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Prime Directive
Lieutenant Amanda Bostick is ordered to investigate why scientists on a distant outpost on the planet of Lorian are being murdered with no alarm raised.
"In the past ninety days, sixteen colonists have been murdered, and nobody thought to report it until now?"
When a number of scientists are mysteriously killed on an insignificant scientific outpost on the planet of Loria and no alarm is raised, Commander Rickets of the Galactic Space Arm (GSA) is angered that no one can explain why. Rickets orders Lieutenant Amanda Bostick along with two armed Guardians, Sergeant Hamoud and Corporal Nasim, to investigate.
All three have faced setbacks in their careers and time is against the GSA is demanding answers within ten days. But they have no idea what to expect as there are few reports on the planet.
Why are the scientists being killed? Is there more to the mission than first appears? Are the sentient Lorians who inhabit the planet more of a threat than the GSA realize?
"In the past ninety days, sixteen colonists have been murdered, and nobody thought to report it until now?"
When a number of scientists are mysteriously killed on an insignificant scientific outpost on the planet of Loria and no alarm is raised, Commander Rickets of the Galactic Space Arm (GSA) is angered that no one can explain why. Rickets orders Lieutenant Amanda Bostick along with two armed Guardians, Sergeant Hamoud and Corporal Nasim, to investigate.
All three have faced setbacks in their careers and time is against the GSA is demanding answers within ten days. But they have no idea what to expect as there are few reports on the planet.
Why are the scientists being killed? Is there more to the mission than first appears? Are the sentient Lorians who inhabit the planet more of a threat than the GSA realize?
304 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2021
About the author
Davis Bunn
118 books1,097 followersDavis Bunn is an internationally-acclaimed author who has sold more than eight million books in twenty languages.
Honored with four Christy Awards for excellence in historical and suspense fiction, Davis was inducted into the Christy Hall of Fame in 2014.
His bestsellers include The Great Divide, Winner Take All, The Meeting Place, The Book of Hours, and The Quilt. A sought-after lecturer in the art of writing, Bunn was serves as Writer in Residence at Regent's Park College, Oxford University.
Davis Bunn also writes under the names Thomas Locke (for his epic fantasy and techno-thriller novels) and T. Davis Bunn (for books published prior to 2002).
Honored with four Christy Awards for excellence in historical and suspense fiction, Davis was inducted into the Christy Hall of Fame in 2014.
His bestsellers include The Great Divide, Winner Take All, The Meeting Place, The Book of Hours, and The Quilt. A sought-after lecturer in the art of writing, Bunn was serves as Writer in Residence at Regent's Park College, Oxford University.
Davis Bunn also writes under the names Thomas Locke (for his epic fantasy and techno-thriller novels) and T. Davis Bunn (for books published prior to 2002).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
September 7, 2021
Despite its title, this is not a Star Trek book, though it does fall into the genre of "space opera". Instead, this is an original story about humans visiting another planet and the interactions between people of different worlds. While it was confusing at times, the ending was a bit abrupt, and the chapters were rather short, I still enjoyed this new book from Davis Bunn. I'm hoping he will write a sequel; this one left a lot of questions unanswered.
May 19, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and Canongate Books - Severn House for an e-galley of this novel.
This book actually rates 2.5 stars from me but I rounded up to 3 because I read the entire book and was mildly interested in it in spite of its irritants. The book blurb tells you the plot so I will concentrate on my findings.
1. The reason Major Amanda Bostick's superior officer despised her was never clearly stated. Surely there must have been a story of some kind there. I waited through the entire book and never got the explanation I wanted.
2. Too many of the chapters had a cliffhanger type ending. After being exposed to that style for the first few chapters my interest became practically nil; the drama wasn't dramatic any longer.
3. Too often somebody (usually Amanda) would come up with a plan (the old "I've got a plan" line) but never share it with anybody until much later by which time I really didn't care. Lots of full or partial head nods and winks when Amanda's crew caught on to what she was maybe/probably thinking she would do.
4. Too much telling me what happened instead of describing what took place to me so I could see and feel how the actions made me react. This was especially egregious with the final confrontational scene which made me have serious longings for the good old throw-the-book-across-the-room times (I read on a device so expensive damage might have occurred).
Plainly this novel was not a success for me. This author is prolific in output so if you've read something by Davis Bunn before and liked that style, you will most likely not agree with me at all.
This book actually rates 2.5 stars from me but I rounded up to 3 because I read the entire book and was mildly interested in it in spite of its irritants. The book blurb tells you the plot so I will concentrate on my findings.
1. The reason Major Amanda Bostick's superior officer despised her was never clearly stated. Surely there must have been a story of some kind there. I waited through the entire book and never got the explanation I wanted.
2. Too many of the chapters had a cliffhanger type ending. After being exposed to that style for the first few chapters my interest became practically nil; the drama wasn't dramatic any longer.
3. Too often somebody (usually Amanda) would come up with a plan (the old "I've got a plan" line) but never share it with anybody until much later by which time I really didn't care. Lots of full or partial head nods and winks when Amanda's crew caught on to what she was maybe/probably thinking she would do.
4. Too much telling me what happened instead of describing what took place to me so I could see and feel how the actions made me react. This was especially egregious with the final confrontational scene which made me have serious longings for the good old throw-the-book-across-the-room times (I read on a device so expensive damage might have occurred).
Plainly this novel was not a success for me. This author is prolific in output so if you've read something by Davis Bunn before and liked that style, you will most likely not agree with me at all.
December 4, 2021
Mixed feelings. Bunn is a "Christian writer" who has written in many genres, not often SF. His experience shows, as you'd expect from someone who lectures on novel writing.
Is this a good SF book? I don't know. I will remember the crew bonding, a key theme. Not so much the guy who hates her for no given reason, the immensely capable supervisor, and other stock characters. Leclerc was interesting.
The planetary scientists were implausible from day 1, and their "secret" was obvious early. The Lorians are implausibly powerful. Space travel is too easy, feels like zipping around in a car, and takes about as long. These are the sort of things that shake out after more SF writing.
Now Amanda. We are never in doubt that she will succeed. That bothered me at first, then I remembered Retief, and Fafhrd-Mouser, and all the others who always succeed, and I back off. Maybe that's why I like Vance's Cugel or Westlake's Dortmunder, who often fail spectacularly.
I was never quite able to accept the trainee ordering admirals around with only "my commandant says so" as her authority. And wasn't it convenient who Hamoud turned out to be? OK, his demotion was a good idea.
Still, for an author who generally doesn't write SF, this is pretty good. And don't be put off by the "Christian writer" label; I didn't see anything here that seemed affected by that.
Is this a good SF book? I don't know. I will remember the crew bonding, a key theme. Not so much the guy who hates her for no given reason, the immensely capable supervisor, and other stock characters. Leclerc was interesting.
The planetary scientists were implausible from day 1, and their "secret" was obvious early. The Lorians are implausibly powerful. Space travel is too easy, feels like zipping around in a car, and takes about as long. These are the sort of things that shake out after more SF writing.
Now Amanda. We are never in doubt that she will succeed. That bothered me at first, then I remembered Retief, and Fafhrd-Mouser, and all the others who always succeed, and I back off. Maybe that's why I like Vance's Cugel or Westlake's Dortmunder, who often fail spectacularly.
I was never quite able to accept the trainee ordering admirals around with only "my commandant says so" as her authority. And wasn't it convenient who Hamoud turned out to be? OK, his demotion was a good idea.
Still, for an author who generally doesn't write SF, this is pretty good. And don't be put off by the "Christian writer" label; I didn't see anything here that seemed affected by that.
March 30, 2021
Once again, it’s nice to be the first. First to rate, first to review. Maybe help someone make up their mind about a book. Why, it’s practically community service. And why isn’t anyone reading this book? It looks inviting enough.
It was my first introduction to a seemingly very busy author with many titles in various genres out. A decent intro, all in all. Nothing to object to, really.
A murder mystery set on a distant space colony is pretty much a plot that drew me into science fiction originally, so it’s a premise near and dear to my brain and this one seemed to be intriguingly very much along those lines. 16 dead on a space colony and no one said a word until now…what are the odds. And why. Needless to say the team is immediately sent to investigate, albeit a very small team of three, led by a young lieutenant Amanda Bostick, eager to prove herself to the powers that be.
Their findings will be, well, let’s say unusual. And unexpected. Loria is an interesting place, pink enough to have been decorate by Elle Woods herself and yet surprisingly sinister for all its jolly pastel themes and Lorians are a bunch of quietly menacing telepaths who have formed a very…different relationship with the scientific team there. So different and peculiar this relationship is that it seems the scientists don’t quite mind getting dead. But that is all for Amanda and her sidekicks to sort out.
Soon enough they get involved in all sorts of interplanetary business in a manner I’ve come to associate with space opera genre, which along with military sci fi, makes it some of my least favorite varieties of galactic adventures. If you’re all about that sort of space intrigue, you’ll probably appreciate this more.
It’s fun, enough otherwise, there’s a mystery and space pirates and some interesting world building, but a lot of it was just too busy for me. It’s a personal preference thing and I just really prefer character driven stories (of any variety) over the space politics and techdriven action. So with that said, it was enjoyable enough and a relatively quick read.
It was my first introduction to a seemingly very busy author with many titles in various genres out. A decent intro, all in all. Nothing to object to, really. Which isn’t exactly a red carpet invitation, I know, but it’s something, right…decent is someone’s good. Thanks Netgalley.
It was my first introduction to a seemingly very busy author with many titles in various genres out. A decent intro, all in all. Nothing to object to, really.
A murder mystery set on a distant space colony is pretty much a plot that drew me into science fiction originally, so it’s a premise near and dear to my brain and this one seemed to be intriguingly very much along those lines. 16 dead on a space colony and no one said a word until now…what are the odds. And why. Needless to say the team is immediately sent to investigate, albeit a very small team of three, led by a young lieutenant Amanda Bostick, eager to prove herself to the powers that be.
Their findings will be, well, let’s say unusual. And unexpected. Loria is an interesting place, pink enough to have been decorate by Elle Woods herself and yet surprisingly sinister for all its jolly pastel themes and Lorians are a bunch of quietly menacing telepaths who have formed a very…different relationship with the scientific team there. So different and peculiar this relationship is that it seems the scientists don’t quite mind getting dead. But that is all for Amanda and her sidekicks to sort out.
Soon enough they get involved in all sorts of interplanetary business in a manner I’ve come to associate with space opera genre, which along with military sci fi, makes it some of my least favorite varieties of galactic adventures. If you’re all about that sort of space intrigue, you’ll probably appreciate this more.
It’s fun, enough otherwise, there’s a mystery and space pirates and some interesting world building, but a lot of it was just too busy for me. It’s a personal preference thing and I just really prefer character driven stories (of any variety) over the space politics and techdriven action. So with that said, it was enjoyable enough and a relatively quick read.
It was my first introduction to a seemingly very busy author with many titles in various genres out. A decent intro, all in all. Nothing to object to, really. Which isn’t exactly a red carpet invitation, I know, but it’s something, right…decent is someone’s good. Thanks Netgalley.
April 22, 2026
I'll admit that I went into this one expecting a trope-heavy police procedural murder mystery plot, just set on a literal alien planet with some sci-fi elements. And it kind of starts that way before veering far out to left field into a much bigger and sweeping story than the marketing blurb suggests. Which is fine, and it sticks the landing, but I think I would have been just as satisfied with the narrower focus I was anticipating.
Lieutenant Amanda Bostick is the kind of protagonist I enjoy most; ambitious to a fault and will bulldoze anyone who gets in the way of her tunnel vision focus on a singular goal, accidentally or otherwise. Stuck in a position that wastes her potential, she jumps at the rare opportunity to make her boss seem like the feckless and inept man he truly is (and truly, who among us could blame her for that?). The consequences for failure are disproportionately high, which she acknowledges, but takes up the challenge anyway. This is the kind of character who returns at the end of the story and is met with, "Holy shit, you actually did it? We fully expected you to die!"
There is a surprising amount of worldbuilding here for such a short book, to the point that I was shocked this wasn't part of a larger series or shared universe the author revisited in other works. The aliens come off as satisfactorily odd and difficult to understand, but the overall solution to the inciting problem is handled through a long side arc tangent that features two overly convenient deus ex machina moments. It didn't take so long that my interest started to flag, but there were moments where I was thinking, "wait, why is she doing this again?" There's also a budding infatuation Amanda feels towards one of her crewmates who admittedly seems like a good match, but she's simply Too Locked In to entertain it, and I'm glad we were spared an unnecessary romance subplot.
I get the impression this was a one-off hard genre shift for this author who just wanted to bang out a science fiction story to shake things up. Which is a shame, because for a self-contained story it's not a bad setting to revisit. And I definitely would not have clocked that historical Christian fiction was his normal bread-and-butter based on this book alone, so kudos for versatility.
Lieutenant Amanda Bostick is the kind of protagonist I enjoy most; ambitious to a fault and will bulldoze anyone who gets in the way of her tunnel vision focus on a singular goal, accidentally or otherwise. Stuck in a position that wastes her potential, she jumps at the rare opportunity to make her boss seem like the feckless and inept man he truly is (and truly, who among us could blame her for that?). The consequences for failure are disproportionately high, which she acknowledges, but takes up the challenge anyway. This is the kind of character who returns at the end of the story and is met with, "Holy shit, you actually did it? We fully expected you to die!"
There is a surprising amount of worldbuilding here for such a short book, to the point that I was shocked this wasn't part of a larger series or shared universe the author revisited in other works. The aliens come off as satisfactorily odd and difficult to understand, but the overall solution to the inciting problem is handled through a long side arc tangent that features two overly convenient deus ex machina moments. It didn't take so long that my interest started to flag, but there were moments where I was thinking, "wait, why is she doing this again?" There's also a budding infatuation Amanda feels towards one of her crewmates who admittedly seems like a good match, but she's simply Too Locked In to entertain it, and I'm glad we were spared an unnecessary romance subplot.
I get the impression this was a one-off hard genre shift for this author who just wanted to bang out a science fiction story to shake things up. Which is a shame, because for a self-contained story it's not a bad setting to revisit. And I definitely would not have clocked that historical Christian fiction was his normal bread-and-butter based on this book alone, so kudos for versatility.
July 25, 2021
I read this book out loud to my husband as we were traveling this week. It kept our attention. I could see this speculative fiction story being made into a movie. I liked the three main characters, honorable, trustworthy, a definite team mentality among them. I thought the ending was abrupt, am hoping there is a sequel to answer some of the questions I felt went unanswered. I read a library copy of the ebook and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.
April 22, 2021
This is an interesting space adventure. A young woman is sent out on a mission with two young men to discover the cause of 16 murders of scientist on a colony science station. They are a planetary crisis team and it is expected that they will fail in their mission. With first contact on the planet they receive a distress call that the speaker is about to be murdered. On arriving on the planet they find the speaker being forced out of the building to receive her fate. Amanda tries to rescue the woman but the woman is vaporized just as she reaches for her.
As the story progresses, the main character develops a clarity of vision and understanding that helps her piece together the secrets of what is happening on the planet. A group of planetary pirates and a treaty with the empire all come into play as Amanda works out the solution to this puzzle. The calm , analytical efficiency with which the characters tackle the various problems they face is inspirational. This is a very engaging and enjoyable book.
As the story progresses, the main character develops a clarity of vision and understanding that helps her piece together the secrets of what is happening on the planet. A group of planetary pirates and a treaty with the empire all come into play as Amanda works out the solution to this puzzle. The calm , analytical efficiency with which the characters tackle the various problems they face is inspirational. This is a very engaging and enjoyable book.
September 6, 2021
I don’t normally read science fiction, but I’ll read anything by Davis Bunn. It took me a bit to get into it, but only because it’s not one of my normal genres. It’s well written with a compelling storyline and characters. I admit that I finished it without full understanding of all he was trying to tell me. I’m hoping for a sequel, but I will likely re-read before that to see what I missed.
July 25, 2021
This space-faring novel briefly reminded me of Stanislaw Lem's Solaris at the beginning. As Prime Directive progressed, however, it didn't seem as committed to the idea of planetary manipulation of the individual.
Space pirates also factor into the tale, as well as international relations in space. Prime Directive has an interest in multiple sci-fi staples but I wished it had devoted more focus to one or two of these.
Amanda Bostick's investigation of Loria provided an engaging mystery, one that would have benefited from Bostick interacting more with the scientists who had settled there. While I enjoyed her camaraderie with Hamoud and Nasim, I did think there should have been a bit more to the core characters. There is an awful stereotype about sci-fi neglecting character for plot and, while this isn't exactly the case here, I do think Prime Directive's cast of characters deserved a little more nuance to their personalities. Also the ending seemed far too sudden to me. It felt like Chapter 63 could have gone on for at least one more page.
Aside from some roughness around the plot edges, I did enjoy Prime Directive. I hear that this isn't the best of Davis Bunn's bibliography so I may seek out one of his more celebrated books soon. In the meantime, I recommend Prime Directive to sci-fi readers who enjoy stories about interplanetary investigation gone weird.
Space pirates also factor into the tale, as well as international relations in space. Prime Directive has an interest in multiple sci-fi staples but I wished it had devoted more focus to one or two of these.
Amanda Bostick's investigation of Loria provided an engaging mystery, one that would have benefited from Bostick interacting more with the scientists who had settled there. While I enjoyed her camaraderie with Hamoud and Nasim, I did think there should have been a bit more to the core characters. There is an awful stereotype about sci-fi neglecting character for plot and, while this isn't exactly the case here, I do think Prime Directive's cast of characters deserved a little more nuance to their personalities. Also the ending seemed far too sudden to me. It felt like Chapter 63 could have gone on for at least one more page.
Aside from some roughness around the plot edges, I did enjoy Prime Directive. I hear that this isn't the best of Davis Bunn's bibliography so I may seek out one of his more celebrated books soon. In the meantime, I recommend Prime Directive to sci-fi readers who enjoy stories about interplanetary investigation gone weird.
May 7, 2021
Enjoyed the story... however for me, this isn’t one of the better novels by Mr Bunn - he has done better. I liked the concepts and characters, but something didn’t gel with me...
October 26, 2021
Coming in at just under 200 pages this is a fast read. There’s not a lot of time spent on world building but like, “Project Hail Mary,” that’s all secondary to the actual story.
Two disgraced pilots and a soldier who is one step away from being discharged by her superior are sent on a mission that from the outside seems doomed to fail. One of the pilots, Hamoud, knows the Commander though, she only wanted this to look like a failed mission to keep the enemies at bay. She needs answers to why 16 scientists on a pink planet inhabited by a species that communicates by thought have died and their coworkers haven’t reported it.
I’m currently 100 pages in and have enjoyed every minute of this gutsy little book. Amanda, the soldier whose superior wants nothing more than to get rid of her, shows her intelligence and pluck in making difficult decision after difficult decision. Hamoud and Nasir make a friendly and supportive team. The scientists are definitely being controlled by the Lorians and the space pirates just showed up. Can’t wait to see how this plays out!
Update: I felt the ending was rather abrupt but otherwise I really enjoyed it. And a girl power book from a Christian male author!
Two disgraced pilots and a soldier who is one step away from being discharged by her superior are sent on a mission that from the outside seems doomed to fail. One of the pilots, Hamoud, knows the Commander though, she only wanted this to look like a failed mission to keep the enemies at bay. She needs answers to why 16 scientists on a pink planet inhabited by a species that communicates by thought have died and their coworkers haven’t reported it.
I’m currently 100 pages in and have enjoyed every minute of this gutsy little book. Amanda, the soldier whose superior wants nothing more than to get rid of her, shows her intelligence and pluck in making difficult decision after difficult decision. Hamoud and Nasir make a friendly and supportive team. The scientists are definitely being controlled by the Lorians and the space pirates just showed up. Can’t wait to see how this plays out!
Update: I felt the ending was rather abrupt but otherwise I really enjoyed it. And a girl power book from a Christian male author!
June 21, 2021
The story gripped me right away, and I had a hard time putting it down. It's tightly written, and a nice variety of characters - good guys, bad guys, and varieties in between. The plot creates lots of questions, and I figured out most of the answers along the way, but the ending created more questions, so I'm still making up my mind about this book. I'll be interested to see if Bunn writes a sequel, and how he deals with those questions. I'm also waiting for my husband to finish it so we can discuss it together. If you like science fiction, you'll probably enjoy this. If you're not a science fiction fan, don't bother reading it. I'm always amazed at all the different types of fiction that Bunn writes, and writes well.
July 14, 2021
I am not sure how I feel about this book. Davis Bunn is usually one of my favorite authors, but I found the plot difficult to follow. Halfway through I set this book aside and read a few other books. It did get more interesting in the second half. Prime Directive seems to be a mixture of Science fiction and politics with a focus on diplomacy. I did become invested in the main characters and came to care about what happened to them. I feel the book ended too abruptly and see the possibility for a sequel, which I will read.
So grab your favorite beverage and settle in for an, interesting, read.
I borrowed a copy of Prime Directive from my public library. All thoughts are my own.
So grab your favorite beverage and settle in for an, interesting, read.
I borrowed a copy of Prime Directive from my public library. All thoughts are my own.
November 3, 2021
A promising premise is squandered in this story about a galactic bureaucrat to no this is a problem on a distant planet where human scientists have set up at outpost.
She is sent to investigate and make some surprising discoveries about the planet. If that was the book, it would be fine. But that takes a detour that involves space Pirates and this young, untested bureaucrat taking on more and more responsibilities that are well above her station in life, and highly implausible.
The resolution is quick and doesn’t really tie the subplot with the main one. Got through it but left feeling frustrated.
She is sent to investigate and make some surprising discoveries about the planet. If that was the book, it would be fine. But that takes a detour that involves space Pirates and this young, untested bureaucrat taking on more and more responsibilities that are well above her station in life, and highly implausible.
The resolution is quick and doesn’t really tie the subplot with the main one. Got through it but left feeling frustrated.
December 2, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyed the book and protagonist who is novel in my reading of spacehoppers. Major Amanda's perspicacity reminds me of Sherlock Holmes in how her methodical deductions are explained (usually) after the action.
The cross cultural facet of the central characters is very well done showing the authors familiarity with Arab culture.
I'll be interested in reading more of this prolific authors work although little of it seems to be in science fiction.
The cross cultural facet of the central characters is very well done showing the authors familiarity with Arab culture.
I'll be interested in reading more of this prolific authors work although little of it seems to be in science fiction.
July 2, 2021
I don't know that I've ever rated a Davis Bunn book lower than 4 stars, but as much as I liked Major Amanda Bostick, Hamoud, and Nasim, the book just didn't feel like a Davis Bunn book. I can't put my finger on it exactly. However, if this book is first in a series I will be back for the second when it releases.
August 28, 2021
Confusing plot line
I was constantly trying to remember who was who. And follow a confusing, wandering plot line. Davis Bunn is my favorite author but this book was not worth the high price I paid for it.
I was constantly trying to remember who was who. And follow a confusing, wandering plot line. Davis Bunn is my favorite author but this book was not worth the high price I paid for it.
February 17, 2024
T. Davis Bunn (https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/autho...) is the author of more than 100 novels. Prime Directive was published in 2021. It is the 13th book I completed reading in 2023.
I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as R.
Lieutenant Amanda Bostick of the Galactic Space Arm (GSA) uncovered evidence in reports of a series of deaths at the Lorian scientific outpost. When she brings this to the attention of her superiors, she is ordered to travel to Loria and investigate the 16 deaths in person.
To expedite her mission, Bostick is temporarily promoted to Major. Accompanying her will be two armed Guardians, Sergeant Hamoud and Corporal Nasim. It turns out that all three have experienced setbacks in their careers. This mission may be their last opportunity to put themselves back on track.
Their mission faces difficulties. They are given a ridiculously short time to complete the investigation, and there are some within the GSA that are looking for an excuse to take control of Loria and force the Arab Protectorate to fully submit to the Empire.
Hamoud and Nasim are from the independent Arab Protectorate. The only thing of value in the Loria system is the transit point to the Arab-Protectorate. The incidents at the scientific outpost may trigger action to force the Arab-Protectorate to formally join the Empire.
A further complication comes with the report that pirates are operating from a location close to Loria. Bostick and her team arrive in orbit around Loria and detect a spacecraft they believe to be a pirate vessel. Encounters with the scientists on the planet’s surface are strange. Clearly, they are hiding things from Bostick and her team.
Bostick quickly finds herself in the position of engineering an alliance to preserve peace in the region. Ultimately, she must determine why scientists are dying at the outpost. Bostick and her team risk their lives to resolve the problems to the acceptance of all concerned.
I enjoyed the 5.5 hours I spent reading this 192-page science fiction novel. The plot is woven with action, intrigue, and politics. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4.2 (rounded to 4) out of 5.
You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).
I received an ARC of this book through https://www.netgalley.com with the expectation of a fair and honest review. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as R.
Lieutenant Amanda Bostick of the Galactic Space Arm (GSA) uncovered evidence in reports of a series of deaths at the Lorian scientific outpost. When she brings this to the attention of her superiors, she is ordered to travel to Loria and investigate the 16 deaths in person.
To expedite her mission, Bostick is temporarily promoted to Major. Accompanying her will be two armed Guardians, Sergeant Hamoud and Corporal Nasim. It turns out that all three have experienced setbacks in their careers. This mission may be their last opportunity to put themselves back on track.
Their mission faces difficulties. They are given a ridiculously short time to complete the investigation, and there are some within the GSA that are looking for an excuse to take control of Loria and force the Arab Protectorate to fully submit to the Empire.
Hamoud and Nasim are from the independent Arab Protectorate. The only thing of value in the Loria system is the transit point to the Arab-Protectorate. The incidents at the scientific outpost may trigger action to force the Arab-Protectorate to formally join the Empire.
A further complication comes with the report that pirates are operating from a location close to Loria. Bostick and her team arrive in orbit around Loria and detect a spacecraft they believe to be a pirate vessel. Encounters with the scientists on the planet’s surface are strange. Clearly, they are hiding things from Bostick and her team.
Bostick quickly finds herself in the position of engineering an alliance to preserve peace in the region. Ultimately, she must determine why scientists are dying at the outpost. Bostick and her team risk their lives to resolve the problems to the acceptance of all concerned.
I enjoyed the 5.5 hours I spent reading this 192-page science fiction novel. The plot is woven with action, intrigue, and politics. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4.2 (rounded to 4) out of 5.
You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).
February 5, 2022
This is a pretty weak book. Sadly the plot had potential, a mysterious series of deaths on a scientific outpost, being investigated by a small team of strangers. The possibility of interesting alien life, some world building and an interesting mystery? Nope. The characters are poorly written, both one dimensional and boring. Their relationship is mildly sexist, as the woman in charge of the military unit constantly defers to her men subordinates and notes how happy she is that they like her. There is some effort to improve her near the end but it’s pretty ineffective. We also get stereotyped “Arabic” culture, which reads like the author is using a Wikipedia page as the sole source.
The aliens and their relationship with the scientists could be fascinating but only we get a few pages of them. Mostly while our “investigator” threatens them, ignores what they say and fails to demonstrate any kind of actual data collection at all. Instead we get a fairly unnecessary “pirate king” arc that seems like it came from another book.
The writing is simplistic with extremely short chapters, poor character development, a poor handling of plot and neither world building nor much in the way of tech. The most interesting elements are underutilized. I say skip this one.
The aliens and their relationship with the scientists could be fascinating but only we get a few pages of them. Mostly while our “investigator” threatens them, ignores what they say and fails to demonstrate any kind of actual data collection at all. Instead we get a fairly unnecessary “pirate king” arc that seems like it came from another book.
The writing is simplistic with extremely short chapters, poor character development, a poor handling of plot and neither world building nor much in the way of tech. The most interesting elements are underutilized. I say skip this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 27, 2021
I haven’t read a new Davis Bunn book in years. Truthfully, I was disappointed. I loved the concepts, and I’ve seen enough SciFi shows to guess what was going on, but I wish we as the reader could have been shown more. A lot was left to speculation. And the ending? What was that? If this was your first Bunn book, please read some from the 90s and early 2000s. Look up T. Davis Bunn and Thomas Locke. Same author. Massively different writing. I loved the details he brought into those stories—sci-fi and others. They were exceptional and I re-read them often. This one? My husband helped me define the two issues I had with this book. The first is significant jumps in chronological timelines and the second is a surfeit of unresolved plot points. The reason I’m giving it three stars is because of the ideas and the grammar.
February 1, 2025
Good lord. The writing was overly simple, like out of a 1930's pulp gangster book. Everybody has basically one ability, and it's laid out for you to see pretty much as soon as you see them. This is the boss who hates the hero. No reason given, other than he's fat and overweight I guess. Our hero, because, she's the hero. 2nd in her class. She's great at everything. Her boss, she's tough as leather! She's super skilled! She doesn't take crap for an answer, she wants it now! Also, apparently her position is such that she can order Admirals around, because.....she can. It's 200 pages and has a chapter every 4 pages....because he wanted to break up things? They aren't even divided. This is a chapter here in the page, and the next part right here, where a new paragraph would start. There's no real dividing line, it just is.
This book was just gawd awful.
This book was just gawd awful.
July 19, 2024
You ever started reading a book and a few pages in you "Ohhhhhh . . .this Is written for TWELVE year Olds".
That's this book. I'm not saying it's bad or rubbish, it's just not an adult sci-fi. The main character Amanda is super duper perky and totes awesome at everything, her companions are both awesomely awesome men who are awesome and BOTH have their tragic backstory which makes them brooding awesome bros, the tech is . . . . . . . there I guess and oh, by the way, space pirates . . . . . .all that was missing was a side kick and a loveable cute pet.
Tried to hang in but I kept wondering what the theme tune would be at the end of each episode sorry, chapter.
That's this book. I'm not saying it's bad or rubbish, it's just not an adult sci-fi. The main character Amanda is super duper perky and totes awesome at everything, her companions are both awesomely awesome men who are awesome and BOTH have their tragic backstory which makes them brooding awesome bros, the tech is . . . . . . . there I guess and oh, by the way, space pirates . . . . . .all that was missing was a side kick and a loveable cute pet.
Tried to hang in but I kept wondering what the theme tune would be at the end of each episode sorry, chapter.
October 31, 2024
The perfect combination of imagination and suspense keeps you glued to this story. Fresh ideas about space make you want to travel the galaxies, while rich characterization makes you feel like you are present in the room for conversations.
Bunn captivates with plot twist after plot twist, and setting descriptions unfold like a big-screen movie. Content free of graphic violence, sex and profanity. Yet full of compelling questions about what it means to "do the right thing." Purely secular approach to problem solving and diplomacy.
Bunn captivates with plot twist after plot twist, and setting descriptions unfold like a big-screen movie. Content free of graphic violence, sex and profanity. Yet full of compelling questions about what it means to "do the right thing." Purely secular approach to problem solving and diplomacy.
June 18, 2021
I really liked the characters, and the technology was impressive. Some good plot twists along the way. There was enough going on that at times I forgot things already established. I did feel that the choice Amanda made that led to the glyphs (I'm deliberately vague to avoid spoilers) didn't make sense to me. And the glyphs themselves were too much for this timid reader. Still overall a really good read with some interesting cultural and political worldbuilding. This would make a good movie.
August 1, 2022
I liked it and it kept my interest until in a couple pages a short finale which required an epilogue to feel complete. It was not satisfactory and I was disappointed. This library book could have been better because too many details and reasons missing.
For example the surveillance techniques and cooking methods would not fit a human society that had progressed so many centuries forward since this galaxy now contains so many alien races already known and aligned with humanity.
For example the surveillance techniques and cooking methods would not fit a human society that had progressed so many centuries forward since this galaxy now contains so many alien races already known and aligned with humanity.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. Amanda is a natural born leader, fearless, beyond smart, and caring. My most memorable character was Admiral Leclerc. I think the lorians killed Amanda which makes her one of them. Her lifetime goal to be a diplomat would have been realised on her return, but the first thing she said after returning to the lander was 'i want to go home', meaning the lorians are going to takeover earth. Please tell me im wrong i would love to read a sequel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2026
When 16 scientists are mysteriously killed on an insignificant scientific outpost on the planet of Loria and no alarm is raised, Commander Rickets of the Galactic Space Arm (GSA) is angered that no one can explain why. Rickets orders Lieutenant Amanda Bostick along with two armed Guardians, Sergeant Hamoud and Corporal Nasim, to investigate. The remaining scientists are very uncooperative The native of the planet are telepathic and also non cooperative
August 19, 2021
It was alright, the underlying mystery was compelling enough and the resolution worked OK for me. The space pirate sub-plot seemed a little tacked on, but the idea of the Lorians was decent. The writing was fine, it didn't distract me from the book so I have no real complaints there. I'd put this book down around a 3.25.
October 9, 2021
Davis Bunn's talent is on display in his first foray into science fiction. His past ventures into fantasy clearly helped in his exploration into this related literary land. That said, this story is most definitely science fiction and not fantasy with space ships and distant planets. I hope we are blessed with further tales in this genre.
March 1, 2022
A great short read, real page turner.
Some of the writing a bit awkward for me, and the crisis situation keeps building level upon level, maybe a little too much.... but still a great read.
I even wondered if this might be a series, with the three central characters acting as a team.
I would read that.
Some of the writing a bit awkward for me, and the crisis situation keeps building level upon level, maybe a little too much.... but still a great read.
I even wondered if this might be a series, with the three central characters acting as a team.
I would read that.
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