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Expeditionary Force #7
Renegades
Listening time 17 hours 7 minutes
The battle-scarred star carrier Flying Dutchman is finally on her way back to Earth, after an exceptionally successful series of missions that have once again Saved The World. The ship needs a serious refit, and her exhausted crew just wants a break from constant clandestine warfare against a vicious and superior enemy. Wishes come true, right? Not for the Merry Band of Pirates.
The battle-scarred star carrier Flying Dutchman is finally on her way back to Earth, after an exceptionally successful series of missions that have once again Saved The World. The ship needs a serious refit, and her exhausted crew just wants a break from constant clandestine warfare against a vicious and superior enemy. Wishes come true, right? Not for the Merry Band of Pirates.
17 pages, Audible Audio
First published November 15, 2018
1515 people are currently reading
1830 people want to read
About the author
Craig Alanson
42 books4,251 followersIf you want to stay up to date on releases, receive promotion alerts and speak to me directly, please join my Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/Craig.Alanso...
My Bio:
Craig Alanson used to create financial reports for a large IT services company. Writing fiction at nights and on weekends, he finally independently published three novels on Amazon. Within 6 months of his first ebook release, he was able to quit his day job and pursue a full-time writing career.
The breakout success of Columbus Day (Expeditionary Force, Book 1) reached new heights when Podium Audio released it in audio format, narrated by Audie Award Winner R.C. Bray. The Columbus Day audiobook was a huge hit, and a finalist for an Audie Award as Audiobook of the Year.
The ExForce series, as it is known to fans, has gone on to 10 books/audiobooks, many of which have hit the NYT best-seller list, with a 11th book releasing June 2021 and 14 books planned.
Craig has also published a spin-off series, ExForce: Mavericks; an ExForce audio drama, Homefront; a fantasy trilogy, Ascendent; and a young adult space opera, Aces. Craig lives in Virginia with his wife, who loves him even though he perpetually refuses to clean the garage.
https://www.facebook.com/Craig.Alanso...
My Bio:
Craig Alanson used to create financial reports for a large IT services company. Writing fiction at nights and on weekends, he finally independently published three novels on Amazon. Within 6 months of his first ebook release, he was able to quit his day job and pursue a full-time writing career.
The breakout success of Columbus Day (Expeditionary Force, Book 1) reached new heights when Podium Audio released it in audio format, narrated by Audie Award Winner R.C. Bray. The Columbus Day audiobook was a huge hit, and a finalist for an Audie Award as Audiobook of the Year.
The ExForce series, as it is known to fans, has gone on to 10 books/audiobooks, many of which have hit the NYT best-seller list, with a 11th book releasing June 2021 and 14 books planned.
Craig has also published a spin-off series, ExForce: Mavericks; an ExForce audio drama, Homefront; a fantasy trilogy, Ascendent; and a young adult space opera, Aces. Craig lives in Virginia with his wife, who loves him even though he perpetually refuses to clean the garage.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 387 reviews
December 5, 2018
Skippy the Magnificent insult machine!
Did I enjoy the book? Mostly. Do I still love the series? Yeah. I guess that's the bottom line, but man are the constant insults between Skippy and Joe getting tiresome. It's probably not stretching to say that 50% of this book is nothing but Joe sitting around, trading insults with Skippy while trying to come up with a plan to accomplish the next impossible task for the MBOPs. I would say that Skippy was bordering on unlikable in this one. I don't know, maybe fatigue is setting in after so many books of basically the same thing. We're seven books into this series now and very little has been answered as far as the mystery of Skippy and the Elders. The plot was the usual ExForce staple. Impossible problems, Joe comes up with crazy idea, Skippy laments he didn't think of it, plan goes into action, everything goes wrong, Skippy works his magic, etc. It's still entertaining, but I think Mr Alanson should probably dial down the wasted words on the Joe/Skippy insult train a bit.
