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Ardulum #4

Tales from Ardulum

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One year after saving the Neek homeworld and redefining the people’s religion, the crew of the Scarlet Lucidity returns to the Charted Systems for a much-needed break. For Nicholas and Yorden, the Systems will always be home, but for Emn and Atalant, too many memories compound with Emn’s strange new illness to provide much relaxation.

TALES FROM ARDULUM continues the journey of Atalant, Emn, Yorden, Nicholas, and Salice as they try to define their place in a galaxy that no longer needs them while battling the artifacts of Ardulan colonization. Other stories include Yorden’s acquisition of the Mercy’s Pledge (and his grudge against the galaxy), Atalant’s exile from her homeworld, Ekimet and Savath’s romance, and many others.

195 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 10, 2019

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J.S. Fields

19 books86 followers

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5 stars
24 (52%)
4 stars
15 (32%)
3 stars
6 (13%)
2 stars
0 (0%)
1 star
1 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Profile Image for Jude Silberfeld-Grimaud.
Author 2 books764 followers
August 5, 2020
Edit: August 5th 2020: audiobook review:
Oh, how I love this crew! I love Atalante and Emn, of course, but Yorden and Nicholas are family too. Another thing I love just as much is Lynn Norris’s narration.

The Ardulum series really is one of my favourites, and Norris‘s narration couldn’t be more perfect.

As I wrote when I reviewed this book last year, I’m so happy I got to spend more time with these characters. Maybe even more in audio than I did when I read these stories, though I would recommend to check them in written form too as they come with awesome drawings. And you can never get too much of this series anyway.

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I’m just so happy I got to spend more time with the wonderful characters from the Ardulum trilogy. I hadn’t heard of it before but when I saw this anthology was coming out, I went back and read all three books in a pretty short time. And loved every one.

While I loved the world-building in the trilogy books, and all the adventure, I just feel like thanking the author for this chance to find out more about the characters, how Yorden stole Mercy’s Pledge, the day Atalant became Exile, how Nicholas ended up with them, the relationship between Ekimet and Savath… The last story brought everything to a perfect end (although I wouldn’t say no to even more).

And the images are a nice touch too 😀

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for JulesGP.
650 reviews231 followers
March 17, 2021
I wasn’t going to read Tales right after Third Don because I wanted to save it. Then I spotted the phenomenal pictures inside and I gave myself permission to listen just a little bit. Well, maybe just the first story which is the origin for the Mercy Pledge space ship. But then hearing the gruff voice of Captain Yorden Kuebrich, brought back all the good feelings of Ardulum and I was off to read the rest.

The shorts spotlight each of our favorites (Atalant, Emn, Nicholas) and more, adding great back stories which in turn, illuminate key points in the series. I feel like it connected the dots for me and by the end, I could see the series of books as one entity. Very sharp writing and high energy throughout make this a very fast read. It’s going to be hard to leave the Ardulum family of characters behind. I genuinely hope the author continues with their story because I will miss these folks which is the best thing I can say. The more time passes, the more my admiration grows for this series. If you’re a fan of SciFi, make sure to add the 4 books somewhere on your TBR.

Standing ovation for the narrator, as well, who really brought out the rollicking nature of the series and the characters.
Profile Image for Michelle.
35 reviews1 follower
May 23, 2019
The latest installment in the Ardulum series is an exciting compilation of stories centered around the key characters from the trilogy. Providing glimpses into the characters’ lives before and after the events of the trilogy, this book is either a wonderful dénouement or a brilliant introduction to the Ardulum universe.

The book is comprised of perfectly paced, shorter stories from different moments in time, but centered around the main characters of the Ardulum series. Fields strikes the perfect balance of comedy, adventure and feels in the crew’s origin stories and gives us one last epic adventure to share with them. The banter is superb, and it is perfectly complimented by moments of heartwarming sincerity drawing you deep into the beautiful comradery the crew shares.

I was crestfallen when I finished the Ardulum trilogy, believing the adventures of the crew of Mercy’s Pledge had ended. So, imagine my joy when I discovered Fields was giving the crew (and us) one last celebratory hoorah. Only this time we get to delve deeper into the characters themselves and learn interesting bits of history such as the origin of the name Mercy’s Pledge. It brought me even closer to the characters I already adored. Oh and of course there are the pictures! The book includes exquisite renditions of the main characters by Micah Epstein.

