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Deuces Wild #1

Beyond The Frontiers

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When Nickie accidentally activates her special functions and finds herself with a stolen ship full of hostile Skaine, she has no choice but to figure out what to do with the cards she has been dealt.

A by-product of her activation, her internal computer system also finds her Aunt Tabitha’s diary in her memory banks. In these accounts, Nickie finds a long-desired link back to her favorite aunt, whose recounted stories help them both to accept the trauma they’ve survived.

Join Nickie, and The Kurtherian Gambit’s original Ranger 2, Tabitha, on a rip-roaring, bar brawling adventure to save the frontier from slavery, arms dealing and the ‘Skaine’ of the universe.


195 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 27, 2018

442 people are currently reading
130 people want to read

About the author

Ell Leigh Clarke

71 books126 followers
Relapsing theoretical physicist, professional geek, sci fi novelist, and Doctor Who fan.

Though she is originally from England, she is mostly what her friends call a “digital nomad”, hanging in whichever country calls to her… as long as it has good wifi, and coffee.

@ellleighclarke

Official Ell Leigh Clarke Fan Club for book discussions and shenanigans: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ellle... Join Us <3

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
Profile Image for Heather.
86 reviews1 follower
July 30, 2018
I was so excited Tabitha was getting her own series at first!

I was expecting MORE from a series about Tabitha I must say. Not that the book was bad because it was enjoyable. I was expecting more maybe both Nikki n Tabitha hooking up and going on adventures together NOT these diary entries and what's happening with your niece separately as she READS the entries. Tabitha THE ranger two should be in her own series much like Baranabus is. I like his character but really Tabitha is more popular, approachable, understandable, crazy fun and fun to read about along with her tontos. Even if she took a break from the tontos to have a series with just Nikki then I could accept that also. I guess I can only hope they actually join up down the line because at this point I'm really not that enthralled with this new spin off. Not something that's happened to me before in the KGU and I have read every book and many twice. When Nikki showed up in Molly's story Pretending to be Tabbitha despite finding she was actually John granddaughter I was excited with hopes for a new Tabbitha series coming (you know with her actually in it! Not like giving life advise thru what was apparently kinda tall tails because that's just NOT her image I got over all the books she has been in to date.) Just kinda disappointed overall period that this seams to be a series not about Tabitha but about Nikki.
Heather
Profile Image for Rosemary.
3,881 reviews71 followers
August 8, 2018
Beyond the Frontiers - a review by Rosemary Kenny

Nickie, went off the rails for 5 years after her family abandoned her, in Prince of the Fantasy Sci-fi Thriller, Michael Anderle's epic KGU story, Beyond the Frontiers that's Book 1 in his great new epic Deuces Wild Series, co-written with Ell Leigh Clarke.

Now Nickie's been able to reactivate her internal computer enhancement she's surprised to discover her Aunt Tabitha's diary in one of the files in her memory banks. With this link to her favourite Aunt, she's more able to cope with the previous trauma in her personal life. Secrets revealed in the diary and told in flashbacks include the details of how Aunt Tabitha had left to fight Skaine slavers, (alongside Queen Bethany Anne, for the Federation), seeking revenge for the loss of one of her Toros.

Now Tabitha takes up the 'call to arms' to remove the curse of slavery from the universe, in a stolen spaceship (she names 'The Penitent Granddaughter' after falling out with her family), with only a Yollin chef/tech genius and a few microbots aboard, and sets about destroying all but one timid slaver, afraid of her kick-ass attitude and fighting skills, who secretly hides on her ship after the battle. Tabitha's memoirs inspire Nickie throughout the rest of the trials and tribulations in this great book by Ell Leigh Clarke and Michael Anderle.
Grab a copy today and head for the stars!
Profile Image for Charles Tillman.
Author 14 books11 followers
August 1, 2018
This new novel sets the story up for things to come. Present time Nickie Grimes, Granddaughter of John Grimes, feeling betrayed by her family for leaving set out on a five-year “vacation” of drunkenness and debauchery. Now her five years are up and her enhancements and EI are back online and she is on a new quest. Traveling around in a stolen Skaine ship she has renamed the Penitent Granddaughter with a Yollin chef she sets out to follow in her “Aunt” Tabitha’s footsteps by delivering justice to those who prey on the weak.

There is a separate story going as well where Tabitha shares the feelings and actions she took after losing one of her Tontos in a battle with Skaine slavers in the past. The anger and mayhem she unleashed and how she finally came to terms with them give a deeper insight into the mind of the ever-snarky Ranger 2.

With Clarke writing the Nickie part and Anderle writing Tabitha, this promises to be a good series with two strong women who know how to kick bad guy butt with a style and snark all of their own.
Don't forget to read the author notes where Clarke and Anderle share their own snarkiness and are always good for a laugh.
Profile Image for Katy.
1,495 reviews10 followers
May 21, 2022
I wasn't sure what I would get with a new, to me, series. I knew it was written as a collaboration between Ell Leigh Clarke, and Michael Anderle, so I knew, without reading a word, that it would have a great plotline, great characters, and a lot of fun among the serious bits.

What I didn't expect, was to immediately take to the characters of Nickie, and Angie. Tabitha, of course, is someone I love to read about, along with her wonderful companions, Hirotoshi, Katsu, Ryu, Jun, and Kouki - and, of course, her snarky AI Achronyx - but all I remembered about Nickie, was that Tabitha considered herself her aunt, and that she worried about her - a lot.

Now, Angie, as the focus of Tabitha's storytelling, is a character I know far too well. It's been four years since my love died, and the grieving is something I still live with, every minute of every day.

But, something happened as I read the story of those three women, each grieving in their own way, but trying to deal with it by hiding in other emotions, just as I have been doing, and, as I read each one, something broke inside me, and I, too, allowed myself to grieve fully.

I'm a bit of a mess, as I write this, and I've gone through a box of tissues, so my sinuses are rather sore - I won't describe the mess it's made of my eyes, either - but this story helped me so very much, to relieve the dam of hurt, anger, sorrow, pain, grief, and all those other emotions that we humans always try to hide from others.

Once again, I've read a book that touched me so deeply, that it purged me of all the poisons that my hiding grief had built up inside me, and that I've been holding so tightly to, inside, and I'm so very grateful to Ell, and Michael, for having the depth of compassion, that helped them to write it!

Now, as a story in it's own right, I really loved the way that the focus went from each woman in turn. Tabitha's character is so familiar to me, but there were things that came out in her story, and her actions, that were new to me, so that was a real bonus.

I don't think I'll see Angie after this book, although it would be nice to have updates on her, and how this may have changed her outlook on life.

Nickie, though, is someone that I'm going to enjoy reading more about, and I hope that, somewhere down the line, she and Tabitha are reunited again. But, until they are, I'm going to thoroughly enjoy reading more about her adventures with her AI, Meredith, and her crew, Grim, a Yollin, and even Durq, the totally cowed Skaine that has joined them in their adventures.

With this being both a new series to me, and one that affected me so deeply, I really want to keep on reading the next book in the series but, as usual, I looked at my reading list, and saw that I needed to go back to the Ascension Myths series, to book ten: Subversion!

I know I'm going to enjoy this very much, but am also glad to see that I come back to Deuces Wild afterwards - Yay!
Profile Image for Jessica Bronder.
2,015 reviews31 followers
August 16, 2019
Nickie Grimes has always felt like the odd man out in her family except with her Aunt Tabitha. She has spent the last five years getting drunk and fighting until the night before where her enhancements come back online when she is almost killed in a bar fight. As she is on a stolen Skaine ship with the crew locked up throughout the ship, Nicki is trying to figure out what to do next. She is surprised to find her Aunts journal entries on her enhancements and she reads through them as she figures out what to do next.

This is my first time into this universe so I have no idea what is going on. It’s clear Nicki has some serious issues in her past if she has spent the last five years drinking and brawling. But I liked following her as she decided to take care of the Skaine crew. She is a tough woman that doesn’t take any crap from anyone. I loved her snark and how she was just looking for the good fight.

I didn’t know what to think about Tabitha at first. She is the infamous Ranger Two but this didn’t mean anything to me. I did enjoy her adventures and how although she is this huge legend she is very human, well for the most part.

I think this was a good read. It has peaked my curiosity of this universe. I would like to learn more about Tabitha and about Nicki’s past/family. Kate Rudd does an amazing job narrating this story and I would also like to listen to other books narrated by her. This is a great audiobook to check out.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily listened to and posted an honest review.
Profile Image for Tracey Byrnes.
Author 3 books1 follower
August 10, 2018
At last! More about Tabitha and Nickie!

"Beyond the Frontiers (Deuces Wild Book 1)" is the start of the story that many readers (myself included) have been requesting (Ellie and Michael would no doubt say "demanding" lol) for quite some time. The story itself balances between both of their viewpoints, with a mix of familiar story threads from other KGU books and new material woven together in a way that has you saying, "so THAT'S what happened!"

Note: Although it's possible to read this book and enjoy it without reading other KGU stories first, readers will understand the references and enjoy it far more if they're at least somewhat familiar with the universe first.
36 reviews
March 5, 2019
Excellent series that is an offshoot of the Kurtherian Gambit series and universe. This series is a really fast read and if you liked the Michael Anderle series, then this series will help you to get your fix.

I like the characters in this story and tackled it having read the Ascension Myth by Ell Leigh Clark and the Kurtherian Gambit series by Michael Anderle. The characters are consistent with the original story line and these stories fill in more about the wider universe that Bethany Ann's crew finds as they expand the sphere of human influence.

Time well spent and the story is fun. Who needs sleep?
Profile Image for Paul.
113 reviews
September 5, 2018
Encompassing what it means to be human

This was magnificent. The story within a story within a story idea (that's like 9 stories!) was beautifully done without much,if any, confusion about which story was which.
Ell and Mike have managed to describe the abstract concept of a certain emotion with such stunning precision that I'm still reeling.
Above all else, this book was about what it means to be human, and has temporarily lifted me out of my general loathing of our species. Thank you. AA
Profile Image for Karen.
1,424 reviews2 followers
September 19, 2020
Nickie and Tabitha

This KU library selection is the spinoff story of Nickie Grimes aboard The Penitent Granddaughter as she patrols, following in her Aunt Tabitha's footsteps. The book moves back and forth between the two women, with Tabitha recounting events from her time as Ranger Two, shortly after Shin's death. Nickie is also grieving, but her loss is for her aunt who was reassigned by Bethany Anne, leaving Nickie behind. The two warriors stay very busy in this book, and each is helped along the way by their very patient teammates. I'm looking forward to book two.
Profile Image for Levia.
1,381 reviews16 followers
June 5, 2023
I'm kind of surprised.

This book was a drag for me. I never pictured a book with Ranger Two would be hard to pay attention to. This felt like filler. An in between story to explain something that happened. But it's not really. The emotions dealt with were understandable, the action was okay but a bit ridiculous, and I just didn't get how this fits, other than the characters, in with the overall Kurtherian bookverse. I did read it all, and parts did make me cry. It was not cathartic.
Profile Image for Richard E..
180 reviews4 followers
August 12, 2018
RANGER Two and Meredith O.D.S. (Out Dere Somewhere).

POV bounces back and forth between Meredith and Tabitha. Both have lost someone dear to them and are out in the Universe, Tabitha Hunting Skanes, who she holds accountable for SHIN's death during a ship boarding gone wrong and Meredith, who is doing a little Free-Lance Justice making. Interesting way to see Each handle their Grief.
Profile Image for Kathy Dulohery-Hedrick.
47 reviews3 followers
March 8, 2020
Fun start

As a side quest, Nickies story is a lot of fun. Most adults remember that time just when you truly reach adulthood. That moment you realize you are accountable for your self. Most people don't have an on board computer or extreme healing capability, so Nickie gets to explore the universe in ways we can only imagine. The beginning of getting to know her is an easy read that made me grab the next book as soon as I finished.
Profile Image for Veronica.
1,014 reviews5 followers
July 31, 2018
Woman power!

I've been waiting to hear more about Tabitha and Nickie 💜 If you've not read it, I recommend reading The Lone Ranger Returns in Pew! Pew! Bite My Shiny Metal Pew! for the back story on Nickie.

A beautiful ending, and a delicately crafted story of grief and healing. It was an interesting narration, and I look forward to book #2.

PS to Michael: I love the cover!
Profile Image for John DeBlanc.
337 reviews2 followers
July 31, 2018
Let the fun begin!

Great start to a new series by Ell and Yoda. Like the way they are structuring the series. The goodness flows like a good kayak float, a nice fast moving river with good stretches of sphincter clinching rapids, toss in epic bar fights and you have a winner of a book!
Profile Image for Frank Bertino.
1,771 reviews19 followers
August 22, 2018
Duality

I enjoyed the book even though I expected a book about Tabitha with Nickie kicking butt along side her. However, I appreciated both stories in this duality of strong female lead characters. I like the action, snarky humor, and the compelling nature of the main characters. I look forward to the next book.
278 reviews
August 14, 2022
Loved it

What fun Nickie and Tabitha are. I've always loved both characters and I think this series could be a great intro to the Kurtherian universe for first time readers. So if you are lucky enough to be looking at reading this, I highly suggest you do so. Great writing leads to great stories and characters. Enjoy!
577 reviews
July 29, 2018
A book about healing

Any one who has lost someone will relate to this stories about handling the lost. Unlike many stories about the handling lost this runs through the feelings one experience due to such a lost.
Profile Image for Bobby Childers.
88 reviews
July 30, 2018
New series of book are starting here.... Gonna be awesome

This book takes Ranger 2 from the Kurtherian Gambit Universe (Tabitha) and makes her a part of the storyline to help Angie get past a loved ones untimely death. Good book, I will look for book 2.
Profile Image for Julie.
943 reviews
July 31, 2018
Wow

Another great start to a new series. I really liked the way the book went between Nickie and Tabitha, and also enjoyed both stories. The humor and action in this book really keep your attention and made me not want to put it down. I can not wait for the next one.
Profile Image for Lois Alston.
1,864 reviews3 followers
August 17, 2018
Great reading

I enjoyed it but not as much as I thought I would. Love how kick but Vickie is and the things she does. Love the back story on Tabitha. Will they ever get together? Where is this story going? I will be with you where ever it is heading.
Profile Image for Sandy Chapman.
240 reviews5 followers
August 25, 2018
Wow, awesome partnership!

Two great talents working together made this book jaw dropping amazing! I was a little lost in Nicky's story at the beginning but the rest of the book more than made up for it! Great book, highly recommend!
Profile Image for Joel Kennington.
82 reviews
August 28, 2018
Great read!

I really like this new series in TKG universe. Great characters and I really like how they portray Tabitha, she's been one of my favorites since the beginning.
BUY THIS BOOK!!!
6 reviews
November 10, 2018
Next best thing to being there.

I get lost in my imagination while reading E' & J's work. Love all the series so far. Keep up the good work and remember no holidays. Too many people waiting on the next journey... Thanks for the memories.
Profile Image for Joey Zilka.
4 reviews
April 7, 2019
Excellent as always.


A good read, continues my journey through the Kurtherian universe with great story telling. Really enjoying these collaboration books more than I expected to. Great job to both these authors.
103 reviews2 followers
September 19, 2019
Y'all did good again!!!

I had so many laugh out loud moments reading this book! And serious, sad moments that were very profound, especially those about grief!!! Thank you, I really needed to read this today!!! Y'all make a good, hilarious team!!!
Profile Image for Debra Stubbins.
334 reviews
April 28, 2020
Quick quirky read!

It was great to get further insights into Tabitha and how she was coping with the death of one of the ‘Tontos’. Loads of laughs and bar fights action. Loved it! Can’t wait to read more on Nikki, fantastic to see her turning her life around and to see her character grow.
861 reviews5 followers
June 5, 2020
Really enjoyed this book. It was a good mix of Nikki and Tabitha but I hope to see more of Nikki’s backstory in future books, thought the Tabitha stories also need to be told. So I guess I just want more, on to book two. 😃
115 reviews
July 28, 2018
Great new arc

Good start on new characters, looking forward to reading the next in the series. Michael and Ell are great partners
Profile Image for Ryarios.
103 reviews
July 28, 2018
Sign me up for this new series. I will be happy to read it
Profile Image for George  Lawson.
515 reviews1 follower
July 29, 2018
Fun story

As always Tabitha and then Nicky are both wild and crazy ladies. Lots of action and some fun and surprises.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews

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