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Privateer Tales #13
Pursuit of the Bold
A world-shattering invasion. A long-dead rumor. A death-defying risk to save humanity. If the Kroerak Empire had a soft spot, Liam Hoffen would have found it by now. After years of fighting the blasted bug invaders, he’s all but thrown in the towel. To make matters worse, intercepted enemy plans show the empire’s next attack could wipe them off the map.
Rumors of a Kroerak weakness are their world’s only hope of survival. It’s too bad the keepers of the secret have long since turned into space dust. With time running out and alien bounty hunters in hot pursuit, Liam and his crew must venture to a long-forgotten planet. They’ll risk everything for a long-shot defense against certain annihilation.
Pursuit of the Bold is the start of a standalone trilogy in the Privateer Tales saga, a series of high-spirited space operas. If you like eccentric crews, exotic alien locations, and twists and turns you won’t see coming, then you’ll love Jamie McFarlane’s action-packed 13th book in the Privateer Tales epic.
Buy Pursuit of the Bold to set your course for an impossible interstellar mission today!
Rumors of a Kroerak weakness are their world’s only hope of survival. It’s too bad the keepers of the secret have long since turned into space dust. With time running out and alien bounty hunters in hot pursuit, Liam and his crew must venture to a long-forgotten planet. They’ll risk everything for a long-shot defense against certain annihilation.
Pursuit of the Bold is the start of a standalone trilogy in the Privateer Tales saga, a series of high-spirited space operas. If you like eccentric crews, exotic alien locations, and twists and turns you won’t see coming, then you’ll love Jamie McFarlane’s action-packed 13th book in the Privateer Tales epic.
Buy Pursuit of the Bold to set your course for an impossible interstellar mission today!
266 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 21, 2018
442 people are currently reading
97 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
May 27, 2023
This series is really good.
July 28, 2018
This tale is #13 in the Privateer Tales by Jamie McFarlane. I’ve enjoyed every full-length volume in this space opera adventure series. Pursuit of the Bold continues the story with Liam Hoffen and crew seeking a weapon to destroy the enemy known as the Kroerak. Can they survive pursuit by bounty hunters bent on stopping them? You’ll cheer for Liam and his friends as they head for a planet to contact aliens previously unknown to humankind. Will these beings receive them with friendship or hostility? They’ll have to take their chances if they want to save their people from annihilation. This book will make you eager for the sequel.
April 13, 2021
The best reaction to this book I can think of is...sigh.
The overall idea and plot is solid, interesting, easy to read, and filled with a proactive cast. The characters are enjoyable as individuals, as long as the author remembers who is who and doesn't assign them new personalities between books again. Though the plot and characters are good, it is a solid framework filled with many different issues and flaws. The most frustrating part is how these series flaws become persistent in the later books after the reader has already spent so much time on the books.
It is more of the same. Almost exclusively luck based combat scenes and problems, with all trade based plot points left behind long ago. I held out hope that the author would find a way to bring the series back on course with what it started out as, but it doesn't seem that is going to be happening anytime soon. There is a new series plot of dealing with an all powerful alien race intent on destroying them, but similar situations didn't stop them in previous books. It is simply frustrating to be promised one thing in the beginning of the series, then have it all taken away and replaced with something completely different. It is not a way for an author to build trust with the reader.
Breaking news! Pirates do pirate stuff! Everyone reading knows this simple fact, but somehow Liam through 13 books and dozens of interactions hasn't figured this out yet. It is really getting old. Him being caught off guard that someone hired by the evil bug things would do evil things is astonishingly naive and unbelievable after so many books and interactions. Since it is required for the plot, the author has no problem making the characters idiots to progress the book.
The same over use of trying to build suspense which results in no suspense is everywhere in this book. When everything that can go wrong always goes wrong...it is easy to predict what will happen next. Spoiler alert...something goes wrong. Knowing what is going to happen defeats the purpose, the only thing to wait for is how it will be made to happen, but that is hardly a reason to continue. It got old a couple books ago, and now it is annoying. It seems like the only reasonable escalation is to start killing off main characters, it is something I'm expecting now in future books.
This was developing into a well balanced series with interesting characters, but it turned into one which is unbalanced with unstable characters, and a series identity shift. I only hope it can straighten out eventually. It is frustrating to see an author backtrack on series promises set out in book one. The series is nothing like what it was in the beginning, the setting, plot, characters, and everything else has undergone a dramatic shift, and it isn't a change I enjoy. Luckily the books are extremely simple to read and get through fast, so I'll be able to finish the series. Though so much of it frustrates me, the story is good as long as the flaws aren't focused on.
