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The Spiral Wars #3
Kantovan Vault
The UFS Phoenix is on a mission to find a lost data-core that may contain the secret to defeating the alo-deepynine alliance. But the means to find the data-core is hidden deep in Tavalai space, in a highest-security vault where the Tavalai's manipulative State Department keep all their most treacherous secrets. To recover it, Phoenix must pull off the most daring heist the Spiral has ever seen. But Phoenix will need help -- in the form of a rebellious faction of the Tavalai Fleet.
A fanatical Parren mystic who lusts mostly for power; a cynical old Tavalai marine who's spent much of his life fighting humans; and a super-intelligent AI queen who will sacrifice anything to rescue her race from extinction. None of them can be trusted, and neither Captain Erik Debogande nor Major Trace Thakur are experienced in this kind of work. But each must gather their ingenuity and courage, and learn as they go, as the scale of the threat confronting humanity looms larger, and the clock is ticking...
Length: 17 hrs and 37 mins
A fanatical Parren mystic who lusts mostly for power; a cynical old Tavalai marine who's spent much of his life fighting humans; and a super-intelligent AI queen who will sacrifice anything to rescue her race from extinction. None of them can be trusted, and neither Captain Erik Debogande nor Major Trace Thakur are experienced in this kind of work. But each must gather their ingenuity and courage, and learn as they go, as the scale of the threat confronting humanity looms larger, and the clock is ticking...
Length: 17 hrs and 37 mins
Audible Audio
First published October 4, 2016
575 people are currently reading
395 people want to read
About the author
Joel Shepherd
27 books775 followersJoel Shepherd is an Australian science fiction author. He moved to Perth, Western Australia with his family when he was seven, where he later studied film and television arts at Curtin University. He now lives in Adelaide.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
October 5, 2019
Very good, though, like the other books in this series, I found myself skipping over very lengthy descriptions. Onward to the next book!
May 7, 2018
Good series. I'm ready for book 4. I adored some scenes in this book, replaying them on audible. I upgraded from 3.5 to 4 stars when I realized how many times I replayed those scenes.
At times, the author does tend to go overboard describing ship-space places (gantries, hallways, etc). Others might like that detail.
The escape / fight scenes with Dale, Kadi, and the old Tavalai Tooganum went on a bit long, even though it’s quite good, and I liked that old warrior.
I enjoyed seeing a more lighthearted Major Trace Thakur on a Galactic treasure hunt, including mountain climbing and exploring.
Loved the action scenes with Erik, Alamiem, Brice, Cruz, and their interactions with Styx.
I didn't buy how Erik and the crew just went about business when a beloved comrade disappeared, after some initial angst. Even at that last meeting they didn't forcefully discuss it with their "guest" -- nor did this problem get resolved. I kept thinking about Skah and several others. But the author does show us a possible solution for book 4.
Wish a certain young character could have stayed in the series. He added a lot in just a short time.
At times, the author does tend to go overboard describing ship-space places (gantries, hallways, etc). Others might like that detail.
The escape / fight scenes with Dale, Kadi, and the old Tavalai Tooganum went on a bit long, even though it’s quite good, and I liked that old warrior.
I enjoyed seeing a more lighthearted Major Trace Thakur on a Galactic treasure hunt, including mountain climbing and exploring.
Loved the action scenes with Erik, Alamiem, Brice, Cruz, and their interactions with Styx.
I didn't buy how Erik and the crew just went about business when a beloved comrade disappeared, after some initial angst. Even at that last meeting they didn't forcefully discuss it with their "guest" -- nor did this problem get resolved. I kept thinking about Skah and several others. But the author does show us a possible solution for book 4.
