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Galaxy On Fire #1
Embers
Jon Ryan was supposed to be dead. He wanted to be dead. But Jon wakes up in the far future with an alien burrowing in his chest for salvage. Someone was going to pay for this. Check that. Lots of people were going to pay for this.
Jon was the first astronaut to download to an android host to find the population of doomed Earth a new home. But that was so long time ago. He is now literally lost in time.
The far flung future is dominated by an unstoppable species, the Adamant. They have conquered most of the galaxy. No civilization has successfully resisted them. Brutally efficient, selflessly devoted to their empire, and callous to all other forms of life, the Adamant have advanced without boundaries. But they are about to run into a major problem. One very pissed off Jon Ryan stands in their way. He escapes their prison ship, rescues two teenage shapeshifters, and intends to protect them at all costs.
Jon, Mirraya, and Slapgren race across the galaxy always just one step ahead of disaster. But the combined evil forces that pursue them tear the trio apart. The teens must fend on their own in a hostile universe. All the while, Jon runs for his life, hoping against all hope to locate the teens. In a galaxy burning with war, genocide, and hidden magic, can Jon Ryan pull of one more miracle?
Jon was the first astronaut to download to an android host to find the population of doomed Earth a new home. But that was so long time ago. He is now literally lost in time.
The far flung future is dominated by an unstoppable species, the Adamant. They have conquered most of the galaxy. No civilization has successfully resisted them. Brutally efficient, selflessly devoted to their empire, and callous to all other forms of life, the Adamant have advanced without boundaries. But they are about to run into a major problem. One very pissed off Jon Ryan stands in their way. He escapes their prison ship, rescues two teenage shapeshifters, and intends to protect them at all costs.
Jon, Mirraya, and Slapgren race across the galaxy always just one step ahead of disaster. But the combined evil forces that pursue them tear the trio apart. The teens must fend on their own in a hostile universe. All the while, Jon runs for his life, hoping against all hope to locate the teens. In a galaxy burning with war, genocide, and hidden magic, can Jon Ryan pull of one more miracle?
258 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 6, 2017
About the author
Craig A. Robertson
75 books181 followersThe Seven Lives of Craig A. Robertson
Dr. Craig A. Robertson is a physician and the author of more than forty-five published science fiction novels. Getting there, however, was anything but a typical path.
His first life was that of a shoe salesman. This "profession" helped him to work his way through college. His first experience was at Kinney Shoes. leveling up to Sears, and eventually became a shoe manager at Montgomery Ward. All three companies later went bankrupt. Not. His. Fault. But he did meet his wife, Karen, at Sears, which made working there most rewarding.
His second life embraced the physical sciences. A childhood fascination with astronomy led him to UC Berkeley. However, he eventually switched to geophysics after realizing that astronomers spent an inordinate amount of time alone on cold, remote mountaintops. Somewhere along the way, physical science gave way to his true passion: medicine.
For his third life he
became a doctor. Medical school and residency were like being sentenced to an abusive gulag, but they provided two lasting benefits. First, he learned that nothing he encountered afterward would ever be harder. Second—and rather more importantly—he got to be a doctor.
His career began in academic medicine, when he became a professor of Emergency Medicine at a Level One Trauma Center. That was followed by yet another incarnation, this time as a research immunologist at UC Davis, where his work included a cloned antibody directed against human melanoma cells and research into primary biliary cirrhosis.
Eventually, Craig settled into the life of a practicing physician. But somewhere among patients, science, family, and all those previous incarnations, another life crept onto the scene.
He became a science fiction writer.
More than forty-five novels later, Craig spends a psychiatrically questionable amount of time destroying planets, rebuilding civilizations, tormenting his delicious evil villains, and making Jon Ryan traverse the universe ... forever.
It seems doubtful, given his past inclinations, that seven lives will be enough for Craig A. Robertson.
Dr. Craig A. Robertson is a physician and the author of more than forty-five published science fiction novels. Getting there, however, was anything but a typical path.
His first life was that of a shoe salesman. This "profession" helped him to work his way through college. His first experience was at Kinney Shoes. leveling up to Sears, and eventually became a shoe manager at Montgomery Ward. All three companies later went bankrupt. Not. His. Fault. But he did meet his wife, Karen, at Sears, which made working there most rewarding.
His second life embraced the physical sciences. A childhood fascination with astronomy led him to UC Berkeley. However, he eventually switched to geophysics after realizing that astronomers spent an inordinate amount of time alone on cold, remote mountaintops. Somewhere along the way, physical science gave way to his true passion: medicine.
For his third life he
became a doctor. Medical school and residency were like being sentenced to an abusive gulag, but they provided two lasting benefits. First, he learned that nothing he encountered afterward would ever be harder. Second—and rather more importantly—he got to be a doctor.
His career began in academic medicine, when he became a professor of Emergency Medicine at a Level One Trauma Center. That was followed by yet another incarnation, this time as a research immunologist at UC Davis, where his work included a cloned antibody directed against human melanoma cells and research into primary biliary cirrhosis.
