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Galaxy of Empires
The Merchant Wars Series takes place in the Reptilian
Conglomerate Empire where they take their "business"
very seriously. This is where the phrase "Cut throat
business" comes from... they take it literally.
This is a story about a lowly snake lady merchant named
Evella Noctu who discovers she has some unusual
abilities that may take her merchant group to the top of
the corporate ladder. In a society where assassination's are
considered the norm to move up in rank. she has her work
cut out for her. Along the way, there are alliances,
betrayal, slavery, pirates, telepaths, sorcery and of course
Space Dragons.
"There will be no such thing as lesser evils because they
will all be vanquished by the greatest evil... ME," Evella
Noctu.
This is one of many series that takes place in the Galaxy
of Empires Universe.
Conglomerate Empire where they take their "business"
very seriously. This is where the phrase "Cut throat
business" comes from... they take it literally.
This is a story about a lowly snake lady merchant named
Evella Noctu who discovers she has some unusual
abilities that may take her merchant group to the top of
the corporate ladder. In a society where assassination's are
considered the norm to move up in rank. she has her work
cut out for her. Along the way, there are alliances,
betrayal, slavery, pirates, telepaths, sorcery and of course
Space Dragons.
"There will be no such thing as lesser evils because they
will all be vanquished by the greatest evil... ME," Evella
Noctu.
This is one of many series that takes place in the Galaxy
of Empires Universe.
- GenresScience FictionPirates
76 pages, Paperback
First published March 15, 2015
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August 6, 2016
Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer...
* I recieved this book from Good reads in exchange for my honest review*
Eve Noctu is a half-breed snake lady merchant in the Reptilian Conglomerate Empire. She has telekinetic abilities which make her extremely powerful. She has no hesitation in using her powers for evil, especially when a war is being called on her ship.
NOPE. This book is just a giant NOPE for me. It started off fine... and then characters names started being changed...the 'R' word was being thrown around....there were so many grammatical and spelling errors it made my head hurt. It felt like the author had way to many ideas in his head and decided to attempt to throw them all into one book. There were at least 7 different random species... Cat people, snake people, wolf people, humans, arachnids, pirates, vampires... I mean... I'm sure there would have been more thrown in there if the author could have. Overall, nothing really occurred in the book, no plot or character development happened. I did not like this book AT ALL.
* I recieved this book from Good reads in exchange for my honest review*
Eve Noctu is a half-breed snake lady merchant in the Reptilian Conglomerate Empire. She has telekinetic abilities which make her extremely powerful. She has no hesitation in using her powers for evil, especially when a war is being called on her ship.
NOPE. This book is just a giant NOPE for me. It started off fine... and then characters names started being changed...the 'R' word was being thrown around....there were so many grammatical and spelling errors it made my head hurt. It felt like the author had way to many ideas in his head and decided to attempt to throw them all into one book. There were at least 7 different random species... Cat people, snake people, wolf people, humans, arachnids, pirates, vampires... I mean... I'm sure there would have been more thrown in there if the author could have. Overall, nothing really occurred in the book, no plot or character development happened. I did not like this book AT ALL.
February 19, 2017
Received free through Good Reads First Reads - thank you.
By page 4 I knew I wasn't going to enjoy this. When the central character is unlikeable and devoid of any kind of empathy or sympathy it's going to be hard to maintain a pull for the reader. In fact I couldn't find any interesting characters. There are a lot of ideas here but it's too rushed, and eventually I gave up after flicking through to see if it got any better. It didn't.
By page 4 I knew I wasn't going to enjoy this. When the central character is unlikeable and devoid of any kind of empathy or sympathy it's going to be hard to maintain a pull for the reader. In fact I couldn't find any interesting characters. There are a lot of ideas here but it's too rushed, and eventually I gave up after flicking through to see if it got any better. It didn't.
Read
February 11, 2016This was an interesting book. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started to read it. It ties into several different series. Although I was a little lost at a few points, I did laugh out loud and that's always a good sign.
I received this book free through a Goodreads Giveaway.
I received this book free through a Goodreads Giveaway.
January 31, 2016
I won this from a give away here and wanted to like it, but it was very poorly written with a very low grade humor. I feel bad giving it such a low rating, but stay away from this one.
January 28, 2024
Galaxy of Empires, part of the Merchant Wars Series by Bruce Marcom, offers a unique glimpse into the Reptilian Conglomerate Empire, where commerce is a deadly game, and "Cut throat business" isn't just a metaphor. The narrative centers around Evella Noctu, a snake lady merchant, who discovers latent abilities that could propel her merchant group to the zenith of the corporate hierarchy.
The plot unfolds in a society where assassinations are the norm for climbing the ranks, creating an environment of constant tension and danger. The story weaves a tapestry of alliances, betrayals, slavery, pirates, telepaths, sorcery, and the captivating inclusion of Space Dragons. Marcom's universe is richly detailed and brimming with imaginative elements that add depth to the narrative.
One commendable aspect of the book is its intricate world-building, which immerses readers in the complexities of the Reptilian Conglomerate Empire. The incorporation of various elements like telepaths and sorcery adds a layer of intrigue to the storyline. The author's creativity in crafting a universe with such diverse and fantastical components deserves applause.
However, the narrative at times feels convoluted, making it challenging to follow the intricate web of alliances and betrayals. The character development, especially of Evella Noctu, could benefit from more depth and nuance. While the plot promises a thrilling adventure, some segments come off as predictable, and the pacing occasionally falters.
Furthermore, the dialogue occasionally lacks the punch needed to fully engage the reader. It feels stilted and, at times, clichéd. The characters, despite their fantastical nature, struggle to break free from certain archetypes, preventing them from becoming truly memorable.
In conclusion, Galaxy of Empires is a decent addition to the science fiction genre, offering an intriguing blend of space opera and corporate drama. Bruce Marcom's vivid imagination and world-building skills are evident throughout the book. However, the narrative could benefit from smoother pacing, enhanced character development, and more dynamic dialogue. While it falls short of achieving greatness, it is still an entertaining read for those who enjoy the complexity of intergalactic power struggles.
The plot unfolds in a society where assassinations are the norm for climbing the ranks, creating an environment of constant tension and danger. The story weaves a tapestry of alliances, betrayals, slavery, pirates, telepaths, sorcery, and the captivating inclusion of Space Dragons. Marcom's universe is richly detailed and brimming with imaginative elements that add depth to the narrative.
One commendable aspect of the book is its intricate world-building, which immerses readers in the complexities of the Reptilian Conglomerate Empire. The incorporation of various elements like telepaths and sorcery adds a layer of intrigue to the storyline. The author's creativity in crafting a universe with such diverse and fantastical components deserves applause.
However, the narrative at times feels convoluted, making it challenging to follow the intricate web of alliances and betrayals. The character development, especially of Evella Noctu, could benefit from more depth and nuance. While the plot promises a thrilling adventure, some segments come off as predictable, and the pacing occasionally falters.
Furthermore, the dialogue occasionally lacks the punch needed to fully engage the reader. It feels stilted and, at times, clichéd. The characters, despite their fantastical nature, struggle to break free from certain archetypes, preventing them from becoming truly memorable.
In conclusion, Galaxy of Empires is a decent addition to the science fiction genre, offering an intriguing blend of space opera and corporate drama. Bruce Marcom's vivid imagination and world-building skills are evident throughout the book. However, the narrative could benefit from smoother pacing, enhanced character development, and more dynamic dialogue. While it falls short of achieving greatness, it is still an entertaining read for those who enjoy the complexity of intergalactic power struggles.
April 2, 2016
Galaxy of Empires: Rise of the Space Dragons Episode #1, by Bruce Marcom
I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway. In exchange I offer my honest review. Sorry about how long this one is, bear with me.
Rise of the Space Dragons reads like one of those 1960s Japanese Monster movies. In my head I see these vague human shaped “characters” flapping their mouths, the movements failing to match up with the dubbed dialogue. Although part of me loathes to call it dialogue. It’s more like exposition with quotes arounds it—the quotes acting only as a way to discern the difference between the in-quotes exposition from the diction exposition. For example:
“Evella Noctu, a half-breed human-reptilian, is walking down the corridor to the audience chamber…She just turned 31 years old the previous week, and she has her own reptilian merchant clan. It is a small merchant clan, but she has earned her six-ship fleet through hard work. Evella recently lost a ship on a quest that revealed many things about her life. She learned she was created in a secret, illegal laboratory that was funded by the Elemental Empire in an attempt to create powerful telepaths that could be controlled to combat the Undead Empire. In the Elemental Empire, telepaths are illegal because the sorcerers who control the government feel that the telepaths could threaten their authority.” (Marcom 2)
Or:
“Holy Crap! I wish I could turn myself in and collect my own bounty. I guess they are still pissed about me blowing up their secret lab facility and destroying their main flagship. They are probably the wankers who go my boyfriend shot. They will get what’s coming to them someday soon.” (Marcom 6)
And, sometimes when it doesn’t read like a poorly dubbed Japanese monster movie, it reads like the informational plaque on a museum exhibit:
“You need to go a region of space where there are many species of Space Dragons and learn from them and their culture. They are a dying race because of poor leadership and warfare. Their domain used to cover a large area and contained thousands of Space Dragons. Today, there are only a few hundred scattered herds across a small area. Their domain had been overrun by many enemies—the Undead Empire, the Hive, the Wolfkin, and other species.” (Marcom 5)
The grinding exposition isn’t the only problem. When the dialogue isn’t explaining itself into the ground it’s—oh, wait. No, it’s always doing that. This book has the worst case of
telling—not showing, I have ever seen. Instead of showing me that the Space Dragons are a dying race, that their power dwindles because of war and poor leadership, the author tells me, in a quick sentence by a “character” I can only assume is the resident “Sage” stereotype. That was something worth showing me! Instead, it’s said like an aside, like a footnote. I’m surprised it wasn’t prefaced with “oh by the way.”
And that is the biggest problem with this book—everything from dialogue to diction is an explanation of something.
A good space opera requires a fortified universe—like an epic fantasy. The world should feel lived in, it should have a history before the main story begins, it should leave me feeling like that universe will continue in perpetuity. Dropping exposition in every single sentence is not the way to do it. It’s maddeningly tedious; there is no sense of informational pacing. As more info is dumped sentence after sentence if becomes a mass of words—meaningless—literary white noise.
And there you have the characters—or rather, the two-dimensional objects from which exposition springs. It seems like everyone in this universe is special. Eve is a brilliant escaped science experiment that is a Space Dragon with strong telepathic abilities. Her daughters are brilliant scientists, her other daughter is an overnight popstar sensation, her mother is the leader of the evil empire and she’s also a telepath even though her people kill telepaths. In a world where everyone is special NO ONE IS. Almost every character we come across has a special PSI number of 20, expect for Eve, who’s higher still. This number is completely arbitrary is everyone we meet is a 20. These “characters” are practically unintelligible from one another. They have names, but the only one I can remember is Eve, and that probably only because its 3 letters.
Argh, the laundry list of problems is long and unforgiving.
And then something happened. Expecting more hilarity, I went to the Galaxy of Empire’s website (http://www.galaxyofempires.com/#!epic...) . There I looked at the archive of character pictures and my first thought was: “wow, these are cool.” My seconds was: “this isn’t a terrible idea.”
I found myself wishing those pictures were the book. I might have really liked it had the writing be as clean cut and colorful as the art. I could have been a good read.
So I leave with this: Mr. Marcom, Galaxy of Empires has potential. But the way it is now, it’s unreadable. Every sentence is exposition, it gives the reader a sense of slogging through a marsh. There is no detail—don’t overrun your reader with description, but give us some ground to stand on. Is this planet a metropolis? Is it a jungle? What do Wolfkin even look like? What on earth even is a PSI score?