The overall idea and plot is solid, interesting, easy to read, and filled with a proactive cast. The characters are enjoyable as individuals, as long as the author remembers who is who and doesn't assign them new personalities between books again. Though the plot and characters are good, it is a solid framework filled with many different issues and flaws. The most frustrating part is how these series flaws become persistent in the later books after the reader has already spent so much time on the books.
It is more of the same. Almost exclusively luck based combat scenes and problems, with all trade based plot points left behind long ago. I held out hope that the author would find a way to bring the series back on course with what it started out as, but it doesn't seem that is going to be happening anytime soon. There is a new series plot of dealing with an all powerful alien race intent on destroying them, but similar situations didn't stop them in previous books. It is simply frustrating to be promised one thing in the beginning of the series, then have it all taken away and replaced with something completely different. It is not a way for an author to build trust with the reader.
Breaking news! Pirates do pirate stuff! Everyone reading knows this simple fact, but somehow Liam through 13 books and dozens of interactions hasn't figured this out yet. It is really getting old. Him being caught off guard that someone hired by the evil bug things would do evil things is astonishingly naive and unbelievable after so many books and interactions. Since it is required for the plot, the author has no problem making the characters idiots to progress the book.
The same over use of trying to build suspense which results in no suspense is everywhere in this book. When everything that can go wrong always goes wrong...it is easy to predict what will happen next. Spoiler alert...something goes wrong. Knowing what is going to happen defeats the purpose, the only thing to wait for is how it will be made to happen, but that is hardly a reason to continue. It got old a couple books ago, and now it is annoying. It seems like the only reasonable escalation is to start killing off main characters, it is something I'm expecting now in future books.
This was developing into a well balanced series with interesting characters, but it turned into one which is unbalanced with unstable characters, and a series identity shift. I only hope it can straighten out eventually. It is frustrating to see an author backtrack on series promises set out in book one. The series is nothing like what it was in the beginning, the setting, plot, characters, and everything else has undergone a dramatic shift, and it isn't a change I enjoy. Luckily the books are extremely simple to read and get through fast, so I'll be able to finish the series. Though so much of it frustrates me, the story is good as long as the flaws aren't focused on.
April 2, 2018
Four and a half stars. Jamie McFarlane has done it once again! He has crafted another hard to put down story. I took of half a star because the characters might seem a bit underdeveloped if one was to pick up this book without having read any of the others.
Setting that small point aside, the cast from Loose Nuts continues their adventures and find new allies in their struggles. The pacing is so tight that I struggled to put the book down. Fortunately, the jumping back and forth between Picis and the Loose Nut adventurers created natural breaks that let me eat and sleep.
This is the first of a new trilogy in the long running "Privateer Tales" series. Unlike so many trilogies these days this story actually has a beginning, middle and ending with a small teaser but no 'cliffhanger' to make one wait for the next book. Like a the craftsman he is becoming, McFarlane relies on the quality of the characters and his story to bring you back for more.
Setting that small point aside, the cast from Loose Nuts continues their adventures and find new allies in their struggles. The pacing is so tight that I struggled to put the book down. Fortunately, the jumping back and forth between Picis and the Loose Nut adventurers created natural breaks that let me eat and sleep.
This is the first of a new trilogy in the long running "Privateer Tales" series. Unlike so many trilogies these days this story actually has a beginning, middle and ending with a small teaser but no 'cliffhanger' to make one wait for the next book. Like a the craftsman he is becoming, McFarlane relies on the quality of the characters and his story to bring you back for more.
November 13, 2018
2018 grade B-
This is a difficult book for me to review. The book is basically perfectly sound, reasonably interesting, and well written, but it is routine. It follows the same outline or formula as many of the previous books in the series and, except for a new species, has the same characters doing the same basic things. Only unimportant to me details vary. Many TV series use the same writing method but an episode is 1hr long, not many hours like a book. The end was interesting although I did skip over some long winded paragraphs.
I obtained a Kindle copy as a free promotion, otherwise I wouldn't have even known about it. I can't make a yes or know recommendation. The books are not particularly expensive so if you like this series or this kind of series, go for it. I like a little more meat and originality in each story. (Book #1 might still be free BTW and it is a good place to start. I liked that one and quite a few after it.)
This is a difficult book for me to review. The book is basically perfectly sound, reasonably interesting, and well written, but it is routine. It follows the same outline or formula as many of the previous books in the series and, except for a new species, has the same characters doing the same basic things. Only unimportant to me details vary. Many TV series use the same writing method but an episode is 1hr long, not many hours like a book. The end was interesting although I did skip over some long winded paragraphs.
I obtained a Kindle copy as a free promotion, otherwise I wouldn't have even known about it. I can't make a yes or know recommendation. The books are not particularly expensive so if you like this series or this kind of series, go for it. I like a little more meat and originality in each story. (Book #1 might still be free BTW and it is a good place to start. I liked that one and quite a few after it.)
