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Finder Chronicles #3
The Scavenger Door
From a Hugo Award-winning author comes the third book in this action-packed sci-fi caper, starring Fergus Ferguson, interstellar repo man and professional finder.
Fergus is back on Earth at last, trying to figure out how to live a normal life. However, it seems the universe has other plans for him. When his cousin sends him off to help out a friend, Fergus accidently stumbles across a piece of an ancient alien artifact that some very powerful people seem to think means the entire solar system is in danger. And since he found it, they're certain it's also his problem to deal with.
With the help of his newfound sister, friends both old and new, and some enemies, too, Fergus needs to find the rest of the artifact and destroy the pieces before anyone can reassemble the original and open a multi-dimensional door between Earth and a vast, implacable, alien swarm of devourers. Problem is, the pieces could be anywhere on Earth, and he's not the only one out searching.
Fergus is back on Earth at last, trying to figure out how to live a normal life. However, it seems the universe has other plans for him. When his cousin sends him off to help out a friend, Fergus accidently stumbles across a piece of an ancient alien artifact that some very powerful people seem to think means the entire solar system is in danger. And since he found it, they're certain it's also his problem to deal with.
With the help of his newfound sister, friends both old and new, and some enemies, too, Fergus needs to find the rest of the artifact and destroy the pieces before anyone can reassemble the original and open a multi-dimensional door between Earth and a vast, implacable, alien swarm of devourers. Problem is, the pieces could be anywhere on Earth, and he's not the only one out searching.
464 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 17, 2021
83 people are currently reading
1175 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews
January 23, 2025
Suzanne Palmer has been one of my authors to watch, and the first two books in this series are a lot of fun. The Scavenger Door closes a door on Fergus Ferguson's adventures, although you know the saying about doors and windows. It's an interesting book, taking a close look at Fergus' Earth connections but his 'finding' challenges are less personal than the earlier books. It leads to a particular narrative schisms that lack the same emotional resonance as the earlier books.
Fergus is adventure personified, but being on Earth has him full of feels, particularly guilt about his past and other's exposure to his hazardous life. This leads to strange reflective pieces that have little to do with the mission at hand. Think of it as the thoughts that fill one's head during the moments driving to and from work. However, I'm not sure I particularly enjoyed those feelings as a refrain. I certainly got tired of hearing his, and welcomed the moments where he appeared to have an emotional breakthrough, as rare as they were. "Isla's complaint that he was taking his gift too passively seemed to have legitimate cause... He was, he thought, very attached to his particular ideas of who he was, even if he was sure they were mostly wrong. The only thing he was sure about, in what he thought was a minimally biased way, was that he was good at finding things."
It's a good thing Fergus is good at finding things, because he has been handed an extensive agenda by the alien Ignatio. I confess, when I realized the extent of the tasks, I experienced a flashback to that moment watching Speed when--spoiler alert--I realized Sandra still wasn't safe and now had to deal with a runaway subway car. Emotionally full, and ready to move on, or at least, stop and reflect. Alas, it wasn't to be. That's not to say the individual episodes aren't fun, amusing, or challenging, because they are. It's just to say that I lack a certain endurance for that kind of marathon task and would like to be home and tucked in bed by midnight.
Nonetheless, there's no way that complaint should be construed as not enjoying the book. It's just a lot, but that's gonna happen when you have to save the universe. And seriously, I should have been expecting it, as Finder was a non-stop adventure from one end of the known planet systems to another.
It's a good thing that I really enjoy Palmer's writing and the tone. I'm definitely a fan of how she puts both words and ideas together, particularly that sly little humorous tone that comes about, but without needing to spell things out for the reader.
"Sorry if I've inconvenienced you," Fergus said, feeling not sorry at all.
"Oh no, not at all!" the agent said, as if there had been no sarcasm in Fergus's words. "Chaos is a delight. Without it, nothing new would ever be born, or learnt, or dreamt. But it must be considered. Not by you, I mean; it's all way over your head."
I'm definitely in the fan club, and if I don't read this quite as many times as I read first two, it's only because it's so packed, I'd really like something a little less effusive. And because sometimes Star Wars is all you need.
Jan. 2025 update: skipped during my comfort-series re-read because this just wasn't my favorite.
Many, many thanks to both Netgalley and DAW for the advance reader copy. Of course all opinions are my own--you ever know me to be a mouthpiece for someone else? Also, of course, all quotes are subject to change. But I think they give nice insight into the thoughtful and entertaining writing.
Fergus is adventure personified, but being on Earth has him full of feels, particularly guilt about his past and other's exposure to his hazardous life. This leads to strange reflective pieces that have little to do with the mission at hand. Think of it as the thoughts that fill one's head during the moments driving to and from work. However, I'm not sure I particularly enjoyed those feelings as a refrain. I certainly got tired of hearing his, and welcomed the moments where he appeared to have an emotional breakthrough, as rare as they were. "Isla's complaint that he was taking his gift too passively seemed to have legitimate cause... He was, he thought, very attached to his particular ideas of who he was, even if he was sure they were mostly wrong. The only thing he was sure about, in what he thought was a minimally biased way, was that he was good at finding things."
It's a good thing Fergus is good at finding things, because he has been handed an extensive agenda by the alien Ignatio. I confess, when I realized the extent of the tasks, I experienced a flashback to that moment watching Speed when--spoiler alert--I realized Sandra still wasn't safe and now had to deal with a runaway subway car. Emotionally full, and ready to move on, or at least, stop and reflect. Alas, it wasn't to be. That's not to say the individual episodes aren't fun, amusing, or challenging, because they are. It's just to say that I lack a certain endurance for that kind of marathon task and would like to be home and tucked in bed by midnight.
Nonetheless, there's no way that complaint should be construed as not enjoying the book. It's just a lot, but that's gonna happen when you have to save the universe. And seriously, I should have been expecting it, as Finder was a non-stop adventure from one end of the known planet systems to another.
It's a good thing that I really enjoy Palmer's writing and the tone. I'm definitely a fan of how she puts both words and ideas together, particularly that sly little humorous tone that comes about, but without needing to spell things out for the reader.
"Sorry if I've inconvenienced you," Fergus said, feeling not sorry at all.
"Oh no, not at all!" the agent said, as if there had been no sarcasm in Fergus's words. "Chaos is a delight. Without it, nothing new would ever be born, or learnt, or dreamt. But it must be considered. Not by you, I mean; it's all way over your head."
I'm definitely in the fan club, and if I don't read this quite as many times as I read first two, it's only because it's so packed, I'd really like something a little less effusive. And because sometimes Star Wars is all you need.
Jan. 2025 update: skipped during my comfort-series re-read because this just wasn't my favorite.
Many, many thanks to both Netgalley and DAW for the advance reader copy. Of course all opinions are my own--you ever know me to be a mouthpiece for someone else? Also, of course, all quotes are subject to change. But I think they give nice insight into the thoughtful and entertaining writing.
September 7, 2021
Third in this wildly entertaining series. I not sure why I've put other sci-fi series like murderbot dairies, Bobiverse, and The Expanse and have read each of these the minute they are available on audible but i certainly don't regret it.
The scavenger door starts off where Driving the deep left off with Fergus in Scotland visiting his family. when his cousin and sister get tired of his annoying ass they give him a job finding sheep. This is a good example of the humor in the series the universes' greatest finder looking for sheep that strayed over the hill. Palmer played this event to full comedic effect. While finding the sheep Fergus finds a piece of something and pockets it because it stirred his "bees". It turns out the fragment is from a portal that crashed a few years ago. The fragments are trying to reconnect to let a violent alien swarm of devourers who will certainly destroy all Fergus knows and loves. Fergus has to find all the pieces and destroy them with help from his sister and his alien friend Ignacio. My favorite of his Pluto ship building friends. Ignacio is the comic relief and Fergus' sister is the sidekick who is always frustrated with him trying to protect her. Its a scavenger hunt across earth to find the other pieces. There are others looking for the pieces Fergus' old enemy the alliance, a death cult, and a tech security company. All have pieces and Fergus must steal them before he can destroy the door!
Every Character in the finder chronicles calls the MC Fergus Ferguson an asshole often. He is not a Asshole he's a GD hero. Fergus proves this again by saving the solar system. I like the structure of this one. starts off with a few jokes than a fun and dangerous scavenger hunt and ends with a death defying action to save the solar system. the action speed up till the end as the action get heavier. the most impressive thing about the series since the beginning is the way it takes lightly high stakes pressure. the scavenger door has the highest stakes yet. A kind of flippant if i fail we are all going to die well I better not fail mentality help Fergus carry on. Can't dwell on it must push on! Fergus is self deprecating and it lead the narrative to be lighthearted. That style Really appeals to me. The important question is would you rather read a Hard sci-fi drama or a fun sci-fi caper with sketchy science. I will take the caper any day. The ending was so exciting I paused the audiobook to make sure this was not just a trilogy and Fergus would make it out alive for more chronicles.
Can't wait till the next installment of this excitingly fun series. The first Finder is free on audible plus. so if you have the app. try it and let me know what you think. I'm hooked!
The scavenger door starts off where Driving the deep left off with Fergus in Scotland visiting his family. when his cousin and sister get tired of his annoying ass they give him a job finding sheep. This is a good example of the humor in the series the universes' greatest finder looking for sheep that strayed over the hill. Palmer played this event to full comedic effect. While finding the sheep Fergus finds a piece of something and pockets it because it stirred his "bees". It turns out the fragment is from a portal that crashed a few years ago. The fragments are trying to reconnect to let a violent alien swarm of devourers who will certainly destroy all Fergus knows and loves. Fergus has to find all the pieces and destroy them with help from his sister and his alien friend Ignacio. My favorite of his Pluto ship building friends. Ignacio is the comic relief and Fergus' sister is the sidekick who is always frustrated with him trying to protect her. Its a scavenger hunt across earth to find the other pieces. There are others looking for the pieces Fergus' old enemy the alliance, a death cult, and a tech security company. All have pieces and Fergus must steal them before he can destroy the door!
Every Character in the finder chronicles calls the MC Fergus Ferguson an asshole often. He is not a Asshole he's a GD hero. Fergus proves this again by saving the solar system. I like the structure of this one. starts off with a few jokes than a fun and dangerous scavenger hunt and ends with a death defying action to save the solar system. the action speed up till the end as the action get heavier. the most impressive thing about the series since the beginning is the way it takes lightly high stakes pressure. the scavenger door has the highest stakes yet. A kind of flippant if i fail we are all going to die well I better not fail mentality help Fergus carry on. Can't dwell on it must push on! Fergus is self deprecating and it lead the narrative to be lighthearted. That style Really appeals to me. The important question is would you rather read a Hard sci-fi drama or a fun sci-fi caper with sketchy science. I will take the caper any day. The ending was so exciting I paused the audiobook to make sure this was not just a trilogy and Fergus would make it out alive for more chronicles.