Do not mistake me; I am not advocating more exposition. Info dumps are bad. But there are ways to build a universe without shoving information down a reader’s throat. Diction, the body of your work is for description, for action, for feelings. Expand your characters; give readers someone to care about. Pace the explanations of your universe with care, leave trails of information as its needed. I think Rise of the Space Dragons could have been really interesting; but it needs work.
To end, I enter a local poetry contest every year. I never win. But I still try because as I review my entries year after year, I see progress. I’m getting better. Marcom has the imagination to give readers a fantastic space opera, its the technical stuff that needs work.
I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway. In exchange I offer my honest review. Sorry about how long this one is, bear with me.
Rise of the Space Dragons reads like one of those 1960s Japanese Monster movies. In my head I see these vague human shaped “characters” flapping their mouths, the movements failing to match up with the dubbed dialogue. Although part of me loathes to call it dialogue. It’s more like exposition with quotes arounds it—the quotes acting only as a way to discern the difference between the in-quotes exposition from the diction exposition. For example:
“Evella Noctu, a half-breed human-reptilian, is walking down the corridor to the audience chamber…She just turned 31 years old the previous week, and she has her own reptilian merchant clan. It is a small merchant clan, but she has earned her six-ship fleet through hard work. Evella recently lost a ship on a quest that revealed many things about her life. She learned she was created in a secret, illegal laboratory that was funded by the Elemental Empire in an attempt to create powerful telepaths that could be controlled to combat the Undead Empire. In the Elemental Empire, telepaths are illegal because the sorcerers who control the government feel that the telepaths could threaten their authority.” (Marcom 2)
Or:
“Holy Crap! I wish I could turn myself in and collect my own bounty. I guess they are still pissed about me blowing up their secret lab facility and destroying their main flagship. They are probably the wankers who go my boyfriend shot. They will get what’s coming to them someday soon.” (Marcom 6)
And, sometimes when it doesn’t read like a poorly dubbed Japanese monster movie, it reads like the informational plaque on a museum exhibit:
“You need to go a region of space where there are many species of Space Dragons and learn from them and their culture. They are a dying race because of poor leadership and warfare. Their domain used to cover a large area and contained thousands of Space Dragons. Today, there are only a few hundred scattered herds across a small area. Their domain had been overrun by many enemies—the Undead Empire, the Hive, the Wolfkin, and other species.” (Marcom 5)
The grinding exposition isn’t the only problem. When the dialogue isn’t explaining itself into the ground it’s—oh, wait. No, it’s always doing that. This book has the worst case of
telling—not showing, I have ever seen. Instead of showing me that the Space Dragons are a dying race, that their power dwindles because of war and poor leadership, the author tells me, in a quick sentence by a “character” I can only assume is the resident “Sage” stereotype. That was something worth showing me! Instead, it’s said like an aside, like a footnote. I’m surprised it wasn’t prefaced with “oh by the way.”
And that is the biggest problem with this book—everything from dialogue to diction is an explanation of something.
A good space opera requires a fortified universe—like an epic fantasy. The world should feel lived in, it should have a history before the main story begins, it should leave me feeling like that universe will continue in perpetuity. Dropping exposition in every single sentence is not the way to do it. It’s maddeningly tedious; there is no sense of informational pacing. As more info is dumped sentence after sentence if becomes a mass of words—meaningless—literary white noise.
And there you have the characters—or rather, the two-dimensional objects from which exposition springs. It seems like everyone in this universe is special. Eve is a brilliant escaped science experiment that is a Space Dragon with strong telepathic abilities. Her daughters are brilliant scientists, her other daughter is an overnight popstar sensation, her mother is the leader of the evil empire and she’s also a telepath even though her people kill telepaths. In a world where everyone is special NO ONE IS. Almost every character we come across has a special PSI number of 20, expect for Eve, who’s higher still. This number is completely arbitrary is everyone we meet is a 20. These “characters” are practically unintelligible from one another. They have names, but the only one I can remember is Eve, and that probably only because its 3 letters.
Argh, the laundry list of problems is long and unforgiving.
And then something happened. Expecting more hilarity, I went to the Galaxy of Empire’s website (http://www.galaxyofempires.com/#!epic...) . There I looked at the archive of character pictures and my first thought was: “wow, these are cool.” My seconds was: “this isn’t a terrible idea.”
I found myself wishing those pictures were the book. I might have really liked it had the writing be as clean cut and colorful as the art. I could have been a good read.
So I leave with this: Mr. Marcom, Galaxy of Empires has potential. But the way it is now, it’s unreadable. Every sentence is exposition, it gives the reader a sense of slogging through a marsh. There is no detail—don’t overrun your reader with description, but give us some ground to stand on. Is this planet a metropolis? Is it a jungle? What do Wolfkin even look like? What on earth even is a PSI score?
Do not mistake me; I am not advocating more exposition. Info dumps are bad. But there are ways to build a universe without shoving information down a reader’s throat. Diction, the body of your work is for description, for action, for feelings. Expand your characters; give readers someone to care about. Pace the explanations of your universe with care, leave trails of information as its needed. I think Rise of the Space Dragons could have been really interesting; but it needs work.
To end, I enter a local poetry contest every year. I never win. But I still try because as I review my entries year after year, I see progress. I’m getting better. Marcom has the imagination to give readers a fantastic space opera, its the technical stuff that needs work.
November 12, 2022
Goodreads Giveaway book. Poorly written and story line dragged on with no development.
May 7, 2017
Galaxy of Empires (Space Pirates Episode #1) - Bruce Marcom
'They all laugh as they order drinks from a wench passing by their table. They deal the cards and begin playing. After about an hour, a fight breaks out between two ruffians a few tables a way. A cup comes flying over to their table and hits Python on the head."Oh, man, here we go again..."'
Captain Meek and his band of space pirates travel around space purchasing a new space ship, new weapons and a cloaking device with platinum bars. When looking for hauling work they are summoned by Trent, the guild master, they are given the task to organise a meeting with Lady Evella Noctu of the Noctu Merchant Group who happens to be a Rainbow-Coloured Morphic Dragon with very powerful telepathic powers. Their mission to drop her and her daughter Gothica at Zertin, the home world on the Wolfkins.