April 4, 2018
Another Absolutely Brilliant Science Fiction Adventure
As a Boy, Growing-Up In Manhattan (NYC) In The 1950's, You Had To Get Up Early, To Search For Discarded Soda Bottles... That Could Be Returned To The Candy Store For Refund! Science Fiction Authors Like Azimov, & Roddenberry Wrote Fantastic Science Fiction Stories, Released Bi-Weekly As Serial Comic Books That Could Be Purchased For 5 Bottles... (Each Bottle Was Worth .2¢) Or .10¢ In Cash Money! "Privateer Tales" Are As Close To Those Amazing Serial Comics Readers Will Find, Today; In The 21st Century!
Don't Miss One!
Peter Anthony Roland
Miami Beach Florida
April 2018
As a Boy, Growing-Up In Manhattan (NYC) In The 1950's, You Had To Get Up Early, To Search For Discarded Soda Bottles... That Could Be Returned To The Candy Store For Refund! Science Fiction Authors Like Azimov, & Roddenberry Wrote Fantastic Science Fiction Stories, Released Bi-Weekly As Serial Comic Books That Could Be Purchased For 5 Bottles... (Each Bottle Was Worth .2¢) Or .10¢ In Cash Money! "Privateer Tales" Are As Close To Those Amazing Serial Comics Readers Will Find, Today; In The 21st Century!
Don't Miss One!
Peter Anthony Roland
Miami Beach Florida
April 2018
July 7, 2020
9/10: Fantastic, left me wanting more.
How many tests do you have? We never said we were related to your dumb rock. We just want allies to help us fight the bugs who wiped out most of your people. Is that really so frakking much to ask? Do you have a better way to fight them? Frak, everywhere we go, puissant little megalomaniacs are always the first to get in the way.
And that about sums up the story. Loved it.
I sighed – Dwingeloo Galaxy was a tough place to be a man.
How many tests do you have? We never said we were related to your dumb rock. We just want allies to help us fight the bugs who wiped out most of your people. Is that really so frakking much to ask? Do you have a better way to fight them? Frak, everywhere we go, puissant little megalomaniacs are always the first to get in the way.
And that about sums up the story. Loved it.
I sighed – Dwingeloo Galaxy was a tough place to be a man.
April 2, 2018
Very good entry in Privateer Tales. Prior to reading this one I re-read #12 and liked that one even more than the first time. This book continued to move the series on and build upon the previous books. This one is part of a trilogy that will be published over the next few months and I wish I had waited to read this one after the next two had also been published so I could have read them all in one giant binge. Very enjoyable.
July 23, 2018
Crucial Allies
Liam and crew are on a mission to find the Piscivoru, a possiby extinct race wiped out by the Kroerak. Since the Kroerak fear them, Liam wants to see if they have a secret that can defeat the bugs. Enemies get in the way and bad and dangerous things ensue. The characters have good chemistry among themselves and are compelling. I look forward to the next book.
Liam and crew are on a mission to find the Piscivoru, a possiby extinct race wiped out by the Kroerak. Since the Kroerak fear them, Liam wants to see if they have a secret that can defeat the bugs. Enemies get in the way and bad and dangerous things ensue. The characters have good chemistry among themselves and are compelling. I look forward to the next book.
March 23, 2018
Jamie McFarlane has done it again. Pursuit of the Bold has all the trademarks of the his wonderful books, action, adventure, a great lead who is an extraordinarily special person, and a wonderful supporting cast all backed by superb writing. His works remind me of the best of greats like Robert A. Heinlein, a standard I never expected to be matched but somehow he does it.
April 2, 2018
Amazing as always. Yet again, cover-to-cover in less than 48 hours ... in other words, I dare you to try and put one of these down. It just doesn't work that way. Jamie McFarlane will keep you spellbound. Now I wait - impatiently - for the next chapter in this latest trilogy of "Privateer Tales."
March 27, 2018
Oh yeah
I've been a fan of the Loose Nuts team since book one, and they get better as the story unfolds. In this tale, Liam and company are on the hunt for allies, and not everyone wants their mission to be a success.
I've been a fan of the Loose Nuts team since book one, and they get better as the story unfolds. In this tale, Liam and company are on the hunt for allies, and not everyone wants their mission to be a success.
March 24, 2018
Another fantastic adventure
I wasn't sure how I'd like the trilogy approach, but am totally a believer. Story is true to the characters and still new and a grand kick to the trilogy.
I wasn't sure how I'd like the trilogy approach, but am totally a believer. Story is true to the characters and still new and a grand kick to the trilogy.
March 26, 2018
They're back!
It seems that after brief hiatus, the Pruvateer crew is back. And it was worth the wait.
Engaging story and characters and a new species. Very well done and a fun and light read!