Wish a certain young character could have stayed in the series. He added a lot in just a short time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2025
*** 4.35 ***
This series is very satisfying read for all military Sci-Fi fans!😃🤟👍
This series is very satisfying read for all military Sci-Fi fans!😃🤟👍
April 27, 2020
Now allied with a tavalai faction and the last remainder of one of the ancient AI races, UFS Phoenix embarks on a mission deep in tavalai space that promises the secret to restoring the only likely help for them against the deepynine-alo-sard alliance. But Phoenix's presence risks destabilizing the delicate balance of factions among the tavalai and provoking a new human-tavalai war.
This one is pretty good for what's largely a fetch quest/heist to get a macguffin to help restore the drysines. With the location deep in tavalai space, that species gets much of the focus along with another species that's only been a name so far in the series, the parren. The parren are interestingly characterized with ritualized and changeable society, but they make far less agreeable allies than the tavali Dobruta. There's also an ongoing question about the drysines, whether they're to be trusted and whether they're allies or just master manipulators (they may be both).
This continues to be an excellent series, although this one feels mostly like laying groundwork for later volumes rather than moving the story forward much.
This one is pretty good for what's largely a fetch quest/heist to get a macguffin to help restore the drysines. With the location deep in tavalai space, that species gets much of the focus along with another species that's only been a name so far in the series, the parren. The parren are interestingly characterized with ritualized and changeable society, but they make far less agreeable allies than the tavali Dobruta. There's also an ongoing question about the drysines, whether they're to be trusted and whether they're allies or just master manipulators (they may be both).
This continues to be an excellent series, although this one feels mostly like laying groundwork for later volumes rather than moving the story forward much.
October 30, 2020
At the start of this series the author was writing a dark gritty SciFi, but in many ways it is turning into the archetypal epic fantasy quest. The trouble is when authors develop the
'Epic'
disease, all that becomes important is the number of pages and with an author who has a compulsion to describe everything it's very easy to end up with a book that is at least a hundred pages too long (actually more like two hundred).
There were elements of the story that held my interest and I still like the main characters, but I found most of it fairly tedious and as the author has promised at least another three to four thousand pages before it reaches the end, I will not be continuing with the series.
I can see why somebody would like this series, but I'm afraid I just haven't the patience.
There were elements of the story that held my interest and I still like the main characters, but I found most of it fairly tedious and as the author has promised at least another three to four thousand pages before it reaches the end, I will not be continuing with the series.
I can see why somebody would like this series, but I'm afraid I just haven't the patience.
October 27, 2019
Chapter 32 of Kantovan Vault contains one of the 3 or 4 greatest interactions ever conceived in literature. A 40,000 year old A.I DRYSINE QUEEN Styx speaks with Marine Major Trace the self-less human female Kulina (Buddhist analog) warrior heroine of the starship Phoenix, about a recently concluded mission and the droid/drone 'child of Styx who made it possible:
“And of what did you dream, Styx? To what did your people aspire?” “Ascension,” Styx said simply. “Sentience is the next phase of universal organization.
"First came primitive stars to turn simple molecules into complex ones, then came more complex stars with planetary systems, then came life, and finally sentience — first in primitive organic form, then advanced synthetic form. Each phase manipulates its surroundings and changes the universe accordingly. But sentience is the first phase to do so knowingly, and with design.
“With sentience, the universe ceases to be an unthinking mass of random events and becomes channeled down sentient paths. Left for millions of years, sentience will grow to manipulate so much of the universe, the very fabric of time and space itself will not be beyond us. Such manipulations will inevitably lead to the creation of new universes, as the current one loses its mysteries. All DRYSINES walk upon this path, and hasten this wonder, with progress.”
With this exchange, the cosmology Joel Shepherd views is brought clearly into focus. This is just a taste of that exchange. It is like hearing Skynet converse with Sarah Conner thousands of years after the events in The Terminator about the purpose of life. If that idea doesn't inspire you to start the Spiral Wars saga I don't know what will.
Sentience and Ascenscion - the end goal for all whether synthetic or organic in an endless cycle of creation divided by destruction. A great underpinning for the well-written characters, plot, and edge of seat thrill ride during the missions of the Phoenix on the edge of tomorrow.
