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Arturo Sandus #1
On the Rocks
Captain Arturo Sanders was having a bad day. First the routine destruction of some ancient automatic defence batteries became a disaster when his ship’s screens failed and he had no choice to abandon ship.
Then he had to rescue two left behind crew people which meant he missed the main shuttle evacuation leaving him and his two companions in a shuttle on their own at the rear.
Then the shuttle was hit by enemy fire just as they traversed the jump point, of course! This sent the shuttle through something to somewhere but not the safe system the rest of the crew had jumped to!
The damage to the shuttle meant they would need a dockyard or failing that they would have to land on a planet to affect repairs which seemed likely as the system had no electronic signature, so space docks looked unlikely.
The third planet was in fact inhabited, but by primitives armed with swords and spears, probably an old Imperial colony that had been cut off and regressed tech-wise. They should be able to land and repair their shuttle somewhere out of the way except of course the engines decided to fail halfway down!
This led to a close encounter with the side of a mountain, followed by a crash landing into a lake.
And then his day got really bad!
Then he had to rescue two left behind crew people which meant he missed the main shuttle evacuation leaving him and his two companions in a shuttle on their own at the rear.
Then the shuttle was hit by enemy fire just as they traversed the jump point, of course! This sent the shuttle through something to somewhere but not the safe system the rest of the crew had jumped to!
The damage to the shuttle meant they would need a dockyard or failing that they would have to land on a planet to affect repairs which seemed likely as the system had no electronic signature, so space docks looked unlikely.
The third planet was in fact inhabited, but by primitives armed with swords and spears, probably an old Imperial colony that had been cut off and regressed tech-wise. They should be able to land and repair their shuttle somewhere out of the way except of course the engines decided to fail halfway down!
This led to a close encounter with the side of a mountain, followed by a crash landing into a lake.
And then his day got really bad!
301 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 4, 2020
577 people are currently reading
150 people want to read
About the author
Peter Rhodan
35 books67 followersI grew up in Sydney Australia but have lived on the Gold Coast, Australia for over thirty years. I have been many things over my life, courier driver, retail sales assistant, casino croupier, small business owner, a bankrupt former small business owner, a graphic designer, poker tournament operator and most recently an Uber driver.
I have a marvellous wife and two great kids (both adults now) plus a border collie cross dog who thinks she's a human.
I have always liked science fiction books, especially gung-ho space opera, time travel and alternate history genres. The first fiction book I read that I liked was Eagle of the Ninth and fist Science Fiction book I read and liked was Foundation by Asimov.
My favourite authors, at the moment, are David Weber, Lois McMaster Bujold, Christopher Nuttall and Pam Uphoff. Weber writes the best space opera while Bujold is simply the best writer and Miles Vorkisgan an amazing character. Chris Nuttall rarely writes anything that is only so-so and his Schooled in Magic books are the best magic school series I have read so far. Pam Uphoff writes primarily a cross dimensional series called the Wine of the Gods with the Directorate stories offshoot. These are delightful, entertaining and often thought provoking books that I love.
Chris Nuttall and Pam Uphoff inspired me to "have a go mate" and so I have.
My first novel is On the Rocks, the first story of Arturo Sandus (Sanders) and his adventures as a Space Ship captain marooned on a primitive swords and sandals era planet. Sort of...
I have a marvellous wife and two great kids (both adults now) plus a border collie cross dog who thinks she's a human.
I have always liked science fiction books, especially gung-ho space opera, time travel and alternate history genres. The first fiction book I read that I liked was Eagle of the Ninth and fist Science Fiction book I read and liked was Foundation by Asimov.
My favourite authors, at the moment, are David Weber, Lois McMaster Bujold, Christopher Nuttall and Pam Uphoff. Weber writes the best space opera while Bujold is simply the best writer and Miles Vorkisgan an amazing character. Chris Nuttall rarely writes anything that is only so-so and his Schooled in Magic books are the best magic school series I have read so far. Pam Uphoff writes primarily a cross dimensional series called the Wine of the Gods with the Directorate stories offshoot. These are delightful, entertaining and often thought provoking books that I love.
Chris Nuttall and Pam Uphoff inspired me to "have a go mate" and so I have.
My first novel is On the Rocks, the first story of Arturo Sandus (Sanders) and his adventures as a Space Ship captain marooned on a primitive swords and sandals era planet. Sort of...
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November 12, 2022Rubbish.
Rating: Minus 5
I am rewriting my reviews to make them complete and intelligible. I originally intended my reviews for an audience of one. I think that other reviews might balance my mine but since Goodreads have as usual blocked my view of the others 🤔, I am only guessing.
Goodreads also masked all commenter ID's on my pages about a year ago 🤔, so I have closed my reviews to comment and dropped all my lurkers but one. Goodreads will not allow me to drop a Dr Susan Hamilton (Maths professor at University of Tennessee ?) and she has not responded to my four requests that she remove me from her list. 🤔 She posted nothing for two years, yet needs to be my "friend". It is sad if that is the case. I just am not that interesting.
I begin to believe that when I wrote a brutal review of "a racist libertarian? rant posing as fiction", a Goodreads tech decided suddenly that my being a communist is a bad thing. 🤗
For Goodreads fun, see my review of "Leviathan's War", a poor piece of military science fiction or Powers of the Earth (a racist libertarian? rant posing as fiction) and the comments of a Claes Rees Jr/cgr710 (a self-identified NeoNazi and US patriot). Maybe that is not a contradiction.
To Claes Rees Jr/cgr710
Don't be a numpty. Be a smarty. Come and join the Communist Party.
I still am confused that US patriots (Tucker Carlson, Claes Rees Jr and US Republican Party legislators, for example) support Putin and Russia after Putin has threatened their own country with nuclear war. The gold transfers are an incentive, I am sure but I suspect the glamour of fascism is a draw. In any case.
GLORY TO UKRAINE !!!
This book sets the tone for the series and the message is more important to the writer than basic editing. This is not an alternate history but a retelling of American foreign policy for more than 100 years and the accompanying "We are a force for good" narrative set in a generic version of Romano-Britain during the decline of the Western Roman Empire. It is further compressed into a ridiculous five or six year time frame.
If you haven't a background in history, either as study or hobby the mention of research must sound odd. Consider for a moment that in every alternate history that you have or will read, there is a clear date of divergence from the present timeline. It might be defined as broadly as a season, a month or a week but is usually a single day. The initial conditions set by the premise are determined by the date. From divergence date on, the limits on all the actions and possibilities available to all characters either major or background are fixed. If that statement seems obvious to you, think how much more aware of that fact that a writer would or should be.
I suggest Eric Flint's "1632" series, which while not perfect is really good alternate history. The comparison to this series will stun you. It is a good example of how one successfully creates compelling initial conditions of divergence and defines the parameters for a disciplined examination of the change in the timeline caused by characters both newly arrived and native to the altered history. It is only my personal recommendation, not a PhD's considered opinion. For that, I suggest visits to some of the many essayists on YouTube. They are very entertaining as well as informative.
The writer might well be writing about Roman Britain anywhere between 300 to very late 400 CE. Rome and Roman Britain were very were different environments across that period. The decrepit level of command structure and legion fortifications suggest early to mid or late 300's CE but could easily be as early as the late 200's or as late as 500 CE. It reads as if bits and pieces of the period were thrown together into a sociopolitical stew suitable to the writer's political message. It could also be ignorance akin to that of the historicity of the RenFaire, which are fun but not what one could call historical even in a drunken haze. Neither is a prescription for a good alternate history. There are romance novels and age of piracy novels and movies with a similarly loose connection to history. I am not singling out this writer, he has committed no extraordinary sins. He is simply a commonly lazy writer producing a lazy series of books.
The book does not deserve more time but has flaws enough for a far more detailed criticism. I will spread my reactions across reviews of the following three books. I read three sequel novels because the course of the military campaigns interested me. There are some good ideas and entertaining chapters but by Book four I was satisfied that I had read enough. That is not a recommendation, just a confession by a military history hobbyist.
Aside from the editing, this book is not well researched nor written well. The writer has no craft only a message, which even he might not realize. The message is a simple one. "Capitalism solves all problems for the best people and unicorns appear where factory owners tread." This low end "It is only science fiction" writing has put me off current science fiction. When I have an interest in it, I turn to the streaming services. All seem to carry some science fiction. The stories are almost always better written and are always more entertaining than the print. Netflix also carries a good multinational selection.
I began searching YouTube for science fiction, when I admitted that Amazon/Goodreads were useless. I found more than I expected, a huge variety of interest area channels. I also stumbled upon the book channels, which I had not realized existed. The wide variety of book channels cover every aspect the bibliophilic experience. The reader communities are thoughtful, not parochial and love all things bookish. I recommend a visit to several book channels for any reader and have included some below.
YouTube also introduced me to the educational video sites. There are some stunning documentary series to be found in their collections. I began with Curiosity Stream/Nebula at a cost of about $15 USD for a yearly subscription. They are all worth a look.
My YouTube picks of the moment.
Diane Morgan, Some More News, The Kavernacle, Luciana Zogbi, Maiorianus, Kings and Generals, The Histocrat, GoldenAgeGeek, The Juice Media, Squire, All Shorts, The Leftist Cooks, Overly Sarcastic Productions, Knowing Better.
Some of my favorite YouTube channels are.
The Kavernacle, UA Courage, Quinn's Ideas, Owen Jones, Some More News, May Moon Narrowboat, Munecat, Tom Nicholas, Novara Media, The Piano Guys, Tara Mooknee, Engineering with Rosie, Historia Civilis, The Juice Media, We're in Hell, Knowing Better, Beautifully Bookish Bethany, Epimetheus, Neringa Rekaslute, Ship Happens, I'm Rosa, With Olivia, Elina Charatsidou, Lady knight the Brave, Noah Samsen, Rowan J Coleman, Sarah Z, Mandy, Second Thought, Malinda, Vlad Vexler, Dr Becky, Crecganford, Physics Girl, Narrowboat Pirate, Narrowboat Chef, Between the Wars, All Shorts, The Great War, Spark, Pro Robotics, Books with Emily Fox, What Vivi did next, Event Horizon, The Templin Institute, Real Time History, Military Aviation History, Ancient Americas, Kings and Generals, Sabine Hossenfelder, Books with Chloe, Katie Colson, RobWords, Real Engineering, Esoterica, Michael Siegel, Spacedock, Overly Sarcastic Productions, Three Arrows, Savage Daughter, SandRhoman History, Wizards and Warriors, A Clockwork Reader, Diane Callahan Quotidian Writer, Hello Future Me, Books and Lala, Gravel Institute, Renegade Cut, Sort of Interesting, Half as Interesting, Ben and Emily, Holly the Cafe Boat, Elliot Brooks, Lady of the Library, Prime of Midlife, Emmie, Then & Now, Jessie Gender, RedLetterMedia, AlysOtherLife, Gut Sick Gibbon, Paleo Analysis, Dr Ben Miller, Book Furnace, Bernadette Banner, Adult Wednesday Addams, Book Odyssey, Karolina Zebrowska, Dave Channel, Jill Bearup, MWG Studios, 2 Steps from Hell, No Justice MTG.
I wish you the best possible morning, a wonderful afternoon, a pleasant evening, a splendid night and may we all keep learning.
Never give up hope, it will never give up on you.
Lore, Dark Sisters
Rating: Minus 5
I am rewriting my reviews to make them complete and intelligible. I originally intended my reviews for an audience of one. I think that other reviews might balance my mine but since Goodreads have as usual blocked my view of the others 🤔, I am only guessing.
