A review by bookishactor
The Yanthus Prime Job: A Pepper Melange Novella by Robert Kroese

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Yanthus Prime Job is a Pepper Melange novella, and part of Robert Kroese’s Starship Grifters series. I did not know this book connected to any of Korese’s other books, and am now eager to check them out. I had previously read the author’s books The Big Sheep and The Last Iota, which I loved, and had high expectations for this story. For the most part, it delivered. I think readers of John Scalzi, particularly fans of Fuzzy Nation (his adaptation of H. Beam Piper’s Little Fuzzy), will find a lot to love in this heist story. Pepper Melange is a loveable protagonist. The book definitely has a pulpy feel, sometimes in both good and not so good ways, and if I’m going to be totally honest I didn’t feel like there was anything terribly original here. With that said it was an enjoyable and short romp that’s a fun listen for genre fans. The audiobook narration is serviceable. J.D. Ledford did a great job with the protagonist and some of the supporting roles, but made bold choices with others that sounded annoying in this listener’s opinion.