I won this book in the Goodreads Giveaway and it doesn’t state that it’s a proof copy so I’m assuming that this is the final published version... which is rather disappointing because every page has some form of mistake. There were many grammar mistakes such as:
‘You’ was used instead of ‘your’ or ‘you’re’
‘To’ was used instead of ‘too’ or even ‘two’
And finally ‘they’ instead of ‘their’ or ‘there’
The consistency with the spelling of the names of characters:
‘Gothica’, the daughter of Lady Evella, got changed to ‘Gothic’ half way through
Captain Meek’s robot, ‘Mcloud’ got changed to ‘MCloud’
And the space pirates destination, the ‘Laughing Skull’ was also changed to ‘Laugh Skull’
There were also simple words such as ‘the’ missing from sentences. And then later on there would be the same work repeated twice. Even in the quote used at the beginning of this review there is a mistake, ‘a way’ should be one word.
Another annoyance of mine was the over-use of the word ‘wanker’. There was a period in the book that every page had ‘wanker’ at least once when it isn’t even necessary. For example, ‘Who is going to be wanking with us if we are on a planet-sized Space Dragon.’
There are the reason I am giving it only one star because I would be embarrassed to even let this be published without it being proofread.
'They all laugh as they order drinks from a wench passing by their table. They deal the cards and begin playing. After about an hour, a fight breaks out between two ruffians a few tables a way. A cup comes flying over to their table and hits Python on the head."Oh, man, here we go again..."'
Captain Meek and his band of space pirates travel around space purchasing a new space ship, new weapons and a cloaking device with platinum bars. When looking for hauling work they are summoned by Trent, the guild master, they are given the task to organise a meeting with Lady Evella Noctu of the Noctu Merchant Group who happens to be a Rainbow-Coloured Morphic Dragon with very powerful telepathic powers. Their mission to drop her and her daughter Gothica at Zertin, the home world on the Wolfkins.
I won this book in the Goodreads Giveaway and it doesn’t state that it’s a proof copy so I’m assuming that this is the final published version... which is rather disappointing because every page has some form of mistake. There were many grammar mistakes such as:
‘You’ was used instead of ‘your’ or ‘you’re’
‘To’ was used instead of ‘too’ or even ‘two’
And finally ‘they’ instead of ‘their’ or ‘there’
The consistency with the spelling of the names of characters:
‘Gothica’, the daughter of Lady Evella, got changed to ‘Gothic’ half way through
Captain Meek’s robot, ‘Mcloud’ got changed to ‘MCloud’
And the space pirates destination, the ‘Laughing Skull’ was also changed to ‘Laugh Skull’
There were also simple words such as ‘the’ missing from sentences. And then later on there would be the same work repeated twice. Even in the quote used at the beginning of this review there is a mistake, ‘a way’ should be one word.
Another annoyance of mine was the over-use of the word ‘wanker’. There was a period in the book that every page had ‘wanker’ at least once when it isn’t even necessary. For example, ‘Who is going to be wanking with us if we are on a planet-sized Space Dragon.’
There are the reason I am giving it only one star because I would be embarrassed to even let this be published without it being proofread.
May 7, 2017
Galaxy of Empires (Space Pirates Episode #1) - Bruce Marcom
'They all laugh as they order drinks from a wench passing by their table. They deal the cards and begin playing. After about an hour, a fight breaks out between two ruffians a few tables a way. A cup comes flying over to their table and hits Python on the head.
"Oh, man, here we go again..."'
Captain Meek and his band of space pirates travel around space purchasing a new space ship, new weapons and a cloaking device with platinum bars. When looking for hauling work they are summoned by Trent, the guild master, they are given the task to organise a meeting with Lady Evella Noctu of the Noctu Merchant Group who happens to be a Rainbow-Coloured Morphic Space Dragon with very powerful telepathic powers. Their mission to drop her and her daughter Gothica at Zertin, the home world of the Wolfkins.
I won this book in the Goodreads Giveaway and it doesn't state that it's a proof copy so I'm assuming that is the final published version... Which is rather disappointing because every page had some form of a mistake. There were many grammar mistakes such as:
* 'You' was used instead of 'your' or 'you're'
* 'To' was used instead of 'too' or even 'two'
* And finally 'they' instead of 'their' or 'there,
The consistency with the spelling of the names of characters:
* 'Gothica', the daughter of Lady Evella, got changed to 'Gothic' half-way through
* Captain Meek's robot, 'Mcloud' got changed to 'MCloud'
* And the space pirates destination, the 'Laughing Skull' was also changed to 'Laugh Skull'
There was also simple words such as 'the' missing from sentences. And then later on there would be the same word repeated twice. Even in the quote used at the beginning of this review there is a mistake, 'a way' should be one word.
Another annoyance of mine was the over-use of the word 'wanker'. There was a period in the book that every page had 'wanker' at least once when it isn't even necessary. For example, 'Who is going to be wanking with us if we are on a planet-sized Space Dragon.'
These are the reason I am giving it only one star because I would be embarrassed to even let this be published without it being proofread.
'They all laugh as they order drinks from a wench passing by their table. They deal the cards and begin playing. After about an hour, a fight breaks out between two ruffians a few tables a way. A cup comes flying over to their table and hits Python on the head.
"Oh, man, here we go again..."'
Captain Meek and his band of space pirates travel around space purchasing a new space ship, new weapons and a cloaking device with platinum bars. When looking for hauling work they are summoned by Trent, the guild master, they are given the task to organise a meeting with Lady Evella Noctu of the Noctu Merchant Group who happens to be a Rainbow-Coloured Morphic Space Dragon with very powerful telepathic powers. Their mission to drop her and her daughter Gothica at Zertin, the home world of the Wolfkins.