Did I enjoy the book? Mostly. Do I still love the series? Yeah. I guess that's the bottom line, but man are the constant insults between Skippy and Joe getting tiresome. It's probably not stretching to say that 50% of this book is nothing but Joe sitting around, trading insults with Skippy while trying to come up with a plan to accomplish the next impossible task for the MBOPs. I would say that Skippy was bordering on unlikable in this one. I don't know, maybe fatigue is setting in after so many books of basically the same thing. We're seven books into this series now and very little has been answered as far as the mystery of Skippy and the Elders. The plot was the usual ExForce staple. Impossible problems, Joe comes up with crazy idea, Skippy laments he didn't think of it, plan goes into action, everything goes wrong, Skippy works his magic, etc. It's still entertaining, but I think Mr Alanson should probably dial down the wasted words on the Joe/Skippy insult train a bit.
December 12, 2018
First thing to mention, I'm glad I don't have to read anymore (almost) complains about calibrating drive coils every time a bit of drama was required as a filler.
But this is kind of the only positive in this book.
The banter between Skippy and Joe, although enjoyable in the past, now is excessive.
The solution solving .... Everything is arbitrary. Everything can be done and undone. Is full of contradictions ... to the point where I don't follow anymore the specifics of each problem. Just say "abracadabra" and be done with.
Half of the book is a slow and tedious crawl , the second part was rushed (but that's good because at least the story developed a bit).
I know is hard to avoid burnout when it comes to doing something over and over again (like writing a long series of books) but I'd wish the author will take a step back, breath some fresh air, get some perspective and tackle the new books from a new direction.
Where is the adventure and joy of discovery ?
But this is kind of the only positive in this book.
The banter between Skippy and Joe, although enjoyable in the past, now is excessive.
The solution solving .... Everything is arbitrary. Everything can be done and undone. Is full of contradictions ... to the point where I don't follow anymore the specifics of each problem. Just say "abracadabra" and be done with.
Half of the book is a slow and tedious crawl , the second part was rushed (but that's good because at least the story developed a bit).
I know is hard to avoid burnout when it comes to doing something over and over again (like writing a long series of books) but I'd wish the author will take a step back, breath some fresh air, get some perspective and tackle the new books from a new direction.
Where is the adventure and joy of discovery ?
January 21, 2019
Feels like a rerun
Nothing new and a lack of characters left the story very hollow. At some point, the relationship between Skippy and Joe has to progress from sarcastic, put down, jibes. It feels forced at this point. This story had really no suspense, no revelation of the larger plot lines, and no development of any of the characters. It felt like a re-run.
Nothing new and a lack of characters left the story very hollow. At some point, the relationship between Skippy and Joe has to progress from sarcastic, put down, jibes. It feels forced at this point. This story had really no suspense, no revelation of the larger plot lines, and no development of any of the characters. It felt like a re-run.
August 29, 2020
Best one in the series yet. R.C. Bray is a scifi legend. Narrators like him make audiobooks the way they are supposed to be: engulfing, enjoyable, gripping, hilarious. Kudos to Craig Alanson for giving us a little blurb at the end. His short 10 minute story how this series originated makes it that more special. I'd say this is the first time I have ever continued a series this long and still thoroughly am enjoying it. I really hope this gets turned into a series someday... but only if R.C is the voice of Skippy.
April 11, 2019
Overall, I enjoyed Renegades. It was satisfying to see some progress on certain story lines. That being said, I'm getting tired of the same problems being hashed and re-hashed. It feels like each book is just the same basic problem of "oh no, we need to keep earth from being discovered by !" First it was the Kristang, then it was the Thuranin, now it was the Maxolhx. Every time it is absolutely impossible and then Joe thinks up some crazy plan and Skippy complains and bemoans the fact that he didn't think of that. I don't think I will be able to justify listening to another book if it is just more of the same.
Also, it's getting difficult to listen to how crappy The Dutchman is. If the crew has been able to accomplish all this other stuff, why can't they figure out a way to go steal a senior species ship to replace The Dutchman. I mean seriously....
Also, it's getting difficult to listen to how crappy The Dutchman is. If the crew has been able to accomplish all this other stuff, why can't they figure out a way to go steal a senior species ship to replace The Dutchman. I mean seriously....
