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Expeditionary Force #13
Fallout
Listening time 22 hours 29 minutes
The Expeditionary Force saga continues with Fallout, the eagerly awaited sequel to number one Audible-ranked and New York Times best-selling Breakaway, from an epic sci-fi writer at the top of his game. Join the millions of listeners who have enjoyed R.C. Bray’s hilarious portrayal of Joe, Skippy, The Merry Band of Pirates, and so many other unforgettable characters.
The problem with lying about having a super weapon is that the bad guys might believe they have nothing to lose by doing something stupid that both sides will regret. Or, they might just call your bluff. Either way, the Merry Band of Pirates need a plan to deal with the Fallout.
The Expeditionary Force saga continues with Fallout, the eagerly awaited sequel to number one Audible-ranked and New York Times best-selling Breakaway, from an epic sci-fi writer at the top of his game. Join the millions of listeners who have enjoyed R.C. Bray’s hilarious portrayal of Joe, Skippy, The Merry Band of Pirates, and so many other unforgettable characters.
The problem with lying about having a super weapon is that the bad guys might believe they have nothing to lose by doing something stupid that both sides will regret. Or, they might just call your bluff. Either way, the Merry Band of Pirates need a plan to deal with the Fallout.
23 pages, Audible Audio
First published December 5, 2021
648 people are currently reading
1199 people want to read
About the author
Craig Alanson
42 books4,244 followersIf you want to stay up to date on releases, receive promotion alerts and speak to me directly, please join my Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/Craig.Alanso...
My Bio:
Craig Alanson used to create financial reports for a large IT services company. Writing fiction at nights and on weekends, he finally independently published three novels on Amazon. Within 6 months of his first ebook release, he was able to quit his day job and pursue a full-time writing career.
The breakout success of Columbus Day (Expeditionary Force, Book 1) reached new heights when Podium Audio released it in audio format, narrated by Audie Award Winner R.C. Bray. The Columbus Day audiobook was a huge hit, and a finalist for an Audie Award as Audiobook of the Year.
The ExForce series, as it is known to fans, has gone on to 10 books/audiobooks, many of which have hit the NYT best-seller list, with a 11th book releasing June 2021 and 14 books planned.
Craig has also published a spin-off series, ExForce: Mavericks; an ExForce audio drama, Homefront; a fantasy trilogy, Ascendent; and a young adult space opera, Aces. Craig lives in Virginia with his wife, who loves him even though he perpetually refuses to clean the garage.
https://www.facebook.com/Craig.Alanso...
My Bio:
Craig Alanson used to create financial reports for a large IT services company. Writing fiction at nights and on weekends, he finally independently published three novels on Amazon. Within 6 months of his first ebook release, he was able to quit his day job and pursue a full-time writing career.
The breakout success of Columbus Day (Expeditionary Force, Book 1) reached new heights when Podium Audio released it in audio format, narrated by Audie Award Winner R.C. Bray. The Columbus Day audiobook was a huge hit, and a finalist for an Audie Award as Audiobook of the Year.
The ExForce series, as it is known to fans, has gone on to 10 books/audiobooks, many of which have hit the NYT best-seller list, with a 11th book releasing June 2021 and 14 books planned.
Craig has also published a spin-off series, ExForce: Mavericks; an ExForce audio drama, Homefront; a fantasy trilogy, Ascendent; and a young adult space opera, Aces. Craig lives in Virginia with his wife, who loves him even though he perpetually refuses to clean the garage.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 257 reviews
May 4, 2025
How much more epic can this get???
I probably need a full month to just process everything I read. I am impatient. I can't read a book of this series (or the Dresden Files series if we are being honest) and do it in a normal fashion where I only read a little bit at the time. For one, I am too invested in the story, for another, the fast pace and non-stop action make it hard for me to encounter a natural breaking point (chapters? what are those?). So what did I do? I took the entire day off, cooked, walked, shouted, then sadly washed the dishes, as I listened to RC Bray's spectacular narration and immersed myself in the book.
However long it takes me to do a full analysis and update all of my theories about what the heck is going on and how it's going to end, I need to share how amazing this book NOW!
Seriously, it's that good. Like, you'd think after 13 books the whole "new crisis, despair, inventive solution + space battles and a few dirtside adventures" formula would get old, but dude, it doesn't! The cast of characters grows with each book and it makes it all the more interesting.