I won this book in the Goodreads Giveaway and it doesn't state that it's a proof copy so I'm assuming that is the final published version... Which is rather disappointing because every page had some form of a mistake. There were many grammar mistakes such as:
* 'You' was used instead of 'your' or 'you're'
* 'To' was used instead of 'too' or even 'two'
* And finally 'they' instead of 'their' or 'there,
The consistency with the spelling of the names of characters:
* 'Gothica', the daughter of Lady Evella, got changed to 'Gothic' half-way through
* Captain Meek's robot, 'Mcloud' got changed to 'MCloud'
* And the space pirates destination, the 'Laughing Skull' was also changed to 'Laugh Skull'
There was also simple words such as 'the' missing from sentences. And then later on there would be the same word repeated twice. Even in the quote used at the beginning of this review there is a mistake, 'a way' should be one word.
Another annoyance of mine was the over-use of the word 'wanker'. There was a period in the book that every page had 'wanker' at least once when it isn't even necessary. For example, 'Who is going to be wanking with us if we are on a planet-sized Space Dragon.'
These are the reason I am giving it only one star because I would be embarrassed to even let this be published without it being proofread.
February 8, 2016
When I was a boy, we went to the movies every Saturday afternoon. Aside from the feature, the experience always included a dozen cartoons and a very campy 20 min serial cliff-hanger like Flash Gordon with sparking space ships, ray guns and mole men. This "Space Pirates Episode #1 is a short novelette and reminds me of that genre. The story is such that you are clearly coming in the middle and at the conclusion expecting upcoming episodes. I suspect the target audience is young males who have graduated from comic books and graphic novels to something with a little more content. If you are going to enjoy it for the romp it is, you must suspend your critical Sci-Fi credulity and just go with the flow. A lot of species with special powers (a la the bar scene in Star Wars) including space dragons, spider people, and telepaths are leaping from one free wheeling space pirate adventure to the next. Overall it reads like a swashbuckling space opera with lots of creatures and hyperbolic action. The author is trying to create a core pirate crew bonded together e.g. Robin and his rough and tumble merry men. In this regard, I think the author needs to spend more time describing the assorted species on the crew and developing their individual characters. The book is short read but all of the characters need more depth because for me their names and associated species seemed to run together. There are a great many errors in composition, style, word selection, and grammar. Aside from these comments, I enjoyed it for what it is and would recommend it, especially for parents who are trying to coax young readers into the world of books.
February 13, 2016
I received this book for free from Goodreads Giveaways in exchange for an honest review.
This is such a shame. I was so looking forward to enjoying this book - a nice space romp with comedy elements - it sounded such fun!
It's sad, therefore, that it is barely legible. The spelling is atrocious, the grammar (while better than the spelling) leaves a lot to be desired. At one point one of the characters names is spelled differently for a significant portion of the book.
Wholly crap![sic]
In space, apparently, there are vampires, werewolves, dragons, and quaint little pirates that dress like they're from the sixteenth century. That's fine. I can live with fantasy. But within the first five pages we learn that our main heroine is actually a space dragon hybrid with incredible telepathic powers - it's just a little Mary Sue for me.
The book itself makes references to story arcs which are continued in other publications, and the book is only 73 pages long. Why not just put all these together in one volume? Then the reader might have an idea of what's going on.
I was lost several times in the plot and don't think it wrapped up well. I was never immersed in the story and constantly struggled to make sense of the writing.
The cover art was amazing, but aside from that, the books only redeeming quality was that it was mercifully short. Thank goodness.
Oh, and if I ever come across a real pirate that says 'hee-hee', I'll stab him with his own cutlass.
This is such a shame. I was so looking forward to enjoying this book - a nice space romp with comedy elements - it sounded such fun!
It's sad, therefore, that it is barely legible. The spelling is atrocious, the grammar (while better than the spelling) leaves a lot to be desired. At one point one of the characters names is spelled differently for a significant portion of the book.
Wholly crap![sic]
In space, apparently, there are vampires, werewolves, dragons, and quaint little pirates that dress like they're from the sixteenth century. That's fine. I can live with fantasy. But within the first five pages we learn that our main heroine is actually a space dragon hybrid with incredible telepathic powers - it's just a little Mary Sue for me.
The book itself makes references to story arcs which are continued in other publications, and the book is only 73 pages long. Why not just put all these together in one volume? Then the reader might have an idea of what's going on.
I was lost several times in the plot and don't think it wrapped up well. I was never immersed in the story and constantly struggled to make sense of the writing.
The cover art was amazing, but aside from that, the books only redeeming quality was that it was mercifully short. Thank goodness.
Oh, and if I ever come across a real pirate that says 'hee-hee', I'll stab him with his own cutlass.
February 5, 2016
The blurb tells you about the story to discover. Science fiction like in epic adventure, a world where almost anything is possible through the power of magic, telephathy, and a total lack of sympathy for anyone.
Without any feelings, you can create a society where murder is usual, cruelty is the main rule and money the lord to adore.
What I don't get is why...the characters are horrible, just evil. It's too nasty for teenagers. What is the intended public? Who wants to read about a society without rules seen from the side of the ones who profit from it? It is like reading about the wild West through the eyes of the outlaws. What a wonderful place where you may steal and kill to your heart's content!
I don't like violence, nor cruelty. Thus, it is impossible for me to like this book.
And it is sad, because you find some funny pieces. But to accept the murder of a captain because he gave food to starving people is too much. To read about his baby son fed to a dragon and his wife sold to sexual slavery... and what? smile? It is not acceptable.
Yes, Eve and her daughters may be quirky and amusing, as long as you never meet them.
The editing has to be finished, but the inhumanity of the book disgusted me. It felt like a video game, the violent kind I do not like. I finished it though, the daughters almost made me smile until they got hungry... Do not give to kids!
Without any feelings, you can create a society where murder is usual, cruelty is the main rule and money the lord to adore.
What I don't get is why...the characters are horrible, just evil. It's too nasty for teenagers. What is the intended public? Who wants to read about a society without rules seen from the side of the ones who profit from it? It is like reading about the wild West through the eyes of the outlaws. What a wonderful place where you may steal and kill to your heart's content!
I don't like violence, nor cruelty. Thus, it is impossible for me to like this book.
And it is sad, because you find some funny pieces. But to accept the murder of a captain because he gave food to starving people is too much. To read about his baby son fed to a dragon and his wife sold to sexual slavery... and what? smile? It is not acceptable.
Yes, Eve and her daughters may be quirky and amusing, as long as you never meet them.
The editing has to be finished, but the inhumanity of the book disgusted me. It felt like a video game, the violent kind I do not like. I finished it though, the daughters almost made me smile until they got hungry... Do not give to kids!
April 11, 2016
I received this book in a goodreads giveaway.
I really wanted to like this book, but there was just too much that wasn't right with it for me to do so. While the characters had an interesting base for them, and the world seemed to be promising, there's a lot to be desired from it.
The grammar and spelling is pretty awful. There's many errors throughout the book that shouldn't have been there if the book had gone through an editor. Even character names are frequently misspelled. Shawn (or is it Sean? Who knows as both are used for one character) is the most frequent culprit. The dialogue isn't very organic and really doesn't sound like something someone would say (and the amount of times these badass pirates say "hee-hee" is a little ridiculous).
As a whole, the book gives no pay off as one of the story lines being followed abruptly ends with a note that it'll be continued in a different book. While I'm all for large universes and frequently enjoy them, that just seems messy, as there wasn't even anything akin to a climax to finish its portion that takes place in this book.
Again, its promising as a whole, but there's way too many mistakes for me to find it enjoyable. For me, I think I'll be skipping the rest of the Galaxy of Empires.
I really wanted to like this book, but there was just too much that wasn't right with it for me to do so. While the characters had an interesting base for them, and the world seemed to be promising, there's a lot to be desired from it.
The grammar and spelling is pretty awful. There's many errors throughout the book that shouldn't have been there if the book had gone through an editor. Even character names are frequently misspelled. Shawn (or is it Sean? Who knows as both are used for one character) is the most frequent culprit. The dialogue isn't very organic and really doesn't sound like something someone would say (and the amount of times these badass pirates say "hee-hee" is a little ridiculous).
As a whole, the book gives no pay off as one of the story lines being followed abruptly ends with a note that it'll be continued in a different book. While I'm all for large universes and frequently enjoy them, that just seems messy, as there wasn't even anything akin to a climax to finish its portion that takes place in this book.
Again, its promising as a whole, but there's way too many mistakes for me to find it enjoyable. For me, I think I'll be skipping the rest of the Galaxy of Empires.
February 9, 2016
I received this book as part of a goodreads giveaway. That being said, review time.
This is Episode #1 (a short novella? 73 pages) of the Space Pirates series, which is part of the galaxyofempires.com world.
First, the good. I like the universe creation idea and of the creativity behind this book (and world). A lot of unique ideas here. There are also a couple of plugs to other episodes in this book, ex. as one group of characters splits off a "story continues in Rise of the Space Dragons #1" insert is seen. I kinda like this since it reminds me of a choose your own adventure.
Now, the reason for the 1 star rating. The writing has a lot to be desired. It's not natural at all. There are an extreme few use of contractions (which took me a while to realize why it sounded strange in my head). Search around the website for examples of the writing. The main characters really needed to be developed a lot more for me to have any investment in them at all and the humor was pretty low-brow. I would not recommend this for any age.
This is Episode #1 (a short novella? 73 pages) of the Space Pirates series, which is part of the galaxyofempires.com world.
First, the good. I like the universe creation idea and of the creativity behind this book (and world). A lot of unique ideas here. There are also a couple of plugs to other episodes in this book, ex. as one group of characters splits off a "story continues in Rise of the Space Dragons #1" insert is seen. I kinda like this since it reminds me of a choose your own adventure.
Now, the reason for the 1 star rating. The writing has a lot to be desired. It's not natural at all. There are an extreme few use of contractions (which took me a while to realize why it sounded strange in my head). Search around the website for examples of the writing. The main characters really needed to be developed a lot more for me to have any investment in them at all and the humor was pretty low-brow. I would not recommend this for any age.
July 24, 2016
"There will be no such thing as lesser evils because they will all be vanquished by the greatest evil... ME," - Evella Noctu
This is a story about a snake-woman merchant in the Reptilian Conglomerate Empire. She has strong telepathic abilities which she uses to dispatch of her enemies, a handy skill when assassination is a commonplace method to move up the corporate ladder.
This is only one book set in a far wider ‘universe’. It is short enough for a quick escapist read, and if you can ignore some minor grammar errors it is very enjoyable. I did think a couple of sections felt a bit rushed, as if the author put the basic idea down and missed expanding them on a rewrite.
Most of the characters are very bloodthirsty and cruel ... but I would guess in a cut-throat reptilian world that could be normal. I would be interested in reading other ‘races’ in the authors universe to see if this is his character style, or the nature he has decided for this race alone.
This is a story about a snake-woman merchant in the Reptilian Conglomerate Empire. She has strong telepathic abilities which she uses to dispatch of her enemies, a handy skill when assassination is a commonplace method to move up the corporate ladder.
This is only one book set in a far wider ‘universe’. It is short enough for a quick escapist read, and if you can ignore some minor grammar errors it is very enjoyable. I did think a couple of sections felt a bit rushed, as if the author put the basic idea down and missed expanding them on a rewrite.
Most of the characters are very bloodthirsty and cruel ... but I would guess in a cut-throat reptilian world that could be normal. I would be interested in reading other ‘races’ in the authors universe to see if this is his character style, or the nature he has decided for this race alone.
March 2, 2020
Galaxy of Empires is a short read - an "episode" - linking between different world's in Marcom's space universe. It has an interesting cast of creatures - cat people, arachnid people, wolf people, space dragons, humans and others. This story sets off two stories - Eve the newly transformed space dragon out on a political mission, and Capt. Meek and his crew, off swash-buckling and trying to keep hold of their various stolen ships. So, a fun story and universe. However, the book itself was poorly written. It is written in the present text, which is odd but not a fault in itself. However, it is badly edited (missing words and incorrect word endings), and the characterisation is clunky, with formulaic character descriptions dropped in while landscape details are missing. If you aren't too worried about the writing, it's a story arc that promises some fun. Personally, I plan to follow Eve's storyline.
I received Galaxy of Empires as a Goodreads First Read in exchange for honest feedback.
I received Galaxy of Empires as a Goodreads First Read in exchange for honest feedback.
October 12, 2018
I actually won this book in 2015. I'm not sure why my review never posted. Here it is from back then.
I won a print copy of Galaxy of Empires: Merchant Wars Episode One in a Goodreads Firstreads Giveaway.
This is part of a series of Galaxy of Empires books. A little research showed several different titles, and more than one series under the Galaxy umbrella.
It was an interesting story set in space involving competing merchants, shady governmental(?) entities, and omnipotent beings.
There are some editing problems which I have shared with the author so I won't spend too much time on them here, hopefully the author will take heed. Suffice to say there are some errors, most disturbing to me, names changing by the end of the story.
The story line itself was interesting enough to carry a series. This entry is 72 pages. If that is the format for the series, it could work well. Lots of action, and intrigue. Space opera fans will probably find a lot to like here. Enjoy!
I won a print copy of Galaxy of Empires: Merchant Wars Episode One in a Goodreads Firstreads Giveaway.
This is part of a series of Galaxy of Empires books. A little research showed several different titles, and more than one series under the Galaxy umbrella.
It was an interesting story set in space involving competing merchants, shady governmental(?) entities, and omnipotent beings.
There are some editing problems which I have shared with the author so I won't spend too much time on them here, hopefully the author will take heed. Suffice to say there are some errors, most disturbing to me, names changing by the end of the story.
The story line itself was interesting enough to carry a series. This entry is 72 pages. If that is the format for the series, it could work well. Lots of action, and intrigue. Space opera fans will probably find a lot to like here. Enjoy!
December 30, 2015
Ok, this is a very short little book, and that is a good thing. I think sometimes an author has such a big story in their heads that they try to rush and get all the main points into the story, but miss the character development and miss setting up the world because it is already bright and amazing in their minds, so they miss setting them up for the readers. I love the idea of this story, and the world it is set in. This could be written into a lovely space opera, or even a wonderful fantasy series, it just needs more development on the part of the author.
I did love the idea of the various characters, their species, telepaths and the space pirates. This being the first in the series just needs more proofreading for all the errors, and more development by the author, but the idea is a good one, and I'm looking forward to seeing other works of this author in the future.
I did love the idea of the various characters, their species, telepaths and the space pirates. This being the first in the series just needs more proofreading for all the errors, and more development by the author, but the idea is a good one, and I'm looking forward to seeing other works of this author in the future.
December 13, 2015
I won a print copy of Galaxy of Empires: Merchant Wars Episode One in a Goodreads Firstreads Giveaway.
This is part of a series of Galaxy of Empires books. A little research showed several different titles, and more than one series under the Galaxy umbrella.
It was an interesting story set in space involving competing merchants, shady governmental(?) entities, and omnipotent beings.
There are some editing problems which I have shared with the author so I won't spend too much time on them here, hopefully the author will take heed. Suffice to say there are some errors, most disturbing to me, names changing by the end of the story.
The story line itself was interesting enough to carry a series. This entry is 72 pages. If that is the format for the series, it could work well. Lots of action, and intrigue. Space opera fans will probably find a lot to like here. Enjoy!
Mike
This is part of a series of Galaxy of Empires books. A little research showed several different titles, and more than one series under the Galaxy umbrella.
It was an interesting story set in space involving competing merchants, shady governmental(?) entities, and omnipotent beings.
There are some editing problems which I have shared with the author so I won't spend too much time on them here, hopefully the author will take heed. Suffice to say there are some errors, most disturbing to me, names changing by the end of the story.
The story line itself was interesting enough to carry a series. This entry is 72 pages. If that is the format for the series, it could work well. Lots of action, and intrigue. Space opera fans will probably find a lot to like here. Enjoy!
Mike
February 19, 2016
A great bit of escapism and short enough for a quick, indulgent read.
Obviously Merchant Wars is the first instalment of a story taking place in the much bigger arena of the Galaxy of Empires so there is a lot of scope for expansion and cross over stories.
I felt very strongly that I was just getting to know some of the characters by the end of the book so I would definitely be tempted to pick up the next instalment.
My only moan is that, as is to often the case with self published books, there is a lack of proof reading and grammar checking and the actual printing is sloppy (wrongly numbered pages). These things are an unnecessary annoyance and detract from the authors creative arts.
I received my copy free via Goodreads giveaways
Obviously Merchant Wars is the first instalment of a story taking place in the much bigger arena of the Galaxy of Empires so there is a lot of scope for expansion and cross over stories.
I felt very strongly that I was just getting to know some of the characters by the end of the book so I would definitely be tempted to pick up the next instalment.
My only moan is that, as is to often the case with self published books, there is a lack of proof reading and grammar checking and the actual printing is sloppy (wrongly numbered pages). These things are an unnecessary annoyance and detract from the authors creative arts.
I received my copy free via Goodreads giveaways
February 28, 2016
I appreciated receiving a copy as part of a Goodreads giveaway.
Like other reviewers, I wanted to like this book, but decided not to finish it based on several problems - and I never do this! I thought this might be a book my son would enjoy, but he is not a 6th grader any more.
The ideas of an empire of planets with different species and specialties was interesting, and could have been fun if the story were more developed. This seemed more like an expanded outline of the story rather than the final version. There were many typos and grammatical errors, including the name of at least one character that was misspelled regularly. The humor exhibited fits grade schoolers much better than adults. There is a lot of potential in the story but as written, I cannot recommend.
Like other reviewers, I wanted to like this book, but decided not to finish it based on several problems - and I never do this! I thought this might be a book my son would enjoy, but he is not a 6th grader any more.
The ideas of an empire of planets with different species and specialties was interesting, and could have been fun if the story were more developed. This seemed more like an expanded outline of the story rather than the final version. There were many typos and grammatical errors, including the name of at least one character that was misspelled regularly. The humor exhibited fits grade schoolers much better than adults. There is a lot of potential in the story but as written, I cannot recommend.