It seems that after brief hiatus, the Pruvateer crew is back. And it was worth the wait.
Engaging story and characters and a new species. Very well done and a fun and light read!
June 21, 2018
Death to the bugs!
Another great story in the Privateer series. It reads really fast and keeps you wanting more. Fortunately, there are two more in the trilogy.
Time to move on to the next book!
Another great story in the Privateer series. It reads really fast and keeps you wanting more. Fortunately, there are two more in the trilogy.
Time to move on to the next book!
July 13, 2018
This was a Great read. The characters are well thought out, and the story just moves right along to a dramatic finish. You'll love this and you'll be turning pages without even thinking. Great Reading Everyone!
August 3, 2018
Good start to the trilogy. Book is hard to put down. And you will want to buy the whole trilogy at once. In these three books, we get more character development and fleshing out of the Loose Nuts quintet, but Ada still needs to get a novella at least.
October 29, 2018
Superb Sequel
Jamie McFarlane is a great storyteller. Book 13 continues to intrigue. I rate novels by how hard they are to put down. This whole series has been a 5 star on my hard to put down scale. Can't wait for the book.
Jamie McFarlane is a great storyteller. Book 13 continues to intrigue. I rate novels by how hard they are to put down. This whole series has been a 5 star on my hard to put down scale. Can't wait for the book.
November 16, 2018
Another Winner
Liam, Tabby and the crew take on the bugs again, find another humanoid ally, and again survive - literally and figuratively - being beaten severely about the head and shoulders
Liam, Tabby and the crew take on the bugs again, find another humanoid ally, and again survive - literally and figuratively - being beaten severely about the head and shoulders
December 31, 2018
Taking it to new levels
What a great story! The people (no matter the shape or color) across two galaxies are worthy encounters as the author continues to build an epic tale. Pick up this series at your own risk as you won’t be doing anything else until you are finished! Enjoy
What a great story! The people (no matter the shape or color) across two galaxies are worthy encounters as the author continues to build an epic tale. Pick up this series at your own risk as you won’t be doing anything else until you are finished! Enjoy
May 24, 2020
Good
I don't like writing reviews. It is my position that if I finish a book and read the next one, that's a recommendation. There are books that I have not finished and have not "stared".
I don't like writing reviews. It is my position that if I finish a book and read the next one, that's a recommendation. There are books that I have not finished and have not "stared".
July 21, 2020
Wonderful
I really enjoy this authors writing style. The characters are people you would want as friends. The action sequences are enjoyable and sometimes epic. This is a great series.
I really enjoy this authors writing style. The characters are people you would want as friends. The action sequences are enjoyable and sometimes epic. This is a great series.
February 14, 2021
Not Sure of show Long!
Kindle gives an estimated reading time. I'm it sure they are right. It seems like I barely started this book! Whatever, it has been good reading. It's precisely what a person reads a book for, a good story.
Kindle gives an estimated reading time. I'm it sure they are right. It seems like I barely started this book! Whatever, it has been good reading. It's precisely what a person reads a book for, a good story.
August 19, 2021
More and more bad guys
But that’s another story. Liam finds new allies but they get burned in the process. More crewmen and aliens dead. And the big bad isn’t done yet either. Back for more.
But that’s another story. Liam finds new allies but they get burned in the process. More crewmen and aliens dead. And the big bad isn’t done yet either. Back for more.
February 13, 2023
Great read....
I'm having so much fun reading the books in this series. At this point I know all of the back stories of the main characters and what they have gone through. I can't wait to get on with it.
I'm having so much fun reading the books in this series. At this point I know all of the back stories of the main characters and what they have gone through. I can't wait to get on with it.
March 25, 2018
Excellent series
When a book makes me laugh out loud I know I have a winner. Looking forward to the next one in the series.
When a book makes me laugh out loud I know I have a winner. Looking forward to the next one in the series.
March 26, 2018
Awesome
Great read. I enjoy this series and can't wait for the next installment. I hope that the next 2 listed installments are not the end of the series.
Great read. I enjoy this series and can't wait for the next installment. I hope that the next 2 listed installments are not the end of the series.
March 26, 2018
My Favorite Series
I've read everything in this series and keep an eye out for Jamie's newsletter. I can't wait for each new installment.
I've read everything in this series and keep an eye out for Jamie's newsletter. I can't wait for each new installment.
March 28, 2018
Thanks! When’s the next one?
I dislike how short this one was. I also need more space battles and “privateering”! Can’t wait for the next one!
I dislike how short this one was. I also need more space battles and “privateering”! Can’t wait for the next one!
April 4, 2018
Good fun adventure with likeable characters. Jamie McFarlane maintains a quick and witty pace that keeps you thumbing pages. I can't wait for the next installment.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews