Trigor

Pilot X #2

by Tom Merritt

In the sequel to Pilot X, the search for coffee and pie keeps getting put on hold as another threat to the universe must be stopped. Pilot X and his timeship Verity travel through a universe they shouldn't exist in to stop it from being destroyed... again.

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, Time Travel

286 pages, Paperback

First published March 24, 2020

About the author

Tom Merritt is a technology journalist and broadcaster. Tom has previously worked at TechTV, CNET and TWiT. He currently hosts the Sword and Laser book club podcast, Daily Tech News Show, Current Geek and Cordkillers among others.

photo by Andrew Mager

Reviews

[Gary Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great sequel to Pilot X. And I’ll never look at a pineapple the same way again.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is some seriously good science fiction entertainment and a fantastic sequel to the original brain busting book.

Pilot X has saved the galaxy but at the cost of his own civilization and everyone and everything he knew and loved except for his time traveling and sentient spaceship Verity.

Left alone and unmotivated and haunted by the memory of his lost love he is a shell of his former self until his ship detects a pulse of energy traveling through the galaxy that bears a striking resemblance to the “Instant’ he triggered to reset the universe. Desperate to do something right he sees the pulse as an opportunity to right his own wrongs by making sure the person using this second machine knows the consequences of their actions. He is also looking for a chance to rediscover the things that truly make life worth living, namely coffee and pie.

Pilot X is a great character. His recent experiences have stripped back many of his defences making him raw and leaving him like a fresh open wound. He has little hubris and even fewer prec conceived notions of who people are and how they will behave, his honesty is what helps him connect with strangers across the galaxy. Sparring with Pilot X is the increasingly human like I Verity who has started telling jokes (though not with any confidence) and employing sarcasm.

In all honesty this reads like an episode of The Mandalorian which I really loved. Pilot X has a mission, a place to go, some assholes to deal with and could really use a rest. Despite being ably supported in certain situations by his ship, aka Baby Yoda, he really is alone and reliant on the help of the people he meets along the way. He sports a level of technology that those around him can barely imagine and is conscious of the effect he has on societies around him simply because of his presence. It's a much simpler book than Pilot X with less focus on the science of time travel and more on its effects and the moral consequences. It all works together brilliantly.

I'd highly recommend this series to those who enjoy intelligent and interesting protagonists, cheeky AI's, mind blowing concepts and most importantly coffee and pie. 9/10

Thank you to Inkshares for sending me a copy of Trigor. This kindness in no way affected my review. A big shout out to Tim Barber for the beautifully luminous cover.

[Dave Packard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pilot X is back and better than ever, working with his faithful companions to save the universe!

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great addition to the series. I really like the character development in this book and the exploration of the planets. It leaves a lot to work with in future stories.

[Diane Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been a Trekker from way back. I also adored anything written by Robert Heinlein. Trigor is another optimistic space opera. It has a multitude of love, adventure, and world-building within it.

Pilot X had destroyed three civilizations, including his own in the self-named previous book in the series. So what could possibly occur in a sequel? This time, Pilot X tries to save a civilization from extinction by the same weapon with a different name, the Trigor. Along the way, he finds the world’s cleanest city, another girl he likes, and coffee—glorious coffee.

You know a book will be great and still in your mind days later when it is difficult to find the perfect quote to represent it in a review. There are just too many choices. I have decided on this one.
“Coffee had disappeared. Pie had disappeared too. Everyone he knew and loved had disappeared. Three entire spies of beings, guilty, innocent, and otherwise, had been erased by Pilot X. He desperately missed coffee almost as much as he desperately missed Alexandra”, his love interest before he killed her and the rest of her race.

Be warned that this book will make you as obsessed with coffee and pie as Pilot X is. It is almost coffee and pie porn. In fact, I was less than an hour into reading it when I stopped to order some blueberry pie online—and I don’t even like pie. It is highly recommended—and not just for soft science fiction fans. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars!

Thanks to the author, Inkshares and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Inkshares for the eARC. I thoroughly enjoyed Pilot X and the return of Pilot X in Trigor. Pilot X is such an endearing and relatable character flawed in the many ways most of us are. The author takes the high- stakes story and wonderfully weaves in humor and other dazzling characters. In such a short book, the author turns out a really great read. I love a good time travel storyand while this one does not have a twisty storyline like the first, it covers many of the implications of time travel.

[Tom Schaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tom definitely pushes himself on this one. While the stakes for the universe may be lower (may be.....) the personal stakes seem higher, the characters more developed, particularly in the second half. As Verity develops, so does Pilot X.....

I reread Pilot X just before reading Trigor. I think as an art piece, Pilot X is cooler, and the time travel conceit is handled in a way to keep you guessing. But as a character study, this is the better book.

[Jeffrey J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I might be biased as I have been following the author for awhile but I did enjoy this book. It is the sequel so you should definitely read the first one and if you enjoy that continue here. I did inadvertently get the book early so it is not out at the time of this review but will be soon.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is imaginative and fun. I missed the previous book so I hope I didn't miss anything important. I stayed mostly engaged, and enjoyed the humor and interesting plot. Not recommended for those on a diet. Recommended for scifi fans.

Thanks very much for the review copy!!

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoy time travel books, and Tom does a great job. Fun, sometimes silly and often thought-provoking, his story is well told and populated with excellent characters. Looking forward to more.

[Timelord Iain · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pineapple planet thing is weird... maybe it's an homage to Psych (I dunno why that show had a pineapple fetish either, really...)

This book clearly sets up a 3rd book... but I dunno how much I really need a 3rd entry in this series...

[Nicklas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uppföljaren till Pilot X och känns mycket bättre skriven.

[Ron Barber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read, anxious for more.

[Kevin Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sequel to Mr. Merritt's "Pilot X". This story is less mind-bending than the first volume, but it is a suitable continuation of the world of Verity and her Pilot.

[Bob31415 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great followup to Pilot X. And just enough of a tease to look forward to more stories in this world.

[Ben Bumpus]

Closer to 2.5 stars than 3. A rather disappointing sequel to a spectacular first book. Felt more like a long epilogue to Pilot X.