If you’re like me and have devoured the trilogy already, then this is the perfect chance to hear more about the crew’s amazing adventures, their origins, and grow that much closer to them. And if you haven’t read the trilogy yet, this is a great introduction to the characters and universe Fields has created. Either way, get ready to immerse yourself in an epic space opera with endearing characters that will hold a special place in your heart.

Full review can be found here: https://www.thelesbianreview.com/?s=T...

Profile Image for Serenity Snow.
Author 73 books60 followers
July 17, 2020
The Tales from Ardulum was a sci-fi story or collection of stories. Some of the stories seemed connected. I got the feeling they all were, but I'd have had not read the first three books in the series. I wasn't sure what story would be like but I found the tales enjoyable. It's not a romance though there is a hint of one in there.

These are tales about a motley crew that are brought together by need. Neek and Yorgan are my favorite characters. They each bring something to the story that inspired me to keep reading to see what comes of their journey. Neek seems like a bit of a rebel and gets expelled from her home world and Yorgan is a sort of thief and runner of goods. I get the feeling he works blackmarket.


The two start out alone but find each other and begin their journey. The story has a few interesting concepts about religion and psychic skills. The stories are a nice read if you aren't looking for a romantic read.

I recommend The Tales of Ardulum to anyone who enjoys a good sci-fi read.
Profile Image for William Tracy.
Author 36 books107 followers
July 24, 2019
This is an excellent companion and ending to the Ardulum series. Fields tackles a lot of the remaining questions and loose ends presented in the series, as well as how the characters got their starts.
As always, the characters are vibrant, and the species are diverse and creative. This book also adds one more story set after the end of the trilogy, which gives a great look at how things are settling out...plus some new possibilities...
I highly recommend!
1,065 reviews11 followers
August 17, 2019
Title: Tales from Ardulum
Author: J. S. Fields
Publisher: NineStar Press
ISBN: 978-1-950412-65-5
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
One year after saving the Neek homeworld and redefining the people’s religion, the crew of the Scarlet Lucidity returns to the Charted Systems for a much-needed break. For Nicholas and Yorden, the Systems will always be home, but for Emn and Atalant, too many memories compound with Emn’s strange new illness to provide much relaxation. 

TALES FROM ARDULUM continues the journey of Atalant, Emn, Yorden, Nicholas, and Salice as they try to define their place in a galaxy that no longer needs them while battling the artifacts of Ardulan colonization. Other stories include Yorden’s acquisition of the Mercy’s Pledge (and his grudge against the galaxy), Atalant’s exile from her homeworld, Ekimet and Savath’s romance, and many others.

Total Score: 3/5

Summary:
This book is a continuation of the original three book series made of up of individual stories that follow follow the lives of the previous characters. While very interesting, the book seems to go from one section to the next leaving the reader to wonder what happened in the unmentioned periods between the stories. To fully understand the series of events the reader should read the original books in the series to really appreciate the story line.

I really enjoyed how Yorden took what was considered an old ship and altered it to become the space ship he used to take him to space. The mystery behind Emn and Ardulum is yet to be uncovered. The companionship between the shipmates in spite of their differences was fascinating to experience.
Profile Image for Vervada.
673 reviews
March 16, 2025
Getting to see a few noteworthy events from the past of some of "Ardulum"'s central characters and a little of what happens after the end of the third book was very interesting. I feel like I understand these characters even better now, especially Atalant. Also, Nicholas and Emn's friendship is one of the sweetest things ever. I'm really happy that the author has published and will keep publishing books set in this universe and I'm looking forward to reading them.
184 reviews5 followers
June 10, 2019
With an anthology like this obviously your enjoyment will depend a lot on how much you enjoyed the other books in the series and the characters, etc. While I enjoyed the world in general, I found it a bit difficult to connect to the characters for some reason. For those who did enjoy the series though, this is a great addition!
Profile Image for Trippentigger.
348 reviews4 followers
January 25, 2025
Enjoyable shorts

This was a nice trip through these characters life moments. Especially enjoyed Atalant's history in Exile. Theo lynch reason it's dropped a star is because I want more of Atalant and Emn's journey.
Profile Image for Lisa.
576 reviews8 followers
April 27, 2023
Ardulum!

Love a little back story, future story, fun story. Also love Atalant and Emn, so I will gladly revisit their universe.
Profile Image for Kendra.
34 reviews1 follower
December 27, 2019
It’s so nice to have a few of the questions I had when reading the trilogy answered. I’ve got about a gazillion more, of course, but honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Profile Image for Dani.
402 reviews15 followers
January 5, 2023
I loved this collection of shorts that are like little hidden gems. They are little bonus stories that add to the first three books.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews

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