May 1, 2019
To quote the immortal Skippy, “Blah, blah, blah…”
As I write this review, I’ve caught up with all of the Expeditionary Force books that have been released. I can no long just keep throwing more Audible credits at them hoping for them to improve.
This one has finally hit rock bottom. The sad part is that I don’t even hate the book, it is just a monumental disappointment. At the end of the previous book, after having saved the day, again, it all gets spoiled by the revelation that two big bad Maxolhx warships are coming to Earth to investigate. This book essentially is about nothing but dealing with those two ships via a series of steps even crazier than what the crew of the Flying Dutchman have dealt with in the past.
And therein lies the most fundamental failing of Renegades – the utter repetition. There is an impossible mission to destroy another alien ship(s) with a Dutchman that is in worse shape than ever. But we’ve been through this story a couple of times now with just the difficulty level of the boss battle cranked up.
But, there are several things that make this the worst of the series by far. First, the Skippy and Joe banter are wearing really thin. The same arguments and insults get repeated over and over and over. Even the other crew in this book are growing sick of Skippy – the AI and Joe have become stagnant.
Next, due to reasons, most of the crew that have been on board get replaced with a bunch of ciphers. Only a couple of the original crew make it back this time and Alanson gives us little reason to care about any of the newcomers, they’re pretty much just a bunch of bots pulling switches.
Another great failing is that, while the Maxolhx and Bosphuraq and the major antagonists this time, Alanson gives us almost nothing useful about them. In the previous books, we’ve gotten to see the cultures and characters of the Ruhar, the Kristang, the gambling obsessed Jeraptha, and the mentalist Thuranin. The Maxolhx and Bosphuraq might as well be “generic evil alien 1” and “super difficult generic alien 2”. The world building really fails this time, and it was really needed to break up the monotony of listening to the story.
Obviously, the author is free to tell the story that he wants to tell. It seems unfortunate that he’s content to keep telling the same story over and over with just turning the difficulty knob up a bit each time. But, it really could be so much more. He’s clearly given a lot of thought to this universe, the alien races, and the history. But, we’re seven+ books in and that history – who/what the Elders were, what Skippy really is, what has been going on in the universe – a few crumbs have been scattered, but not enough to be worth the slog of getting through this book.
Hopefully this book marks an end to the “destroy alien threat without detection” rinse, lather, repeat cycle and Alanson will start turning his attention to telling us about this wider universe he’s created and the ultimate story of what’s going on.
As I write this review, I’ve caught up with all of the Expeditionary Force books that have been released. I can no long just keep throwing more Audible credits at them hoping for them to improve.
This one has finally hit rock bottom. The sad part is that I don’t even hate the book, it is just a monumental disappointment. At the end of the previous book, after having saved the day, again, it all gets spoiled by the revelation that two big bad Maxolhx warships are coming to Earth to investigate. This book essentially is about nothing but dealing with those two ships via a series of steps even crazier than what the crew of the Flying Dutchman have dealt with in the past.
And therein lies the most fundamental failing of Renegades – the utter repetition. There is an impossible mission to destroy another alien ship(s) with a Dutchman that is in worse shape than ever. But we’ve been through this story a couple of times now with just the difficulty level of the boss battle cranked up.
But, there are several things that make this the worst of the series by far. First, the Skippy and Joe banter are wearing really thin. The same arguments and insults get repeated over and over and over. Even the other crew in this book are growing sick of Skippy – the AI and Joe have become stagnant.
Next, due to reasons, most of the crew that have been on board get replaced with a bunch of ciphers. Only a couple of the original crew make it back this time and Alanson gives us little reason to care about any of the newcomers, they’re pretty much just a bunch of bots pulling switches.
Another great failing is that, while the Maxolhx and Bosphuraq and the major antagonists this time, Alanson gives us almost nothing useful about them. In the previous books, we’ve gotten to see the cultures and characters of the Ruhar, the Kristang, the gambling obsessed Jeraptha, and the mentalist Thuranin. The Maxolhx and Bosphuraq might as well be “generic evil alien 1” and “super difficult generic alien 2”. The world building really fails this time, and it was really needed to break up the monotony of listening to the story.
Obviously, the author is free to tell the story that he wants to tell. It seems unfortunate that he’s content to keep telling the same story over and over with just turning the difficulty knob up a bit each time. But, it really could be so much more. He’s clearly given a lot of thought to this universe, the alien races, and the history. But, we’re seven+ books in and that history – who/what the Elders were, what Skippy really is, what has been going on in the universe – a few crumbs have been scattered, but not enough to be worth the slog of getting through this book.
Hopefully this book marks an end to the “destroy alien threat without detection” rinse, lather, repeat cycle and Alanson will start turning his attention to telling us about this wider universe he’s created and the ultimate story of what’s going on.
December 24, 2025
Well, my mind is blown.
The Merry Band of Pirates has faced impossible odds before. Truly. However, this book is a step up from that. In all possible ways.
First off, the mission isn't mereley impossible, it's so impossible everyone wants to give up. I am still amazed at how everything turned out.
Second, Skippy is more of an asshole than ever before. No, honestly, in that first mission (no spoilers, I promise) he was so much an asshole that I was starting to hate him. So far, I had only been amused by his behavior, I had to stop and consider that maybe Alanson had overplayed his hand. Thankfully, his assholishness returned to a normal setting, but I am still peeved about it.
And then, then there's the Elders mystery the books have been hinting at all this time. For the first time we start getting a few answers and it's mind blowing.
I don't know what's in store for the next half of the series, but I on board.
The Merry Band of Pirates has faced impossible odds before. Truly. However, this book is a step up from that. In all possible ways.
First off, the mission isn't mereley impossible, it's so impossible everyone wants to give up. I am still amazed at how everything turned out.
Second, Skippy is more of an asshole than ever before. No, honestly, in that first mission (no spoilers, I promise) he was so much an asshole that I was starting to hate him. So far, I had only been amused by his behavior, I had to stop and consider that maybe Alanson had overplayed his hand. Thankfully, his assholishness returned to a normal setting, but I am still peeved about it.
And then, then there's the Elders mystery the books have been hinting at all this time. For the first time we start getting a few answers and it's mind blowing.
I don't know what's in store for the next half of the series, but I on board.
January 14, 2019
Listened and read all of these books within a span of one year.
I first downloaded the audible of Columbus Day, after that, I couldn't get enough of the Expeditionary Force. The writing, the humor, everything about this series is, in the words of Skippy, "Awesome!" Can't wait for the next two books of the series, and hope for a lot more of the future. I would also love to see this turn into a television series. Wishful thinking on my part 😏
I first downloaded the audible of Columbus Day, after that, I couldn't get enough of the Expeditionary Force. The writing, the humor, everything about this series is, in the words of Skippy, "Awesome!" Can't wait for the next two books of the series, and hope for a lot more of the future. I would also love to see this turn into a television series. Wishful thinking on my part 😏
January 3, 2022
I enjoy this series so much! I already have the rest of the books in my library ready to read in the upcoming weeks. I also love how this book had an author's note at the end talking about the series and how it started - I had no idea these books all started so recently?? I went back and looked at publication dates and Alanson is writing at a truly incredible pace. I love how the series manages to take such fresh twists and turns but when things happened they still all feel like Alanson has plotted them in advance instead of just tacking on extra story to meet a contract. This is one of my favorite sci fi action series :)
May 27, 2022
RENEGADES by Craig Alanson is yet another delightful novel in the Expeditionary Force series. A series about humans discovering they are not alone in the galaxy and also the weakest species technologically. Thankfully, they've discovered an AI in a beer can-shaped device that gives them a chance to potentially dig themselves out of the hole they've unwittingly dug for themselves.
Renegades has the premise that humanity wants to reveal themselves to one of the less jerky factions of the galaxy due to a pair of advanced battle cruisers that have found their way toward our home planet. This is a terrible idea but I'm not sure I agree that Joe Bishop's plan to keep hiding Earth will work either. Either way, he plans to steal humanity's only starship and try to destroy the battle cruisers.
Already the plot about hiding the Earth is becoming a bit stale and is starting to affect my enjoyment, no matter how much I love Skippy and Joe's interaction. Likewise, if you haven't listened to HOMEFRONT on Audible, you won't understand a single bit of the opening.
Renegades has the premise that humanity wants to reveal themselves to one of the less jerky factions of the galaxy due to a pair of advanced battle cruisers that have found their way toward our home planet. This is a terrible idea but I'm not sure I agree that Joe Bishop's plan to keep hiding Earth will work either. Either way, he plans to steal humanity's only starship and try to destroy the battle cruisers.
Already the plot about hiding the Earth is becoming a bit stale and is starting to affect my enjoyment, no matter how much I love Skippy and Joe's interaction. Likewise, if you haven't listened to HOMEFRONT on Audible, you won't understand a single bit of the opening.
July 13, 2023
July 2023
Once more just for fun. One thing I find that I appreciate - Skippy starts on a rant about how dumb Joe is and Joe responds "yeah I'm an idiot blah blah blah now can we do this or not?" Joe is a character that I truly love.
March 2021
I revisited this while swimming laps just to visit old friends. Honestly, it just never gets old -
June 2020
I don't know - this was of course still a great book in the series and they got a lot of amazing things accomplished. But Joe is clearly growing weary of Skippy's endless insults. Quite honestly, so am I. But I love the crew and the action scenes were fantastic. It's all worth it in the end. And largely because of RC Bray!
Once more just for fun. One thing I find that I appreciate - Skippy starts on a rant about how dumb Joe is and Joe responds "yeah I'm an idiot blah blah blah now can we do this or not?" Joe is a character that I truly love.
March 2021
I revisited this while swimming laps just to visit old friends. Honestly, it just never gets old -
June 2020
I don't know - this was of course still a great book in the series and they got a lot of amazing things accomplished. But Joe is clearly growing weary of Skippy's endless insults. Quite honestly, so am I. But I love the crew and the action scenes were fantastic. It's all worth it in the end. And largely because of RC Bray!
September 25, 2023
Potato, Potato
Renegades is a divisive book. From afar, it feels the same as its predecessors. The author is ridiculously pedantic, reminding us of technicalities that heroes and readers have forgotten. The odds are longer than ever as Bishop and Skippy face mental and physical threats. And the laughs continue as they bicker like an old married couple. It’s all familiar ground.
As such, it comes as no surprise that the negatives are the same as always: without a whiteboard and time spent on flowcharts, much of the minutiae flies over the reader’s head. The heroes debate and iterate endlessly in a vain attempt to perfect their schemes. When they start executing, the ensuing mess is solved by the AI pulling magic out of nowhere. And speaking of which, Skippy is still Skippy.
However, the author’s niche is his attention to detail. Our heroes are patching up a crisis that stems from ignoring minutiae. Their debates explore different problems, contend with novel opponents, and reveal technology limitations that shore up the novel’s science-fiction credentials. When the heroes start improvising, their solutions are extrapolations of knowledge that readers already have. And were Skippy not so amusing, all this fussy hairsplitting would be tedious.
Unfortunately, the author’s unique focus results in novels dedicated to patching up plot holes instead of advancing the storyline. This is a trade-off that even hardcore fans will have to accept. However, I’m invigorated by complaints that the author is repeating the same nonsense. After all, his brilliance lies in the subtle details.
Recommended.
Renegades is a divisive book. From afar, it feels the same as its predecessors. The author is ridiculously pedantic, reminding us of technicalities that heroes and readers have forgotten. The odds are longer than ever as Bishop and Skippy face mental and physical threats. And the laughs continue as they bicker like an old married couple. It’s all familiar ground.
As such, it comes as no surprise that the negatives are the same as always: without a whiteboard and time spent on flowcharts, much of the minutiae flies over the reader’s head. The heroes debate and iterate endlessly in a vain attempt to perfect their schemes. When they start executing, the ensuing mess is solved by the AI pulling magic out of nowhere. And speaking of which, Skippy is still Skippy.
However, the author’s niche is his attention to detail. Our heroes are patching up a crisis that stems from ignoring minutiae. Their debates explore different problems, contend with novel opponents, and reveal technology limitations that shore up the novel’s science-fiction credentials. When the heroes start improvising, their solutions are extrapolations of knowledge that readers already have. And were Skippy not so amusing, all this fussy hairsplitting would be tedious.
Unfortunately, the author’s unique focus results in novels dedicated to patching up plot holes instead of advancing the storyline. This is a trade-off that even hardcore fans will have to accept. However, I’m invigorated by complaints that the author is repeating the same nonsense. After all, his brilliance lies in the subtle details.
Recommended.
November 21, 2018
Holee D.
Before you open this book, read the first 6 and maybe the novella. To truly appreciate this piece you'll have to know the entire backstory, but once you do it'll be worth it. So much happens and so many questions were answered that I can hardly see this series continuing except there are still 3 major questions, 4 if you include the end of book 6 left to be answered. To stir a little bit of excitement, we'll finally get to see what happens when the MBOP goes up against those rotten kitties.
Before you open this book, read the first 6 and maybe the novella. To truly appreciate this piece you'll have to know the entire backstory, but once you do it'll be worth it. So much happens and so many questions were answered that I can hardly see this series continuing except there are still 3 major questions, 4 if you include the end of book 6 left to be answered. To stir a little bit of excitement, we'll finally get to see what happens when the MBOP goes up against those rotten kitties.
July 6, 2020
In this book, Joe and Skippy save the day again. Two Maxolhx ships plan to come to Earth to investigate why the wormhole near Earth is acting strangely. Joe manages to jump aboard the Flying Dutchman and stop it from being hijacked by the US government - along with some of the original pirate crew plus some new crewmates. Joe then has to hatch a plan to figure out how they can stop them against the impossible odds (as always!) with a reduced staff.
This book started off well, but it was a real SLOG to get through (I guess the fact that I was listening to this from 28th March to 6th July says it all). The arguments between Joe and Skippy have begun to feel frustrating and repetitive. The plot of bad thing happens -> Joe comes up with a plot to save the day -> Skippy berates him because 'how could you think of an idea when I can't -> plan doesn't go as planned -> everyone nearly dies -> Joe thinks of another plan and saves the day (and then gets berated by Skippy) has gotten a bit stale for me and I found it hard to care about all the peril because I knew they'd figure it out, and it got a bit dull that every plan has some sort of issue. A real shame because I had been enjoying the series a lot until this one.
I did like that we had some new characters introduced in this book. However Katie Fray gets mentioned at the start and then about halfway through Joe speaks to her about her interactions with Skippy. After that, she's suddenly not mentioned at all. A shame because I was looking forward to some new fresh faces that might liven up the series a little bit!
This book started off well, but it was a real SLOG to get through (I guess the fact that I was listening to this from 28th March to 6th July says it all). The arguments between Joe and Skippy have begun to feel frustrating and repetitive. The plot of bad thing happens -> Joe comes up with a plot to save the day -> Skippy berates him because 'how could you think of an idea when I can't -> plan doesn't go as planned -> everyone nearly dies -> Joe thinks of another plan and saves the day (and then gets berated by Skippy) has gotten a bit stale for me and I found it hard to care about all the peril because I knew they'd figure it out, and it got a bit dull that every plan has some sort of issue. A real shame because I had been enjoying the series a lot until this one.
I did like that we had some new characters introduced in this book. However Katie Fray gets mentioned at the start and then about halfway through Joe speaks to her about her interactions with Skippy. After that, she's suddenly not mentioned at all. A shame because I was looking forward to some new fresh faces that might liven up the series a little bit!
May 3, 2024
Let's break this down barney style!!!
You're trying to tell me the book is shipping sergeant Adam's with Joe, but then nothing. She was not even with him when he went back to space, not even the rest of the team, that was so upsetting. It took me so long to start enjoying the book after they gave me a little sneak peek of their emotional sexual tension. Urgh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyway, the usual happened, they have to make up a crazy plan so that no one knows humans have advanced A.I. and flying in space.
This book focuses more on Apocalytic odds. However, certain scenes were so long and drawn out that it wasn't as exciting as the last book. Also, there are too many new people.
