blevins's review against another edition
3.0
Fun, light, action packed science-fiction that is compared to the TV show Firefly [and the movie Serenity] on the book jacket. That comparison is accurate as the motley crew who vacillate between legal and illegal get pulled into a dangerous mission that they can't refuse. If you miss Firefly, as I do, this is in that same ballpark.
mbrown13669's review against another edition
5.0
It's fairly rare when I bother to do written reviews of books. I like them or don't like them to varying degrees and don't feel like it's important to tell people why I like them. That and I don't much like having to analyze a book I read for enjoyment because it wrecks it for me sometimes.
This book, I wanted to do at least a little something for. I don't think it's had enough praise personally.
There are a lot of people that compare this to Firefly*. It does have some of the things I valued most about Firefly such as the interplay of characters. You'll find a similar layout. A Captain that's got a past and a mostly stable moral compass...maybe it wobbles a little, sometimes. A strong female first mate or whatever you'd deem her, an amazing pilot, a talented engineer, and a mercenary. There are also characters that aren't exactly dups of the crew. Such as the tech wizard (I know sort of River, but not) and the gentle giant (sort of like Shepherd Book, but not). We have the tropes in other words.
Having said that, let me pause for a moment in this review (if you don't want to read my rant skip one paragraph). Some reviewers I have seen seem to think it's a sin or in some way degrading to note tropes in authors writing. Why? Tropes are an easy way for us puny humans to understand the world around us. They help writers build stable stories. The problem with tropes is when they are over used or too predictable. When EVERY $#%& @$*% *$#@ &%$# time you turn on the TV or open a book you find yourself SO UNGODLY BORED with the entire %$ing universe because you already know how the book or show ends within 5 minutes of watching or 10 pages of reading. Some people prefer this and that's fine, for them. For me, I need to be kept guessing. It's one thing to have a framework so you know, to move into the construction world for a moment, this building is going to be a rectangle and have 3 floors. However, If I open a book and already know, for the sake of the example, that there are going to be 3 bathrooms, 2 hot tubs, 65 windows, 35 doors, 6 different carpets coming in blue, green, turquoise, violet, puce and yellow (swatches with paint samples for each room available to the left). The siding will be an off blue and the shingles will be gray and slightly concave...then I don't really need to take your tour do I?
Anyway, review back on. I loved the interplay Mr. Brooks built into the characters. The silent histories he was able to fold in and expand upon as needed. For to my understanding a virtually new author to build such a beautiful interplay is amazing. I'm sure editing, alpha and beta readers will have had something to do with it, but you can do all the editing and rereading you want, but if the writer doesn't have what's needed in him or her to pull that information in and push it out better, then there really is no point and no help for it.
This is NOT a Firefly dup or knock off as I have seen sometimes, but I'd say it has a neighboring soul. I don't do the best reviews because I don't do them often, as noted at the beginning of this whole huge thing. The best I can say is if you haven't tried this book, you should. If you're good at reviews, do it. It's worth it, in my opinion.
* For those who aren't quite as much of a geek as me, Firefly was an American Space Western Drama series that ran from 2002-2003 on Fox written and directed by Joss Whedon. You may have a better idea of the world if you saw the 2005 film adaptation Serenity.
This book, I wanted to do at least a little something for. I don't think it's had enough praise personally.
There are a lot of people that compare this to Firefly*. It does have some of the things I valued most about Firefly such as the interplay of characters. You'll find a similar layout. A Captain that's got a past and a mostly stable moral compass...maybe it wobbles a little, sometimes. A strong female first mate or whatever you'd deem her, an amazing pilot, a talented engineer, and a mercenary. There are also characters that aren't exactly dups of the crew. Such as the tech wizard (I know sort of River, but not) and the gentle giant (sort of like Shepherd Book, but not). We have the tropes in other words.
Having said that, let me pause for a moment in this review (if you don't want to read my rant skip one paragraph). Some reviewers I have seen seem to think it's a sin or in some way degrading to note tropes in authors writing. Why? Tropes are an easy way for us puny humans to understand the world around us. They help writers build stable stories. The problem with tropes is when they are over used or too predictable. When EVERY $#%& @$*% *$#@ &%$# time you turn on the TV or open a book you find yourself SO UNGODLY BORED with the entire %$ing universe because you already know how the book or show ends within 5 minutes of watching or 10 pages of reading. Some people prefer this and that's fine, for them. For me, I need to be kept guessing. It's one thing to have a framework so you know, to move into the construction world for a moment, this building is going to be a rectangle and have 3 floors. However, If I open a book and already know, for the sake of the example, that there are going to be 3 bathrooms, 2 hot tubs, 65 windows, 35 doors, 6 different carpets coming in blue, green, turquoise, violet, puce and yellow (swatches with paint samples for each room available to the left). The siding will be an off blue and the shingles will be gray and slightly concave...then I don't really need to take your tour do I?
Anyway, review back on. I loved the interplay Mr. Brooks built into the characters. The silent histories he was able to fold in and expand upon as needed. For to my understanding a virtually new author to build such a beautiful interplay is amazing. I'm sure editing, alpha and beta readers will have had something to do with it, but you can do all the editing and rereading you want, but if the writer doesn't have what's needed in him or her to pull that information in and push it out better, then there really is no point and no help for it.
This is NOT a Firefly dup or knock off as I have seen sometimes, but I'd say it has a neighboring soul. I don't do the best reviews because I don't do them often, as noted at the beginning of this whole huge thing. The best I can say is if you haven't tried this book, you should. If you're good at reviews, do it. It's worth it, in my opinion.
* For those who aren't quite as much of a geek as me, Firefly was an American Space Western Drama series that ran from 2002-2003 on Fox written and directed by Joss Whedon. You may have a better idea of the world if you saw the 2005 film adaptation Serenity.
bookmason's review against another edition
3.0
Sort of a Firefly like universe and team.
Enjoyed it not as much as Wooding's Ketty Jay novels, which have a bit faster pace and slightly more interesting ground.
will probably try the next in the series though.
Enjoyed it not as much as Wooding's Ketty Jay novels, which have a bit faster pace and slightly more interesting ground.
will probably try the next in the series though.
joelevard's review
3.0
3 stars, but a GOOD 3 stars. Lots of books have been compared to Firefly but this is the Firefliest.
leviel's review
4.0
Better than expected
The opening made me a little pessimistic about this book. Everything felt more than a little forced but it cleaned itself up after awhile and I was able to start enjoying the story. Fun little read for those that liked The Expanse.
The opening made me a little pessimistic about this book. Everything felt more than a little forced but it cleaned itself up after awhile and I was able to start enjoying the story. Fun little read for those that liked The Expanse.
erikbail's review against another edition
4.0
Space cowboys doing space cowboy things but a more interesting plot than most
bee26's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jnikolova's review against another edition
1.0
Read on the WondrousBooks blog.
My issue with this book: there was nothing there. Not a thing. I have read quite a few books in my life and this one qualifies in top 10 books that couldn't grab my attention in ANY way. Usually if I don't like a book, at least I can pinpoint what I didn't like about it. The same can't be said about Dark Run. In a couple of months I'm probably going to forget this book exists. I know it's a harsh thing to say, but I really don't see why this book was written.
I couldn't care less about the setting or the plot and especially about the characters. They were so lifeless and interchangeable that I couldn't even keep them straight at certain times. I had a very hard time distinguishing Jenna and Jia. All of these people, mercenaries, whatever they are, they are all tough guys, who have lived hard lives, about which we learn almost nothing. They all have these "amazing" abilities at a certain field, they are all supposed to be "cool". I don't think so.
The entire book is very immature, like a childish attempt in grown-up literature. Even the sexual tension between the characters is laughable and seems like a prepubescent's wet dreams based on crappy porn and naive imagination.
The story was equally as dull as the characters. Nothing actually important was going on. There was a "villain" who we mostly don't see and a mission which was both unimportant and constantly being interrupted by the characters' unimportant personal stories.
Honestly, I don't claim that I'm going to become a great author so my opinion should be taken very seriously, but many people are about as great in writing as I am and yet, publishing books. I think literature is about having something to write, not making it up just for the sake of writing. If you don't have anything to say, don't say anything.
My issue with this book: there was nothing there. Not a thing. I have read quite a few books in my life and this one qualifies in top 10 books that couldn't grab my attention in ANY way. Usually if I don't like a book, at least I can pinpoint what I didn't like about it. The same can't be said about Dark Run. In a couple of months I'm probably going to forget this book exists. I know it's a harsh thing to say, but I really don't see why this book was written.
I couldn't care less about the setting or the plot and especially about the characters. They were so lifeless and interchangeable that I couldn't even keep them straight at certain times. I had a very hard time distinguishing Jenna and Jia. All of these people, mercenaries, whatever they are, they are all tough guys, who have lived hard lives, about which we learn almost nothing. They all have these "amazing" abilities at a certain field, they are all supposed to be "cool". I don't think so.
The entire book is very immature, like a childish attempt in grown-up literature. Even the sexual tension between the characters is laughable and seems like a prepubescent's wet dreams based on crappy porn and naive imagination.
The story was equally as dull as the characters. Nothing actually important was going on. There was a "villain" who we mostly don't see and a mission which was both unimportant and constantly being interrupted by the characters' unimportant personal stories.
Honestly, I don't claim that I'm going to become a great author so my opinion should be taken very seriously, but many people are about as great in writing as I am and yet, publishing books. I think literature is about having something to write, not making it up just for the sake of writing. If you don't have anything to say, don't say anything.
majkia's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty good start of a new series. Interesting characters, lots of action, world-building good.
srlemons42's review
4.0
I had a lot of fun reading this one! This book is a super standard sci-fi adventure story. I don't mean that in a bad way either! It was fun, fast paced, and the characters were all pretty interesting to read about.
This is a very Firefly-adjacent book. A group of space cowboys find a made family. It's not 1-to-1 of course, everyone on the ship has secrets they would like to stay secret and the ships captain (Ichabod Drift) has a secret that might just get everyone else killed.
It was supposed to be a simple smuggling job but soon the crew has to start running and thinking of a way to turn their bed luck and fortune into good.
I thought the plot moved swiftly and was quite entertaining. The characters all get a chance to shine, although the plot only really fleshes out 2-3 of them well. I look forward to learning more about them in future books.
This is a very Firefly-adjacent book. A group of space cowboys find a made family. It's not 1-to-1 of course, everyone on the ship has secrets they would like to stay secret and the ships captain (Ichabod Drift) has a secret that might just get everyone else killed.
It was supposed to be a simple smuggling job but soon the crew has to start running and thinking of a way to turn their bed luck and fortune into good.
I thought the plot moved swiftly and was quite entertaining. The characters all get a chance to shine, although the plot only really fleshes out 2-3 of them well. I look forward to learning more about them in future books.