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The Space Orphan #2

The Orphan in Near-Space

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Jane Kuznetsov, orphan of some cataclysmic stellar event a big fraction of a million years ago, or maybe several times that, is now a captain in the U.S. Air Force, the part informally called the Space Force. She is leading a crew of four friends and fellow Space Force officers doing research. She can travel routinely to the World Space Station to carry out that research and does so. Or to the Moon, where she and her crew set up a research site just over the horizon from home base Luna City and from Earth. Daily they court disaster though long distance back in Luna City. Back on Earth the Jane Gang, as they jokingly but truthfully call themselves, helps JPL researchers with a mission to the asteroids to investigate a mysterious group of space rocks. Meanwhile, the Glorious and One True Chinese Republic complain bitterly because they are denied access to the products of her genius. They kidnap her to work for them. They really shouldn't have done that to the woman their own military calls The Dragon.

366 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 1, 2019

171 people are currently reading
21 people want to read

About the author

Laer Carroll

36 books46 followers

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5 stars
335 (49%)
4 stars
207 (30%)
3 stars
101 (14%)
2 stars
27 (3%)
1 star
13 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
Profile Image for Tony Hisgett.
3,014 reviews36 followers
May 14, 2020
The book has some interesting bits, but there was also a lot of boring rubbish, including Jane's dating experiences.
In my review of the first book I said, "to enjoy that book I had to just let some things wash over me and accept that some aspects of the story are nonsensical", unfortunately this book also added quite a bit of tedium to the mix.
In some ways this was no longer Science Fiction, the author had dropped well into the realms of fantasy and now I can only describe Jane as unbelievably weird.
If possible I would have given 1.5 stars.
6 reviews
March 30, 2019
Books need to continue

Liked the book but I didn't care much for the ending.it seems like there should have been more or is there going to be more books in this series? Keep us updated, we need to follow Jane's life a little farther.
335 reviews24 followers
March 18, 2019
A Really good read

An awesome book! So glad to see a second novel in this setting!
Love the plot, and the characters! Especially the mc!
Profile Image for Sarah Nutter.
83 reviews28 followers
March 7, 2019
Good Book

A good sequel and I look forward to the next. I see some hints of foreshadowing here and I suspect that is what the whole China business is about. I can't wait to see if I am right!
Profile Image for Chris.
330 reviews3 followers
February 13, 2020
I really hope the author continues this series REAL soon!! this is a great way to spend a cold day reading this book.
161 reviews3 followers
May 12, 2021
A roaring 3.5

This is not a bad continuation of the story it’s just not as good as it could be. We see advancements in the main character and in technology overall but it’s just not exciting as it should be. Now when you get to the action scenes in the book those can be exciting when you see her use her abilities in new ways that is exciting when you see her develop new technology and you hear about how it’s used or what it could be used for that is exciting. Most of the other stuff in the book is not so exciting I got tired of reading she learned a new dance learned a new tango. It just became dull and then it will pick up and then it will get done again. I’ve read some great technology/space opera type books. At times this goes into the slice of life genre a bit too much. I’d also argue they put too much of a spoiler in the book description why would you tell people to Chinese are going to kidnap her and then when you get to that point it’s not as dramatic as you think it is. As I said before there is some drama but it’s the in between that’s very boring at times.
18 reviews1 follower
April 10, 2019
Perfect girl finally screws up

I very much disliked the first book because she never makes a mistake. Not sure what made me decide to read this book, since I didn't like the first.

This book has many typos, grammatical errors, missing punctuation, etc. And we have perfect girl. Who finally...maybe makes a mistake. But probably not. After all, she goes awal to a foreign hostile country and gives them illegal tech. And doesn't get into trouble.

P.S. The mistake is in the last chapter. Giving illegal tech is somehow not a mistake. You ask why? Oddly enough, I ALSO ASK WHY!! >:(
Profile Image for flounderguts.
1 review
May 25, 2019
Interesting ideas for hard Evo to, but...

All the characters are fully-formed from introduction. Alas, despite the rather readable dialogue, this is just a set of adventures for a crew of perfect humans. The characters have no flaws, and thus, no development. Another issue is the constant reminders of these flat traits...from the get-go we are given to understand that Jane has the ability to outperform every human on earth...yet the author seems to need to remind us of that fact at least twice in every chapter. It reminds me of Harry Turtledove books.
If you just want a feel-good romp through a not-too-unfamiliar version of soon, then this is a good choice.
Profile Image for Thomas.
2,706 reviews
September 4, 2021
Carroll, Laer. The Orphan in Near Space. Space Orphan No. 2. Kindle, 2019.
Jane, an alien girl who can pass for human, has studied at the Air Force Academy, joined the Space Force, learned how to generate loyalty in others, made several Nobel-worthy discoveries and is off to explore strange events in the asteroid belt, if she can outwit some pesky Chinese agents. No contest. Will she get humanity well established in space before the menace from space shows up? Again, I know where the smart money is. The series is entertaining, but I have seen all the tropes in other indie science fiction recently. 3 stars.
56 reviews2 followers
March 15, 2020
Critic???

To date I have never truly criticized a book I have completely read. There have been a few books I had began reading but never finished because I couldn't get in to them and enjoy the story. So far there has been only one book I read completely and promised myself not to read any other books by the author. A year later I got the second book in the series, got hooked and became a devote reader. I now have read the 2 books of this series and am headed for the 3rd. Hope there is more to come.
7 reviews
August 12, 2020
Great read!

I am a sci-fi reader of 71, and recently have found that a lot od tjhe newer writings are no good enough in that it fails to grab and hold my attention for long, in that I would read only a few chapters, and get bored. The Space Orphan is different, it hed me in a complete reading frenzy, reading all three books in about a day and a half! Great plot, believable characters, and all the hallmarks in what hopefully, will make a great "Space Opera" saga. If the writer gets to read this rating,please, please write more of Jane the Dragon!
186 reviews4 followers
March 7, 2019
Too much quotidian stuff like salsa/tango. Dancing isn't a problem, but the plot/character dev stall is.

Whatever she's up to in China might be reasonable behavior for a super-powered private citizen, but it's not conduct becoming a US military officer.

Also, unless Jane is just casually violating conservation of mass/energy, "transmuting" a handgun into helium should result in an enormous explosion.
8 reviews
March 9, 2019
Disappointing

I have read most of Mr. Carroll's books and have generally enjoyed them. However, while written well, went too Young Adult and superheroish for me. There was none of the thrill of the first book as Jane grew into her abilities. The superhero was there but didn't dominate.
388 reviews
May 10, 2019
Tech fest

I'm not a tech wonk or, to my shame, a tech wonk wannabe. If you are either of those, this book is better than a deluxe chocolate ice cream hot fudge sundae. This author is so good that I actually enjoyed reading the tech dense story parts. Go figure....

All the tech is accompanied by a good solid storyline, continued from the first book in the series. I enjoyed the second book as much as the first. Yay!
2 reviews1 follower
December 4, 2019
I found the book to be extremely poorly written, the main character extremely unlikable, and even suspending one's disbelief regarding the premise and pseudo-magic tech, the entire plot is entirely unbelievable.

I was hoping it might get better than the first book in the series, but it was so bad that I didn't even finish the book.
Profile Image for Denzil Ernstzen.
188 reviews1 follower
March 4, 2020
It only gets better.

That is no idle statement. This is really a great series building on scenarios that may be happening around the world. Maybe not tho sci-fi stuff by the psychology of people. Somewhere in the future maybe some of 5he t3ch may become real. Evolution will reveal it all...
27 reviews1 follower
March 26, 2019
Magical Nonsense

Oh Dear!
The first volume was promising, but this one wandered of into some sort of haze, the main character became magical and totally unbelievable. Very disappointing.
Profile Image for Ed Graves.
316 reviews7 followers
April 25, 2019
Sadly could not recommend

I enjoyed book 1, I even enjoyed the first half of this one. Then it jumped the tracks, the whole China bit was laughable. I won't be reading a third book, if there is one, and you seriously need to find someone else to do your book covers.
Profile Image for Terry Gero.
133 reviews5 followers
October 21, 2019
This review is for both Eons-Lost Space Orphan books by Laer Carroll; Book 2) Very good quite tech heavy, sci-fi space travel series reminiscent of RA Heinlein. Entertaining just waiting for the next shoe to drop so to speak.
421 reviews10 followers
October 26, 2019
ridiculous

not a bad idea ,the first book was entertaining,the second was so ridiculous that I only finished it out of curiosity,there same theme has been done so much better in Donsai and Childers
7 reviews
April 8, 2020
Great plot, mediocre character development

Very little development of the main character or secondary characters. This story has great potential with adding such development. I hope to see that done.
Profile Image for Garry Whitmore.
294 reviews4 followers
July 12, 2020
Continued reading from first part, somewhat disappointed huge amount of filler or the author is obsessed with Latin dancing. Have to say skipped a lot of this to get to the more interesting bits as the heroine shoots around the solar system.
179 reviews2 followers
March 16, 2019
I really enjoyed this book along the first one. But the writer's odd writing style was very difficult to work around. Still a good story.
18 reviews
March 20, 2019
Honeymoon Over

While I immensely enjoyed the first book , this did not live up to it's excellence. I will however give one more chance.
Profile Image for Larry Holly.
184 reviews1 follower
April 22, 2019
Good book

Another great book of this series. I'll definitely be reading the next book of this series when it comes out.
Profile Image for Maggie Nikkel.
246 reviews6 followers
June 28, 2020
Beware

When someone offers to improve your life and the lives of the citizens in your country,you really should thank them,not try to arrest them.Some people just don't get it
39 reviews
July 11, 2020
Could have done without the graphic sex scene

The story was good and So was the writing. But I think vulgarity is unnecessary and, for me, certainly insulting.
88 reviews
October 5, 2021
Surprised without a surprise

In life we all need to know our real limits. Others Mau not believe you when being truthful with them, bulb occasion you must back up your bluster.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews

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