What do you think?
ISC Fleet #1
Silver Enigma
They never saw it coming, but it came anyway. Interstellar war arrived unexpected, unwanted, and unmerciful.
Ensign Carol Hansen is just six months out of Fleet University, and likewise six months free of the relationship that nearly broke her. Serving aboard the Liberty, orbiting quietly above the ephemeral, alien beauty of Inoria, feels like the reset she’s earned, a chance to live the life she's aspired to. But when a surprise attack destroys the Liberty while raining death and destruction on Inoria, Carol survives by sheer luck, and finds herself stranded in the devastated city with a handful of her fellow shipmates.
David Powell was born for a Fleet commission, until a family tragedy derailed his future. Now, yanked into the same conflict that upended Carol’s life, David must fight to reclaim his path and realize the potential everyone knew he held within.
As Carol confronts grief, the weight of leadership, and the multiple puzzles behind the alien assault, she must also face the emotional wreckage she left behind. Can she rise from raw ensign to hardened combat leader? And can David find his way back, not just to the Fleet, but to the woman he’s loved since their first day at the academy?
For fans of Heinlein’s grit, Asimov’s introspection, and Niven’s cosmic scale, Silver Enigma is a sweeping fusion of military sci-fi and emotional reckoning—where survival is only the beginning, and her greatest discovery won’t be alien—it’s finding the love she didn’t know she left behind, still there in the eyes of one who was never ‘just a friend.’
Here's what readers are saying about Silver Enigma...
"This book has it all. Great characters you can get attached to, great and unique storyline with twists and curves, and a great ending to the first book that makes it all worthwhile."
[A] good story that I thoroughly enjoyed...Relatable setting and characters.
There are storytellers, there are writers, and there are authors. Rock Whitehouse is all of these in the classic sense of the old Sci-Fi greats.
"A gripping piece, with interesting ideas and a willingness to spend time on a character before killing them off, managing to avoid a lot of plot cliches along the way."
So, if you’re looking for an "Outstanding story with a believable plot," where characters and relationships are as important as the technology, then this series of books is for you!
Ensign Carol Hansen is just six months out of Fleet University, and likewise six months free of the relationship that nearly broke her. Serving aboard the Liberty, orbiting quietly above the ephemeral, alien beauty of Inoria, feels like the reset she’s earned, a chance to live the life she's aspired to. But when a surprise attack destroys the Liberty while raining death and destruction on Inoria, Carol survives by sheer luck, and finds herself stranded in the devastated city with a handful of her fellow shipmates.
David Powell was born for a Fleet commission, until a family tragedy derailed his future. Now, yanked into the same conflict that upended Carol’s life, David must fight to reclaim his path and realize the potential everyone knew he held within.
As Carol confronts grief, the weight of leadership, and the multiple puzzles behind the alien assault, she must also face the emotional wreckage she left behind. Can she rise from raw ensign to hardened combat leader? And can David find his way back, not just to the Fleet, but to the woman he’s loved since their first day at the academy?
For fans of Heinlein’s grit, Asimov’s introspection, and Niven’s cosmic scale, Silver Enigma is a sweeping fusion of military sci-fi and emotional reckoning—where survival is only the beginning, and her greatest discovery won’t be alien—it’s finding the love she didn’t know she left behind, still there in the eyes of one who was never ‘just a friend.’
Here's what readers are saying about Silver Enigma...
"This book has it all. Great characters you can get attached to, great and unique storyline with twists and curves, and a great ending to the first book that makes it all worthwhile."
[A] good story that I thoroughly enjoyed...Relatable setting and characters.
There are storytellers, there are writers, and there are authors. Rock Whitehouse is all of these in the classic sense of the old Sci-Fi greats.
"A gripping piece, with interesting ideas and a willingness to spend time on a character before killing them off, managing to avoid a lot of plot cliches along the way."
So, if you’re looking for an "Outstanding story with a believable plot," where characters and relationships are as important as the technology, then this series of books is for you!
