Pirates

The Rim Confederacy #1

by Jim Rudnick

TOTALLY REVISED AND RE-EDITED... “Tanner Scott, a RIM Confederacy Naval officer, has fought many battles against both humans and aliens. Years ago, he proved victorious against a band of aliens. His ongoing fight with his own alcoholism however remains a stalemate. And suddenly, Pirates have appeared on the RIM. They have kidnapped the passengers of many craft and sold them into slavery and Scott is ordered to find them and rescue them. But the pirates aren't acting alone. They are sponsored by a powerful Royal with ambitious plans, and she isn't about to let some Navy captain stand in the way of her mining empire. Scott must rescue the slaves while simultaneously navigating the treacherous space of interstellar politics. If he fails, a Royal will gain more power, the entire Confederacy may unravel, and Scott's alcohol addiction will be the least of his worries…”

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Audiobook, Military Science Fiction

351 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 22, 2015

About the author

"Being a youngster in the 1950's meant that I was a voracious reader in what has been called the Golden Age of Science Fiction. That meant that for me, my heroes were not on the hockey rink or gridiron - but instead in my local Library where at 12 I had a full Adult card (thanks Dad!) and took out more than 5 books a week.

Everyone from Heinlein, Norton, Leiber, Pohl, Anderson, Simak, Asimov, Brackett, Van Vogt and more....I fell in love with and eventually owned Ace Doubles of my own. While I never knew who wrote the Tom Corbett - Space Cadet series, I fell in love with them and they had a place of honor on my own bookcase too!

With that kind of an introduction to Science Fiction, it's no wonder that when got my writing work done, I turned my own fictional side of my brain to writing same. It's one thing I know to write - and a totally different matter to release same to the world - something that I've just started to work on....suffice it to say my own works are rooted in that Golden Age and it's that era that I'd like to one day be known as a teensy contributor to in some small way..."

Reviews

[Douglas · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know how to say this nicely: This book is complete crap for the following reasons:

1. No robots but slavery: So the "bad guy", the baroness, has discovered a magic element that lets her ships do what no others can. To keep the element a secret she creates a pirate ship to kidnap slaves to mine the element. WHY????? These people have FTL tech but less robot tech then we do today?????? Plus, if she wants to keep it secret robots don't gossip. I gave up on this book before I got to the details of slave life so maybe the author covers this but what about all the hundreds of people that are involved in taking, transporting and securing the slaves? A reasonable person could not expect to keep such a large endeavor secret. Robots, however, would. So, in short, THE ENTIRE STORY IS BASED ON A LACK OF FORETHOUGHT BY THE AUTHOR.

2. Pirate Captain, for no reason, acts against his own interest. The Baroness's pirate ship, for no reason, and against orders, attacks the MC's ship. The attack, of course, fails but the pirate ship gets away. NO REASON IS GIVEN FOR THIS ACTION, WHICH MAKES EVEN LESS SENSE WHEN IT IS DISCLOSED THAT THE PIRATE CAPTAIN'S WIFE AND DAUGHTER ARE BEING HELD HOSTAGE AGAINST THE POSSIBILITY OF HIM DEFYING HIS ORDERS. This entire scene appears to exist because the author couldn't be bothered to write an actually intelligent villain or MC and so needed a convenient, if inexcusably stupid, way to bring the two together.

3. MC is an absolute moron: MC witnesses pirates using an absolutely unique technology and then witnesses the baroness's ship use the same technology and doesn't put two and two together????
(By the way, how stupid is the Baroness to display her secret technology like that?) Additionally the MC is apparently too stupid report these occurrences to his higher ups so they can put two and two together!!!! Instead the MC goes wandering about the galaxy with a mind-reader hoping to randomly come across some lead on the pirates!!! Worst of all, that is exactly what happens.

4. Much of the story is cliche: When the MC, an out-of-shape non-hunter, is bizarrely roped into going hunting with a duke guess who saves the duke's life?

I toughed this book out, listening to a little more than 5 hours of the almost 8 hour book. I gave up when the MC, still clueless about the pirates, goes to a group of mind-readers for help. Since one of the leaders of this group already told him they weren't going to help, this turn of the story was just too stupid to stomach.

Bottom line: This book is not written for people who like their stories to make some small amount of sense.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice classic science fiction story. The plot elements are set out nicely and character development is attempted to be shown. The use of military terminology is inconsistent but that might be an attempt to make things clearer to the average person. Bathroom versus Head for example. My two problems with the story are what is wrong with much of speculative fiction.

One side of things is people using terminology or having items we use today without thinking of the, what seems to be obvious, fact that much of what we have will not exist in a hundred years let alone the centuries proposed. Some of that is the problem of narrative fiction needing to have identifiable things but can it really be expected that “sam bowie belt” or “coffee” will be terms that people continue to use?

The other problem lies in one of the “races” of the story that are mind readers. It is made clear that it is a limited power to see the future but that when close to someone they can read the thoughts of that person. So if you are the Captain with a staff person who can do this why would you ever speak out loud to your officer? Just think “do not speak about that here” rather than saying that where microphones can hear you.

These two points to not ruin the story and if you like good classic science fiction stories you will enjoy this read.

[Bookwyrm Speaks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book deals with a Naval officer and his crew in The Rim Confederacy, an alliance of planets on the Rim of the Galaxy after a diaspora of sorts.Tanner Scott is just whiling away the days as a Ships officer when the ship is attacked, and his CO and 1st officer are killed, leaving him in charge. He miraculously, or so it seems, fends off the pirates that attacked them, looking like a hero. IN fact, he is, having been a hero ina previous conflict that left him with PTSD and Alcoholism. He is given a new ship, and given a mission to track down the pirates. The story revolves around that mission, showing POV from both sides, as well as some smaller plot lines too, all ending in a satisfactorily explosive conclusion.The characters, Especially Tanner, are engaging, and you can't wait to see where thir story goes. The setting is well laid out, and the plot moves along well, with lots of actions and no unnecessary exposition. Any fan of Jack Campbell or H. Paul Honsinger should enjoy this book. Eric Martin does a great job of bringing the story alive, really bringing the listener into the action. A must read for any sci fi fan.

I was given a review copy of this audiobook from the narrator at no cost in return for an honest review through Audiobookblast dot com.

[Thias Light · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drunken Captain charged with putting down space piracy....

That title is not meant as a a warning, more like something to wet your whistle...

This book is great! A very non-Kirklike captain with some misguided ideas on coping. Yet through it all, he's good to his crew, his ship, but not to himself.
FTL travel, an amount of Scotch that would make the famous Ron Burgundy blush and schemes galore. I loved this book, I hope you do too.

[Andrew Lloyd · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was so...blah. Like a void of space and time. I know I read this book, but I don't remember that I did. That's how forgetful it was.

[Akshay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pirates (The Rim Confederacy #1) by Jim Rudnick

Pirates (The Rim Confederacy #1) by Jim Rudnick sets sail on a thrilling interstellar adventure, where the boundaries between piracy, heroism, and survival blur against the backdrop of the vast cosmos. Rudnick's debut in *The Rim Confederacy* series offers readers a swashbuckling journey through a universe where the lawless thrive, and the desperate fight for their piece of the galaxy.

Rudnick's storytelling embarks on a grand odyssey, introducing readers to a diverse cast of characters, each with their own motivations and secrets. As the narrative unfolds, alliances form and betrayals loom, all while the vastness of space serves as both playground and battleground.

The pacing of the story is like a precisely navigated starship, moving swiftly through encounters with spacefaring pirates, daring escapades, and high-stakes conflicts. Rudnick's writing style captures the essence of adventure, with pulse-pounding action sequences and moments of quiet reflection.

Compared to other spacefaring tales, *Pirates* holds its own in the crowded universe of science fiction. While it embraces the tropes of space pirates and galactic conflict, it does so with a sense of reckless abandon that sets it apart. This is a story where the line between hero and villain blurs, and survival trumps morality.

In conclusion, Pirates (The Rim Confederacy #1) by Jim Rudnick is a thrilling voyage through the cosmos, where piracy, adventure, and the struggle for survival collide. Rudnick's daring storytelling and engaging characters make this book a must-read for fans of spacefaring tales with a reckless and adventurous spirit. If you're ready to set sail into the unknown, this book offers a ticket to a universe where the stars hold both treasures and perils.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one started off okay, but quickly was a lot of repeats of how the Captain is an alcoholic, lots of references to Scotch, drinking, hangovers, puking, more references to how Scotch is a great drink and, by the way, it’s also supposed to be a science fiction tale. I kept thinking it would get better, but at the 31% mark on my Kindle I quit reading it. I would recommend this one go to an editor and clean it up so it actually tells a story. Luckily, I got this one for free with my Kindle Unlimited borrow vs. its regular price of $4.99 – free or not, I would give this one a pass.

[Shhhhh Ahhhhh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good sci fi. I enjoyed realistic void-dynamics in action sequences, the use of technologies that sound familiar (from Star Trek) and, I believe, a realistic portrayal of human civilizations at the rim of the galaxy (fiefdoms, mercenaries, etc). Can't wait to dig further into this series.

[Roza · Rating 2 out of 5]

Feels baffling old fashioned. Not in a classical Science Fiction sense but in a still calls flight attendants stewardesses kind of way

[Jas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book and one that left me feeling not entirely satisfied. I sat down to write this review, thinking that overall the story was pretty good, although the ending was a bit, well anti-climactic, but there are some other points as well that lead me to think that this book could have been a bit better.
For starters, if you are a recovering alcoholic, then you should definitely not read this. I'm pretty sure that the word ‘Scotch’ is mentioned on every single page of this book. The Captain, Tanner Scott, is a functioning alcoholic, and seriously every 2nd thought the man has is about his next Scotch, sorry, make that a double. Whether in the Captains chair going into battle, ‘Oh, better get some Scotch in my coffee, actually make that a double’. Going to bed, better have a Scotch. Going to visit someone, ‘Do you have any Scotch?’ It was endless. It was like the Author wanted to see how much he could mention this guys drinking habit in the book. I began to wonder how much the Author drinks, and if he actually was having a Scotch each time.
As for the actual story, apart from one man’s obsession with Scotch, I found at times it was a bit disjointed. Overall there is an underlying plot that this Fleet Officer, who is a Lieutenant, takes command of the ship in the heat of battle, defeating a Pirate ship. As a result, he gets promoted to Captain and tasked with taking down these Pirates.
This is the main character, Tanner Scott. Of course, he was half cut at the time on Scotch, and we learn that he has a very checkered past, you guessed it, from drinking. Sorry, I'm trying not to give too much away, apart from the ridiculous amount of drinking. I am fully aware that there are multiple people who operate quite well as ‘functional alcoholics’, but I find it surprising that no one could smell the alcohol on him at any time, that no one thought to check his blood alcohol ever, and that he was given command of a ship??
But back to the story. As for the Universe, the Author has created a fairly impressive backdrop for his story, with multiple worlds that humanity has colonised, with this Royal Hierarchy that is spread amongst the stars. I won't give too much away, but the design and structure of his Universe is both creative and exceptionally well done, it was one of the best parts of the story.
This allowed for a variety of rather colourful and amusing characters, from the various Naval officers, to those within the Royal ranks that they meet. The Author has also created a race/cult of Adepts with psychic abilities that give the story a whole new depth and give him some extra plot twists. Again, he has used this to create some interesting and engaging characters.
And this is where my dilemma lies, there are some excellent parts to this book, but some aspects of the plot seemed to get a bit lost. The difficulty with the plot at times, tied with the incessant obsessive drinking dragged this story down at times. The drinking almost made the story depressing to be honest.
However, it does have some really good qualities, and I will be checking out the 2nd in the series, I really hope that there is not so much drinking and that the plot is a little more solid, maybe with a bit of a better ending.

[Meredith Monaco · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a great start to a series...

This book had great promise at the start. Space pirates, corrupt royals, telepaths and a naval officer with a drinking problem. But then as the book progressed, it all went flat. Lack of real conflict, shallow attempts at putting characters in danger and just the feeling of people going through the motions. If this is meant to setup an ongoing series, it has very little sizzle as a standalone story, and almost no hooks to pull me into another book. I probably won't read the next one.

[Warren Clay Church III · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoy science fiction novels, like this one. It reads easily, the characters are all easy to relate to, and the pace pulled me into the story with much anticipation.

I promise to be in line to read the rest of the books in the series. A job well done.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the Author I loved it...but would be the first to admit that it took far too long to write this one....

Hope you all enjoy it and yup, #2 in the RIM Confederacy is done and being edited and will soon too be available on Amazon too!

[M.L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fairly short and standard military sci-fi novel. It features a fairly novel FTL system but other than that, the story didn't stand out too much. It's a cheap read but it sets the stage for more interesting storylines.

[David j Laboc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starpendous

Almost like living it slow at times it he made them very informative and made the telling of it more real

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I quite liked the story, I felt that the story jumped around. The story didn't flow well.

[Eric Brooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had some good mystery, but found it hard to like the characters.

[dc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short but fun, I like where it's going.