Can't wait till the next installment of this excitingly fun series. The first Finder is free on audible plus. so if you have the app. try it and let me know what you think. I'm hooked!
September 28, 2021
Ahoy there me mateys! When I read the book, finder, I didn't know that this was the first book in a series. It was a five star read and I adored Fergus Ferguson so much that I had to follow his next adventure. Now book two had a completely different tack and feel but I still loved it even with its more serious undertones. Sadly, book three didn't really work for me though I cannot tell if it's because of me personal preferences or the book itself.
This book lacked the emotional impact of the previous two. Part of this was because Fergus has to track down various pieces of an alien artifact and how he tracks them down was a sort of rinse and repeat plot. Fergus also has repetitive reflections on his past and his mental state, that while understandable, weren't very interesting to me. Then there were side characters who were supposed to help Fergus on his mission but felt thrown in as convenient plot devices and not used as legitimate members of a team. And add in the ending which just made no sense to me. Once the alien artifacts were all gathered, the resolution stalled and was lackluster.
But here's the thing, I still love Fergus. The book did have some lovely moments where I was cheering him on. I do love the side characters even if I didn't love how they were used. I actually kinda liked the cult subplot. The Agent entertained me as usual. Despite that ending, I still want to know what happens to Fergus next. I will give the next book a chance and hope that it reverts back to the joy of the first two books. Arrr!
So lastly . . .
Thank ye kindly DAW books!
This book lacked the emotional impact of the previous two. Part of this was because Fergus has to track down various pieces of an alien artifact and how he tracks them down was a sort of rinse and repeat plot. Fergus also has repetitive reflections on his past and his mental state, that while understandable, weren't very interesting to me. Then there were side characters who were supposed to help Fergus on his mission but felt thrown in as convenient plot devices and not used as legitimate members of a team. And add in the ending which just made no sense to me. Once the alien artifacts were all gathered, the resolution stalled and was lackluster.
But here's the thing, I still love Fergus. The book did have some lovely moments where I was cheering him on. I do love the side characters even if I didn't love how they were used. I actually kinda liked the cult subplot. The Agent entertained me as usual. Despite that ending, I still want to know what happens to Fergus next. I will give the next book a chance and hope that it reverts back to the joy of the first two books. Arrr!
So lastly . . .
Thank ye kindly DAW books!
December 18, 2024
The Savenger Door
By Suzanne Palmer
This is book #3 in the series, and the action and suspense are still enjoyable. I don't think it was as fun as books 1 & 2, but it's still definitely worth the read. This book he stays mostly on Earth. He meets a new family member, too!
By Suzanne Palmer
This is book #3 in the series, and the action and suspense are still enjoyable. I don't think it was as fun as books 1 & 2, but it's still definitely worth the read. This book he stays mostly on Earth. He meets a new family member, too!
December 8, 2022
Pretty good SF adventure, but the weakest of the three so far. It's a Scavenger Hunt for alien relics around the world in the 25th century (I think): the World Will End if Fergus can't find all the relics in time! The great Relic Hunt got a little old at times, ran a little too long, and came to a confusing ending that leaves the door open for another sequel. We get some of the same Found Family charm as in the first two books, but spread thinner, and with more cartoon villains.
So. I bogged down a time or two but I'm (mostly) glad I stuck with the book : it was a pandemic baby and deserves some slack for that. I hope Palmer's next book returns to the charm and quality of the first two Finder books.
Kiro Selanor's review is the best I saw here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
If you missed Palmer's Hugo-winning "Secret Life of Bots" short, it's here: https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/palm...
And the great sequel, "Bots of the Lost Ark" is here:
https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/palm...
Both are well-worth re-reading!
So. I bogged down a time or two but I'm (mostly) glad I stuck with the book : it was a pandemic baby and deserves some slack for that. I hope Palmer's next book returns to the charm and quality of the first two Finder books.
Kiro Selanor's review is the best I saw here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
If you missed Palmer's Hugo-winning "Secret Life of Bots" short, it's here: https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/palm...
And the great sequel, "Bots of the Lost Ark" is here:
https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/palm...
Both are well-worth re-reading!
November 21, 2024
The third book in the Finder Chronicles. I thought it was the last, but there is now a fourth one. And a good thing too, because there were too many unanswered questions at the end. To be honest the end was a bit of a mess. It wasn’t quite as good as the previous books; it felt a tiny bit uninspired, more like a travel book on future Earth than Science-fiction. The scrapes Fergus gets himself in and out of, are as good as ever, I liked his sister and his cat, and it was a pleasant read. Don’t ignore it because it gets slightly lower ratings than the previous books, those have raised the bar to dizzy heights already.
August 11, 2021
So yeah, bit of a confession to start us off here dudes. I didn’t read the second book in this series, Driving the Deep. So, reading this one was a little like when you’re at a hockey game and go to the bar for the intermission and there’s a couple pretty babes that you start flirting with. Next thing you know you’ve crushed a few beers, the girls walk off with some meathead jabronis, and you’ve missed the entire second period. Your team was leading 1-0 and now are down by three and you didn’t even get a phone number. Fuck! You’re a little out of place, but able to piece together what you missed, and enjoy the rest of the game. Bang on my experience with The Scavenger Door and the Finder series. Had a lot of familiarity, some new elements, but pretty quick to pick it back up and get into the Finder universe again.
Anyways, our main man Fergus is back in Scotland and is reconnecting with his cousin and a sister that he had no idea existed. He’s been through a ton of shit and just wants to lay low and connect with his family. Like the great Dominic Toretto says, “There’s nothing stronger than family.” Problem is that he’s a little stir crazy and driving them all bonkers. Coming back after being MIA for 20 years of space adventure can be tough for people to adapt to. Fergus’s cousin wants him out of the house and finds a task for him. Since he’s a finder, Fergus is tasked with finding his buddy’s lost flock of sheep. A pretty far cry from tracking down stolen sentient spacecraft for this interstellar repo-man.
Since Fergus is a pure shit magnet, while up in the hills looking for sheep, he comes across broken shards of an alien artifact which his Asiig-given powers has now activated. The artifact is a piece of a gateway to an alien dimension containing the most ravenous and devouring of species. These bad boys are so fucked up that even the seemingly omnipotent Asiig are freaked out and don’t want that door opened. Fergus just wants to chill with some Coronas and his fam, but the end of the world is now a real possibility. Especially when you have doomsday cultists, billionaires, and government baddies all trying to get the pieces to the doorway that shouldn’t be opened. He needs to collect and get rid of all the pieces or else there is no family to go back to, no other families, no Coronas! The apocalypse is a nasty thing, bro.
But yeah, this story took a while to get going. Probably to try to get the idiots like me who skipped the second book caught up. Even then, once I was in the story, I felt it dragged for the first third or so. It was a ton of throwbacks to the previous two books and really just Fergus repeating the same tasks in different locales across Earth. Same-same but different. Once it got going, boy did it get going. Hold on to your butts because when the story ramps up, you can’t put it down. The setting expands, Fergus becomes less mopey, and the pace ratchets up to eleven. I absolutely loved the buildup to climax and the finale, dudes.
I think I was such a big fan of the ending because we left Earth again and really expanded our metaphysical boundaries. The setting in Finder was by far the raddest part and that was missing here. We’re mainly stuck on future Earth, which has some cool shit and tech, but it’s a far cry from sun shields, spinning wheel habitats, asteroids, all of which are linked through an intricate cable system in the farthest corner of human-inhabited space. Fuck me! That was a rad world, bros!
Yeah, so, it was good but not great. I’m glad I gave this bad boy a read and will continue on with the series for sure.
Anyways, that’s about all I got. Adios amigos!
Oh wait, check out my rad site for more content like this: The SciFi Book Guy
Anyways, our main man Fergus is back in Scotland and is reconnecting with his cousin and a sister that he had no idea existed. He’s been through a ton of shit and just wants to lay low and connect with his family. Like the great Dominic Toretto says, “There’s nothing stronger than family.” Problem is that he’s a little stir crazy and driving them all bonkers. Coming back after being MIA for 20 years of space adventure can be tough for people to adapt to. Fergus’s cousin wants him out of the house and finds a task for him. Since he’s a finder, Fergus is tasked with finding his buddy’s lost flock of sheep. A pretty far cry from tracking down stolen sentient spacecraft for this interstellar repo-man.
Since Fergus is a pure shit magnet, while up in the hills looking for sheep, he comes across broken shards of an alien artifact which his Asiig-given powers has now activated. The artifact is a piece of a gateway to an alien dimension containing the most ravenous and devouring of species. These bad boys are so fucked up that even the seemingly omnipotent Asiig are freaked out and don’t want that door opened. Fergus just wants to chill with some Coronas and his fam, but the end of the world is now a real possibility. Especially when you have doomsday cultists, billionaires, and government baddies all trying to get the pieces to the doorway that shouldn’t be opened. He needs to collect and get rid of all the pieces or else there is no family to go back to, no other families, no Coronas! The apocalypse is a nasty thing, bro.
But yeah, this story took a while to get going. Probably to try to get the idiots like me who skipped the second book caught up. Even then, once I was in the story, I felt it dragged for the first third or so. It was a ton of throwbacks to the previous two books and really just Fergus repeating the same tasks in different locales across Earth. Same-same but different. Once it got going, boy did it get going. Hold on to your butts because when the story ramps up, you can’t put it down. The setting expands, Fergus becomes less mopey, and the pace ratchets up to eleven. I absolutely loved the buildup to climax and the finale, dudes.
I think I was such a big fan of the ending because we left Earth again and really expanded our metaphysical boundaries. The setting in Finder was by far the raddest part and that was missing here. We’re mainly stuck on future Earth, which has some cool shit and tech, but it’s a far cry from sun shields, spinning wheel habitats, asteroids, all of which are linked through an intricate cable system in the farthest corner of human-inhabited space. Fuck me! That was a rad world, bros!
Yeah, so, it was good but not great. I’m glad I gave this bad boy a read and will continue on with the series for sure.
Anyways, that’s about all I got. Adios amigos!
Oh wait, check out my rad site for more content like this: The SciFi Book Guy
May 18, 2024
Fergus is still on Earth with his family. He is asked to help recover something. It turns out that it‘s a small piece of something larger that could mean the end of the world as we know it. Others are searching for these artifacts as well and all of a sudden Fergus is on a scavenger hunt.
This felt a bit like playing Carmen Sandiego. Fergus moves from one place and one country to another in the search of the broken pieces of a multidimensional door. This is not as interesting as it sounds. There was a lot of planes, trains, auto taxis, the odd horse and a lot of searching.
The rest of the plot was good though. Some parts were excellent. I did not like this as much as the first two books, but I had a few laughs, there were great characters and I was entertained.
I am looking forward to leaving Earth again in the next book, Ghostdrift, and to boldly go back to space…
This felt a bit like playing Carmen Sandiego. Fergus moves from one place and one country to another in the search of the broken pieces of a multidimensional door. This is not as interesting as it sounds. There was a lot of planes, trains, auto taxis, the odd horse and a lot of searching.
The rest of the plot was good though. Some parts were excellent. I did not like this as much as the first two books, but I had a few laughs, there were great characters and I was entertained.
I am looking forward to leaving Earth again in the next book, Ghostdrift, and to boldly go back to space…
September 4, 2021
Ignatio steals the show!
December 15, 2021
A great part of the charm of this terrific series is Fergus Ferguson, the alliteration-loving main character. With his near stupendous ability to fall into problems, and to improvise his way out, mostly in one piece, and to find things, Fergus and his ever-expanding stable of wonderful recurring characters make each installment so much fun to read.
Here, he gets to spend time with Isla, the sister he didn’t know he had, and one of his friends from the shipyard, Ignatio (who flat out steals the book), while travelling around the Earth finding mysterious metal pieces, which, alarmingly, resonate with his Asiig-modded body, and, oh yeah, need to be destroyed so they can’t be reassembled into a door to a terrifying species.
There’s lots of action and humour, and Fergus needs to learn how to be a brother, and how to let someone care about him. His younger sister Ilsa is hilariously frequently unimpressed with Fergus, while Ignacio is an utter delight while being delighted by things around him, and terrified of, wait for it, …raisins. And the ships of the Shipyard are amusing themselves playing a questing game, which sounds too funny as things go missing around the Shipyard, causing confusion amongst the humans.
And of the recurring characters, Mr. Feefs and Zacker are back, with Zacker cranky as ever, who best describes Fergus’ efforts in this book (and really, the others, too):
So much fun, but that ending left me wondering what’s next for the repo man.
Here, he gets to spend time with Isla, the sister he didn’t know he had, and one of his friends from the shipyard, Ignatio (who flat out steals the book), while travelling around the Earth finding mysterious metal pieces, which, alarmingly, resonate with his Asiig-modded body, and, oh yeah, need to be destroyed so they can’t be reassembled into a door to a terrifying species.
There’s lots of action and humour, and Fergus needs to learn how to be a brother, and how to let someone care about him. His younger sister Ilsa is hilariously frequently unimpressed with Fergus, while Ignacio is an utter delight while being delighted by things around him, and terrified of, wait for it, …raisins. And the ships of the Shipyard are amusing themselves playing a questing game, which sounds too funny as things go missing around the Shipyard, causing confusion amongst the humans.
And of the recurring characters, Mr. Feefs and Zacker are back, with Zacker cranky as ever, who best describes Fergus’ efforts in this book (and really, the others, too):
...Zacker gestured toward the taxi stand. “So, you came up with a plan?” he asked.
“Yep,” Fergus answered.
“I’m not going to like it, am I?” Zacker said. “In fact, it’s incredibly dumb and dangerous and desperate, right? And absolutely dependent on total stupid luck?”
“Exactly,” Fergus said, as cheerfully as he could. “It’s so nice to be with someone who gets my work methodology so precisely.”
So much fun, but that ending left me wondering what’s next for the repo man.
January 31, 2022
I am loving this whole Finder series so far. It's fun, zany and full of memorable characters, both human and alien. It doesn't hurt that Fergus is such a loveable goof either.
This book picks up the story a few weeks after the end of book 2 with Fergus trying to cope with the fact that he has a sister and that he actually still has family in Scotland that cares about what happens to him. Oh, and he is also getting bored and restless, and in the usual Fergus ways, starts feeling guilty about it. He is actually seriously considering putting down some roots and settling in boring little town Scotland, even though he fully admits to himself that he would would go bonkers if he doesn't find a rewarding occupation. Heck, he even accepts to go find some lost sheep because he is so bored.
But Fergus wouldn't be Fergus if a simple sheep rounding mission didn't transform into a crazy race to save humanity against an alien treat even the Aasig are afraid of. All I can say is that Fergus isn't bored for the rest of this book.
This book is about 100 pages longer than the previous two, but it didn't feel that way. Things move at a steady pace, so the reader never has a chance to get bored. I also liked that between daring heists and salvage operations, we get to learn a little bit more about Fergus's past. In book two, we learned more about what happened in Scotland and the reason why he ran away and never really stopped running. In this book, we learn more about what happened on Mars after he first got there and why Fergus is still a wanted person for the MCA. Oh, and we get to meet some Free Mars people from his past!
What I loved the most about this book is not even the edge of your seat race to gather all the fragments and prevent the destruction of Earth and maybe the whole solar system. It's Fergus's slow realization that he isn't alone in the world. He'd always thought of himself as this lone agent without a place to call home, but he is discovering that he does, in fact, have a home, even if it's not Scotland. He does, in fact have a lot of friends that care about him and are ready to help, even if he comes to them with crazy ideas. That there are a lot of people who just love and accept him as he is.
Fergus also realizes that he cares about all these people. That he cares enough to risk everything, even his life, to keep them safe. It's great to see him put into his place by some of the characters and reminded that not everything is about him either. Fergus has been carrying so much guilt about things and events that he really didn't have any influence on, like running away and abandoning his sister (which he didn't even know existed at the time), or the fact that Dru got arrested by MCA (which he couldn't have done anything about either). I loved that those characters told him to stop taking away their agency by trying to take on the guilt for what happened.
And of course, he finally gets his head out of his ass and decided to try and master his electric gift instead of simply ignoring it or passively using it when he has no choice.
Also, I really hope that there is another book in the works, because that ending is one heck of a cliffhanger, in the best way possible. The story itself is resolved, but OMG, what happens next?!! Please tell me we will hear more about Fergus and his fateful sidekick Mister Feefs, even if they aren't in the solar system anymore?
This book picks up the story a few weeks after the end of book 2 with Fergus trying to cope with the fact that he has a sister and that he actually still has family in Scotland that cares about what happens to him. Oh, and he is also getting bored and restless, and in the usual Fergus ways, starts feeling guilty about it. He is actually seriously considering putting down some roots and settling in boring little town Scotland, even though he fully admits to himself that he would would go bonkers if he doesn't find a rewarding occupation. Heck, he even accepts to go find some lost sheep because he is so bored.
But Fergus wouldn't be Fergus if a simple sheep rounding mission didn't transform into a crazy race to save humanity against an alien treat even the Aasig are afraid of. All I can say is that Fergus isn't bored for the rest of this book.
This book is about 100 pages longer than the previous two, but it didn't feel that way. Things move at a steady pace, so the reader never has a chance to get bored. I also liked that between daring heists and salvage operations, we get to learn a little bit more about Fergus's past. In book two, we learned more about what happened in Scotland and the reason why he ran away and never really stopped running. In this book, we learn more about what happened on Mars after he first got there and why Fergus is still a wanted person for the MCA. Oh, and we get to meet some Free Mars people from his past!
What I loved the most about this book is not even the edge of your seat race to gather all the fragments and prevent the destruction of Earth and maybe the whole solar system. It's Fergus's slow realization that he isn't alone in the world. He'd always thought of himself as this lone agent without a place to call home, but he is discovering that he does, in fact, have a home, even if it's not Scotland. He does, in fact have a lot of friends that care about him and are ready to help, even if he comes to them with crazy ideas. That there are a lot of people who just love and accept him as he is.
Fergus also realizes that he cares about all these people. That he cares enough to risk everything, even his life, to keep them safe. It's great to see him put into his place by some of the characters and reminded that not everything is about him either. Fergus has been carrying so much guilt about things and events that he really didn't have any influence on, like running away and abandoning his sister (which he didn't even know existed at the time), or the fact that Dru got arrested by MCA (which he couldn't have done anything about either). I loved that those characters told him to stop taking away their agency by trying to take on the guilt for what happened.
And of course, he finally gets his head out of his ass and decided to try and master his electric gift instead of simply ignoring it or passively using it when he has no choice.
Also, I really hope that there is another book in the works, because that ending is one heck of a cliffhanger, in the best way possible. The story itself is resolved, but OMG, what happens next?!! Please tell me we will hear more about Fergus and his fateful sidekick Mister Feefs, even if they aren't in the solar system anymore?
January 29, 2025
An action packed space adventure story set in a few hundred years from now. In this installment, the protagonist mostly adventures on our earth except the climax in the end.
December 3, 2021
Fergus Ferguson's final adventure turns out to be a scavenger hunt. In order to prevent a great doom from befalling Earth Fergus must travel across the globe, collecting certain items.
This is the weakest of the Finder books. The scavenger hunt structure means that Fergus doesn't spend long in any location, so there's no time to develop settings in-depth. Instead, a lot of the story has to do with how Fergus gets to a location; moves around while there; and searches for the items. This isn't very interesting, and the fact that all of the locations are on Earth doesn't help. The items are sought after by other groups as well, so occasionally he has to deal with the opposition, and that's more exciting. Unfortunately such encounters are rare until the final third of the book.
Another problem is that the mission Fergus is on is wildly different from the previous stories. In the first two Finder stories, Fergus was dealing with small-scale emergencies. This time the fate of the entire solar system rests on his shoulders, which is quite a leap! Despite the gravity of the situation, he is told that he can't contact the authorities, or the media, and instead must deal with the problem on his own (and with the help of a few trusted friends). I'm usually willing to accept any premise in the service of a good story, but this beggars belief.
The best character in this novel is Fergus's alien friend Ignatio. He has six legs, a fear of raisins, and provides great comic relief. In the audiobook version he has a particularly fun voice.
This is the weakest of the Finder books. The scavenger hunt structure means that Fergus doesn't spend long in any location, so there's no time to develop settings in-depth. Instead, a lot of the story has to do with how Fergus gets to a location; moves around while there; and searches for the items. This isn't very interesting, and the fact that all of the locations are on Earth doesn't help. The items are sought after by other groups as well, so occasionally he has to deal with the opposition, and that's more exciting. Unfortunately such encounters are rare until the final third of the book.
Another problem is that the mission Fergus is on is wildly different from the previous stories. In the first two Finder stories, Fergus was dealing with small-scale emergencies. This time the fate of the entire solar system rests on his shoulders, which is quite a leap! Despite the gravity of the situation, he is told that he can't contact the authorities, or the media, and instead must deal with the problem on his own (and with the help of a few trusted friends). I'm usually willing to accept any premise in the service of a good story, but this beggars belief.
The best character in this novel is Fergus's alien friend Ignatio. He has six legs, a fear of raisins, and provides great comic relief. In the audiobook version he has a particularly fun voice.
November 29, 2022
Oddly interesting!
Thank you, Goodreads Giveaways, and to the author, Suzanne Palmer.
#WINNER!
#GOODREADSGIVEAWAYS!
Thank you, Goodreads Giveaways, and to the author, Suzanne Palmer.
#WINNER!
#GOODREADSGIVEAWAYS!
June 19, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator, Paul Woodson does great with the accents. I wonder if SP will write any more books in this series. I also wouldn't mind some short stories or novellas with Fergus's backstory. I wrote this review in honor of the late Jenny Colvin.
November 24, 2021
Publishing Date: 2021
Genre: SciFI
Rating: 1.1/5
Review: A slight departure from the depth of content that encompassed the first two novels. Fergus is now To and Fro-ing around Earth in order to find some alien shards, and with a newfound vinaigrette sister in tow, makes for a serenely pedantic read.
I really cannot stand when authors insert their own political narrative into characters that should be devoid of such depending on circumstance. There were some overtures made in this vein in the second novel but now has become overt. “…Western man of the lot was entirely coincidence, but given the long history of behavior by people who looked like him, he didn’t feel he should complain about it. “. Well that’s just great, another wokey. The author takes more pokes at Christians calling them “The Arizona White Army of Christ”.
Besides the decline in story line complexity, the overuse of phrasing to expedite the interplay between characters was in evidence. Fergus was either grumbling or grumbled to excess. There have been other authors that have used coffee and all the interplay that involves to hammer home an addiction that is merely story line filler. This novel was excessively dumb with the coffee referents. The complexities that surround import tariffs are multiple, yet the author glosses over the facts and installs an expedient outcome in the form of Big Government using tariffs to “squeeze” the rebels.
Continuity issues were prevalent with regard to identities being exchanged. When Fergus heads out to stay at the Rosley Hotel on Mars. He is with his sister Isla but calls her Arelyn.
This novel felt rushed and poorly planned. Hopping around a planet in search of 33 alien shards is easy work when all you have to do is change the locale, insert some new characters and create chase scenes.
Like a lot of authors that hit pay dirt on their first novel due to their mayhem style of writing, once success and praise is gifted, everything goes to shjt. I have seen this so many times that I no longer enjoin empathy. You make your choices to credit your myopic tendencies with outcomes obscured by those few that genuflect at your alter.
I will not be visiting this author’s works in the future.
Genre: SciFI
Rating: 1.1/5
Review: A slight departure from the depth of content that encompassed the first two novels. Fergus is now To and Fro-ing around Earth in order to find some alien shards, and with a newfound vinaigrette sister in tow, makes for a serenely pedantic read.
I really cannot stand when authors insert their own political narrative into characters that should be devoid of such depending on circumstance. There were some overtures made in this vein in the second novel but now has become overt. “…Western man of the lot was entirely coincidence, but given the long history of behavior by people who looked like him, he didn’t feel he should complain about it. “. Well that’s just great, another wokey. The author takes more pokes at Christians calling them “The Arizona White Army of Christ”.
Besides the decline in story line complexity, the overuse of phrasing to expedite the interplay between characters was in evidence. Fergus was either grumbling or grumbled to excess. There have been other authors that have used coffee and all the interplay that involves to hammer home an addiction that is merely story line filler. This novel was excessively dumb with the coffee referents. The complexities that surround import tariffs are multiple, yet the author glosses over the facts and installs an expedient outcome in the form of Big Government using tariffs to “squeeze” the rebels.
Continuity issues were prevalent with regard to identities being exchanged. When Fergus heads out to stay at the Rosley Hotel on Mars. He is with his sister Isla but calls her Arelyn.
This novel felt rushed and poorly planned. Hopping around a planet in search of 33 alien shards is easy work when all you have to do is change the locale, insert some new characters and create chase scenes.
Like a lot of authors that hit pay dirt on their first novel due to their mayhem style of writing, once success and praise is gifted, everything goes to shjt. I have seen this so many times that I no longer enjoin empathy. You make your choices to credit your myopic tendencies with outcomes obscured by those few that genuflect at your alter.
I will not be visiting this author’s works in the future.
November 27, 2021
Good fun, and a better-than-most wrapup to a trilogy.
Think Sandman Slim meets Charlie Stross's Laundry Files. The wit, the talent he's not quite sure about and it keeps developing, ...
Several fun characters - Ignatio, the gameplaying AIs, even the Asiig, and the ever-grumpy detective.
I liked the way Fergus's talent and use of it never leapt ahead too much at once. also liked the idea that of course you just take the bus up to orbit, and jumps all over the place are at worst mildly inconvenient if badly timed. By the end, we're jumping at Ludicrous Speed some rather wacky distances to get to the "A bunch of weird stuff happens but our heroes grit their teeth and ride it out" part.
Palmer wraps it up quickly, as authors so often do, but is at least careful to bring closure to the characters who most need it.
And where do YOU think Fergus decides to go at the end?
OK, by the end we have quite an accumulation of wild SF stuff, with fragments and doorways
Think Sandman Slim meets Charlie Stross's Laundry Files. The wit, the talent he's not quite sure about and it keeps developing, ...
Several fun characters - Ignatio, the gameplaying AIs, even the Asiig, and the ever-grumpy detective.
I liked the way Fergus's talent and use of it never leapt ahead too much at once. also liked the idea that of course you just take the bus up to orbit, and jumps all over the place are at worst mildly inconvenient if badly timed. By the end, we're jumping at Ludicrous Speed some rather wacky distances to get to the "A bunch of weird stuff happens but our heroes grit their teeth and ride it out" part.
Palmer wraps it up quickly, as authors so often do, but is at least careful to bring closure to the characters who most need it.
And where do YOU think Fergus decides to go at the end?
OK, by the end we have quite an accumulation of wild SF stuff, with fragments and doorways
November 6, 2021
A decent story, but not as much fun as the first two books about Fergus. In those books, Fergus is plotting heists and having adventures in zero gravity or in an ocean under 20km of ice. In this book he's in Scotland, Iceland, Australia, Nevada, etc, and it's just not as interesting. The technology and gadgetry is no more inventive than what you'd see in one of the sillier bond movies, and there's not enough of the fun alien or ai characters to make up for it. It makes sense for the main character to visit Earth and wrap up his story arc there, but it's much less entertaining than when he was running around in outer space.
August 17, 2021
Notes:
Where's the next book? Ha!
A bit uneven in plot progression, but it still had great characters, humor, alien parts stayed happily weird, and small but meaningful character development. The ending? Eh, that could have been a touch better.
Where's the next book? Ha!
A bit uneven in plot progression, but it still had great characters, humor, alien parts stayed happily weird, and small but meaningful character development. The ending? Eh, that could have been a touch better.
December 8, 2022
Overall, a disappointingly safe story. It took me most of this year to finish it because it tried too much.
September 20, 2021
This is the third book in the Finder Chronicles by Suzanne Palmer. In this one Fergus Ferguson is living on Earth and trying to get to know his newfound sister. While finding a lost herd of sheep for his cousin's friend he comes across a small piece of metal with a strange electrical force that his alien Assiig bees can detect. He will soon be contacted by said aliens and told that he must find many more of these fragments that are scattered across the Earth and somehow find a way to destroy them. If he fails to do so, and very soon at that, they will form a gate that will enable a destructive alien race to come to Earth and destroy the entire human race. He will find the several groups on Earth are trying to find the pieces for their own ends and will do anything to stop him. He will need the help of his sister, and his friends both human and alien alike if he is to have a chance to succeed.
This book is another great read in this series.
This book is another great read in this series.
December 30, 2024
Distinctive stories are difficult in multi-volume works, but the Finder series consistently crafts them. Suzanne Palmer’s One advantage of the Finder series is that each entry is very distinct from the rest. This one, however, develops much more slowly than the first two, to its detriment.
The structure is of a search and retrieval of the many pieces of the scavenger door/portal, and each segment is a short travelogue / stealth / grab each piece, which dulls the story a bit. Perhaps a little more mystery, and a little more progress above a numbers acquisition would have worked better.
In the last quarter, when Fergus has to take on the villains more directly, the story improves. While the ultimate conclusion is a little rushed, it goes big and satisfies.
In other highlights, Fergus doing his thing is always entertaining, the communication with the pieces is intriguing, we see a little more of the aliens, and Fergus’s supporting cast get some development moments. Over the course of the series the development of the AI mind systems have been quietly building as well. Worthwhile, but more mixed than the first two books.
The structure is of a search and retrieval of the many pieces of the scavenger door/portal, and each segment is a short travelogue / stealth / grab each piece, which dulls the story a bit. Perhaps a little more mystery, and a little more progress above a numbers acquisition would have worked better.
In the last quarter, when Fergus has to take on the villains more directly, the story improves. While the ultimate conclusion is a little rushed, it goes big and satisfies.
In other highlights, Fergus doing his thing is always entertaining, the communication with the pieces is intriguing, we see a little more of the aliens, and Fergus’s supporting cast get some development moments. Over the course of the series the development of the AI mind systems have been quietly building as well. Worthwhile, but more mixed than the first two books.
December 9, 2021
Another fun space romp from Suzanne Palmer. Although some of this book does involve Fergus traveling around on earth, I still consider it a space read. Was a little let down at the wrap up, seemed a lot of buildup for a less than exciting and rushed ending. Still a fun read and I will definitely read the next one.
September 14, 2022
I loved this, but it hurt my heart a little. Listened to the audiobook. Really liked the narration. It was nice to finally meet Drew. And I loved Isla and Ignacio. Always I love Fergus, his snarkiness his compassion and his ability to think his way out of bad situations. But the end hurt a little, not gonna lie.
October 29, 2024
Both a rollicking quest and a satisfying character evolution for Fergus on several fronts (family, home, accepting himself and all his talents). Also Ignacio is a delight. And the various other friends Fergus pulls in to his quest are fun, too.
Well read on audio.
Well read on audio.
February 6, 2022
4.5, rounded up to 5.
I can't believe the book is over. 😭 PLEASE please please let there be 4th in the series.
I can't believe the book is over. 😭 PLEASE please please let there be 4th in the series.
October 24, 2022
woo!
Looks like it’s setup for another story! Can’t wait! What a wild ride! I loved the ending. I was great.
Looks like it’s setup for another story! Can’t wait! What a wild ride! I loved the ending. I was great.
August 3, 2023
So so good
It’s a lesson in living, and living well that you take home from this. Do read the afterword as well.
It’s a lesson in living, and living well that you take home from this. Do read the afterword as well.
January 8, 2024
Fergus Ferguson does not miss.
July 19, 2024
This had a repetitive element to it because of the plot. To be honest, I was bored for a quite a bit of it. But I do like the main character so that kept my interest.
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