- GenresScience Fiction
286 pages, ebook
First published October 26, 2018
About the author
Rock Whitehouse
13 books20 followersRock grew up in Westlake, Ohio, a far-western suburb of Cleveland, back when it was mostly farms and grape vineyards. He and other kids his age picked grapes in the summer. There were plenty of open fields and woods to explore and Rock and his friends spent much of their 'idle' time outside getting dirty.
After Westlake High School, he joined the US Air Force where he was assigned to technical intelligence work at NSA/Fort Meade, MD, Shemya AFB (now Eareckson Air Station), and SAC HQ at Offutt AFB, Omaha, Nebraska.
After service he obtained his Bachelor of Science in Biology, studying first at Lorain County Community College and then Cleveland State University, under the GI Bill. Rock has always praised the education he got, calling it the best cheap education anyone could ask for.
He started in the hospital lab as an ASCP-registered Medical Technologist, but soon transitioned to managing the lab information system, and eventually set off as a contractor to develop an Anatomic Pathology System for 3M. This was one of the first significant lab products founded on Unix, a window-based user interface, and a commercial relational database. Some years later he was a senior software engineer on the ALS->HBO&Co->McKesson->Allscripts Horizon Lab system. (M&A is such fun for the employees, right?)
In a way, he's always been a writer, He wrote sci-fi stories in long hand on notebook paper in middle school. (Thankfully those are all lost to posterity) Even at NSA he was known for the ability to write clear, accurate daily reports and this continued into his IT days, where documentation and explanation was (and still is) so important. He's always wanted to write 'for real' and with his retirement he's run out of excuses.
Of course, he's never been all work and no play so together with his long-suffering (like, 43 years long) wife Carey, he has two wonderful daughters, an equal number of exceptional sons-in-law, and five just-as-wonderful grandchildren. Together they are the glue of his life and a constant source of enjoyment.
Otherwise, Rock is an instrument rated private pilot and has owned two airplanes. The first was a beautiful 1968 Beech Musketeer, the second a 1964 Cessna 210D. He is currently planeless.
Rock is a member of SFWA.
After Westlake High School, he joined the US Air Force where he was assigned to technical intelligence work at NSA/Fort Meade, MD, Shemya AFB (now Eareckson Air Station), and SAC HQ at Offutt AFB, Omaha, Nebraska.
After service he obtained his Bachelor of Science in Biology, studying first at Lorain County Community College and then Cleveland State University, under the GI Bill. Rock has always praised the education he got, calling it the best cheap education anyone could ask for.
He started in the hospital lab as an ASCP-registered Medical Technologist, but soon transitioned to managing the lab information system, and eventually set off as a contractor to develop an Anatomic Pathology System for 3M. This was one of the first significant lab products founded on Unix, a window-based user interface, and a commercial relational database. Some years later he was a senior software engineer on the ALS->HBO&Co->McKesson->Allscripts Horizon Lab system. (M&A is such fun for the employees, right?)
In a way, he's always been a writer, He wrote sci-fi stories in long hand on notebook paper in middle school. (Thankfully those are all lost to posterity) Even at NSA he was known for the ability to write clear, accurate daily reports and this continued into his IT days, where documentation and explanation was (and still is) so important. He's always wanted to write 'for real' and with his retirement he's run out of excuses.
Of course, he's never been all work and no play so together with his long-suffering (like, 43 years long) wife Carey, he has two wonderful daughters, an equal number of exceptional sons-in-law, and five just-as-wonderful grandchildren. Together they are the glue of his life and a constant source of enjoyment.
Otherwise, Rock is an instrument rated private pilot and has owned two airplanes. The first was a beautiful 1968 Beech Musketeer, the second a 1964 Cessna 210D. He is currently planeless.
Rock is a member of SFWA.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
July 17, 2024
Silver Enigma is a military-themed science fiction novel. Based on the writer’s bio, Rock Whitehouse served in the Air Force at one point in his life, which probably guided the tone and military bearing that dominates his writing.
To this end, there’s a lot of respect for rank and command. The dialogue often consists of terse, to-the-point comments without much personal expression. While this sort of speech reflects my own experience with on-duty military life, it offers very little opportunity to make the characters anything more than plastic soldiers being moved around through the plot. Even worse are the times when multiple characters are gathered together all of whom are speaking in the same way. In these instances, only their names and ranks set them apart. As the novel progresses, this sort of speech becomes tiresome.