I can't go into spoilers (which sucks because I very much want to go into detailed spoilers of everything so I can explain very clearly why this book was worth the binge) but I'll say this: I like that in this one it's not about outsmarting someone but continuing to fix mistakes and I do like that we are slowly getting more hints about the whole thing. I can't wait to get book 14 and get some explanation for that ending so be advised, this one ends in a cliffhanger and it's not a small one.
Non spoilery thoughts go like this:
- good adventure
- extremely entertaining hijinks
- few hints, more questions
- excellent narration (as if it isn't obvious)
- Bilby is still a cool dude
- I wanted more Joe and Margaret
- I kinda missed Nagatha
- The Ethics and Compliance Office is still awesome
- I liked getting more insight into the spiders and kitties
Tl;dr: It's a great new addtion to the overall series, I thoroughly enjoyed it 5/5⭐
I probably need a full month to just process everything I read. I am impatient. I can't read a book of this series (or the Dresden Files series if we are being honest) and do it in a normal fashion where I only read a little bit at the time. For one, I am too invested in the story, for another, the fast pace and non-stop action make it hard for me to encounter a natural breaking point (chapters? what are those?). So what did I do? I took the entire day off, cooked, walked, shouted, then sadly washed the dishes, as I listened to RC Bray's spectacular narration and immersed myself in the book.
However long it takes me to do a full analysis and update all of my theories about what the heck is going on and how it's going to end, I need to share how amazing this book NOW!
Seriously, it's that good. Like, you'd think after 13 books the whole "new crisis, despair, inventive solution + space battles and a few dirtside adventures" formula would get old, but dude, it doesn't! The cast of characters grows with each book and it makes it all the more interesting.
I can't go into spoilers (which sucks because I very much want to go into detailed spoilers of everything so I can explain very clearly why this book was worth the binge) but I'll say this: I like that in this one it's not about outsmarting someone but continuing to fix mistakes and I do like that we are slowly getting more hints about the whole thing. I can't wait to get book 14 and get some explanation for that ending so be advised, this one ends in a cliffhanger and it's not a small one.
Non spoilery thoughts go like this:
- good adventure
- extremely entertaining hijinks
- few hints, more questions
- excellent narration (as if it isn't obvious)
- Bilby is still a cool dude
- I wanted more Joe and Margaret
- I kinda missed Nagatha
- The Ethics and Compliance Office is still awesome
- I liked getting more insight into the spiders and kitties
Tl;dr: It's a great new addtion to the overall series, I thoroughly enjoyed it 5/5⭐
December 13, 2021
A meh Ex Force is better than a good most anything else...
While this doesn't make the top five Ex Force book list, it is a solid contribution and another wild ride. There's less of the Joe and Skippy banter than we've grown accustomed to and more Days Ex Machina than we are used to and fewer of the sophomoric insults we have come to love. The trade off is that there is more action sequences and plot development. We do have a touch of ECO hijinx (personally I love these beetles) and the framework for additional spin off novels.
All in all it's a solid 4 stars or 4.5 even though it feels like something is missing in the secret sauce.
While this doesn't make the top five Ex Force book list, it is a solid contribution and another wild ride. There's less of the Joe and Skippy banter than we've grown accustomed to and more Days Ex Machina than we are used to and fewer of the sophomoric insults we have come to love. The trade off is that there is more action sequences and plot development. We do have a touch of ECO hijinx (personally I love these beetles) and the framework for additional spin off novels.
All in all it's a solid 4 stars or 4.5 even though it feels like something is missing in the secret sauce.
January 15, 2022
While I enjoy everything about this universe and these characters, I am feeling that after 13 books....it would pick up by now. It is getting very tedious and predictable. I love Skippy but felt his usual sly self was rather bland and not witty, and Margaret and Nagatha were basically non existent. Hopefully the next book will be the finale..I don't want more filler.
May 6, 2025
That ending.... Oh gosh, so good!!!
This should only be listened to, do not read this.I said it before, and I will say it again again.This is only good because of the audio. It brings so much life to the words that it becomes the best experience listening.
The beginning was a bit slow.It took me a while to get into it.But when I started to, it was phenomenal. There were a lot of moving parts, but it was very focused. It's a joy to see different characters and their behavior patterns and where each characters storyline will take them.
This should only be listened to, do not read this.I said it before, and I will say it again again.This is only good because of the audio. It brings so much life to the words that it becomes the best experience listening.
The beginning was a bit slow.It took me a while to get into it.But when I started to, it was phenomenal. There were a lot of moving parts, but it was very focused. It's a joy to see different characters and their behavior patterns and where each characters storyline will take them.
December 13, 2021
If you monkeys have read the previous books - you know what you are in for, Craig Alanson delivers what you expect. Go get a juice box and enjoy.
The first part with the Mavericks was meh, felt like author wrote another whole book about Mavericks but publisher decided not to publish it and Craig decided to put up chopped up pieces of it here. It's not bad, but feels unimportant to the actions of main characters. But magnificence of Skippy saves the day and makes this a great addition to the series. And holy mother of all endings … and cliff hangers.
The first part with the Mavericks was meh, felt like author wrote another whole book about Mavericks but publisher decided not to publish it and Craig decided to put up chopped up pieces of it here. It's not bad, but feels unimportant to the actions of main characters. But magnificence of Skippy saves the day and makes this a great addition to the series. And holy mother of all endings … and cliff hangers.
June 11, 2022
Humanity just can't catch a break in the wonderful works of Craig Alanson. No sooner do we manage to fix one crisis then it becomes necessary to up the stakes and deal with the next crisis. It's always entertaining, though, because Skippy and Joe Bishop always manage to pull out an insane plan or three in order to bring about the salvation of the week. And only a week because no matter what solution they come up with, they have only made things worse in the long run.
Here, the gang have to deal with the fact they bluffed about possessing a massive superweapon that can destroy the wormhole networks of the most powerful races in the galaxy. The problem is no sooner do they convince everyone they have this superweapon than just about everyone wants to test them about it. Worse, Earth totally want to demonstrate it because they're sick of being the galaxy's whipping boy.
Which is a problem because, again, it was a bluff.
Poor Joe.
Still very funny and awesome. It makes me hate the book series is ending soon.
Here, the gang have to deal with the fact they bluffed about possessing a massive superweapon that can destroy the wormhole networks of the most powerful races in the galaxy. The problem is no sooner do they convince everyone they have this superweapon than just about everyone wants to test them about it. Worse, Earth totally want to demonstrate it because they're sick of being the galaxy's whipping boy.
Which is a problem because, again, it was a bluff.
Poor Joe.
Still very funny and awesome. It makes me hate the book series is ending soon.
August 22, 2023
August 2023
And I'm at the end of my series marathon read. Not because I haven't already read the next book, but because I know what happens in it and I'll need the new one that comes after (Aftermath) to redeem what happens in Failure Mode.
The elaborate scheme that happens in this book is pretty fun. Lots of deception for a good cause, as it were. And a bit of silliness too, which is always good. Every one of these books has made me laugh. And in this one, a pretty good trick to accomplish the monumental task that they did. Baited ending. I can't face the next book until there's one after it.
June 2022
Quick refresh to get ready for the next book.
December 2021
And now we have Battle Strategy Joe! The whole scene regarding Gambler's Anonymous had me on the floor laughing. I think I'm just going to turn right around and re-read this, because I need to get good and tired of the world before I have to wait another 6-9 months for the next book. Where I hope we'll see more of Margaret and Joe, because we got zip in this one and she makes his character so much better -
And I'm at the end of my series marathon read. Not because I haven't already read the next book, but because I know what happens in it and I'll need the new one that comes after (Aftermath) to redeem what happens in Failure Mode.
The elaborate scheme that happens in this book is pretty fun. Lots of deception for a good cause, as it were. And a bit of silliness too, which is always good. Every one of these books has made me laugh. And in this one, a pretty good trick to accomplish the monumental task that they did. Baited ending. I can't face the next book until there's one after it.
June 2022
Quick refresh to get ready for the next book.
December 2021
And now we have Battle Strategy Joe! The whole scene regarding Gambler's Anonymous had me on the floor laughing. I think I'm just going to turn right around and re-read this, because I need to get good and tired of the world before I have to wait another 6-9 months for the next book. Where I hope we'll see more of Margaret and Joe, because we got zip in this one and she makes his character so much better -
January 7, 2022
all reviews in one place:
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About the Book: Humanity’s, or rather, Joe Bishop’s plans have come back to bite them all in the ass, again. In a shape of enemies who think they’ve nothing to lose to either call a bluff, or make one last run for it. And yet, it seems like the scheming, plotting aliens are not their biggest or even immediate problem at hand…
My Opinion: The first half of the book was mediocre, full of dull politics, and what seemed to be filler plot, token activities, events, meant to keep the reader from getting to the precious point too fast. But once it picked up, oh did it pick up. Suspense, epic action, and a few heart-stopping moments, for good measure.
night mode reading ;
skaitom nakties rezimu
About the Book: Humanity’s, or rather, Joe Bishop’s plans have come back to bite them all in the ass, again. In a shape of enemies who think they’ve nothing to lose to either call a bluff, or make one last run for it. And yet, it seems like the scheming, plotting aliens are not their biggest or even immediate problem at hand…
My Opinion: The first half of the book was mediocre, full of dull politics, and what seemed to be filler plot, token activities, events, meant to keep the reader from getting to the precious point too fast. But once it picked up, oh did it pick up. Suspense, epic action, and a few heart-stopping moments, for good measure.
December 26, 2021
It’s pretty rare for books to be really good when there are a bunch in the series. The Expeditionary Force books are good, this one, Fallout, is really good. It starts with the Beetles of the Ethics and Compliance Office. They are such funny characters that I laugh out loud. There are some truths about human nature in the book as well. I won’t go into them because I don’t want to spoil anything.
I read this book in 5 days. That’s fast given how little time I have to read. Skippy helped me by making my work computer have email issues that IT spent hours on and still haven’t resolved. I couldn’t work while they had control of my computer so I read. It’s a hard book to put down.
I read this book in 5 days. That’s fast given how little time I have to read. Skippy helped me by making my work computer have email issues that IT spent hours on and still haven’t resolved. I couldn’t work while they had control of my computer so I read. It’s a hard book to put down.
January 20, 2022
Absolutely love this series of books.
March 13, 2022
I never thought I'd catch up to Craig Alanson - now what am I going to read?!
Another exciting instalment in the series, same formula as always with the usual cliffhanger ending, but I definitely enjoyed it and liked that other characters had the chance to come up with solutions - and that older books were referenced back to. Can't wait for the next one!
Another exciting instalment in the series, same formula as always with the usual cliffhanger ending, but I definitely enjoyed it and liked that other characters had the chance to come up with solutions - and that older books were referenced back to. Can't wait for the next one!
December 21, 2021
Great humor and lots of fun action. For the most part the author has gotten away from the juvenile introspective digressions that plagued parts of previous books in the series and is focused in on good plot lines and character interactions.
As a sidenote: Especially fun was the authors nod to the TNG episode Darmak in a chapter midway through the book. If you know the episode then You’ll know when you get there. Otherwise, don’t worry about it.
If you are an audible listener like me, look forward to a few minutes of bloopers at the end.
Overall, a great progression for the series, a good ending point and transition into the next book which I look forward to.
As a sidenote: Especially fun was the authors nod to the TNG episode Darmak in a chapter midway through the book. If you know the episode then You’ll know when you get there. Otherwise, don’t worry about it.
If you are an audible listener like me, look forward to a few minutes of bloopers at the end.
Overall, a great progression for the series, a good ending point and transition into the next book which I look forward to.
December 23, 2021
Warning: there's about one to two hours of the mavericks sandwiched in very early on in this book. I thought about docking my rating due to this, but the ending was so good that I had to forgive Craig for failing to mention that this was not solely a Skippy & Joe novel. I'm sure that there are plenty of people who like the Mavericks, but I just get antsy waiting for Joe and Skippy whenever we divert to the Mavericks. I like Emily Perkins but those novels are not even close to as good as the regular Expeditionary Force novels.
January 9, 2022
Yet another great read of the saga of the Merry Band of Pirates... and Skippy the Magnificent... trust the awesomeness.
I almost dropped it a star for the blatant cliffhanger ending. Craig Alanson normally finishes up the current episode/story while leaving it open for more adventures, but this time we are left mid-sentence and it just didn't feel right.
I almost dropped it a star for the blatant cliffhanger ending. Craig Alanson normally finishes up the current episode/story while leaving it open for more adventures, but this time we are left mid-sentence and it just didn't feel right.
December 8, 2021
Awsome
Wow just freaking awsome edge of the seat stuff cant wait for the next book going to listen to the audio version with rc bray now
Wow just freaking awsome edge of the seat stuff cant wait for the next book going to listen to the audio version with rc bray now
December 17, 2021
Excellent as ever
December 30, 2021
I’m not sure why I keep going — I,m guessing it RC Bray reading it to me - mindless fun .
January 7, 2022
Such a fun series. The author is extremely creative, and I repeatedly am astonished by the creative solutions to the problems that occur in his created world. Absolutely worth listening to.
June 22, 2024
Lai arī cik straujš nebūtu bijis cilvēces meteoristiskais leciens zvaigznēs, turklāt puslīdz līdzvērtīgās pozīcijās ar spēcīgākajiem citplanētiešiem maksaultiem un rindalu, pateicoties Skipijam, tad viņu liktie šķēršļi tik un tā var sagādāt būtiskas problēmas. Galvenie vaininieki pie samilzušākās likstas, no Venēras gāzēm radītā ‘’mākoņa’’, kas draud bloķēt pietiekamu Saules gaismas apjomu, lai radītu maklīgu ledus laikmetu.
https://poseidons99.wordpress.com/202...
https://poseidons99.wordpress.com/202...
July 20, 2023
Another exciting installment in the Expeditionary Force series. The dialogue between Joe and Skippy (perfectly brought to life by RC Bray) never fails to make me laugh.
September 9, 2023
After so many books you'd expect the quality to go down but it somehow never does!
May 19, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
audiobook
uwielbiam. i do tego Wojtek Masiak. juz juz mysle sobie przeczytam. chce wiedziec co dalej. ale warto bylo czekac na audiobooka
audiobook
uwielbiam. i do tego Wojtek Masiak. juz juz mysle sobie przeczytam. chce wiedziec co dalej. ale warto bylo czekac na audiobooka
February 23, 2022
There's just no way around saying this. I've been with this series since the beginning, despite the REALLY bad editing in some books and bad cut and paste. I loved Skippy and Joe's relationship. I loved the non-stop David vs. Goliath scenarios.
And then....... It just went to crap. It's like Alanson is out for quantity over quality. The last three books have been nothing but rambling drivel and I keep buying the next book anyway hoping he'll just kill off all the nonsensical characters no one cares about. We spend more time away from Skippy and Joe than we do with them and it's a terrible intrusion on the story. It's a terrible repayment to the reader.
The only redeeming feature of these last three (horribly boring and off-story books) has been R.C. Bray's narration. If Alanson didn't have R.C. Bray, there'd be no reason to even go after these stories any more.
Bottom line: there's no adventure any more. Everyone from earth just makes me cringe every time Joe has to report back. They're not obstacles, they're just annoyances to be annoyances and they serve no purpose other than to be the current book's jerk-of-the-month. After Count Chocula, Alanson has been trying to force other characters to contend with Joe and we just don't care any more. Alanson just needs to put his boundaries up and force himself back into real story telling by blowing up earth so there's no one from Earth to interfere needlessly in the story any more, and then destroy the entire earth fleet and leave Joe and Skippy and the Dutchman and the Valkyrie to run amok and save the few dying race members left, but noooooooooo..... Alanson has to make the people of earth so absolutely blah and in the way that we just don't care about earth.
Alanson needs to learn that we just don't care about earth. There's no connection for the reader to care. We hate earth in his books. He keeps trying to force this interest in readers that makes them fear for the safety of earth, but we don't care. We care about Joe and Skippy and the crew, but he's made Earth absolutely uninteresting and every time he tells Joe to go back to earth, I have to put my audio book on 8x speed so I can pass all that crap. It's no longer story telling. It's an insult to all his loyal readers. This series needs to start being called Immodium for as much he just drips his stories out now. I don't know how he keep getting all these five stars: paid reviews, lots of friends and people who seek out stories where nothing happens.
Alanson, basic creative writing approaches--dialogue should move a story forward, characters should drive a story and make the reader care, and just because you think you need to give a thorn in the side to Joe, doesn't mean the thorn has to be the most boring and annoying visit to earth (apparently the most boring and ho-hum planet in your universe).
I just can't bring myself to buy your books any more until you start caring about your characters and settings more than you clearly don't right now.
Shame
And then....... It just went to crap. It's like Alanson is out for quantity over quality. The last three books have been nothing but rambling drivel and I keep buying the next book anyway hoping he'll just kill off all the nonsensical characters no one cares about. We spend more time away from Skippy and Joe than we do with them and it's a terrible intrusion on the story. It's a terrible repayment to the reader.
The only redeeming feature of these last three (horribly boring and off-story books) has been R.C. Bray's narration. If Alanson didn't have R.C. Bray, there'd be no reason to even go after these stories any more.
Bottom line: there's no adventure any more. Everyone from earth just makes me cringe every time Joe has to report back. They're not obstacles, they're just annoyances to be annoyances and they serve no purpose other than to be the current book's jerk-of-the-month. After Count Chocula, Alanson has been trying to force other characters to contend with Joe and we just don't care any more. Alanson just needs to put his boundaries up and force himself back into real story telling by blowing up earth so there's no one from Earth to interfere needlessly in the story any more, and then destroy the entire earth fleet and leave Joe and Skippy and the Dutchman and the Valkyrie to run amok and save the few dying race members left, but noooooooooo..... Alanson has to make the people of earth so absolutely blah and in the way that we just don't care about earth.
Alanson needs to learn that we just don't care about earth. There's no connection for the reader to care. We hate earth in his books. He keeps trying to force this interest in readers that makes them fear for the safety of earth, but we don't care. We care about Joe and Skippy and the crew, but he's made Earth absolutely uninteresting and every time he tells Joe to go back to earth, I have to put my audio book on 8x speed so I can pass all that crap. It's no longer story telling. It's an insult to all his loyal readers. This series needs to start being called Immodium for as much he just drips his stories out now. I don't know how he keep getting all these five stars: paid reviews, lots of friends and people who seek out stories where nothing happens.
Alanson, basic creative writing approaches--dialogue should move a story forward, characters should drive a story and make the reader care, and just because you think you need to give a thorn in the side to Joe, doesn't mean the thorn has to be the most boring and annoying visit to earth (apparently the most boring and ho-hum planet in your universe).
I just can't bring myself to buy your books any more until you start caring about your characters and settings more than you clearly don't right now.
Shame
January 7, 2022
Ooof... This one is hard for me to write. On one hand, I am a huge fan of the ExForce series, and I am so invested in the story now that I dread the day it will end. Skippy, Joe, MBOP and the Mavericks are definitely going to be fictional characters that will be embedded in my memory for as long as I live. Yet, on the other hand...
It feels like Craig is tired and full of new ideas at the same time. And those two are clashing, sometimes in a good way, sometimes.. not so. A long time ago, as the man himself said, the outline of the whole series was created, and the books were to follow that outline. Details were filled in as the books came out. But, just like our dear protagonists, Craig loves to digress and take scenic routes while he writes. So, after Breakaway that took me two reading to earn five stars, came Fallout - the longest ExForce book ever (about 1/3 bigger than the first 3 books). And, at no time it felt like a single book, like a proper unit. And, so it came, it didn't deserve the coveted fifth star.
Don't take this the wrong way - it is book 13 in a 15-book series. Shit is about to go down in the last two books. But this unlucky tom kinda feels like an episodic filler and dumpsite for a few chapters that somehow didn't end up in any of the previous books. Like one of those sitcom episodes that has its theme and topic, but since there's not enough material to fill in the entire timeslot, the producers used the edited material and some jokes they always wanted to put in the show, and yet they never seemed to fit in the previous episodes.
Now that the rant is over - on a micro-level, the book is cool. It has many funny moments, almost all of our favorite characters are here and at their best, and some jokes and quotes are absolute comedic gold. There is definitive progress of the storyline, the ante is upped again significantly, and there is a definitive feeling of looming ultimate galactic showdown. Skippy has definitely grown as a person, Joe has many new faces, and Captain Skorandum/Lieutenant Kinsta combo is an absolute full-time show material.
In conclusion: not perfect, but far from bad. Takes some patience to get immersed (unlike some other parts of the series), but pays off. If you're a fan, don't worry - I have a feeling Craig is saving the best for the end.
It feels like Craig is tired and full of new ideas at the same time. And those two are clashing, sometimes in a good way, sometimes.. not so. A long time ago, as the man himself said, the outline of the whole series was created, and the books were to follow that outline. Details were filled in as the books came out. But, just like our dear protagonists, Craig loves to digress and take scenic routes while he writes. So, after Breakaway that took me two reading to earn five stars, came Fallout - the longest ExForce book ever (about 1/3 bigger than the first 3 books). And, at no time it felt like a single book, like a proper unit. And, so it came, it didn't deserve the coveted fifth star.
Don't take this the wrong way - it is book 13 in a 15-book series. Shit is about to go down in the last two books. But this unlucky tom kinda feels like an episodic filler and dumpsite for a few chapters that somehow didn't end up in any of the previous books. Like one of those sitcom episodes that has its theme and topic, but since there's not enough material to fill in the entire timeslot, the producers used the edited material and some jokes they always wanted to put in the show, and yet they never seemed to fit in the previous episodes.
Now that the rant is over - on a micro-level, the book is cool. It has many funny moments, almost all of our favorite characters are here and at their best, and some jokes and quotes are absolute comedic gold. There is definitive progress of the storyline, the ante is upped again significantly, and there is a definitive feeling of looming ultimate galactic showdown. Skippy has definitely grown as a person, Joe has many new faces, and Captain Skorandum/Lieutenant Kinsta combo is an absolute full-time show material.
In conclusion: not perfect, but far from bad. Takes some patience to get immersed (unlike some other parts of the series), but pays off. If you're a fan, don't worry - I have a feeling Craig is saving the best for the end.
March 19, 2022
This is more of a review of the whole series. Though this was as great as the previous 12 and I look forward to book 14.
My only issue, I could not put them down. I binge read all 13.
Great Characters and plots
Consistent characters profiles, they remain true to who they are and evolve.
He mixes and matches the characters in each book.
Has great primary characters and secondary.
Amazing how he keeps so many characters, species, planets, technology, plots going. A character from book 1 can show up in book 3, 6, 9 and you still know who they are.
Really Really like this series.
Dates read are for whole series.
My only issue, I could not put them down. I binge read all 13.
Great Characters and plots
Consistent characters profiles, they remain true to who they are and evolve.
He mixes and matches the characters in each book.
Has great primary characters and secondary.
Amazing how he keeps so many characters, species, planets, technology, plots going. A character from book 1 can show up in book 3, 6, 9 and you still know who they are.
Really Really like this series.
Dates read are for whole series.
March 24, 2022
This book is more of the same... which can be a good thing, but after 13 books, it gets really tiring.
I gave it 2 stars but I feel 2 stars is too much, its more like 1.5 stars.
The book felt piecemeal, and there was a lot of fluff added to lengthen the book. It had the same story, the same problem solving, the same characters, everything has stayed the same. Maybe it is I who is different but after starting this series in 2017, it is now 2022 and with 13 books, nothing has changed in the overall plot. Ok fine, humans have starships and blah blah, but the major mysteries are still there:
Who were the elders? What were they afraid of?
What is Joe and Skippy actually working towards? Whats the end game?
This, after 13 damn books.
All I can say about it without getting annoyed is this: towards the end it made me laugh, it felt like book 1 & 2 but that was about it.
That's all I really remember about this book a day after finishing it, you just forget it and move on to another, more interesting book. It's getting tired, and maybe time to move on from this series..
The good news is you get to refund it on audible, and that's what I have done for most of the books in the series so far (except books 1 and 2).
I gave it 2 stars but I feel 2 stars is too much, its more like 1.5 stars.
The book felt piecemeal, and there was a lot of fluff added to lengthen the book. It had the same story, the same problem solving, the same characters, everything has stayed the same. Maybe it is I who is different but after starting this series in 2017, it is now 2022 and with 13 books, nothing has changed in the overall plot. Ok fine, humans have starships and blah blah, but the major mysteries are still there:
Who were the elders? What were they afraid of?
What is Joe and Skippy actually working towards? Whats the end game?
This, after 13 damn books.
All I can say about it without getting annoyed is this: towards the end it made me laugh, it felt like book 1 & 2 but that was about it.
That's all I really remember about this book a day after finishing it, you just forget it and move on to another, more interesting book. It's getting tired, and maybe time to move on from this series..
The good news is you get to refund it on audible, and that's what I have done for most of the books in the series so far (except books 1 and 2).
June 3, 2023
Caught the first book in this series after seeing a recommendation somewhere. Can't remember where, but bought the book two years ago (Dec 2020) and it sat on my to be read pile. Got around to reading it in February this year and I was hooked.
While the writing itself is nothing to write home about, as Skippy would say, the story is wonderful.
I read the first book and immediately ordered the next two books to read, and then finished them too, and ordered the next four.
Seriously hooked.
After buying the sequel on the 24th of February I finished reading the whole series by Mar 22. That's 14 books in a month.
Humorous, fun, exciting story that was just moreish; because you can't just read one.
How I use stars.
5 means I have re-read the book, which is the best recommendation for me.
4 means I enjoyed this book and might re-read it at some future date, but I haven't so far. Life is short and there are many books to read.
3 means I enjoyed the book but I don't feel the need to re-read it.
2 means not for me, but you may like it.
1 means I couldn't get into it, or finish it and didn't enjoy the read, which sometimes is a sad thing, other times not so much.
While the writing itself is nothing to write home about, as Skippy would say, the story is wonderful.
I read the first book and immediately ordered the next two books to read, and then finished them too, and ordered the next four.
Seriously hooked.
After buying the sequel on the 24th of February I finished reading the whole series by Mar 22. That's 14 books in a month.
Humorous, fun, exciting story that was just moreish; because you can't just read one.
How I use stars.
5 means I have re-read the book, which is the best recommendation for me.
4 means I enjoyed this book and might re-read it at some future date, but I haven't so far. Life is short and there are many books to read.
3 means I enjoyed the book but I don't feel the need to re-read it.
2 means not for me, but you may like it.
1 means I couldn't get into it, or finish it and didn't enjoy the read, which sometimes is a sad thing, other times not so much.
January 19, 2022
This is a bit uneven of a book. It starts out slow and following the Legion. But eventually, it finds its pace and switches to Joe and Skippy and gets much better.
This book is too ambitious. It should really be 2 books. For starters it's 20 hours long. But also, the beginning and the end don't feel like part of the same story. Now, I'm all about getting more for less, but in this case, the disjointed plot feels a bit off.
Other than that, this is a good book. Most of it is Joe and Skippy, good Joe and Skippy. The issues sometime seem contrived but overall it works. Still too much time with the bad guys, but I've come to expect that in this series.
RC Bray, does an excellent job, as always. Not much else to say about him. Quality work.
All in all, this is a good book, but not great. Most of it is enjoyable, but it feels like 2 books taped together, rather than just a long story.
Looking forward to the next.
This book is too ambitious. It should really be 2 books. For starters it's 20 hours long. But also, the beginning and the end don't feel like part of the same story. Now, I'm all about getting more for less, but in this case, the disjointed plot feels a bit off.
Other than that, this is a good book. Most of it is Joe and Skippy, good Joe and Skippy. The issues sometime seem contrived but overall it works. Still too much time with the bad guys, but I've come to expect that in this series.
RC Bray, does an excellent job, as always. Not much else to say about him. Quality work.
All in all, this is a good book, but not great. Most of it is enjoyable, but it feels like 2 books taped together, rather than just a long story.
Looking forward to the next.
January 22, 2022
Another standard "Expeditionary Force" novel: the first third is slow (to the point where you thinking, "why did I make the decision to keep reading this series"), the middle third starts to get good, then the final third is absolutely fantastic (and, of course, ends on a bit of a cliffhanger).
Just making a couple of notes here about the way this one wrapped up so that I'm good for book #14:
Just making a couple of notes here about the way this one wrapped up so that I'm good for book #14:
April 26, 2022
Surprise surprise, Margaret was conveniently, almost completely missing from this book after Craig managed to turn her into the poster child for toxic relationships in the last book in the series. Glad to know he does listen to his fans feed back. This book was more of the same formula we’ve fallen in love with over the past however many books. New challenges for our merry band of pirates to over come, new ways for our favorite asshole, skippy, and his absent mindedness to unintentionally cause situations that threaten the future of humanity… asshole beer can. If you’ve made it this far in the series, you’ll enjoy it. It’s a good return to form for the series. I, as always, must strongly recommend the audiobook over the written for this series as R.C. Bray once again knocks it out of the park.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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