“And of what did you dream, Styx? To what did your people aspire?” “Ascension,” Styx said simply. “Sentience is the next phase of universal organization.
"First came primitive stars to turn simple molecules into complex ones, then came more complex stars with planetary systems, then came life, and finally sentience — first in primitive organic form, then advanced synthetic form. Each phase manipulates its surroundings and changes the universe accordingly. But sentience is the first phase to do so knowingly, and with design.
“With sentience, the universe ceases to be an unthinking mass of random events and becomes channeled down sentient paths. Left for millions of years, sentience will grow to manipulate so much of the universe, the very fabric of time and space itself will not be beyond us. Such manipulations will inevitably lead to the creation of new universes, as the current one loses its mysteries. All DRYSINES walk upon this path, and hasten this wonder, with progress.”
With this exchange, the cosmology Joel Shepherd views is brought clearly into focus. This is just a taste of that exchange. It is like hearing Skynet converse with Sarah Conner thousands of years after the events in The Terminator about the purpose of life. If that idea doesn't inspire you to start the Spiral Wars saga I don't know what will.
Sentience and Ascenscion - the end goal for all whether synthetic or organic in an endless cycle of creation divided by destruction. A great underpinning for the well-written characters, plot, and edge of seat thrill ride during the missions of the Phoenix on the edge of tomorrow.
March 28, 2018
The third part of the Spiral War series is a multi dimensional heist. It takes a bit more than half the book to set up the actual heist itself. But when it is execution time, it runs fast.
For me, the theme of the book is about gaining understanding and respect of former enemies. The author reveals more and more of the history surrounding the various races, hinting at decisions and outcomes. The humans of UFS Phoenix are starting to see an even bigger galaxy than they have been fighting in over the last 1000 years. Hatred spans tens of thousands of years for many of them. But the humans, in their own way, are breaking down those walls of animosity.
The book description is not exactly correct. They are going to the vault to get a book that will help them find the data core. This sets up for a fourth book.
Really good space opera with great interlocking backstories.
For me, the theme of the book is about gaining understanding and respect of former enemies. The author reveals more and more of the history surrounding the various races, hinting at decisions and outcomes. The humans of UFS Phoenix are starting to see an even bigger galaxy than they have been fighting in over the last 1000 years. Hatred spans tens of thousands of years for many of them. But the humans, in their own way, are breaking down those walls of animosity.
The book description is not exactly correct. They are going to the vault to get a book that will help them find the data core. This sets up for a fourth book.
Really good space opera with great interlocking backstories.
November 14, 2021
Continuing the quick action filled adventure from the last novel, in what have now turned into a true quest with treasures to be picked up and obstacles to overcome.
This novel focuses mainly on a heist to obtain some clues to the missing data core in a impregnable vault, while the relationship between the humans and their AI in residence evolves.
The “only 3 star score” is mainly because of the ending which is somewhat abrupt and leads directly on to the next novel.
This novel focuses mainly on a heist to obtain some clues to the missing data core in a impregnable vault, while the relationship between the humans and their AI in residence evolves.
The “only 3 star score” is mainly because of the ending which is somewhat abrupt and leads directly on to the next novel.
December 10, 2018
The first book in the series, their captain had been murdered by the corrupt, treasonous fleet command and they were running renegade.
The second, they were fighting the very unoriginal menace of super intelligent machine civilizations, bent on destruction or mere enslavement of organic life.
Now they are robbing a bank.
A long, very long book, and a very boring one. The team is robbing the vault, and I can hardly remember why and what got them here.
The characters seems to have multiplied, the species are several times as numerous, the alien factions are legion.
Looking forward to read the next book of the series, where the team will be doing something exciting as watching football on 2d tv. But wait, that's already done by the uber boring captain's sister in this very book.
The second, they were fighting the very unoriginal menace of super intelligent machine civilizations, bent on destruction or mere enslavement of organic life.
Now they are robbing a bank.
A long, very long book, and a very boring one. The team is robbing the vault, and I can hardly remember why and what got them here.
The characters seems to have multiplied, the species are several times as numerous, the alien factions are legion.
Looking forward to read the next book of the series, where the team will be doing something exciting as watching football on 2d tv. But wait, that's already done by the uber boring captain's sister in this very book.
October 16, 2016
The precious...she is mine. I have been waiting 80+ years for this book. Both Shepherd and Christopher Nuttall are my go-to guys while waiting for more Weber books. I am a happy haaaaaaaaapy reader.
Basically it covers my cyberpunk itch, military sci fi needs, star trek compulsions and my need for more BSG.
Characters to love and I get to see what happens to them. Joy. Books like these are my bread and butter.
Basically it covers my cyberpunk itch, military sci fi needs, star trek compulsions and my need for more BSG.
Characters to love and I get to see what happens to them. Joy. Books like these are my bread and butter.
October 29, 2016
Decent Storyline Keeps Moving
"Kantovan Vault: The Spiral Wars Book 3," continues the decent, space opera storyline moving along.
Far future humanity, having survived alien attempts of genocide, has established itself among other organic and non-organic species of the Milky Way Spiral. Some see humanity as a potential ally, others perceive only a dangerous threat. The captain and crew of the "Phoenix," have escaped from the grasp of Fleet tyranny, and are on a mission to return humanity to its rightful place at the seat of galactic government.
The writing is adequate in Book 3, somewhat of a step down from the prior Books. The almost incessant use of "...but...," throughout by the author, became a reading distraction, and caused a rating downgrade. Decent editing could easily clear up that hiccup, and a few smaller ones, creating an above average read.
The "Kantovan Vault," is a space opera than can be read as a "stand alone," though a lot of the storyline is lost without having read the prior eBooks.
The eBook is recommended and was fully read via Kindle Unlimited.
"Kantovan Vault: The Spiral Wars Book 3," continues the decent, space opera storyline moving along.
Far future humanity, having survived alien attempts of genocide, has established itself among other organic and non-organic species of the Milky Way Spiral. Some see humanity as a potential ally, others perceive only a dangerous threat. The captain and crew of the "Phoenix," have escaped from the grasp of Fleet tyranny, and are on a mission to return humanity to its rightful place at the seat of galactic government.
The writing is adequate in Book 3, somewhat of a step down from the prior Books. The almost incessant use of "...but...," throughout by the author, became a reading distraction, and caused a rating downgrade. Decent editing could easily clear up that hiccup, and a few smaller ones, creating an above average read.
The "Kantovan Vault," is a space opera than can be read as a "stand alone," though a lot of the storyline is lost without having read the prior eBooks.
The eBook is recommended and was fully read via Kindle Unlimited.
October 22, 2016
Just, briefly, going to say that this series has me hooked. Which is not always certain, for me, so I'm quite pleased to recommend this book. (Or, rather, the series - hunt down the first book, Renegade, first.)
December 4, 2018
Good but didnt like the Oceans Eleven setup forever
Still a good character-driven novel, but the heist setup in 3 different perspectives dragged on for too long. Still a good book in a great series
Still a good character-driven novel, but the heist setup in 3 different perspectives dragged on for too long. Still a good book in a great series
January 12, 2021
4.7 Stars!
The fantastic story that is the Spiral Wars brilliantly continues in Kantovan Vault.
By this point in the saga, I no longer doubt Shepherd's utter mastery of his fascinating universe and the characters living in it. Our heroes' battle in the Spiral continues unabashed, this time with a "heist" twist that splits them into several groups that have to deal with different alien civilizations and challenges all at once.
I gotta say that, where I once thought the world-building and the exposition felt drawn-out and even unnecessary in the previous books, here I felt like it was all a more organic and essential process of bringing the Spiral to life. Don't get me wrong: like the previous entries, a lot is put on the table here, about the Spiral's history, several distinct alien civilizations, and of course the tactical plans and discussions that the crew have with themselves (and some interesting newcomers). Some instances do still feel too long and dragged out for their own good, but they also feel improved from the first two books. Maybe it's because they are indeed more polished pieces of exposition, or maybe I'm just too much in love with the style to be objective anymore (I hope not!), but it felt much more enjoyable throughout, despite its considerable length (if you consider nearly 500 pages "long", anyways). There is still the unfortunate contrast between those cases of long exposition (of both backstory and the current situation) and the much snappier and enjoyable dialogue scenes, so there may be some balancing out with that that helps the pace as well.
Along with great world-building comes my favorite part of any book, the action sequences. Simply put, there's some fantastic action scenes throughout, and with a wide variety too. There's plenty of scenes with marines (& friends!) fighting against different types of enemy both old and new across varied environments, and even at one point displaying new real-time hacking techniques to gain an edge over robotic enemies of all kinds; it's all an absolute joy to behold. Like usual, Shepherd's mastery of marine tactics and protocol is simply jaw-dropping, and it adds a unique flair to his action scenes. The "space battles" aspect is a little neglected here though, in favor of more ground battles and tactics, so don't expect much of that here.
As usual, the variety of alien species in the story is astounding. But in this book in particular, they are given the stage to shine. First, we get a full display of the unique parren race, which ties closely into the narrative. But additionally, we get to see the culture of the Tavalai in great detail. No longer are they just the firstmost "evil" enemies of humanity. Here we get to see how they are a complex and nuanced people, who ultimately regret the war they waged against humanity, and lost much of themselves like humans did. This "humanization" of otherwise "bad aliens" is pleasantly welcome and proves how truly varied and fascinating the universe of the Spiral can be.
So once again Shepherd has written a hit in this ongoing story, and once again, I'll be reading the next chapter in this still fascinating story of the Spiral Wars. Reading a fourth book in a series is most likely a first for me, and that should tell you a LOT about how much I'm in love with the Spiral Wars so far.
The fantastic story that is the Spiral Wars brilliantly continues in Kantovan Vault.
By this point in the saga, I no longer doubt Shepherd's utter mastery of his fascinating universe and the characters living in it. Our heroes' battle in the Spiral continues unabashed, this time with a "heist" twist that splits them into several groups that have to deal with different alien civilizations and challenges all at once.
I gotta say that, where I once thought the world-building and the exposition felt drawn-out and even unnecessary in the previous books, here I felt like it was all a more organic and essential process of bringing the Spiral to life. Don't get me wrong: like the previous entries, a lot is put on the table here, about the Spiral's history, several distinct alien civilizations, and of course the tactical plans and discussions that the crew have with themselves (and some interesting newcomers). Some instances do still feel too long and dragged out for their own good, but they also feel improved from the first two books. Maybe it's because they are indeed more polished pieces of exposition, or maybe I'm just too much in love with the style to be objective anymore (I hope not!), but it felt much more enjoyable throughout, despite its considerable length (if you consider nearly 500 pages "long", anyways). There is still the unfortunate contrast between those cases of long exposition (of both backstory and the current situation) and the much snappier and enjoyable dialogue scenes, so there may be some balancing out with that that helps the pace as well.
Along with great world-building comes my favorite part of any book, the action sequences. Simply put, there's some fantastic action scenes throughout, and with a wide variety too. There's plenty of scenes with marines (& friends!) fighting against different types of enemy both old and new across varied environments, and even at one point displaying new real-time hacking techniques to gain an edge over robotic enemies of all kinds; it's all an absolute joy to behold. Like usual, Shepherd's mastery of marine tactics and protocol is simply jaw-dropping, and it adds a unique flair to his action scenes. The "space battles" aspect is a little neglected here though, in favor of more ground battles and tactics, so don't expect much of that here.
As usual, the variety of alien species in the story is astounding. But in this book in particular, they are given the stage to shine. First, we get a full display of the unique parren race, which ties closely into the narrative. But additionally, we get to see the culture of the Tavalai in great detail. No longer are they just the firstmost "evil" enemies of humanity. Here we get to see how they are a complex and nuanced people, who ultimately regret the war they waged against humanity, and lost much of themselves like humans did. This "humanization" of otherwise "bad aliens" is pleasantly welcome and proves how truly varied and fascinating the universe of the Spiral can be.
So once again Shepherd has written a hit in this ongoing story, and once again, I'll be reading the next chapter in this still fascinating story of the Spiral Wars. Reading a fourth book in a series is most likely a first for me, and that should tell you a LOT about how much I'm in love with the Spiral Wars so far.
June 25, 2024
Kind of boring compared to the others
This book has a couple of flaws that had me speed reading most of the time.
First, the plot is laid out very early in the book, and then the only excitement is pitfalls and obstacles to completing the tasks.
Second, the tavalai are very bureaucratic and that mostly means boring. It also leads to unbelievable actions by the Phoenix crew as they are mostly kept alive by politics. Hard to believe politics.
I didn’t even have a mental image of what was going on near the end. It was fast paced and not well enough drawn out.
Finally, it ends incomplete with a cliffhanger- something that tends to happen when good books at the beginning of a series start to turn into filler and fluff after the initial good story is exhausted.
I am hopeful that this will not remain the status quo as the series progresses. But this was not as good as the first two books in the series.
This book has a couple of flaws that had me speed reading most of the time.
First, the plot is laid out very early in the book, and then the only excitement is pitfalls and obstacles to completing the tasks.
Second, the tavalai are very bureaucratic and that mostly means boring. It also leads to unbelievable actions by the Phoenix crew as they are mostly kept alive by politics. Hard to believe politics.
I didn’t even have a mental image of what was going on near the end. It was fast paced and not well enough drawn out.
Finally, it ends incomplete with a cliffhanger- something that tends to happen when good books at the beginning of a series start to turn into filler and fluff after the initial good story is exhausted.
I am hopeful that this will not remain the status quo as the series progresses. But this was not as good as the first two books in the series.
January 6, 2024
Ready for TV series
I am only on the third book in the series but by the end of each book I can’t wait to read the next one. The book starts a little slow but explains the details of what it is going to take to accomplish the mission . Joel Shepherd does a great job of expressing the emotions of the two races working together right after the end of a 100 plus year war and the action sequences have you so far on the edge of your seat that when the story line shifts to another team you are almost angry that it did until the next team has you on the edge of your seat again. I don’t think I have ever read a book that had created such a detailed move in my head as I am reading it. If the last 5 books are as good as the first three I would thoroughly enjoy see this as a series on one of the major streaming services.
I am only on the third book in the series but by the end of each book I can’t wait to read the next one. The book starts a little slow but explains the details of what it is going to take to accomplish the mission . Joel Shepherd does a great job of expressing the emotions of the two races working together right after the end of a 100 plus year war and the action sequences have you so far on the edge of your seat that when the story line shifts to another team you are almost angry that it did until the next team has you on the edge of your seat again. I don’t think I have ever read a book that had created such a detailed move in my head as I am reading it. If the last 5 books are as good as the first three I would thoroughly enjoy see this as a series on one of the major streaming services.
November 10, 2023
This series reminds me a bit of Game of Thrones (the TV series). Many of us watched the first season and loved it, but we were pretty sure the second season could not match it. Wrong! It got better. The third season would definitely be less. Wrong again!
The Spiral Wars saga is very similar, it just keeps getting better. I’ve just finished book 3 and my head is spinning with a level of Galactic building, versus world building, that’s going on. Lots of Aliens, battles, great weapons, innovative technology, political, intrigue, and a hell of a cast of characters. This would make a hell of a TV series, but I doubt anyone could afford to make it.
So, I just look forward to reading the rest of the series.
The Spiral Wars saga is very similar, it just keeps getting better. I’ve just finished book 3 and my head is spinning with a level of Galactic building, versus world building, that’s going on. Lots of Aliens, battles, great weapons, innovative technology, political, intrigue, and a hell of a cast of characters. This would make a hell of a TV series, but I doubt anyone could afford to make it.
So, I just look forward to reading the rest of the series.
April 26, 2024
So, I'm no expert of alien culture and artifacts, BUT it seems to me that the Kantovan Vault is highly improbable - even with some hacksaw technology thrown in. It was more like we needed a spectacular setting in which to let Styx do her stuff. So this setting got the nod.
I DO love the slow growth/revelation of Styx advancement to the contribution of the story line. Pardon me for being a traitor to humanity, but I'll root for 'her' every day.
Some stories leave you with a blah ending. Not this one. There is a pretty good hint at what is coming down the road and I can't wait to pick up book four and let the story unfold (especially know that I know we can finally get away from the vault).
I DO love the slow growth/revelation of Styx advancement to the contribution of the story line. Pardon me for being a traitor to humanity, but I'll root for 'her' every day.
Some stories leave you with a blah ending. Not this one. There is a pretty good hint at what is coming down the road and I can't wait to pick up book four and let the story unfold (especially know that I know we can finally get away from the vault).
March 17, 2022
The Parren Problem
As spacefaring alien species go the Parren are unique in that they were once allied with the Drysines, a race of machines that ruled the Spiral twenty-five thousand years ago. Now, one Parren leader, Aristan, wishes to resurrect that alliance, and has kidnapped Lisbeth Debogande to force the issue. Captain Erik Debogande and his renegade warship Phoenix are forced to accept Aristan's aid in a raid on the Kantovan Vault, a fortress containing information necessary to the defence of humanity.
Again the author has created a masterpiece of intrigue, warfare, and kinship that is addictive in its complexity. Please sir, can we have some more?
As spacefaring alien species go the Parren are unique in that they were once allied with the Drysines, a race of machines that ruled the Spiral twenty-five thousand years ago. Now, one Parren leader, Aristan, wishes to resurrect that alliance, and has kidnapped Lisbeth Debogande to force the issue. Captain Erik Debogande and his renegade warship Phoenix are forced to accept Aristan's aid in a raid on the Kantovan Vault, a fortress containing information necessary to the defence of humanity.
Again the author has created a masterpiece of intrigue, warfare, and kinship that is addictive in its complexity. Please sir, can we have some more?
July 27, 2017
I'm 75% done with this 3rd book. I love this story, the characters and the world the author built. That said, oh my goodness the author loves to drag out every detail down to the smallest molecule when 99% of the time it has nothing to do with the overarching story. I understand he is bringing life to the characters but it's been done as nauseam at this point. The first two books I dealt with it because the story more than made up for it. This time, I am about at my limit and I'm having doubts about finishing this book.
September 10, 2017
Like Riding Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket At Universal
The action during the last 25% of the book left me dizzy and John Lee’s narration kept me captivated throughout the book. That said, “Kantovan Vault” lacks the originality of the first two books in the series. The space crew must steal a valuable artifact which is surrounded by high tech security and an army of guards. Accomplishing the mission will require assembling a group of people with specific talents, some sleight of hand and luck. Can anyone say “Oceans 11 or 12”?
The action during the last 25% of the book left me dizzy and John Lee’s narration kept me captivated throughout the book. That said, “Kantovan Vault” lacks the originality of the first two books in the series. The space crew must steal a valuable artifact which is surrounded by high tech security and an army of guards. Accomplishing the mission will require assembling a group of people with specific talents, some sleight of hand and luck. Can anyone say “Oceans 11 or 12”?
April 4, 2018
Space Opera at its best.
Dialogue, I want to start with dialogue! Joel Sheperd is a master at spinning dialogue. In but a few words binding a reader to the storyline, he injects emotions that animate his characters. Their lives become personal in the way only great dialogue can do. His worlds are complex, described in detail and panoramically believable. I can imagine how much fun it would be to see his worlds crafted for the big screen with all the personal right to the point dialogue. He is a favorite!