The plot is extremely human-centric. An alien planet filled with intelligent alien life is attacked by previously unknown aliens. In the aftermath the only people who matter are the humans who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Following the attack the home-world aliens practically vanish from the story and the humans, without political or societal concerns of any sort go to war. Humans are simply in it to win it, probably because a military themed novel populated by military themed characters must have a war to fight, details be damned.
The science part of this novel is comprised of black-box declarations that provide the capabilities needed for the plot to work. Faster-than-light transportation and communications are conjured into existence. Unavoidable realities such as relativity and gravity reside in a don't-ask-don't-tell status throughout the novel.
Overall, this seems like a novel that was far more entertaining for Whitehouse to write than it will ever be for any reader looking for a realistic representation of humans exploring the stars and their future to read.
To this end, there’s a lot of respect for rank and command. The dialogue often consists of terse, to-the-point comments without much personal expression. While this sort of speech reflects my own experience with on-duty military life, it offers very little opportunity to make the characters anything more than plastic soldiers being moved around through the plot. Even worse are the times when multiple characters are gathered together all of whom are speaking in the same way. In these instances, only their names and ranks set them apart. As the novel progresses, this sort of speech becomes tiresome.
The plot is extremely human-centric. An alien planet filled with intelligent alien life is attacked by previously unknown aliens. In the aftermath the only people who matter are the humans who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Following the attack the home-world aliens practically vanish from the story and the humans, without political or societal concerns of any sort go to war. Humans are simply in it to win it, probably because a military themed novel populated by military themed characters must have a war to fight, details be damned.
The science part of this novel is comprised of black-box declarations that provide the capabilities needed for the plot to work. Faster-than-light transportation and communications are conjured into existence. Unavoidable realities such as relativity and gravity reside in a don't-ask-don't-tell status throughout the novel.
Overall, this seems like a novel that was far more entertaining for Whitehouse to write than it will ever be for any reader looking for a realistic representation of humans exploring the stars and their future to read.
November 23, 2021
I’d had enough after the first few pages, I definitely did not want to read about Carol and Rick. Unfortunately after a very bad start it didn't get a lot better, I couldn't decide if the author was trying to write some sort of romance novel, not a space opera.
October 13, 2023
a different kind of space war story
this story is very much character driven which to my mind makes it more interesting. If you’re into detailed space battles you won’t find them here. I truly felt as though I was in the middle of the real thing. This is what would happen if we really were in this situation. All the characters are fully fleshed, well rounded individuals, whether they are assholes or top notch people. It is not afraid to expose the weakness of commanders who, when the crunch comes, do not have what it takes to lead. There are a lot of ancillary characters but somehow that simply enriches the story rather than making it confusing. After all there would be many, many characters in the real ISC. the search for the enemy, far from being boring, is fascinating because of your total involvement with the story progression and characters. I would have given the story 4.5 stars but I can’t. For me it lost a half a star because while it tells us that the Dunkirk had a confrontation with the enemy it tells us absolutely nothing about it. I went back and reread the search results. I am very anal and it really bothers me to comment on a confrontation without giving any detail. I see no point to it. But other than that the story is excellent. It has been well edited and written and is well worth your time.
this story is very much character driven which to my mind makes it more interesting. If you’re into detailed space battles you won’t find them here. I truly felt as though I was in the middle of the real thing. This is what would happen if we really were in this situation. All the characters are fully fleshed, well rounded individuals, whether they are assholes or top notch people. It is not afraid to expose the weakness of commanders who, when the crunch comes, do not have what it takes to lead. There are a lot of ancillary characters but somehow that simply enriches the story rather than making it confusing. After all there would be many, many characters in the real ISC. the search for the enemy, far from being boring, is fascinating because of your total involvement with the story progression and characters. I would have given the story 4.5 stars but I can’t. For me it lost a half a star because while it tells us that the Dunkirk had a confrontation with the enemy it tells us absolutely nothing about it. I went back and reread the search results. I am very anal and it really bothers me to comment on a confrontation without giving any detail. I see no point to it. But other than that the story is excellent. It has been well edited and written and is well worth your time.
July 4, 2023
Excellent
What a spectacular first book!!! And yes, I'll keep reading. Now for the really important part... How wonderful it was to read a story about what first contact might actually be like. None of the imaginary, unrealistic situations that leave me wondering how ridiculous can this author be. He brought tears to my eyes and some good chuckles and that, to me, is what a really good author should be able to do! :-)
What a spectacular first book!!! And yes, I'll keep reading. Now for the really important part... How wonderful it was to read a story about what first contact might actually be like. None of the imaginary, unrealistic situations that leave me wondering how ridiculous can this author be. He brought tears to my eyes and some good chuckles and that, to me, is what a really good author should be able to do! :-)
September 15, 2022
A Pleasant Surprise
While my expectations were tempered by some recent unsuccessful new books, I still launched into this new series with anticipation. To my surprise, I was not disappointed for the majority of this book. A well crafted storyline is supported by believable characters and good character and plot development. The sci-fi tech is equally believable (if outside today’s knowledge) and supported well throughout the story. Book 1 ends on a positive note, not free from tragedy or loss but tempered with survival and potential. I look forward to the next installment.
While my expectations were tempered by some recent unsuccessful new books, I still launched into this new series with anticipation. To my surprise, I was not disappointed for the majority of this book. A well crafted storyline is supported by believable characters and good character and plot development. The sci-fi tech is equally believable (if outside today’s knowledge) and supported well throughout the story. Book 1 ends on a positive note, not free from tragedy or loss but tempered with survival and potential. I look forward to the next installment.
June 13, 2023
Sure doesn't read like a 'first work'!
It did start a little slow for me but soon developed into an excellent first contact story with very human and very well developed characters. An excellent and we'll developed plot with a believable story line will have you eagerly flipping pages until the f end. Can't wait to read the sequels!
It did start a little slow for me but soon developed into an excellent first contact story with very human and very well developed characters. An excellent and we'll developed plot with a believable story line will have you eagerly flipping pages until the f end. Can't wait to read the sequels!
April 21, 2024
More of a concept than an actual story and one of the worst I've read in quite some time.
First, there are far too many characters and points of view. Way too many story threads happening. The author ought to have settled on two or three main characters (ideally one) and then traced their stories, instead of jumping around here, there, and everywhere. As a result, this is almost entire a "tell" instead of "show" book. David's story, Carol's story, the Ben/Joanne's story, etc., any of them, if focused on and developed could've been quite interesting. Instead, the author tried to do all of them and ultimately told none of their stories.
Second, the characters are shallow and boring. Most of them are stereotypical good guys who excel at what they do. The few potential antagonists get booted out before they can do much of anything for the characters. There is surprisingly little challenge or conflict. This entire plot could be summed up by Ryan George's "super easy, barely an inconvenience."
Third and most egregiously, David Powell is the most obnoxious version of a Mary Sue/Gary Stu character I have ever seen. If this were satire, that might've been funny. But this isn't. Literally everyone is fawning over him with no real justification. Even superior officers, even commanding officers are deferring to this rookie warrant officer. It's insane. Everything just...happens for him. His inability to finish SFU? Super easy, barely an inconvenience. The CINC will personally see to his commissioning. His depression? One quick pep talk and he's back in the saddle. Personality conflicts? No problem, all the officers bully the one guy who doesn't bow to David Powell. Didn't ge the girl of his dreams? She'll suddenly and for no reason decide she's in love with him without having a conversation in years. He gets everything and earns nothing and it kills the entire story.
First, there are far too many characters and points of view. Way too many story threads happening. The author ought to have settled on two or three main characters (ideally one) and then traced their stories, instead of jumping around here, there, and everywhere. As a result, this is almost entire a "tell" instead of "show" book. David's story, Carol's story, the Ben/Joanne's story, etc., any of them, if focused on and developed could've been quite interesting. Instead, the author tried to do all of them and ultimately told none of their stories.
Second, the characters are shallow and boring. Most of them are stereotypical good guys who excel at what they do. The few potential antagonists get booted out before they can do much of anything for the characters. There is surprisingly little challenge or conflict. This entire plot could be summed up by Ryan George's "super easy, barely an inconvenience."
Third and most egregiously, David Powell is the most obnoxious version of a Mary Sue/Gary Stu character I have ever seen. If this were satire, that might've been funny. But this isn't. Literally everyone is fawning over him with no real justification. Even superior officers, even commanding officers are deferring to this rookie warrant officer. It's insane. Everything just...happens for him. His inability to finish SFU? Super easy, barely an inconvenience. The CINC will personally see to his commissioning. His depression? One quick pep talk and he's back in the saddle. Personality conflicts? No problem, all the officers bully the one guy who doesn't bow to David Powell. Didn't ge the girl of his dreams? She'll suddenly and for no reason decide she's in love with him without having a conversation in years. He gets everything and earns nothing and it kills the entire story.
April 1, 2024
There’s some good in this book, yet I don’t care for the many references of Religion, and the-moral overtones are something out of a 1950s sitcom.
The author wants to live in the idealized world that people do good because it’s good that might not be a bad thing but I don’t think it’s a realistic thing.
But this is the authors world and nothing says I have to agree with him so maybe I could take a step back on being judgmental. But I’m still going to give it 2 stars because it’s overly wordy.
What I like about this book, is that the science is not instantaneous like in many science fiction books/ tv and movies. It takes time to travel and communicate, So the cavalry is not right around the next star system. I’m going to assume that this takes place in an alternate reality because the science and social structures could not exist in just 50 years especially in the United States
This book was definitely written by a former U.S. military person. There are a lot of an acronyms, that get tiring after repeatedly being in the text. And in the future, it still US and their allies so obviously there’s other parts of the world that are not friendly to the US.
So yes, I read these books, overall, it was a nice story. I ended up skipping parts when they started mentioning God and relationships and it’s easy to a skip section of the book. And finally, the spoiler dinosaurs from earth really!
The author wants to live in the idealized world that people do good because it’s good that might not be a bad thing but I don’t think it’s a realistic thing.
But this is the authors world and nothing says I have to agree with him so maybe I could take a step back on being judgmental. But I’m still going to give it 2 stars because it’s overly wordy.
What I like about this book, is that the science is not instantaneous like in many science fiction books/ tv and movies. It takes time to travel and communicate, So the cavalry is not right around the next star system. I’m going to assume that this takes place in an alternate reality because the science and social structures could not exist in just 50 years especially in the United States
This book was definitely written by a former U.S. military person. There are a lot of an acronyms, that get tiring after repeatedly being in the text. And in the future, it still US and their allies so obviously there’s other parts of the world that are not friendly to the US.
So yes, I read these books, overall, it was a nice story. I ended up skipping parts when they started mentioning God and relationships and it’s easy to a skip section of the book. And finally, the spoiler dinosaurs from earth really!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2024
DNF - I bailed about the 45% mark because I realized this book is basically a Sci-Fi version of that meme "This meeting could've been an email."
All the exciting fun of the initial alien attack and its immediate aftermath quickly dissolved into meetings, reports, lag-time, downtime, and boring exposition about backstory... I read the reviews about the large cast and thought I could overlook it but wow so much redundancy and unnecessary POV shifts. I found myself struggling to figure out who many of these people were and why I should care about them. When I realized I don't care, I gave up trying.
This is a good premise in desperate need of a developmental edit to excise the epistolary/vignette feel of the narrative. Until it gets a complete overhaul, probably best to avoid.
All the exciting fun of the initial alien attack and its immediate aftermath quickly dissolved into meetings, reports, lag-time, downtime, and boring exposition about backstory... I read the reviews about the large cast and thought I could overlook it but wow so much redundancy and unnecessary POV shifts. I found myself struggling to figure out who many of these people were and why I should care about them. When I realized I don't care, I gave up trying.