Eventually, Craig settled into the life of a practicing physician. But somewhere among patients, science, family, and all those previous incarnations, another life crept onto the scene.
He became a science fiction writer.
More than forty-five novels later, Craig spends a psychiatrically questionable amount of time destroying planets, rebuilding civilizations, tormenting his delicious evil villains, and making Jon Ryan traverse the universe ... forever.
It seems doubtful, given his past inclinations, that seven lives will be enough for Craig A. Robertson.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 1, 2019
Not bad. Imagine what you'd get if you mashed Hitch-Hiker's Guide with Doctor Who and removed 50 IQ points.
March 29, 2022
Oh lord. Funniest book I’ve read in a long time. I seriously enjoyed this one so much I immediately launched into book two with only a ten second pause. Sarcasm and silliness abound with fun tech and enough left unsaid for the reader to use their imagination, which I count as a bonus.
The characters are ridiculous. The bad guys are hilarious. The dialogue is outrageous. I laughed out loud so many times I had roommates asking what the hell was going on in there? I’ll tell you what: a perfect mix of storyline, happy accidents, snappy dialogue, comeuppance, sheer luck, chivalry, justice gone wrong somehow going right, laughter, eye-rolls, and Border Collies.
Do yourself a favor, forget the naysaying reviews, pick up a copy and prepare for some downright good lighthearted fun. I give this 5/5 stars and highly recommend this one to those who appreciate humorous science fiction adventures.
The characters are ridiculous. The bad guys are hilarious. The dialogue is outrageous. I laughed out loud so many times I had roommates asking what the hell was going on in there? I’ll tell you what: a perfect mix of storyline, happy accidents, snappy dialogue, comeuppance, sheer luck, chivalry, justice gone wrong somehow going right, laughter, eye-rolls, and Border Collies.
Do yourself a favor, forget the naysaying reviews, pick up a copy and prepare for some downright good lighthearted fun. I give this 5/5 stars and highly recommend this one to those who appreciate humorous science fiction adventures.
October 27, 2019
I saw this advertised on Facebook so looked it up on here and its got good reviews so thought I'd give it a punt. Unfortunately its nowhere near as good as the reviews suggest and although its quite light hearted and tongue in cheek the book is just plain stupid for the main part. It reminded me of the Expeditionary Force books by Craig Alanson but although it doesnt have a stupid AI in a beer can every computer, enemy or spaceship the hero meets is as annoying as the Expeditionary Force beer can which makes this even more annoying.
I also dont get how the Adamant are the strongest force in the universe as they dont seem to have any special talents or abilities, they're technology isnt superior to anyone elses and being doglike just doesnt seem plausable.
My last criticism is that the timeline is stupid, set 2 billion years after the original stories (which I havent read) I dont believe anyone would still remember John Ryan or that English would still be spoken or that technology wouldnt have advanced so much that spaceships wouldnt be needed and everything wouldnt be powered by thought or any millions of other alternatives. 2 Billion years of scientific advances and people are still using blaster pistols and missing, do me a favour!
I also dont get how the Adamant are the strongest force in the universe as they dont seem to have any special talents or abilities, they're technology isnt superior to anyone elses and being doglike just doesnt seem plausable.
My last criticism is that the timeline is stupid, set 2 billion years after the original stories (which I havent read) I dont believe anyone would still remember John Ryan or that English would still be spoken or that technology wouldnt have advanced so much that spaceships wouldnt be needed and everything wouldnt be powered by thought or any millions of other alternatives. 2 Billion years of scientific advances and people are still using blaster pistols and missing, do me a favour!
October 21, 2024
( Format : Audiobook )
"I'm human."
Action and humour all rolled together in this madcap chase across the two billion years later universe. Scott Aiello becomes the story's snarky hero, Jon Ryan, who wakes up not dead as he'd expected but being salvaged for component parts and already missing an arm. It's a hostile universe, peopled with diverse and defeated characters including two shape shifting children on is determined to save.
Aiello's performance as Jon is excellent, funny and curiously annoying. The book starts well but, for this reader, the relentless joking began to pall as the story evolved. I do want to find out what happened next, however, so will be returning to this series some time in the future though I trust that will be sooner than two billion years.
"I'm human."
Action and humour all rolled together in this madcap chase across the two billion years later universe. Scott Aiello becomes the story's snarky hero, Jon Ryan, who wakes up not dead as he'd expected but being salvaged for component parts and already missing an arm. It's a hostile universe, peopled with diverse and defeated characters including two shape shifting children on is determined to save.
Aiello's performance as Jon is excellent, funny and curiously annoying. The book starts well but, for this reader, the relentless joking began to pall as the story evolved. I do want to find out what happened next, however, so will be returning to this series some time in the future though I trust that will be sooner than two billion years.
May 19, 2022
Continues to be awesome series. My only complaint at this point is that the author has a tendency to force drama by having John not use his tools and abilities to solve the situation when he should. He is constantly letting himself be captured when there are plenty of times he could have easily avoided it. And, he often stands there talking with the villian, like the torture doggy in this case, when he could easily just kill her in a split second with the laser and presto... problem solved, crew on their way home. Oh well, I didn't write it, so I'm stuck going along for the ride. At least it's a good ride.
May 30, 2023
Robertson, Craig. Embers. E-book ed., Imagine-It, 2017. Galaxy on Fire 1.
“The Drive-In will never die.” (Joe Bob Briggs, long ago on The Movie Channel)
Neither will E. E. “Doc” Smith.
“Stingray, set a course for the Andromeda galaxy.” I tapped the control panel. “These coordinates. When we arrive, proceed to this destination.” I keyed in a globular cluster on the far side of the Milky Way Galaxy. (Craig Robertson, Embers)
Forget the nonstandard caps. There is a voice interface, but he has to type coordinates. Why not? Who cares?
None of what happens in this book makes a lick of sense—two stars.
“The Drive-In will never die.” (Joe Bob Briggs, long ago on The Movie Channel)
Neither will E. E. “Doc” Smith.
“Stingray, set a course for the Andromeda galaxy.” I tapped the control panel. “These coordinates. When we arrive, proceed to this destination.” I keyed in a globular cluster on the far side of the Milky Way Galaxy. (Craig Robertson, Embers)
Forget the nonstandard caps. There is a voice interface, but he has to type coordinates. Why not? Who cares?
None of what happens in this book makes a lick of sense—two stars.
December 1, 2022
This is a review for the Galaxy on Fire series as a whole. The first two are included in Audible Plus, and I highly recommend them. Scott Aleijo does a great job with the narration with hilarious voices. The entire series is included with Kindle Unlimited so I read the rest of the series on my Kindle. I have to say I was imagining the voices as interpreted by Scott.
Overall it’s a fun, easy to read series. No hard science here, just action and snark. I like the deep time aspect even if it doesn’t really make sense his android body is still functional. These novels are not very long and can easily be completed in a day or two. Luckily there’s over twenty in the Ryanverse to keep you busy.
Overall it’s a fun, easy to read series. No hard science here, just action and snark. I like the deep time aspect even if it doesn’t really make sense his android body is still functional. These novels are not very long and can easily be completed in a day or two. Luckily there’s over twenty in the Ryanverse to keep you busy.
April 13, 2023
I enjoyed the audiobook and I think this is one of those books that are better experienced in audio, however, by the end, the jokes started to realllllly grate on me. I did like the characters, the plot and the worlds we visited, but could not shake the feeling it is a bit too superficial. that being said, I will probably listen to book 2 :))
December 2, 2017
Terrine editig, word usage, simplistic plot, characters change development at ahim.
I didn't like it for all the reasons above plus a really poor attempts at humor. Pins from a two billion year old robot all based on 20th century movies and characters is quite unlikely imho.
I didn't like it for all the reasons above plus a really poor attempts at humor. Pins from a two billion year old robot all based on 20th century movies and characters is quite unlikely imho.
August 9, 2022
A funny, snarky military space book. I wasn’t sure what I was getting into, but I was pleasantly surprised by the humor and great story telling. I really liked all the current references that no one else got. I am starting book two now.
Read
July 15, 2025This was a fun read and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. The story is a little far fetched but the comedy more than makes up for it. When I hear John Ryan in my head I cant help but think of it being read by Ryan Reynolds Deadpool.
July 22, 2025
Rip roaring adventure
I am a sucker for sarcastic characters and Jon is just enough with becoming tiresome. The characters are I interesting and I found myself rooting for them. The AI is a bit much but overall a great start to a series.
I am a sucker for sarcastic characters and Jon is just enough with becoming tiresome. The characters are I interesting and I found myself rooting for them. The AI is a bit much but overall a great start to a series.
June 19, 2019
I love this book. I can't get enough of the John Ryan character he just cracks me up.
July 18, 2019
Good plot, although some of the things are a little bit implausible, but then again that "fiction."
January 16, 2020
Perfect mix of quick wit and adventure
January 28, 2020
hilarious
December 7, 2024
A really infuriating read. The potential for greatness is there, but is overshadowed by writing that feels like a Boomer Dude's wet fever dream.
May 10, 2022
Juvenile and unimaginative. The first isn't always a bad thing. The second... really is in a sci fi space opera deal.
February 1, 2025
Wasn’t sure about this book and definitely not the series. Maybe because I didn’t start from the beginning of the series, but wasn’t hard to catch up. The idea of mortality is a sad concept to me. Who wants to live forever and have to continuously start over? I went in with this pre conceived notion which caused me some difficulties in just letting those notions go and just enjoying this book and its characters. Surprise, surprise, I was able to let go and enjoy. At first the wise cracks got on my nerves because there was no relief from them. It’s constant. Crazy, but I got use to them then started enjoying the constant banter amongst the thrown together crew. Dang, I’m actually really enjoying this book haphazard, smart mouth crew/family. I’m finished the book and looking forward to the 2nd book in this series. So proud of myself for not giving anything away. I recommend y’all check ithis book out.
June 17, 2019
Jon Ryan back at it again. This time 3 billion years in the future. Now he has to sort out why dogs rule half the galaxy.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews