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Gigaparsec #2
Supergiant
Find an exploit; hack the universe.
Chief Engineer Roz Mendez pilots a ship with a revolutionary star drive that could travel ten times as fast as current technology. The job has given her a chance to find riches, romance, and earn a reputation that will counter the discrimination she’s felt her entire life. All the ship needs to make history is a few repairs and a renowned physicist who can adjust the jump equations. The trick is finding the professor without tipping off the Bankers, the species with a monopoly on faster-than-light communications. Just making a profit at each port without getting arrested is hard enough.
Chief Engineer Roz Mendez pilots a ship with a revolutionary star drive that could travel ten times as fast as current technology. The job has given her a chance to find riches, romance, and earn a reputation that will counter the discrimination she’s felt her entire life. All the ship needs to make history is a few repairs and a renowned physicist who can adjust the jump equations. The trick is finding the professor without tipping off the Bankers, the species with a monopoly on faster-than-light communications. Just making a profit at each port without getting arrested is hard enough.
311 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 26, 2015
2 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
Scott Rhine
39 books58 followersScott Rhine wanted to find a job that combined his love of reading with math problem solving, so he studied both short stories and computer languages. As a techno-gypsy, he worked on optimizing some of the fastest and largest supercomputers in the world. A couple of degrees, patents, and children later, at forty-eight, he still didn't know what he wanted to be when he grew up. When his third publication "Doors to Eternity" unexpectedly hit #16 on the Amazon epic fantasy list, he decided to retire from engineering in order to become a full-time author. Humor is a part of every story he writes because people are funny, even when they don't think so. In the real world, something always goes wrong and people have flaws. If you can't laugh at yourself, someone is probably doing it for you. Strong female characters also play a major role in his stories because he's married to a beautiful PhD who can edit, break boards, and use a chainsaw.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 6, 2015
Really good stuff
I have now read two of Mr. Rhines' self-published novels. After the first I felt he had a lot of potential. After reading this one, I believe that if he keeps writing, he should join the ranks of the major sci-fi authors. This novel has adventure, humor, a prison break, politics, spies, criminals and romance. I am now reading the third volume in this series. There will be a sense of loss when I finish unless volume 4 is published in the next few days.
I have now read two of Mr. Rhines' self-published novels. After the first I felt he had a lot of potential. After reading this one, I believe that if he keeps writing, he should join the ranks of the major sci-fi authors. This novel has adventure, humor, a prison break, politics, spies, criminals and romance. I am now reading the third volume in this series. There will be a sense of loss when I finish unless volume 4 is published in the next few days.
July 17, 2016
This is kind of a strange book. I mean, I read book one, “Void Contract” and it sets the stage for all the other books in the series, but this one kind of changed the whole focus from Max to Roz a.k.a. Chief Engineer Shiraz Mendez. I don’t hardly remember much about Roz in the first book. She came on as one of the crew somewhere during the story and that’s about all that was mentioned of her. I didn’t even write about her in my review of the first book. Also, for some reason, Max Culp, is now Max Ellison. Why the last name change is beyond me. I hope the author isn’t losing continuity between books. Max, the main character in the first book, kind of fades to the background in this one. It’s all about Roz in Supergiant.
Roz is like Max, in that most of the humans and aliens in the galaxy have psi powers that enable them to be aware of each other mentally if not physically. Roz and Max don’t have that ability so they are called “nulls” by those with psi power. Max used his ability to sneak up on people who used their psi abilities to detect others long before they could see them. Max doesn’t show up at all. It’s like he’s not there for a psi enabled brain. The same for Roz, although she’s always thought of her non-ability as a very bad handicap. So she’s made up for it by becoming an introvert solely devoted to her engineering work. She is beyond genius when it comes to space and the mathematical solutions to space travel.
The crew is on the Far Traveler starship which is a Magi starship of unique capabilities. It has a Magi astrogator in it’s center and she is the only Magi aboard. Echo, as the Magi is called, needs the crew to help get her to her home world. She is supposed to be in a triad of three Magi, but two of her sisters were killed and now Echo is dying. She can only live if she can find two other people, preferably Magi and in an emergency, human, to join with her in marriage! Ok, this is just beginning to get weird. Echo is also working on a navigation problem that has plagued star travelers for eternity. She’s almost at a solution point and if solved, it would allow the Far Traveler to instantaneously travel vast distances. But, she needs Roz to help her solved the math puzzle and Roz needs the input of an alien Professor who is on his way to an isolated prison.
Roz is also madly in love with Max, as is Echo. Echo wants Max and Roz to marry her so she can have a full triad which will prevent her from dying before reaching her home world. But, Roz doesn’t think Max even knows she exist. Roz also doesn’t think of herself as a particularly attractive female and cuts her hair and wear clothes to hide her femaleness. Only with Echo’s help, does Roz start to become the most beautiful woman Max has ever seen. But, is it enough for him to marry both women at the same time? Yeah, kind of weird.
There is a lot of stuff going on in this book. It’s mostly about the ship trying to get to the prison to free the professor that Roz needs to help solve their spatial navigation problem. The thing is, the prison planet is located in a system that has no hyperspace exits; it’s a one way in and no way out system, unless their problem gets solved.
A lot of the book is kind of confusing as to who is doing what. You’ve got a lot of different characters involved. There are Bats, which are some kind of alien race that can’t seem to be trusted. Unfortunately, the prison planet is right in the middle of their galactic territory. I think I figured out what was going on by the end of the book, but this is a much stranger book than the first one. I prefer Max to be the main focus and I don’t understand why he changed his name and why Roz is now the prominent character.
I might read the next book, “Union of Souls”, but then again, I might not!
Roz is like Max, in that most of the humans and aliens in the galaxy have psi powers that enable them to be aware of each other mentally if not physically. Roz and Max don’t have that ability so they are called “nulls” by those with psi power. Max used his ability to sneak up on people who used their psi abilities to detect others long before they could see them. Max doesn’t show up at all. It’s like he’s not there for a psi enabled brain. The same for Roz, although she’s always thought of her non-ability as a very bad handicap. So she’s made up for it by becoming an introvert solely devoted to her engineering work. She is beyond genius when it comes to space and the mathematical solutions to space travel.
The crew is on the Far Traveler starship which is a Magi starship of unique capabilities. It has a Magi astrogator in it’s center and she is the only Magi aboard. Echo, as the Magi is called, needs the crew to help get her to her home world. She is supposed to be in a triad of three Magi, but two of her sisters were killed and now Echo is dying. She can only live if she can find two other people, preferably Magi and in an emergency, human, to join with her in marriage! Ok, this is just beginning to get weird. Echo is also working on a navigation problem that has plagued star travelers for eternity. She’s almost at a solution point and if solved, it would allow the Far Traveler to instantaneously travel vast distances. But, she needs Roz to help her solved the math puzzle and Roz needs the input of an alien Professor who is on his way to an isolated prison.
Roz is also madly in love with Max, as is Echo. Echo wants Max and Roz to marry her so she can have a full triad which will prevent her from dying before reaching her home world. But, Roz doesn’t think Max even knows she exist. Roz also doesn’t think of herself as a particularly attractive female and cuts her hair and wear clothes to hide her femaleness. Only with Echo’s help, does Roz start to become the most beautiful woman Max has ever seen. But, is it enough for him to marry both women at the same time? Yeah, kind of weird.
There is a lot of stuff going on in this book. It’s mostly about the ship trying to get to the prison to free the professor that Roz needs to help solve their spatial navigation problem. The thing is, the prison planet is located in a system that has no hyperspace exits; it’s a one way in and no way out system, unless their problem gets solved.
A lot of the book is kind of confusing as to who is doing what. You’ve got a lot of different characters involved. There are Bats, which are some kind of alien race that can’t seem to be trusted. Unfortunately, the prison planet is right in the middle of their galactic territory. I think I figured out what was going on by the end of the book, but this is a much stranger book than the first one. I prefer Max to be the main focus and I don’t understand why he changed his name and why Roz is now the prominent character.
I might read the next book, “Union of Souls”, but then again, I might not!
March 19, 2016
This is the second book in the Gigaparsec series and thus this review may contain spoilers for those who haven't read the first book.
In Void Contract, we were introduced to Max, a war weary ex-special forces operative looking to make a life for himself in the civilian world, errr, galaxy. While on a job, he encountered Echo, a Magi (the mysterious race that gave humans the initial push that eventually led to their interstellar leap) who helps him with his PTSD, and discovered a stowaway alien unrecognized for its primitive sentience. Along the way he recruited a wide variety of misfit specialists from various alien races whose goals in life were compatible with his. They all have good hearts, but they're willing to bend the rules and break a few laws to achieve their goals. A bit like Firefly in that regard, but with aliens and without the signature dialogue.
The book is mostly a series of "jobs" that the group must undertake to achieve their overarching goal of finding said physicist. While there is no single villain to play the antagonist—unless you count the Bankers, who remain in the background the whole time—there are several minor villains along the way, but they're merely minor hurdles to surmount. The complexity in the story isn't so much in the plot as it is in operating a commercial starship, which is very much a business. The group spends a good deal of time figuring out what goods they need to purchase from one world to sell on another to acquire the starship parts or writs to undertake certain actions they need to get to that physicist.
While the first book was told from Max's perspective, this one is told from Roz's perspective. That's her on the cover. She was one of the last people recruited to join the crew in Void Contract, and there's a bit of chemistry between her and Max. Roz is a pilot and engineer, her technical background means that her role is mostly a non-combative one. Unfortunately, too much happens off camera that Roz (and the reader) is often told about things after they've happened. She's privy to things that matter in the overall plot—the ship's game changing improved FTL drive, secrets of the Magi—which others aren't. But for the most part, these metaplot revelations aren't as captivating as the off-screen action.
Characterization remains solid. All of them have depth and distinct personalities, drives, and ambitions. Their interactions with one another strike me as realistic. In particular, I found Roz's narration to be genuine. Her mindset and technical background brings a fresh perspective on the group dynamic. She's an everyday woman, the sort that you know from work or you've been friends with for years, with everyday concerns that you would expect, just set in a distant future.
As for the technicals, editing is solid. I only found 13 typos, which is on par with a traditionally published book. (Update 3/19/16: The author has corrected the typos.)
Supergiant is a solid sequel to Void Contract. Rhine showcases his talent as an author by switching narrative POV without losing the essence of the overall series storyline. In fact, he broadens its depth by providing a fresh perspective on the interactions of the characters and makes them relatable. While the story is mostly about performing a series of minor jobs to advance the metaplot, it still makes for an entertaining read. It would not be difficult to turn this series into a TV show. Considering the current sci-fi friendly climate, Rhine should consider pitching a screenplay to the networks.
This review was originally posted at the New Podler Review of Books.
In Void Contract, we were introduced to Max, a war weary ex-special forces operative looking to make a life for himself in the civilian world, errr, galaxy. While on a job, he encountered Echo, a Magi (the mysterious race that gave humans the initial push that eventually led to their interstellar leap) who helps him with his PTSD, and discovered a stowaway alien unrecognized for its primitive sentience. Along the way he recruited a wide variety of misfit specialists from various alien races whose goals in life were compatible with his. They all have good hearts, but they're willing to bend the rules and break a few laws to achieve their goals. A bit like Firefly in that regard, but with aliens and without the signature dialogue.
The book is mostly a series of "jobs" that the group must undertake to achieve their overarching goal of finding said physicist. While there is no single villain to play the antagonist—unless you count the Bankers, who remain in the background the whole time—there are several minor villains along the way, but they're merely minor hurdles to surmount. The complexity in the story isn't so much in the plot as it is in operating a commercial starship, which is very much a business. The group spends a good deal of time figuring out what goods they need to purchase from one world to sell on another to acquire the starship parts or writs to undertake certain actions they need to get to that physicist.
While the first book was told from Max's perspective, this one is told from Roz's perspective. That's her on the cover. She was one of the last people recruited to join the crew in Void Contract, and there's a bit of chemistry between her and Max. Roz is a pilot and engineer, her technical background means that her role is mostly a non-combative one. Unfortunately, too much happens off camera that Roz (and the reader) is often told about things after they've happened. She's privy to things that matter in the overall plot—the ship's game changing improved FTL drive, secrets of the Magi—which others aren't. But for the most part, these metaplot revelations aren't as captivating as the off-screen action.
Characterization remains solid. All of them have depth and distinct personalities, drives, and ambitions. Their interactions with one another strike me as realistic. In particular, I found Roz's narration to be genuine. Her mindset and technical background brings a fresh perspective on the group dynamic. She's an everyday woman, the sort that you know from work or you've been friends with for years, with everyday concerns that you would expect, just set in a distant future.
As for the technicals, editing is solid. I only found 13 typos, which is on par with a traditionally published book. (Update 3/19/16: The author has corrected the typos.)
Supergiant is a solid sequel to Void Contract. Rhine showcases his talent as an author by switching narrative POV without losing the essence of the overall series storyline. In fact, he broadens its depth by providing a fresh perspective on the interactions of the characters and makes them relatable. While the story is mostly about performing a series of minor jobs to advance the metaplot, it still makes for an entertaining read. It would not be difficult to turn this series into a TV show. Considering the current sci-fi friendly climate, Rhine should consider pitching a screenplay to the networks.
This review was originally posted at the New Podler Review of Books.
August 26, 2015
Big does not begin to describe the gravitational pull of this...
Supergiant solar system and the effects it has on Max, Roz, and assorted friends and relatives as they take on many more adventures. The story moves quickly as they become a mixed assortment of outcasts and pirates who negotiate and battle to improve the lives of many while discovering the secrets of the universe that makes the subbasement drive of the experimental Magi ship work as they try to restore the damaged and salvaged ship by seeking new clues to the systems. Traveling financed by trading and gaining favor through helping those in need brings much political, religious, and police action wherever they go. Test driving a spaceship over galactical dimensions has great risks, especially when the maiden voyage resulted in only one survivor left in stasis for more than a century and treated as a slave within the ship after rescue. Recognizing that things never go quite as planned, weddings, parties, rescues, and confrontations seem to challenge the crew right up to the last second before the test flight that sets out to prove the Enigma.
Supergiant solar system and the effects it has on Max, Roz, and assorted friends and relatives as they take on many more adventures. The story moves quickly as they become a mixed assortment of outcasts and pirates who negotiate and battle to improve the lives of many while discovering the secrets of the universe that makes the subbasement drive of the experimental Magi ship work as they try to restore the damaged and salvaged ship by seeking new clues to the systems. Traveling financed by trading and gaining favor through helping those in need brings much political, religious, and police action wherever they go. Test driving a spaceship over galactical dimensions has great risks, especially when the maiden voyage resulted in only one survivor left in stasis for more than a century and treated as a slave within the ship after rescue. Recognizing that things never go quite as planned, weddings, parties, rescues, and confrontations seem to challenge the crew right up to the last second before the test flight that sets out to prove the Enigma.
June 28, 2015
Seeing the psi talent and blaster action from a new POV was fun. Max may have gathered the group together, but Roz becomes its conscience. She doesn't take prejudice sitting down and sticks up for her new family. She also has a definite technological point of view about the ship, adding dimension to the world hopping adventure. The slower romance over two books was nice, with several opportunities for humor and character development. Her honesty and innocence help balance a crew of rogues and spies. The story opens with her facing the woman she wronged the most and the man who scarred her forever. My favorite scenes are when she finds out secrets about her own family and friends, when things she's taken for granted for years turn out to be wrong. The cover looks just like I imagined her in book one.
July 28, 2015
I wasn't sure if I had read the first book in this series, but I was glad that I read this one. It has a varied cast of characters which on the onset one would think would distract from the plot, but it works the exact opposite. All the characters strenghten and play off of each other. It makes them more believable and "human", when most of them aren't. The action isn't the type that's always in your face, but there is plenty of it. There's also romance and a little espionage and generally it's a very very good read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews