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Jack Foster Space Opera #1
Violent Graduation
Violent Graduation is the first book in a brand new series.
It’s easy to ignore dangerous issues while you’re studying at the Royal Space Navy’s academy, until a sniper attempts to assassinate you.
The scar across the side of Jack’s head is the visible price. The risk to his friends at the academy is the hidden price. His challenge is how to balance the risks.
The final stage of his training is a shakedown cruise on an old minesweeper, barely able to achieve FTL entry and exit.
Midway through their cruise, the minesweeper collides with an ancient alien wreck, ripping the sides off the starship. Jack’s team of bots help seal the combined wreck to prevent air loss. Ghost, a nanolife form from the alien wreck, provides assistance.
Jack and his girlfriend, Sofia, are the only survivors, and air, food, and supplies are critical.
The countdown of days to survive is ticking.
No wonder the Royal Family are angry.
And there’s still a price on Jack’s head.
It’s easy to ignore dangerous issues while you’re studying at the Royal Space Navy’s academy, until a sniper attempts to assassinate you.
The scar across the side of Jack’s head is the visible price. The risk to his friends at the academy is the hidden price. His challenge is how to balance the risks.
The final stage of his training is a shakedown cruise on an old minesweeper, barely able to achieve FTL entry and exit.
Midway through their cruise, the minesweeper collides with an ancient alien wreck, ripping the sides off the starship. Jack’s team of bots help seal the combined wreck to prevent air loss. Ghost, a nanolife form from the alien wreck, provides assistance.
Jack and his girlfriend, Sofia, are the only survivors, and air, food, and supplies are critical.
The countdown of days to survive is ticking.
No wonder the Royal Family are angry.
And there’s still a price on Jack’s head.
536 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 30, 2021
853 people are currently reading
360 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews
January 15, 2022
I don’t think I have ever read a more complete pile of utter crap. The situations described in this book were totally unbelievable: A main character with superhuman intelligence and strength who has also has access to video recording technology that he can just sent to anyone at will, A luxury cruise ship giving total access to its AI to a passenger, gifting that same passenger with a copy of said AI, a gift to the passenger of alien bots of unknown origin and function, a military academy with no military discipline, military ships in utter states of disrepair, senior officers who are alcoholics and drug addicts, junior petty officers giving orders to commissioned officers, enlisted personnel attacking commissioned officers, multiple breaches of security leading to multiple attempted murders… I can’t even continue. It is all just too painful. I can’t even believe that I read this entire book.
Were there really people who enjoyed this “Opera?”
Were there really people who enjoyed this “Opera?”
November 22, 2021
A complete and utter waste of time
My only problem with this book is that jack foster wasn’t given the ability to fly in space without a space suit and that he wasn’t impervious to all types of weapons. I hate hypocrites and jack is a big one, if you are going to set your self up as a paragon of virtue and quote rules and regulations to justify your act of murder he should have been just as fervent in applying the rules when he broke into restricted military communication networks time and time again. Why is he the only one that gets to break the rules and be in the right all the time. This book is garbage and if the others in this series follow the same pattern then anyone with half a brain can ignore them as they offer no mystery or any incentive to the reader to become invested in the characters. A truly disappointing read and an utter waste of time.
My only problem with this book is that jack foster wasn’t given the ability to fly in space without a space suit and that he wasn’t impervious to all types of weapons. I hate hypocrites and jack is a big one, if you are going to set your self up as a paragon of virtue and quote rules and regulations to justify your act of murder he should have been just as fervent in applying the rules when he broke into restricted military communication networks time and time again. Why is he the only one that gets to break the rules and be in the right all the time. This book is garbage and if the others in this series follow the same pattern then anyone with half a brain can ignore them as they offer no mystery or any incentive to the reader to become invested in the characters. A truly disappointing read and an utter waste of time.
October 11, 2021
*Twenty-something Wunderkind Genius Jack’s Britannic-esque Space Naval Adventures*
“Violent Graduation: Jack Foster Space Opera Series,” Book 1, details at length, wunderkind genius Jack’s ‘adventures’ entering his Britannic-esque space naval career, starting with his troubled travels to a Hogwarts-type pseudo naval (sans ‘magic’) space academy, his troubled times there, and his troubled times following his graduation.
‘Trouble’ is the underlying plot device throughout for young man Jack’s storyline. Being from a wealthy, connected family, a genius, and the upper class VIP connections made along his way, saves Jack time after time after time.
It’s not horrible, it’s not very good either, and somewhat surprisingly, not a teen/YA story. There’s violence, death, and randy Jack is quite the ladies’ man. The book may appeal to Anglophiles who set the bar very low.
“Violent Graduation” was read via Kindle Unlimited.
“Violent Graduation: Jack Foster Space Opera Series,” Book 1, details at length, wunderkind genius Jack’s ‘adventures’ entering his Britannic-esque space naval career, starting with his troubled travels to a Hogwarts-type pseudo naval (sans ‘magic’) space academy, his troubled times there, and his troubled times following his graduation.
‘Trouble’ is the underlying plot device throughout for young man Jack’s storyline. Being from a wealthy, connected family, a genius, and the upper class VIP connections made along his way, saves Jack time after time after time.
It’s not horrible, it’s not very good either, and somewhat surprisingly, not a teen/YA story. There’s violence, death, and randy Jack is quite the ladies’ man. The book may appeal to Anglophiles who set the bar very low.
“Violent Graduation” was read via Kindle Unlimited.
January 25, 2022
Astonishingly this book was published in 2021. From reading it, you would think it was written 50 years ago in how the author talks about women. "Girls, clean up this room. I want it spotless". This supposedly said to a mixed gender grouping of academy cadets, while the males were sent to carry his luggage. Jack Foster is supposed to be such a ladies man that women (sorry, 'girls') just fall into bed with him just because they're graced with his presence - there is no relationship building and a clear sense that the female characters just exist to serve him. YUCK. Just... so, so, so grating and pathologically out of touch with normal human relations in 2021. The protagonist was so excessively superhero-like, and his interactions with others so unrealistic, I couldn't get past the first few chapters.
Perhaps most gallingly, to study at an academy and join an armed service, you need to learn that you don't come in and expect or be granted a station above that of others. Instead you learn to serve others. In this book, the genius-superhero-VIP-ultra privileged young man is fawned over by everyone, has a suite in the academy, and shows up with more luggage than a company would need. This author's view of what it takes to be a real leader is also far out of line with reality.
Perhaps most gallingly, to study at an academy and join an armed service, you need to learn that you don't come in and expect or be granted a station above that of others. Instead you learn to serve others. In this book, the genius-superhero-VIP-ultra privileged young man is fawned over by everyone, has a suite in the academy, and shows up with more luggage than a company would need. This author's view of what it takes to be a real leader is also far out of line with reality.
February 25, 2022
Awful. Who had been giving this good reviews???
A hero who knows everything, is fitter than anyone else and smarter than anyone else joins the navy with no real boot camp experience. He then proceeds to clean up the navy. His ship runs into another but he miraculously survives with his best friend who is secretly a princess.
The only reason I finished the book was to see if there was some twist or joke at the end. Nope.
This one is DNR. Do not read.
A hero who knows everything, is fitter than anyone else and smarter than anyone else joins the navy with no real boot camp experience. He then proceeds to clean up the navy. His ship runs into another but he miraculously survives with his best friend who is secretly a princess.
The only reason I finished the book was to see if there was some twist or joke at the end. Nope.
This one is DNR. Do not read.
January 11, 2022
Never finished. Just to unbelievable. The hero of the story, Jack Foster, is the best athlete, scholar, inventor, mixed marshal artist, you name it and he is the best. Read 166 pages and just said "I can't do it anymore"
November 1, 2023
“Violent Graduation” is the first book in the Jack Foster Space Opera series, a thrilling and fast-paced sci-fi adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The story follows Jack Foster, a cadet at the Royal Space Navy's academy, who finds himself in a deadly situation when a sniper tries to kill him. The reason behind the assassination attempt is unknown, but it puts Jack and his friends in danger. Jack has to balance his training, his relationship with his girlfriend Sofia, and his survival.
The book is narrated by Shawn Compton, who does a great job of bringing the characters and the action to life. He uses different voices and accents for each character, making them easy to distinguish and follow. He also conveys the emotions and the tension of the scenes, making you feel like you are part of the story.
The book is written in a serial format, which means that it ends with a cliffhanger that will make you eager to read the next installment. The author, John Hindmarsh, creates a vivid and immersive world, filled with futuristic technology, alien artifacts, and political intrigue. He also introduces some interesting concepts, such as nanolife forms, bots, and FTL travel. The book is full of twists and turns, surprises and shocks, that will keep you guessing until the end. The story and the way it is written took me back to the old school Sci-fi such as from L Ron Hubbard.
“Violent Graduation” is a book that will appeal to fans of space opera, military sci-fi, and action-packed stories. It is a book that will make you laugh, cry, and cheer for Jack and his friends. It is a book that will make you want to read more of John Hindmarsh's works.
The book is narrated by Shawn Compton, who does a great job of bringing the characters and the action to life. He uses different voices and accents for each character, making them easy to distinguish and follow. He also conveys the emotions and the tension of the scenes, making you feel like you are part of the story.
The book is written in a serial format, which means that it ends with a cliffhanger that will make you eager to read the next installment. The author, John Hindmarsh, creates a vivid and immersive world, filled with futuristic technology, alien artifacts, and political intrigue. He also introduces some interesting concepts, such as nanolife forms, bots, and FTL travel. The book is full of twists and turns, surprises and shocks, that will keep you guessing until the end. The story and the way it is written took me back to the old school Sci-fi such as from L Ron Hubbard.
“Violent Graduation” is a book that will appeal to fans of space opera, military sci-fi, and action-packed stories. It is a book that will make you laugh, cry, and cheer for Jack and his friends. It is a book that will make you want to read more of John Hindmarsh's works.
February 1, 2022
I got to 19% of the book. I couldn't go on. The main character was perfect, had all the tools to deal with every situation, and everyone liked him. No growth. I couldn't relate to him. The two things that pushed me over the top were related to feeling like the author didn't do any research.
1) The author clearly doesn't understand how higher education works. I say this as an Assistant Professor of Nursing. The difference between Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor is not skill or knowledge level. It's rank related to time at the institution and time teaching in general.
2) when using binary code, you don't need 128 bit (huge 128 character long strain) to code. You don't need to communicate to 100 and the alphabet. All you need is 0-9 and A-Z, and you can do that in 8 bit.
Sure with AI, space flight, and other things that are fantastical, go wild making things up. But for things that actually exist, please do research. It makes for a more interesting read and is easier to suspend disbelief.
1) The author clearly doesn't understand how higher education works. I say this as an Assistant Professor of Nursing. The difference between Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor is not skill or knowledge level. It's rank related to time at the institution and time teaching in general.
2) when using binary code, you don't need 128 bit (huge 128 character long strain) to code. You don't need to communicate to 100 and the alphabet. All you need is 0-9 and A-Z, and you can do that in 8 bit.
Sure with AI, space flight, and other things that are fantastical, go wild making things up. But for things that actually exist, please do research. It makes for a more interesting read and is easier to suspend disbelief.
July 17, 2023
Super Smug Main Character
I enjoy a confident, highly capable main character. I don’t mind if their ability to manage tough situations stretches the imagination a bit. This book takes that to a whole new, ridiculous level. It might still be readable if you didn’t have to read at least three different people talk about and congratulate Jack for every single amazing thing he does. I had to stop when he yawned in class and the professor confronted him so he decided to just teach the class, for which he was granted a position as an associate professor. And of course everyone cheered.
I enjoy a confident, highly capable main character. I don’t mind if their ability to manage tough situations stretches the imagination a bit. This book takes that to a whole new, ridiculous level. It might still be readable if you didn’t have to read at least three different people talk about and congratulate Jack for every single amazing thing he does. I had to stop when he yawned in class and the professor confronted him so he decided to just teach the class, for which he was granted a position as an associate professor. And of course everyone cheered.
March 22, 2022
Unreadable, MC is unstoppable from the get go. Have a small problem, build the world best supercomputer in 2 seconds and squash it! He should also be able to teleport while he is at it. Not an enjoyable read. I read 300-400 books a year and can usually tolerate badly written books if concepts are interesting but this book fails at al stages.
August 6, 2024
Awful!
A painfully bad read. I quit halfway because it’s so amateurish. The hero is a flat, uninteresting character, too perfect to be believed and impossible to emphasize with. No more thank you.
A painfully bad read. I quit halfway because it’s so amateurish. The hero is a flat, uninteresting character, too perfect to be believed and impossible to emphasize with. No more thank you.
July 14, 2023
Violent Graduation
I found this to be a very good start to the storyline. Though, with all the information being provided it was at times disconcerting, the plotline held together and made the story hold pace.
I tend to binge read, and this was no exception. Looks like Jack and Sofia are going to have a lot of adversity in their way. What about the new AI ? What will happen with Ghost? What of our plucky little 'Bots?
I am about to find out what happens next!
I found this to be a very good start to the storyline. Though, with all the information being provided it was at times disconcerting, the plotline held together and made the story hold pace.
I tend to binge read, and this was no exception. Looks like Jack and Sofia are going to have a lot of adversity in their way. What about the new AI ? What will happen with Ghost? What of our plucky little 'Bots?
I am about to find out what happens next!
November 6, 2021
The story in this book is more than a little unrealistic but it was still quite a fun read. So entertaining that I decided to go for 4 out of 5 stars (barely though).
John Foster is a gung ho bona fide hero that overcomes all obstacles with ease or relative ease. Right from the start of the book he kicks some ass and put some characters of dubious ethical standards behind bars and that’s pretty much how the story continues throughout the book.
The story is, supposed to be, about John Foster going to the naval academy to graduate as an officer in the space navy. There are some of that in the book but most of it is about Jack’s personal adventures which mostly is about taking down various criminals that try to cash in on a gradually increasing bounty on him or exposing people with less than acceptable moral standards.
A lot of the these people happen to be naval personnel, especially officers. The ease by which he does this is more than a little unrealistic as is the stupidity of these people. Apparently John is the only person having the very simple idea, as well as the means, to record these people in the act for instance. Also, even a corrupt and exceedingly stupid naval officer would not try to take a ship with such low space worthiness that it is unlikely that it would be able to even leave its dock, into service. Just to mention some of the unrealistic aspects of the book.
However, it is really entertaining to read about his adventures. Maybe I really enjoyed it so much because he really brings down dumbasses, corrupt officers and politically appointed asshats in masse and there are actually competent officers, even admirals, around that supports him.
Quite early in the book John encounters a group of people at the academy that becomes his friends, especially on girlie that will play an important role in the story, and joins him in his adventures. I quite like John as well as his friends.
AI has a large role in the story and his AI, or rather AIs, are as likable as his friends. Even more so actually, with their witty responses. To round of his entourage he receives four “bots” which are a bit more than they seem. How much remains to be seen since it is only hinted at in the book. They are as fun as the rest of the characters since they have true AI minds. Hence the use of AIs above.
The book is more or less one long stream of adventures and John overcomes anything that is thrown at him with ease that borders on the ludicrous. Still it was a very fun read and I think the next book in the series, schedule to come out this month, will easily go on my to-read list.
John Foster is a gung ho bona fide hero that overcomes all obstacles with ease or relative ease. Right from the start of the book he kicks some ass and put some characters of dubious ethical standards behind bars and that’s pretty much how the story continues throughout the book.
The story is, supposed to be, about John Foster going to the naval academy to graduate as an officer in the space navy. There are some of that in the book but most of it is about Jack’s personal adventures which mostly is about taking down various criminals that try to cash in on a gradually increasing bounty on him or exposing people with less than acceptable moral standards.
A lot of the these people happen to be naval personnel, especially officers. The ease by which he does this is more than a little unrealistic as is the stupidity of these people. Apparently John is the only person having the very simple idea, as well as the means, to record these people in the act for instance. Also, even a corrupt and exceedingly stupid naval officer would not try to take a ship with such low space worthiness that it is unlikely that it would be able to even leave its dock, into service. Just to mention some of the unrealistic aspects of the book.
However, it is really entertaining to read about his adventures. Maybe I really enjoyed it so much because he really brings down dumbasses, corrupt officers and politically appointed asshats in masse and there are actually competent officers, even admirals, around that supports him.
Quite early in the book John encounters a group of people at the academy that becomes his friends, especially on girlie that will play an important role in the story, and joins him in his adventures. I quite like John as well as his friends.
AI has a large role in the story and his AI, or rather AIs, are as likable as his friends. Even more so actually, with their witty responses. To round of his entourage he receives four “bots” which are a bit more than they seem. How much remains to be seen since it is only hinted at in the book. They are as fun as the rest of the characters since they have true AI minds. Hence the use of AIs above.
The book is more or less one long stream of adventures and John overcomes anything that is thrown at him with ease that borders on the ludicrous. Still it was a very fun read and I think the next book in the series, schedule to come out this month, will easily go on my to-read list.
June 3, 2022
This book is quite an enjoyable romp of a space opera which in many ways harks back to the golden age of space opera of the 1930s to 1950s. The lead character to me was reminiscent of "Captain Future" but written for more modern sensibilities. In that, he's handsome, brilliant, athletic, and manages to collect a range of robots, AI's and alien companions while constantly getting into various sorts of life threatening scrapes. These include interactions with drug smugglers, corrupt officials, incompetent naval personnel, and homicidal royalty. There is of course a beautiful princess who he falls in love with who also matches him in most ways and kicks arse just as well.
On the negative side, the main character is a little too good to be true and early in the book, it felt a bit like a touch of wish fulfilment on behalf of the author. Then who hasn't imagined themselves as the hero of a great adventure? I also feel the characters should have been more affected emotionally by some of the events in the story, however, this does improve as the story proceeds.
I'm finding it enough of a fun ride despite the few faults it has, certainly enough for me to have bought the second volume.
On the negative side, the main character is a little too good to be true and early in the book, it felt a bit like a touch of wish fulfilment on behalf of the author. Then who hasn't imagined themselves as the hero of a great adventure? I also feel the characters should have been more affected emotionally by some of the events in the story, however, this does improve as the story proceeds.
I'm finding it enough of a fun ride despite the few faults it has, certainly enough for me to have bought the second volume.
April 7, 2023
Terrible. Couldn’t finish it it was so painful. I really tried. Waste of time main character Jack Foster who is essentially amazing and perfect and who always has the solution in his back pocket with no effort required. Insanely unrealistic, no growth, no research on anything related to reality. Military academy that just seems like “typical American college experience 1” with not an ounce of “military” anywhere. Terrible world building. Set in the future, but totally USofA in space (miles, yards, pounds everywhere).
January 30, 2022
Slow, Steady, Drool
While the context had promise, the author managed to deliver a numbing deluge of monotonous narrative that resulted in a Lot of page flipping. To be fair, there were moments of near drama that lifted the plot from a sleep-inducing state, to almost reader-connection. The characters were cookie-cut automatons that barely managed marginal credibility at the end. I’m hopeful the author can generate more multi-dimensional characters in the follow up novel’s.
While the context had promise, the author managed to deliver a numbing deluge of monotonous narrative that resulted in a Lot of page flipping. To be fair, there were moments of near drama that lifted the plot from a sleep-inducing state, to almost reader-connection. The characters were cookie-cut automatons that barely managed marginal credibility at the end. I’m hopeful the author can generate more multi-dimensional characters in the follow up novel’s.
October 20, 2021
Poor and stupid
I enjoy youth fiction and understand that the stories are often written with the expectation that complexity can be boring. In that view, this story is a failure. It isn’t complicated and it is boring. The characters are flat and unbelievable. There are too many good books to waste time on this.
I enjoy youth fiction and understand that the stories are often written with the expectation that complexity can be boring. In that view, this story is a failure. It isn’t complicated and it is boring. The characters are flat and unbelievable. There are too many good books to waste time on this.
June 26, 2022
DNF
Main character was portrayed as wholesome and perfect, disgustingly so. Reads more like a hero adventure type of story than science fiction.
Book was heavily weighed down with unnecessary and pointless details.
Then 10% in he’s holding students captive, blackmailing and threatening them. All because they were having a party in a room he was supposed to be assigned to.
Main character was portrayed as wholesome and perfect, disgustingly so. Reads more like a hero adventure type of story than science fiction.
Book was heavily weighed down with unnecessary and pointless details.
Then 10% in he’s holding students captive, blackmailing and threatening them. All because they were having a party in a room he was supposed to be assigned to.
June 5, 2023
This was actually fun..
This book was so bad and Uber fantastic (literally) , that it was entertaining and fun. Don’t ask me why, I couldn’t say. Of course, I should confess that I skipped some of it…hehe. Anyway, I can’t believe what I’m saying but I’m going to read the next one. Most likely.
This book was so bad and Uber fantastic (literally) , that it was entertaining and fun. Don’t ask me why, I couldn’t say. Of course, I should confess that I skipped some of it…hehe. Anyway, I can’t believe what I’m saying but I’m going to read the next one. Most likely.
March 30, 2022
Situations played out to quickly with a lot of filler in between. The main character could solve huge obstacles in two pages but then they spent the next thirty pages talking about how good he was. Also I feel like the author may have just leaned about NDA agreements because he talks about it in nearly every one of the 67 chapters.
August 1, 2022
As many other have stated, the book and characters are just not at all believable.
The entire military is corrupt.
The School is teaching things wrong incorrectly to see if students will question it.
The main character is TOO perfect.
The entire military is corrupt.
The School is teaching things wrong incorrectly to see if students will question it.
The main character is TOO perfect.
March 29, 2022
Story is good but.....
I do not like authors who end a book with the hero in a bad position so that you have to get the next book to see what happens. I realized that is what was going on when I got to the end of the second book. Will read no more of this series.
I do not like authors who end a book with the hero in a bad position so that you have to get the next book to see what happens. I realized that is what was going on when I got to the end of the second book. Will read no more of this series.
August 4, 2022
unbelievable
It’s not often that in a book you can intensely dislike the hero in a book but Mr perfect, Jack, went way beyond superhero’s in comics. The writing lacked depth, lacked character development. Sadly don’t bother with this.
It’s not often that in a book you can intensely dislike the hero in a book but Mr perfect, Jack, went way beyond superhero’s in comics. The writing lacked depth, lacked character development. Sadly don’t bother with this.
March 25, 2024
First time I'm disagreeing hard with the average rating on this site. Main character is a flat boring mr perfect, who is already a great fighter, runner, student, teacher, leader, inventor and everything else he could ever need. For him, all obstacles are but mild inconveniences. His enemies are stupid, inept, useless and non-threatening in all situations. There is no character growth. Story is boring.
As some other reviewers have pointed out, he also hacks into just about everything he comes into contact with, gets discovered doing it and still faces no penalties for it.
Also descriptions of the future technologies in this book are boring too. All is plain generic scifi stuff and none of it is examined or explored or has any surprising effect on the story at all.
Aliens aren't very alien either. Alien tech using green lights to indicate everything is ok. Alien understands speech and making rudimentary communications, but later info on Anglo common needs to be transferred to it's computer.
Robots have feelings, which might not be so bad, if ever it was indicated why they should have those. Explain some advantage to having feelings or why their creators felt the need to program feelings into their robots.
All the way through, I kept expecting Jack to make some big mistake. I kept hoping that the story is building him up as this annoyingly invincible demigod just to tear him down in a big twist. Maybe after all this, it would not have been a big surprise, at least it would have made the story arc somewhat interesting. If that is coming in following books, it is too far away. And the story needs something interesting for the first book to keep the reader engaged while enduring this tale of heroic boredom acted out by flat characters.
Pretty much every other book at 4.2 or better here has been between good and excellent, but this one at the time of writing this is 4.38 and utterly boring.
I'm giving two stars instead of one since the book is merely boring, and not actively disgusting or horrible.
As some other reviewers have pointed out, he also hacks into just about everything he comes into contact with, gets discovered doing it and still faces no penalties for it.
Also descriptions of the future technologies in this book are boring too. All is plain generic scifi stuff and none of it is examined or explored or has any surprising effect on the story at all.
Aliens aren't very alien either. Alien tech using green lights to indicate everything is ok. Alien understands speech and making rudimentary communications, but later info on Anglo common needs to be transferred to it's computer.
Robots have feelings, which might not be so bad, if ever it was indicated why they should have those. Explain some advantage to having feelings or why their creators felt the need to program feelings into their robots.
All the way through, I kept expecting Jack to make some big mistake. I kept hoping that the story is building him up as this annoyingly invincible demigod just to tear him down in a big twist. Maybe after all this, it would not have been a big surprise, at least it would have made the story arc somewhat interesting. If that is coming in following books, it is too far away. And the story needs something interesting for the first book to keep the reader engaged while enduring this tale of heroic boredom acted out by flat characters.
Pretty much every other book at 4.2 or better here has been between good and excellent, but this one at the time of writing this is 4.38 and utterly boring.
I'm giving two stars instead of one since the book is merely boring, and not actively disgusting or horrible.
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May 13, 2022Rubbish. Rating: -2
Timothy has the right of it. Read his review for a sense of the book. Perfect portrayal of the entitled and privileged. All rules are waived, all standards can be ignored, all safety of fellows is beneath consideration for the right one. Was the MC modeled on Rishi Sunak or Jacob Rees Mogg, I wonder.
Just the kind of book to entertain the wrong kind of sixteen year old, as if american science fiction hasn't enough. See my review of "Powers of the Earth" and the antics involving at least one Amazon employee, several libertarian/anarcho capitalists and one white supremacist. Goodreads is quite the community of thoughtful readers. Fortunately not all readers are so ...... american.
In defiance of all the american patriots who admire Putin. GLORY TO UKRAINE !
To aggravate the parochial and racist, here are some of my favorite YouTube channels.
UA Courage, Zoe Baker, Philosophy Tube, Tom Nicholas, Owen Jones, Some More News, Sarah Z, Big Joel, Noah Sampson, Novara Media, Lady knight the Brave, Make Better Media, Maggie May Fish, Mrs Betty Bowers, Renegade Cut, Lady of the Library, Munecat, Tara Mooknee, The Juice Media, Double Down News, Lily Alexander, Jessie Gender, Noelle Gallagher, Katie Colson, Books with Brittany, The Irish Reader, The Shades of Orange, The Narrowboat Pirate, The Narrowboat Experience, The Armchair Historian, A Life of Lit, Books and Quills, Sabine Hossenfelder, Dr Becky, Practical Engineering, Northern Narrowboaters, Cruising Alba, France 24, With Olivia, Between the Wars, Between the Lines, I'm Rosa, Serena Skybourne, Alayna Joy, Elena Taber, Books and Lala, Art by Annamarie, Ask a Mortician, Alize Alice Cappelle, Jessica Gagnon, Hello Future Me, Book Odyssey, DW News, TIKHistory, Military Aviation History, Military History Visualized, Spacedock, The Gravel Institute, What Vivi did next, Camper Vibe, Cruising the Cut, Real Engineering, Abbie Emmons, Books with Emily Fox, Maximillien Robespierre, a different Bias and Kings and Generals.
If any have read this without mental or emotional damage, I sincerely wish for you a sunny morning, an energized afternoon, a cozy evening and a very special night.
Timothy has the right of it. Read his review for a sense of the book. Perfect portrayal of the entitled and privileged. All rules are waived, all standards can be ignored, all safety of fellows is beneath consideration for the right one. Was the MC modeled on Rishi Sunak or Jacob Rees Mogg, I wonder.
Just the kind of book to entertain the wrong kind of sixteen year old, as if american science fiction hasn't enough. See my review of "Powers of the Earth" and the antics involving at least one Amazon employee, several libertarian/anarcho capitalists and one white supremacist. Goodreads is quite the community of thoughtful readers. Fortunately not all readers are so ...... american.
In defiance of all the american patriots who admire Putin. GLORY TO UKRAINE !
To aggravate the parochial and racist, here are some of my favorite YouTube channels.
UA Courage, Zoe Baker, Philosophy Tube, Tom Nicholas, Owen Jones, Some More News, Sarah Z, Big Joel, Noah Sampson, Novara Media, Lady knight the Brave, Make Better Media, Maggie May Fish, Mrs Betty Bowers, Renegade Cut, Lady of the Library, Munecat, Tara Mooknee, The Juice Media, Double Down News, Lily Alexander, Jessie Gender, Noelle Gallagher, Katie Colson, Books with Brittany, The Irish Reader, The Shades of Orange, The Narrowboat Pirate, The Narrowboat Experience, The Armchair Historian, A Life of Lit, Books and Quills, Sabine Hossenfelder, Dr Becky, Practical Engineering, Northern Narrowboaters, Cruising Alba, France 24, With Olivia, Between the Wars, Between the Lines, I'm Rosa, Serena Skybourne, Alayna Joy, Elena Taber, Books and Lala, Art by Annamarie, Ask a Mortician, Alize Alice Cappelle, Jessica Gagnon, Hello Future Me, Book Odyssey, DW News, TIKHistory, Military Aviation History, Military History Visualized, Spacedock, The Gravel Institute, What Vivi did next, Camper Vibe, Cruising the Cut, Real Engineering, Abbie Emmons, Books with Emily Fox, Maximillien Robespierre, a different Bias and Kings and Generals.
If any have read this without mental or emotional damage, I sincerely wish for you a sunny morning, an energized afternoon, a cozy evening and a very special night.
July 10, 2025
I got this book on my Kindle for a 99 cent promotion. I’m not sure yet whether I’ll pay the $4.99 for each of the following books.
I won’t go into the details, but a possible subtitle for all of the Jack Foster books could go like this “Jack Foster is brilliant, talented, prescient, and remarkably fit and will get out of any jam he gets into.” This book was an easy binge that, for a compulsive type like me, kept me glued to my iPhone over a few days to complete it.
Make no mistake, this is not superb science fiction. The writing is certainly readable but it isn’t great. There aren’t any phrases that you think are wonderfully lyric. Way too much repetitive focus on NDAs, coffee and the X-Ray Coffee Shop.
This book is not on a par with, for example, Andy Weir’s The Martian or Hail Mary, or Stephen Donaldson’s Thomas Covenant series of books. This certainly does not rise to the level of brilliant writers like Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, or Octavia Butler. For that reason, I’d give this book 3-1/2 stars, rounded down to 3.
But, there is lots of action crammed over a couple of years within this volume with some interesting AI gimmicks and twists. Ultimately, it’s all pretty predictable with Foster persevering and succeeding in the end.
Think of this book as your kinda trashy space opera summer reading guilty pleasure! Something like Duran Duran, Simple Minds, and Tears for Fears! Ear candy that you listen to occasionally without wanting to admit that you like it!
Yeah, I’ll probably spring for the next book. But I won’t be proud about it!
I won’t go into the details, but a possible subtitle for all of the Jack Foster books could go like this “Jack Foster is brilliant, talented, prescient, and remarkably fit and will get out of any jam he gets into.” This book was an easy binge that, for a compulsive type like me, kept me glued to my iPhone over a few days to complete it.
Make no mistake, this is not superb science fiction. The writing is certainly readable but it isn’t great. There aren’t any phrases that you think are wonderfully lyric. Way too much repetitive focus on NDAs, coffee and the X-Ray Coffee Shop.
This book is not on a par with, for example, Andy Weir’s The Martian or Hail Mary, or Stephen Donaldson’s Thomas Covenant series of books. This certainly does not rise to the level of brilliant writers like Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, or Octavia Butler. For that reason, I’d give this book 3-1/2 stars, rounded down to 3.
But, there is lots of action crammed over a couple of years within this volume with some interesting AI gimmicks and twists. Ultimately, it’s all pretty predictable with Foster persevering and succeeding in the end.
Think of this book as your kinda trashy space opera summer reading guilty pleasure! Something like Duran Duran, Simple Minds, and Tears for Fears! Ear candy that you listen to occasionally without wanting to admit that you like it!
Yeah, I’ll probably spring for the next book. But I won’t be proud about it!
February 8, 2022
Yes, the main character is super-human. Yes, the villains look inept and the corrupt officers even more so. Yes, the characters are relatively "flat." So, if that's what you're looking for, go ahead and skip this series.
So, why the five stars? The story line is tight and focused. While there was never a sense in which Jack would fail, I enjoyed reading to see how he overcame his obstacles. Jack is a genuinely likable character with a consistent sense of honor and morality (although, again, if you want an angsty protagonist, he isn't your man). The technology is interesting, but doesn't get in the way of the storyline. To me, the plot points were all believable when taken individually. What some reviewers have taken issue with is that everything seems to go Jack's way, not that each point was unrealistic. Maybe I'm in the minority (although the overall rating of this book tells me I'm not), but I don't always need the most believable plot points. I'm reading this book for fun, not to be engrossed in realism. It's called "fantasy" for a reason.
So, if you're looking for a fun story with a strong lead character who works hard and overcomes his obstacles, I'd definitely recommend this book. To me, I think of it like the Fast and Furious franchise. Totally unbelievable. But, that's kinda the point. You're just there for the ride.
So, why the five stars? The story line is tight and focused. While there was never a sense in which Jack would fail, I enjoyed reading to see how he overcame his obstacles. Jack is a genuinely likable character with a consistent sense of honor and morality (although, again, if you want an angsty protagonist, he isn't your man). The technology is interesting, but doesn't get in the way of the storyline. To me, the plot points were all believable when taken individually. What some reviewers have taken issue with is that everything seems to go Jack's way, not that each point was unrealistic. Maybe I'm in the minority (although the overall rating of this book tells me I'm not), but I don't always need the most believable plot points. I'm reading this book for fun, not to be engrossed in realism. It's called "fantasy" for a reason.
So, if you're looking for a fun story with a strong lead character who works hard and overcomes his obstacles, I'd definitely recommend this book. To me, I think of it like the Fast and Furious franchise. Totally unbelievable. But, that's kinda the point. You're just there for the ride.
September 1, 2025
I'm on chapter 13 and do not plan to read any more. It is rare that I write a negative review. I love Space Operas, but this book frustrated me and I am surprised at all the 5 star reviews.
Our main character, Jack Foster has little humanity. He has no faults, no pain, no doubt, no struggles. The other characters in the book are paper thin as well. They exist to ad nauseum tell Jack how amazing he is, even the authority figures. He is painfully condescending to his friends as he bosses them around. They are just happy to bask in his presence.
The book is sexist as well. Jack made sure to tell the "girls" to clean and the "boys" to carry things. It has conflicting age bias as well. An older woman is described as "little old lady", which is offensive. Do woman lose their value in society when they reach a certain age? Jack's friends are referred to as boys and girls. They have already graduated from a university.
The tech described in the book is unimaginative. It takes our tech and just bumps it up a level.
The book is repetitive. At least 6 different characters tell Jack how wonderful he was for beating up 2 thugs.
If you want to read a space opera with in depth, but heroic characters that treats the reader with respect by not over explaining everything read G.S. Jennsen's Amaranthe series.
Our main character, Jack Foster has little humanity. He has no faults, no pain, no doubt, no struggles. The other characters in the book are paper thin as well. They exist to ad nauseum tell Jack how amazing he is, even the authority figures. He is painfully condescending to his friends as he bosses them around. They are just happy to bask in his presence.
The book is sexist as well. Jack made sure to tell the "girls" to clean and the "boys" to carry things. It has conflicting age bias as well. An older woman is described as "little old lady", which is offensive. Do woman lose their value in society when they reach a certain age? Jack's friends are referred to as boys and girls. They have already graduated from a university.
The tech described in the book is unimaginative. It takes our tech and just bumps it up a level.
The book is repetitive. At least 6 different characters tell Jack how wonderful he was for beating up 2 thugs.
If you want to read a space opera with in depth, but heroic characters that treats the reader with respect by not over explaining everything read G.S. Jennsen's Amaranthe series.
October 3, 2021
So much fun!
I could hardly put this down! This is an imaginative, fast-paced book with a plot which was challenging to predict and kept me on my toes. The characters are well rounded, even the AIs.
The world building was intricate yet done in a subtle way as the story rolled from one situation to another. Some of the obstacles put in the main characters’ way seemed at first glance to put a stop to his career/life, but he has tools and knowledge
I do not have. That is a plus for me as I learned something each time a solution was used. At the same time, was the information true to our existence or was the answer based on made-up facts?
It is science fiction, right? I leave that up to other readers to decide for themselves; that’s half the fun of reading a book like this.
This is the first book in a planned series and I am looking forward to the next one. The author stops at a good point and left me eager to read the second book. One last comment: this book does not contain swearing, does not glamorize violence nor have a shadow over it. This is a book which I would share with teens and up.
Give it go! You will be pleased at this the end of this book!
I could hardly put this down! This is an imaginative, fast-paced book with a plot which was challenging to predict and kept me on my toes. The characters are well rounded, even the AIs.
The world building was intricate yet done in a subtle way as the story rolled from one situation to another. Some of the obstacles put in the main characters’ way seemed at first glance to put a stop to his career/life, but he has tools and knowledge
I do not have. That is a plus for me as I learned something each time a solution was used. At the same time, was the information true to our existence or was the answer based on made-up facts?
It is science fiction, right? I leave that up to other readers to decide for themselves; that’s half the fun of reading a book like this.
This is the first book in a planned series and I am looking forward to the next one. The author stops at a good point and left me eager to read the second book. One last comment: this book does not contain swearing, does not glamorize violence nor have a shadow over it. This is a book which I would share with teens and up.
Give it go! You will be pleased at this the end of this book!
January 16, 2022
An entertaining read with two more in place, and one on the way.
A fun read that has a tempo that never lets things get dull, and lots of twists and turns in a plot that will keep surprising you.
This is “science fiction” without a lot of science. It is kind of like Star Trek, where nobody wastes the viewer’s time explaining what shoots out of the end of a “phaser” (and how a phaser can be set to “stun”), how a “transporter” works, how “impulse” power is generated, how “shields” are maintained, and how “warp speeds” correlate with the speed of light.
Taking that example a bit further, the story is closer to Star Wars, in that there is a darker edge to the plot. And if you try to picture what the “bots” look like, I imagined them to be a bit like C3PO, twice as tall, and a lot more dangerous.
Jack Foster is easy to like and care about. Sophia’s intelligence doesn’t take a back seat to that of Jack, and she is fearless in the face of possible danger.
As soon as I finished Violent Graduation, I started on Rescue the Princess, have Jack’s Planet already on my Kindle, and have pre-ordered Battle Stations. So if you like Violent Graduation, I recommend you go all in and bank the other three books into your Kindle and get aboard for a fun ride.
A fun read that has a tempo that never lets things get dull, and lots of twists and turns in a plot that will keep surprising you.
This is “science fiction” without a lot of science. It is kind of like Star Trek, where nobody wastes the viewer’s time explaining what shoots out of the end of a “phaser” (and how a phaser can be set to “stun”), how a “transporter” works, how “impulse” power is generated, how “shields” are maintained, and how “warp speeds” correlate with the speed of light.
Taking that example a bit further, the story is closer to Star Wars, in that there is a darker edge to the plot. And if you try to picture what the “bots” look like, I imagined them to be a bit like C3PO, twice as tall, and a lot more dangerous.
Jack Foster is easy to like and care about. Sophia’s intelligence doesn’t take a back seat to that of Jack, and she is fearless in the face of possible danger.
As soon as I finished Violent Graduation, I started on Rescue the Princess, have Jack’s Planet already on my Kindle, and have pre-ordered Battle Stations. So if you like Violent Graduation, I recommend you go all in and bank the other three books into your Kindle and get aboard for a fun ride.
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