Dialogue, I want to start with dialogue! Joel Sheperd is a master at spinning dialogue. In but a few words binding a reader to the storyline, he injects emotions that animate his characters. Their lives become personal in the way only great dialogue can do. His worlds are complex, described in detail and panoramically believable. I can imagine how much fun it would be to see his worlds crafted for the big screen with all the personal right to the point dialogue. He is a favorite!
May 24, 2025
Kantovan Vault is another masterclass in science fiction from Joel Shepherd. The political intrigue is brilliantly layered, the tension builds with precision, and the action sequences are gripping from start to finish. Shepherd’s writing is sharp and clever, weaving complex alliances, hidden motives, and high-stakes confrontations into a story that never loses momentum. Every book in this series feels like a crafted piece of art, and this one is no exception. Five stars for edge-of-your-seat storytelling at its finest.
July 14, 2017
DNF 50%, drags on and on, and the series plot is getting kind of stupid. I hope there's eventually some kind of worthy payoff for why the Drysine queen hasn't already pwned the Phoenix and rebooted her civilization instead of being dragged along as a sort of synthetic magical negro. I hope that once they get the core, she pwns the Phoenix and uses it to reconquer the galaxy, demonstrating that it was a really stupid idea to go fetch the damn thing.
August 22, 2017
The tension mounts- leading in book 4
Fantastic series, fast paced and beautifully executed. With 99.9 % of humanity gone, the rebirth of the human race results in a world of racial equality along with the blind political power of today's world. Humans are the newcomers in the galaxy, up against races with tens of thousands of years of history. Add in the sentinel AI's and the players take on new dimensions.
Fantastic series, fast paced and beautifully executed. With 99.9 % of humanity gone, the rebirth of the human race results in a world of racial equality along with the blind political power of today's world. Humans are the newcomers in the galaxy, up against races with tens of thousands of years of history. Add in the sentinel AI's and the players take on new dimensions.
January 29, 2018
I'm enjoying the continued introduction of new characters and species, despite the irritating grammatical and editorial mistakes. I like the way the perspective of the major players/species is evolving re. their interaction with each other. Also nice to see Eric moving completely out from the shadow of his dead captain and the Majors' vulnerability (and possible weakness), her love for her fellow Marines (Hoorah), peeking out from behind her light armor.
March 15, 2019
Wow - action packed after action packed series - I read on with anticipation of the next installment!
This is my first chance to pull my head away from the pages to make time to leave this high praise review. The Spiral Wars is a must read for sci fi fans around the world - don’t hesitate - make that one click purchase and prepare to stop engaging socially as you get sucked into Mr Shepherd’s future world!
This is my first chance to pull my head away from the pages to make time to leave this high praise review. The Spiral Wars is a must read for sci fi fans around the world - don’t hesitate - make that one click purchase and prepare to stop engaging socially as you get sucked into Mr Shepherd’s future world!
August 30, 2019
Lots of action but in slow motion due to way too many details. I did enjoy have the primary characters separated for most of the book and the reunification at the end was not satisfying. Loved books 1 & 2, hoping #4 is better than #3. A future alliance of Phoenix, Tavalai fleet and the drysine queen is an interesting enough possibility to move on to the 4th book. And maybe Lisbeth can bring the parren to the table as well.
June 18, 2021
This one was hard for me to work my way through. The first 3/4 of the book was very slow and I put the book down to jump into whole other series a couple of times. John Lee being the narrator kept me coming back and I’m happy that I did. The Oceans 11-ish approach to the climax of the book was well worth the pay off.
Rating: 4/5
Cover: 3/5
Narration: 5/5 - I love John Lee in anything
Favorite Line: NA
Rating: 4/5
Cover: 3/5
Narration: 5/5 - I love John Lee in anything
Favorite Line: NA
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