramble to exploit humanity pits Van against his own people—and Yotov, whose plans have finally come to fruition.
With political warfare, the Equal Grasp seeks to do what missiles cannot—remove Van from the picture. But he's a lot tougher than that. Icky's hammer is swinging freely, and the crew are international stars, portrayed as the heroes of a world that reaches beyond the sky, into deepest space and beyond.
With one last throw of the dice, Yotov will unleash the hidden reserve of power she's been hiding. If it works, Van will be dead. Or worse.
Because Yotov and the Equal Grasp don't just want power; they want control of life itself, and they'll stop at nothing to get it.
- GenresScience FictionAudiobook
Audible Audio
Published September 2, 2025
1018 people are currently reading
139 people want to read
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J.N. Chaney
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
November 24, 2024
SCIENCE FICTION SERIES FOR ALL WHO TRULY ENJOY SCIENCE FICTION
The Enemy Within (Backyard Starship Book 24)
J.N. Chaney and Terry Maggert is a book and series that will hold your interest from the first page in book 1 to the very last page in the final book. It's well written, with characters that will leave you wanting more of, situations that will keep you on the edge of your seat, and the interactions between the crew of the Fafnir and their allies will have you laughing your a$$ of at times.
Once you start the first book in this series (Backyard Starship), you'll be hooked and can't wait to read each and every book in this series.
I really enjoyed this book and have already started the next book and hope you too will find yourself hooked on this series as much as I am.
Quotes:
"The illusion of knowing can be as valuable as the actual knowing."
"Ah, well, political wrongdoing seems, for now at least, to be no longer a thing of shame. Now, the more brazen a liar, the more they are loved. There is no limit to what people will believe as long as they think the liar is on their side."
"That's politics. Sometimes it's worse, sometimes it's better, but it's never good."
"It's merely part of being a person--we all wish to be seen and heard. Sometimes, that means we will believe a great many lies for small comfort."
The Enemy Within (Backyard Starship Book 24)
J.N. Chaney and Terry Maggert is a book and series that will hold your interest from the first page in book 1 to the very last page in the final book. It's well written, with characters that will leave you wanting more of, situations that will keep you on the edge of your seat, and the interactions between the crew of the Fafnir and their allies will have you laughing your a$$ of at times.
Once you start the first book in this series (Backyard Starship), you'll be hooked and can't wait to read each and every book in this series.
I really enjoyed this book and have already started the next book and hope you too will find yourself hooked on this series as much as I am.
Quotes:
"The illusion of knowing can be as valuable as the actual knowing."
"Ah, well, political wrongdoing seems, for now at least, to be no longer a thing of shame. Now, the more brazen a liar, the more they are loved. There is no limit to what people will believe as long as they think the liar is on their side."
"That's politics. Sometimes it's worse, sometimes it's better, but it's never good."
"It's merely part of being a person--we all wish to be seen and heard. Sometimes, that means we will believe a great many lies for small comfort."
September 26, 2024
Another solid entry
I really enjoyed it. Was it the best book in the series? Probably not, but it made good progress in the overall story arc. I think we spent a bit too much time with personal time with Van and his family, but otherwise I really was glued to this book. I was intrigued to see long lost plot points come back to the surface, that was fun.
As always, I'm excited to see where this goes from here.
I really enjoyed it. Was it the best book in the series? Probably not, but it made good progress in the overall story arc. I think we spent a bit too much time with personal time with Van and his family, but otherwise I really was glued to this book. I was intrigued to see long lost plot points come back to the surface, that was fun.
As always, I'm excited to see where this goes from here.
September 28, 2024
Where to next?
That’s as close as I am going to get to a spoiler, the headline for my review.
I have been having so much fun with this series and book 23 kept the action going. Van is large and in charge, no more fooling around, he is out for blood. It is good to see him totally dominant for a change, not simply reacting.
There are many interesting, quirky sequences in the story. I especially liked the journey to Canada and am now a Corner Gas fan. This was a Funboy heavy book, but that’s ok, he is a hoot. I would like to see more of Rab though. Something more than just piloting the Frankie or firing his BAG.
As always, I am looking forward to what comes next.
Cheers!
That’s as close as I am going to get to a spoiler, the headline for my review.
I have been having so much fun with this series and book 23 kept the action going. Van is large and in charge, no more fooling around, he is out for blood. It is good to see him totally dominant for a change, not simply reacting.
There are many interesting, quirky sequences in the story. I especially liked the journey to Canada and am now a Corner Gas fan. This was a Funboy heavy book, but that’s ok, he is a hoot. I would like to see more of Rab though. Something more than just piloting the Frankie or firing his BAG.
As always, I am looking forward to what comes next.
Cheers!
September 20, 2024
Simply amazing, absolute sensational series
September 26, 2024
Things are reaching the boiling point........
As the title suggests someone is going to make a final move against their opponent, but in the lead up, while not action-packed there are numerous revelations as well as injuries, births, multiple plans and designs, AI shenanigans, Canada, Manhattan, Arlington, and other locations, planning for the future and additional mysteries for the next (and final?) book....
An entertaining read with much discussion and planning before action occurs (on the whole) as one opponent brings the fight to the other....
As the title suggests someone is going to make a final move against their opponent, but in the lead up, while not action-packed there are numerous revelations as well as injuries, births, multiple plans and designs, AI shenanigans, Canada, Manhattan, Arlington, and other locations, planning for the future and additional mysteries for the next (and final?) book....
An entertaining read with much discussion and planning before action occurs (on the whole) as one opponent brings the fight to the other....
October 13, 2024
Great story
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.
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.
November 24, 2024
Dropping a huge rock on something on Earth from outerspace pretty much will destroy anything underneath that rock. And that’s exactly what happened to the Equal Grasp’s Nexus-like facility. It was out on some remote island and the population anywhere near the place was given 3-days to evacuate. So, while Van Tudor didn’t know if the Equal Grasp’s own people had left, those in the area certianly did. Loss of life was minimal or none since none were reported. Of course the Equal Grasp had their own spin on this attack. They touted that if Van Tudor could drop a rock on them, then he could to do that anyone. Except, of course, Van Tudor didn’t hate anyone else as much as he hated the Equal Grasp and their leader, Yotov.
Yet, Van and his friends had already been attack by the Equal Grasp. They had hit the plane Helso with a vicious attack that just about succeeded in killing his immediate family including his wife, Torina, and his in-laws, the Miltons. Most everyone was injured in that attack although not seriously. Yet a lot of the Helos Defense Force (HDF) military had died. Van had barely made it back in time to save his wife and her mother from being deadly casualties. Now everyone was recovering and things there were being put back together. The defense of Helso was now being beefed up with more of the Schegith ships and defense platforms being moved in. Although it was previously thought that no one in their right mind would attack Helso, it had been done, but any future attackers were definitely going to have to pay a higher price.
Van knew that he had to start gathering more allies in his war against the Equal Grasp. His ultimate goal was still targeted on killing Yotov, but he also knew that he was going to have to tear down and rebuilt the Peacemaker Guild. They were obviously now under Yotov’s control and that couldn’t stand. As of yet, none of the normal galaxy-wide powers had committed to support his efforts, but some of the lesser but powerful groups were doing so now. One of which was the Surtsi, the species know to Van’s crew as Funboy. While conversing with a Surtsi could be very interesting, Van felt that it would be better to appoint Funboy, a.k.a., Cheerful Enthusiast, as his ambassador to the Surtsi. Funboy was more than happy to take on this role as long as it didn’t detract from his Earthly pursuits as a mega-star!
The next thing Van needed to tackle was to make sure had the necessary bonds to do what needed to be done. And that was going to require some dicussion with Dayna Jaskins of the Quiet Room. Dayna had already told Van that she had the galaxy-wide banks backing because they were actually using the proceeds of a former criminal. But, Van had been spending bond prodigiously and wanted to make sure he still had Dayna’s backing. The only problem with this was that Dayna had come up missing. Her last know location was on Spindrift. After some careful checking with various sources on Spindrift, Van found out that the Peacemaker Guild had ordered her taken into protective custody. They gave no reason for this action, but Dayna was now sitting in an empty room somewhere on Spindrift.
It didn’t take long to locate her. She was being guarded by the local police authorities known as the Cloaks, but they didn’t really want to get in Van Tudor’s way. What did attempt to stop the rescue was a new Peacemaker name Potholis and his Auxiliaries. This Peacemake seemed to have just popped up and probably wasn’t trained in anyway and probably knew nothing of enforcing the laws. He was there to do the Guild’s dirty work and that meant grabbing Dayna and taking her to Anvil Dark. That wasn’t going to happen.
After the rescue, Dayna told Van that she had been looking into the finances of the Guild and had found some considerable irregularities. One of which showed about fifteen million bonds going missing annually from the Guild’s coffers. Van wanted to know how that could happen, but Dayan said people knew, but they also knew to keep their mouths shut. The corruption was running very deep in the Peacemaker Guild.
Still, Van had another important item he had to attend to. This was kind of dictitated by Torina since she was the one carrying their about to be born twins! Van and then entire crew of the Fafnir, Van’s Mother and his Grandmother were all awaiting the day of delivery. Van finally got the call from Tornia that told him in no uncertain terms that he needed to get there immediately. So is this going to be a blessed day in the life of Van Tudor and company or will something evil rise it’s head again. Evil in the form of Totov is still around and nothing is beyond her evil thinking.
So, the ending of this book is something you’ll want to get to, but it’s not really the end. There is more for Van Tudor and the crew of the Fafnir to do and they’ll be doing it in book 23, “The Enemy Within”, now available on Amazon.
Yet, Van and his friends had already been attack by the Equal Grasp. They had hit the plane Helso with a vicious attack that just about succeeded in killing his immediate family including his wife, Torina, and his in-laws, the Miltons. Most everyone was injured in that attack although not seriously. Yet a lot of the Helos Defense Force (HDF) military had died. Van had barely made it back in time to save his wife and her mother from being deadly casualties. Now everyone was recovering and things there were being put back together. The defense of Helso was now being beefed up with more of the Schegith ships and defense platforms being moved in. Although it was previously thought that no one in their right mind would attack Helso, it had been done, but any future attackers were definitely going to have to pay a higher price.
Van knew that he had to start gathering more allies in his war against the Equal Grasp. His ultimate goal was still targeted on killing Yotov, but he also knew that he was going to have to tear down and rebuilt the Peacemaker Guild. They were obviously now under Yotov’s control and that couldn’t stand. As of yet, none of the normal galaxy-wide powers had committed to support his efforts, but some of the lesser but powerful groups were doing so now. One of which was the Surtsi, the species know to Van’s crew as Funboy. While conversing with a Surtsi could be very interesting, Van felt that it would be better to appoint Funboy, a.k.a., Cheerful Enthusiast, as his ambassador to the Surtsi. Funboy was more than happy to take on this role as long as it didn’t detract from his Earthly pursuits as a mega-star!
The next thing Van needed to tackle was to make sure had the necessary bonds to do what needed to be done. And that was going to require some dicussion with Dayna Jaskins of the Quiet Room. Dayna had already told Van that she had the galaxy-wide banks backing because they were actually using the proceeds of a former criminal. But, Van had been spending bond prodigiously and wanted to make sure he still had Dayna’s backing. The only problem with this was that Dayna had come up missing. Her last know location was on Spindrift. After some careful checking with various sources on Spindrift, Van found out that the Peacemaker Guild had ordered her taken into protective custody. They gave no reason for this action, but Dayna was now sitting in an empty room somewhere on Spindrift.
It didn’t take long to locate her. She was being guarded by the local police authorities known as the Cloaks, but they didn’t really want to get in Van Tudor’s way. What did attempt to stop the rescue was a new Peacemaker name Potholis and his Auxiliaries. This Peacemake seemed to have just popped up and probably wasn’t trained in anyway and probably knew nothing of enforcing the laws. He was there to do the Guild’s dirty work and that meant grabbing Dayna and taking her to Anvil Dark. That wasn’t going to happen.
After the rescue, Dayna told Van that she had been looking into the finances of the Guild and had found some considerable irregularities. One of which showed about fifteen million bonds going missing annually from the Guild’s coffers. Van wanted to know how that could happen, but Dayan said people knew, but they also knew to keep their mouths shut. The corruption was running very deep in the Peacemaker Guild.
Still, Van had another important item he had to attend to. This was kind of dictitated by Torina since she was the one carrying their about to be born twins! Van and then entire crew of the Fafnir, Van’s Mother and his Grandmother were all awaiting the day of delivery. Van finally got the call from Tornia that told him in no uncertain terms that he needed to get there immediately. So is this going to be a blessed day in the life of Van Tudor and company or will something evil rise it’s head again. Evil in the form of Totov is still around and nothing is beyond her evil thinking.
So, the ending of this book is something you’ll want to get to, but it’s not really the end. There is more for Van Tudor and the crew of the Fafnir to do and they’ll be doing it in book 23, “The Enemy Within”, now available on Amazon.
June 13, 2025
Another great byss book
Byss book 23 Killing Stroke has all the action, humor and character building Ive come to expect from J.N Chaney and Terry Maggert. This entry continues building on big picture of Vans goals. It also brings some key plotlines to an end or evolves them to their next step. Somehow 23 books into the series the characters continue to grow while staying grounded to who they are and not becoming ridiculous. Anyone who has enjoyed the series so far( and how could you not) will love this book
Byss book 23 Killing Stroke has all the action, humor and character building Ive come to expect from J.N Chaney and Terry Maggert. This entry continues building on big picture of Vans goals. It also brings some key plotlines to an end or evolves them to their next step. Somehow 23 books into the series the characters continue to grow while staying grounded to who they are and not becoming ridiculous. Anyone who has enjoyed the series so far( and how could you not) will love this book
November 10, 2024
Soap opera
Boring. Very. I must have read less than half of the book as I would skip forward to get past the crap and hope that something else would replace it. Very little to really appreciate. More like a family of idiots. What happened here? I would love to know how it went from excellent to this. Thanks for the first 20 books or so. Last couple have been iffy but I am done with it now.
Boring. Very. I must have read less than half of the book as I would skip forward to get past the crap and hope that something else would replace it. Very little to really appreciate. More like a family of idiots. What happened here? I would love to know how it went from excellent to this. Thanks for the first 20 books or so. Last couple have been iffy but I am done with it now.
September 18, 2024
Enjoyed!
A rouser!! Continuation of good characters..danger...decisions, moral reflection..just what we expect from this series. High drama, smart moves and counter7 moves, and a semi good ending. Really looking forward to the final book in this series. Just wish I didn't have to wait so long!!
A rouser!! Continuation of good characters..danger...decisions, moral reflection..just what we expect from this series. High drama, smart moves and counter7 moves, and a semi good ending. Really looking forward to the final book in this series. Just wish I didn't have to wait so long!!
September 20, 2024
Fantastic read. Romps along with action and humour
Loved this. Couldn't put it down. It has all the excitement and usual banter we have come to expect and enjoy from Terry and Jeff. The characters and locations are so real, you feel you know them and are there with them. If you like adventure and cheese, this is for you.
Loved this. Couldn't put it down. It has all the excitement and usual banter we have come to expect and enjoy from Terry and Jeff. The characters and locations are so real, you feel you know them and are there with them. If you like adventure and cheese, this is for you.
September 21, 2024
Let me start by saying I love this series but this installment was a letdown. Yes some loose ends were tied up and yes Yotov was finally killed which was anticlimactic and the rest was pretty boring. There was not much action and the majority of the story was Van and the team getting the Nexus up and running on earth.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2024
The best kind of space-ish space opera. It's more about people than tech.
Backyard Spaceship is a series that you hope never ends. Equal parts personal connections and humor. Each character , sorry Icky, is fully fleshed. The story flies by at combi-drive speed. Midwestern good humor and scary bad guys in equal proportions. Enjoy yourself with a great read.
Backyard Spaceship is a series that you hope never ends. Equal parts personal connections and humor. Each character , sorry Icky, is fully fleshed. The story flies by at combi-drive speed. Midwestern good humor and scary bad guys in equal proportions. Enjoy yourself with a great read.
September 23, 2024
Another fine installment of Van Tudor and crew.
The process to resolve all the unpleasantness of the Peacemaker Guild and Earth and the greater galaxy is slowly coming together. One problem is resolved and one more pops up. Things are complicated and interesting and about to involve more than Van and crew. Stay tuned in...
The process to resolve all the unpleasantness of the Peacemaker Guild and Earth and the greater galaxy is slowly coming together. One problem is resolved and one more pops up. Things are complicated and interesting and about to involve more than Van and crew. Stay tuned in...
September 24, 2024
Excellent
As with all of the books Chaney and Maggert do an excellent job of bringing us the Peacemaker story. Van and his crew are fed up with the Cold War between them and Yotov. He wants to end this. He wants to make it safe for his family, his crew and all that he holds dear. He wants to bring the fight to her.
As with all of the books Chaney and Maggert do an excellent job of bringing us the Peacemaker story. Van and his crew are fed up with the Cold War between them and Yotov. He wants to end this. He wants to make it safe for his family, his crew and all that he holds dear. He wants to bring the fight to her.
October 2, 2024
The saga continues and the storyline moves forward. Like the characters, they are familiar and their personalities are anticipated. Bad guys get theirs, babys are born, no good guys with names die, and the plot moves forward. Got a little bored with this one. No surprises just following the formula
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2024
OK, so if you’ve hung out through episode 24 of BYS, you know you like it. I’ll simply say that Chaney and Mixon continue to deliver. A great story, continued character development, a great plot, continued evolution of the work (universe?) they’ve built, and, of course, lots of snarky dialogue. Come get your next BYS fix here!
May 26, 2025
This is one of the best stories in this series as Van and his crew continue to fight for right.
Van and his crew still champion truth and justice for all including sapient AI. The formerly engaged AI appreciate that Van and his crew treat them with respect, kindness and courtesy and choose to help Van and crew be victorious over their greedy oppressive opponents.
Van and his crew still champion truth and justice for all including sapient AI. The formerly engaged AI appreciate that Van and his crew treat them with respect, kindness and courtesy and choose to help Van and crew be victorious over their greedy oppressive opponents.
July 15, 2025
Strokes for Killing, Strokes for Living
Tudor Team has to eliminate the evil leader of the aliens that were attacking them and their families to gain power over the Known Universe. But even AIs know about Van and his efforts to free them and treat them as fellow people, not machine slaves. But evil has many secret plans and back up plans. Even how to get back up to the Moon.
Tudor Team has to eliminate the evil leader of the aliens that were attacking them and their families to gain power over the Known Universe. But even AIs know about Van and his efforts to free them and treat them as fellow people, not machine slaves. But evil has many secret plans and back up plans. Even how to get back up to the Moon.
September 19, 2024
Great read....
Best outcome possible at the end of the book. Been waiting for it for a while! Now if we can just figure out who the villain really is. I can't wait for the next book.
Best outcome possible at the end of the book. Been waiting for it for a while! Now if we can just figure out who the villain really is. I can't wait for the next book.
September 19, 2024
The challenges never seemed to end for Van and his friends
The crew of the Fafnir continue doing what they do best. And all while raising the next generation. Can they stop Yotov while not breaking earth in the process? You bet they can.
The crew of the Fafnir continue doing what they do best. And all while raising the next generation. Can they stop Yotov while not breaking earth in the process? You bet they can.
September 20, 2024
Unexpected turns
Van and our heroes finally make a real home base on Earth. But Yotov and the Equal Grasp continue to be an aggravation. But the decision to be proactive in their fight works to their benefit. That and all the AI friends they've made. Good things to good people.
Van and our heroes finally make a real home base on Earth. But Yotov and the Equal Grasp continue to be an aggravation. But the decision to be proactive in their fight works to their benefit. That and all the AI friends they've made. Good things to good people.
September 21, 2024
Van becomes a father
Well, Van has become a father. But you could say that he has been one for sometime, with the crew. But the final battle with Yotov. But one enemy down but another pops up.
Well, Van has become a father. But you could say that he has been one for sometime, with the crew. But the final battle with Yotov. But one enemy down but another pops up.
September 22, 2024
Not again
I read 23 books and this will be the last one. The series could have ended long ago but the author is adept at never bringing an enemy to a conclusion. Heck, the series could drag on for another 50 books. I'll no longer play the game.
And the jokes aren't funny.
I read 23 books and this will be the last one. The series could have ended long ago but the author is adept at never bringing an enemy to a conclusion. Heck, the series could drag on for another 50 books. I'll no longer play the game.
And the jokes aren't funny.
September 23, 2024
Continuing a great series
Another great chapter in a great series. The characters are realistic even if nonhuman and the locations are well depicted. On the plus side, we get to anticipate another chapter. I am looking forward to reading more soon.
Another great chapter in a great series. The characters are realistic even if nonhuman and the locations are well depicted. On the plus side, we get to anticipate another chapter. I am looking forward to reading more soon.
September 23, 2024
Finally…
Feel like I’ve been getting dragged along for a bit too long. Luckily this one has resolved my frustrations from some of the past few books. Still, I almost stopped reading this book half way through and I almost never do that.
Feel like I’ve been getting dragged along for a bit too long. Luckily this one has resolved my frustrations from some of the past few books. Still, I almost stopped reading this book half way through and I almost never do that.
September 28, 2024
Rebuke to 
Larry Jeram-Croft
If you r tired of the series, quit reading and allow the rest of us to continue to enjoy our fictional friends and family! Personally I LIKE these tales. They make me think there is hope for humanity even if fictional.
Larry Jeram-Croft
If you r tired of the series, quit reading and allow the rest of us to continue to enjoy our fictional friends and family! Personally I LIKE these tales. They make me think there is hope for humanity even if fictional.
September 30, 2024
Best series ever!!
I've read a lot of books and I can honestly say that this series is the best ever. Even after 23 books the story is still going strong and has never disappointed.
I've read a lot of books and I can honestly say that this series is the best ever. Even after 23 books the story is still going strong and has never disappointed.
October 16, 2024
Amazing
Really great book! The story flowed nicely and the Revelation at the end was definitely worth the read. I can't get enough of the backyard starship. Definitely take the time to read the series if you haven't already
Really great book! The story flowed nicely and the Revelation at the end was definitely worth the read. I can't get enough of the backyard starship. Definitely take the time to read the series if you haven't already
October 18, 2024
Finally, Yotev is done...
Van and company finally, turn the tides in their efforts to rebuild the Guild. This was a long (book #23) overdue victory. Very satisfying. Can't wait for book #24.
Van and company finally, turn the tides in their efforts to rebuild the Guild. This was a long (book #23) overdue victory. Very satisfying. Can't wait for book #24.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews