Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
Another tasty space opera treat from the book universe - thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy!
Victoria Marin, privateer and captain of the salvage spaceship Condor, is in the red and in danger of losing her ship if she can’t locate fresh salvage and bring home some new xenotech for profit. It seems too good to be true when her crew catch a distress signal in nearby space. What she finds there, though, is a drifting wreck and an inconvenient survivor – First Prince Tavram, heir apparent to one of the largest and most powerful empires in known space. And there’s a deadly, powerful warlord from an opposing empire hot on his trail.
Vick’s Vultures is a space opera in the military spirit of Elizabeth Moon’s Vatta’s War series and David Weber’s Honor Harrington books, with the alien species density per planet of the Star Trek universe. It’s light on description, great with the action, and tight on the military maneuvers. And unlike the genre’s ubiquitous young, untested commander persona who has to figure things out as crisis looms, we get Captain Victoria, a veteran with a loyal, established team, ready to rumble with the universe.
I was kinda thinking (okay, hoping) that there would be a romantic subplot somewhere in this story (because, come on, rescuing a prince?). So if you went there too, let me stop you right there. No romance. The most you get is some grudging respect. That said, there was plenty to love: Deadly space battles, tenacious warlords, an alien prince from a super advanced civilization, dangerous alliances, old enemies, government conspiracies, and (of course, of course) betrayal. Romance in the middle of a life-and-death struggle would have been a little weird. Not to mention that physiological differences between the species would have made insta-love very weird.
By far my favorite thing about this story (besides Tessa and Aimes’ brilliant subplot, which you need to read to experience), though, was the clever world-building concept.
Here, humans are the underdeveloped underdogs in a universe of hundreds of thousands of species and empires, and they know it. They have few advantages, and the few times they got into it with an alien race, they didn’t exactly pull an Independence Day. Humans also have an intriguing reputation among the other aliens, but I won’t spoil it for you.
This is a short, fast read: a race to see who gets there first, Victoria with her hostage to safety, or the reader to the last page.
Victoria Marin, privateer and captain of the salvage spaceship Condor, is in the red and in danger of losing her ship if she can’t locate fresh salvage and bring home some new xenotech for profit. It seems too good to be true when her crew catch a distress signal in nearby space. What she finds there, though, is a drifting wreck and an inconvenient survivor – First Prince Tavram, heir apparent to one of the largest and most powerful empires in known space. And there’s a deadly, powerful warlord from an opposing empire hot on his trail.
Vick’s Vultures is a space opera in the military spirit of Elizabeth Moon’s Vatta’s War series and David Weber’s Honor Harrington books, with the alien species density per planet of the Star Trek universe. It’s light on description, great with the action, and tight on the military maneuvers. And unlike the genre’s ubiquitous young, untested commander persona who has to figure things out as crisis looms, we get Captain Victoria, a veteran with a loyal, established team, ready to rumble with the universe.
I was kinda thinking (okay, hoping) that there would be a romantic subplot somewhere in this story (because, come on, rescuing a prince?). So if you went there too, let me stop you right there. No romance. The most you get is some grudging respect. That said, there was plenty to love: Deadly space battles, tenacious warlords, an alien prince from a super advanced civilization, dangerous alliances, old enemies, government conspiracies, and (of course, of course) betrayal. Romance in the middle of a life-and-death struggle would have been a little weird. Not to mention that physiological differences between the species would have made insta-love very weird.
By far my favorite thing about this story (besides Tessa and Aimes’ brilliant subplot, which you need to read to experience), though, was the clever world-building concept.
“The galaxy is filled with vast and terrible empires, and humans survive on their little handful of planets mostly by scavenging around the edges of galactic battlefields, stripping alien wreckage for precious technologies.”
Here, humans are the underdeveloped underdogs in a universe of hundreds of thousands of species and empires, and they know it. They have few advantages, and the few times they got into it with an alien race, they didn’t exactly pull an Independence Day. Humans also have an intriguing reputation among the other aliens, but I won’t spoil it for you.
This is a short, fast read: a race to see who gets there first, Victoria with her hostage to safety, or the reader to the last page.
adventurous
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
One of the rare cases where I'll be rounding down to four stars where required. Could have used some pretty significant copyediting. But the story itself was excellent, so it gets a pass. Definitely part of the "humanity porn" subgenre, where we excel at something small but that gives us an advantage over more technologically-developed races. I'm hoping the sequels contain more of the interspecies politics and bridge-building. Reminded me a lot of Enterprise in a number of ways.
Vick's Vultures was a complete surprise. I wasn't 100% sure what to expect when I started it, but I'll assure you it wasn't gripping writing, fun characters, an interesting universe (or two) inhabited by a slew of differing alien creatures and cultures, all of it fitting together almost seamlessly. And it darned sure wasn't a kick-butt female captain that wonderfully walked the line in which she was definitely a woman, but that never eclipsed her being a captain, nor did the author feel the need to butch her up so much she just became a dreaded man with boobs. Thank you Scott Warren for that! Characters really can be female and professional, who knew?
I did think Best Wish's loss of control toward the end a little too convenient to believe and I occasionally had a little trouble understanding the techno-speak. But all in all, this was a fabulous read.
I did think Best Wish's loss of control toward the end a little too convenient to believe and I occasionally had a little trouble understanding the techno-speak. But all in all, this was a fabulous read.
Oh my gosh, did I love this book!
Initially, I wasn't sure I was going to like it, battles in space are not normally my cup of tea. But I do like scifi, especially scifi with some snark in it (like Firefly). I had a very hard time putting this book down. I was reading on the Metro, there were delays because of single tracking, others were grumbling, I was not, because it meant I could keep reading for a little while longer. The characters are compelling, and the plot is gripping. I want to go to a bar and have a drink with Vick.
The general plot is it is sometime in the future, space is dominated by the "Big Three" empires, which are way advanced technologically than Earth and the other "Lesser Empires." Earth exists on the margins, scavenging for alien technology, which scientists on Earth then try to reverse engineer and incorporate into Earth space ships. Earth doesn't have a space military presence, per se, but it does have a fleet of privateers, which do the scavenging. Generally Earth tries to stay off the radar of the Big Three, because coming to their attention can lead to annihilation for a civilization. However, Captain Victoria Marin and her ship the Condor end up getting caught in a conflict between two of the Big Three. The story hinges on the resourcefulness of the captain, her human crew, their alien allies, in trying to stay one step ahead of the game and not get crushed.
One of the features I really liked about the book was the description of the Big Three being so far ahead technologically, that they had given up on some aspects of technology (say computer programming languages), areas in which Earth surpassed them, without the Big Three realizing it. So even though the Lesser Empires are outclassed technologically, there are still areas in which the humans have an advantage.
If you like Firefly, if you like sci fi adventure with a smart-ass attitude, you will enjoy this book.
I am looking forward to the next adventure of Vick's Vultures.
Initially, I wasn't sure I was going to like it, battles in space are not normally my cup of tea. But I do like scifi, especially scifi with some snark in it (like Firefly). I had a very hard time putting this book down. I was reading on the Metro, there were delays because of single tracking, others were grumbling, I was not, because it meant I could keep reading for a little while longer. The characters are compelling, and the plot is gripping. I want to go to a bar and have a drink with Vick.
The general plot is it is sometime in the future, space is dominated by the "Big Three" empires, which are way advanced technologically than Earth and the other "Lesser Empires." Earth exists on the margins, scavenging for alien technology, which scientists on Earth then try to reverse engineer and incorporate into Earth space ships. Earth doesn't have a space military presence, per se, but it does have a fleet of privateers, which do the scavenging. Generally Earth tries to stay off the radar of the Big Three, because coming to their attention can lead to annihilation for a civilization. However, Captain Victoria Marin and her ship the Condor end up getting caught in a conflict between two of the Big Three. The story hinges on the resourcefulness of the captain, her human crew, their alien allies, in trying to stay one step ahead of the game and not get crushed.
One of the features I really liked about the book was the description of the Big Three being so far ahead technologically, that they had given up on some aspects of technology (say computer programming languages), areas in which Earth surpassed them, without the Big Three realizing it. So even though the Lesser Empires are outclassed technologically, there are still areas in which the humans have an advantage.
If you like Firefly, if you like sci fi adventure with a smart-ass attitude, you will enjoy this book.
I am looking forward to the next adventure of Vick's Vultures.
Original Review Here
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I am more of a fantasy girl than science fiction, but I thought I would give Vick’s Vultures a go. It was the first book set in space that that gripped me from the start. The pacing and tension kept me engaged, the characters made me laugh and the whole premise was engaging from the first page. A thoroughly enjoyable book!
After picking up a distress signal, Vick takes her Vultures to salvage parts from one of the Big Three. But instead of technology, they find survivors, one of whom is First Prince Tavram. Her mission to get him home is lined with danger – another of the Big Three wants him dead and Vick’s own enemies are closing in. She will need all her wit about her.
Victoria instantly caught my attention. An excellent captain but with normal human vices – such needing whisky (and lots of it) to sleep. She was flawed, bold and stubborn as anything when it came to getting what she wanted. Best Wishes was an imposing opponent for the majority of the novel, but lost his touch towards the end. I expected Tav to be obnoxious, but his character remained mainly in the background. Tessa was awesome: a marine who sneaks aboard the enemy ship and single-handed causes absolute chaos!
The language really added to the novel. I’ve read too many set in space where it was all nice and polite. Not where Vick is involved – if she doesn’t like something, you will know. Given the circumstances, it injected humour and added a sense of reality to the situation. You would be swearing if you were about to be blown out of the sky and your defences were offline!
The novel had a steady pace and a lot of tension throughout, keeping me completely engaged. The enemy ship remained close enough – with plenty of skirmishes – throughout you could never tell if they would make it through or not. While some of the “space-talk” did lose me a little, it was never enough to disconnect from the novel.
I would definitely recommend Vick’s Vultures! Engaging, humorous and a classic tale of smaller guy versus bigger one. Great fun!
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I am more of a fantasy girl than science fiction, but I thought I would give Vick’s Vultures a go. It was the first book set in space that that gripped me from the start. The pacing and tension kept me engaged, the characters made me laugh and the whole premise was engaging from the first page. A thoroughly enjoyable book!
After picking up a distress signal, Vick takes her Vultures to salvage parts from one of the Big Three. But instead of technology, they find survivors, one of whom is First Prince Tavram. Her mission to get him home is lined with danger – another of the Big Three wants him dead and Vick’s own enemies are closing in. She will need all her wit about her.
Victoria instantly caught my attention. An excellent captain but with normal human vices – such needing whisky (and lots of it) to sleep. She was flawed, bold and stubborn as anything when it came to getting what she wanted. Best Wishes was an imposing opponent for the majority of the novel, but lost his touch towards the end. I expected Tav to be obnoxious, but his character remained mainly in the background. Tessa was awesome: a marine who sneaks aboard the enemy ship and single-handed causes absolute chaos!
The language really added to the novel. I’ve read too many set in space where it was all nice and polite. Not where Vick is involved – if she doesn’t like something, you will know. Given the circumstances, it injected humour and added a sense of reality to the situation. You would be swearing if you were about to be blown out of the sky and your defences were offline!
The novel had a steady pace and a lot of tension throughout, keeping me completely engaged. The enemy ship remained close enough – with plenty of skirmishes – throughout you could never tell if they would make it through or not. While some of the “space-talk” did lose me a little, it was never enough to disconnect from the novel.
I would definitely recommend Vick’s Vultures! Engaging, humorous and a classic tale of smaller guy versus bigger one. Great fun!
Good time killing book
Short characters building, enjoyable universe building, and equipped with many ideas. However, this book is too short and cutting down a lot of possible worthy scenes. This definitely is a slippery type of sci-fi book. It could be polished up some more. Other than that like I mentioned it is a good book to kill time.
Short characters building, enjoyable universe building, and equipped with many ideas. However, this book is too short and cutting down a lot of possible worthy scenes. This definitely is a slippery type of sci-fi book. It could be polished up some more. Other than that like I mentioned it is a good book to kill time.
Well, that was a waste of time. As far as sci-fi goes, there was nothing truly original to be found here. I've come across every sci-fi concept before and in each case, it was done better somewhere else. I found it boring, cheesy and stupid all at the same time. The best thing you can say about it is that it's short.
It's quite clear that the author was going for that Firefly feel that a lot of people seem to enjoy. However, it never quite sets up the universe well enough for you to know what the stakes are or what the consequences might be. It also tries too hard to bring in some unexpected characteristics for the alien races, while making them still very human-like in order to be able to follow things from their point of view. All this resulted in completely unbelievable alien species that felt uninspired and convenient to the plot.
The characters were just as much of a mess. They were simply completely flat and boring, giving you no reason to want to root for them other than the fact they were human. I couldn't bring myself to care about anything that happened to them, especially since you can tell from quite early on how things are going to play out. The scenes from the alien's perspective were also completely unnecessary. All they did was muddle the already stupid plot and made the supposedly super advanced alien species seem very petty and very human.
The writing was completely amateurish. The dialogue was awful, made even worse by the narrator in the audiobook version. So many things lacked proper descriptions, leaving the reader to fill in a lot of the blanks. But then in some cases, we get some details towards the end of the book, meaning you have to fix the vague mental models you already had in your mind. The pacing is way too fast as well, with the author trying to fit a simple plot into half it's required length. Everything about the writing and story was more frustrating than entertaining.
I wouldn't be able to recommend this book to anyone. It's not awful, but it's so pointless and unoriginal, that despite its meagre 200-odd pages, it's still a waste of time.
It's quite clear that the author was going for that Firefly feel that a lot of people seem to enjoy. However, it never quite sets up the universe well enough for you to know what the stakes are or what the consequences might be. It also tries too hard to bring in some unexpected characteristics for the alien races, while making them still very human-like in order to be able to follow things from their point of view. All this resulted in completely unbelievable alien species that felt uninspired and convenient to the plot.
The characters were just as much of a mess. They were simply completely flat and boring, giving you no reason to want to root for them other than the fact they were human. I couldn't bring myself to care about anything that happened to them, especially since you can tell from quite early on how things are going to play out. The scenes from the alien's perspective were also completely unnecessary. All they did was muddle the already stupid plot and made the supposedly super advanced alien species seem very petty and very human.
The writing was completely amateurish. The dialogue was awful, made even worse by the narrator in the audiobook version. So many things lacked proper descriptions, leaving the reader to fill in a lot of the blanks. But then in some cases, we get some details towards the end of the book, meaning you have to fix the vague mental models you already had in your mind. The pacing is way too fast as well, with the author trying to fit a simple plot into half it's required length. Everything about the writing and story was more frustrating than entertaining.
I wouldn't be able to recommend this book to anyone. It's not awful, but it's so pointless and unoriginal, that despite its meagre 200-odd pages, it's still a waste of time.
3.5 stars
I struggled with the beginning of this book, because there were a lot of technological descriptions that took me a while to get through. After a while I got used to it and my reading experience got a lot better. One of the major ideas in this book is that humans are a minor species. In the universe this story is set in, there are many empires that are more powerful than the humans. I loved the fact that humans were the underdogs. It really made me root for them eventhough I did not connect with any particular character.
In this story we get introduced to a bunch of alien species. We get some clues to their appearance, but I felt like they were never described in enough detail for me to clearly envision them. Only in the last few chapters could I picture one of the alien races. One of the alien species is actually one enitity that inhabits multiple bodies which communiate telepatically, which I thought was extremely interesting. Other alien species seemed to have fascinating societal structures. I just wish that I was given more details. Most of the descriptions in this book relate to the action. It was written in a good way, but one of the things that I love in science fiction is exploring new worlds/species and that was missing a bit in this book.
If you prefer a plot driven story over a character driven story than you might really enjoy this. I personally would have liked to see the characters fleshed out a bit more. While I had a clear idea of the captain of the ship the Condor, the other characters seemed quite flat to me. One thing that did annoy me a little was the amount of times the female caption admires male bodies. I think hardly any (human) male character was introduced without her stating how hot he was. After a while that just starting to seem a bit much.
I struggled with the beginning of this book, because there were a lot of technological descriptions that took me a while to get through. After a while I got used to it and my reading experience got a lot better. One of the major ideas in this book is that humans are a minor species. In the universe this story is set in, there are many empires that are more powerful than the humans. I loved the fact that humans were the underdogs. It really made me root for them eventhough I did not connect with any particular character.
In this story we get introduced to a bunch of alien species. We get some clues to their appearance, but I felt like they were never described in enough detail for me to clearly envision them. Only in the last few chapters could I picture one of the alien races. One of the alien species is actually one enitity that inhabits multiple bodies which communiate telepatically, which I thought was extremely interesting. Other alien species seemed to have fascinating societal structures. I just wish that I was given more details. Most of the descriptions in this book relate to the action. It was written in a good way, but one of the things that I love in science fiction is exploring new worlds/species and that was missing a bit in this book.
If you prefer a plot driven story over a character driven story than you might really enjoy this. I personally would have liked to see the characters fleshed out a bit more. While I had a clear idea of the captain of the ship the Condor, the other characters seemed quite flat to me. One thing that did annoy me a little was the amount of times the female caption admires male bodies. I think hardly any (human) male character was introduced without her stating how hot he was. After a while that just starting to seem a bit much.