This is a good premise in desperate need of a developmental edit to excise the epistolary/vignette feel of the narrative. Until it gets a complete overhaul, probably best to avoid.
Read
December 13, 2024Too good. Want - more!
So entrancing. The way Love and mistakes, Duty and character, and Friendship and honesty. Parts of life that often get pushed aside in our rush to get things done, or to get ahead. Well told.
Coffee is a staple of military life. But tea is a very good substitute. I happily noticed more references to Stores in the Planning on the later section.
Keep writing. I'd send cookies, but don't bake. So praises will have to do instead.
BTW, I read the same authors in my youth, and lately.
So entrancing. The way Love and mistakes, Duty and character, and Friendship and honesty. Parts of life that often get pushed aside in our rush to get things done, or to get ahead. Well told.
Coffee is a staple of military life. But tea is a very good substitute. I happily noticed more references to Stores in the Planning on the later section.
Keep writing. I'd send cookies, but don't bake. So praises will have to do instead.
BTW, I read the same authors in my youth, and lately.
October 18, 2023
good first novel!
Finally, an Earth that is not a dystopian mess. By the late 2000’s earth has got it together and with the discovery of FTL has finally out exploring the galaxy. We have even met and made friends with an alien race. A devastating attack on our alien friends leaves the new space navy searching for the attackers and wondering what their end game is. Great first novel!
Finally, an Earth that is not a dystopian mess. By the late 2000’s earth has got it together and with the discovery of FTL has finally out exploring the galaxy. We have even met and made friends with an alien race. A devastating attack on our alien friends leaves the new space navy searching for the attackers and wondering what their end game is. Great first novel!
August 4, 2023
Great sci fi military adventure
Since SE has a military slant, there is grahic violence, destruction, and a sadly high body count. The worldbuilding is excellent, the story is well-written, and the characters are believable. The Inori are intriguing and well imagined. I enjoyed Enigma more than I expected.
Since SE has a military slant, there is grahic violence, destruction, and a sadly high body count. The worldbuilding is excellent, the story is well-written, and the characters are believable. The Inori are intriguing and well imagined. I enjoyed Enigma more than I expected.
October 15, 2023
I enjoyed reading this, haven't read much hard sci-fi in a while. The worlds and ships and technology were wholly believable. There were a LOT of characters, so many I'd sometimes have to look up a name to see who they were, thank goodness I was reading on ebook. The main characters were memorable though, I felt I got to know them well.
October 18, 2023
Really good!
I am very happy to have discovered Rock Whitehouse. I read lots of military SF, and finish most of the books I read, outside of ones that are just too bad to spend further time with. For a first novel, this was excellent. My only quibble is that all of the many heroes are too heroic. Real humans all have feet of clay.
I am very happy to have discovered Rock Whitehouse. I read lots of military SF, and finish most of the books I read, outside of ones that are just too bad to spend further time with. For a first novel, this was excellent. My only quibble is that all of the many heroes are too heroic. Real humans all have feet of clay.
October 23, 2023
No MC and Constant POV changes
I can’t handle a novel where the point of view changes every chapter, especially when it starts at the very beginning of the book. There’s not really a single main character as far as I could tell, but I didn’t actually finish the book so maybe that changes later on.
I can’t handle a novel where the point of view changes every chapter, especially when it starts at the very beginning of the book. There’s not really a single main character as far as I could tell, but I didn’t actually finish the book so maybe that changes later on.
December 19, 2023
Silver Enigma is the first book in a series, it's all about alien first contact, you know, where the aliens aren't so friendly, and there's plenty of action to go around. I'll likely read more in this series.
February 4, 2024
This was one of the best space science fictions books I have read. I have deleted many science fiction books in the past after reading about 50 pages. This one keeps me interested as they try to solve the reasons for attacks on other planets.
I like the technology described for travel in deep space.
Enjoy, Howard
I like the technology described for travel in deep space.
Enjoy, Howard
August 26, 2024
Great story with great characters
I'm amazed that this author can write so many fantastic novels, I hope that he never stops writing. His books are some of the best Entertainment I have read and worth the time to read them. Thank you for a very fun entertaining read.
