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Recognition #1
The Recognition Run
Not yet published
Expected 1 Jul 07Jeanine is on the run from someone very powerful. She doesn’t know who wants her dead, or why. She only knows they have already killed her family, and if they catch her, she’s next.
Drake’s family was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now, he drifts from spaceport to spaceport, searching for cargo and running from the grief he can never escape. When Jeanine barrels into Drake’s life, he must push aside his grief and run with her.
But time is not their ally. When they cannot run from their enemies, Jeanine's and Drake's only hope is to run toward those enemies. Their only hope is to make The Recognition Run.
Drake’s family was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now, he drifts from spaceport to spaceport, searching for cargo and running from the grief he can never escape. When Jeanine barrels into Drake’s life, he must push aside his grief and run with her.
But time is not their ally. When they cannot run from their enemies, Jeanine's and Drake's only hope is to run toward those enemies. Their only hope is to make The Recognition Run.
259 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication July 1, 2107
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12 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 2, 2018
I obtained this book through the Kindle Unlimited program.
If you haven't voted on the Amazon review, you can do so here.
There is extensive additional background material about my actual reading experience with this book in my blog, Papa Pat Rambles. I encourage you to check out today's post, if you are interested in that sort of thing.
This was one of the last additions to my January reading program, and the last book I actually finished during January. Still have more to work on before my next queue opens up, but if all of those are the quality of "The Recognition Run," I will be a happy man.
One of the axioms I've heard bantered about over the years is that if you have one problem, it can be difficult or impossible to resolve. However, if you have multiple problems, they tend to solve themselves.
That's certainly the case here. Old beggar (!) Jared has a granddaughter to protect. Ship owner Drake needs a reason to live. And the young Jeanine needs a way to get out of town before she is murdered for reasons she doesn't understand.
Many things are not understood by many people initially, which proves to be a good thing when thugs waylay Jared and Jeanine. Despite their appearance, both are formidable fighters, and that gives Jeanine the time she needs to escape. Without going into detail, Drake is the means of her getting off planet.
So now, we have TWO people who have been cast adrift. What to do, what to do? Fortunately, both of them are well aware that Jared, in one of his final acts, has selected Drake as Mr. Right for Jeanine, almost thrusting her into Drakes bed, as a matter of fact. That, plus his courtesy, and their mutual attraction, leads Jeanine to seek physical comfort from him, as they escape into space from their pursuers.
This is NOT a scene of glittering pulsing crushing, by the way. None of the pairings in the book are portrayed that way. It's good adventure for adults, and for the right, mature, appropriately minded teen, it will be taken as intended. It's no Heinlein Juvenile, but it absolutely is less explicit than that which can be found on broadcast television. Still, if you are not certain about the appropriateness of this as a gift for a young person, read it yourself, and I think most will find nothing to object to.
Drake reveals his secret to Jeanine: his wife and child were killed by the wickedness of one of the ruling houses; the crime was compounded when his commander merely demanded payment from the offender, then gave a small part of that to Drake. He is now, more or less, in the status of a Ronin, except that his lord wasn't killed; he merely betrayed Drake.
Jeanine's secret comes as a surprise to both of them. She is obviously more than someone washed up on the beach, which Drake discerns by her combat abilities and other aspects of her behavior. (We know, of course, through a reveal in the first chapter.)
Although there is PLENTY of good action, exploding space ships, and smooching, the primary message of the book to me is that loyalty flows both up AND down the chain of command. It is the failure of the ruling class to treat the working class folks as they deserve which has rotted the society, leaving good men and women forced to try to avoid careless malignance, while uppercrust twerps negotiate for power by devising insults on the one hand, and fawning on the powerful with the other.
Vogel ALWAYS tells a good story, and NEVER leaves his readers with cliff hanger endings. There is enough resolution that we are satisfied, and yet it is clear that there is much more story to tell.
And for this, we may be truly grateful.
If you haven't voted on the Amazon review, you can do so here.
There is extensive additional background material about my actual reading experience with this book in my blog, Papa Pat Rambles. I encourage you to check out today's post, if you are interested in that sort of thing.
This was one of the last additions to my January reading program, and the last book I actually finished during January. Still have more to work on before my next queue opens up, but if all of those are the quality of "The Recognition Run," I will be a happy man.
One of the axioms I've heard bantered about over the years is that if you have one problem, it can be difficult or impossible to resolve. However, if you have multiple problems, they tend to solve themselves.
That's certainly the case here. Old beggar (!) Jared has a granddaughter to protect. Ship owner Drake needs a reason to live. And the young Jeanine needs a way to get out of town before she is murdered for reasons she doesn't understand.
Many things are not understood by many people initially, which proves to be a good thing when thugs waylay Jared and Jeanine. Despite their appearance, both are formidable fighters, and that gives Jeanine the time she needs to escape. Without going into detail, Drake is the means of her getting off planet.
So now, we have TWO people who have been cast adrift. What to do, what to do? Fortunately, both of them are well aware that Jared, in one of his final acts, has selected Drake as Mr. Right for Jeanine, almost thrusting her into Drakes bed, as a matter of fact. That, plus his courtesy, and their mutual attraction, leads Jeanine to seek physical comfort from him, as they escape into space from their pursuers.
This is NOT a scene of glittering pulsing crushing, by the way. None of the pairings in the book are portrayed that way. It's good adventure for adults, and for the right, mature, appropriately minded teen, it will be taken as intended. It's no Heinlein Juvenile, but it absolutely is less explicit than that which can be found on broadcast television. Still, if you are not certain about the appropriateness of this as a gift for a young person, read it yourself, and I think most will find nothing to object to.
Drake reveals his secret to Jeanine: his wife and child were killed by the wickedness of one of the ruling houses; the crime was compounded when his commander merely demanded payment from the offender, then gave a small part of that to Drake. He is now, more or less, in the status of a Ronin, except that his lord wasn't killed; he merely betrayed Drake.
Jeanine's secret comes as a surprise to both of them. She is obviously more than someone washed up on the beach, which Drake discerns by her combat abilities and other aspects of her behavior. (We know, of course, through a reveal in the first chapter.)
Although there is PLENTY of good action, exploding space ships, and smooching, the primary message of the book to me is that loyalty flows both up AND down the chain of command. It is the failure of the ruling class to treat the working class folks as they deserve which has rotted the society, leaving good men and women forced to try to avoid careless malignance, while uppercrust twerps negotiate for power by devising insults on the one hand, and fawning on the powerful with the other.
Vogel ALWAYS tells a good story, and NEVER leaves his readers with cliff hanger endings. There is enough resolution that we are satisfied, and yet it is clear that there is much more story to tell.
And for this, we may be truly grateful.
January 4, 2020
Nice light space opera
Well written. Many authors struggle with perspective changes between characters, , but this one did it quite well. Good for adults or teens.
Well written. Many authors struggle with perspective changes between characters, , but this one did it quite well. Good for adults or teens.
Read
October 21, 2017A Publishers Weekly 2017 BookLife Prize semi-finalist for best independent novel.
The Critic's Report:
Plot/Idea: 9 out of 10
Originality: 9 out of 10
Prose: 8 out of 10
Character/Execution: 8 out of 10
Overall: 8.50 out of 10
Assessment:
Plot: Struck from the template of classic space opera, this tale of intergalactic adventure hits all of the right notes. It has a likable hero and heroine, nasty villains, a plot full of intrigue and unforeseeable surprises, and a colorfully rendered outer-space backdrop against which its well-paced events unfold.
Prose: Vogel’s prose is perfectly suited to the story he has to tell—one in which he must give voice to a score of different characters and move quickly from moments of quiet intimacy to scenes of brisk and frenetic action. His simple, direct storytelling style gets the job done.
Originality: The novel is a digest of familiar space opera tropes—but this is not a bad thing. The best stories of this type always recycle tried-and-true themes and characters—and Vogel shows that in doing so he can keep his tale lively and entertaining.
Character Development: Vogel’s characters are mostly types, but they also have nuance and distinct personalities. Jeanine, Drake, and even the evil Olivia are lively and engaging characters that will appeal to readers.
See the BookLife listing for The Recognition Run here.
The Critic's Report:
Plot/Idea: 9 out of 10
Originality: 9 out of 10
Prose: 8 out of 10
Character/Execution: 8 out of 10
Overall: 8.50 out of 10
Assessment:
Plot: Struck from the template of classic space opera, this tale of intergalactic adventure hits all of the right notes. It has a likable hero and heroine, nasty villains, a plot full of intrigue and unforeseeable surprises, and a colorfully rendered outer-space backdrop against which its well-paced events unfold.
Prose: Vogel’s prose is perfectly suited to the story he has to tell—one in which he must give voice to a score of different characters and move quickly from moments of quiet intimacy to scenes of brisk and frenetic action. His simple, direct storytelling style gets the job done.
Originality: The novel is a digest of familiar space opera tropes—but this is not a bad thing. The best stories of this type always recycle tried-and-true themes and characters—and Vogel shows that in doing so he can keep his tale lively and entertaining.
Character Development: Vogel’s characters are mostly types, but they also have nuance and distinct personalities. Jeanine, Drake, and even the evil Olivia are lively and engaging characters that will appeal to readers.
See the BookLife listing for The Recognition Run here.
February 10, 2020
So, this is a review for the whole series, not just this book.
Overall, this is a light, breezy, quick-reading series that is fun if not particularly substantial. Probably the biggest selling point is the characters, who are all likeable, even the supposed “Big Bads.” The “Big Bads'” conflict with the heroes is, interestingly, more a matter of differing point of view and priorities than “good” versus “evil,” and over the course of the series they work together a couple times and in the end manage to come to something of a compromise. There is also a running theme of “love” throughout the series that gives it some moments of unexpected depth. I don't know if I’d reread this anytime soon but I did enjoy it the first time through.
Overall, this is a light, breezy, quick-reading series that is fun if not particularly substantial. Probably the biggest selling point is the characters, who are all likeable, even the supposed “Big Bads.” The “Big Bads'” conflict with the heroes is, interestingly, more a matter of differing point of view and priorities than “good” versus “evil,” and over the course of the series they work together a couple times and in the end manage to come to something of a compromise. There is also a running theme of “love” throughout the series that gives it some moments of unexpected depth. I don't know if I’d reread this anytime soon but I did enjoy it the first time through.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews