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Diving Universe #9
Thieves: A Diving Novel
A race against time.
Weeks after Boss' injury from the runabout dive, she continues the mission to salvage Fleet wrecks for the Lost Souls Corporation. But Boss feels like she lost something after that fateful dive.
Until something happens in the Boneyard to catch her attention. Something that sparks her interest with an intensity she thought she lost.
Now, Boss must assemble a team-her old team-to dive this new discovery.
But Boss worries that someone knows her plans. That the Boneyard might prove more sentient than she knows.
She feels the clock ticking-and she worries time will run out once and for all.
A thrilling new adventure, Thieves provides pulse-pounding new developments in Kristine Kathryn Rusch's award-winning Diving series.
Praise for the Diving Universe:
"By mixing cerebral and investigative elements, emotional character segments, and the adrenaline of action, Rusch tells a complete yet varied tale that will please science fiction readers looking for something different from the usual fare."
-Publishers Weekly on Searching for the Fleet
"Think of the Diving universe as an exciting mystery saga, pitting the drama of ship salvage against the dangers of space."
-Astroguyz
"Kristine Kathryn Rusch is best known for her Retrieval Artist series, so maybe you've missed her Diving Universe series. If so, it's high time to remedy that oversight."
-Don Sakers, Analog
"[The Runabout] is so good, it will make you want to read the other stories."
-SFRevu
"Amazing character construction, building a plot that riveted me almost from the moment it began. I will now absolutely have to read the preceding titles and I cannot wait to see what will come as a result of The Runabout."
-Tangent Online
Weeks after Boss' injury from the runabout dive, she continues the mission to salvage Fleet wrecks for the Lost Souls Corporation. But Boss feels like she lost something after that fateful dive.
Until something happens in the Boneyard to catch her attention. Something that sparks her interest with an intensity she thought she lost.
Now, Boss must assemble a team-her old team-to dive this new discovery.
But Boss worries that someone knows her plans. That the Boneyard might prove more sentient than she knows.
She feels the clock ticking-and she worries time will run out once and for all.
A thrilling new adventure, Thieves provides pulse-pounding new developments in Kristine Kathryn Rusch's award-winning Diving series.
Praise for the Diving Universe:
"By mixing cerebral and investigative elements, emotional character segments, and the adrenaline of action, Rusch tells a complete yet varied tale that will please science fiction readers looking for something different from the usual fare."
-Publishers Weekly on Searching for the Fleet
"Think of the Diving universe as an exciting mystery saga, pitting the drama of ship salvage against the dangers of space."
-Astroguyz
"Kristine Kathryn Rusch is best known for her Retrieval Artist series, so maybe you've missed her Diving Universe series. If so, it's high time to remedy that oversight."
-Don Sakers, Analog
"[The Runabout] is so good, it will make you want to read the other stories."
-SFRevu
"Amazing character construction, building a plot that riveted me almost from the moment it began. I will now absolutely have to read the preceding titles and I cannot wait to see what will come as a result of The Runabout."
-Tangent Online
490 pages, Paperback
First published February 16, 2021
13 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
About the author
Kristine Kathryn Rusch
1,365 books721 followersKristine Kathryn Rusch is an award-winning mystery, romance, science fiction, and fantasy writer. She has written many novels under various names, including Kristine Grayson for romance, and Kris Nelscott for mystery. Her novels have made the bestseller lists –even in London– and have been published in 14 countries and 13 different languages.
Her awards range from the Ellery Queen Readers Choice Award to the John W. Campbell Award. In the past year, she has been nominated for the Hugo, the Shamus, and the Anthony Award. She is the only person in the history of the science fiction field to have won a Hugo award for editing and a Hugo award for fiction.
In addition, she's written a number of nonfiction articles over the years, with her latest being the book "A Freelancer's Survival Guide".
She has also published as:
Sandy Schofield (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kristine Grayson - romances
Kathryn Wesley (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kris Nelscott - mysteries
Kris Rusch - historical fiction
Kris DeLake - romances
Her awards range from the Ellery Queen Readers Choice Award to the John W. Campbell Award. In the past year, she has been nominated for the Hugo, the Shamus, and the Anthony Award. She is the only person in the history of the science fiction field to have won a Hugo award for editing and a Hugo award for fiction.
In addition, she's written a number of nonfiction articles over the years, with her latest being the book "A Freelancer's Survival Guide".
She has also published as:
Sandy Schofield (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kristine Grayson - romances
Kathryn Wesley (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kris Nelscott - mysteries
Kris Rusch - historical fiction
Kris DeLake - romances
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
October 10, 2022
I love the Diving universe, and of course especially Boss. She is not at her best here, but she is realizing stuff about how her mind works. As we already know, she needs risk, with the possibility of big rewards in the form of information - and also spaceships, which makes her and her crew the titular thieves. Not only that, the Boneyard they are exploring has notified the Fleet about those thieves.
Two stories are interlaced. Boss's viewpoint is trying to find out what's in a shielded or masked area of the Boneyard. The area tends to destroy her probes, but she really wants to dive into it. Ex-Fleet members from the Ivoire have some ideas about the technology being used, so they may be able to figure out a fairly safe dive. Meanwhile, the Fleet is responding to the theft reports. The admiral in charge of the operation has to decide what to do, and ends up sending a small fleet of ships, each with its own captain. Of course, the anacapa drives act up.
And then...the book ends on a cliffhanger. There are so many loose ends that I can't imagine how Rusch will ever tie them up. What about the admiral's sick baby? The quiet Fleet captain who may have more abilities than anyone can see? How did the anacapa drives interact and how bad is the time displacement? Why did Coop go off without telling Boss, and what's going to happen when they see each other again? (I expect that last question will be answered, but in the next book, or later, or what?)
This book was not as satisfying as some of the others in the series. It maybe could have been, and could be redeemed by later books. I hope so. But it felt a little formulaic, at least on Boss's end, with her doing more of what she does but nothing very new. Still, I always like Rusch's writing, at least this series and the Retrieval Artist series. I just hope there will be more books about Boss that have more substance and more resolution.
Two stories are interlaced. Boss's viewpoint is trying to find out what's in a shielded or masked area of the Boneyard. The area tends to destroy her probes, but she really wants to dive into it. Ex-Fleet members from the Ivoire have some ideas about the technology being used, so they may be able to figure out a fairly safe dive. Meanwhile, the Fleet is responding to the theft reports. The admiral in charge of the operation has to decide what to do, and ends up sending a small fleet of ships, each with its own captain. Of course, the anacapa drives act up.
And then...the book ends on a cliffhanger. There are so many loose ends that I can't imagine how Rusch will ever tie them up. What about the admiral's sick baby? The quiet Fleet captain who may have more abilities than anyone can see? How did the anacapa drives interact and how bad is the time displacement? Why did Coop go off without telling Boss, and what's going to happen when they see each other again? (I expect that last question will be answered, but in the next book, or later, or what?)
This book was not as satisfying as some of the others in the series. It maybe could have been, and could be redeemed by later books. I hope so. But it felt a little formulaic, at least on Boss's end, with her doing more of what she does but nothing very new. Still, I always like Rusch's writing, at least this series and the Retrieval Artist series. I just hope there will be more books about Boss that have more substance and more resolution.
March 17, 2021
I was very happy to find that the Boss has returned. Unfortunately, the story ended up being quite flat. There was some technical intrigue but mainly it was Boss perseverating over going left or right, and whether she cared that her casual boyfriend really mattered.
The addition of the present-day Fleet (as opposed to the Fleet from 5000 years ago) could have upped the tension and excitement, but that will have to wait for the next book...
... because this ends on a cliff-hanger.
I'll read the next one, because Boss is the best. But I'm not happy about it.
The addition of the present-day Fleet (as opposed to the Fleet from 5000 years ago) could have upped the tension and excitement, but that will have to wait for the next book...
... because this ends on a cliff-hanger.
I'll read the next one, because Boss is the best. But I'm not happy about it.
March 1, 2021
I expected more. I’m a big fan of the Diving series but this one went on way too long for such an anticlimactic ending. This could have been easily edited down to novella length if all the pointless self dialogue and endless arguments over procedures were more distilled.
I’m also a little disappointed that the future Fleet is so eager to label the Lost Souls group as thieves and want to destroy them without realizing that with a seemingly abandoned scrap heap Boss could be legitimately right to claim salvage rights.
I kept hoping towards the end that the two sides would meet and the future Fleet people would be taken aback by discovering the old Fleet which would be a boon to the scholars in filling in some lost history. Maybe in a future Diving novel but I fervently hope that Ms Rusch doesn’t draw that suspense out too long. I want Coop and Yash to find their Fleet - whether they like what they find or not.
I’m also a little disappointed that the future Fleet is so eager to label the Lost Souls group as thieves and want to destroy them without realizing that with a seemingly abandoned scrap heap Boss could be legitimately right to claim salvage rights.
I kept hoping towards the end that the two sides would meet and the future Fleet people would be taken aback by discovering the old Fleet which would be a boon to the scholars in filling in some lost history. Maybe in a future Diving novel but I fervently hope that Ms Rusch doesn’t draw that suspense out too long. I want Coop and Yash to find their Fleet - whether they like what they find or not.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2021
3.5 rounded up. It was a bit long and too detailed in areas but I’m glad to hear more about Boss snd excited to see what happens with the Fleet. Wish the story hadn’t ended with a cliff hanger...
August 21, 2021
I am a fan of this series but was a bit disappointed by this book.
Some reasons in spoilers.
I will keep reading the series.
Some reasons in spoilers.
I will keep reading the series.
October 30, 2020
Great story, and a fantastic lead into the next book, because it looks like there will be actual fleet action soon. That should be interesting.
If you've read any of the diving universe books, then you most definitely don't want to miss this one, especially the ending, which promises oh so much more.
If you haven't read any of the diving universe books yet, you won't understand the impact a lot of the things that happen here, but the book will still be a decent read, although it will be robbed of some of it's intensity with lack of knowledge of the fleet, and how they operate.
Still, even without that, the story should still be an interesting one, and wake that sense of wonder for you, making you want to read more in the series.
If you've read any of the diving universe books, then you most definitely don't want to miss this one, especially the ending, which promises oh so much more.
If you haven't read any of the diving universe books yet, you won't understand the impact a lot of the things that happen here, but the book will still be a decent read, although it will be robbed of some of it's intensity with lack of knowledge of the fleet, and how they operate.
Still, even without that, the story should still be an interesting one, and wake that sense of wonder for you, making you want to read more in the series.
October 24, 2020
Loved seeing Boss again. She is off on a dive that is not like any before. What she does not know is that she has tripped a alarm and it will have consequences. Off course those are not realized by the end of the book. Now I need the next book but think I will probably have to wait. This was a Kickstarter project. I am ready to support one for the next book.
March 6, 2021
Disappointed. The “story” is actually a novella interwoven with excruciating (eyes glazing, and I’m a hard science fiction reader) physical details of multiple ships. More repetitive than I expect Rusch’s books to be. Tantalizing hints around foldspace. And then it just ends, mid-story ....
Cannot be understood as a stand-alone novel (should anyone see it featured because it’s a new book).
Cannot be understood as a stand-alone novel (should anyone see it featured because it’s a new book).
February 21, 2021
patience...it will come up to speed with the other books in that series eventually but I think this was the first time Rusch made me work for it. but even then it's not as good as most of the others. it feels like a filler.
February 18, 2021
10/10: There is no comparison...This is the Mona Lisa of the fictional world!
“You scare me, Boss.” “I know,” I say, but don’t add, Sometimes I scare myself.
Oh, my goodness. This series is soooo awesome. I can't tell you how much I love Boss and the world the author has created. I also love Coop as well, especially Coop and Boss together. But this isn't a romance, so I have to suck up his absence and just deal with it. But, boy oh boy, I do miss him.
The relationship is casual, I remind myself. It’s not the most important thing to either of us.
Boohoo!
Anyway, this book. We're back with Boss and we're diving, people! Yay! Still in the Boneyard, but diving deeper into the Fleet's scrapheap and the Fleet's secrets.
This book was addictive, drawing me in and not letting me go. I wanted the answers, and I wanted them yesterday. But we are left hanging a little at the end, which is kinda how this series has progressed.
We get one absorbing story with a bit of a cliffhanger and then shift to another perspective and another aspect of the overall story in the next book and we don't necessarily get back to that original cliffhanger until a few books down the line.
The timeline and POV shifts are a bit annoying, but the stories themselves are so good, I can forgive the author. ;)
I’m patient when I’m planning a dive. Apparently, I lose that patience when I’m dealing with Fleet procedures.
Anyway, Boss is in fine form in this one, but we also get to see a little vulnerability after her injury (which was in a book several books ago in the series - but the author does a good job of reminding us). Coop is mentioned, and we get an idea of what he's up to, but we won't get his side of the story until the next book.
At least, it'll be in the next book and not several books down the track.
"They are lost here.” “They’re lost everywhere.”
But perhaps the best thing about this addition is we get to see the Fleet as it is today.
Holy moly, that was unexpected. And it was fantastic!
I could see hints of something unforeseen peeking at me from between the lines; a mystery with a consequence that we - the readers - may not have thought of. In any case, Boss's questions about the Boneyard and Coop's obsession with finding the Fleet look like they might be finally meshing together and bringing everything to a climax.
I can't wait. I would gladly read books in this series until the cows come home. One after the other, if they're all as good as this one and the next one is promising to be. This series has set the bar for all science fiction series for me. And it has set it very high, indeed.
It is simply that good.
“You scare me, Boss.” “I know,” I say, but don’t add, Sometimes I scare myself.
Oh, my goodness. This series is soooo awesome. I can't tell you how much I love Boss and the world the author has created. I also love Coop as well, especially Coop and Boss together. But this isn't a romance, so I have to suck up his absence and just deal with it. But, boy oh boy, I do miss him.
The relationship is casual, I remind myself. It’s not the most important thing to either of us.
Boohoo!
Anyway, this book. We're back with Boss and we're diving, people! Yay! Still in the Boneyard, but diving deeper into the Fleet's scrapheap and the Fleet's secrets.
This book was addictive, drawing me in and not letting me go. I wanted the answers, and I wanted them yesterday. But we are left hanging a little at the end, which is kinda how this series has progressed.
We get one absorbing story with a bit of a cliffhanger and then shift to another perspective and another aspect of the overall story in the next book and we don't necessarily get back to that original cliffhanger until a few books down the line.
The timeline and POV shifts are a bit annoying, but the stories themselves are so good, I can forgive the author. ;)
I’m patient when I’m planning a dive. Apparently, I lose that patience when I’m dealing with Fleet procedures.
Anyway, Boss is in fine form in this one, but we also get to see a little vulnerability after her injury (which was in a book several books ago in the series - but the author does a good job of reminding us). Coop is mentioned, and we get an idea of what he's up to, but we won't get his side of the story until the next book.
At least, it'll be in the next book and not several books down the track.
"They are lost here.” “They’re lost everywhere.”
But perhaps the best thing about this addition is we get to see the Fleet as it is today.
Holy moly, that was unexpected. And it was fantastic!
I could see hints of something unforeseen peeking at me from between the lines; a mystery with a consequence that we - the readers - may not have thought of. In any case, Boss's questions about the Boneyard and Coop's obsession with finding the Fleet look like they might be finally meshing together and bringing everything to a climax.
I can't wait. I would gladly read books in this series until the cows come home. One after the other, if they're all as good as this one and the next one is promising to be. This series has set the bar for all science fiction series for me. And it has set it very high, indeed.
It is simply that good.
July 10, 2021
Finally we get back to exploring the Boneyard and the characters discover a mystery that they slowly and carefully work to understand and investigate. At the same time the Fleet, far ahead of the Boneyard, gets a signal from the Boneyard that ships have been stolen from it and the Fleet puts together a task force to go back and investigate. They take along some of the brightest and best minds in Foldspace mechanics (such that they know since there's more they don't know about Foldspace than they do know) so that their arrival will have a greater chance of success and not chuck them out of Foldspace years later (or thousands of years later!).
The novel is structured going back and forth between these two groups, a few chapters of Boss and her crew in the Boneyard and then a few chapters of the Fleet getting information about this old Scrapheap (their term for what Boss and her people know as the Boneyard) they didn't even know existed because it's so far back in the history of the Fleet that the records of it have been lost. And eventually towards the end of the novel both groups encounter one another!
Annnnnnd then the novel ends. WHAT THE.....?!?!!?!?!!!! I've been waiting in anticipation the whole novel and you just end it like that in medias res?! Then there's a postscript by the author that the next novel will pick up directly where this one ends. WELL IT HAD BETTER! Or you're going to have some angry fans! I'm tempted to give this book a 3 star rating because of some, what I deem, useless filler scenes that just go over what was already said or thought. Because she (the author) needed something for Boss and co. to do while the Fleet was investigating and getting ready to send back ships. ANd because she (the author) set up this format of back and forth groups of chapters between the two and wanted them even in length pretty much (like there's not just one chapter of Boss & co. and then 3 chapters of Fleet) so she had to beef up the Boneyard bits of the novel and in my opinion the caution was just overdone. But whatever. I'm giving it 4 stars because I love the Boneyard and I really love reading about the current Fleet.
I cannot wait for the next novel, literally! WRITE FASTER Ms. Rusch!
The novel is structured going back and forth between these two groups, a few chapters of Boss and her crew in the Boneyard and then a few chapters of the Fleet getting information about this old Scrapheap (their term for what Boss and her people know as the Boneyard) they didn't even know existed because it's so far back in the history of the Fleet that the records of it have been lost. And eventually towards the end of the novel both groups encounter one another!
Annnnnnd then the novel ends. WHAT THE.....?!?!!?!?!!!! I've been waiting in anticipation the whole novel and you just end it like that in medias res?! Then there's a postscript by the author that the next novel will pick up directly where this one ends. WELL IT HAD BETTER! Or you're going to have some angry fans! I'm tempted to give this book a 3 star rating because of some, what I deem, useless filler scenes that just go over what was already said or thought. Because she (the author) needed something for Boss and co. to do while the Fleet was investigating and getting ready to send back ships. ANd because she (the author) set up this format of back and forth groups of chapters between the two and wanted them even in length pretty much (like there's not just one chapter of Boss & co. and then 3 chapters of Fleet) so she had to beef up the Boneyard bits of the novel and in my opinion the caution was just overdone. But whatever. I'm giving it 4 stars because I love the Boneyard and I really love reading about the current Fleet.
I cannot wait for the next novel, literally! WRITE FASTER Ms. Rusch!
October 4, 2022
This is the next book in the Diving Universe series. This book changes scenes a bit and follows the Boss, who founded the “Lost Souls” corporation that seeks spaceships abandoned by the Fleet”, a vaguely Starfleet-like space-bound organization that always travels forward. The fleet has left ships in ”Graveyards” that contain hundreds, if not thousands, of spaceships in varying conditions. While the Boss is examining the graveyard, she finds an area that seems to be concealed very well -- for the fleet technology also, not only for other sorts of tech. Meanwhile, the Fleet gets a transmission from a distant Graveyard. Someone seems to be stealing ships from it. The Fleet has little information about it because it is so remote, and long ago it abandoned the area, but they start to suspect that the Graveyard has been used to stockpile rarely used, but very powerful, Fleet warships, which are kept secret even for most of the Fleet members. They decide to send a scouting party to examine who is the thief.
Meanwhile, the Boss is eventually able to find out that the cloaked area seems to contain a vast number of strange-looking ships which are apparently in pristine condition. And that is about all the plot there is in the 500 pages of a book that ends in a cliffhanger. The pace seems glacial; nothing much seems to happen except endless discussions of trivial things. The worst example is when the Fleet captains have probably a ten-page discussion on how they should tether their ships while they are traveling through the “foldspace” (which enables FTL travel with poorly understood anacapa engines). Why should I care? Does this have any significance for the plot? (No, it doesn’t.) The childcare problems of the Fleet officers feels a bit superfluous as well. The Boss also spends a lot of time ruminating on old things and past missions. And exactly the same figure of speech is used to represent how tense she is. It's used twice (If I were on a dive, they would pull me out because my heart is beating so fast…). By far, this is the worst part of the series so far. It's so slow that if I wouldn’t have already bought the next part partly by mistake, I might reconsider whether or not I should continue with the series.
Meanwhile, the Boss is eventually able to find out that the cloaked area seems to contain a vast number of strange-looking ships which are apparently in pristine condition. And that is about all the plot there is in the 500 pages of a book that ends in a cliffhanger. The pace seems glacial; nothing much seems to happen except endless discussions of trivial things. The worst example is when the Fleet captains have probably a ten-page discussion on how they should tether their ships while they are traveling through the “foldspace” (which enables FTL travel with poorly understood anacapa engines). Why should I care? Does this have any significance for the plot? (No, it doesn’t.) The childcare problems of the Fleet officers feels a bit superfluous as well. The Boss also spends a lot of time ruminating on old things and past missions. And exactly the same figure of speech is used to represent how tense she is. It's used twice (If I were on a dive, they would pull me out because my heart is beating so fast…). By far, this is the worst part of the series so far. It's so slow that if I wouldn’t have already bought the next part partly by mistake, I might reconsider whether or not I should continue with the series.
February 15, 2022
The Diving Universe Reviewed.
I am not doing separate reviews, just some general remarks--this review will appear on all the Diving books starting with Stealth. I read from Stealth forward in the series through Squishy's Teams--still waiting for (and looking forward to) Chase.
So, these are very pleasant engaging reads. The Diving universe is coherent, well-imagined, and intriguing. For serious fans (what I used to call 'fan-boys', but that's too gendered) of Rusch, I recommend reading them all. For less committed readers, it is probably enough to just read the full-length novels and skip the novellas. There is some overlap between the novels and the novellas, but it is often fascinating, as when one gets to see the same incident from two different directions. But the novellas are often short and padded out to printable (sellable) length with previews or other stuff. The novels carry the whole narrative and major characters forward on their own. The novellas can be outtakes of the novels, or fun original stuff.
This is not my usual space opera. The orbital mechanics sometimes don't make sense and so on, but the writing and editing are very good.
Enjoy!
I am not doing separate reviews, just some general remarks--this review will appear on all the Diving books starting with Stealth. I read from Stealth forward in the series through Squishy's Teams--still waiting for (and looking forward to) Chase.
So, these are very pleasant engaging reads. The Diving universe is coherent, well-imagined, and intriguing. For serious fans (what I used to call 'fan-boys', but that's too gendered) of Rusch, I recommend reading them all. For less committed readers, it is probably enough to just read the full-length novels and skip the novellas. There is some overlap between the novels and the novellas, but it is often fascinating, as when one gets to see the same incident from two different directions. But the novellas are often short and padded out to printable (sellable) length with previews or other stuff. The novels carry the whole narrative and major characters forward on their own. The novellas can be outtakes of the novels, or fun original stuff.
This is not my usual space opera. The orbital mechanics sometimes don't make sense and so on, but the writing and editing are very good.
Enjoy!
June 28, 2021
Four stars for the writing, one star off for unethical business practices.
I am a long-time fan of Rusch’s series, the Diving Universe, about space salvage. So when I saw a Kickstarter campaign to fund another novel, “Thieves”, in the series, I signed up. I just finished it, and it is a CLIFFHANGER. Now there is a new Kickstarter campaign to fund the sequel. Frak that. I will wait and get it from the library, or try to find a used copy. I would have happily bought the sequel if the author had not pulled this stunt. I have bought all her other books previously.
Thieves is exciting space opera, with the detailed focus on salvage technique that characterizes this series. The tension ramped up and up towards the end, so that it was not surprising to find a cliffhanger when there were so few pages left. It is just disappointing when I got personally involved in funding the writing, to have a bait and switch like that.
I am a long-time fan of Rusch’s series, the Diving Universe, about space salvage. So when I saw a Kickstarter campaign to fund another novel, “Thieves”, in the series, I signed up. I just finished it, and it is a CLIFFHANGER. Now there is a new Kickstarter campaign to fund the sequel. Frak that. I will wait and get it from the library, or try to find a used copy. I would have happily bought the sequel if the author had not pulled this stunt. I have bought all her other books previously.
Thieves is exciting space opera, with the detailed focus on salvage technique that characterizes this series. The tension ramped up and up towards the end, so that it was not surprising to find a cliffhanger when there were so few pages left. It is just disappointing when I got personally involved in funding the writing, to have a bait and switch like that.
October 31, 2025
Amazing book with fantastic plot that happens in far future, on space ships or stations, with numerous people working on mysterious technology. Top tier prose that only makes it more interesting and easy to follow. Everything unfolds here, nothing is left to info dumps, told in past tense, or not related to the present otherwise.
The main plot is the first person narration. It's by Boss, which is current or returning M.C. of the series. As is the theme, she is the leader of the expedition. Story is continuous, detailed, and with proper characterization. There are no problems with identifying other members of the crew, by their personalities or how they act; which there are quite few of them.
Being rich in technology, there exist few kinds of it, old and current. That obscured one leading to opportunities or problems otherwise. Realization of very good world-building finalizes the package nicely.
The main plot is the first person narration. It's by Boss, which is current or returning M.C. of the series. As is the theme, she is the leader of the expedition. Story is continuous, detailed, and with proper characterization. There are no problems with identifying other members of the crew, by their personalities or how they act; which there are quite few of them.
Being rich in technology, there exist few kinds of it, old and current. That obscured one leading to opportunities or problems otherwise. Realization of very good world-building finalizes the package nicely.
March 9, 2021
The Boss is Back
Thieves mainly focuses on Boss and her exploration of The Scrapheap, essentially a junkyard filled with ships and pieces of ships seemingly abandoned by the Fleet long ago. We also see Fleet ships mount an expedition to find out who has been poking around in their stuff, and if the thieves have discovered the secret at the center of the Scrapheap.
Like all Diving novels, this one ends much too soon and I’m really looking forward to the inevitable meeting between the Fleet and The Lost Souls Corporation.
My only complaint - and it’s minor to the point of trivial - is the writers over use of the word telemetry when she could just say data.
Highly recommended if you’ve read other Diving Universe stories. If you haven’t, go start at the beginning and get ready for a grand adventure.
Thieves mainly focuses on Boss and her exploration of The Scrapheap, essentially a junkyard filled with ships and pieces of ships seemingly abandoned by the Fleet long ago. We also see Fleet ships mount an expedition to find out who has been poking around in their stuff, and if the thieves have discovered the secret at the center of the Scrapheap.
Like all Diving novels, this one ends much too soon and I’m really looking forward to the inevitable meeting between the Fleet and The Lost Souls Corporation.
My only complaint - and it’s minor to the point of trivial - is the writers over use of the word telemetry when she could just say data.
Highly recommended if you’ve read other Diving Universe stories. If you haven’t, go start at the beginning and get ready for a grand adventure.
July 27, 2021
Finally the Fleet Appears!
Finally, the Fleet is found! Or rather, the Fleet finds Lost Souls. I liked that this novel gave us more insight into how Scrapheaps work and what secrets they might contain. This was closer to a Dive novel than a couple of the last ones. We're also given more insight into the workings of the Fleet. A bit disappointed that we still don't find out why the Scrapheaps exist and that there was no communication between Lost Souls and the Fleet. That's just build up for the next novel, so we'll all be excited! I liked this novel a lot and recommend it to anyone who likes the Diving Universe. Not for those who don't have some background with the earlier novels.
Finally, the Fleet is found! Or rather, the Fleet finds Lost Souls. I liked that this novel gave us more insight into how Scrapheaps work and what secrets they might contain. This was closer to a Dive novel than a couple of the last ones. We're also given more insight into the workings of the Fleet. A bit disappointed that we still don't find out why the Scrapheaps exist and that there was no communication between Lost Souls and the Fleet. That's just build up for the next novel, so we'll all be excited! I liked this novel a lot and recommend it to anyone who likes the Diving Universe. Not for those who don't have some background with the earlier novels.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2022
I have just read the Diving Series back to back (the 16 books that exist thus far, including novels and novellas) and have to say that I absolutely love this series.
Thieves, another Boneyard story, is a frustrating read because, unlike the previous (full) novels, it finishes before wrapping up its own storylines, leaving them annoyingly hanging. It's also far less fast-paced and a lot more character-introspective, which makes it less exciting to read.
Thieves, another Boneyard story, is a frustrating read because, unlike the previous (full) novels, it finishes before wrapping up its own storylines, leaving them annoyingly hanging. It's also far less fast-paced and a lot more character-introspective, which makes it less exciting to read.
November 20, 2024
Man, I don't know ... I *want* to like this series, this universe ... but it's getting a little drawn out. I'm not even touching the multitude of Novella's (the .5 books) that have been dropped here and there. There was a good plot idea in this story, but again, I feel like it could have been delivered more concisely, and with more impact.
I'll chug through the next novel ... it seems to be tee'd up to be good.
I'll chug through the next novel ... it seems to be tee'd up to be good.
June 29, 2021
So good to have Boss back. This is another enthralling book in a great series. An exciting adventure leads to a very satisfying conclusion but also leaves the reader looking forward to future instalments.
4.5 stars
4.5 stars
March 28, 2021
Finally back with Boss! And the ending was a fun cliffhanger.
June 11, 2021
I really enjoyed Thieves and the progression of the series. I’m curious to see what happens next.
January 5, 2022
Still enjoying these.
May 24, 2022
Outstanding Diving Universe novel.
February 12, 2021
Boss is back!! The Diving Universe series began with Boss, a spacewreck salvage diver. She thinks of this salvage work as diving, more like deep-sea diving where a small mistake at any time might kill you. In both cases, you have to bring your own oxygen, you are dealing with high pressure, etc. etc.
Boss would meticulously plan every move long before beginning a dive.
Capt. Jonathan Cooper (Coop) of the Fleet starship Ivoire is also a lead character in this series. Boss had been diving Dignity Vessels, trying to find out why so many people died near them. Then a long-lost Dignity Vessel suddenly shows up at the starbase where Boss has inadvertently recalled the ship.
Coop and his shipmates find out that they had been stranded in foldspace for 5,000 years and their Fleet was long gone over the horizon (the Fleet moves forward always, never backward).
So, then we had several books telling us about life in the Fleet. Which I also thoroughly enjoyed. We needed a background in that world.
We had not seen Boss since book 4 Skirmishes in 2013.
Boss had gone from a single diver (with her team) to CEO of the large corporation Lost Souls before we left her. In Thieves, she is finally back to diving again. Just her in her spacesuit investigating spacewrecks. She is SO happy to be back in her element!
Boss is diving spacewrecks in what she calls the Boneyard. The Fleet knows them as Scrapheaps. The Fleet stores broken/damaged ships in the space equivalent of landfills when it is ready to move forward and doesn't want to take the time to repair the ships but cannot bring itself to just destroy them.
Boss and her team have been removing ships from the Boneyard, repairing them, and, as legitimate salvage, adding them to her own small fleet. Except Boss doesn't know that the Scrapheap had sent a message to the Fleet reporting that it was under attack.
And the Fleet sends ships to investigate.
Highly recommended for longtime Diving Universe fans, space opera fans, and time travel fans for a well-told story with plenty of character-driven action!
Boss would meticulously plan every move long before beginning a dive.
Capt. Jonathan Cooper (Coop) of the Fleet starship Ivoire is also a lead character in this series. Boss had been diving Dignity Vessels, trying to find out why so many people died near them. Then a long-lost Dignity Vessel suddenly shows up at the starbase where Boss has inadvertently recalled the ship.
Coop and his shipmates find out that they had been stranded in foldspace for 5,000 years and their Fleet was long gone over the horizon (the Fleet moves forward always, never backward).
So, then we had several books telling us about life in the Fleet. Which I also thoroughly enjoyed. We needed a background in that world.
We had not seen Boss since book 4 Skirmishes in 2013.
Boss had gone from a single diver (with her team) to CEO of the large corporation Lost Souls before we left her. In Thieves, she is finally back to diving again. Just her in her spacesuit investigating spacewrecks. She is SO happy to be back in her element!
Boss is diving spacewrecks in what she calls the Boneyard. The Fleet knows them as Scrapheaps. The Fleet stores broken/damaged ships in the space equivalent of landfills when it is ready to move forward and doesn't want to take the time to repair the ships but cannot bring itself to just destroy them.
Boss and her team have been removing ships from the Boneyard, repairing them, and, as legitimate salvage, adding them to her own small fleet. Except Boss doesn't know that the Scrapheap had sent a message to the Fleet reporting that it was under attack.
And the Fleet sends ships to investigate.
Highly recommended for longtime Diving Universe fans, space opera fans, and time travel fans for a well-told story with plenty of character-driven action!
September 27, 2021
This one took me a while to finish. It was a lot of slow moving - just staring at something for hours it seemed before taking a step. I wish people would talk to each other! But with the way the so-and-so reacted, maybe it won't do any good. I'm talking as spoiler free as I can. I'm going to take a break of this series right now.
December 27, 2024
This volume in the Diving Universe is comprised of two halves: one related to the Fleet and another to Boss in the Boneyard. I found the Fleet part to be much more interesting than the diving though in prior volumes that have only focused on dives, they have been thrilling. Here, however, the Fleet action clearly outweighed the rest for me. It’s not a huge problem but this definitely means I was paying much more attention to one part of the book.
The Fleet chapters’ characters are also all new which allows us to get to know some folks. Without knowing how many of them come back later, it might feel that Ms Rusch’s focus on Vice Admiral Mbuye’s personal problems is unwarranted. Yet, having read the author’s blog over some years, I can’t help but wonder if this was a necessary part of this book to help her deal with (similar) problems in her family. Not my business—but if this is the case, then Mbuye and her son may be the most important characters of the book for her.
The Boneyard’s characters are all mainly old, though I think some have only been mentioned in passing. Two formerly Fleet persons get a bigger role, but there’s nothing very surprising about this storyline: the team plans, tests, plans, tests, etc, all to get ready for the big final dive. There’s more over danger here than previously, but the reader has a lot more information than Boss about her circumstances so it feels like they could have jumped a test or two without a significant effect on the outcome.
In the end, even a less than perfect Diving novel is pretty good! I am keen to continue with the next book.
This review was originally posted on my blog.
The Fleet chapters’ characters are also all new which allows us to get to know some folks. Without knowing how many of them come back later, it might feel that Ms Rusch’s focus on Vice Admiral Mbuye’s personal problems is unwarranted. Yet, having read the author’s blog over some years, I can’t help but wonder if this was a necessary part of this book to help her deal with (similar) problems in her family. Not my business—but if this is the case, then Mbuye and her son may be the most important characters of the book for her.
The Boneyard’s characters are all mainly old, though I think some have only been mentioned in passing. Two formerly Fleet persons get a bigger role, but there’s nothing very surprising about this storyline: the team plans, tests, plans, tests, etc, all to get ready for the big final dive. There’s more over danger here than previously, but the reader has a lot more information than Boss about her circumstances so it feels like they could have jumped a test or two without a significant effect on the outcome.
In the end, even a less than perfect Diving novel is pretty good! I am keen to continue with the next book.
This review was originally posted on my blog.
August 8, 2021
I've read a fair number of the Retrieval Artist and the Diving series but not recently. This one is a decent read, but not a good starting point. Read Diving into the Wreck instead.
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