Goodreads also masked all commenter ID's on my pages about a year ago 🤔, so I have closed my reviews to comment and dropped all my lurkers but one. Goodreads will not allow me to drop a Dr Susan Hamilton (Maths professor at University of Tennessee ?) and she has not responded to my four requests that she remove me from her list. 🤔 She posted nothing for two years, yet needs to be my "friend". It is sad if that is the case. I just am not that interesting.
I begin to believe that when I wrote a brutal review of "a racist libertarian? rant posing as fiction", a Goodreads tech decided suddenly that my being a communist is a bad thing. 🤗
For Goodreads fun, see my review of "Leviathan's War", a poor piece of military science fiction or Powers of the Earth (a racist libertarian? rant posing as fiction) and the comments of a Claes Rees Jr/cgr710 (a self-identified NeoNazi and US patriot). Maybe that is not a contradiction.
To Claes Rees Jr/cgr710
Don't be a numpty. Be a smarty. Come and join the Communist Party.
I still am confused that US patriots (Tucker Carlson, Claes Rees Jr and US Republican Party legislators, for example) support Putin and Russia after Putin has threatened their own country with nuclear war. The gold transfers are an incentive, I am sure but I suspect the glamour of fascism is a draw. In any case.
GLORY TO UKRAINE !!!
This book sets the tone for the series and the message is more important to the writer than basic editing. This is not an alternate history but a retelling of American foreign policy for more than 100 years and the accompanying "We are a force for good" narrative set in a generic version of Romano-Britain during the decline of the Western Roman Empire. It is further compressed into a ridiculous five or six year time frame.
If you haven't a background in history, either as study or hobby the mention of research must sound odd. Consider for a moment that in every alternate history that you have or will read, there is a clear date of divergence from the present timeline. It might be defined as broadly as a season, a month or a week but is usually a single day. The initial conditions set by the premise are determined by the date. From divergence date on, the limits on all the actions and possibilities available to all characters either major or background are fixed. If that statement seems obvious to you, think how much more aware of that fact that a writer would or should be.
I suggest Eric Flint's "1632" series, which while not perfect is really good alternate history. The comparison to this series will stun you. It is a good example of how one successfully creates compelling initial conditions of divergence and defines the parameters for a disciplined examination of the change in the timeline caused by characters both newly arrived and native to the altered history. It is only my personal recommendation, not a PhD's considered opinion. For that, I suggest visits to some of the many essayists on YouTube. They are very entertaining as well as informative.
The writer might well be writing about Roman Britain anywhere between 300 to very late 400 CE. Rome and Roman Britain were very were different environments across that period. The decrepit level of command structure and legion fortifications suggest early to mid or late 300's CE but could easily be as early as the late 200's or as late as 500 CE. It reads as if bits and pieces of the period were thrown together into a sociopolitical stew suitable to the writer's political message. It could also be ignorance akin to that of the historicity of the RenFaire, which are fun but not what one could call historical even in a drunken haze. Neither is a prescription for a good alternate history. There are romance novels and age of piracy novels and movies with a similarly loose connection to history. I am not singling out this writer, he has committed no extraordinary sins. He is simply a commonly lazy writer producing a lazy series of books.
The book does not deserve more time but has flaws enough for a far more detailed criticism. I will spread my reactions across reviews of the following three books. I read three sequel novels because the course of the military campaigns interested me. There are some good ideas and entertaining chapters but by Book four I was satisfied that I had read enough. That is not a recommendation, just a confession by a military history hobbyist.
Aside from the editing, this book is not well researched nor written well. The writer has no craft only a message, which even he might not realize. The message is a simple one. "Capitalism solves all problems for the best people and unicorns appear where factory owners tread." This low end "It is only science fiction" writing has put me off current science fiction. When I have an interest in it, I turn to the streaming services. All seem to carry some science fiction. The stories are almost always better written and are always more entertaining than the print. Netflix also carries a good multinational selection.
I began searching YouTube for science fiction, when I admitted that Amazon/Goodreads were useless. I found more than I expected, a huge variety of interest area channels. I also stumbled upon the book channels, which I had not realized existed. The wide variety of book channels cover every aspect the bibliophilic experience. The reader communities are thoughtful, not parochial and love all things bookish. I recommend a visit to several book channels for any reader and have included some below.
YouTube also introduced me to the educational video sites. There are some stunning documentary series to be found in their collections. I began with Curiosity Stream/Nebula at a cost of about $15 USD for a yearly subscription. They are all worth a look.
My YouTube picks of the moment.
Diane Morgan, Some More News, The Kavernacle, Luciana Zogbi, Maiorianus, Kings and Generals, The Histocrat, GoldenAgeGeek, The Juice Media, Squire, All Shorts, The Leftist Cooks, Overly Sarcastic Productions, Knowing Better.
Some of my favorite YouTube channels are.
The Kavernacle, UA Courage, Quinn's Ideas, Owen Jones, Some More News, May Moon Narrowboat, Munecat, Tom Nicholas, Novara Media, The Piano Guys, Tara Mooknee, Engineering with Rosie, Historia Civilis, The Juice Media, We're in Hell, Knowing Better, Beautifully Bookish Bethany, Epimetheus, Neringa Rekaslute, Ship Happens, I'm Rosa, With Olivia, Elina Charatsidou, Lady knight the Brave, Noah Samsen, Rowan J Coleman, Sarah Z, Mandy, Second Thought, Malinda, Vlad Vexler, Dr Becky, Crecganford, Physics Girl, Narrowboat Pirate, Narrowboat Chef, Between the Wars, All Shorts, The Great War, Spark, Pro Robotics, Books with Emily Fox, What Vivi did next, Event Horizon, The Templin Institute, Real Time History, Military Aviation History, Ancient Americas, Kings and Generals, Sabine Hossenfelder, Books with Chloe, Katie Colson, RobWords, Real Engineering, Esoterica, Michael Siegel, Spacedock, Overly Sarcastic Productions, Three Arrows, Savage Daughter, SandRhoman History, Wizards and Warriors, A Clockwork Reader, Diane Callahan Quotidian Writer, Hello Future Me, Books and Lala, Gravel Institute, Renegade Cut, Sort of Interesting, Half as Interesting, Ben and Emily, Holly the Cafe Boat, Elliot Brooks, Lady of the Library, Prime of Midlife, Emmie, Then & Now, Jessie Gender, RedLetterMedia, AlysOtherLife, Gut Sick Gibbon, Paleo Analysis, Dr Ben Miller, Book Furnace, Bernadette Banner, Adult Wednesday Addams, Book Odyssey, Karolina Zebrowska, Dave Channel, Jill Bearup, MWG Studios, 2 Steps from Hell, No Justice MTG.
I wish you the best possible morning, a wonderful afternoon, a pleasant evening, a splendid night and may we all keep learning.
Never give up hope, it will never give up on you.
Lore, Dark Sisters
March 18, 2021
This can be summed up rather quickly..
Captain of a space ship.. Gets his ship shot out from under him.
Gets tossed into the unknown via a warp anomaly.
Crash lands..
....
His high tech space suit suddenly can't seem to be able to keep water out.
No.. It wasn't damaged. It seems that the author simply does not think that a "Combat Space suit" meant to be a self contained environmental suit in space........... Cant keep water out. That or.. Somehow for some reason the MC... Took the suit off before attempting to land on the planet ?? It makes no damn sense at all.
So......Yeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Big.. WTF? with that logic Bomb
DNF
Captain of a space ship.. Gets his ship shot out from under him.
Gets tossed into the unknown via a warp anomaly.
Crash lands..
....
His high tech space suit suddenly can't seem to be able to keep water out.
No.. It wasn't damaged. It seems that the author simply does not think that a "Combat Space suit" meant to be a self contained environmental suit in space........... Cant keep water out. That or.. Somehow for some reason the MC... Took the suit off before attempting to land on the planet ?? It makes no damn sense at all.
So......Yeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Big.. WTF? with that logic Bomb
DNF
April 5, 2021
This book was a DNF for me, which I hate because I so wanted to like it. Kingdom building is one of my favorite genres, and there's dearth of good stories. Unfortunately, this one just isn't worth a read. Everything is too simplistic. I don't think that the author understands how to create dramatic tension or a story at all. Everything about the novel, from the cover to the editing, is complete amateur hour.
Sorry if this is a little harsh, but I really want to read good stories in this genre.
Sorry if this is a little harsh, but I really want to read good stories in this genre.
December 26, 2021
A very enjoyable read.
April 1, 2021
Waste of time.
Poorly conceived. Poorly written. Poorly edited. Blatant ignorance of the time period he's writing about. Does not comprehend the positive impact Christianity had on the technical innovations he's writing about nor on civilization as a whole. I want my two hours back.
Poorly conceived. Poorly written. Poorly edited. Blatant ignorance of the time period he's writing about. Does not comprehend the positive impact Christianity had on the technical innovations he's writing about nor on civilization as a whole. I want my two hours back.
January 21, 2022
.
I at first THOUGHT this was good series.
A good idea.
BUT IT WAS RUINED BY THE AUTHOR.
Impossible to follow and keep track of. Too many place names and military names. Needs a map and a fokking syllabus!!!!
Also the author paints quite a — to me — negative-seeming picture, of a “hooked nose…Jew…banker….”
ALSO:
“Even his sophisticated Jewish bankers had problems grasping some of the basic economic theory….”
Many grammar errors. Needs an editor.
Oh…and the stoopid crap about non-usual soldiers being able to beat 5-10 attackers has to go. Maybe in a push-button army okay, but in sword or spear fights, wrestling, and smashing things???
No.
Never.
Not at all.
Not possible.
Maybe in some dream world….
This sort of bllsht BELOW maybe exactly what the author thinks is sexy and desirable, BUT I DO NOT!!!! I would find it REALLY FOKKING IRRITATING!!!
“A solidus for your thoughts.” She whispered softly in his ear, before her tongue then followed up into that orifice. “Probably overcharging you at that price.” He murmured enjoying the almost tickling sensations coming from his ear. The tongue stopped it’s teasing as Morghanna laughed.
“You don’t know what I was thinking.” He countered, turning around and taking her in his arms. They kissed slowly and very satisfyingly. She had been surprised by his emphasis on her equal enjoyment of their love making but had adjusted readily and was even slowly becoming more willing to make sexual advances herself and to demand, no demand was too strong a word, to expect a thorough gratification of her own needs. Equality in their bed was one place Arturo could turn his political theories into practical reality without outside interference. Besides, he enjoyed watching and feeling her climax as a result of his ministrations.
STOP IT, PETER!!!!
STOP!!!!
ALSO: ENOUGH!!!!! “Once the train had stopped, the fireman jumped down and uncoupled the tender from the train and the engine ran forward. The fireman hung onto the steps built into the rear of the tender as the engine ran forward then reversed into the bay siding where the fireman coupled the special carriage to the tender. The engine then ran forward back onto the main line before reversing back onto the main train once the turnout had been changed.”
WHAT? WHATWHATWHAT????????
“There was the line to Camulodunum which was being continued on to the coast and also north to Venta. Then there was the main north line to Verulamium which had become a major junction with two lines diverging, one north to Duroviutum where it was going to meet the line coming south from Eboracum and Lindum. The other headed northwest towards Lactodorum then on towards Letoceetum where it would meet the line coming south east from Deva and Viroconium. The railways also crossed the river at…”
You getting the picture??
I JUST SKIPPED ABOUT 6 PAGES of this bllsht and it did not seem to matter. I am getting ready to downgrade this series to fewer stars….
I skipped about 20 more pages and it made no difference.
I stopped reading Page #220, Book 2, because it BORED ME NEARLY TO FOKKING DEATH!!
I QUIT READING, RETURNED THE BOOK AND LOOKED FOR SOMETHING ELSE TO READ.
THIS BOOK CONVINCED ME to not renew my paid in Yamnazawn Un Lymmitet account.
.
I lowered it to two stars.
.
I at first THOUGHT this was good series.
A good idea.
BUT IT WAS RUINED BY THE AUTHOR.
Impossible to follow and keep track of. Too many place names and military names. Needs a map and a fokking syllabus!!!!
Also the author paints quite a — to me — negative-seeming picture, of a “hooked nose…Jew…banker….”
ALSO:
“Even his sophisticated Jewish bankers had problems grasping some of the basic economic theory….”
Many grammar errors. Needs an editor.
Oh…and the stoopid crap about non-usual soldiers being able to beat 5-10 attackers has to go. Maybe in a push-button army okay, but in sword or spear fights, wrestling, and smashing things???
No.
Never.
Not at all.
Not possible.
Maybe in some dream world….
This sort of bllsht BELOW maybe exactly what the author thinks is sexy and desirable, BUT I DO NOT!!!! I would find it REALLY FOKKING IRRITATING!!!
“A solidus for your thoughts.” She whispered softly in his ear, before her tongue then followed up into that orifice. “Probably overcharging you at that price.” He murmured enjoying the almost tickling sensations coming from his ear. The tongue stopped it’s teasing as Morghanna laughed.
“You don’t know what I was thinking.” He countered, turning around and taking her in his arms. They kissed slowly and very satisfyingly. She had been surprised by his emphasis on her equal enjoyment of their love making but had adjusted readily and was even slowly becoming more willing to make sexual advances herself and to demand, no demand was too strong a word, to expect a thorough gratification of her own needs. Equality in their bed was one place Arturo could turn his political theories into practical reality without outside interference. Besides, he enjoyed watching and feeling her climax as a result of his ministrations.
STOP IT, PETER!!!!
STOP!!!!
ALSO: ENOUGH!!!!! “Once the train had stopped, the fireman jumped down and uncoupled the tender from the train and the engine ran forward. The fireman hung onto the steps built into the rear of the tender as the engine ran forward then reversed into the bay siding where the fireman coupled the special carriage to the tender. The engine then ran forward back onto the main line before reversing back onto the main train once the turnout had been changed.”
WHAT? WHATWHATWHAT????????
“There was the line to Camulodunum which was being continued on to the coast and also north to Venta. Then there was the main north line to Verulamium which had become a major junction with two lines diverging, one north to Duroviutum where it was going to meet the line coming south from Eboracum and Lindum. The other headed northwest towards Lactodorum then on towards Letoceetum where it would meet the line coming south east from Deva and Viroconium. The railways also crossed the river at…”
You getting the picture??
I JUST SKIPPED ABOUT 6 PAGES of this bllsht and it did not seem to matter. I am getting ready to downgrade this series to fewer stars….
I skipped about 20 more pages and it made no difference.
I stopped reading Page #220, Book 2, because it BORED ME NEARLY TO FOKKING DEATH!!
I QUIT READING, RETURNED THE BOOK AND LOOKED FOR SOMETHING ELSE TO READ.
THIS BOOK CONVINCED ME to not renew my paid in Yamnazawn Un Lymmitet account.
.
I lowered it to two stars.
.
April 15, 2021
Great read! I enjoyed the characters and plot. This takes a space opera and twists it into an Aeneid type epic. Fiction fans of alternative history should love it. Peter Rhodan’s style is engaging.
Great read! I enjoyed the characters and plot. This takes a space opera and twists it into an Aeneid type epic. Fiction fans of alternative history should love it. Peter Rhodan’s style is engaging.
Great read! I enjoyed the characters and plot. This takes a space opera and twists it into an Aeneid type epic. Fiction fans of alternative history should love it. Peter Rhodan’s style is engaging.
February 10, 2020
Awesome start to a very interesting take on alternative history! :)
Thoroughly enjoyed this book, I read ad so many and get so disappointed by so many alas.
But this is well written, interesting, unusual take on the genre, a rave setting of mine etc.
So, I highly recommend it!
A few typos exist but nothing worth bothering about.
Looking forward ward to more :)
Thoroughly enjoyed this book, I read ad so many and get so disappointed by so many alas.
But this is well written, interesting, unusual take on the genre, a rave setting of mine etc.
So, I highly recommend it!
A few typos exist but nothing worth bothering about.
Looking forward ward to more :)
August 14, 2020
Good first effort.
This book would have been better if an editor had a good look at it!
Otherwise, I was able to overlook the minor spelling errors and words being out of place.
I just made the corrections in my head as I went along.
The only other thing was that it seemed that the hero learned the new language really fast.
This book would have been better if an editor had a good look at it!
Otherwise, I was able to overlook the minor spelling errors and words being out of place.
I just made the corrections in my head as I went along.
The only other thing was that it seemed that the hero learned the new language really fast.
January 18, 2022
I want to like this, but oh boy does it have problems.
The beginning is very slow and very boring. The characters are not well defined and are generally interchangeable. Once the basic structure begins being built, it is suddenly done. The general pacing is just atrocious. The idea behind it all seems quite good, it just was not well executed.
The beginning is very slow and very boring. The characters are not well defined and are generally interchangeable. Once the basic structure begins being built, it is suddenly done. The general pacing is just atrocious. The idea behind it all seems quite good, it just was not well executed.
October 16, 2020
Great fun
A very enjoyable quick read. My only gripe is very bad grammar and editing. But hey, it’s free on kdp so five stars! On to book 2!
A very enjoyable quick read. My only gripe is very bad grammar and editing. But hey, it’s free on kdp so five stars! On to book 2!
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July 6, 2025Rhodan, Peter. On the Rocks. Arturo Sandus No. 1. Kindle, 2020.
In On the Rocks, the first of a series that now has eight volumes, Peter Rhodan offers up a nice twist on the time travel/multiverse meme. Arturo Sandus, a seasoned starship captain, is thrown out of time when his shuttle makes a bad entry into a wormhole. He crashes into what appears to be late Roman-era Britain south of Hadrian’s wall. He has a long lifespan, but even his nano-enhanced blood may not keep him alive long enough to kickstart an industrial revolution fast enough to build a spacecraft that will get him home. The pace of social, economic, and technological change that Sandus starts stretches credulity, but it is fun to watch it happen. Sandus uses bits of his crashed spacecraft to make blades and coins that impress the natives and give him the capital he needs. He helps invent the crossbow, organizes the army, and encourages gender equality. It won’t be a sword and sandal world for long. 3.5 stars.
In On the Rocks, the first of a series that now has eight volumes, Peter Rhodan offers up a nice twist on the time travel/multiverse meme. Arturo Sandus, a seasoned starship captain, is thrown out of time when his shuttle makes a bad entry into a wormhole. He crashes into what appears to be late Roman-era Britain south of Hadrian’s wall. He has a long lifespan, but even his nano-enhanced blood may not keep him alive long enough to kickstart an industrial revolution fast enough to build a spacecraft that will get him home. The pace of social, economic, and technological change that Sandus starts stretches credulity, but it is fun to watch it happen. Sandus uses bits of his crashed spacecraft to make blades and coins that impress the natives and give him the capital he needs. He helps invent the crossbow, organizes the army, and encourages gender equality. It won’t be a sword and sandal world for long. 3.5 stars.
March 17, 2020
Good premise, interesting story..
Good premise, interesting story, not much action but some good sci-fi time travel. A few grammatical errors, but nothing serious and the book is quite engaging. A good effort.
Good premise, interesting story, not much action but some good sci-fi time travel. A few grammatical errors, but nothing serious and the book is quite engaging. A good effort.
September 3, 2020
From stars to sandals
Arturo a Starship Captain becomes the unlikely hero of a ’Stars to Sandals’ epic. The question remains will he have enough lifetime left to him to get back to the Stars. Rife with spelling and usage errors but a fun read.
Arturo a Starship Captain becomes the unlikely hero of a ’Stars to Sandals’ epic. The question remains will he have enough lifetime left to him to get back to the Stars. Rife with spelling and usage errors but a fun read.
June 13, 2021
Good story
Pretty good first contact story. It's important to find a local to help ease your way into a new and different society. Being able to invent stuff to make others rich, puts them on your side.
Pretty good first contact story. It's important to find a local to help ease your way into a new and different society. Being able to invent stuff to make others rich, puts them on your side.
September 18, 2020
Like "Lest Darkness Falls" by L. Sprauge deCamp, this is a "man from the future stops the collapse of the Roman Empire" story. However, with a different starting point, a starship captain from 3,000 years in OUR future stranded at the start of the 5th century AD in NW Britain as the Roman empire there has started to collapse.
I give this a solid C grade as an entertaining read. And I'm a sucker for "save the empire from darkness" plots. The main character is a decent sort.
But, things are too pat. All of his schemes work. Nothing ever goes wrong. Maybe in the next couple of books. But so far everything Arturo touches turns to gold. So, while I'm very happy for the people he's saving from economic and political collapse, there is no tension or drama.
It could have used some editing. For example where the protagonist Arturo (Arthur) is discussing a joint stock company. He says 100,00 shares. But then talks about putting in 7,000 gold coins for his share. So, 10,000? Another place a sentence reads "he looked at to the west...." Pretty sure the author changed his mind on which words he wanted. But like me forgot to clean up.
Another thing that bugged me is at one point he says he wants someone to make paper and no one says, "What's paper?" Or when he asks for Copper, Tin, and Nickel. But Nickel was not isolated and classified as a chemical element until 1751. Not too many of them.
On the plus side, he talks about coal which I looked up and sure enough, the Romans were using coal then.
All in all a solid C. Enough for me to buy book 2.
I give this a solid C grade as an entertaining read. And I'm a sucker for "save the empire from darkness" plots. The main character is a decent sort.
But, things are too pat. All of his schemes work. Nothing ever goes wrong. Maybe in the next couple of books. But so far everything Arturo touches turns to gold. So, while I'm very happy for the people he's saving from economic and political collapse, there is no tension or drama.
It could have used some editing. For example where the protagonist Arturo (Arthur) is discussing a joint stock company. He says 100,00 shares. But then talks about putting in 7,000 gold coins for his share. So, 10,000? Another place a sentence reads "he looked at to the west...." Pretty sure the author changed his mind on which words he wanted. But like me forgot to clean up.
Another thing that bugged me is at one point he says he wants someone to make paper and no one says, "What's paper?" Or when he asks for Copper, Tin, and Nickel. But Nickel was not isolated and classified as a chemical element until 1751. Not too many of them.
On the plus side, he talks about coal which I looked up and sure enough, the Romans were using coal then.
All in all a solid C. Enough for me to buy book 2.
November 16, 2021
I can't say this book is for everyone but it hits my sweet spot. The idea of what someone from the future would (or could) do in the past is endlessly intriguing to me. So, when a wormhole accident sends interstellar captain Arturo back to Britain shortly after its abandonment by the Roman Emperor, what will he do? Well, in essence, Arturo solves problems, including the problem of northern barbarians seeking to wreak havoc in the south.
I have looked at some of the other reviews for this book and it is clear that others have found it faulty. It does lack the polish of a truly professional author, but then, in this world where everyone with spare time self publishes, most books do. For me it is far more important that the author thought about how intelligent people act and then told that story. I am completely fed up with authors who can’t be bothered to think about what they write. Here, the MC acted intelligently and worked towards goals. One marginally negative review decries the book as “too simplistic” but being simple isn’t a crime and can be a strength. Here the author told good, straight-forward “displaced in time” story and I greatly enjoyed it.
I have looked at some of the other reviews for this book and it is clear that others have found it faulty. It does lack the polish of a truly professional author, but then, in this world where everyone with spare time self publishes, most books do. For me it is far more important that the author thought about how intelligent people act and then told that story. I am completely fed up with authors who can’t be bothered to think about what they write. Here, the MC acted intelligently and worked towards goals. One marginally negative review decries the book as “too simplistic” but being simple isn’t a crime and can be a strength. Here the author told good, straight-forward “displaced in time” story and I greatly enjoyed it.
December 2, 2022
Great Story!
Peter Rhodan, in my opinion, is a great writer-in-the-making! The story is exciting, the pacing is good, the characters fairly developed. The main thing lacking is in the mechanics of the writing. A thorough proofreading and editing to tighten up certain parts would make this an even greater book. But don't be put off by the missing words, inconsistent spelling, and odd use of punctuation because the story is well worth the read!
At first I was disappointed by how obvious was the situation in which Arturus found himself. But when I thought about it, I could see how words that were huge clues to me, reading the conversations in English, would not have been so obvious if rendered in another language with a strong accent. I've had friends from Yorkshire, England, whose English words I could barely understand unless they slowed their speech considerably. Arturus was hearing these obvious words in a totally different language rendering them not as obvious as one would think.
I would rate this book PG-13. There is a smattering of language and mostly war related violence.
I recommend this book.
(Read with Kindle Unlimited Subscription)
Peter Rhodan, in my opinion, is a great writer-in-the-making! The story is exciting, the pacing is good, the characters fairly developed. The main thing lacking is in the mechanics of the writing. A thorough proofreading and editing to tighten up certain parts would make this an even greater book. But don't be put off by the missing words, inconsistent spelling, and odd use of punctuation because the story is well worth the read!
At first I was disappointed by how obvious was the situation in which Arturus found himself. But when I thought about it, I could see how words that were huge clues to me, reading the conversations in English, would not have been so obvious if rendered in another language with a strong accent. I've had friends from Yorkshire, England, whose English words I could barely understand unless they slowed their speech considerably. Arturus was hearing these obvious words in a totally different language rendering them not as obvious as one would think.
I would rate this book PG-13. There is a smattering of language and mostly war related violence.
I recommend this book.
(Read with Kindle Unlimited Subscription)
November 24, 2020
This could have been a MUCH better book! By far. Really, my score is a generous 2 1/2 stars.
The story line is a bit worn, but still fun. Characters are very sketchy. Way too much description, with too little character interaction, motives, and evolution.
History references to the period need work. Military references for the period are shaky.
The writing style is not much, with little pacing, no real attempt to engage; and plot elements either picked out of the air, or, jumbled together.
Grammar and spelling are a total disgrace. Reads like something written by a cut rate AI, originally in Old Finnish, translated to Innuit, and then to English, where the dictionary was missing every other page, and the rules of grammar got soaked in a rainstorm and the paper partly dissolved.
Clearly a totally lazy author out for $$ over quality.
The story line is a bit worn, but still fun. Characters are very sketchy. Way too much description, with too little character interaction, motives, and evolution.
History references to the period need work. Military references for the period are shaky.
The writing style is not much, with little pacing, no real attempt to engage; and plot elements either picked out of the air, or, jumbled together.
Grammar and spelling are a total disgrace. Reads like something written by a cut rate AI, originally in Old Finnish, translated to Innuit, and then to English, where the dictionary was missing every other page, and the rules of grammar got soaked in a rainstorm and the paper partly dissolved.
Clearly a totally lazy author out for $$ over quality.
November 30, 2020
Good story, but well past time for the editing update badly needed.
As covered in most prior reviews, this is a very good story, told fairly well, that is in drastic need of re-editing NOW. It will not do any good to add more books to a series that many readers will give up on before they can wade through the errors in the first four chapters. While there are a fair number of very minor typographic errors easily fixed, it is the many run-on sentences that really need work. One example in chapter three has a fifty-four word sentence that should be three sentences. The reader literally runs out of mental breath, and has to re-read it several times just to keep from getting lost.
The sentences do get better in the later parts of the book, and I am hoping for a more enjoyable read in the rest of the series.
As covered in most prior reviews, this is a very good story, told fairly well, that is in drastic need of re-editing NOW. It will not do any good to add more books to a series that many readers will give up on before they can wade through the errors in the first four chapters. While there are a fair number of very minor typographic errors easily fixed, it is the many run-on sentences that really need work. One example in chapter three has a fifty-four word sentence that should be three sentences. The reader literally runs out of mental breath, and has to re-read it several times just to keep from getting lost.
The sentences do get better in the later parts of the book, and I am hoping for a more enjoyable read in the rest of the series.
October 21, 2021
I really liked this book. I did not see as many misspelled words as other reviewers have, but then again, English is no my first language.
The only real problem I did see was regarding the pacing of the story. To me the story goes too fast. Sometimes when I read a book for the first time I skip paragraphs and whole pages. Big mistake. In more than one ocassion several days and even weeks pass between one sentence and the next. For example Arturo Sandus, the MC in one page will say" I am going to build something, and it will be very hard. ", Then a couple of pages latter they will finish the build without giving much explanation about how they actually did it and a couple of months would had passed.
Another problem of the book is the lack of a map. I keep getting lost as to where the characters are, and where they are going.
The only real problem I did see was regarding the pacing of the story. To me the story goes too fast. Sometimes when I read a book for the first time I skip paragraphs and whole pages. Big mistake. In more than one ocassion several days and even weeks pass between one sentence and the next. For example Arturo Sandus, the MC in one page will say" I am going to build something, and it will be very hard. ", Then a couple of pages latter they will finish the build without giving much explanation about how they actually did it and a couple of months would had passed.
Another problem of the book is the lack of a map. I keep getting lost as to where the characters are, and where they are going.
January 6, 2021
Good nice time-travel story.
The setting is classic, and the character relatively well defined. Thrown into the past due to physics accident, he ends up in the late days of the Western Roman Empire, thinking he's landed in an ancient colony world fallen back in technology. By the time he realizes he's in the past and the Roman everyone's talking about aren't reenactors but the original deal, he's already thrown history into the bushes and has little choice but to forge ahead.