What a fun book.
I'm amazed that this author can write so many fantastic novels, I hope that he never stops writing. His books are some of the best Entertainment I have read and worth the time to read them. Thank you for a very fun entertaining read.
What a fun book.
October 11, 2024
The adaptation of humans.
With the single mindset of individuals, some ideas will never make an appearance in the adaptation of our society. Th characters in the book act like real people of our generation. The Slipdrive, being an offshoot of a new technology is awesome in it's use.
With the single mindset of individuals, some ideas will never make an appearance in the adaptation of our society. Th characters in the book act like real people of our generation. The Slipdrive, being an offshoot of a new technology is awesome in it's use.
July 15, 2020
Too many lame conversations and characters
I can’t stand sci-fi books with no sci-fi coupled with nonstop inane conversations - stopped reading at chapter 3 - reads like a comic book
I can’t stand sci-fi books with no sci-fi coupled with nonstop inane conversations - stopped reading at chapter 3 - reads like a comic book
February 23, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyable
A gripping piece, with interesting ideas and a willingness to spend time on a character before killing them off, managing to avoid a lot of plot cliches along the way.
A gripping piece, with interesting ideas and a willingness to spend time on a character before killing them off, managing to avoid a lot of plot cliches along the way.
June 17, 2023
Excellent well written space opera
Crisp and clearly written with characters who are realistic and worth caring about and a well thought out world. Looking forward to reading more of this series!
Crisp and clearly written with characters who are realistic and worth caring about and a well thought out world. Looking forward to reading more of this series!
July 9, 2023
Excellent writing
I was a bit wary after the first couple of chapters as I was ready for some rock & roll. Once the action and strategy started it was difficult to put down. Will be starting Book 2 tomorrow.
I was a bit wary after the first couple of chapters as I was ready for some rock & roll. Once the action and strategy started it was difficult to put down. Will be starting Book 2 tomorrow.
July 15, 2023
Great read!
I'm usually an action oriented book guy, but found myself turning page after page, completely engrossed in this book. The character building and story line kept me engaged to the very end. Looking forward to the next book.
I'm usually an action oriented book guy, but found myself turning page after page, completely engrossed in this book. The character building and story line kept me engaged to the very end. Looking forward to the next book.
September 3, 2023
Outstanding
For a first time full length novel this author hits a home run. The characters became real people to me and I couldn't put this story down till I finished it at two in the morning. Can't wait for more.
For a first time full length novel this author hits a home run. The characters became real people to me and I couldn't put this story down till I finished it at two in the morning. Can't wait for more.
September 4, 2023
Good Read
It was a good read. I was hooked early. I think I purchased books 2-5 around 1/2 way through the book. I am an X-Navy Nuke. This worked for me. Thanks for a good and fun story!!
It was a good read. I was hooked early. I think I purchased books 2-5 around 1/2 way through the book. I am an X-Navy Nuke. This worked for me. Thanks for a good and fun story!!
September 15, 2023
excellent work and leaves one ready for volume two.
Excellent character development was excellent and leaves on very interesting in the continuity.
The technical descriptions of the future space equipment was well done.
Excellent character development was excellent and leaves on very interesting in the continuity.
The technical descriptions of the future space equipment was well done.
September 23, 2023
Enjoyed the story, started it one day and finished it two days later. Story line was very good, but one section was a little bit off base. That occurred in the shoot first ask questions later with the suspicious asteroid. But just a minor point. Looking forward to the next book.
November 26, 2023
The military layout and timeline organizes the plot well. The characters develop well but lack depth which is ok in a first book. The plot plays safe so it is an easy read.
Good enough to try the second book.
Good enough to try the second book.
January 30, 2024
Great
This is the type of science fiction that I look for in a book. I've enjoyed science fiction since I was very young, so I've read more than a fair bit and this story did not disappoint. On to the second book in the series. Happy reading to all!
This is the type of science fiction that I look for in a book. I've enjoyed science fiction since I was very young, so I've read more than a fair bit and this story did not disappoint. On to the second book in the series. Happy reading to all!
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