February 29, 2016
I would like to thank the author for writing this book so we have this wonderful opportunity and honor in being able to read this book.
The author has mastered the comedic space opera. I could not wait to begin to read this book. Once I started I couldn't put it down.
He has such wonderful multiple galactic empires that are fighting with each other. He has space pirates, and a variety of intelligent space creatures. The author also has a space dragon with PSI abilities. This is a really wonderful fun read. If I had to say anything bad about this book it would be one thing and that it is too way to short. I’m ready already for the next installment. To me I feel this is an amazing read and everyone who loves to read a fun book this is for you.
The author has mastered the comedic space opera. I could not wait to begin to read this book. Once I started I couldn't put it down.
He has such wonderful multiple galactic empires that are fighting with each other. He has space pirates, and a variety of intelligent space creatures. The author also has a space dragon with PSI abilities. This is a really wonderful fun read. If I had to say anything bad about this book it would be one thing and that it is too way to short. I’m ready already for the next installment. To me I feel this is an amazing read and everyone who loves to read a fun book this is for you.
March 30, 2016
I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
That being said, I couldn't get past the first 10 pages. I've never not finished a giveaway book, but i just couldn't make myself continue. The book reads like an outline without an actual story. The prologue suggests that there is at least one book before this even though this is #1 in the series. It was confusing and way to much information given with a heavy hand. Lots of interesting ideas, but they need further development. Sad that this wasn't better written because the ideas are there, maybe just too many at once, it was overwhelming.
That being said, I couldn't get past the first 10 pages. I've never not finished a giveaway book, but i just couldn't make myself continue. The book reads like an outline without an actual story. The prologue suggests that there is at least one book before this even though this is #1 in the series. It was confusing and way to much information given with a heavy hand. Lots of interesting ideas, but they need further development. Sad that this wasn't better written because the ideas are there, maybe just too many at once, it was overwhelming.
March 27, 2016
I won this book as a Goodreads first reads giveaway but wasn't sure what to expect as I am not a great science fiction reader. I love the movies, but haven't got into the written word despite a few attempts in the years gone by.
As a comic strip this is enjoyable enough. The world the author creates is certainly the stuff of science fiction with space dragons and magic interspersed with space piracy and hyperspace jumps as Captain Meek's crew go about trying to earn a dishonest crust.
On the down side the author should employ a new proof reader, with typos almost on a page by page basis, almost breaking its spell. But it is a action packed comedy for all that. Fun!
As a comic strip this is enjoyable enough. The world the author creates is certainly the stuff of science fiction with space dragons and magic interspersed with space piracy and hyperspace jumps as Captain Meek's crew go about trying to earn a dishonest crust.
On the down side the author should employ a new proof reader, with typos almost on a page by page basis, almost breaking its spell. But it is a action packed comedy for all that. Fun!
January 30, 2016
I received a free copy of this book from Goodreads First Reads. Thank you very much!
I was unsure what to expect from this book, but the premise sounding promising, and I once I read it I was actually pleasantly surprised. The cast of characters are a band of misfits, who do bad things i.e. stealing, piracy and such, but you find yourself laughing at their misdeeds, there are alot of good one liners, and they have such rotten luck with lots of action, quite amusing all the way around.
I look forward to reading more of the Space Pirates adventures.
I was unsure what to expect from this book, but the premise sounding promising, and I once I read it I was actually pleasantly surprised. The cast of characters are a band of misfits, who do bad things i.e. stealing, piracy and such, but you find yourself laughing at their misdeeds, there are alot of good one liners, and they have such rotten luck with lots of action, quite amusing all the way around.
I look forward to reading more of the Space Pirates adventures.
February 6, 2016
I won this on GoodReads.
Oh what fun! In “Space Pirates Episode #1”, Bruce Marcom has mastered the comedic space opera. What more can we want? He has multiple galactic empires (fighting with each other), space pirates, a variety of intelligent species, and a morphic rainbow space dragon with PSI abilities. My only complaint was that it’s too short. I’m ready for the next installment. It reminds me of the cliff hangers they used to show between movies on Saturday afternoon. Not for the person looking for serious fiction.
Oh what fun! In “Space Pirates Episode #1”, Bruce Marcom has mastered the comedic space opera. What more can we want? He has multiple galactic empires (fighting with each other), space pirates, a variety of intelligent species, and a morphic rainbow space dragon with PSI abilities. My only complaint was that it’s too short. I’m ready for the next installment. It reminds me of the cliff hangers they used to show between movies on Saturday afternoon. Not for the person looking for serious fiction.
February 10, 2016
Galaxy Of Empires, Merchant Wars Episode#1, by Bruce Marcom, is my one hundred and thirty books that I have received and read from Goodreads. This is a short story. I think the author did a good job with the storyline. The idea's of the story is really great, I just wished that the author would expand more on some of the characters and details in the story.
I am looking forward to seeing the next book in this series. This book I feel can be read by anyone.
I am looking forward to seeing the next book in this series. This book I feel can be read by anyone.
April 1, 2016
Something different. I like it. The website with character photos is an interesting concept. I think this may have been better as a graphic novel. It has a lot of characters like Game of Thrones, a few major and but more minor ones that are not as well developed. This is a episode rather than a full novel so there is not fully developed races, characters and other stuff. I suppose that discovered with each episode.
December 3, 2017
This book was a short read that really didn't have an ending. It had a good start at a meaningful and interesting plot, but the dialogue and the typical modern-day bantering between adolescents made it difficult to believe in the characters. As such, I personally did not enjoy reading the book.
I won this book on Goodreads.
I won this book on Goodreads.
March 10, 2018
I received this book for free through a giveaway on Goodreads. I thought my son would love it and he did. His review is below:
It was a great book. I liked how the ships fought. I didn't like the captain, though. He was mean to the crew. My favorite character was Draca because she is a good fighter. I really want to read more of this series.
It was a great book. I liked how the ships fought. I didn't like the captain, though. He was mean to the crew. My favorite character was Draca because she is a good fighter. I really want to read more of this series.
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