What's interesting is that the setting is well developed, relatively accurate, and feels very live. The main character isn't all knowing, omnicompetent either. A good sci-fi dive, that leaves you wanting for more.
The setting is classic, and the character relatively well defined. Thrown into the past due to physics accident, he ends up in the late days of the Western Roman Empire, thinking he's landed in an ancient colony world fallen back in technology. By the time he realizes he's in the past and the Roman everyone's talking about aren't reenactors but the original deal, he's already thrown history into the bushes and has little choice but to forge ahead.
What's interesting is that the setting is well developed, relatively accurate, and feels very live. The main character isn't all knowing, omnicompetent either. A good sci-fi dive, that leaves you wanting for more.
October 20, 2020
Enjoyable Read
Arturo is the Captain of a mighty warship in space. Unfortunately, the mighty ship has shield problems and is done in by a normally easy to destroy defence system. He is stranded on an unknown primitive planet. He decides to introduce a higher level of technology to jump start know how so that he can repair his space shuttle. Welll... The realization that he has gone back in time, destroys hope of getting home thousands of years in the future. I like the action, humor, and civilization building. I look forward to the next book.
Arturo is the Captain of a mighty warship in space. Unfortunately, the mighty ship has shield problems and is done in by a normally easy to destroy defence system. He is stranded on an unknown primitive planet. He decides to introduce a higher level of technology to jump start know how so that he can repair his space shuttle. Welll... The realization that he has gone back in time, destroys hope of getting home thousands of years in the future. I like the action, humor, and civilization building. I look forward to the next book.
April 16, 2021
A bit frustrating
It’s a fun breezy read. The author isn’t worried about realistic timelines but the story is pleasant enough. What’s frustrating is the mechanics of the writing. Very sloppy, typos & misspellings that would get a bad grade fir a fifth grader. It’s distracting. We’ve had automatic grammar and word checking for over thirty years. I docked a star on that alone. Would I recommend it? Well this is a topic that’s been done, and done well, for years by other authors. For me the price is right since the series is free under Kindle Unlimited.
It’s a fun breezy read. The author isn’t worried about realistic timelines but the story is pleasant enough. What’s frustrating is the mechanics of the writing. Very sloppy, typos & misspellings that would get a bad grade fir a fifth grader. It’s distracting. We’ve had automatic grammar and word checking for over thirty years. I docked a star on that alone. Would I recommend it? Well this is a topic that’s been done, and done well, for years by other authors. For me the price is right since the series is free under Kindle Unlimited.
June 17, 2022
Fun read
I set aside the difference in what Arturo finds from what my study taught safe in the idea that the multiverse is far vaster and more variable than any mere human can comprehend. The story is fast paced and mostly within the bounds of believability with the parts I struggle accepting being set aside as author fiat to make the story more fun for the average reader.
Suitable for all ages, most combat casualties are mentioned only briefly and gory descriptions are kept to a minimum. Well done, moving on to book two.
I set aside the difference in what Arturo finds from what my study taught safe in the idea that the multiverse is far vaster and more variable than any mere human can comprehend. The story is fast paced and mostly within the bounds of believability with the parts I struggle accepting being set aside as author fiat to make the story more fun for the average reader.
Suitable for all ages, most combat casualties are mentioned only briefly and gory descriptions are kept to a minimum. Well done, moving on to book two.
January 28, 2021
What a grand read
So on to my review, I will keep it simple as was once said a rollicking good yarn 😀 Funny and interesting at the same time, love the characters involved lol and the entire premises of the book. Have not been able to stop reading it 😀 I am more than happy to recommend this book to those who like books on Romans, SciFi , Alternate worlds. On the negative side well to be honest not a lot and that I will leave up to others, me I thoroughly enjoyed it.
So on to my review, I will keep it simple as was once said a rollicking good yarn 😀 Funny and interesting at the same time, love the characters involved lol and the entire premises of the book. Have not been able to stop reading it 😀 I am more than happy to recommend this book to those who like books on Romans, SciFi , Alternate worlds. On the negative side well to be honest not a lot and that I will leave up to others, me I thoroughly enjoyed it.
February 4, 2021
I confess that this was a book I didn't enjoy. The basic premise was terrific. What I didn't like was that the protagonist became a man of too many talents. I didn't find his character believable and sadly waved goodbye to the other books in the series.
Don't get me wrong, I like a Mary Sue character. But this one just didn't work for me. I'm sure that my michegas and not a flaw in the storytelling.
Many other readers loved the series. Don't let me take away your enjoyment.
Don't get me wrong, I like a Mary Sue character. But this one just didn't work for me. I'm sure that my michegas and not a flaw in the storytelling.
Many other readers loved the series. Don't let me take away your enjoyment.
October 14, 2020
Lest Darkness Fall?
Earknews has fallen not once but twice in this novel. The book is a page from L. Sprague de Camp with a nod to. . . Well that would be a spoiler wouldn't it. I don't understand why the book only has one star option. I would put it at a 3 and a half. Worth reading, and worth picking up the next in the series.
Earknews has fallen not once but twice in this novel. The book is a page from L. Sprague de Camp with a nod to. . . Well that would be a spoiler wouldn't it. I don't understand why the book only has one star option. I would put it at a 3 and a half. Worth reading, and worth picking up the next in the series.
October 26, 2021
4 stars. Fairly typical person-goes-back-in-time-and-brings-about-industrial/technological-revolution book. It's fairly well done despite the rapidity/ease by which the MC achieves success. One drawback is that the typographical and grammar errors are particularly bad, even for a self published book,
November 22, 2021
Not just “another” sic-if “what if.” Shades of L. Sprague deCamp!
It’s wonderful to find a new author that researches his background, creates believable characters, and who presents an alternate history to what we’ve known. Peter Rhoda is now one to read, enjoy, and yearn for many more books to come.
It’s wonderful to find a new author that researches his background, creates believable characters, and who presents an alternate history to what we’ve known. Peter Rhoda is now one to read, enjoy, and yearn for many more books to come.
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