But still, I enjoyed this book so much. Another comfort reads of mine. I did dislike the Red Tape of the government.However, It enhanced the reading experience, and it actually makes sense.
I try reading this book a few chapters, and I am just not experiencing the same way when listening to the audible. This series literally has the best audio I've ever listened to.
You're trying to tell me the book is shipping sergeant Adam's with Joe, but then nothing. She was not even with him when he went back to space, not even the rest of the team, that was so upsetting. It took me so long to start enjoying the book after they gave me a little sneak peek of their emotional sexual tension. Urgh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyway, the usual happened, they have to make up a crazy plan so that no one knows humans have advanced A.I. and flying in space.
This book focuses more on Apocalytic odds. However, certain scenes were so long and drawn out that it wasn't as exciting as the last book. Also, there are too many new people.
But still, I enjoyed this book so much. Another comfort reads of mine. I did dislike the Red Tape of the government.However, It enhanced the reading experience, and it actually makes sense.
I try reading this book a few chapters, and I am just not experiencing the same way when listening to the audible. This series literally has the best audio I've ever listened to.
April 14, 2019
There’s no greater palette cleanser than a jaunt around the galaxy with our favourite beer can and his merry band of pirates. Alanson is no Asimov, and not really an Adams either; sometimes he repeats himself, and he strays into the formulaic - but what a winning formula! There’s few characters that consistently put a smile on my face; and of them all Skippy is the most consistently “awesome”.
Like my favourite pair of hiking boots I can’t wait to put them back on and start my next adventure.
Like my favourite pair of hiking boots I can’t wait to put them back on and start my next adventure.
October 16, 2020
Special Forces Patch =
A dinosaur holding a toilet plunger in its mouth
A dinosaur holding a toilet plunger in its mouth
May 7, 2021
I think Skippy took a few steps backwards in this one, in terms of empathy.
October 3, 2024
I’m really enjoying this series! Great story. Lots of funny dialogue. I’m interested in where the overarching story goes and looking forward to the next book!
April 20, 2019
Another fun read full of good SyFy.
December 1, 2019
Pretty good.
February 6, 2020
Audiobook. Loved it. Had some good twists and turns and of course, Skippy is the best.
November 22, 2021
There was a lot about this one I didn't like. It's just getting repetitive now, and it lost a lot of heart with some missing crew. Meh. But it keeps me entertained I suppose.
September 30, 2023
The audiobooks are so much fun!
March 26, 2025
Audiobook
4.5 ⭐️
4.5 ⭐️
April 27, 2025
7th book in this series where the same exact thing happens every book yet I still eat it up
February 13, 2024
Another entry down in the Expeditionary Force series and I'll use one word to describe it: Disappointing. The relationship between Bishop and Skippy is funny and charming as usual, but the story doesn't really progress in the direction I was hoping. Many of the fascinating sub-plots that are introduced throughout the series end abruptly. This includes many up-close interactions with the other races. The space-opera format is still entertaining and hopefully the series explores more of the mysteries of the universe in the next books.
March 13, 2019
While the series has kept me coming back for more exciting runs with Skippy and the Monkey's I am finding the constant consistent theme of "Major problem and it needs Jo Bishop to think the problem away." needs to come to a close rather than being this series primary hook. I found getting through this latest installment took longer than it had in the past just for this reason. Not because it had become predictable in content, but predictable in execution.
March 13, 2019
Meh.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this series but Joe and Skippy have taken to insulting each other too much. The other characters are not so well developed that they can pick up the slack while Joe and Skippy plan the return to earth. This novel is not up to the standard set by the previous books in the series. Renegades ends with them back on earth which sets the scene for the next novel due later this year. I will look forward to that new direction by a most excellent author.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this series but Joe and Skippy have taken to insulting each other too much. The other characters are not so well developed that they can pick up the slack while Joe and Skippy plan the return to earth. This novel is not up to the standard set by the previous books in the series. Renegades ends with them back on earth which sets the scene for the next novel due later this year. I will look forward to that new direction by a most excellent author.
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