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bennywhatever's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
emaynard97's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
johnbreeden's review against another edition
5.0
3 words - Skippy the Magnificent. This was a very good story line, augmented by the sass of the super-powerful AI. It takes deus-ex-machina to a whole new level, but the interaction of the characters and their personalities make this a great ride.
hank's review against another edition
2.0
With apologies to my friend odedo1 who I think liked it, this book was bad. This is one of those that I classify as whatever the male version of chick-lit is and I almost always hate those books. For one, it is mostly dialog which is mediocre at best, the kind of good-ole boy dialog that I imagine only men liking. Not sexist really or overly violent but the kind of military, inside joke, living on a farm, going hunting type of boring (IMO) dialog.
The writing is YA and the subject matter is adult, Alanson threw a Deus-ex Machina into the middle of the book which was quite strange and then spent the rest of the book trying to walk back the all powerfulness of this particular character. That character is also the only one who does even a minor bit of development.
For the kicker, the last 1/4 of the book is Alanson trying to shove in moral judgments on a variety of topics that seem dear to him. I agreed with many of his proclamations it just didn't add anything to the story.
For someone who is looking for military fiction I would highly recomment Marko Kloos' series and Old Man's War. Both of those are better character driven stories along with believable military space warfare AND some good dialog. I would give Columbus Day a miss even if it is on sale which is how I grabbed it. I read this going to and from a Euro vacations with lots of time on a plane.
The writing is YA and the subject matter is adult, Alanson threw a Deus-ex Machina into the middle of the book which was quite strange and then spent the rest of the book trying to walk back the all powerfulness of this particular character. That character is also the only one who does even a minor bit of development.
For the kicker, the last 1/4 of the book is Alanson trying to shove in moral judgments on a variety of topics that seem dear to him. I agreed with many of his proclamations it just didn't add anything to the story.
For someone who is looking for military fiction I would highly recomment Marko Kloos' series and Old Man's War. Both of those are better character driven stories along with believable military space warfare AND some good dialog. I would give Columbus Day a miss even if it is on sale which is how I grabbed it. I read this going to and from a Euro vacations with lots of time on a plane.
elbaso's review against another edition
2.0
Didn't really enjoy it. Was very military, and very rah-rah USA!
The story takes a sharp turn half-way through, and it didn't appeal to me.
The story takes a sharp turn half-way through, and it didn't appeal to me.
tirnel's review against another edition
3.0
Started out slow and I almost put it down. Then it started to pick up and I kept going. About halfway through, a new character appears and his interaction with everyone else was really good and kept me wanting to know what would happen next. When I finished, I was interested enough to snag the 2nd book from Kindle Unlimited.
wannabekingpin's review against another edition
5.0
All reviews in one place: Night Mode Reading
t was Columbus Day in America when two alien races invaded Earth. One – devastated the land, messing up the infrastructure, electricity, communication, and whatever else it was. The other one seemingly rescued the poor little earthlings and chased the bad guys away. Soon after, they started recruiting Earth’s military to join them in further warring out in the space, on other planets. This is how our hero got onto this paradise-like planet, supervising evacuation of the locals here, the same bad guys who invaded his planet, who, seemingly, merely peacefully cultivated food on this planet. They seem kind and pretty willing to engage. Unlike their new higher-ups, who seem pretty disgusted by these new folk they have to deal with. And yet they still do. Why?
This and many more questions are soon to be answered, as our hero, during one serious battle in which he fought to keep his people, humans, alive, instead of taking sides or helping sides, where he accidentally finds what seems like a shiny beer can. A shiny beer can shaped ancient AI. A shiny beer can shaped ancient AI who is also an utter asshole.
I laughed out loud so many times! It’s a truly well action packed book with a very, very healthy dose of humor and cheek. 5 out of 5, couldn’t give it a point less if I wanted to.
t was Columbus Day in America when two alien races invaded Earth. One – devastated the land, messing up the infrastructure, electricity, communication, and whatever else it was. The other one seemingly rescued the poor little earthlings and chased the bad guys away. Soon after, they started recruiting Earth’s military to join them in further warring out in the space, on other planets. This is how our hero got onto this paradise-like planet, supervising evacuation of the locals here, the same bad guys who invaded his planet, who, seemingly, merely peacefully cultivated food on this planet. They seem kind and pretty willing to engage. Unlike their new higher-ups, who seem pretty disgusted by these new folk they have to deal with. And yet they still do. Why?
This and many more questions are soon to be answered, as our hero, during one serious battle in which he fought to keep his people, humans, alive, instead of taking sides or helping sides, where he accidentally finds what seems like a shiny beer can. A shiny beer can shaped ancient AI. A shiny beer can shaped ancient AI who is also an utter asshole.
I laughed out loud so many times! It’s a truly well action packed book with a very, very healthy dose of humor and cheek. 5 out of 5, couldn’t give it a point less if I wanted to.
nearly_empty_nesting's review against another edition
5.0
I have been dipping my toes in Science Fiction, and this is my latest dive into the genre.
This book reminded me a bit of The Martian, where the main character has that dry wit about him that comes out as he is facing impossible situations.
And Skippy? I think Skippy is one of my favorite characters of all time.
I loved this book. It went straight to my top shelf and I plan to continue the series to find out what happens next.
This book reminded me a bit of The Martian, where the main character has that dry wit about him that comes out as he is facing impossible situations.
And Skippy? I think Skippy is one of my favorite characters of all time.
I loved this book. It went straight to my top shelf and I plan to continue the series to find out what happens next.
erenreader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
moviesnob1979's review against another edition
5.0
Finally a series I’m excited to read the every single book! Cannot wait to start book 2!